The fastest circuit boats in Australia are about to light up Gippsland. This weekend the Lucas Oil Australia Hydroplane National Drivers Championship (NDC) makes its debut at the Glenmaggie & District Boat Club, promising two days of side-by-side GP Hydroplane racing at well over 250 kph, plus a stacked support card of 5-/6-litre and 1.6-litre OzLite hydros.
It’s an ironic twist for trans-Tasman fans: while New Zealand’s Hydro Thunder launches at Mangakino, Australia’s new Hydroplane NDC takes its first green flag 200 kilometres east of Melbourne, same weekend, same noise, double the rooster tails.
A new chapter for Australian hydroplanes
This weekend’s Glenmaggie Cup marks more than just another race. It’s the rebirth of national-level hydroplane competition in Australia. While the sport boasts a century of legendary events such as the E.C. Griffith Cup, the new Lucas Oil Hydroplane National Drivers Championship introduces something different: a season-long series built on consistency, crowd engagement, and modern presentation.
For decades, GP hydroplanes have thrilled spectators but struggled for regular appearances between major trophy events. The National Drivers Championship format, already successful with other Australian powerboat categories, aims to change that. By bringing the fastest GP hydroplanes together under one banner, with points carried across multiple rounds, the NDC restores a sense of momentum, purpose, and visibility to a discipline long defined by sporadic showdowns.
As NDC director Rob Psaila put it earlier this year, “We’ve got world-class boats sitting in sheds. The goal is to get them back on the water, in front of the crowds that love them.”
With Lucas Oil’s support and Glenmaggie’s open-water layout providing the perfect stage, this inaugural round represents both a return and a reset, proof that top-tier hydroplane racing still belongs at the heart of Australian motorsport.
Who’s in the fight
Grand Prix (GP) entries for Glenmaggie read like a greatest-hits album:
GP1 – Grant Harrison, GP101 – Ben Clark, Krusader – Dan Krusic, Wasp – Darren Pennington. Expect Harrison’s GP1 to set the benchmark early — the veteran is a nine-time E.C. Griffith Cup winner and former UIM GP World Champion — while Krusic’s Krusader and Pennington’s Wasp have the pace to trade blows all weekend. Clark’s GP101 arrives with fresh form after a major rebuild.
The Glenmaggie Cup field adds depth: Rival (John Bakker), Mad Dog (Les Smith), Fury (Hayden Chesser), Krusader (Dan Krusic), GP101 (Ben Clark), GP1 (Grant Harrison), Wasp (Darren Pennington), Stampede (Paul Jones), AMS (Brendan Anderson), Always Pumping (Dennis Psalia), Gator (Melissa & Kelvin Macansh). Local fans know Glenmaggie’s open-water layout rewards boats that hold top speed through the long turns, a trait that has historically suited GP1 and Krusader.
Storylines to watch
GP101’s comeback: After a high-speed spin at the St George Speedboat Spectacular in July — data showed ~150 mph with 8 g lateral and 3.6 g vertical loads — the Tamworth-based team rebuilt the boat and is “on the road to Glenmaggie.” That resilience alone makes Ben Clark a must-watch.
Wasp returns: Darren Pennington brings Wasp back after an extended break. The boat has been fired, cleaned, and prepped — now the question is race-pace. Glenmaggie’s long right-hander will show whether Wasp’s set-up carries speed where it counts.
AMS steps up: Brendan Anderson’s “AMS” 5-litre hydro has been flagged by organisers as both immaculate and quick — a fan-friendly sleeper that could spring a podium in the support classes.
How fast are they, really?
Organisers have been clear: “2000-horsepower monsters at over 250 kph side-by-side” is the expectation for GP hydros at Glenmaggie. That aligns with known GP benchmarks and the NDC’s own previews this week. In short, if conditions hold, spectators should see genuine 250-plus closing speeds down the straights.
Format, schedule and streaming
The Hydroplane NDC adopts the NDC template familiar to Aussie powerboat fans: hot-lap qualifying, two rounds of heats, then class finals, wrapped around the Glenmaggie Cup on Sunday. The event offers live streaming via GP Hydro Livestream for those following from afar. Although it is without doubt that if you can get to the lake, you’ll get the full sound-and-spray experience that TV never quite captures.
Weather looks favourable after a possible Friday shower, with a mix of sun and overcast conditions for racing, ideal for big power and visibility.
A new series layer
The Hydroplane NDC is a new series layer, not a replacement for Australia’s long-running trophies like the E.C. Griffith Cup and Max Kirwan Trophy. The aim is to get GP hydros on the water more often, at venues that can handle their speed envelope, under a points format that builds storylines across a season. After a disrupted 2025 build-up, Glenmaggie is the reset button, and the 2026 opener is already locked for Lake Eppalock (10–11 January).
Quick guide: who brings what
- GP1 (Grant Harrison): Proven outright pace and race craft; multiple national crowns.
- GP101 (Ben Clark): Fresh rebuild; high ceiling if reliability holds after St George repairs. Facebook
- Krusader (Dan Krusic): Consistent top-three threat; fast in clean water. 321ignitionmedia.wordpress.com
- Wasp (Darren Pennington): Returning package; big unknown, big upside if laps come early. Facebook
Support standouts: AMS (Brendan Anderson), Gator (Macansh), Rival (Bakker) — crowd-pleasers with genuine pace.
From the pits to the final, Glenmaggie’s maiden Hydroplane NDC should deliver exactly what the series promises; loud, dramatic, and fast. If the GP finalists get a clean run, don’t blink on the back straight.
