Drag Illustrated
Big Bracket Bash at Bristol this Weekend
Big-money bracket racing returns to Bristol Dragway May 17-20, with a few additions sure to make racers happy during the third annual K&N Spring Fling 20’s. The event features four days of racing with a $12,500-to-win race on Thursday, and three $20,000-to-win races Friday through Sunday.
Hosted by longtime bracket competitors Kyle Seipel and Peter Biondo, the event features what they call, the 1000-ft compromise. While many racers prefer 1/4-mile drag racing, an equally large number of racers prefer to compete on 1/8-mile tracks. Seipel and Biondo split the difference by making the Spring Fling 20’s a race to 1000 feet. Continue Reading »
Pro Stock’s Gray Hoping for Topeka Repeat
A full year has passed since Pro Stock driver Shane Gray claimed the second title of his career at Heartland Park Topeka, but the memory of the accomplishment is still fresh, and the second-generation driver is motivated to build on last season’s victory with a strong performance in the NTB/Service Central Pontiac GXP at the upcoming Dollar General NHRA Summernationals.
When he last competed in Topeka, Gray qualified in the No. 7 position and proceeded to dispose of Erica Enders in the first round before delivering a 1-2 punch to the multi-championship KB Racing team led by drivers Jason Line (second-round opponent) and Greg Anderson (semifinals challenger). Both of the KB cars spun the tires, while Gray and his Gray Motorsports-finessed GXP glided to quicker e.t.s and, as a result, win lights. Continue Reading »
Force, Hight to Honor Elvis at Bristol
John Force (Images courtesy JFR; Click to enlarge)
Legendary Funny Car driver John Force and teammate Robert Hight will honor the legacy of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll June 15-17. during the 12th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. In conjunction with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. and Lionel NASCAR Collectables, John Force Racing will once again feature Elvis on their one-of-a-kind 8,000 horsepower Ford Mustang Funny Cars.
Each driver will be competing in a specially-designed Elvis 35th Anniversary Ford Mustang Funny Car for this one-time special weekend. A number of fan promotions surrounding this event are also in the works. Continue Reading »
Torrence Taking Top Fuel Momentum to Topeka
Steve Torrence (Photos courtesy NHRA/National Dragster; Click to enlarge)
Steve Torrence delivered a commanding victory two weeks ago at Atlanta Dragway after the 29-year-old Texan basically put together a Top Fuel team from scratch in the span of a year and won a race in the team’s 10th start.
But it really shouldn’t have come as a big surprise since for most of the season, the Torrence team was showing signs that the Capco Contractors dragster was getting ready to make a move. Torrence had qualified in the top two at three straight races, including earning his first No. 1 position at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. At Las Vegas and Houston he lost in the semifinals at both events in extremely close, good old fashioned drag races with Spencer Massey and Antron Brown. Continue Reading »
Hight Hoping for Topeka Triple
Robert Hight (Photo courtesy JFR; Click to enlarge)
Last year at Heartland Park Topeka, Robert Hight was attempting to set a couple of personal records and one giant team record when his Auto Club Ford Mustang rolled up to the starting line beside teammate Mike Neff in the NHRA Dollar General Summer Nationals final round.
On the line for Hight was the possibility of defending his 2010 Summer Nationals win and he was also gunning for his first three-race win streak. The big prize for Hight or Neff was winning the 200th NHRA Funny Car race for John Force Racing. Hight got the win with a 4.284 to Neff’s 4.562 and kept his winning streak alive. Continue Reading »
Putting the ‘Fun’ Back in Funny Car for Capps
Ron Capps (Photo by Ian Tocher; Click to enlarge)
As one of the most accomplished students of the great history of NHRA Championship Drag Racing, Ron Capps gets goosebumps just thinking about returning to Kansas to compete in a professional drag race.
Due to the flat landscape and its central proximity to the rest of the country, in 1955 Kansas served as the official host for NHRA’s first “National Event,” on an airstrip near the town of Great Bend. It was simply called “The Nationals,” and with that event, hot-rodding enthusiasts across the U.S. could test their machines against the best of the best.
That race evolved into what is today the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, but Kansas has solidified its place in NHRA drag racing history. Topeka’s Heartland Park has hosted NHRA Full Throttle Series events since 1989 and in some seasons hosted two events per year. Today the track is regarded as one of the fastest on the circuit and every year drivers get to return and pay homage to the sport’s roots. Continue Reading »
Orlando to host $20K-to-Win Sport Compact Event
(Photos by Ian Tocher; Click to enlarge)
Orlando Speed World Dragway operator and race promoter Carl Weisinger announced in mid-May, the richest purse in the history of heads-up Sport Compact drag racing will be offered at the World Challenge on October 26-28, 2012.
One feature that will get much attention is a “Low E.T. Award” of $5,000 in cash. Continue Reading »
Dual DSR Burnouts Planned for NASCAR Crowd at Charlotte
Tony Schumacher (Photos courtesy NHRA/National Dragster; Click to enlarge)
Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown will deliver tire-smoking Memorial Day salutes on behalf of Don Schumacher Racing and its sponsors May 27, prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Cup races usually end with the winner celebrating with smoky donuts but for the first time at a NASCAR race a pair of 8,000-horsepower Top Fuel Dragsters will light up their giant rear slicks as part of the typically exciting pre-race show put on by the track in Concord, NC.
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series nitro-fueled, 300-mph dragsters have performed burnouts before NASCAR races before but it’s believed this will be the first time two have unleashed the power equivalent to 16 Cup stock cars. Continue Reading »
Snyder, Patrick Top Winners List at ADRL Maple Grove
Mick Snyder (Photos by Ian Tocher; Click to enlarge)
Mick Snyder could do no wrong May 5, at the ADRL Northeast Drags II presented by Penske as he left with his second American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Pro Extreme win.
Joining Snyder in the winner’s circle at Maple Grove Raceway were Robert Patrick Jr. (Pro Nitrous), Billy Glidden (Mickey Thompson Extreme 10.5), Eric McKinney (Pro Extreme Motorcycle), Dean Goforth (Extreme Pro Stock), Mike Castellana (Aeromotive Fuel Systems Pro Modified), Chip Forman (Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman) and Chris Holbrook (SuperCar Showdown). Continue Reading »
Capps, Torrence, Anderson and Kraweic Win at NHRA Atlanta
Ron Capps (Photos courtesy NHRA/National Dragster; Click to enlarge)
Ron Capps raced to his first victory of the season May 6, at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, ending John Force Racing’s season-long stronghold on the winner’s circle in Funny Car. Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Kraweic (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event. Continue Reading »
