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All articles that have appeared in The Dragtime News during the 2013 season can be found here. Older items toward the bottom, more recent items toward the top.

Report from PRI 2013: Friday Means Big Business

If you've been following the play-by-play on our Facebook and Twitter pages, you know we're in Indianapolis for the Performance Racing Industry Show (if you haven't seen the updates, check them out. Lots of on-location accounts and teaser photos from throughout each day). Here's a report from Friday, December 13th:


INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Dec. 13, 2013) – Friday is traditionally the biggest sales day of the three-day PRI Trade Show, and that continued in this year’s return to Indianapolis, where sales were robust at the Indiana Convention Center. Attendees arrived early on Friday morning and came looking to buy. “It’s been going really well,” said Brian Schnee of Eagle Motorsports, which builds Dirt Wing Sprint Cars, Dirt Midgets and Micros. “We’ve seen a lot of folks we haven’t seen in years. There have been a lot of buyers, and I’ve sold probably a dozen cars here since yesterday. This has really been a good deal in coming to Indianapolis.”

Numerous exhibitors were equally ecstatic with the day’s results.“This is definitely the biggest PRI Show we’ve been involved with for a number of years,” offered Kevin Rumley of CV Everything Racing. “Traffic has been huge. It comes in waves. We’ve had 70 percent buyers today. It’s been a quality day.” Similar refrains were heard throughout the exhibition hall, particularly on the Show’s Machinery Row. “The show has done very well for us,” Carl Chastain of DynoJet Research. “We’re surprised that we’ve been this busy. We’ve had a lot of foot traffic. We’re featuring our chassis dynamometers. We’ve been able to sell a number of pieces of equipment, and we’ve already paid for the show before noon on Friday. We’ve found buyers. Florida was nice, but we’ve got a lot of people who are looking to build race cars here in Indy.”

The opening two days have exceeded the high expectations for this year’s Show. “It was a really good day for the PRI Trade Show and the racing industry as a whole,” said John Kilroy, PRI Trade Show producer. “We've got an extraordinary array of exhibitors that hasn't been experienced all in one place, all at one time in years and the serious buyers have turned out because of it. There’s business being conducted throughout the Convention Center.”

The 26th Annual PRI Trade Show features the latest products and technology from over 1200 manufacturers of racing and high-performance automotive components, as well as precision machining equipment. The show is expected to bring well over 45,000 racing professionals from across the US and 72 countries to the Racing Capital of the World. For more information, visit www.pri2013.com.

13th Annual Hangover Nationals at Montgomery MotorSports Park

Montgomery MotorSports Park presents their 13th Annual Hangover Nationals on Saturday and Sunday, December 28th – 29th, 2013. Classes include Super Pro, 6.00 index, 7.00 index and No Box.

Super Pro pays $5,000 Win, $750 Runner-Up, $300 Semis, $150 Quarters and $75 Eighths, based on 75 entries. Each day entry is $100; 1st or 2nd Round buybacks are $50.

6.00 pays $2,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up and $100 Semis, based on 20 entries. Each day entry is $100. 7.00 pays $1,000 Win, $150 Runner-Up and $50 Semis, based on 20 entries. Each day entry is $50.

No Box pays $1,500 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters, based on 35 entries. Each day entry is $50; 1st or 2nd Round buybacks are $30.

Gates open Friday at 4:00 pm for parking. Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am with time trials at 9:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 9:00 am with a run for the money at 10:30 am. For more information visit www.MMPDragRacing.com.

USDRAGCAR.com Full Power Challenge Season Finale at SIR

Tom Payton’s “Ol Red” had been a regular fixture at each of the DRAGCAR Season II visits to Southwestern International Raceway throughout the year, just not in the staging lanes. Tom had apparently been working out some bugs in the Test n’ Tune lanes during our previous Tucson visits, but Corvettes are as much American drag cars as baseball is America’s pastime and we wanted to see this exquisite ‘Vette in the DRAGCAR lanes from our very first visit. Well, we finally got our wish, and what a showing Tom made with this pretty little ‘57 in standout fashion.

Payton hammered out a fine .016 light against Jeff Sefranek in the 2nd Round which added up to a full tenth of a second hole-shot, and then rubbed salt in as he caught the angry sounding Mustang running a tenth off index at half-track to easily maintain a full car length lead across the finish line for the sure win with a 10.909 on his 10.85 DragSport adjusted index.

Third round was a show of nearly all heads-up drag races as Matt Hawk took the round win with a mean hole-shot and an 11.979 on a 12.05 adjusted index over Bob Thurston’s 11.986 on a12.00 adjusted index while Tom Payton went straight heads-up against Dale Schroeder and came out on top with another hole-shot 10.840 to a 10.829 victory as both racers were running on 10.85 adjusted indexes. The third pairing of the round had Mike Gonnell in his Nova paired with Daryl Amans’ third generation Camaro but Mike’s march ended abruptly when his electrical reserve failed to provide the needed power to get the engine started for his call to the lanes and Daryl was awarded the competition single.

In the final round, Matt’s chances looked fairly slim but he was actually only at a mathematical performance disadvantage of .052 seconds so a strong hole-shot would pull off a win. Matt started off the race strong with a nice .027 swing at the tree in the hopes that he could overcome his performance deficit but Tom’s .005 light in conjunction with his 10.823 on a 10.80 earned him the spot in the winner’s circle. Tom’s 5 round reaction time average was an impressive .0206 and a racer like that is going to be a threat to anybody, even of the Hawks’ stature. It could easily be argued that this final round of DRAGCAR’s Season II series was between two of Arizona’s, if not the country’s, toughest racers.

Tom reveled in the realization that he just captured the extra special $750.00 guaranteed winner’s check but in addition to that and his EconoDrag Exterminator trophy, he also pulled in the Kenny Speed’s Tire and Performance Center’s Best Reaction Time $50.00 Award with his .005 final round reaction time performance for a cool and even $800.00 total prize take-home. For more information about the American DRAGCAR series, visit www.usdragcar.com.

Larry Dixon To Sign Autographs at Prolong Booth at PRI 2013

Attention to those attending the 2013 Performance Racing Industry show in Indianapolis: three-time National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon will sign autographs in the Prolong Super Lubricants booth (#2432) on Saturday, December 14 from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PRI attendees are encouraged to stop by to learn more about the Prolong product line and receive a complimentary hero card autographed by Dixon.

In addition to winning three NHRA Full Throttle World Championships, Dixon has racked up 62 national event victories, 51 top qualifying spots, 46 low elapsed time runs and 33 top speed passes.

Prolong sponsored Larry Dixon Racing throughout the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Dixon uses Prolong's Nitro Racing Oil, Engine Treatment, Super Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer and Waterless Wash & Shine. To learn more about Prolong, visit www.Prolong.com.

County Corvette’s Annual Christmas Toy Drive
Racers in the West Chester area of Pennsylvania are presenting the 9th Annual Christmas Toy Drive Saturday, December 7th, 2013 from 10:00 am - 1:30 pm (rain or shine) at County Corvette, 315 Westtown Road, West Chester, Pa 19382.

Festivities include a car show of Corvettes, hot rods, street rods and drag cars. Meet the legendary "Jungle Pam" Hardy for pictures & autographs. Pictures with Ronald McDonald and Santa Claus 10:00 - 12:00. Enjoy hot chocolate, desserts and Carrabbas! Join the raffle - sign the Cash Donation Banner. Performing live will be nationally acclaimed acapella & doo wop group "Mid Life Crisis."

Bring an unwrapped toy for a boy or girl. If you can’t attend in person and still want to help a good cause, you may send donations to County Corvette; visit www.countycorvette.com for more information. There’s also an Ebay auction of items from the NHRA Auto-Plus Nationals held this past October at Maple Grove Raceway; the items are available for donation. See the items and bid on them HERE.

Proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House of Philadelphia.

Fall Footbrake Frenzy V at Piedmont Dragway

The tradition continues at Piedmont Dragway with the Fall Footbrake Frenzy V, Friday – Sunday, November 29th – December 1st, 2013. This is 1/8th mile, big-bucks gambler racing for footbrake only.

Friday’s and Sunday’s races each pay $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis, $160 5th Round win, $120 4th Round win and $80 3rd Round win. Payouts based on 150 entries. Entry per race is $90, 1st Round buybacks are $50.

Saturday’s race pays $20,000 Win, $5,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $400 5th Round win, $300 4th Round win and $200 3rd Round win. Payouts based on 150 entries. Entry is $230, 1st Round buyback is $100. Enter all three races for $360.

Double entries permitted. Buybacks will run a separate round. Deep staging honored. No dragsters, altered, bikes. Left-hand steer roadsters are OK. Gates open Thursday for parking beginning at 5:00 pm. Gates open Friday and Saturday at 8:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 9:00 am. For more info visit www.PiedmontDragway.com.

Gobble Up Some Green at VMP's Turkey Trots

The 2013 Turkey Trots big-bucks gambler’s races are coming up at Virginia Motorsports Park on Friday – Sunday, November 29th – December 1st, 2013. This is three days of 1/8th mile bracket racing for Top ET (electronics, 0.00 – 8.49).

Friday’s and Sunday’s races each pay $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis and $50 per round won starting with 3rd Round win. Entry per $5K race is $99, buybacks are $60. Saturday’s race pays $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis and $75 per round won starting with 3rd Round win. Entry is $150, buybacks are $90. Enter the 3-day race weekend for $250.

Payouts based on Payouts based on 100 car minimum per race. Two drivers can double the same car, or 1 driver can double with two different cars, but no double-entering the same car with the same driver. Buybacks are 1st or 2nd Round and are not run as a separate round.

Gates open Thursday for parking beginning at 5:00 pm. Gates open Friday and Saturday at 7:30 am. Gates open Sunday at 8:30 am. For more info visit www.VirginiaMotorsports.com.

Turkey Trot National Open at Auto Plus Raceway
Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville, FL presents the Turkey Trot National Open on Friday – Sunday, November 22-24, 2013. This is a national-event grade point event. Classes include Stock / Super Stock Combo, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. There’ll also be 1/8 mile bracket races for Electronics (4.40 – 7.99) and Non-Electronics (5.70-10.99) classes.

Stock / Super Stock, Super Comp and Super Gas each pay $1,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up and $50 Round starting 3rd Round. Entry for each class is $100. Super Street pays $800 Win, $400 Runner-Up and $50 Round starting 3rd Round. Entry for Super Street is $100. Payouts in SC, SG and SSt based on 33 entries per class.

Electronics pays $1,200 Win, $600 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters and $75 Eighths. Entry for Saturday and Sunday is $75 per day. Non-Electronics pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $150 Semis, $75 Quarters and $50 Eighths. Entry for Saturday and Sunday is $50 per day. Payouts based on 64 entries per class per day.

Gates open Friday at 11:00 am for parking and a test & tune that starts at 2:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 7:00 am and Sunday at 8:00 am. For more info visit www.AutoPlusRaceway.com.

Super Chevies, Mega Mopars and Fun Fords at US131 in 2014

Martin, MI - US 131 Motorsports Park has added the return of the Super Chevy Show, Fun Ford and Mega Mopar Action events for the 2014 season. All of these events are comprised of the Manufacturer Series which has 33 events nationwide.

All three branded Series tours will make a stop at “The Fastest Track in Michigan,” giving Chevrolet, Ford and Mopar fans in the Great Lakes region a place to see the finest show cars and fastest drag cars in the area compete for a historic first-place win during the 2014 stops in Martin, Michigan.

“We are excited to offer to our Chevy, Ford and Mopar fans these events that celebrate American muscle from Detroit that feature a car show, drag racing, swap meet and a manufacturer’s midway,” said Jason Peterson US 131 Motorsports Park general manager. The Super Chevy Show presented by Chevrolet Performance will be held on May 30-June 1, 2014, the Blue Oval Fun Ford event is on July 13, 2014 and the Mega Mopar Action event is on May 18, 2014.

Fall ET Challenge at Virginia Motorsports Park

Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, VA presents the 2013 Fall ET Challenge on November 16th & 17th, 2013. Each day features a big bucks Super Pro / Top ET race and a big bucks Mod ET / Footbrake race. Each 1/8th mile Super Pro race pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $300 Semis, and $50 Round starting with 3rd Round win. Entry is $99 for each individual day, or $169 for a 2-day entry. Buybacks are $60.

Each Mod ET pays $2,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis, and $30 Round starting with 3rd Round win. Entry is $60 for each individual day, or $99 for a 2-day entry. Buybacks are $40.

Gates open 9:00 am on Saturday and Sunday, with time trials at 10:30. Visit www.virginiamotorsports.com for more info.

Ford Fever Classic at Maryland International Raceway

Maryland International Raceway’s 2013 Ford Fever Classic is Friday & Saturday, November 8th & 9th. Events include nostalgia racing with 422 Motorsports, Shootout and Open Comp classes and a variety of Sportsman eliminators.

Shootout classes include Outlaw Drag Radial ($1,000 Win, $75 entry), X275 ($1,000 Win, $75 entry), Outlaw Coyote Stock ($500 Win, $75 entry), Super Stang ($500 Win, $50 entry), and Lightning Shootout ($500 Win, $50 entry).

Bracket classes include Top ET ($1,500 Win, $60 entry), Mod ET ($1,000 Win, $50 entry), Stick ET ($500 Win, $45 entry), and Street ET ($500 Win, $45 entry).

Gates open Friday at 3:00 pm for a test & tune. Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am, with time runs at 9:30 am. For more information, including complete payouts, visit MIR's website at www.mirdrag.com.

John Force Wins 16th Mello Yello Championship

John Force has won an unprecedented 16th NHRA Funny Car championship. The winningest driver in NHRA history has won championships with every major sponsor from Winston to POWERade to Full Throttle and now Mello Yello capping his championship day with another NHRA national event win, No. 138, at the 13th annual Toyota NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas. Force defeated his daughter Courtney for the first time in a final round to clinch the Mello Yello Funny Car championship.

It was Force’s third win in a row and fourth final in a row. The last time Force won three in row was 2005 and it was the 15th time Force has achieved this feat. As the No. 1 qualifier Force had to outrun Gary Densham, Del Worsham, Alexis DeJoria and then Courtney Force in the final.

The semi-final race had the most drama for Force as DeJoria’s Patron Tequila Toyota Funny Car smoked the tires and then Force’s Castrol GTX Ford Mustang lost traction. Force pedaled his 10,000 hp Funny Car numerous times sashaying down the right lane but getting the win light with a time of 5.865 seconds.

“I didn’t see her run. She must have gone up in smoke early. As much trouble as I was in only running five seconds. I almost hit the wall twice. It was like me and Cruz (Pedregon) in 1992 except then I hit the wall three times. There I was going sideways. I was hitting it (the throttle) again and then I was off it and then I would hit is again. I am thinking she is out there. You don’t want to think about it. If you look over you might drive over and she will run over you. She must have gone up on smoke bad and it took too much time to recover it. The biggest thing is she is just a great kid. What is cool is she is the future with my daughter and these young drivers,” said Force, who lost lane choice to Courtney Force in the final round.

In the final Force and his Jimmy Prock tuned Mustang blasted straight down their lane with a winning elapsed time of 4.062 seconds to Courtney’s equally impressive 4.085 seconds in a losing effort.

Jill Canuso Launches Booster T-Shirt Fundraiser for DRAW

Calling all Crazy Lady’s, those who know them, live with them and love them! Jet drag racer Jill Canuso has launched her ‘1 Crazy Lady’ Booster T-Shirt Fundraiser. All funds raised will go directly to the Drag Racing Association of Women (DRAW). Here is your chance to show your colors and support this wonderful organization. The Limited Edition T-Shirt will be available for purchase at www.booster.com/1crazylady until November 30th, 2013.

“When we reach our goal of 125 shirts sold, we’ll have raised about $1,000.00 for DRAW. This will be a notable achievement, but I’m optimistic that the generosity and support of the racing community will push us well beyond 125,” said Canuso.

The ladies fit T-shirts feature the ‘1 Crazy Lady’ logo with motto, “It’s Time to Set Your World on Fire,” and are made of 100% certified pre shrunk organic cotton - Small to 3XL. Also, they’ll make the perfect holiday gift, as all shirts will be delivered approximately 2 weeks after the November 30th closing date. Jill stated that in addition to the funds generated by the Booster T-Shirts, a percentage of all ‘Crazy Lady’ merchandise, purchased at CrazyLadySuperStore.com, will also be donated to DRAW for the entire year.

BOPapalooza & Fall Finale at Atco Dragway
Saturday November 2nd at Atco Dragway in Atco, NJ is BOPapalooza 2013, a Buick-Olds-Pontiac Show & Go. It includes a car show with 13 different classes, a swap meet, and drag racing in Super Pro and Pro ET categories. Super Pro and Pro ET each pays $500 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $40. Gates open at 9:00 am with eliminations at 1:00 pm.

Then on Sunday at Atco is the Fall Finale Nostalgia Drags for vehicles 1985 and older. Features the East Coast Gassers, Nostalgia Stock / Super Stock, and bracket racing in Super Pro and Pro ET. Super Pro and Pro ET each pays $500 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $40. Gates open at 8:00 am. For more information visit www.atco-dragway.com.

Eastern Footbrake Bonanza at Virginia Motorsports Park

Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, VA presents the 2013 Eastern Footbrake Bonanza on November 2nd & 3rd, 2013. Each day features a big bucks 1/8 mile Footbrake race. Saturday's race pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $300 Semis, and $50 Round starting with 3rd Round win. Entry is $95, buybacks are $60.

Sunday's race pays $3,000 Win, $800 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, and $30 Round starting with 3rd Round win. Entry is $75, buybacks are $45.

Gates open 9:00 am on Saturday and Sunday, with time trials at 10:30. Visit www.virginiamotorsports.com for more info.

PRI Trade Show’s Move to Indy Should Pay Dividends For Drag Racing World

Few areas of motorsports will benefit more than drag racing when the 26th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show returns to Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention Center from December 12–14, 2013.

Each year the drag racing industry plays a prominent role in the show, not surprising as it is the industry that spawned the first performance parts and after-market shows going back to the days when racers would take their street car to the local drag strip on Friday and Saturday night. That role is expected to grow further now that the show has returned to the heart of the drag racing world. “PRI returning is great for us because a dozen or more of our vendors will be in Indianapolis for the show,” said Mike Lewis, Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Senior Vice President. “We can get a lot of business done at the show, plan our budgets and inventories. And having the show here not only allows us to see the latest technology available on the show floor, but it’s going to allow us to build better personal relationships with vendors after show hours. We’ll invite some out to see our shop and let them get a first-hand look at what we do.”

While DSR will be looking to fill the needs of it’s seven-car Nitro operation, the show’s move is expected to be just as valuable to the smaller teams. “In today’s NHRA, we race into November, we may test in December, then there’s the open test in January and next year’s Winternationals begins February 6, 87 days after the 2012 season ends,” said Cruz Pedregon, driver of the Snap-on Tools Toyota Camry Funny Car. “Having the show here in the heart of the drag racing community – is not only going to save us money, but it’s also going to save us time - and as a small team, time is of the essence. Every day you have to spend on the road is one day less you’re either in the shop or at home with your family. Now, we have the opportunity to check out the latest innovations, touch base with vendors and sponsors and still sleep in our own beds at night and be back in the shop the next morning – it’s invaluable.”

This year’s PRI Trade Show is expected to play host to exhibits from over 1,100 racing companies occupying 3,300 booths, and attract more than 40,000 racing professionals from across the US and 72 countries. Among the distributors is Lucas Oil, where Morgan Lucas will spend time both representing the company as an exhibitor, as well as an attendee checking out the latest product.

“From a pure business point, I think everyone would want to have the show in Indy,” said Lucas. “So many racing companies that actually utilize the show will now be within driving distance. From the Lucas Oil side, it’s going to save us a lot of money not having to staff and travel to two shows – and from the team side, it allows us to maximize our time in a short off-season.”

Accompanying the show will be an expanded Race Industry Week consisting of more than 35 conferences, seminars and other special events that will provide discussion and share insight on the latest technologies and how to apply them throughout the racing world. "We are thrilled to be back in Indianapolis,” said PRI Trade Show Producer John Kilroy. “It’s the heart of the racing world and an ideal location way for our exhibitors to reach the drag racing world – from Top Fuel to sportsman to junior dragsters. We've got an extraordinary array of exhibitors that hasn't been experienced all in one place, all at one time in years. It's going to be an incredible showcase of the latest advances in racing technology."

Racers, if you're in the business of the performance industry, make sure to get to Indy for the 2013 PRI Show. You can register to attend by clicking HERE.

Help Me Win The Race Against Diabetes

Those of you who know Stephanie and me know that Stephanie is diabetic. In support of Stephanie and the millions like her, on Saturday, October 26, 2013, I'll be participating in my fourth Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ. I am asking for your support by making a donation.

Please VISIT MY PERSONAL PAGE on the American Diabetes Association website and make a donation by selecting the "donate to bob" button. My goal is $500. With your help we'll easily eclipse that. Feel like participating with us? You can join our team by clicking on the "join bob's team" button.

Stephanie commits 100% to our photo coverage of events. It's her photography that makes Dragtime News On Location what it is, so please show your appreciation by making a donation of any size. Thank you in advance and have a great day.

Numidia Dragway Wraps Up October With Big-Money Weekends

Numidia Dragway puts a period on their successful 2013 season with big money bracket races in October.

Saturday October 12th and Sunday October 13th each feature a $5,000 Electronics and a $5,000 Footbrake race. Saturday October 19th and Sunday October 20th each feature a $5,000 Electronics and a $3,000 Footbrake race.

For more information about Numidia Dragway and its October money races, visit www.NumidiaDragway.com.

Mopar Eastern Classic at Maryland International

Maryland International Raceway hosts their 21st Annual Mopar Eastern Classic on Saturday, October 19th. This drag race, car show and swap meet is open to all Mopar, AMC, and Jeep Eagle vehicles.

Drag race classes include Top ET, Mod ET, and Street ET. Top ET (0.00 – 12.99, electronics permitted) pays $500 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $75 Semis, and $40 Quarters. Entry is $40, buybacks are $30. Mod ET (9.00 – slower, footbrake only) pays $500 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $75 Semis, and $40 Quarters. Entry is $40, buybacks are $30. Street ET (9.00 – slower, headlights / brake lights / mufflers required; slicks OK) pays $500 Win, $200 Runner-Up, and $75 Semis. Entry is $30, buybacks are $20. There’ll also be a Top Sportsman Quick 8 that pays $500 Win / $200 Runner-Up for no additional charge. This is open to the quickest 8 doorslammers in Top ET. This is a separate 3-round eliminator that will seed all 8 racers into the Top ET race. Also on the schedule is the Nostalgia Super Stock Hemi Shootout, a wheelstand contest and a special appearance by the First Lady of Alcohol funny car, Bunny Burkett.

Gates open at 9:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. For more information visit www.mirdrag.com.

Wrap-Up: American DRAGCAR at Southwestern International Raceway, 10/4/2013

American DRAGcar Season II points leader, Ron Shelly, came into the sixth race of the season at Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, AZ ready to battle for the points lead as Jeff Sefranek had his sights set on getting his Ford around the Chevy racer to take over the lead. As luck would have it, Sefranek got his chance gift wrapped to him as the two were paired up on the ladder to meet for first round. Intent on getting the round win without giving any points to Shelly by virtue of an index run-under, Sefranek opted to drop his adjusted index by 5 hundredths from the 11.15 he came in with on the ladder but his strategy was to no avail as he went red on the tree, thereby giving Shelly a quick 300 points to help stretch out his lead and an easy pass into the next round. Bob Thurston became the newest member of the guild and drove straight into the final round for an impressive runner-up finish initiation.

Later, Sefranek could watch with some relief as Bob Thurston would put an end to Shelly’s run in the semi-finals but not before further extending the leader’s distance in the standings. Thurston had been suffering traction issues throughout qualifying in his Modified Stock/D4 ’57 Chevy and was a bit uneasy with his 12.15 adjusted index going into round one but was able to iron it out with the early round bye-run which ended up bringing him into the semis against Shelly with a 12.10 adjusted index. By the time Shelly’s Vega had left the line in the semi-final match-up, Thurston had netted more than a couple hundredths in reaction time advantage and continued on to take the stripe well ahead of the charging big block as he managed to stretch out his advantage by running nearly 6 hundredths under-index for the win.
The semi-final round win came at a cost to Bob Thurston however, as the run-under caused the round points to go to Shelly, and Thurston was to take another 5 hundredths index adjustment hit with a 12.00 re-adjusted index going into the final round against Mike Gardner and his flawlessly performing Experimental Production/C7 ’67 Falcon.

Gardner went into the final round with a theoretical 2 hundredths performance advantage as he had run a best of 10.97 against his 10.95 adjusted index while Thurston’s best was 4 hundredths off from his new 12 flat index. As the tree came down for the final round, Thurston seemingly felt the pressure and when his big Chevy leapt from the starting line, the glow was hard to miss as he went red and handed Gardner the guaranteed winner’s payout, but Mike showed Bob that his efforts at the tree were well warranted as he still knocked out a nice 10.962 pass to earn himself his first Annihilator trophy in only three tries.

Mike Gardner also claimed the Kenny Speed’s Tire & Performance Center’s Best Reaction Time $50.00 award for his .015 semi-final round reaction time while Ron Shelly took the Kenny Speed’s Tire & Performance Center’s Best Defeated Package $50.00 award with his .076 semi-final round defeat. Ron Shelly maintains his strong points lead with 8330 points and is well on track for a 9700 point total which could net him a nice $680.00 season series bonus. Jeff Sefranek holds in second place with 7415 points and outside of Shelly failing to show for the final race of the season, will need a race win to have any hope of taking over the points series championship. Mike Gardner’s win took him right up into fourth place in the points, less than 300 points behind third place John Nahodil, so a third place finish for Mike could come pretty easily with nothing more than just showing up at the final race of the season.

