The 28-year-old has earned a coveted sport in next month’s Drag Challenge, which will see him compete at Calder, Heathcote, Mildura and Portland raceways, before heading back to Calder, in the space of five days.

But the challenge is not confined to the quarter-mile tracks, with competitors having to drive their race vehicles from one venue to the next with only a small trailer and no support crew.

“If you break down on the side of the road, you’ve got to fix it on the side of the road. You can’t have a support crew to help you,” Lampard said.

“It’s five tracks, five days, 1500km.”

Lampard said the Drag Challenge has only been running for three years and was difficult to get a spot in, but after following it last year, he made it his mission to compete in the 2017 edition.

He competed in two races last year – finishing runner-up in his debut event and third at the Red CentreNATS in 2015.

He returned to Alice Springs for the Red CentreNATS this year with a new engine in his car, running 10.56 seconds at 136mph.

Lampard said his car was ready just two days before he had to head north – with the work only getting completed with the help from mates who would swing past after work to pitch in, with parts coming from around the world for the engine.

Drag Challenge runs from October 24-28.