Graeme Cowin

Australian Top Fuel Champion

It took just four point eight seconds for hot-rodder Graeme Cowin to blast into the history books in 1993.

On a sunny summer’s afternoon at Calder Raceway, Cowin became the first driver outside of North American to crack the magical five second barrier for the standing quarter mile.

With a top speed of 473 kilometers per hour, Cowin hit the headlines with his record setting pass.

Two years later in 1995, Cowin was Australia’s Top Fuel Champion setting a benchmark for performance and professionalism in his chosen sport.

However, it had been no overnight success story for this truck driver with a need for speed.

In 1973 he and wife Wendy invested their life savings into the now iconic Psycho nitro-fuelled drag car that was a star turn at events across Australia.

Cowin’s passion for nitro-fuelled drag cars eventually took him to both Top Fuel and Funny Car categories and appearances in American NHRA sanctioned events.

For five decades, Cowin has been one of the most influential and inspirational figures in drag racing, noted for his integrity and creativity in this fast moving sport.

The aptly named Rocket Industries, founded by Cowin, is a leader in the automotive performance parts business.