The Full Power Challenge Series Season II Finale will take place at Tucson’s Southwestern International Raceway on Saturday, November 16th 2013 so plan on running it if you can.

Maple Grove Wins 2013 NHRA D1 Summit E.T. Finals
Maple Grove Raceway, boosted by Scott Smith’s Street Eliminator championship, won the team title in the NHRA Northeast Division Summit Racing E.T. Finals at Numidia Dragway. It’s the 13th championship for Team Maple Grove, an unprecedented amount. It’s the first title since 2010. Also helping the cause were semifinal finishes by Gary Simpers (North East, Md.) in Pro and Joe Stuebner (Hamburg, Pa.) in Top Bike.

Smith defeated Brittany Jones (York Haven, Pa.) in the final. Driving his Malibu, Smith made a pass of 11.745 seconds at 106.11 mph that was .105 over his dial-in. Jones had a better reaction time, but was way over her dial, giving the nod to Smith. Simpers and his Comet were eliminated by eventual champion Ray Whitehead, Jr. (Spotswood, N.J.) in a close semifinal. Whitehead had a .0150 margin of victory, using a .001 reaction time to his advantage. Simpers was closer to his dial-in (.017) with a run of 10.457 at 118.30.

Stuebner also lost to an eventual champion. Dale Hamilton (Mount Airy, Md.) pretty much had an even start with Stuebner, but got the nod by going .074 over his dial. Stuebner and his ’90 Kawasaki were .105 over.

Wrap-Up: American DRAGCAR at Southwestern International Raceway, 8/16/2013

Phoenix, Arizona’s Ron Shelly brought his ’74 big-block Chevy-powered Vega into the fifth race of American DRAGCAR's Season II at Tucson’s Southwestern International Raceway on the Friday night of August 16th with an agenda to put some distance between him and 2nd place points position Jeff Sefranek in the “Colt Of Arms” ’65 Mustang, also of Phoenix. Sefranek also came into this race having an agenda of his own, to put a stop to Ron’s charge and take over the points lead. This season is turning out to be a real battle between these two racers as nobody else at this stage can offer either of them any challenge to either a 1st or 2nd place points finish, so it’s all down to this Ford and Chevy pair to decide who will be DRAGSTAR Of The Year.

As it turned out on this night though, the Ford racer crumbled to the pressure and ended up drawing the red light in the semi-final round thereby giving an easy opportunity for the Chevy racer to capitalize and stretch out his points lead which was made even easier as Ron Shelly drew the semi-final bye run into the final. Gilbert, Arizona’s Daryl Nance was a real head-turner for the night though as he came from out of nowhere to jump right into the money positions of the points chase with a strong showing in his “Packages From Home” flagged small block Ford powered “Stage Fright” Mustang II.

Daryl met Ron and his vintage Vega in the final for a real Classic Pro Stock appearing pair-up and he proved not to have any stage fright as he hammered out a deadly .008 reaction time to lead the chase. Ron brought his axe too though and took a good swing at the tree to get off the line with a nice .028 reaction time in pursuit of the Ford, and in all out DRAGCAR fashion, the two crossed the finish line at wide open throttle with only 4 hundredths separating them as Ron took the win running 9.896 to Daryl’s 10.560.
This surprise points windfall for Daryl vaulted him into 4th place in the points series and all he likely has to do is little more than show up for the final two races of the season to take over the 3rd place position currently held by John Nahodil who will likely miss the final two races of the season. At this time the only hope anybody has for taking over 1st or 2nd is that one of the two leaders fails to make either of the remaining two races for this season.

The final USDRAGCAR.com Full Power Challenge Series race will be coming up on Saturday, November 16th at Tucson, Arizona’s Southwestern International Raceway so get your cars ready for some all-out, no-breakout drag racing and come out to feel the rush. For more information visit www.USDragCar.com.

Earl Nichols - 2013 MASGA Champion
Congratulations to Earl Nichols on winning the 2013 championship of the Mid Atlantic Super Gas Association.

'Rookie' Boicesco, Stack Take Wins at Numidia Dragway

 

 

Numidia, Pa – Amanda Boicesco, the daughter of 2006 Super Gas Champion Iggie Boicesco claimed her first victory in a dragster at the Mid Atlantic Super Comp Association event at Numidia Dragway on September 15th. Boicesco started off the day with round victories over Chase Fahenstock, Tom Boyle and Randy Windfelder Sr. to receive a bye into the final round. In the final Boicesco met New Jersey resident Tom Oliver who took down Joe Cambria, Dave Long and Don Bangs. At the flash of green Boicesco took a .017 to .020 advantage and the rookie proved that she was not going to be denied the victory as she took a 8.930 to 8.940 win over Oliver to claim her first MASCA victory.

The Mid Atlantic Super Street Association joined MASCA at Numidia in conjunction with the .90 Nationals. Jimmy Stack, who has been dominate so far this season, borrowed a car from Super Gas racer George Smith and proved he can drive just about anything. Stack started off his day with a victory over Mike Ficacci in the 1st, received a bye-run and then took down Rich Price in the Semis. In the final Stack would run against Super Street hitter Tom DePascale who took down Bernie Staub, Kelli Barbato and Jimmy Young to match up with Stack. In the final both drivers were on their games as Stack took a slight jump at the tree (.016 to .020). In a close race to the end Stack took his 4th victory of the season over Depascale, 10.912 to 10.918.

Sponsor News: ATI COPO Camaro #008 Sets NHRA SSA/A Record
The ATI Performance Products COPO Camaro is running strong, especially now that the car is running in air under 75 degrees and the performance really took off! "Actually, it took off a little more than expected", ATI's JC Beattie, Jr said. "We were able to set the Super Stock SSA/A record at 8.449 and 161.83 MPH." The ATI crew took the motor apart for tech inspection, easily passed, and put it back together in order to make first round. The ET and MPH records where set at 3600 lbs, on a true 10.5" Hoosier, and running VP C16. The performance of the ATI COPO speaks volumes for the package the guys at GM put together for all the COPO owners to race.

Naturally, ATI’s COPO Camaro is fitted with plenty of ATI's performance products, including ATI’s Fuel Comp T400 transmission in an ATI SuperCase, paired with a 9" Fuel and Blown Torque Converter. The trans is filled with Super F ATF and mated to an LS1 crank adapter and flexplate with a 10 Rib ATI Super Damper to run the supercharger. The Katech built motor is from all factory parts and to factory specs as GM supplied and the Whipple 4.0L blower has never missed a beat. The ATI crew is looking forward to going some rounds in the upcoming races before the season is over.

Weney Wins Big at Atco SuperBucks
Our friend Scott Weney of S&W Race Cars was the $25,000 Winner at Atco Dragway’s Northeast 4-Day SuperBucks Weekend on Saturday August 10th.

Congratulations to Scott and his Holy Hydraulic S&W Dragster on the big win.

Maple Grove Bracket Racers To Run For Golf Cart At Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals
MOHNTON, Pa. – The field has been set for the Money Trail E.T. Shootout that will be held during the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals on Oct. 5-6:
  • Gold Rush Trailers Super Eliminator: Mike Daniels, Don Mattson, Nick Daniels, Jack Grater.
  • Ciccarone Racing Products Pro Eliminator: Paul Thimm Jr., Jeff Allebach, Curt Rubendall, Gary Simpers.
  • P.C. Richard & Son Street Eliminator: Adam Werner, Dave Sciarretta, Dawn Helman, Joe McLaughlin.
  • Ray’s Yamaha Top Bike: Allen Heilner, Joe Stuebner, Cory Stuebner, Bob Bechtel.

The winner receives the golf cart and the runner-up gets a 32-inch HD TV. Sunoco Race Fuels Money Trail E.T. Series members in the Super, Pro, Street and Top Bike categories were eligible. At each Money Trail event, the winners, runner-ups and semifinalists in those classes had their names entered into a special drawing box for each eliminator. The drawing was held at the season finale on Aug. 31.

All 16 names will then be placed into another drawing for qualifying positions at the event. The 16 racers will be placed onto a standard NHRA Sportsman ladder.

Racer News: R. Fetch Upgrades Stocker for 2014
NHRA Division 1 racer Rich Fetch recently upgraded his Camaro stocker with a Racepak Sportsman Drag Race Data Logger. The Data Logger is an economical solution suited to any competitor that is running a normally aspirated engine and only wanting to monitor a few items.

The lightweight composite housing Sportsman Data Logger includes engine RPM, driveshaft RPM, and battery voltage, 2 axis G meter and with the DatalinkII software this will calculate converter slip and more; plus 21 channels so you can monitor critical engine information such as water temperature, oil pressure, fuel pressure, EGT and air/fuel ratio just to name a few. With installation being simplified by the use of a factory terminated wiring harness and pre-programmed software the Sportsman Data Logger provides an ideal balance of cost and features.

The Sportsman Data Logger can also be easily integrated with the MSD Powergrid which is the next evolution of MSD’s Programmable 7-Series Ignition Controls. The Grid incorporates an efficient 32 bit microcontroller and an all new software program, called MSD View, and is USB compatible. The Windows based software is designed with tabs to help racers easily select different programming windows and parameters. Also, the data acquisition files of the ignition are now captured on a micro SD card for ease of storage and reviewing. Visit www.racepak.com for more info.

2014 NHRA Mello Yello Series Schedule

NHRA announced its 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule, which includes a return to racing Memorial Day weekend with the NHRA Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, May 23-25:

  • 54th annual NHRA Winternationals Feb. 6-9 / Pomona, Calif.
  • 30th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals Feb. 21-23 / Phoenix
  • 45th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals March 13-16 / Gainesville, Fla. (PSM)
  • 15th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals March 28-30 / Las Vegas
  • Fifth annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals April 11-13 / Charlotte, N.C. (PSM)
  • 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals April 25-27 / Houston
  • 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals May 16-18 / Atlanta (PSM)
  • 26th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals May 23-25 / Topeka, Kan.
  • 45th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals May 29 – June 1 / Englishtown, N.J. (PSM)
  • 14th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals June 13-15 / Bristol, Tenn.
  • Second annual Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals June 19-22 / Epping, N.H. (PSM)
  • 17th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals June 26-29 / Chicago (PSM)
  • Eighth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals July 3-6 / Norwalk, Ohio (PSM)
  • 35th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals July 18-20 / Denver (PSM)
  • 27th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals July 25-27 / Sonoma, Calif. (PSM)
  • 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals Aug. 1-3 / Seattle
  • 33rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 14-17 / Brainerd, Minn.
  • 60th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals Aug. 27 – Sept. 1 / Indianapolis (PSM)
  • Seventh annual NHRA Carolina Nationals Sept. 12-14 / Charlotte, N.C. (PSM)
  • 29th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals Sept. 18-21 / Dallas (PSM)
  • Third annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals Sept. 26-28 / St. Louis (PSM)
  • 30th annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals Oct. 2-5 / Reading, Pa. (PSM)
  • 14th annual Toyota NHRA Nationals Oct. 30-Nov. 2 / Las Vegas (PSM)
  • 50th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals Nov. 13-16 / Pomona, Calif. (PSM)

(PSM) - Event will include Pro Stock Motorcycle

Lingenfelter Supercharged Silverado Runs 13.89 at Muncie
On Wednesday, August 14, 2013, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering's development vehicle, a 2014 Direct Injected 5.3L crew cab Chevrolet Silverado with a Magnuson TVS 1900 supercharger, made a test run at Muncie Dragway resulting in an elapsed time of 13.89 @ 100.07 mph on 93 octane pump gas.

Following the June delivery of Lingenfelter's 2014 Silverado, Lingenfelter engineers conducted baseline chassis dyno testing on gasoline that produced runs with peak power of 302 horsepower and 332 lb-ft. On E85 fuel, that increased to 321 horsepower and 355 lb-ft.

Lingenfelter 2014 Silverado Crew Cab 4WD specifics:
* L83 5.3L direct injection
* 3.07 rear differential
* Weighs 5,360 pounds with 1/2 tank of fuel and no driver

"Lingenfelter has worked for years with forced induction, direct injection engines as part of our in-house development and in the form of consultancy work for other OEM suppliers," said Ken Lingenfelter, CEO, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. "With the advent of the Gen 5 direct injected V8 engines, our team was looking forward to this challenge."

The 2014 Silverado has the same direct injected architecture as the LT1 engine in the new C7 Corvette. Prototype camshafts for both truck and Corvette are already on hand. Lingenfelter has started cylinder head port flow development work and CNC programs for both cylinder head types, which will be completed soon. Supercharger and turbocharged packages are also in development for both trucks and C7 Corvettes. For more information, visit www.lingenfelter.com,
Doug Foley's Drag Racing Experience at Englishtown
Racers, if you have friends who just don't understand the addiction we have with our cars and dragstrips, now's your chance to get them hooked by having them feel it themselves at Doug Foley's Dragster Experience.

Doug Foley's Drag Racing Experience is about raw speed and breathtaking acceleration. Ride in one of their 140 mph Dragster Blast machines or take the driver's seat in one of their high-horsepower dragsters. Either way, you'll never forget the adrenaline rush. So join them on Monday, September 23rd at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. Spaces are limited. Call 866-DRAGSTER.

Larry Dobbs Captures 2nd 2013 NDRA Alcohol Funny Car Win

Grand Bend Motorplex, Grand Bend, ON hosted another superb drag race event last month. The Stratford Spectacular “Hot August Nationals” presented by Ideal Supply and NAPA Auto Parts (August 9 – 11) was a huge success and the National Drag Racing Association Alcohol Funny Cars presented by Ohsweken Speedway did their part to give race fans a big bang for their buck.

2012 NDRA Alcohol Funny Car Series champion Larry Dobbs captured the event win, his second victory of the 2013 series, by defeating London, Ontario’s Rob Atchison and his Atchison Machine Service ’06 Chevy Monte Carlo.

In the final, both Dobbs and Atchison were in full-out battle mode as they nosed to the line. At the top end, Dobbs took the win with a 5.77 at 249.65 over Atchison’s 5.81 at 249.30.

As for the NDRA Nitro Nostalgia Funny Cars, Doug Cadman and Gary Kraus did their entertainment magic once again.
The matchups of Cadman’s Chi-Town Hustler ’73 Dodge Charger and Kraus’ Pony Up ’72 Ford Mustang definitely gave the fans their money’s-worth!

The next event for the National Drag Racing Association will feature the Alcohol and Nitro Nostalgia Funny Cars as well as the popular NDRA Pro Doorslammers at Toronto Motorsports Park - Cayuga Dragway on the August 31 to September 1 Labour Day weekend. This will be the season finale with the NDRA Alcohol Funny Cars and Pro Doorslammers so the competition for the 2013 championships will be fierce.

For more information about the NDRA and their 2013 schedule, visit www.ndra.ca. Photo: Stacee Kenington.

Weney Wins Big at Atco SuperBucks
Sponsor News: Cackle-Safe Driveline Disconnect from Mark Williams Enterprises

Our friend Scott Weney of S&W Race Cars was the $25,000 Winner at Atco Dragway’s Northeast 4-Day SuperBucks Weekend on Saturday August 10th.

Congratulations to Scott and his Holy Hydraulic S&W Dragster on the big win.

This In & Out Driveline Disconnect from Mark Williams allows the driver to disconnect the output shaft from the driveshaft and safely run the car without having to hold in the clutch pedal. All normal driveline couplers stay engaged and do not rotate while the engine is running. The sliding coupler, output shaft, and driveshaft are made of heat-treated alloy steel, while the bearing retainer and fork assembly are machined from billet aluminum.

The output shaft and driveshaft are custom made to the length required for your can depth and engine location. Part number 13050, $1,475. Due to the custom nature of this part, please call 1-866-508-6377 to order. More about this at Mark Williams' website HERE.

Jungle Jim Rides Again at Geezers Reunion

John Smith and the "Jungle Jim" Vega won the Mickey Thompson DRO AA/FC Challenge as part of Maple Grove Raceway’s Geezers Reunion at The Grove and the Uni-Select Cavalcade of Funny Cars. He didn’t have to make a pass in the final as his opponent, Shawn Bowen, broke his car after beating Marc White in the semifinals.

After taking the win against White, Bowen and his ’77 Firebird broke down in the shutdown lane, causing a 43-minute cleanup. Replacement parts were available, but the crew couldn’t make the repairs in the 90-minute window.

On the other side of the bracket, “Crazy Jake” Crimmins upset top-seeded Lewis in the first round as he made a run of 5.971 at 232.35 as Lewis fell behind and couldn’t quite catch up at the end. Meanwhile, Smith ran against his brother, Mike, and won the sibling battle by going 5.829 at 246.21.

In the semifinals, Bowen got the jump on White at the start and got to the finish first as both cars struggled. Turns out, the run was too much for Bowen’s Firebird. On the other hand, Smith had an easy road when Crimmins fouled at the start.

The Alcohol Funny Cars used a Chicago-style format in which the two quickest in the first round of time shots faced each other in the second for the championship. Rocky Pirrone in the Screamin’ Eagle Firebird had a victory cruise when George Reidnauer in the Excalibur Corvette broke at the starting line.

To get to the final, Pirrone went 6.643 seconds at 210.21, while Reidnauer went 6.780 at 203.00.

It’s Double-Nichols at Cecil County in Mid Atlantic .90 Series

The Mid Atlantic .90 Series rolled into Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, Md recently. Jimmy Stack (Super Street), Earl Nichols (Super Gas) and Dave Long (Super Comp) claimed victories on Saturday while Frank Quarno Jr. (Super Street), Nichols (Super Gas) and Frank Lauria (Super Comp) took wins on Sunday.

On Saturday, Philadelphia, PA resident Stack kept his undefeated streak alive as he took down Lynn Haun in the final of Super Street. Stack took the advantage at the tree (.034 to .073) and lead all the way down the strip for a 10.881 to 10.873 victory. In Super Gas, Wilmington, DE’s Earl Nichols Jr. took his ‘78 Corvette roadster to victory over George Donhauser. Nichols took a slight advantage at the start (.009 to .014) and parlayed that into a 9.917 to 9.889 victory. In Super Comp, Dave Long from Wallingford, PA ran the table as he qualified #1 and took it all the way to the Winner’s Circle with a victory over Lance Kreiger and his dragster. Long took a (.037 to .050) lead at the start and won a double breakout 8.892 to 8.878 victory.

After celebrating the annual pig roast on Saturday evening, racers got back to business on Sunday. In Super Street Jimmy Stack was looking to raise his record to a perfect 19-0 but Morris Plains, NJ racer Frank Quarno Jr. had other plans. Quarno took his 1970 Nova to a .026 to .079 advantage and carried it all the way to victory over Stack with a 10.887 to 10.860. In Super Gas, Nichols completed the sweep and took both trophies back up Interstate 95 with a victory over Kreiger. Both drivers took the green with Nichols taking the advantage (.022 to .057) and a close 9.926 to 9.925 victory. In Super Comp, Philadelphia, PA’s Frank Lauria finally sealed the deal with a victory over Tom Oliver. Oliver pushed the tree in the finals and went .008 red to hand the victory to Lauria who ran it out to a shut-off 8.972.

For information on upcoming .90 Series events contact Rob Keister at rekeister@aol.com.

Bob Beaulieu Passes
Top Northeast Nitro/Jet Driver and Wrench

The drag race community lost a great man recently. Bob Beaulieu, Windsor, CT, had been involved in professional drag racing for many decades starting as a wrench for Bill Flynn on the ‘Yankee Peddler” Dodge, Jim Maybeck’s “Screaming Eagle”, Tim Kushi’s “Yankee Sizzler” Dodge Challenger, and, of course, as crew chief for Al Hanna, and the “Eastern Raider” series of Nitro Funny Cars and Top Fuel Dragsters.

Bob also drove a number of drag race machines including the “Eastern Raider” Top Fuel dragster in the later 70’s. In the early ‘80’s, Bob made the decision to move to the jet funny car category and proceeded to field the “Jazz” jet funny car, the fastest and quickest jet funny car for many years in the ‘80’s. Bob fielded “Jazz” jet funny cars through the early 2000s.

Behind the scenes, Bob was always available to diagnose the toughest of problems in all the categories. “He was, by far, the best pure mechanic I ever knew”, quoted Al Hanna of Hanna Motorsports. “There was never a mechanical problem presented to Bobby B that he couldn’t figure out. He was incredible. We have all lost a master mechanic and a true lover of racing.”

Bob was also an avid fisherman, having a series of his own boats and captaining a huge 60 ft fishing craft for one of his associates. He loved participating in all competitions including deep sea shark fishing tournaments, where he often took top prizes. Bob’s favorite saying was “If it doesn’t go 200 MPH or you can’t fish off it, it’s not worth a “$!@&*(^$%#$#*()”.

“Top Fuel Bobby” or “Bob Jazz” as his closest friends called him was always a phone call or a quick ride away from solving every problem he was asked about. He will be dearly missed. His most recent project was involvement with the new and radical “Queen of Diamonds II” 300 MPH Jet Dragster of the Hanna Motorsports team. He loved the concept, and was working closely behind the scenes with the team on the new design.

Bob leaves his dear wife Joyce, of more than 40 years, his son Eric, and his daughter Teresa, and, of course, his 3 grandkids.

Team M/T Member Dan Fletcher Sweeps Western Swing

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Sportsman Racer Dan Fletcher is the only Sportsman racer to sweep the Western Swing, having won all three races in 1994, and again this season at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals on August 4.

Fletcher earned his second Swing sweep for wins 84 and 85 making him the 17th driver to accomplish the double-win feat, and earning the 28th double in NHRA history. Fletcher’s double is also especially remarkable because the 85th victory ties him with NHRA legend Bob Glidden, another Mickey Thompson competitor, for fourth place on the all-time NHRA wins list.

Fletcher competes using Mickey Thompson’s #30751 tires size 32.0/14.5-15 and Pro 5 Drag Wheels. He has been a loyal Team M/T Member since 1994. For more information about Mickey Thompson’s tires and wheels for the strip, visit www.mickeythompsontires.com.

Lebanon Valley Dragway Goes To Xtreme
Classic Super Cars at Luskville Dragway

Where: Lebanon Valley Dragway, West Lebanon, NY. When: Sunday, September 8th, 2013.

1320Xtreme with Brett Wagner comes to Lebanon Valley Dragway with racing in Super Pro (Electronics) and Pro ET (Footbrake). Each class pays $3,500 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $300 Semis and $200 Quarters. Entry is $75.

Gates open at 8:00 am, with racing beginning at 9:30 am. For more info visit www.dragway.com.

Where: Luskville Dragway, Luskville, Quebec, Canada. When: Saturday, September 7, 2013.

Attention to our racing friends up north: Luskville Dragway will turn back the clock and remember the good old days when most of us got our start in drag racing. Luskville Dragway will present the Classic Super Cars Weekend.

All super cars invited, all car clubs that are classic muscle car-oriented are invited as Luskville works to make this an annual event. Competition will include best appearing classes, fastest muscle car classes and elimination classes for all makes. Saturday will also see a special Old Timers ET race for former drag racers.

For more information visit www.luskvilledragway.com.


Kentucky No-Box Challenge at Mt. Park Dragway My Weekend With Hanna Motorsports at Super Chevy

Where: Mt. Park Dragway, Clay City, KY. When: Saturday & Sunday, September 7 & 8.

Mt. Park Dragway hosts the 1st Annual Kentucky No-Box Challenge. Saturday’s race pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $300 Semis, $200 Quarters and $100 Eighths. Sunday’s race pays $2,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters and $50 Eighths.

Saturday’s entry is $120 and there’s a $60 buyback. Sunday’s entry is $70 and there’s a $40 buyback. Enter both days for $160. Both days are 1/8 mile, all-run. There’ll also be a Gamblers Race on Friday night and a ¼ Mile Footbrake race and a Consolation race on Saturday. Gates open Saturday at 2:00 pm, Sunday at 10:00 am.

Visit www.MPDragway.com for more info.

 

As some of you may know, I've become friends with the Hanna Motorsports professional jet drag racing team. Last month the team was at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, PA for the Super Chevy Show, and they invited me to join them. I thought it might be fun to share a photo-chronicle of the workings of a professional team. CLICK HERE to continue...

It’s Good To Be The King at Gulfport Dragway Cosmo At The Farm

Where: Gulfport Dragway, Gulfport, MS. When: Friday – Sunday, September 27-29, 2013.

Race #4 of the King Of The Coast series is for racers in Pro Electronics, Pro Footbrake, Sportsman and Jr. Dragster.

Pro Electronics pays $4,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $350 Semis, and $25 Round starting 3rd Round Win, all based on 75 cars. Single day entry is $85, or enter Saturday and Sunday for $160. Buybacks are $60. Pro Footbrake pays $1,500 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $150 Semis, and $25 Round starting 3rd Round Win, all based on 50 cars. Single day entry is $60, or enter Saturday and Sunday for $100. Buybacks are $30. Sportsman pays $150 Win, $50 Runner-Up, and $25 Semis, based on 10 cars. Entry is $25 per day; buybacks are $15.

Gates open Friday at 4:00 pm for parking and a test & tune. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am.

Visit www.GulfportDragway.com.

Where: Farmington Dragway, Mocksville, NC. When: Saturday, September 14th, 2013.

