SPEED was the name of the game for local drag racer Dave Neumann as he flew down the strip in his Oldsmobile Cutlass at 123mph at the JP Racing Eight Mile series on the weekend.

Growing up next to a speedway, Neumann's passion for motor racing started at a young age and escalated as he became involved in drag racing.

Competing on and off for the past 20 years Neumann's current race car allows him to go the fastest he ever has.

"I started drag racing over 20 years ago but found I had a lot to learn and needed a lot more money to participate in the sport," he said.

"Returning to the scene a few years ago I competed in a HQ Holden ute in super street series and was averaging eight second runs.

"Having a burning desire to go faster I invested in the Oldsmobile Cutlass which is an ex-pro stock car built in the States, allowing me to currently achieve 5.59 seconds down the eighth-mile."

The Cutlass, built in 1996, had only 15 miles on the speedometer when he bought it and Neumann said it is the closest he will get to owning a new car.

As a qualified diesel mechanic Neumann considers himself lucky to be able to do a lot of the work on the race car himself and gets great satisfaction out of improving the engine and knowing exactly what's going on under the bonnet.

Competing at the Warwick Dragway for the past seven years, the highlight of his career was winning the extreme sedan category at Warwick Dragfest last year.

He says there are many factors other than a fast car involved in being a successful drag racer and excellent driving skills are imperative. He is always trying to better his reaction time.

"I try to compete as much as I can, work permitting," he said.

"It's always a great day at the Warwick Dragway; the facilities and people are great and we all have a lot of fun."

Neumann was satisfied with his performance on the weekend, achieving 5.69 seconds at 123mph.

His aim is to go faster and while the car may be capable, the engine will have to be rebuilt he says.

"I am having fun doing what I do but my dream is to one day speed down the quarter mile at 200mph," he said.

"While I didn't do anything outstanding on the weekend, I had a lot of fun."