The Cosmo Shootout includes FWD - $65 entry / $3,000 Win; x275/28.5 - $2,000 Win; 6.0 Index - $15 entry (8 car min) / $400 Win; 7.0 Index - $10 entry (8 car min) / $300 Win; 8.0 Index - $10 entry (8 car min) / $250 Win; All Motor - $10 entry (8 car min) / $125 Win; Footbrake - $10 entry (10 car min) / $200 Win. Visit www.farmingtondragway.com for more info.

2nd Annual .90 Nationals and S/SS Shootout at Numidia Dragway

The Nitroplate Ronnie “Uncle Buck” Memorial .90 Nationals & Nitroplate Stock / SS Shootout presented by AutoMeter will be held on September 13th & 14th, 2013 at Numidia Dragway in Catawissa, PA. Coming off of a very successful Inaugural event that saw Byron Worner (Stock / Super Stock Combo), Franklin DiBartolomeo (Super Comp), Al Dimino (Super Gas) and Keith Mayers (Super Street) all claim victory, this year’s event will have a little different twist to it all including an added race for Super Comp and Super Street Racers.

Starting off on Thursday, September 12th parking will take place from 10:00 am till 10:00 pm. Friday the 13th will feature a free test & tune from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm and is open to anyone who is entered to run the .90 Nationals. After the test & tune will be the Stock / SS Combo Race and the Comp Cams .90 Shootout. The race is open to all racers for a small fee.

On Saturday the 14th the 2nd Annual Ronnie “Uncle Buck” Memorial .90 Nationals & Nitroplate Stock / Super Stock Shootout goes off at 10:00 am, beginning with two time runs for Super Street, Super Comp, Stock, Super Gas & Super Stock. Event promoter Rob Keister and Numidia Dragway owner Bob DiMino have teamed up to award a guaranteed $3,000 winner’s purse for all classes. As an added bonus the winners of each class will get a free Weber Grill. On Sunday will be race #7 of the 2013 season for the 8.90 and 10.90 drivers in the Mid Atlantic Super Comp and Super Street Series as long as the rain date is not needed.

Event promoter Rob Keister would like to thank the sponsors who have committed to this event so far and is hoping to add more in the next coming weeks for the “Racer Appreciation Rounds”. So far sponsors include as Nitroplate, Autometer, Edelbrock, Wisco Pistons, Bushwacker Truck Accessories, Goldman Auto Race Specialties, Ultimate Converter Concepts, CD Design, Weaver Automotive, Ken Moses Race Transmissions, and Comp Cams. For more information on this event please visit www.dot90nationals.com.

Going Mad in Alabama Midnight Mayhem at Little River Dragway

Where: Montgomery MotorSports Park, Montgomery, AL. When: Saturday, September 14, 2013.

Montgomery MotorSports Park’s September Madness grudgefest has 8 classes of grudge racing: 4.80 Index, 5.50 Class, 6.0 Index, Stock Suspension, 7.0 Index, G-Body Class, Motorcycle, and an invitation-only Local Boys race. Gates open at 10:00 am, with racing starting at 1:00 pm. Visit www.MMPDragRacing.com.

Where: Little River Dragway, Holland, TX. When: Saturday, September 21st, 2013.

Little River Dragway’s Midnight Mayhem will include the Central Texas Heads-Up Street Car Challenge. Includes True Street (1/4 mile, .400 Pro tree,$20 entry) and Outlaw Street (1/8 mile, .400 Pro tree, $50 entry).

True Street must be street legal with all lights functioning, DOT tires on all four corners, full interior, valid license plates, insurance and inspection, door cars and trucks only. Other rules apply. Outlaw Street must have all functioning lights, current license, inspection, and insurance. Door cars and trucks only. Other rules apply.

For more information about Little River Dragway, visit www.LittleRiverDragway.com. For complete rules for the Heads-Up Series, visit www.littleriverdragway.com/heads-up-street-car-challenge/.

Quartermasters Challenge at MIR

Where: Maryland International Raceway, Budds Creek, MD. When: Sunday, September 1st, 2013.

The 10th Annual Quartermasters Challenge is coming to MIR, with Outlaw Pro Mod Quick 8 (1/8 mile, $2,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, $100 Quarters; entry is free plus 3 crew members); Top Sportsman (1/8 mile, $1,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, $75 Quarters, entry $75); Gambler’s Race (1/8 mile, $2,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $40 Round starts 3rd Round Win, entry $75, buybacks $40); and Jr. Dragster (1/8 mile, $500 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $50 Quarters, entry $30, buybacks $20).

Gates open at 9:00 am. For more info visit www.MIRDrag.com.

Michigan State Championships at Milan Dragway

Where: Milan Dragway, Milan, MI. When: Saturday & Sunday, September 7th & 8th, 2013.

Milan Dragway’s Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Jr. Dragster racers are invited to the track’s Michigan Drag Racing State Championships. Super Pro and Pro each pays $1,500 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, and $50 Quarters, based on 40 cars. Entry is $50, and there’s a $20 buyback. Sportsman pays $400 Win, $100 Runner-Up, $50 Semis, and $25 Quarters, based on 15 cars. Entry is $40, and there’s a $20 buyback. Jr. Dragster pays $300 Win, $100 Runner-Up, and $25 Semis. Entry is $30, and there’s a $10 buyback.

Gates open Saturday at 11:00 am, Sunday at 9:00 am. Visit www.MilanDragway.com.

Have A Truckin’ Good Time at Englishtown

Where: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ. When: Saturday, September 14th, 2013.

The 37th Annual U.S. Diesel Truckin’ Nationals roll into Etown with tons ‘o fun for all vehicles diesel. There are more race classes than can be listed here, and special exhibition drag classes too. There’s also a truck show and a vendors midway. At night, the Thrill Show comes out to play at 7:00 pm, featuring Monster Trucks, Jet Dragsters and Jet Funny Cars.

Entry fee for racers is $40. Gates open 9:00 am Saturday, but diesel-only early birds can arrive on Friday at 6:00 pm for parking. Visit www.etownraceway.com.

Dragstock X at The Rock

Where: Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, NC. When: Friday – Sunday, September 6 – 8, 2013.

The American Drag Racing League (ADRL) brings Dragstock X to The Rock for three days of peace, love and power. Classes include Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Extreme Pro Stock, Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Pro Mod, Pro Drag Radial, Outlaw 10.5, Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Pro Jr. Dragster, and Top Jr. Dragster.

Gates open Thursday at 8:00 am – 8:00 pm for parking and tech. Gates open Friday at 8:00 am, Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am. For more information about the ADRL, visit www.adrl.us. For more information about Rockingham Dragway, visit www.RockinghamDragway.com.

Castrol To Part Ways With John Force Racing
WAYNE, N.J. (August 20, 2013) – For almost three decades, John Force has helped grow the sport he loves and given Castrol a unique opportunity to market to motorsports enthusiasts and fans of all ages. “John Force has been the ultimate ambassador for the Castrol brand and we are grateful for his passion and dedication,” said Rich Pond, head of US marketing for Castrol, “but after twenty-nine successful years, we have decided to pursue new ways to engage with our consumers and customers, while still celebrating the superiority of Castrol motor oils.” During this partnership, John and his organization captured a record 17 NHRA Funny Car Championships with 15 won by John himself including 10 in-a-row. That is a record that no other sports team or athlete in the world has accomplished.

“Castrol has been with me for so long now, they really are part of the JFR family,” said John Force. “They’ve been there as my daughters have grown up with the Castrol name on all those cars for all those years. It’s gonna be tough to part ways, but I want to thank them for being a great partner. All of us are going to stay focused on the rest of the 2013 season and on winning a final championship for Castrol in 2014. It’s far from over. We’ve had a great past but I believe we also have a great future. I’m just going to keep doing my job and we’ll see who’s ready to be part of our success going forward.”

Through the end of their current agreement in 2014, both John and Brittany will continue to represent the Castrol brand.
Superbike Series at Rockingham Dragway Pro Mods at The Farm

What: MIRock Superbike Series

Where: Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, NC

When: Friday – Sunday, August 9-11, 2013. Gates open Friday at 4:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am

Classes: Bikes only. Grudge racing all day, 4.60, 5.60, Pro ET, Street ET, Top Sportsman, Crazy 8s

Payouts, Entries: visit website

Info: www.RockinghamDragway.com

What: Quick 8 Pro Mods

Where: Farmington Dragway, Farmington, NC

When: Saturday, August 17, 2013. Gates open at 9:00 am

Classes: Pro Mods!

Payouts: $4,000 Win, $1,250 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $750 Qualifier

Info: www.FarmingtonDragway.com

Carolina Dragway Hosts IHRA Pro-Am

What: IHRA Pro-Am

Where: Carolina Dragway, Aiken, SC

When: Friday – Sunday, August 16-18, 2013. Gates open Friday at 9:00 am, Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am.

Classes: Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, Super Stock, Stock, Quick Rod, Super Rod, Hot Rod, Jr. Masters, Jr. Advanced, Jr. Beginners and ET Bracket classes Box, No Box and Jr. Dragster

Payouts, Entries: Top Dragster/Top Sportsman - $1,500 Win; Super Stock/Quick Rod/Super Rod - $1,100 Win; Stock/Hot Rod - $1,000 Win; Jr. Masters/Jr. Advanced - $300 Win; Jr. Beginners – Ironman Win. Entry fee per Pro-Am class $135; entry for Jr. Advanced and Masters $75, entry for Jr. Beginners $50.

Box pays $5,000 Win, based on 70 cars. Entry $100, buybacks $50. No Box pays $2,000 Win, based on 45 cars. Entry $80, buybacks $40. Jr. Dragster pays $1,000 Win, based on 30 cars. Entry $60, buybacks $30.

Info: www.CarolinaDragway.com

IRG Purchases Southwestern International Raceway

IRG Sports + Entertainment™ (IRG) announced that it has acquired Southwestern International Raceway™ (SWIR), formerly Merle’s SIR Dragway, located in Tucson, Arizona. SWIR is a 110-acre venue located at the Pima County Fairgrounds, 10 miles from downtown Tucson. The track features a dedicated quarter-mile Drag Strip and first opened in August 1997.

“Southwestern International Raceway was a natural fit for IRG’s portfolio of tracks and companies. The acquisition at this time is right in line with our growth strategy for 2013, since January’s purchase of the International Hot Rod Association by IRG. With our Nitro Jam series already being hosted at this facility, the Raceway will continue to be a key stop on the Nitro Jam schedule with additional IHRA events being held there,” said Jason Rittenberry, CFE, the chief executive officer of IRG.

IRG acquired the track from former owner operators Jon Bradford and Tom Koenan. Over the last 16 years, SWIR has hosted such premier events as the International Hot Rod Association’s Nitro Jam and Thunder Jam, Pro Nitro Warm-Up, Super Chevy Show, Pacific Street Car Association (PSCA), Import Face-Off, and Tucson Dragway Reunion. With one of the largest shut-down areas in the country at almost three-quarters of a mile, SIR has run some of the fastest race cars in the world. Driving schools, professional testing sessions, private rentals, and corporate team-building events are also held at SWIR year-round.

IRG will immediately take control of the operations of the track and has retained the General Manager, John Mabry, and key staff in the areas of customer service, accounting and track management. An enhanced brand identity for SWIR is in development while the newly redesigned website for the track will launch in the coming weeks. The current website, www.SIRACE.com, will remain active while the new rebranded site is being launched. IRG will continue to operate the remainder of the events on the 2013 schedule at SWIR, while adding new additional events for the 2014 season.

Gulfport Dragway Ironman Classic Super Bucks at Atco Dragway

What: IHRA Ironman Classic
Where: Gulfport Dragway, Gulfport, MS
When: Sunday, August 4th, 2013. Gates open at 8:00 am, time trials at 9:00 am, eliminations at 12:00 noon.
Classes: Pro Electronics, Pro Footbrake, both 1/8th mile.
Payouts and entries: same for both classes - $1,200 Win, $600 Runner-Up, $300 Semis, $150 Quarters, $75 Eighths. $50 entry, $25 1st Round buyback.
Info: www.GulfportDragway.com.

What: Northeast 4-Day Super Bucks Weekend
Where: Atco Dragway, Atco, NJ
When: Thursday - Sunday, August 8th – 11th 2013. Gates open at 8:00 am each day.
Classes: Super Pro / Top ET (electronics). 1/4 mile racing.
Payouts and entries: Thursday and Saturday #2 each pays $10,000 Win, $3,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $500 Quarters, $100 Round starting with 3rd Round lose. Entry per race $200, buybacks are $120. Friday, Saturday #1 and Sunday each pays $25,000 Win, $8,000 Runner-Up, $4,000 Semis, 7th Round lose $1,000, 6th Round lose $600, 5th Round lose $450, and 4th Round lose $300. Entry per race $300, buybacks $215. Enter all five races for $1,100; enter all three $25,000 races for $775.
Info: www.AtcoRaceway.com.

Ultimate Outlaws at Milan Dragway Shifty Business at Elk Creek Dragway Pete Labonte Tribute Race at Oxford Dragway

What: Ultimate Outlaw Series
Where: Milan Dragway, Milan, MI
When: Friday & Saturday, August 16 & 17. Gates open Friday 6:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am
Classes: X275, OLS, Ultra Street, Open Comp, Wild Street.
Payouts, Entries: X275 pays $5,000 Win; entry $125. OLS pays $5,000 Win, entry $125. Ultra Street pays $1,000 Win, entry $50.
Info: www.MilanDragway.com

What: Stick Shift Championship Series
Where: Elk Creek Dragway, Elk Creek, VA
When: Saturday, August 3, Saturday, August 31
Classes: Stick-shifted cars. Non-members are welcomed to race
Payouts, Entries: $1,000 Win, entry $40, buybacks $20
Info: www.ElkCreekDragway.com

What: Pete Labonte Tribute Race
Where: Oxford Dragway, Oxford, ME
When: Friday & Saturday, August 9th & 10th. Gates open Friday at 4:30 pm, gates open Saturday at 10:00 am.
Classes: Quick 8 Sled / Bike, Box / No Box Combo
Payouts, Entries: Q8 Sled / Bike - $1,000 Win on Friday, entry $50, buybacks $10. Box / No Box - $500 Win on Friday, entry $20, buybacks $10; $2,000 Win on Saturday, entry $50, buybacks $20.
Info: www.Oxford-Dragway.com

Maryland International’s Poker Bash
What: $10K - $2k Poker Bash
Where: Maryland International Raceway, Budds Creek, MD
When: Saturday - Sunday, August 17th – 18th 2013. Gates open at 10:00 am Saturday, 9:00 am Sunday.
Classes: Top ET (electronics, 0.00 – 8.49), Mod ET (all run). 1/8 mile racing.
Payouts, entries: Top ET pays $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $750 Semis, $500 Quarters, $250 Eighths, $150 Sixteenths. Top ET entry is $161 per day; re-entry $100. Mod ET pays $2,000 Win, $750 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, $100 Quarters, $75 Eighths. Mod ET entry is $61 per day, re-entry is $40.
Info: www.MIRdrag.com.
Mini Millions at Piedmont Dragway
What: 1st Annual Mini Millions
Where: Piedmont Dragway, Piedmont, NC
When: Wednesday - Sunday, August 14th – 18th 2013. Gates open at noon on Wednesday, 8:30 am all other days.
Classes: Top ET / Super Pro (electronics). 1/8th mile racing.
Payouts, entries: Thursday, Friday and Sunday each pays $20K Win; entry for a single day is $250, or enter all three for $650. Buybacks are $150. Saturday pays $50K Win; entry is $1,000 with a $260 buyback.
Info: www.PiedmontDragway.com.
Joliet Route 66 Classic at Route 66 Raceway

What: Joliet Route 66 Classic
Where: Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, IL
When: Saturday, August 17th 2013. Gates open at 9:00 am.
Classes: Nostalgia Funny Cars, Nostalgia Pro Stock, Gassers, Roadsters, Altereds, Vintage Test & Tune for 1979 and older.
Payouts, entries: Run cards for Vintage Test & Tune, roadsters, altereds and dragsters are $25.
Info: www.Route66Raceway.com.

Race 4a Cure at Elk Creek Dragway
Elk Creek, VA - Proving once again that the racing community always bands together to help a good cause, Elk Creek Dragway presents Race 4a Cure on Saturday, July 20th. $10 from each race entry will go to cancer research. Enter the race and help make a difference!

Super Pro pays $2,500 Guaranteed. Depending on the car count, the Runner-Up gets at least $300 and at most $500, and there’s round money for earlier rounds. Footbrake pays $2,000 Win Guaranteed. Depending on the car count, the Runner-Up gets at least $200 and at most $325, and there’s round money for earlier rounds. Double entries are permitted.

Gates open Saturday at 12:00 noon with time runs at 2:00 pm. Visit www.ElkCreekDragway.com for more information.

East Coast Diesel Nationals 2013 at Numidia Dragway
Numidia, PA - Head to Numidia Dragway for the 2013 East Coast Diesel Nationals on Saturday, July 20th presented by Diesel Motorsports. The Diesel Nationals include a sled pull, drag racing, a tent sale, dyno, and The Shopettes. 8:00 am until done.

Diesel Motorsports Drag Racing Classes include: ET Bracket Class, 12.0 Quick Diesel, Unlimited Truck, Pro Stock (fiberglass-bodied diesel-powered trucks and cars compete heads up to the finish) and Top Diesel for diesel dragsters designed for all out speed.

Visit www.DieselMotorsports.US for more info.

Sponsor News: Powermaster Performance to Return with NSRA Tech Tent
Powermaster Performance will offer free starting and charging system inspections at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals, August 1 through the 4th in Louisville, Kentucky. Factory engineers from Powermaster Performance will be available to evaluate issues with vehicle starting and charging systems and help ensure safe and worry-free travels for all street rodders.

Located just outside of the Kentucky Exhibition Center Freedom Hall, hours of operation will be from 9:30am to 4:00pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 9:30am to 1:00pm on Sunday. Due to popular demand in previous years, appointments are suggested, but not required. All vehicles are welcome and encouraged to participate. For more information about Powermaster Performance, visit www.PowermasterPerformance.com.

Super 7 Series at Montgomery MotorSports Park
Montgomery, AL - Montgomery MotorSports Park’s Super 7 Series continues on Friday – Sunday, July 19 - 21, 2013.

Friday’s Super Pro race pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis and $250 Quarters. Saturday’s and Sunday’s Super Pro races each pay $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis and $500 Quarters. Entries are $150 each, or enter all three races for $300. Buybacks are $50 on Friday and $100 on Saturday and Sunday. Two people may drive the same car in a single class, but one driver cannot drive the same car twice.

Saturday’s and Sunday’s No Box races each pay $1,750 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $50 per race, with a $30 buyback. Payouts based on 40 entries.

Gates open Thursday for parking at 4:00 pm. Gates open Friday at 8:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am. For more information visit www.MMPDragRacing.com.

Midnight Madness Returns, Wally Added to Auto Plus Raceway
Gainesville, FL - The Midnight Madness Grudge Racing Series returns to Auto-Plus Raceway on Friday, July 26th. Open to cars, trucks and motorcycles. Cost to race is $25, $5 to watch.

Auto Plus Raceway has also added Wally races to their schedule. The King of the Track will run in conjunction with the July 20th 1/8 Mile Summit ET Series Bracket Race. Class winners of Electronics, Footbrake, True Street, and Street Cycle will have a separate run-off to determine the King of Track, with the winner taking home a coveted Wally. The Jr. Dragster Challenge will run during the August 17th 1/8 Mile Summit ET Series Bracket Race. Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced Class Winners will receive Wally Trophies.

The National Dragster Challenge is a standalone non-points event, running on Saturday, September 28th. Racers will have the chance to win a Wally and practice prior to the Summit ET Finals the following weekend at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia. Trophies will be awarded in all five Summit ET bracket classes (no Jrs.). Purse structure for this race will be the same as Auto Plus Raceway’s normal 1/8 mile ET events.

For more info visit www.autoplusraceway.com.

MASGA and NETO at Numidia Dragway
Numidia, PA - Numidia Dragway plays host to two days of Mid Atlantic Super Gas Association and North East Timing Organization racing on Saturday and Sunday, July 13th and 14th.

If you’ve been thinking about racing Super Gas and also been planning to visit Numidia Dragway, then this is your weekend. If you’re not familiar with MASGA, it’s a great way to break into 9.90 Super Gas in a friendly, relaxed environment. The only true difference between MASGA Super Gas and the NHRA Super Gas is that MASGA runs a true .400 Pro Tree and not the .370 Pro Tree used at NHRA Divisional and National events. Also, once qualifying is completed MASGA goes on a true NHRA Sportsman ladder to make for a much more even playing field. For 1st round only the higher qualified car gets lane choice for that round only. Finally, MASGA completes each race in one day. There’s no waiting around for time shots on one day and eliminations on another. Each day is a new race with two qualifying shots in the morning and straight into first round until a winner is determined. To join MASGA visit their website at www.midatlanticsupergas.com, scroll to the middle of the page and click on the membership form button. For questions email Leanne Luciano at LMFogerty@hotmail.com.

Also at Numidia is the nostalgia club North East Timing Organization. NETO is for pre-1974 cars, front engine dragsters, funny cars, altereds, gassers, super stocks and stockers. Visit www.netonostalgia.com.

For information about Numidia Dragway, visit www.numidiadragway.com.

Big Bucks Bikes at Capitol Raceway 2nd Annual Car Club Bash at Little River Dragway

Crofton, MD - Bikes take to the hill at Capitol Raceway on Saturday, July 13th, 2013. Bring what you got, run what you brung and hope it’s enough to win the money. This bracket race only for bikes pays $2,000 Win, $800 Runner-Up, $300 Semis, $100 4th Round loser and $50 3rd Round loser. Entry is $65, buybacks are $50.

Gates open at 10:00 am, open session at 12:00 noon, time runs 2:30 pm, racing at 5:30 pm. Visit www.CapitolRaceway.net.

Holland, TX - The 2nd Annual Car Club Bash presented by Central Texas Camaro Coalition will be July 13th, 2013 at Little River Dragway. This is car club vs. car club bracket racing where each car club’s team consists of 10 drivers. Some clubs will have more than one team. Each driver earns a point every round they win for their team. The winning team will win a huge trophy.

Race vehicles must be street legal with current insurance. No Lexan windows or fiberglass bodies (hood is OK). Must have stock bumpers, functional headlights, taillights and blinkers and DOT-approved mufflers and exhaust. Door cars only, slicks are OK, line-locks are permitted for the burnout only.

Payout is $350 & trophy Win, $150 & trophy Runner-Up, $50 & trophy Semis. Entry is $20, 1st round buybacks are $10. Payouts based on 30 cars. Gates open at 6:00 pm. For more information visit www.LittleRiverDragway.com.

Greer Dragway’s $3,000 Top ET Race on July 13th IHRA Pro-Am Coming To Maryland International Raceway

Greer, SC - Top ET racers in South Carolina should put Greer Dragway on their schedules for Saturday, July 13th. Greer is hosting a $3,000 race for electronics-equipped race cars. This 1/8th mile gambler’s race pays $3,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, and $25 Round starting with 2nd Round winners. Payouts based on 50 car minimum. Entry is $65, buybacks are $45. ET breaks are 7.99 and quicker in the 1/8th..

Gates open at 12:00 noon, eliminations begin at 4:30 pm. For info visit Greer Dragway at www.GreerDragway.com.

Budds Creek , MD - The IHRA Pro-Am Tour comes to Maryland International Raceway on Friday - Sunday, July 12th - 14th, including Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Super Stock, Stock, Quick Rod, Super Rod, and Hot Rod.

Top Sportsman and Top Dragster each pay $1,500 Win, $600 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, and $50 Round beginning 3rd Round win. Super Stock pays $1,100 Win, $500 Runner-Up, and $40 Round beginning 3rd Round win. Stock pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, and $40 Round beginning 3rd Round win. Quick Rod and Super Rod each pay $1,100 Win, $500 Runner-Up, and $40 Round beginning 3rd Round win. Hot Rod pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, and $40 Round beginning 3rd Round win.

Entry fees are $135; IHRA membership and license are mandatory. Gates open Friday at 10:00 am, with a test & tune at 4:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 7:30 am, with time trials at 9:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 8:00 am.

For more information visit www.mirdrag.com.

NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl at Route 66 Raceway Olde Time Beaver
Joliet, IL - The NMRA rolls into Route 66 Raceway over the weekend of July 11-14, 2013. The 8th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing presented by Miller Welders is one of the crown jewels in the ProMedia organization's family of events. By combining all of the classes across both racing sanctions, selecting an outstanding venue like Route 66 Raceway that is centrally located to much of the country, and bringing the baddest street-legal style cars in the country together in one place, the stage is set for ground-breaking, record-setting events to take place.

Over the last several years, Route 66 has been home to many record-setting passes - from John Kolivas' 7.321 in SSO a few years ago while running on a tiny 275/60/15 drag radial tire to last year's efforts from Lyon, Leslie, Jr. and more. It's called the Super Bowl of Street legal Drag Racing for a reason, and the racing action reflects that title. Over 30 race classes filled with all kinds of awesome Detroit iron makes this event an absolute must. Last year, in the Super Bowl portion of the event, the NMRA came out on top over the NMCA for the fifth time in seven years. Will 2013 be the NMCA's turn to take the title?

For more information about this or any NMRA / NMCA event, visit www.nmradigital.com.

Beaver Springs ,PA - Beaver Springs Dragway’s 10th Annual York Nostalgia Nationals are Saturday and Sunday July 13th & 14th. This is one of Beaver Springs’ biggest events of the year, and includes Jr. Stock, Nostalgia Funny Car match race, East Coast Gassers, and Nostalgia ET bracket racing. Jr. Stock is for 1975 and earlier, period-correct, factory or flat hood cars. No electronics, $1,000 purse. Nostalgia ET is for 1975 and earlier, no electronics (transbrakes OK), $1,000 purse.

Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am with test & tune at 10:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 8:00 am, with time trials at 9:00 am. Visit www.beaversprings.com for more info.

Results: Southwest International Raceway, June 29th 2013

Tucson, AZ - Results of June 29th, 2013 ET bracket racing at Southwest International Raceway:

JR. DRAGSTER SERIES AGES 8-12 SEMI FINALS: AJ Orlando from Chino Valley, AZ defeated Ryan Terreault from Tucson, AZ; Samantha Kidd from Marana, AZ defeated Samantha Barajas from Tucson, AZ. FINAL: Kidd takes the win running a 9.590 @ 66.20 mph over Orlando.

JR. DRAGSTER SERIES AGES 13-17 SEMI FINALS: Siena Coronado from Tucson, AZ advances to the final with a competition single; Gabriel Brown from Tucson, AZ defeated Katlin Jimerson from Tucson, AZ. FINAL: Coronado takes the win running a 7.930 @ 81.80 mph over Brown.

JR. DRAGSTER CONSOLATION RACE FINAL:
Ryan Terreault takes the win running a 9.210 @ 70.21 mph over Jakob Trammell.

MOTORCYCLE SEMI FINALS:
David Oller from Tucson, AZ advances to the final with a competition single; Jake Burris from Tucson, AZ. defeated Jim Burris from Tucson, AZ. FINAL: Jake Burris takes the win running a 10.296 @ 116.20 mph over Oller.

STREET ET SEMI FINALS: Doug Woods from Tucson, AZ. advances to the final with a competition single; J.R.Ward from Willcox, AZ. defeated Linda Brown from Tucson, AZ. FINAL: Ward takes the win running a 17.304 @ 80.50 mph over Woods.

NO-BOX SEMI FINALS: Brad Hawk from Tucson, AZ. advances to the final with a competition single; Larry Cannon from Tucson, AZ. defeated Matt Hawk from Tucson, AZ. FINAL: Hawk takes the win running a 12.916 @ 99.7 0mph over Cannon.

BOX SEMI FINALS: Cindy Hawk from Tucson, AZ. advances to the final with a competition single. Brad Hawk from Tucson, AZ defeated Bill Kidd from Marana, AZ. FINAL: Brad Hawk takes the win running a 10.948 @ 112.66 mph over Cindy Hawk.

Congratulations to all of the winners and late-rounders.

Bonus Payouts at Numidia Dragway July 6th & 7th

Numidia, PA - To help celebrate our country’s independence, Numidia Dragway will be providing a little financial independence to the winners of Super Pro, Pro ET and Street ET on Saturday and Sunday, July 6th & 7th.

The weekend is a double-points weekend for competitors in the track’s Summit Series ET Bracket Racing program. Each day, Super Pro pays a guaranteed $2,500 Win, Pro ET pays a guaranteed $1,500 Win, and Street ET pays $1,000 Win on Saturday and $500 Win on Sunday. Super Pro entry is $65, Pro ET entry is $50 and Street ET is $35. Numidia also has its Street Legal program on Friday night, for any street-legal cars that want to get some practice in for the weekend’s Street ET races. On Saturday night the track puts on a jet car and fireworks show. You'll also be racing for a good cause. Numidia Dragway routinely has fundraisers for charity, and this week's will be for Kevin Gnehm, who is the paralyzed son of longtime racer Rudy Gnehm. The track, along with Biondo Race Products, Insinger Fuels and A & A will have a 50/50 raffle to benefit the Gnehms.

Gates open Friday at 5:00 pm, Saturday at 10:00 am and Sunday at 8:00 am. For more information visit www.NumidiaDragway.com.

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2nd Annual Dragfest at Oxford Dragway Firecracker Nationals at The Farm

Oxford, ME - Oxford Dragway’s 2nd Annual Nostalgia Dragfest Invitational is Saturday, July 6th. Featuring nitro dragsters, funny cars, blown cars, altereds, A and B/Gas dragsters, altered wheelbase cars and gassers. Featured cars include the Fireball Monza, Tweety’s Rate, the Funny Farmer, King & Marshall and the Man-O-War. There’s also a rod & custom show and Miss Oxford Pin-Up Contest.

Gates open at 10:00 am. For more information contact Oxford Dragway through www.Oxford-Dragway.com.

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Mocksville, NC - Farmington Dragway invites racers to come celebrate 50 years of The Farm at the Firecracker Nationals on Saturday, July 6th, 2013. There’ll be eliminators for Top ET, Footbrake and Jr. Dragsters.

Top ET (0.00 – 7.99) pays $2,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $200 Semis and $30 Round per round won after 3rd round. Payouts based on 60 car minimum. Entry is $65 and 1st or 2nd Round buybacks are $50. Footbrake (all run) pays $1,200 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $20 Round per round won after 3rd round. Payouts based on 60 car minimum. Entry is $40 and 1st or 2nd Round buybacks are $30. Jr. Dragster (7.90 and slower) is 75% paypack. Entry is $20 and buybacks are $10. Gates open 9:00 am with time runs at 11:00 am. Visit www.FarmingtonDragway.com for more info.

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Hot Payouts at I64’s Summer Championship

Owingsville, KY - Kentucky racers should put I64 Motorplex’ Summer Championship on their calendar for Friday & Saturday, July 5th & 6th, 2013. Friday includes a Top ET Gambler’s Race that pays $500 Win and $200 Runner-Up with a $30 entry; a No Box Gambler’s Race that pays $300 Win and $100 Runner-Up with a $25 entry; and a Sportsman Gambler’s Race that pays $150 Win and $50 Runner-Up with a $15 entry.

Saturday’s Top ET race pays a guaranteed $2,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $65 Quarters. Entry is $65, buybacks are $30. No Box pays a guaranteed $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $50, buybacks are $25. Sportsman pays a guaranteed $400 Win, $100 Runner-Up, $35 Semis and $10 Quarters. Entry is $35, buybacks are $15. There’s also a Quick 16 Shootout on Saturday that pays $1,000 Win and $200 Runner-Up with an $80 entry. Saturday’s Jr. Dragster pays $500 Win, $100 Runner-Up and $25 Semis. Entry is $40, buybacks are $15.

Gates open Friday at 4:00 pm with time trials at 5:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 12:00 noon with time trials at 2:00 pm. For more information visit www.I64Motorplex.com.

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Altered States at Little River Dragway Grudge Races Rock The Rock

On Sunday July 6th, Little River Dragway brings back good old Chevy vs. Ford match racing. In addition to the track’s Summit Super Series ET bracket racing program, they’re hosting a special match race between The Tree Hanger Chevy-powered blown altered and The Time Warp Ford-powered blown alcohol altered. If you’re a central Texas racer or fan, make your plans to be with Little River Dragway for the best bracket racing in central Texas and The Ford vs. Chevy Fuel Altered Match Race. Gates open at 2:00 pm, Jr. Dragster time trials at 4:00 pm and all other classes at 5:00 pm. Visit www.littleriverdragway.com for more info.

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Rockingham Dragway hosts the World Outlaw Grudge Nationals on Friday and Saturday July 5th & 6th, 2013. According to the flier, there’ll be 100 grudge races in 2 days featuring all the big-name grudge racers from around the country. There’ll also be 4.30 Index Class with a $4,000 payout.
Gates open Friday at 3:00 pm and Saturday at 9:00 am.

Visit www.RockinghamDragway.com for more information.

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NDRA Pro Doorslammers at Grand Bend Motorplex

Grand Bend, ON - Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, ON put on a grand event June 15th – 16th at “Canada’s Biggest All Bike Race Weekend” and the National Drag Racing Association’s 2nd Pro Doorslammer Series points race.

In only their second outing since the Pro Doorslammers joined up with the NDRA’s Alcohol Funny Cars earlier this year, the drivers were all out to win. Congratulations to Wayne Nielsen of Bayfield, ON, who piloted his StoneyBrook Auto Service nitrous-boosted 1994 Lumina Z34 to win the event with a 7.196 / 198.41. About the race, he said, “The track conditions were pretty good, considering the previous night’s rain. It was still spitting around 9:30 am, but as soon as it stopped, the track personnel did a great job, as always, to dry and prep the track. Their effort is much appreciated. The rest of the day turned out really nice and the racing was decent.”

Runner-up Al Martorino had to endure some aggravating “hiccups” and issues with his 526 Hemi powered ’06 Mustang throughout the weekend. That said, the seasoned competitor knows that these challenges are just part of drag racing. He took it all in stride and did what it takes to stay in the game. Martorino had the perseverance to go full track even when ignition troubles shut the engine down 21 times in the final round.

For information about the National Drag Racing Association, visit www.ndra.ca.

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MI: Michigan Mopars at Milan

Milan, MI – The 2013 Michigan Mopars drag race and show & shine rolls into Milan Dragway on Saturday July 13th. Drag racing classes include Box, No Box, Sportsman, and Nostalgia.

Box and No Box each pay $1,500 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, and $50 Quarters (all based on 40 cars). Entry is $50, 1st Round buybacks are $20. Sportsman and Nostalgia each pay $400 Win, $100 Runner-Up, $50 Semis, and $25 Quarters (all based on 15 cars). Entry is $40, 1st Round buybacks are $20. These classes are Mopar only except Nostalgia, which is open to any make vehicle 1988 or older without delay boxes.

Gates open at 9:00 am. For more information visit www.MilanDragway.com.

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NY: Get Dover In The Valley
West Lebanon , NY – Mark your calendar for the 5th Annual Dover Drag Strip Nostalgia Drags & Car Show beign held August 10th & 11th at Lebanon Valley Dragway. This two-day event is a full fun family nostalgia weekend. This will be the third year a car show and swap meet are included on Sunday, featuring the finest rods & customs in the Northeast. Top 40 Favorite awards are given out, with the show presided over by the capable Capital Area Rods.

For racers, Saturday is test & tune, unlimited time trials, a gamblers race and ‘fun & grudge’. Sunday is eliminations day including Comp for altereds, dragsters and gassers, Dover Vintage for pre-1973, and Dover 4-Speed. Also scheduled to compete with their own points races each day are The Northeast Timing Organization (NETO) and The East Coast Gassers. Joining them on Saturday is the East Coast Nostalgia Super Stock Association and the North East Nostalgia Drag Racing Association.

For complete details on the race, show, swap meet, directions, schedule, sponsor opportunities, commercial vendors and updates, visit the website forum Event heading with all its topics at: www.doverdragstrip.com/phpBB3/index.php or contact Dino Lawrence at 910-997-4444.

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NC: MIROCK Sportsman Summer Sizzler at Rockingham Dragway PA: It’s Good To Be The King… at Numidia Dragway

Rockingham, NC -The Mickey Thompson Tires MIROCK Superbike Series heads to Rockingham Dragway Friday – Sunday, June 28th – 30th, 2013 with the Sportsman Summer Sizzler. Classes include Pro Street, Real Street, Top Sportsman, Crazy 8s, 5.60 Index, 4.60 Index, Pro ET and Street ET. There’s a test & tune on Friday at 6:00 pm. Gates open Friday at 10:00 am, Saturday at 9:00 am and Sunday at 8:00 am. For info visit www.RockinghamDragway.com.

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Numidia, PA - If you’ve always wanted a chance to win an NHRA Wally, then get to Numidia Dragway on Saturday, June 29th when the track presents the NHRA King Of The Track.

If you’re not familiar with how the King Of The Track works, it’s a special event held at NHRA member tracks in conjunction with a weekly racing event. Winners of each class compete become the King of the Track champion, who will receive an NHRA Wally and King of the Track hat. In addition, the winner's picture, if supplied, will be printed in National DRAGSTER. Only tracks supporting the NHRA Summit Racing Series program are eligible to stage this event. Jr. Drag Racing League competitors are not eligible to compete in this program.

Gates open at 10:00 am. Visit www.NumidiaDragway.com for more info.

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ME: Wednesday Nights are Street Nights at Oxford Dragway

Oxford, ME - Oxford Dragway is now open Wednesdays from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm for the street crowd. No matter what you are driving ... car, bike, pickup, or whatever ... if it is street-legal and can be driven in through the gates, you can run it at Oxford Dragway. Racers in Maine, if you know people who have been telling you they’d like to go to the track, get them to go to Street Night.

Street Night is truly for street vehicles. No trailers, no tow vehicles, the vehicle must pass a basic safety inspection (no bald tires, etc), have a closed cooling system or catch can, driver must be licensed for the vehicle entered, driver must have long pants, sleeved shirt, and shoes (no sandals), helmet is required if your machine runs 8.60 et or quicker. Bike folks have to have a full coverage helmet (if not full face rider must have eye protection), bikers must have abrasion resistant jacket (leather or kevlar), leather gloves, and ankle high boots, shoes, or high tops. The cost to race is $10.00. You can’t beat it. Visit www.Oxford-Dragway.com for more info.

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Dobbs and Deeks Set the Pace for NDRA's 2013 Season

Grand Bend, ON – The first of the four-event series for Canada's National Drag Racing Association (NDRA) kicked off recently at Grand Bend Motorplex’s “Spring Blowout” on Sunday May 20th.

In a pre-event interview, Larry Dobbs (right) indicated that he was determined to keep his 2012 NDRA AFC championship intact and he certainly accomplished that in this, his first time in the seat for this year’s series. He piloted his Sportz Tent-sponsored ’02 Trans Am to a 5.81 @ 241.02 MPH win over Dylan Hache’s 6.10 / 219.08 pass in his ’02 For Wheels Auto Care Firebird. In the same run, Dobbs took the day’s low E.T. and top speed.

Although Trevor Deeks’ E.T. in the final round of Pro Doorslammer was a little slower than his 6.58 quickest of the weekend, his 6.65 @ 211.81 MPH pass was enough for the victory. NDRA newcomer Dan Aitken Jr. of Belle River, ON had to settle for runner up with a 7.09 @ 193.79 in his ’95 Ford Mustang. Dave Earhart of Strathroy, ON missed the opening win that he was looking for, but did muscle the Earhart Heating & Cooling INC., Performance Unlimited sponsored ’02 Camaro to a decent 217.02 MPH, the fastest Pro Doorslammer speed of the event.

It was a crowd pleasing opening for the National Drag Racing Association series. Rivalries were initiated and a high competition was set amongst the racers that will spell great entertainment for the rest of the season’s events. The NDRA heads to Toronto Motorsports Park - Cayuga Dragway on July 12 - 14 for the 4th Annual Canadian Nitro Nationals. There, the Pro Doorslammers and Alcohol Funny Cars will team up with the NDRA Nitro Nostalgia Funny Cars. For more information about the NDRA and their 2013 schedule, visit their website at www.ndra.ca.

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Prolong Lubricants Teams with Jr. Dragster Sisters for Wounded Warriors

Retired Marine and former street stock and drag racer Richard Severance and his Jr. Dragster-racing daughters Treasure and Angelica have teamed with Prolong Super Lubricants to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). The Severance family will donate all the monetary proceeds from the girls' winnings throughout 2013 to WWP on behalf of Prolong.

Richard, who is a wounded warrior, joined the Marines in 1983 and retired from a military career in 2004. His daughters, Treasure, 14 (left in photo), and Angelica, 13 (right), were both born in Okinawa and are proud to be able to support the WWP. "I truly appreciate Prolong giving me the opportunity to race and I'm proud to be able to showcase Prolong as my sponsor," said Treasure. "Prolong allows us to do what we love and support our favorite organization at the same time."

In March, Treasure won her first race at Kinston Dragway, running in the Jr. Drag Racing League Advanced Class. A relatively new driver, she is working her way up to the Masters Division. She drives a Hardings car powered by a Blossom Super Rhino. Angelica graduated from Doug Foley's Racing School at the age of 12 and is now running in the Masters Division. She has a new 2013 East Coast Performance chassis with a Blossom Super Rhino. "They both have such phenomenal potential," said Richard. "I expect them to show great advancement over the next few years."

Richard has used Prolong products since the Fall of 2012. "I was impressed with Prolong because the products work as they say they do," he said.

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MD: Outlaw Pontiacs at Capitol Raceway

Crofton, MD - The Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series makes a stop at Capitol Raceway on Saturday, June 22nd, 2013.

The Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series is a bracket series dedicated to the avid Pontiac enthusiast. According to the OPDS 2013 Event Schedule, the OPDS is footbrake only (well, sort of: they allow transbrakes) and is open to any traditional Pontiac-powered car as well as any Pontiac-bodied car. No delay boxes. Any tire permitted, any exhaust permitted, power adders permitted if within safety guidelines.

For more information visit their website at www.outlawpontiacdragseries.com.

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Steve McDevitt Wins ECNSSA Race at Cecil County Dragway

Steve McDevitt was the winner at the East Coast Nostalgia Super Stock Association race at Cecil County Dragway on June 9th. Great job, Steve!

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NC: Extreme Outlaw Promods at Coastal Plains Dragway

Jacksonville, NCCoastal Plains Dragway in Jacksonville, NC welcomes The Extreme Outlaw Promods on Saturday, June 22nd. The day also includes IHRA ET Bracket Racing in Top ET, Modified ET and Jr. Dragsters.

Top ET (electronics) pays $2,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $60, buybacks are $40. Modified (no electronics) pays $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $50, buybacks are $30. Jr. Dragster pays Winner and Runner-Up 75% payback. Entry is $25, buybacks are $15.

Gates open at 12:00 noon with time trials at 2:00 and ET Bracket eliminations at 6:30 pm. For more information visit www.CoastalPlainsRaceway.com.

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The Importance Of A Quiet Bracket Car
I recently submitted my next Bracket Racing 101 column to Drag Racer Magazine. It's called "Keep Quiet For Track's Sake" and will appear in the September 2013 issue. The topic is the importance of quieting down our bracket cars to help lessen noise complaints aimed at drag strips. I spoke with some track operators as well as the people at Flowmaster. As a follow-up, the folks at Flowmaster sent this short video on the topic for me to share with you.

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KY: Keeping It Classic at Mt. Park Dragway

Clay City, KY - Racers in the vicinity of Mt. Park Dragway should put the track’s Memorial Classic on their calendars May 24th – 26th, 2013. As part of Mt. Park’s 50th Anniversary celebration, the Memorial Classic is three days of 1/8th-mile big buck racing for Top ET (delay box) and Modified ET (no delay box).

Top ET pays $2,000 Win on Friday (entry $65, re-entry $35; payouts based on 65 entries), $10,000 Win on Saturday (entry $160, re-entry $80; payouts based on 135 entries) and $5,000 Win on Sunday (entry $100, re-entry $50; payouts based on 100 entries). Race all three days of Top ET for an entry of $260.

Modified ET pays $500 Win on Friday (entry $40, re-entry $20; payouts based on 35 entries), $2,000 Win on Saturday (entry $80, re-entry $40; payouts based on 50 entries) and $1,000 Win on Sunday (entry $50, re-entry $25; payouts based on 45 entries). Race all three days of Modified ET for an entry of $150.

There’ll also be Quick 8 Doorcars, Quick 8 Dragsters and consolation races for Top ET. Gates open Friday at 1:00 pm, with time runs starting at 3:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 9:00 am with time runs at noon, gates open Sunday at 9:00 am with time runs at 11:00 am.

For more info visit www.MPDragway.com.

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MS: Street Wars at Gulfport Dragway

Gulfport, MS - Attention to my racers in Mississippi: if you know someone who’s into street racing and has never been to the track, here’s your chance to get them off the street. Tell them to get to Gulfport Dragway on Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 for the 14th Annual Street Wars.
Street Wars is ¼ mile, run-what-ya-brung, unlimited street and grudge racing. There’ll also be a burnout contest, live music and entertainment on the main stage. Free street-style racing from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, and only $10 to race after 5:00 pm. At 10:30 pm, there’s the Miss Street Wars Bikini Contest.

Gates open at 3:00 pm. Visit www.GulfportDragway.com for more info.

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KY: Everything’s Golden at Mt. Park Dragway

Clay City, KY - Mark down June 28th – 30th on your calendar and head to Mt. Park Dragway for their Golden Anniversary race, with three days of big money 1/8 mile bracket racing for Top ET and Modified ET.

Friday’s Top ET race pays $1,963 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, $125 Quarters and $75 Eighths. Entry is $50, buybacks are $30. Saturday’s Top ET race pays $25,000 Win, $5,000 Runner-Up, $1,200 Semis, $650 6th Round Win, $400 5th Round Win, $250 4th Round Win and $100 3rd Round Win. Entry is $225, buybacks are $125. Sunday’s Top ET race pays $2,013 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, $125 Quarters and $75 Eighths. Entry is $50, buybacks are $30.

Modified ET pays $1,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $50 Quarters and $25 Eighths. Entry is $45, buybacks are $25.
Gates open Thursday from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm for parking. Gates open Friday at 1:00 pm with time runs at 4:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 10:00 am with time runs at 12:00 noon. Gates open Sunday at 9:00 am with time runs at 11:00 am.

Visit www.MPDragway.com for more info.

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VA: Hot Street at Elk Creek
Elk Creek , VAElk Creek Dragway will be hosting the Hot Street Heads-Up Racing series, including 5.70 Street Outlaw, 6.70 Street Eliminator, 7.70 Super Street & the New 8.70 Trophy Street.

Cars competing in the Hot Street series must be street appearing and have headlights and taillights factory for the car. No throttle stops or down track stutter boxes are allowed, but wheelie bars, power adders, any fuel and any size tire are allowed. This is 1/8 mile Pro tree racing. The 5.70 and 6.70 will run on a .400 pro tree. The 7.70 and 8.70 will run on a .500 pro tree. The remaining race dates for 2013 are June 15, July 6, August 10, and September 7.

Entry Fees are $20 for 8.70 Trophy Street, $30 for 7.70 Super Street, $50 for 6.70 Street Eliminator and $50 for 5.70 Street Outlaw.
For more information about the Hot Street Head Up Racing series, email series organizer Joey Nester at protreeisbest@yahoo.com. For more info about Elk Creek Dragway, visit www.ElkCreekDragway.com.

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MI: Saturday Shootout Series at Milan Dragway VA: Fun Ford Weekend at Virginia Motorsports Park

Milan, MIAttention in the Michigan pits: get to Milan Dragway on Saturday, June 15th for the Saturday Shootout Series. Classes include Outlaw Limited Street, X275, Ultra Street, Wild Street and Open Comp. There’s also a Super Pro Shootout that pays $1,500 Win with 45 or more cars.

Qualifying starts at 2:00 pm. Visit www.MilanDragway.com for more info.

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Petersburg, VA - The Fun Ford Weekend makes its only stop in Virginia on Saturday & Sunday June 15th & 16th.

Racing classes include Fast Ford / Bracket 1 (7:00 – 19:99, slicks and electronics), Quick Ford / Bracket 2 (7:00 – 19:99, slicks and no electronics, DOT / Street Tire (any dial-In, DOT street tires and mufflers required, no electronics), and VMP True Street Challenge.

Entry fees: Fast Ford is $45 on Saturday and $51 on Sunday, Quick Ford is $40 on Saturday and $36 on Sunday; Street Ford (DOT) is $25 per day.

Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am and Sunday at 10:00 am. Visit www.vmpdrag.com for more info.

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QC: Feelin’ Funny at Luskville Dragway

Luskville, QC – Our racing friends in the Great White North might want to take off to Luskville Dragway on Saturday & Sunday, June 15th & 16th for the Spring Funny Car Nationals. Along with the funny cars, both days feature ET bracket racing in Super Pro, Semi Pro, Street and Jr. Dragster. Events like the Funny Car Nationals typically draw spectators, so it gives the bracket racers a chance to show their stuff in front of the fans in the stands. On Sunday, Super Pro pays $2,000 Win and Semi Pro pays $800 Win (pro-rated). There’s also a special Jr. Dragster shootout both days.

Visit www.LuskvilleDragway.com for more information.

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NC: Cosmo Motors Shootout at Farmington Dragway
Mocksville, NC - Saturday & Sunday June 15th & 16th is the Cosmo Motors Shootout at Farmington Dragway. Outlaw Extreme Street 275 / 28 x 10.5 payouts are $10,000 Win, $1,500 Runner-Up and $250 Semis. Entry is $200. Brutal Elite Fwd pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up and $250 Semis. Entry is $100.

Visit www.FarmingtonDragway.com for more information. I couldn’t find gate times on the event flyer so you’ll need to call the track.

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KY: Shootout On The Mountain
Clay City, KY – Racers, get to Mt. Park Dragway in Clay City, KY June 7th – 9th, 2013 for the 8th Annual Ultimate Sixty-Four Shootout.

Friday is the Ultimate 64 Showdown, pitting 32 dragsters against 32 doorcars. The race pays $12,000 Win, $4,000 Runner-Up, $1,500 Semis, $1,000 Quarters and $750 Eighths. Entry is $500, no buybacks. Saturday is the Ultimate 64 Shootout that pays $50,000 Win, $10,000 Runner-Up, $3,000 Semis, $1,500 Quarters, $750 Eighths and $500 Sixteenths. Entry is $1,500, no buybacks. Sunday features the Ultimate 32 Dragster Shootout and the Ultimate 32 Doorcar Shootout. Each pays $5,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up and $250 Semis. Entry for each is $250, no buybacks.

In addition to the Ultimate races, the weekend includes three days of Box and No-Box racing. Each Box race pays $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $40 Semis, $200 Quarters and $100 Eighths. Enter three days for $350, or $150 per race. Buybacks are $75. 150 car minimum per race. Each No Box race pays $600 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $200 Semis and $100 Quarters. Enter three days for $120, or $40 per race. Buybacks are $20. 40 car minimum per race.

Gates open Wednesday and Thursday for parking. Gates open Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 am. For more information visit www.mpdragway.com.

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AL: Southern Outlaw Tour at MMP
Montgomery, AL The 2013 Southern Outlaw Tour returns to Montgomery MotorSports Park in Montgomery, AL on June 7th & 8th.

Check with Montgomery MotorSports to find out the specific classes that will compete at this stop on the Tour, but typically it includes Outlaw Super Pro, Outlaw Bottom Bulb, Pro Modified, 7.00 Class, 6.00 Class and 5.00 Class.

Visit www.mmpdragracing.com for more information about payouts and gate times.

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VA: Footbrake Frenzy at Elk Creek

Elk Creek, VA Elk Creek Dragway’s Footbrake Frenzy is Saturday, June 8th, 2013. The Frenzy pays out $2,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $125 Semis and $20 per won round starting with 3rd Round. Payouts based on a 65 car minimum. Entry is $60, 1st and 2nd Round buybacks are $30.

Double entries allowed, deep staging honored, no center-steer cars, no gold cards. No delay boxes or transbrakes allowed in the footbrake cars.

Gates open 12:00 pm with time runs at 2:00 pm and eliminations at 6:00 pm. For more information visit www.ElkCreekDragway.com.

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Pomponio On A Tear in Top Alcohol Funny Car

Until the Maple Grove Divisional, Dan Pomponio has won every round in Top Alcohol Funny Car racing in his division this season, having won two NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series regional races, and posting victories at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals and the Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Pomponio Racing is leading TA/FC points and has posted its quickest run to date of 5.54 in defeating the iconic Frank Manzo at Charlotte.

Although the Pomponio Racing Monte Carlo has not always been the quickest and fastest car, Dan’s driving has been getting the job done with quick and consistent reaction times. His performance at the starting line has allowed Dan to mow down some of the best racers in the country on his way to the winners circle.

Says Dan, “The key has been the Boninfante Friction 10.5” all-titanium pedal clutch. It features three sintered discs, two 'floater' reaction plates and six release levers. Unlike centrifugal clutches that engage as RPM is increased, the Boninfante pedal clutch engages as soon as the pedal is released, providing a more predictable engagement and quicker reaction times.”

Dan and Pomponio Racing are looking to keep the streak going at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago June 27th – 30th.

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MD: Three’s The Charm at MIR

Maryland International Raceway gives their Electronics racers three chances to win $5,000 the weekend of Saturday - Sunday June 15th - 16th, 2013 at the Top ET $5K Triple Header. Each race pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $300 Semis, and $40 Round starting with 2nd Round Winners. Entry is $99 per race, $189 for two or $279 for all three. 1st & 2nd Round buybacks are $75.

Each race is on the 1/8th Mile for 0.00 – 8.49 dials. No throttle stops. No double-entries, but one driver may drive two cars. Gates open Saturday at 9:00 am, with time trials for the first race at 10:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 9:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. For more information visit www.mirdrag.com.

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PA: The Bucks Start Here at Numidia Dragway
Numidia, PANumidia Dragway kicks off their 2013 big bucks bracket race season Memorial Day Weekend, with three days of guaranteed-payout money bracket racing.

Saturday May 25th is a Summit Series Points Race with bonus payouts: Super Pro (electronics, 7.00 – 11.99) pays $2,500 Win, $800 Runner-Up, and $55 Round beginning 3rd Round loss. Super Pro entry is $65, with a $50 buyback. Pro ET (footbrake, 9.00 – 17.99) pays $1,500 Win, $800 Runner-Up, and $40 Round beginning with 3rd Round loss. Pro ET entry is $50, with a $40 buyback. There’s also a $1,000 Street ET race on Saturday.

Sunday, May 26th and Monday May 27th each feature $5,000 money races for Super Pro (electronics, 6.00 – 14.99) and $3,000 races for Pro ET (footbrake, 9.00 – 19.99). The $5Ks pay $5,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $800 Semis, $400 Quarters, $75 Round starting 3rd Round loser. Entry is $150, and buybacks are $90. The $3Ks pay $3,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $400 Semis, $60 Round starting 3rd Round loser. Entry is $90, and buybacks are $60.

Gates open 10:00 am on Saturday with time trials at 3:00 pm, Sunday and Monday gates open at 8:00 am. For more information, visit Numidia Dragway’s website at www.numidiadragway.com.

AL: Mini Will Be Major at Montgomery MotorSports Park
Montgomery, ALMontgomery MotorSports Park hosts the Mini Millions on May 30th – June 2nd, 2013. The event features three $20Ks and a $50K. The $20Ks are Thursday, Friday and Sunday; each pays $20,000 Win, $5,000 Runner-Up, $2,000 Semis, $800 6th Round, $600 5th Round, $400 4th Round, $200 3rd Round, and $100 2nd Round. Entry is $250 per day, or enter all three days for $650. 1st round buybacks are $150.

Saturday is the $50K that pays $50,000 Win, $20,000 Runner-Up, $5,000 Semis, $2,500 6th Round, $1,500 5th Round, $1,000 4th Round, $500 3rd Round, and $100 2nd Round. Entry is $1,000, 1st round buybacks are $260.

Gates open Wednesday at 12:00 noon for parking, tech and test & tune. Gates open Friday – Sunday at 8:30 am. Visit www.TheMillionOnline.com for more info.

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PA: Fans Can Race NHRA Stars Ron Capps, Antron Brown For A Good Cause

Mohnton, PA - Racing fans will have their chance take a lap against two of the greats of NHRA and be able to support a good cause. The Slick Willy’s/NAPA Auto Parts Challenge benefiting the Kiss A Pig campaign features Don Schumacher Racing’s Ron Capps and Antron Brown, who will be at Slick Willy’s indoor go-kart racetrack in Wyomissing, PA on May 29th to help raise funds for the Olivet Boys & Girls Club of Reading, Pa. The event helps cap the annual Kiss-A-Pig contest run by the Reading Eagle Company that benefits the Olivet Boys & Girls Club. Also, between May 6-20, Maple Grove Raceway will be donating $10 to Olivet Boys & Girls Club from every Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals ticket sold. The Challenge works like this:

• Racers can come to Slick Willy’s between May 6-20 and attempt to qualify for the May 29 race. For $75, they can run 28 laps – the equivalent of two time sessions. Each entrant will also receive a Slick Willy’s driver’s license. They can make qualifying runs between Monday and Friday during business hours. • Each racer that makes a qualifying run receives a free general admission ticket (a $50 value) to the NHRA Mello Yello Series event at Maple Grove Raceway on Sunday, Oct. 6. • The 60 quickest racers will then be invited to the main event on May 29. • On May 29, the top 60 will compete in eight groups of races, each running 14 laps to try and post the quickest lap time. • The quickest driver in each heat advances to the NAPA Auto Parts Kiss A Pig Championship, while the runner-up advances to the Slick Willy’s B-Main, a 14-lap qualifier. The quickest driver from the latter race then goes to the championship. • Also, one driver from the remaining qualified drivers will be selected in a Maple Grove Raceway Wild Card drawing for a spot in the championship final. • The championship race line will feature Capps, Brown and Reading Eagle Company publisher Peter Barbey. • The driver with the quickest lap during the final will be recognized as Slick Willy’s “Fastest Driver.”

The winner will also receive a custom racing helmet, trophy, two suite tickets for the NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove on Sunday, Oct. 6, Slick Willy’s passes, a Victory Lane photo with Capps and Brown, and more. Second through fifth will receive trophies and other prizes. For more information, contact Maple Grove Raceway at (610) 856-9200 or visit www.maplegroveraceway.com.

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In The Paging Lanes: Track Operators, This Is For You

This article apears in the latest issue of Performance Racing Industry magazine (May 2013) and is proof of why PRI is the go-to source of useful information for any entity in the business of racing. The article examines how race track owners and operators are using creative, outside-the-box thinking to increase their business. Although the tracks that are discussed are roundy round short-tracks, the principles will apply to any motorsports facility. This is a must-read for any track owner / operator. You can see the article along with the entire issue on PRI's website HERE.

For more information about Performance Racing Industry, including joining PRI, registering for the 2013 PRI Show and signing up for the PRI Newsletter, visit www.performanceracing.com.

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SC: Gassers at Greer Dragway
Greer, SC - Greer Dragway hosts their Nostalgic Gassers Race on Saturday, May 25th, 2013. Featuring 1960s-era gassers and drivers Quain Stott, Greg Porter, Jeremy Pearson, and Gene Cromer, who’ll be unveiling his original A/G Willys for the first time in more than forty years.

In addition, Greer Dragway will be holding their IHRA Summit SuperSeries bracket race for Pro, Footbrake, Jr. Dragster and TCR. Gates open 11:00 am.

Visit www.GreerDragway.com for more info.

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NJ: Atco’s Memorial Weekend Summer Series
Atco, NJ - Atco’s Summer Series is back for another season of big-money gambler’s races. The 2013 series continues Memorial Day Weekend with $5,000 gambler’s races on Friday May 24th and Sunday, May 26th, and a $10,000 on Saturday, May 25th. ET Breaks are 6.50 – 12.99, electronics permitted.

The $5Ks each pay $5,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $800 Semis, and $400 Quarters. Below the quarters, $75 Round starts with 3rd Round loser. Entry is $150, buybacks are $90. The $10K pays $10,000 Win, $3,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, and $500 Quarters. Below the quarters, $100 Round starts with 3rd Round loser. Entry is $200, buybacks are $120.

Gates open Friday at 11:00 am with time trials until 3:30 pm and eliminations following. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am, with time trials until 12:00 noon and eliminations following. For a complete list of rules, visit www.AtcoRaceway.com.

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Track Added To The Track Info Page: Southwest International Raceway TX: Summer Nostalgia Nationals at Little River Dragway

We welcome Merle's Southwest International Raceway in Tucson, AZ to the Track Info page.

Check out all the tracks and mini Doppler radars on the Track Info page HERE

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Holland, TX - It’s gonna get old fast at Little River Dragway on Saturday June 1st at the Summer Nostalgia Nationals. Nostalgia Eliminator 1 is 4.65 Index for any center-steer front-engine dragster, altered or pre-1979 funny car. Nostalgia Eliminator 2 is 5.00 Index and Nostalgia Eliminator 3 is 5.50 Index. Both are for any center-steer front-engine dragster, altered, pre-1979 funny car or left-hand steer roadster. Entry for each class is $50; Nostalgia 1 pays $450 Win, Nostalgia 2 pays $350 Win, and Nostalgia 3 pays $250 Win. Also on the schedule is Summit Super Series bracket racing.

Gates open 1:00 pm with time trials starting at 3:00 pm. For more info visit www.LittleRiverDragway.com.

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Wrap-Up: Inaugural MASSA Races at Atco Dragway

Atco, NJ - Second generation racer Jimmy Stack Sr. took no prisoners at the inaugural Mid Atlantic Super Street Association races held at Atco Dragway in Atco, NJ. Stack started from the #1 qualifying position in his Garbinski & Livezey ‘71 Challenger on Saturday. He was closely followed by Nick Mayo, Frank Quarino Jr., Ben Saia and Bill Trum.

For qualifying number one, Stack received a bye-run in the 1st round. He then took down John Fedeli, Kevin Tiedemann and Jason Lawrence in the semis. In the final Stack raced Division 1 champion Martin Ganjoin and his 1969 Camaro. Ganjoin took down Mark Kelly in the first, Bernie Staub, Bill Trum and received a bye-run into the final round against Stack. In the final Ganjoin had the 'Tree .028 to .038 but the high mph Challenger caught Ganjoin and forced him under giving the win to Stack 10.908 to 10.884.

On day number two, East Chester, NY resident Kevin Tiedemann took the number one qualifying spot in his 1970 Nova. He was followed by Bob Kodadek, Stack, Greg Kelly and Bernie Staub. Tiedemann took down 2012 .90 Nationals Champion Keith Mayers in the first round to earn a bye-run to the semi-finals. In the semis Tiedemann took down Bill Nycz 10.932 to 10.889 to earn a date with Stack, who took down Dave Harvey Sr, Kodadek and Staub in the semis 10.957 to 10.891. In the final Stack laid down an 8 thousandths package on Tiedemann. Stack took the advantage at the tree (.008 vs. .031) and laid down a perfect 10.900 to Tiedemann’s 10.897.

The Mid Atlantic Super Street Series will run race numbers 3 & 4 on May 18th & 19th at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa. For information on MASSA contact Rob Keister at 856-332-2851 or e-mail him at Rekeister@aol.com.

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ME: Oxford Dragway Under New Ownership Long Island Car Show / Test & Tune Raises Money for Cooley's Anemia

Oxford, MEOxford Dragway has new owners and will be run under new management in 2013. The track is unsanctioned for the time being but plans are for IHRA sanctioning in the near future. Among other events, Oxford is planning big buck bracket gambler's races. Visit www.oxforddragway.com for info.

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Long Island , NY –The final numbers are in... After expenses and making a donation to the Central Islip, NY Fire Department, the April 28th Classic Car Show and Test & Tune presented by Long Island Drag Racing in Central Islip, Long Island NY raised almost $13,000 for the Cooley's Anemia Foundation.

There were 125 cars (including three dragsters) for the 60-foot Test & Tune and more than1,000 spectators. More information about Long Island Drag Racing can be found at www.LIDragRacing.com.

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Racers Will Drill For Iron at Rockingham Dragway
Rockingham Dragway presents their IHRA Iron Man Memorial Weekend Bracket Nationals Friday May 24th – Monday May 27th, 2013 with big money races for Top ET, Footbrake, and Jr. Dragster.

SATURDAY, MAY 25th and MONDAY, MAY 27th: Top ET pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis, and $50 Round after 3rd Round win. Footbrake pays $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $50 Quarters, and $25 Eighths. Jr. Dragster pays $500 Win, $150 Runner-Up, $50 Semis, and $25 Quarters. SUNDAY MAY 27th: Top ET PAYS $7,500 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $100 Round after 3rd Round win. Footbrake pays $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $50 Quarters, and $25 Eighths. Jr. Dragster pays $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, and $50 Quarters.

ENTRY FEES: Top ET is $100 each on Saturday and Monday, with $50 buy backs 1st or 2nd round. Top ET is $200 on Sunday, with $100 buy backs 1st or 2nd round. Enter the weekend for $300. Footbrake is free entry all weekend, with $30 buy backs 1st or 2nd round each day. Jr. Dragster weekend entry is $100, with $25 buy backs on Saturday and Monday, and $50 buy backs on Sunday.

SCHEDULE: Gates open 3:00 pm on Friday May 24th for a Test & Tune beginning at 5:00 pm. Gates open 8:00 am Saturday – Monday.

For more information visit www.rockinghamdragway.com.

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Wrap-Up: East Coast Stock/Super Stock at Atco Dragway

Race #1, 5/4/13: John Kakalecik (left, 1970 Cuda SS/CA, .057 RT, 9.092 on a 9.09 @ 145.36) defeats Doug Linke (1998 Firebird GT/CA, .036 RT, (9.98) 9.963 on a 9.98 a2 126.95). Nick Reiter was the semi-finalist.

Race #2, 5/5/13: Bubba Linke (right, 1997 Camaro C/SA .000 RT, 10.514 on a 10.49 at 116.27) defeats Frank Ferrucci (1990 Camaro J/SA, .088 RT, 11.413 on an 11.45 @ 110.89. Dave Thomas and Tom Dauber were the semi-finalists

Wrap-Up: Mellinger, Kershner Win Index Series Opener at Maple Grove

Jennifer Kershner (New Tripoli, Pa., left) and Ron Mellinger (Narvon, Pa. below) won the 11.50 and 10.00 classes respectively at the debut of the new Boninfante Friction B1 Index Series at Maple Grove Raceway. Both racers took home $450 for first place. The runners-up each received $150 and the semifinalists all got $100. In the B1 Index Series, cars competed in a heads-up format. There were no handicaps and both cars left the starting line at the same time. There will be two more index races this season on June 29 and July 7.

Kershner and her 1972 Nova won the 11.50 class, as runner-up Keith Reis (Furlong, Pa.) broke. Both of them earned the right to be part of a special 8-car showcase eliminator at the Toyota NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey, May 30 – June 1.

In the 10.00 class, Mellinger and his ’74 Nova also took advantage of a quicker trigger finger to beat Carl Ungaro (Langhorn, Pa.) in the final. His run of 10.015 at 127.51 was a tad slower and the reaction time of .016 was a big help. (photos: Don Carrick/Studio 413)

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MI: 2nd Annual Run ’Em Nationals at Milan Dragway
Milan, MI – The second annual Motor City Run’Em Nationals takes place on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at Milan Dragway in Milan, MI. If you enjoy fast cars, motorcycles and good competition, you won’t want to miss this event. Drivers have the opportunity to win more than $10,000 in cash and prizes. This year’s event will be hosted once again by Ken Herring from the hit shows “Pass Time” and “Pinks All Out.”

There are several competitions that will take place on race day, including Open Competition, Outlaw Limited Street, 9.50 Bike, X275 and Grudge Racing. Individuals who just want to experience will have a chance to race the quarter mile with “Test & Tune” sessions. Sponsors for 2013 are RacingJunk.com, Michigan Hot Rod, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires and Wheels, Payso Productions and Brodix Cylinder Heads. Sponsorships are available at various ranges for those in the racing and car industry that may be interested in participating in this highly entertaining family oriented event.

Gates open at 3:00 pm. For additional information please visit the Run’Em Nationals official website at www.runemnationals.com or contact Andrew Harrell at 313-799-7751 or via email at info@runemnationals.com.

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MD: MIR = Mountain International Raceway
Budds Creek, MD - Head to Maryland International Raceway Friday & Saturday May 10th & 11th for their 2013 Mountain Motor Nationals.

Classes include Top ET, Pro Stock and Pro Mod. Gates open Friday at 3:00 pm, with Top ET time trials at 4:00 pm and Top ET eliminations at 7:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 9:00 am, with time trials for ET bracket racing classes starting at 10:00 am followed by qualifying and eliminations in Pro Stock and Pro Mod.

For more information, visit MIR's website at www.mirdrag.com.

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TN: Have A Fling at Bristol Dragway
Bristol, TN - Bristol Dragway’s K&N Spring Fling 20s are coming up the weekend of May 16 – 19, 2013, with four days of big bucks, electronics bracket racing. Bristol is running their Spring Fling 20s like last year in 1,000 feet.

Thursday’s kick-off race pays $12,500 Win, $5,000 Runner-Up, $1,200 Semis, $600 6th Round Win, $450 5th Round Win, $300 4th Round Win and $200 3rd Round Win. Each race on Friday, Saturday and Sunday pays $20,000 Win, $6,000 Runner-Up, $2,000 Semis, $800 6th Round Win, $600 5th Round Win, $400 4th Round Win and $200 3rd Round Win.

Entry fees are $175 for Thursday and $250 each day for Friday, Saturday or Sunday. If you enter Friday, Saturday and Sunday together, the three-day special is $650. 1st Round-only buybacks are $125 on Thursday and $150 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Gates open Wednesday at 12:00 pm for parking, registration and tech. Gates open Thursday 7:00 am, Friday 7:30 am, Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am.

Visit www.bristoldragway.com for more information.

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Back Seat Drivers Announce 2013 Schedule
The Back Seat Drivers front-engine dragster racing club has announced its 2013 schedule. Their season kicks off on May 25th at Capitol Raceway in Crofton, MD. Then it’s June 8th at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, MD for the North vs. South Slingshot Shootout, June 15th at Atco Raceway in Atco, NJ, July 28th at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, August 3rd & 4th at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, PA, and September 15th and October 5th both at Atco Raceway.

The club’s rules are simple: front-engine dragsters only, all NHRA or IHRA safety rules apply, no delay boxes or throttle stops, zoomie-style headers only, and driver must be current member of NHRA and have Competition License if ET is quicker than 10.00.

If you own a front-engine rail and are interested in The Back Seat Drivers, visit their website at www.bsdrivers.com.

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Wrap-Up: East Coast Nostalgia Super Stock at Atco Raceway
April 21st was the date of the season opening race of the East Coast Nostalgia Super Stock Association at Atco Raceway in Atco, NJ.

14 members made the first round call and did not disappoint with superb reaction times and tight finish line antics. When it was all said and done Stephanie Dimino in her 1966 Chevrolet prevailed with a 9.010 on a 9.00 over new ECNSSA member Steve McDevitt and his 1968 Dart. Steve had the better reaction time but was pushed under his dial-in by the hard-charging Chevrolet.

The next race of the 8 race series will be at Cecil County Dragway on June 8th. If you're interested in racing with the group contact actionange1@att.net for more information.

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Sponsor News: M/T Tires Returns As Presenting Sponsor of DRO AA/FC Challenge
Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels returns to the Drag Racing Online (DRO) AA/FC Challenge in 2013 as the presenting sponsor. The company will be posting awards for winners and runners-up for all events beginning with the first event which was held April 26-27 at Texas Raceway Park.

“Nostalgic nitro funny car racing is as strong as ever, and we look forward to this series every year,” stated Tom Kundrik, Motorsports Manager, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels. “It will be great to be on the ground for six action packed events in six different states featuring vehicle model years 1979 and earlier. These racers are in a class by themselves, and we’re proud to be a part of the series again this year.”

For info about the DRO AA/FC Challenge and to review the schedule and rules, visit www.dragracingonline.com/challenge/index.html.

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$3K Shopping Sweepstakes from Ford Racing and Fun Ford Weekend

Fun Ford Weekend Series officials along with Ford Racing Performance Parts announce the 2013 "$3G Shopping Spree" sweepstakes for Fun Ford Weekend racers, fans and spectators. The winner of the season-long promotion will win a $3,000 shopping spree right out of the 2013 Ford Racing Performance Parts catalog.

"We really enjoyed working with Ford Racing last year in the Ford Racing Engine Sweepstakes," says Jeff Lacina, marketing director for the Fun Ford Weekend Series. "Given the incredible scope of their performance parts lineup, the team at Ford Racing literally want to 'open up the catalog' and let the winner select $3,000 worth of Ford Racing parts... whatever the winner wants."

The "$3G Ford Racing Shopping Spree" runs throughout the Fun Ford Weekend season and entries can be made online and at the Fun Ford Weekend events in 2013. The deadline for entries is midnight (eastern) on September 14, 2013. Click HERE for more info and be sure to read all the official Ford Racing / Fun Ford Weekend "$3G Shopping Spree" sweepstakes rules.

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KY: Dream Team Spirit at Mountain Park Dragway
Clay City, KY - The Dream Team Bracket Challenge is Saturday, May 4th 2013 at Mountain Park Dragway. Besides racing for the day’s base purses (Top ET $1,500 Win; Mod ET $750 Win; Super ET Footbrake $350 Win; Jr. Dragster $150 Win), racers are asked to pick teams from those who are in competition; the teams will be racing for increased purse. Teams consist of 8 members each of any combination of Top ET, Modified, Super Street, & Jr. Dragster racers. Teams from any track are welcomed. Once your team is set pick a name for the team and go to the gate to register the team. You will be issued a special sticker that designates your team from others. Then, each time a racer from your team wins, your team earns one point. Each team member pays $20 entry fee (above base entry) so each team that signs up adds $160 to the pot. This can add up fast and the payout is 100%. The winning team gets 70% and the runner-up team gets 30%.

Gates open at 12:00 noon, with time trials at 2:00 pm. For complete info visit www.MPDragway.com.

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Haskett Brothers Raced With A Special Purpose at 4-Wides

 

 

 

 

For the Wilkesboro, NC-based Top Alcohol Funny Car team of Haskett Brothers Racing, racing has always been about spending time with family. But at the Dollar General 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte the team raced for an entirely different reason: to help a woman and her daughter who are facing some trying times.

Tana Hayes is a young mother from No. Wilkesboro, NC whose daughter Baye was born with Schizenceohale, an extremely rare brain disorder; in Baye’s case only ¼ of her brain has developed. In addition she also was born with Hydrocephalus and Epilepsy and must be fed thru a tube. In and out of hospitals since birth, for the last 14 days Baye has been in the Brenner Childrens Hospital in Winston-Salem,NC. Tana has had to leave her job due to the extreme care Baye requires.

Haskett Brothers Racing has teamed with TeamBaye to help this child and her mother. Please visit www.TeamBaye.com to order a T-shirt or make a donation. 100% of all proceeds will go directly to Tana Hayes. All T-shirt orders will include a Haskett Brothers Racing hero card signed by all the members of the team.

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McLeod Racing Killer Clutch Shootout at NMRA Event Record, But No Win For Gladstone In MIRock Series Opener

McLeod Racing has announced a Killer Clutch Shootout, a special race-within-a-race for the fastest manually-shifted True Street competitors that will take place at the McLeod Racing NMRA Ford Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH the weekend of June 14th -16th, 2013. This is the 3rd stop of the NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals series, the #1 all-Ford Motorsport show in the U.S.

The top eight stick-shifted cars in True Street will each receive a product certificate ($250 for bottom six) and custom plaque from McLeod Racing. From there things will heat up as the quickest two manual-equipped vehicles will compete heads-up on Sunday in a winner-take-all match race for a $1,000 McLeod Racing product certificate ($500 for the runner-up) and the title of Stick Shift King of Ohio.

The McLeod Racing NMRA Ford Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, will feature multiple special events that will make it one of the largest Blue Oval events in 2013. Additional special events include the Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords 25th anniversary celebration, a Granatelli Motor Sports 2011-2014 5.0L Mustang Shootout, and the Muscle Mustangs All-Female Shootout presented by Royal Purple.

For more info on the NMRA Norwalk, OH event please log on to www.nmradigital.com/OH. For True Street questions please contact Gene Bergstrom at gbergstrom@promediapub.com.

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Rockingham, NCJoey Gladstone (pictured) experienced both the agony and the ecstasy of Orient Express Pro Street motorcycle racing during Sunday’s FBR Shop Spring Bike Nationals at Rockingham Dragway.

The Townsend, Del., pro set a MIRock Mickey Thompson Performance Tires Superbike Series speed record of 212.33 miles per hour during qualifying and, after No. 1 qualifier Rodney Williford was upset in the semifinals, it appeared that Gladstone would waltz to his third MIRock win, especially since he was unopposed in the other semifinal. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. On his bye run, the veteran suffered a broken camshaft and was forced to just stand and watch Doug Gall of Loveland, Ohio, single for the victory in the Orient Express Pro Street class. Williford, the reigning and four-time series champion, was surprised in the semifinals when his bike slowed to 7.876 while Gall sped to his first final in 7.298 seconds.

Other winners in the first of nine races in the 2013 series were Jeremy Teasley of Columbus, Ohio, who used his starting line skills to claim yet another DME Real Street victory; brother Cameron Teasley of Orient, Ohio, who won in the Crazy 8s class; and Andy Baumbach of Fairfax Station, Va., who prevailed in the FBR Shop 5.60 index category.

Terry Singleton of Clarkston, Ga., and Michael Herman Sr. of Fredericksburg, Va., were the Nitrous Express Pro ET winners; and Michael Herman Jr. of Woodbridge, Va., and Ben Knight of Beavercreek, Ohio, the winners in Brock’s Performance Street ET. Jerry Turner of Bluff City, Tenn., won the Trac King Top Sportsman crown and Kenny Cornell of Manassas, Va., was the winner of the inaugural race in the Louis Concrete 4.60 Index class.

Teasley, the reigning series champion in Real Street, won for the category for the seventh time at The Rock and, en route, recorded the quickest time in the history of the class at 7.704 seconds. But it wasn’t easy. In the final, in fact, it took a .040 of a second starting line advantage to make his 7.888 a winner over Chris Moore’s quicker 7.867.

Although he didn’t win an individual title, Michael Rankin of Staunton, Va., walked away with the $500 Nitrous Express bonus for winning the most rounds during the weekend.

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AL: Race #3 of Super 7 Series at Montgomery MotorSports Park

Montgomery, AL - Montgomery MotorSports Park’s Super 7 Series continues on Friday – Sunday, May 3rd – 5th, 2013.

Friday’s Super Pro race pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis and $250 Quarters. Saturday’s and Sunday’s Super Pro races each pay $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis and $500 Quarters. Entries are $150 each, or enter all three races for $300. Buybacks are $50. Two people may drive the same car in a single class, but one driver cannot drive the same car twice.
Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s No Box races each pay $1,750 Win, $350 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $100 Quarters. Entry is $50 per race, with a $30 buyback. Payouts based on 40 entries.

Gates open Thursday for parking at 4:00 pm. Gates open Friday at 8:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am. For more information visit www.MMPDragRacing.com.

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MD: Top Of The Mountain at MIR

Budds Creek, MD - Head to Maryland International Raceway Friday & Saturday May 10th & 11th 2013 for their two-day Top ET $5Ks. Each day pays $5,000 Win, $2,000 R-U, $750 Semis, and $100 Round starting with 2nd Round win. Entry is $126 per day, 1st and 2nd Round buybacks are $80. No double-entries, no throttle-stops. Races will run in the 1/4 Mile; ET break 12.99 and quicker. Gates open Friday at 3:00 pm, Saturday at 9:00 am. For more info visit MIR's website at www.mirdrag.com.

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MI: Milan Dragway Blasts Into Spring
Milan Dragway’s Spring Blast is Saturday, April 28th, with gambler races for Super Pro, Pro ET, Sportsman and Bikes. Super Pro (1/8th mile, delay boxes OK, 11.99 and quicker) and Pro ET (no delay boxes or rear-engine dragsters, 13.99 and quicker) each pay $1,200 Win, $350 Runner-Up, $125 Semis, and $50 Quarters, based on 30 cars. Entry is $45, 1st Round buybacks are $20.

Sportsman (no two-steps or transbrakes, 11.50 and slower) pays $300 Win, $100 Runner-Up, $50 Semis and $20 Quarters, based on 15 cars. Entry is $35, 1st Round buybacks are $20. Bike pays $300 Win, $100 Runner-Up and $50 Semis, based on 15 bikes. Entry is $35, 1st Round buybacks are $10.

Gates open 9:00 am. Visit www.MilanDragway.com for more info.

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AL: Hey Junior! Bring It To MMP
The Southeast Junior Racing Association presents their 20th Annual Gritz Blitz Friday – Sunday April 26th – 28th at Montgomery MotorSports Park in Montgomery, AL.

Index (12.90, 8.90, 7.90), Age Group (8/9, 10-12, 13+) and Quick 16 classes each pay $200 Win, $100 Runner-Up and $50 Semis, based on 10 cars. Entry is $35. $1,000 All Run pays $1,000 Win, $200 Runner-Up and $50 Semis, based on 25 cars. Entry is $50.

Gates open Friday at 4:00 pm for a Test & Tune. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am. Visit www.MMPDragRacing.com for more info.

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SC: The Bar’s Open at Greer Dragway NC: Keeping It Civil at Rockingham Dragway

Greer Dragway’s Raise The Bar is Saturday April 27th. This charity car show event benefits the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Raise The Bar is for pre-’72 hot rods, gassers and bikes, and includes trophies, a silent auction and a BBQ. For more information including entry fees and gate times visit www.GreerDragway.com.

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The Holcomb Motorsports Spring Civil Wars hits Rockingham Dragway April 26th – 28th for a weekend of outlaw racing action.

Classes include X275 Drag Radial, Outlaw 275, Real Street 275, King Of The Street, Outlaw 10.5, Pro Tree Doorslammer, Sportsman Footbrake, and Open Comp. There’ll also be a swap meet and vendor midway.

Gates open Friday at 9:00 am; gates open Saturday at 8:00 am and Sunday at 9:00 am. Sunday time trial for new entries at 10:30 am, with eliminations at 12:00 noon. For more info visit www.RockinghamDragway.com.

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SC: Spray it, Don’t Say It at Carolina Dragway
Bring your bottle-fed race car to Carolina Dragway on Saturday, April 27th for N.O.S. Wars, featuring a 28” $5,000 Shootout and a 29” $5,000 Shootout. Each Shootout allows NOS only, stock-style front suspension, any rear suspension, no wheelie bars. 28” Shootout allows 28 x 10.5 slicks (Ws OK) or 275 Drag Radials only. 29” Shootout allows 29 x 10.5 slick (Ws OK) or 315 Drag Radials only. Shootouts open to all brands.

Gates open 9:00 am. Visit www.HouseOfHook.com for more info.

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TX: Texas Hot Rod Reunion at Little River Dragway

Listen up, Lone Star racers: if you race a pre-1972 hot rod, then make sure you get it to Little River Dragway in Holland, TX on Saturday and Sunday, April 27th & 28th for the Texas Hot Rod Reunion.

The Reunion will include a variety of heads-up and handicap racing classes. Heads-up classes include Flathead, Street Coupe, Street Roadster, Hot Coupe, Big Street, Hot Street, Street, Exhibition and Vintage Motorcycle. Bracket class is Footbrake, no electronics permitted. Gates open 8:00 am on Saturday and Sunday; racer tech starts at 9:00 am each day. Time trials immediately follow tech.

Visit www.LittleRiverDragway.com for more info, and watch the video to see some Texas-style nostalgia racing from last year's Reunion.

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PA: Brake Your Feet at Maple Grove Sponsor News: A Look At Proform's Wedge-Locking Header Bolts

Maple Grove Raceway’s Spring Pro Eliminator Footbrake Nationals are Saturday & Sunday April 20th & 21st. Each day features a $10K race that pays $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $750 Semis, $500 Quarters, $150 Round 6, $125 Round 5, $100 Round 4, and $75 Round 3. Entry is $130, buybacks are $60. Double entries permitted, deep staging allowed.

Gates open Friday at 4:00 pm for parking and tech. Gates open Saturday & Sunday at 8:00 am, with a time trial at 9:00 am.

For more information visit www.MapleGroveRaceway.com.

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I first saw Proform's Wedge-Locking Header Bolts at the PRI Show and thought they were a great, simple solution to a problem we've all encountered: loose header bolts. This short video shows how they work.

Learn more about Proform's locking header bolts at their website HERE.

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Sponsor News: Inside Flowmaster's Short- and Long Tube Headers

Racers, I saw this short video about Flowmaster's short- and longtube headers and thought it was informative so I wanted to share it here.

For more information visit Flowmaster at www.FlowmasterMufflers.com.

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MD: MIROCK Spring Nationals at Maryland International

The Mickey Thompson Tires MIROCK Superbike Series is headed to Maryland International Raceway Friday – Sunday, April 26th - 28th, 2013 with the Spring Nationals.

Classes include Pro Mod, Pro Street, Real Street, Top Sportsman, Crazy 8s, 5.60 Index, 4.60 Index, Pro E.T., and Street E.T. The event will also include grudge racing and the "Afterdark Underground" 2-hour grudge program on Saturday night. The event will also host a huge vendor midway on both days full of motorcycle parts, apparel, and accessories.

There’s an open test & tune on Friday night beginning at 6:30 pm. Gates open Friday at 9:00 am, Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am. For more information visit www.mirdrag.com.

Track Added To The Track Info Page: Gulfport Dragway MI: No ET, No Problem at Milan Dragway

We welcome Gulfport Dragway in Gulfport, MS to the Track Info page.

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Got a grudge to settle? Bring it to Milan Dragway in Milan, MI for their Liberty’s Gears No ET Nationals on Saturday, April 20th. If you’re concerned about showing your hand, don’t be. Milan will not be showing ET times, only win lights. Entry fee to grudge race is $40. The best part? Ladies get in free! Gates open at 10:00 am. Visit www.MilanDragway.com for more information.

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KY: Win Mountains of Money at Mt. Park Dragway
If you’re in the market to win some serious green, then get to Mt. Park Dragway in Clay City, KY on April 20th – 21st for their Spring Championship. Mt. Park is celebrating their 50th Anniversary with 1/8th-mile big-bucks gambler’s races for Top ET and Mod ET on both Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, Top ET pays $3,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters and $50 Eighths. Entry is $75 and buybacks are $40. Saturday payouts based on 65 cars. On Sunday, Top ET pays $2,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis, $50 Quarters and $25 Eighths. Entry is $60 and buybacks are $30. Sunday payouts based on 55 cars.

Modified ET on Saturday pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $45 and buybacks are $25. Saturday payouts based on 40 cars. Modified ET on Sunday pays $700 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $40 Quarters. Entry is $40 and buybacks are 20. Sunday payouts based on 35 cars.

Gates open Saturday at 12:00 noon, Sunday at 10:00 am. Visit www.MPDragway.com for more info.

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Sponsor News: ATI Performance Products Supplier for 2013 COPO Camaro
With GM's highly successful 2012 COPO Camaro program ramped up for 2013, ATI is proud to once again be a valuable part of the program. In 2012, all of the sixty-nine COPO Camaros produced were outfitted with ATI ProGlide® Transmissions, Treemaster® Converters, Super Dampers® & flexplates as well as ATI's own fully synthetic Super F® transmission fluid.

GM chose ATI Performance Products to return and be a part of the team for the 2013 program. ATI will continue to support the GM factory racecar program with all of the aforementioned products and looks forward to working with individual racers after the sale to ensure their COPO Camaro runs to the best of its ability.

The staff at ATI was honored in 2012 and is eagerly looking forward to working with the COPO program in 2013. The GM Powertrain group demands the highest quality products for their vehicles and only chooses suppliers that can meet those expectations, which shows in the performance of their COPO Camaro racecars. For more info about ATI Performance Products vist www.ATIracing.com.

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MD: Pros Vs. Joes at MIR
Maryland International Raceway’s twin $5.000 Top Sportsman Pros vs. Joes is Saturday & Sunday, April 20th – 21st. Each day pays $5,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, and $100 Round once the race goes on the ladder. Entry is $150 per day, re-entry is $100.

These 1/8-mile races feature two separate fields of Top Sportsman that will compete for the $5K each day. The Pros will be the quickest 16 in qualifying, while the Joes will be the rest of the 5.99 and quicker field.

This event runs in conjunction with MIR’s Door Wars. Gates open Friday at 9:00 am for test & tune. Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am with Top Sportsman qualifying at 10:00 am and eliminations at 3:00 pm. Gates open Sunday at 8:00 am with Top Sportsman qualifying at 10:00 am and eliminations at 12:00 pm. Visit www.MIRdrag.com for more info.

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PA: New Bleachers, Other Upgrades at Numidia Dragway Sponsor News: M/T Tires Title Sponsor of NMCA West

Shown here is Numidia Dragway's new 450-person portable grandstand being delivered recently. According to Numidia owner Bob DiMino, other improvments at the track include black-topping and lengthening the staging lanes, which DiMino said will make them twice as long. For more info about Numidia Dragway, visit www.NumidiaDragway.com.

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Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels returns to the NMCA WEST Street Car Series as the 2013 title sponsor of the Xtreme Drag Radial/True Ten 5 class. In addition to the title class sponsorship, Mickey Thompson will act as a contingency sponsor for the series’ Pro and Sportsman classes including Pro Street, True 10.5, X275 Drag Radial, Outlaw 8.5, Hot Street, Nostalgia Street Car, Open Comp, Mustang Madness, Super Quick and Quick Street classes. For more about the NMCA WEST visit www.nmcadigital.com.

For more about M/T Tires, visit www.mickeythompsontires.com.

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Track Added To The Track Info Page: Greer Dragway New on Reader's Rides: Mike Rezny's CC/SA Drag Pak

We welcome Greer Dragway in Greer, SC to the Track Info page.

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If you spend any time at all here on The Dragtime News you know I love Stock Eliminator, so I was only too happy to feature this Stocker on the Readers' Rides page: the 2009 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak of Denver, CO's Mike Rezny.

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AL: Southern Outlaws Take Over MMP

The 2013 Southern Outlaw Tour returns to Montgomery MotorSports Park in Montgomery, AL on April 19th & 20th.

Outlaw Super Pro and Outlaw Bottom Bulb are both on a .500 full tree. Each class pays $2,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $100, no buy backs.

Other classes are Pro Modified ($4,000 Win, $1,500 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $750 Quarters) and 7.00 Class, 6.00 Class and 5.00 Class (each class pays $2,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $100).

Gates open Friday at 5:00 pm with a test & tune at 6:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 9:00 am with test & tune at 1:00 pm, qualifying at 3:00 pm and 1st Round at 7:00 pm. Visit www.mmpdragracing.com.

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VA: Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Virginia Motorsports Park

Virginia Motorsports Park, Petersburg, VA – Virginia Motorsports Park hosts the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series April 12th – 13th, 2013.

Classes in competition at this event include Stock, Super Stock, Super Street, Super Gas, Super Comp, Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, NHRA Harley-Davidson, Pro Stock Sled, Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Alcohol Dragster.

Gates open Friday at 7:30 am, with NHRA inspections from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Time trials start at 8:30 am. Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am, with time trials at 8:30 am and eliminations starting at 11:30 am. For more information visit Virginia Motorsports Park at www.VMPdrag.com.

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TX: Rumble At The River

The Rumble at the River is back at Little River Dragway in Holland, TX on Saturday, April 13. True 10.5, 5.80 and 6.60 Index Racing, and Summit Super Series bracket racing. Visit www.LittleRiverDragway.com for info.

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NC: Mopars Get It Dunn at Dunn-Benson
Calling all Mopars to Dunn-Benson Dragstrip in Benson, NC on Friday & Saturday April 19th & 20th for all Mopar drag racing, swap meet and car show.

Friday is a test & tune and a Gambler’s race. Saturday race classes include Pro ET (pays $1,200 Win, $400 Runner-Up and $100 Semis. Entry is $35, 1st and 2nd Round buybacks are $30) and Footbrake (pays $750 Win, $250 Runner-Up and $50 Semis. Entry is $25, 1st and 2nd Round buybacks are $20).

Gates open Friday at 5:00 pm; time runs are from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 9:00 am, with time runs at 12:00 noon and racing at 12:30 pm. Visit www.DunnBensonDragstripInc.com.

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Mickey Thompson Recognized With Prestigious Shav Glick Award

I received this press release from Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels:

"The late Mickey Thompson was recently recognized with the prestigious Shav Glick Award. Justice Brothers presented the award on March 24 at Fontana Motor Speedway prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400. Named for the longtime L.A. Times motorsports Hall of Fame journalist Shav Glick who passed away in 2007, the award recognizes an industry personality who has made valuable or distinguished contributions in the state of California.

The 2013 nominees included George Follower, Tom McEwen, Chris Pook and Mickey Thompson. Ed Justice, Jr., president and CEO of Justice Brothers, made the presentation during prerace ceremonies.

“We are very proud that Mickey Thompson has been selected to receive this very special award in recognition of his substantial contributions to the industry here in the state of California,” stated Ken Warner, VP sales and marketing, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels. “It is especially meaningful to us and to the Thompson family as we celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary this year.”

The legendary Mickey Thompson was the first to develop the “sling shot” dragster, built and raced funny cars and expanded to off-road racing in the 1970s. He later founded SCORE International and began building his own versions of off-road sprint cars for his indoor stadium off-road racing series. An innovative racecar driver, designer and promoter, Mickey Thompson held 485 national and international speed and endurance records at the time of his passing. His family and the company he founded remain dedicated to his legacy."


On a personal note, many of you know I'm a devoted customer of Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, theirs being the only tires I use on the Dragtime Dodge. Consequently I've gotten to know some of the people at the company and have witnessed their devotion to us sportsman racers. I have to think that this was instilled at the start by Mickey Thompson himself. I wish I could have met him in person to thank him for all he did for our sport.

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NC: Charity Car Show at Farmington Dragway
Farmington Dragway, Mocksville, NC - I know, I know: this is not a racing event, but it’s for charity so I’m running it here. Farmington Dragway hosts the 29th Annual Charity Car Show on Saturday, April 13th, 2013; the proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House. The first 200 participants receive a dash plaque; awards include Sponsor & Participant’s Choice Awards and a Club Participation Award. There’ll also be music, food and door prizes, live & silent auctions, 50/50 drawing and three raffle drawings. Registration is $15 pre-entered or $20 day of show. Registration starts at 8:00 am on the day of the show. For more information visit www.HeartOfCarolina.net.

Racers, this is a great opportunity to show your race cars and talk to people about bracket racing; maybe even get some new people to bring their daily drivers to the track and enter Street or Trophy class.

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Tracks Added To The Track Info Page: I-64 Motorplex and Mt. Park Dragway Rockin’ Mopars at The Rock

We welcome I-64 Motorplex in Owingsville, KY and Mountain Park Dragway in Clay City, KY to the Track Info page.

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Hey Pentastars, it’s the 22nd Annual Mopars @ The Rock on Saturday, April 6th 2013 at Rockingham Dragway. This all-Mopar car show, swap meet and drag race includes racing for Pro ET, Footbrake, and Trophy. Pro ET pays $1,200 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, and $35 Qtrs., entry is $35. Footbrake pays $750 Win, $250 Runner-Up, $50 Semis, and $25 Qtrs., entry is $25. Trophy is for street-driven Mopars with no slicks. Winner gets a 4-foor trophy. Visit www.RockinghamDragway.com for more information.

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Buggin' Out at Piedmont

Listen up, VW racers: the SEVWA and Piedmont Dragway present their Big Bug Shootout on Sunday, April 7, 2013.

1/8-mile bracket classes include Super Pro (0.00-7.49, entry fee is $20 for SEVWA members and $35 for non-members), Pro (7.50-9.49, entry fee is $20 for SEVWA members and $30 for non-members), Sportsman (9.50 & up,entry fee is $20 all racers). Test & Tune entry is $20.

Gates open 8:00 am with time runs at 12:00 noon and eliminations at 2:00 pm. Visit www.PiedmontDragway.com for info.

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New on Reader's Rides: Keith LeBlanc's "Cajun Chainsaw Massacre" Feelin' Slick? Bring It To Englishtown’s Slick Tire Shootout

We have a cool new addition to the Reader's Rides page: the Pro ET bike of multi-event winner Keith LeBlanc of Beech Island, SC.

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The Slick Tire Shootout comes to Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown NJ on Saturday & Sunday June 15th & 16th 2013.

Classes include Outlaw 10.5 (heads-up, .400 Pro tree, running in the 1/8th mile), Outlaw 8.5 (heads-up, .400 Pro tree, running in the 1/8th mile), and 8.50 Index (heads-up, .400 Pro tree, running in the 1/4 mile). To qualify for 8.50 Index, you must be 9.00 seconds or quicker.

Saturday gates open at 3:00 pm for racers, with two rounds of qualifying and 1st Round in the three classes. Gates open Sunday at 8:00 am; racing resumes at 10:00 am.

For more info visit www.etownraceway.com.

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Carolina Coalition at Farmington Dragway
The Carolina Coalition bracket series makes a stop on April 6th & 7th at Farmington Dragway. Each day has a Top ET and Footbrake / Modified big money gambler’s race. Top ET pays $3,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, and $40 Round starting 3rd Round win. Entry is $75 for either day, or $125 for both. Footbrake / Modified pays $1,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis, and $20 Round starting 3rd Round win. Entry is $50 for either day, or $90 for both.

Double entries allowed. Friday is open for parking. Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 8:00 am, with a time run for new entries at 12:15. Visit www.farmingtondragway.com for more information.

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Super 7 Series Continues at Montgomery MotorSports Park
Montgomery MotorSports Park’s Super 7 Series continues on Thursday – Sunday, April 11th – 14th, 2013. Friday’s Super Pro race pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis and $250 Quarters. Saturday’s and Sunday’s Super Pro races each pay $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis and $500 Quarters. Entries are $150 each, or enter all three races for $300. Buybacks are $50. Two people may drive the same car in a single class, but one driver cannot drive the same car twice.

Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s No Box races each pay $2,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $50 per race, with a $30 buyback. Payouts based on 40 entries.

Gates open Thursday for parking at 4:00 pm. Gates open Friday at 8:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am. For more information visit www.MMPDragRacing.com

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Glidden Features New M/T Tires 50th Anniversary Wrap

Team M/T member Bill Glidden will showcase an all-new Mickey Thompson vehicle wrap on his championship Mustang as he competes in the six-event NMCA series. Competing in Pro Street class, the longtime tire development competitor for Mickey Thompson will take on the turbocharged, supercharged and nitrous powered competitors in Pro Street proudly sporting the 50th anniversary wrap by GregZ Designs.

“Billy is a fierce Team M/T racer who always gives it his best out there,” said Tom Kundrik, Motorsports Manager, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels. “We’re proud to have him feature this stunning vehicle wrap in celebration of 50 great years, and the significant contribution he has made to our Big Tire Development Program over the years.”

For more info. about NMCA, visit www.nmcadigital.com. For more information about M/T tires, visit www.mickeythompsontires.com.

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Drag Racing Seminar at Charlotte Auto Fair
The Charlotte Auto Fair is coming up at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC on Satuday, April 6th, and includes an interesting seminar on drag racing. “From Grass Roots to Pro-Caliber: Drag Racing’s American Success Story” will feature a panel discussion on the sport headlined by Bruce Larson and Buddy Martin – former World drag racing champions - whose experience covers the range from grassroots stockers to touring fuel Funny Cars. They will be joined by historian Jon Lundberg and veteran “Berserko Bob” Doerrer during Charlotte Motor Speedway’s huge Auto Fair on Saturday, April 6. The event will take place in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Center.

Sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, the collector-car specialist, this look at drag racing’s transition to first-class ranking in the motorsports world will be moderated by Norman Mayersohn, a sportsman drag racer and automotive journalist, currently the deputy editor of the Auto section New York Times. More information on the Charlotte Auto Fair can be found at www.charlotte-autofair.com.

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2nd Annual .90 Nationals and S/SS Shootout at Numidia Dragway

The Nitroplate Ronnie “Uncle Buck” Memorial .90 Nationals & Nitroplate Stock / SS Shootout will be held on September 13th & 14th, 2013 at Numidia Dragway in Catawissa, PA. Coming off of a very successful Inaugural event that saw Byron Worner (Stock / Super Stock Combo), Franklin DiBartolomeo (Super Comp), Al DiMino (Super Gas) and Keith Mayers (Super Street) all claim victory, this year’s event will have a little different twist to it all including an added race for Super Comp and Super Street Racers.

Starting off on Thursday, September 12th parking will take place from 10:00 am till 10:00 pm. Friday the 13th will feature a free test & tune from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm and is open to anyone who is entered to run the .90 Nationals. After the test & tune will be the Stock / SS Combo Race and the Comp Cams .90 Shootout. The race is open to all racers for a small fee.

On Saturday the 14th the 2nd Annual Ronnie “Uncle Buck” Memorial .90 Nationals & Nitroplate Stock / Super Stock Shootout goes off at 10:00 am, beginning with two time runs for Super Street, Super Comp, Stock, Super Gas & Super Stock. Event promoter Rob Keister and Numidia Dragway owner Bob DiMino have teamed up to award a guaranteed $3,000 winner’s purse for all classes. As an added bonus the winners of each class will get a free Weber Grill. On Sunday will be race #7 of the 2013 season for the 8.90 and 10.90 drivers in the Mid Atlantic Super Comp and Super Street Series as long as the rain date is not needed.

Event promoter Rob Keister would like to thank the sponsors who have committed to this event so far and is hoping to add more in the next coming weeks for the “Racer Appreciation Rounds”. So far sponsors include as Nitroplate, Autometer, Edelbrock, Wisco Pistons, Bushwacker Truck Accessories, Goldman Auto Race Specialties, Ultimate Converter Concepts, CD Design, Weaver Automotive, Ken Moses Race Transmissions, and Comp Cams. For more information on this event please visit www.dot90nationals.com.

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Stay On Top at Piedmont

There’s a big weekend coming up at Piedmont Dragway. The $50,000 Top Eliminator Classic is April 12th – 14th, 2013 that features three days of big money bracket racing for Top ET cars.

Friday’s Warm-Up race pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $300 Semis, $150 5th Round Win, $100 4th Round Win, and $75 3rd Round Win. Single-day entry is $80 and there’ll be a $60 buyback for 1st Round.

Saturday’s Main Event pays $20,000 Win, $5,000 Runner-Up, $1,200 Semis, $400 5th Round Win, $300 4th Round Win, and $200 3rd Round Win. Single-day entry is $230 and there’ll be a $150 buyback for 1st Round.

Sunday’s Wrap-Up race pays 10,000 Win, $3,000 Runner-Up, $800 Semis, $400 5th Round Win, $200 4th Round Win, and $150 3rd Round Win. Single-day entry is $160 and there’ll be a $100 buyback for 1st Round.

Instead of single-day entries, enter the weekend for $450. Gates open Friday at 8:00 am with time runes at 11:00 am. Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am with time runs at 10:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 9:00 am with time runs only for new entries. For more info visit www.PiedmontDragway.com.

Test It, Tune It, Sell It at MIR

Whether you have junk to sell or junk to race, bring it to Maryland International Raceway on Saturday March 30th for the track’s swap meet and test & tune.

For the testers & tuners there’ll be time runs from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. All MIR test & tunes will have a free $1,000 Win Gambler’s Race (pro-rated if less than 64 cars). Test & Tune entry fees are $30 ($40 for “no-time” test & tune).

Gates open at 9:00 am. Visit www.MIRdrag.com for more info.

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Fast Food: Race and Raise Money For Ronald's House

Listen up, Pennsylvania-area racers. Here’s your chance to introduce new people to our sport at a race just for beginners. Thanks to County Corvette of West Chester, PA you can do just that and help a great cause, the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House. On Sunday May 19th, 2013 and again on Sunday, September 15th, 2013 County Corvette will be holding their annual Race Day for the Beginner at Maple Grove Raceway. There will be First, Second, Third & Fourth place Trophies for the winners and $25 Visa Gift Cards. Also two plaques will be awarded, one for the best Reaction Time (R/T) of the first Elimination, and one for the fastest Elapsed Time (E/T) of the first elimination.

To help make the day go smoothly there will be an overview course on Wednesday, May 15th at 7:00 pm at County Corvette. They’ll discuss what you can expect at the track including doing a burnout and staging the car. The price of a ticket to race will be $65.00. That will cover the cost of one (1) driver and one (1) crewmember seated in the car at arrival. Anybody else who isn’t racing but would still like to support you can purchase a ticket for $20.00 per carload. All tickets must be pre-paid through County Corvette to avoid any complications with Maple Grove Raceway. No tickets will be sold for this event at the gate.

County Corvette would like to have the car count for this event set by April 30th.. All types of cars are welcome, from street cars to hot rods to motorcycles. If you’re interested in purchasing racer or spectator tickets for the event, send an email to Denny Parisan at denny.parisan@countycorvette.com.

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Vince Porcelli's Falcon Nearing Completion

You might remember reading about Michigan racer Vince Porcelli's flying Falcon here a few months ago (if you didn't, it's migrated to the 2013 Archives page here). At the time Vince submitted his photos and info, the Ford was in the process of getting a new chassis. I asked Vince to send some updates on the progress, and here they are. The car is on target for an April 1st completion, and Vince is planning on racing it at the Detoit Dragway Reunion.

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JEGS Summer Series Shootout at Atco Dragway

Easter Weekend marks the kick-off of the 2013 JEGS Summer Series Shootout at Atco Dragway. Friday’s and Sunday’s races each pay $5,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $800 Semis, $400 Quarters, and $75 round starting 3rd Round lose. Entry is $150, buybacks are $90. Saturday’s race pays $10,000 Win, $3,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $500 Quarters and $100 round starting 3rd Round lose. Entry is $200, buybacks are $120.

Gates open Friday at 11:00 am and Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am. Visit www.AtcoRaceway.com.

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Track Added To The Track Info Page: Carolina Dragway ECNSSA's 2013 Schedule

We welcome The House of Hook, Carolina Dragway in Aiken, SC to the Track Info page.

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The East Coast Nostalgia Super Stock Association has announced its 2013 schedule.

The ECNSSA season is April 21 at Atco Raceway, June 8 at Cecil County Dragway, June 15 at Atco Raceway; July 20 at Lebanon Valley Dragway, August 10 & 11 at Lebanon Valley Dragway, August 31 at Lebanon Valley Dragway, October 5 at Atco Raceway, and November 3 at Atco Raceway.

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Featured Photographer: Thomas Gaines New on Reader's Rides: Leigh Zaremba and Mark Waterman

Thomas, the photographer at Auto-Plus Raceway, is a new addition to the Featured Photographers section of the Photos page.

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We also have two new additions to the Reader's Rides page: the sharp 1970 Dodge Dart of Inverness, FL's Leigh Zaremba and the 9-second 1937 Chevrolet Coupe of W. Suffield, CT's Mark Waterman.

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NDRA Sets 2013 Schedule
Kitchener, ON – March 16, 2013 - Canada's National Drag Racing Association (NDRA) has announced its 2013 schedule which includes the addition of Pro Doorslammers to the headlining Alcohol Funny Cars. The Pro Doorslammers are a contingent of all types of door cars including Pro Mods, Top Sportsman and Super Street.

Dale Boeru, NDRA’s President & Director of Operations is excited about the expansion and has grand expectations for the second year of the rapidly growing popularity of this enhancement to Canadian drag racing. “We are looking forward to kicking off our 2013 season at Grand Bend Motorplex for the RPM Magazine/Lucas Oil “Spring Blowout” on the May 18th -19th weekend. Grand Bend Motorplex is where it all started for the NDRA and we are extremely pleased that track owners Paul & Kim Spriet are supporting the association for this event along with the August 11th – 12th NAPA/Stratford Spectacular Hot August Nights this season once again.”

NDRA will also return to the legendary Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park once again for two major events. “Again, the NDRA will be part of the annual Canadian Nitro Nationals event set for July 13th – 14th and the Canadian Funny Car Championships on the Labour Day weekend Aug 31st - Sept 1st.” continued Boeru. “We are thrilled that Toronto Motorsports Park owner Uli Bieri and track manager Neale Armstrong have added our new NDRA Pro Doorslammer class to run with our Alcohol Funny Car program at both events”.

Added to both Cayuga Dragway dates will be the NDRA Nitro Nostalgia Funny Cars of Gary Kraus and his “Pony Up” 1972 Mustang and Doug Cadman’s 1973 Dodge Charger “The Chi Town Hustler.” For more information about the NDRA, visit www.ndra.ca.

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Southern Outlaw Tour Kicks Off 2013 Season at MMP
The 2013 Southern Outlaw Tour kicks off March 15th and 16th at Montgomery MotorSports Park in Montgomery, AL.

Outlaw Bottom Bulb is a pure no-box footbrake class on a .500 full tree that pays $2,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $100, no buy backs. .

Other classes are Pro Modified ($4,000 Win, $1,500 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $750 Quarters) and 7.00 Class, 6.00 Class and 5.00 Class (each class pays $2,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $100).

Gates open Friday at 5:00 pm with a test & tune at 6:00 pm and Pro Mod qualifying at 8:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 9:00 am with test & tune at 1:00 pm, qualifying at 3:00 pm and 1st Round at 7:00 pm. Visit www.mmpdragracing.com.

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SHRA Announces 2013 Schedule, New Title Sponsor
The Southwest Heritage Racing Association, the premier nostalgia drag racing organization in the five-state Texas region, has announced its 2013 schedule. Their season kicks off Saturday, April 6th at North Star Dragway in Denton, TX before moving to The Texas Motorplex in Ennis, TX on Sunday, April 21st. The month of June finds the SHRA going to Little River Dragway in Holland, TX on Saturday, June 1st. Saturday July 6th the SHRA heads back to North Star Dragway. Saturday, August 31st it’s Ardmore Dragway in Ardmore, OK, and they wrap their season on Saturday, October 5th at North Star Dragway.

The Southwest Heritage Racing Association is proud to announce a series title sponsor for 2013. Mallory Screenprint and Embroidery in Joshua, Texas has agreed to a multi-year sponsorship that will recognize them as the title sponsor of the SHRA in 2013. Mallory Screenprint and Embroidery is a one stop producer of high quality screen printing, embroidery, banners, decals and more supplying the racing industry, corporate clients, schools and large event needs.

The Southwest Heritage Racing Association includes classes for blown, injected front engine dragsters, altered, roadsters and more. Additionally, the SHRA has classes for traditional cars that includes a great variety of nostalgia drag racing machines that were so popular in the early years of the sport. You can learn more about the SHRA at their website www.SHRAracing.com.

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Haskett Starting 46th Season With New Look and New Sponsors
When qualifying starts for the Amalie Oil Gatornationals on Friday one team with a new look as well as some new sponsors will be the Haskett Bros. Top Alcohol Funny Car Team out of Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

For team owner Bob Haskett, 2013 represents the 46th year that he has fielded a race car. Ranging from a Nitro Funny Car back in the 60s to several Comp Eliminator machines, a match race Pro Mod car, a Top Alcohol Dragster to today’s Top Alcohol Funny Car, Haskett just loves to race. “Racing is my passion and allows me to spend time with my sons, Josh and Jared who make up the crew for the team.” said Haskett.

During the off season, Haskett brought the Firebird body back to his old stomping grounds of Long Island, New York where BonaFide Auto Collision of Patchogue sprayed the new black and red paint scheme. BonaFide owner Carmine Napolitano, who painted Haskett’s first Nitro car along with his son Patrick and grandson Patrick Jr., has also jumped on board to sponsor the team for the season.

In addition, new sponsorship has come from BehindtheScenez.net, a race car photo website owned by official Auto Plus Raceway photographer Thomas Gaines. Said Gaines, “I am pleased to help the Haskett’s this year as they represent what a true family race team is.”

Additional sponsorship is coming from Victory 1 Performance of Mooresville, North Carolina a manufacturer of valve train components used by many of the top teams. For the Gainesville event, LFG Rigging a heavy crane operation of Patchogue, New York has also provided support.

Returning for his second season behind the wheel is New Jersey based- Duane Beers, a former 2 time NHRA Division champion in the Super Comp class. “I am excited to get the season started, it’s been a long winter and I can’t wait to race. We’ve got our work cut out for us as qualifying will be tough but we’re ready” said Beers.

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In The Paging Lanes: Jill Canuso in Drag Illustrated, Buying A Trailer in PRI Magazine

Lots of good reading out there this month in the world of magazines. First, we have to congratulate our friend Jill Canuso for being included in the March 2013 issue of Drag Illustrated. Jill is the driver of the Hanna Motorsports Queen of Diamonds 300 MPH Jet Dragster. She is a fearless drag racer and is totally deserving of being a part of this feature article. Read the article HERE.

Next, for those racers who are currently in the market to buy a new trailer, the March 2013 issue of Performance Racing Industry includes a feature article about trailers and tow rigs. Although the article's primary focus is on the business trends within this particular market, it includes a lot of useful info that a racer can use to zero-in on the type of trailer or options that he or she needs. Read the issue HERE.

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Long Island's Racers Will Run 60 Feet For A Great Cause
Racers on Long Island, NY (where there's a ton of racers but no drag strip, ironically) will come together for a good cause on Sunday, April 28th, 2013 at the Central Islip Fire Department Training Facility. It’s a Classic Car Show and Test & Tune presented by the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation in conjunction with Long Island Drag Racing.

The test & tune is a single lane format using a full-size tree. Racers will get times for reaction and 60 feet. Racers entering the test & tune must wear a DOT-approved helmet, and cars will undergo complete inspection. Entry for the test & tune is $60; entry for the car show is $20. All proceeds support the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation.

Registration starts at 8:00 am. The event is open to the first 125 cars, so don’t be late. Visit www.LIDragRacing.com for more info.

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Dunn-Benson Spring Shootout Ford Big Block FE Race & Reunion at Beaver Springs Dragway
March 9th & 10th is the Pro Car Spring Shootout at Dunn-Benson Dragstrip. Saturday’s race pays $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis and $50 round starting with 3rd Round win. Entry is $175, and 1st and 2nd Round buybacks are $100.
Sunday’s race pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis and $30 round starting with 3rd Round win. Entry is $100, and 1st and 2nd Round buybacks are $50.
Special 2-day entry for both the $10K and the $5K is $260.

Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am with time runs at 10:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 9:00 am with time runs at 12:00 noon. Visit www.dunnbensondragstripinc.com for more info.

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The Ford big block FE engine was produced from 1958 until 1976 in cubic inches of 332, 352, 360, 390, 406, 410 427 and 428. If you’ve got one in a running vehicle bring it out to Beaver Springs Dragway on April 27, 2013 for the first annual FE Race & Reunion sponsored by Survival Motorsports. This low-key, fun event celebrates the Ford FE big block with racing and a car show. There will be 3 FE race classes including Hot FE for 12.99 – under, Cool FE for 13.00 and up, and Pro FE Quick 8 for the quickest 8 cars. All FE-powered show cars are admitted free and eligible for a Best of Show award. All spectators are free as well. If you ever wanted to see what your FE can do in the quarter mile head out to Beaver Springs Dragway for the "FE Race & Reunion" on April 27, 2013 10AM-4PM.

Visit www.fairlanet.com/FE for more info, or email Doug Bender at fairlaniac@fairlanet.com or Jody Aberts at troublemaker427@comcast.net.

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Fun Ford Weekend Kicks Off 2013 Season
The 2013 Fun Ford Weekend Series kicks off at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, TX, March 23rd and 24th. A favorite of racers and fans from all over Texas, the track has been hard at work getting ready for the new season of racing.

"We had a great time kicking off the 2012 Fun Ford Weekend Series at Royal Purple Raceway," notes Jeff Lacina, Marketing Director for the Series. "We had a great assortment of Ford-powered racers show up, a great field of true street cars and a very popular autocross event. Coming back for our second year will bring out even more racers and show cars."

In other Fun Ford Weekend news, VMP Superchargers has signed on as the title sponsor of the VMP Superchargers True Street Shootout that will be held at all 12 of the 2013 Fun Ford Weekend events across the U.S. and Canada. In addition to title sponsorship of the True Street class, the VMP team will be appearing at select Fun Ford Weekend events with their Mobile Dynojet, offering product sales, support, and dyno-tuning.

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National Event Winner John Bojec Makes Return at Gatornationals

March 6, 2013, Eastlake, OH – After a one-year hiatus, Top Alcohol Funny Car racer John Bojec returns to NHRA racing this season at the Gatornationals in Gainesville with Speed City Racing.

Bojec, winner of the Toyo Tires Nationals at Reading in 2010, returns for his ninth year of competition in Top Alcohol Funny Car. With him will be longtime sponsor CAM2 Blue Blood Racing Oils. Their support of Speed City Racing is part of CAM2’s marketing effort to reunite their brand with the motorsports community. Their relationship extends beyond the racetrack. Recently CAM2 partnered with Bojec’s performance parts and service company, Speed City, to distribute and market their ‘Blue Blood’ product line. “While I was away from racing I took the time to establish Speed City,” says Bojec. “I wanted to create a purpose for our race team, and not rely on racing as our only business. Now the race team serves as our major outlet for marketing our Speed City brand.” It was this growth that attracted CAM2 to Speed City.

Speed City, located in Eastlake, Ohio, offers new and used performance parts and specializes in race car builds and updates and custom pit equipment. Speed City also has extensive experience reconstructing blown alcohol engines. CAM2’s Blue Blood product line features motor oil, gear oil and transmission fluid. Their motor oils are high in zinc, providing excellent anti-wear protection for high revving engines. They are available in 0W30 as a full synthetic, 10W30 and 20W50 as a synthetic blend, and Drag Pack Plus 70 weight.

For more information about Speed City or about CAM2 Blue Blood Racing Oils visit www.SpeedCityPerformance.com.

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Tracks Added To The Track Info Page: Little River and Luskville

We welcome Little River Dragway in Holland, TX and Luskville Dragway in Luskville, Quebec to the Track Info page.

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Sell Parts + Win Rounds = Make Money at The Farm
Farmington Dragway’s Spring Dollars Day Weekend is coming up Saturday & Sunday March 9th & 10th with a flea market and free bracket race.

Saturday is the flea market and time runs / test & tune. Time runs are free with the $10 gate admission. On Sunday there are bracket races for Top ET (0.00 – 7.99) and Footbrake (all run). Entry to either is free with $10 gate admission. Top ET pays $800 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Buybacks are $30. Footbrake pays $600 Win, $150 Runner-Up, $75 Semis and $50 Quarters. Buybacks are $20.

Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am with time runs from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. Gates open Sunday at 8:00 am with a time run at 12:00 noon. For more information including flea market vendor info visit www.FarmingtonDragway.com.

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Get The Luck ‘O The Irish at Coastal Plains Dragway
Coastal Plains Dragway hosts the 4th Annual St. Patrick’s Classic on March 16th & 17th, with big money races for Top ET and Footbrake.

Each day’s 1/8th-mile Top ET and Footbrake races each pays $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $700 Semis, $300 5th Round win, $200 4th Round win and $100 3rd Round win. Entry is $160 for either single day $250 for a 2-day entry. 1st Round buybacks are $80.
Gates open Friday March 15th at 5:00 pm for parking. Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am with time runs starting at 9:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 8:00 am with a time run for new entries at 12:00 noon.

Visit www.coastalplainsraceway.com for more info.

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SUPER! MASGA, MASCA and MASSA Release 2013 Schedules
The Mid Atlantic Super Gas and Comp Associations and the newly formed Mid Atlantic Super Street Association have released their 2013 race schedules.

All three series kick off their 2013 campaigns at Atco Raceway on May 4th & 5th. These events will take place the weekend after the PC Richard Open kicks off its 2013 season. After a weekend off to celebrate Mother’s Day the three series will visit Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa on May 18th & 19th. This will also be a great warm-up for anyone competing in the Lucas Oil Series the weekend following. MASGA then ventures out for its annual visit to Numidia Dragway on July 13th & 14th. All three series then re-group to honor one of the best in Division 1 at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, Md on August 10th & 11th for the annual “Uncle Buck” Pig Roast. Super Comp & Super Street will then run race # 7 of their season on September 15th, 2013. This event will be run in conjunction with the 2nd annual .90 Nationals. The final two races of the season go back to where it all began in May with a trip to Atco Raceway on September 28th & 29th to crown the champions for the 2013 season.

2013 MASCA / MASGA / MASSA Schedules
May 4th & 5th – Atco Raceway (MASCA / MASGA / MASSA)
May 18th & 19th – Maple Grove Raceway (MASCA / MASGA / MASSA)
July 13th & 14th – Numidia Dragway (MASGA Only)
August 10th & 11th – Cecil County Dragway (MASCA / MASGA / MASSA)
September 15th – Numidia Dragway (MASCA & MASSA Only)
September 28th & 29th – Atco Raceway (MASCA / MASGA / MASSA)

For information on MASGA please visit their webpage at www.midatlanticsupergas.com . For MASCA and MASSA inquiries please e-mail President Rob Keister at Rekeister@aol.com.

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IHRA News: Contingency Postings Up 12 Percent In 2013

Following an offseason highlighted by format changes, increased payouts and new looks to some familiar programs, the International Hot Rod Association has announced that the 2013 Contingency postings are currently up 12 percent from last season with more sponsors on the way.

Already in 2013 some two dozen companies have posted for racing products. Heading into the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL season opener at Immokalee Regional Raceway these sponsors are looking forward to the start of the 2013 IHRA racing season and the new-look Summit Pro-Am Tour and Nitro Jam racing series. In 2013 IHRA Contingency sponsors will be a part of upwards of 40 IHRA events including the Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour, Nitro Jam series and the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment World Finals at Memphis International Raceway.

Sponsors currently committed to the 2013 IHRA racing season include Altronics, ATI Performance Products, Auto Meter, Brodix, Cometic Gaskets, Dart Machinery, Ford Racing, Goodyear Tire, Haulmark Trailers, Holley Performance, Hoosier Tires, Hughes Performance, JEGS, The Mad Scientist, Manley Performance, Mickey Thompson Tires, Moser Engineering, MSD Ignition, PTC, RJS Racing Equipment, Sonny’s Racing Engines, Strange Engineering, Summit Racing Equipment. With more sponsors signing, check back with www.ihra.com often and visit Contingency Central to find the latest sponsor updates.

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New Association Formed: Real Pro Mod (RPM)

Team owners committed to pro mod cars and their continued participation at NHRA events have formed Real Pro Mod (RPM). The association has been created to preserve and promote the future of the class that’s regarded as the fuel altereds of the 21st century. RPM is committed to securing sponsorship so the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series can continue past 2013, providing input to NHRA on rule changes to achieve parity between the different power adder combinations, and promoting diversity within the class to invite spectator interest and involvement.

RPM has worked with NHRA regarding its formation and intention. NHRA applauds the efforts of the RPM to secure funding for the future, because such funding is necessary for the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series to continue beyond the 2013 season.

The accomplishments and resumes of the founders of RPM are impressive in their own right. All members are self-made businessmen that actively participate as drivers, team owners and/or crew chiefs who understand how to make a venture successful. The formation of the Real Pro Mod Association highlights that this is not just a passing fancy but instead, a commitment by the stars of the sport to shepherd the future of this class.

For more information or how to get involved with the RPM, visit www.legalpromod.com.

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Sponsor News: S&W's Cyber Sales Weekends MT Tires Returns To NHRA As A Major Mello Yello Series Sponsor In 2013

S&W Race Cars & Components has launched their 2013 ‘Cyber Sales Weekend’ Series. The Cyber Sales Weekends will take place during the last weekend of every month in 2013. They will feature deep discounts on S&W’s most popular ‘Made in the USA’ Bolt-On & Weld-On Race & Rod Parts.

The monthly ‘CSW’ details can be found on the Sales & Savings Programs page that’s located on S&W’s website.

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Listen up, Sportsman racers: Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels returns to NHRA drag racing as a major national event sponsor of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series in 2013. Mickey Thompson Motorsports will support Sportsman racers as a contingency sponsor for all Sportsman racing classes including Pro Mod and Pro Stock Motorcycle, and will be on site at all 24 national events with the fully equipped Mickey Thompson trailer to provide trackside support to racers throughout the season.

In addition to its return to national event sponsorship, Mickey Thompson will continue to serve as a divisional level associate contingency sponsor of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in all Sportsman classes including Stock Eliminator, Super Stock, Competition Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster. Mickey Thompson Motorsports will continue to support the NHRA racers through its Team M/T program, and racers interested in joining Team M/T may contact Tom Kundrik, Motorsports Manager, at 800-222-9092 X3114 for more information. For more information about Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, visit www.mickeythompsontires.com.

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Sponsor News: ATI Performance Products To Sponsor Stock/Super Stock Series

After a successful first season, Maple Grove Raceway’s Stock/Super Stock Series will be returning with a new sponsor: ATI Performance Products. The ATI Stock/Super Stock Series will once again feature a four-race schedule on June 8-9 and Aug. 24-25.

“ATI Performance Products and Maple Grove Raceway have been serving racers for over 50 years,” said J.C. Beattie Jr., chief operating officer for the Baltimore-based company. “Over the past half-century, ATI has always supported Maple Grove and its racers – especially in the Stock and Super Stock categories. ATI has always been dedicated to bracket racers and those racers are still an integral part to our continued success.”

A point system will be maintained and a points fund will be created paying the top five finishers in the series. Awards will be presented as part of the Money Trail Awards Banquet in February 2014. Points will be awarded based on the current Money Trail ET point structure. The guaranteed purses and the entry fees for the series were also announced: $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $200 Semis and $100 Quarters. Entry fee to race is $75 for one day and $140 for both days on a weekend. There is also a $25 Money Trail membership fee. Crew and spectators are $15 per day, while children 12 and under are free.

Glen Hartzler won the 2012 championship in his 1972 Barracuda. Rounding out the top five were Byron Worner, James Perrone, Patric Fox, and Marty Rinehart Jr. and Jeff Tripp (tied).

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NHRA Rules Update Back For More! Montgomery MotorSports Park's Super 7 Series Returns for Sixth Season

Attention racers: per NHRA, there has been additional wording added for 2013 regarding the automatic transmission locking dipstick tube rule. In the 2013 NHRA Rulebook, General Regulations Section 20, 2:14 Transmission, Automatic/NHRA-Accepted, the new added wording states “and dipstick/filler tubes must be securely fastened (i.e., bolted, aircraft clamped). Wire ties, hose clamps, etc. prohibited.”

Visit www.NHRA.com for more news and updates from the NHRA.

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Montgomery MotorSports Park kicks off the sixth season of their Super 7 Series on Thursday – Sunday, February 28th – March 3rd, 2013.

Friday’s Super Pro race pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis and $250 Quarters. Saturday’s and Sunday’s Super Pro races each pay $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis and $500 Quarters. Entries are $150 each, or enter all three races for $300. Buybacks are $50. Two people may drive the same car in a single class, but one driver cannot drive the same car twice.

Saturday’s and Sunday’s No Box races each pay $1,750 Win, $350 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $100 Quarters. Entry is $50 per race, with a $30 buyback.

Gates open Thursday for parking at 4:00 pm. Gates open Friday at 8:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am. For more information visit www.MMPDragRacing.com.

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Dave Rieff Secures ESPN Anchor Spot
Dave Rieff will be filling the ESPN anchor spot formerly occupied by Paul Page beginning with the 2013 season. Here's the release from NHRA:

"GLENDORA, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2013) — NHRA will enter the 2013 season with a new anchor on its ESPN telecasts and a fresh approach to the television coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Dave Rieff, who has been a pit reporter since ESPN began its NHRA coverage in 2001 and a staple of NHRA television for 17 years, will move into the anchor announcer position for the 2013 season. In addition to hosting coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Rieff will continue his lead role on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts.

Joining Rieff in calling the action from the booth will be former NHRA racer Mike Dunn, who is beginning his 12th year with ESPN as a color analyst for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series viewers can anticipate a fresh approach to the telecasts in 2013. As ESPN and NHRA constantly work together to bring viewers the highest-quality coverage, programs will capture even more of the drama of NHRA, showcase the stars of the sport, and incorporate new format changes to both the qualifying and race day telecasts.

ESPN will look to deliver more stories and analysis on the strategy of the sport, a stronger focus on head-to-head matchups and more technical pieces. The stars of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing will be showcased with all-access wired segments, features on the drivers and the development of power rankings in the categories. ESPN and NHRA also will work to make more use of social media platforms during the telecasts.
"

Dave is a walking fact book of drag racing knowledge, and I always got the sense both when watching him and when speaking with him in person that he just loves drag racing, that he's still as much of a fan as we are. With Dave, it's apparent that he gets what we do and he wants to share his enthusiasm with the audience. This is great for our sport: we'll now have two passionate, knowledgeable anchors who'll be able to keep the experienced and novice viewers alike both informed and entertained. I'd always been wishing that Mike Dunn would get back into the driver's seat, but Dave and Mike are such a perfect pair I now might have to hope that Mike stays where he is!

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Oxford Dragway Gearing Up For Big Season Maple Grove Honors Champions At Banquet

Oxford Dragway in Oxford, ME will be opening its gates under a new management format for the 2013 season. Rich Wilcox has signed on in a much more inclusive capacity as Track Manager and Event Director, and is pleased to announce Jim Hyde’s return as Head of Maintenance and Track Preparation.

The 2013 Oxford Dragway racing season will have plenty of action and excitement for the racer and race fan alike. Along with a new Track Championship Program, there are several Big Buck Bracket Races for cars, bikes and sleds planned. There are also several major events in the works for this year, including the return of the DragFest Invitational in July. However, the BIG news is the collaborative effort between the Speedway and the Dragway for the long awaited return of the Show, Shine & Drag. SS&D will be returning in all its glory to the historic Oxford Plains Complex in 2013.

The entire 2013 schedule will be released in the next few weeks. Rich Wilcox can be reached at 207-485-5179. You can also reach Jim Hyde at 207-689-4917.

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Maple Grove Raceway’s best racers crowded the ballroom at the Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel recently for the 50th annual Money Trail Awards Banquet.

There was an extra champion’s trophy handed out this year as Rick Terkowski (2nd from right) and Barry Sauder (far right) both finished tied for first in Super Pro. A new category was also recognized as Glen Hartzler (far left) took home the trophy in Stock/Super Stock. Also, Paul Thimm Jr. (Pro Eliminator, 3rd from left), Paul Werner (Street Eliminator, middle), Kyle Gockley (Top Bike, 3rd from right) and Jimmy Fizz (Junior Dragsters, 2nd from left) were recognized for their championships. Appreciation awards were presented to Dave Ley of the East Coast Stock/Super Stock Association and racer Marty Rinehart Jr. for their support of the new Money Trail Stock/Super Stock series. (photo: Don Carrick).

Maple Grove’s 51st season will begin with a test and tune on April 6 and will feature racing just about every weekend until the beginning of November, including some new events in 2013, including an index series with three different classes (with races on May 19, June 29, and July 14) and The Keystone Diesel Nationals on July 27. The Sunoco Race Fuels Money Trail Series is scheduled to have 17 races split into three sessions this summer.

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Mickey Thompson Tires: 50 Years of Innovation

Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, a company whose front and rear tires I'm proud to use, just announced their 50th Anniversary. This company has a long history in all forms of motorsports, and it seems particularly committed to Sportsman, index and bracket racers.

“This is an incredible milestone for our company,” stated Ken Warner, VP Sales & Marketing, Mickey Thompson. “We want to celebrate this achievement and commemorate this anniversary by honoring both our history and the future of our company.”

I thought this might be a great time to take a look back at Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, so follow the link to learn about this great company. Article continues HERE...

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NHRA Announces 2013 JEGS SPORTSnationals Schedule
NHRA has released the 2013 JEGS SPORTSnationals schedule, which will feature events at three world-class facilities during the coming year. These Sportsman-focused events will showcase the talents of racers in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and will be held at No Problem Raceway Park, National Trail Raceway, and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “We are really excited about the 2013 NHRA season. There are three great JEGS SPORTSnationals events on the schedule again in 2013,” said Scott Woodruff, JEGS director of media and motorsports. “All three events have their own character and personality. If you haven’t been to one of the JEGS SPORTSnationals events, you are missing out and owe it to yourself to add one or more to your NHRA racing schedule this year. You will not be disappointed. The events are a lot of fun on and off the track.”

Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster will be the featured categories at each of these races.

2013 NHRA JEGS SPORTSNATIONALS SCHEDULE
March 22-24 - JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals, No Problem Raceway, Belle Rose, LA. Sept. 20-22 - JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals, National Trail Raceway, Columbus, OH. Oct. 11-13 - JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals, The Strip at LVMS, Las Vegas.

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Don't Be Falcon With Vince Porcelli's Flying Ford

Vince and Emilie Porcelli started drag racing in 1990 with their street driven 1965 Ford Falcon Sprint. At that time it was a 289 cu in engine and 4 speed top loader trans that was driven to the track and ran consistent 14 seconds. As the years progressed so did the car with a goal in mind of running 8's some day. Vince is the Business Development Coordinator for a machining company out of Romulus, MI that services all of the OEMs supplying machined castings and forgings for engine brackets, suspension brackets, steering knuckles, etc. As the business development coordinator, Vince is in contact with the public daily. He visits local schools and talks to students about the importance of getting the right education and staying in school. He uses the car to get their attention and also to show them what they can have someday if they apply themselves.

In 1996 he had the car completely torn apart and put a mild steel full tube chassis under it with tubular A-arm and coil overs for a front suspension with rack and pinion steering, Wil-wood brakes all around, ladder bars and a 9" rear with 4.30 gears and Moser axles and coil overs. This combination worked great for the past 16 years. Their engines are built by Wayne Kuchtyn of Headwinds in Westland, MI. Vince runs a powerglide by Gary Fleenor out of Ohio with an 8" converter that stalls at 6200 rpm, shifting at 7500 rpm. To date the SBF engine has taken Vince to a best of 8.44 @ 158 mph in the 1/4 and 5.35 @ 128 mph in the 1/8.

With the kind of power the small block Ford engine is making, the Porcellis felt it was time for another change. The engine is a 351W stroked to 414 cu in with Ross pistons, Eagle rods/crank, Dart block and Blue Thunder 3.6 heads with 2.250 intake valve and 1.760 exhaust. The intake manifold is a Blue Thunder split dominator intake. The car weighs 2600 lbs and runs consistent 8.50s at 155 mph all summer.

The complete new chassis is being built by David Parquet Race Cars in Delta Ohio. This time it will be a chromoly 25.1E chassis certified to 6 seconds. The front end will be a Strange strut front end with Strange brakes all the way around, the rearend will be a 4 link and coil overs with a fabbed housing also done by David Parquet Race Cars, holding a 4.56 gear. The interior will be all carbon fiber with carbon fiber tubs. Says Vince, "With these changes we hope to drop some weight and pick up some tunability."

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IHRA News: Trick Flow To Build Ford Engine for 2013 Summit SuperSeries Top Champion
High performance and racing cylinder head manufacturer Trick Flow Specialties will be building the engine for the Maddox Race Cars dragster that will be awarded to the 2013 IHRA Summit Racing SuperSeries Top Class Champion. Trick Flow designed and assembled the 565 cubic inch big block Chevrolet engine (pictured) that was part of the prize package awarded to Tim Butler, the 2012 Summit Racing SuperSeries Top Class Champion. Outfitted with Trick Flow PowerPort® 360 cylinder heads modified by two-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Jason Line, the big block Chevy made 1,103 peak horsepower and 770 lbs.-ft. of peak torque on Trick Flow’s SuperFlow dyno.

For 2013, Trick Flow will be going Blue Oval with a big block Ford. Based on a Ford Racing 460 siamesed-bore iron block, the engine will feature a pair of Trick Flow’s PowerPort® A460 360 cylinder heads. Other manufacturers featured in the engine build include Scat, Crower, Howards Cams, ARP, and Clevite. While the configuration of the engine has not been finalized, all of the parts used in the build will be off-the-shelf and readily available from suppliers like Summit Racing Equipment.

“We’re proud and excited to build another engine for the Summit Racing SuperSeries Top Class Champion prize package,” said Mike Downs, Trick Flow General Manager. “It’s an opportunity to showcase our cylinder heads and other products to IHRA sportsman racers, plus let people see how easy it is to build big power with off-the-shelf parts. In fact, our goal with this Ford big block is to surpass the horsepower we made with the Chevy—and by a substantial margin, too!”

As with last year’s 565 Chevy, IHRA’s Drag Review Magazine will be documenting the build and dyno-testing of the big Ford at Trick Flow’s facility in Tallmadge, Ohio. The engine will be awarded to the 2013 Summit Racing SuperSeries Top Class champion at IHRA’s Summit Racing Equipment World Finals, October 11-12 at Memphis International Raceway.

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NHRA News: New Engine Program for NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League
NHRA officials announced a new engine program for the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League with the acceptance of the Briggs & Stratton 206 engine beginning in 2013. The accepted 206 crate engine must be factory sealed and is approved for all NHRA age groups: 8-9 year old class (12.90-seconds & slower), 10-12 year old (8.90 & slower) and 13-17 year old class (7.90 & slower). No alterations or modifications are permitted except for installation of exhaust header and air filter.

Briggs & Stratton launched the 206 crate engine program in 2008 to give racers a simple out-of-the-box, cost-effective, performance solution. Building from the proven reliability of the Animal racing engine, the 206 crate engine maintains a level playing field by isolating the performance variables commonly found in standard, mainstream manufacturing. Each 206 crate engine is hand-built in a dedicated facility to exacting standards and measured against a factory developed rule set. The end-result is a performance racing engine with the proven repeatability that has led to four years of world-wide wins at the highest levels of racing right out of the box.

“We are incredibly excited to once again have the opportunity to work with the NHRA and their Jr. Drag Racing League” said David Klaus, director-Briggs & Stratton Racing. “As one of the original founding partners we were able to help be a part of the growth of the league as well as get to know the racing families involved. This sport makes great racers but it also helps make family memories. That is something that Briggs & Stratton Racing loves to be a part of and we look forward to the future.”

“NHRA’s acceptance of the 206 crate engine is a great opportunity for us to support the league with a new option for cost-effective racing,” continued Klaus. “Families now have another cost-effective option to help build memories that will last a lifetime.” For more information and availability of the 206 Engine (part # 124332 8201-01) please visit www.BriggsRacing.com.

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You'll Love Dunn-Benson's Cupid Classic Rockingham Dragway Announces 47-Race Schedule For 2013

Dunn-Benson Dragstrip helps kick off the 2013 big money bracket race season with their Cupid Classic on Saturday & Sunday, February 9th & 10th.

Each day features a race for Super Pro / Top ET, Street / Footbrake, and Jr. Dragster. Super Pro / Top and Street / Footbrake each pay $2,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis, and $100 Quarters. A single day entry is $65, or enter the weekend for $99. Buybacks are $35 per day. Jr. Dragster features 100% Payback. Entry is $15 for a single day, or $25 for the weekend. Buybacks are $15 per day.

Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 9:00 am with time trials at 12:00 noon. For more information visit www.DunnBensonDragstripInc.com.

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Track owner Steve Earwood has announced a 2013 Rockingham Dragway schedule that includes the return of the ADRL Pro Mod Series, an expanded RC drag series, 11 races devoted to motorcycles and three manufacturer-specific races including Super Chevy and the 22nd annual Mopars at The Rock event. In addition to a wide variety of drag racing events, the slate will include a pair of Phantasm Street Wars races that will feature the KMS Drifting Series, plus a National Hot Rod Diesel Association National Drags and Sled Pull.

“We’re really excited about 2013,” Earwood said. “There’ll be a lot of variety and, as usual, we’ve tried to schedule more of the events our racers and fans have requested. The return of the ADRL, which delivered the biggest single day crowd in Rockingham history when we first hooked up 10 years ago, really has generated a lot of excitement.”

The new schedule will include 48 different feature events plus test-and-tune programs. With expanded private testing, Earwood estimates that there will be cars on the track for more than 100 days in the new season. “It’s pretty ambitious,” Earwood said, “but we’re looking forward to it. The Super Chevy Show will be back for all the GM folks plus we’ve got a beefed-up Mopars at the Rock and a new Fun Ford Weekend event and then one of my favorite races, the Big John Memorial Day Bracket Nationals.”

Of the motorcycle events, the most anticipated certainly are the two races in the All-Harley Drag Racing Association Series and four in the Mickey Thompson Performance MIRock Superbike Series including two new all-sportsman races. To see the complete schedule visit www.RockinghamDragway.com.

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SEMA Automotive Scholarship Applications Now Available
Applications for automotive scholarships are now available through the 2013 SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund (SMSF) at www.sema.org/scholarships. Students preparing for careers in the auto or auto parts industries may be eligible for financial awards of up to $5,000.

The $5,000 Top Student award marks an increase from the award’s previous amount of $4,000. Similarly, scholarships for students attending four-year programs are up from $2,000 to $3,000, and awards for students attending two-year programs increased from $1,000 to $2,000. “Students coming through the SEMA Scholarship Program have demonstrated such great potential. We’ve increased the scholarship prizes to reward and better help prepare these students for careers in the specialty-equipment industry,” said Jamie Eriksen, SEMA education director. “Our hope is that we’ll continue to attract highly qualified students who will contribute and make strong, positive impacts in our industry.”

Unlike financial aid and student loans, the SEMA Memorial Scholarship is a one-time award that does not have to be paid back. Awards are granted to eligible applicants based on academic achievements, work experience, community involvement, essay content and recommendations. Students may re-apply each year, provided that they still meet the eligibility criteria.

A loan forgiveness award is also available to recent graduates who are working for SEMA-member companies and paying off existing student loans. Details and applications for both the scholarship and the loan-forgiveness awards are available at www.sema.org/scholarships.

The application deadline for all SMSF awards is March 29, 2013. For additional details, visit www.sema.org/scholarships or contact Juliet Marshall at julietm@sema.org or 909-978-6655.

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Charity Test & Tune on Long Island for Cooley's Anemia On The Road with The Russells

Long Island’s dragstrip-starved racers came together in late 2012 to support a worthy cause. Read the story here.

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Friends and fellow racers Steve & Arlene Russell took a road trip over the holidays with their motorhome and motorcycles and were kind enough to share a few photos from the trip.

Steve wrote, "Arlene and I were in Florida between Christmas and New Year's. Had a great time, did a lot of motorcycle riding in the warm sunshine. Toured the Don Garlits museum for a couple of hours."

Click here to go to the photos. Thanks to Steve and Arlene for sharing!

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Route 66 Raceway Announces 2013 Schedule
Joliet, Ill. - The Route 66 Raceway 15th Anniversary event schedule was released this past week and includes a variety of events including Test & Tunes, ET Bracket Races, the Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning Burndown at Sundown!, Nitto NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing, five Team Demolition Derby’s, the Traxxas TORC Series, Route 66 Classic and Downright Diesels join the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals to form the complete 2013 lineup.

The season opens in April with the first of 15 Test & Tunes on April 13 and the first of nine ET Bracket races on April 28, providing local competitors with 24 opportunities to enter the Stadium of Drag Racing. The Junior Dragsters get their first crack at the drag strip on May 18, in the first of five competitions for the season.

Taking place under the lights on Saturday, June 9, The Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning Burndown at Sundown! features fire-breathing jet cars being propelled to speeds approaching 300 miles per hour. The Burndown at Sundown! serves as a precursor for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries, June 27-30.

The Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing showcases the NMRA and NMCA, July 11-14. On top of the monumental street legal drag racing, the weekend features a car show, swap meet, manufacturer’s midway and much more.

On August 17, the Route 66 Classic returns to pay homage to early drag racing and hot rod culture. Featuring Nostalgia match racing including funny cars, gassers and pro stocks and a Show ‘n Shine, the Route 66 Classic is a quarter-mile blast down memory lane.

Downright Diesels roars back to Route 66 on September 21, welcoming diesel vehicles of all shapes and sizes. If it has a diesel engine, it belongs in this race. From high stakes "outlaw" competition to "run what you brung" Fun Runs, drivers of any drag racing experience level can participate.

To close the season, the Route 66 Raceway Swap Meet will return for its fifth year, inviting buyers and sellers from all over the Midwest to exchange items and display their cars in a Show ‘n Shine. Visit www.Route66Raceway.com for more information.

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Auto-Plus Raceway Announces 2013 Schedule
Auto-Plus Raceway in Gainesville, FL has released its 2013 dragstrip schedule. Highlighted by the 44th Annual NHRA Gatornationals, scheduled for March 14th-17th, 2013, Auto-Plus Raceway will again play host to the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The traditional East Coast opener and the season's first of 16 events for Pro Stock Motorcycle riders and first of 10 for Pro Mod racers, this event has a rich tradition of history-making performances.

"Prelude to the Gators" will feature a collaboration between the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, and Auto-Plus Raceway. Free spectator tickets will be given away in return for non-perishable food donations at the main gate during the race. The event is scheduled for February 15th-17th.

The All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) and National Hot Rod Diesel Association (NHRDA) make stops in Gainesville on the weekends of March 9th and 23rd, respectively. Import Face-Off has two dates on the schedule, and the $2013 Grassroots Motorsports Challenge returns, as well.

The track’s 1/8 Mile Summit ET Series has seven dates throughout the season, while a new 1/4 Mile Championship Bracket Series debuts with eight dates in 2013. Other new additions are Midnight Madness, the Triple 7s, and the UCoat It Tuesday Night Shootout Series (formerly Wednesday Night Test & Tune). Details on these events will be released in the near future. Lastly, the Turkey Trots National Open makes its return to Auto-Plus Raceway on the weekend of November 30th.

For a printable version of the schedule, click HERE.

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The Return of the Howard Cams Rattler

Los Angeles, CA - December 19, 2012 - The newly formed Foolish Pleasure Racing will be fielding a carbon fiber 1970 Mustang Nitro Funny Car with the renowned "Howard Cams Rattler" name scribed on it. The Howard Cams Rattler ran in the late 1960s and early 70s with Larry Dixon Sr. behind the butterflies while Jerry Johansen, Brett's Father, handled the tuning duties for owner Danny Porche. The group consists of former NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Top Fuel Champion Troy Green, Champion Crew Chief Brett Johansen whose famous Howards family has been winning for decades, Joe Monden a former Top Fuel driver and respected A/fuel tuner & chassis builder along with Bill Morando former Top Fuel Flat Bottom Boat owner as well as Fuel Altered racer.

The car will be based in Oklahoma and run in the Midwest at various DRO races and match races. Troy Green will have driving duties of this new eye catching beauty. The former Champ is ready to get back in the seat of a Johansen tuned machine. This time in a flopper not a dragster, which is a departure from their norm, but sure to be an exciting one with this winning duo back together again.

Foolish Pleasure Racing would like to thank their sponsors for their continued support over the years: Paint Booth Specialists, Boyd's Racing Engines, SCE Gaskets, East West Performance Parts, Moroso, C & C Automotive, Arias, Titan Speed Engineering & Hampton Inn Meridian.

Visit www.FoolishPleasureRacing.com and like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FPRNitroFunnyCar.

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Right On Schedule with Maryland International Raceway

Maryland International Raceway wins our First Off The Line Award (whatever that is) for releasing their 2013 schedule. The 2013 MIR Season Schedule sees the return of popular events as well as new and expanded races. "You’ll see the return of MIR’s legendary special events including the Mountain Motor Nationals, Jet Wars, Legends, SuperChargers Showdown and the World Cup Finals,” stated Royce Miller, Promoter and President of Maryland Int’l Raceway. “This year’s schedule is again all about our racers and fans. We have kept and expanded the best events on our schedule for the fans. Also, we now have four races in the Dash Playoffs for the Speed Unlimited ET Series Championships, including a special 2-day season finale. MIR’s Speed Unlimited ET Series is the most successful, well-attended ET series in the region, if not in the country. Our mission, as always, is to give our racers and fans the best events and racer programs ever at MIR.”

To see Maryland International’s schedule, visit www.MIRDrag.com.

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Readers In The Spotlight
I’d like to take a moment to introduce two new subscribers to The Dragtime News.

Marianne Costa from Putnam County NY joined our email list and wrote, “I have a modified 2001 SVT Cobra Mustang with Moser solid 9" rear with 4.56s and a spool, a custom single cut gear Powerglide, cat back exhaust, adjustable racing suspension, and many more mods. I have been racing for 8 seasons and am totally addicted.”

In the same week, David Tortolani also subscribed and wrote, “I have been bracket racing at E-Town since 1996. Currently I race a 1999 Corvette. It runs high 10s to low 11s depending on weather. I had been running mostly in the Corvette Challenge but for the last 4 years I had been racing Mean Street on Friday nights and last year I participated in the Wednesday night gamblers races.

I first was introduced to the sport in the very early 1980s. I am from Rhode Island and I had a friend who raced at Connecticut International Raceway. After CIR closed I was away from the sport until I moved to New Jersey in 1994. At that time I quickly located E-Town and began racing again. I am a research scientist by training and I work for a major company in NJ. BTW I love New Jersey and E-Town! “

I’m spotlighting these two racers because I feel they embody what’s great about our sport: they are dedicated and passionate about racing. The other aspect that deserves mentioning is that they both race stock-looking, street-legal cars. Although both cars have their share of modifications, these still aren’t full-blown race cars. That doesn’t matter to these racers or others like them: they know that whether it’s a 7.50 dragster or a 17.50 Neon, we're all staging our cars one bulb at a time.

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"Will Race for Food" Returns to Auto-Plus Raceway

For the 2nd year in a row, Auto-Plus Raceway in Gainesville, FL is teaming up with Bread of the Mighty Food Bank to feed the hungry while showcasing the exciting sport of NHRA sportsman drag racing.

During the weekend of February 15-17, Auto-Plus Raceway, home of the NHRA Gatornationals, will play host to the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Being dubbed as the "Prelude to the Gators," spectators will have an opportunity to watch what can be considered as a warm-up to the Gatornationals for free.

Spectators are encouraged to donate any number of non-perishable food items at the main spectator gate during the weekend in exchange for a free ticket to the races. Bread of the Mighty Food Bank will have a truck on-site to accept donations. Visit www.autoplusraceway.com.

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Island Dragway Closes Its Doors
I received a call yesterday from the manager of Island Dragway, the 1/4 mile NHRA track in Great Meadows, NJ. The news he shared was not good: Island Dragway is shutting down and will not re-open. The reasons are too many to get into here, and quite frankly are their business. With any luck, someone who sees an investment potential will step up to the plate to discuss options of possibly saving it. The chances are slim, but stranger things have happened. I always thought Island would make a great 1/8-mile IHRA track, being that IHRA currently has no presence in the immediate area at all.

As upsetting as this news is, even worse is the treatment that it's received on Yellow Bullet. Let's see, some celebrated the news by virtually jumping up and down and clapping, while others chimed in that they'll miss Island, but they still won't race at one of the other two remaining tracks in New Jersey because "(that track) is crap...they dont support Bracket racers."

Does anyone else see the irony here? These people are logging onto, y'know, A DRAG RACING SITE and CELEBRATING THAT A DRAG STRIP IS CLOSING, THEN IN THE SAME BREATH BASHING THE TRACKS THAT REMAIN. If you hate our sport that much, maybe it's not for you. Maybe you should try something else.

First off, some of us are happy to race anywhere, and those comments are a slap in the face to those who actually like and appreciate having a place to race. Second, while some racers might have the financial or logistical ability to simply race elsewhere, some don't and will stop racing altogether. This leads to the third point, what about the businesses that rely on the local racing program, like the neighborhood transmission or engine shop? What about the local restaurants or diners that will lose business now? Celebrating a track's closing is celebrating the loss that those racers and businesses will realize.

There's a bigger picture here: cheering about the closing of a track shows no regard for the overall well-being of our sport. Why don't you all keep bashing and cheering until all the tracks are gone one by one; perhaps then you'll finally be happy. If you want to do that, then go ahead. I'll go the other way and will continue to use The Dragtime News to support our sport in a positive environment in hopes that the sport I love might just grow a little bit as a result.

RIP Island Dragway, I'm going to miss you.

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