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All articles that have appeared in The Dragtime News during the 2014 season can be found here. Older items toward the bottom, more recent items toward the top.

The Mid Atlantic .90 Association has announced its 2015 schedule. The series will once again consist of 10 races on 5 weekends ranging from tracks including Atco Dragway, Maple Grove Raceway and Cecil County Dragway. As always the series will consist of the three Super classes: Super Comp (8.90), Super Gas (9.90) and Super Street (10.90).

The season begins at Atco Dragway in Atco, NJ on May 2nd & 3rd for the 2nd Annual Spring Kick-Off. After taking a weekend off for Mother's Day the series then travels to Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, PA for the 6th Annual Sportsman Circuit Shootout. This will be a great warm-up for those attending the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Maple Grove the following weekend. After a two month break the series gets back into action at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, MD for the 22nd Annual Uncle Buck Memorial "Pig Roast" on July 11th & 12th.

On July 25th & 26th the series goes back to Atco for events # 7 & 8. Just like at Maple Grove this will be a great test and tune weekend for those who are planning on attending the Lucas Oil event at Atco the following weekend. The series will then close out the 2015 season back at Cecil County on August 29th & 30th for the Annual Season Finale & Championship Weekend.

For information on all three series please contact Rob Keister at Rekeister@aol.com. Info for all three series can be found at www.midatlantic90.com.

Clay City, KS -

Saturday's Top ET race pays $5,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters and $50 Eighths. Entry is $100; buybacks are $40. Sunday's Top ET race pays $1,200 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $120 Semis, and $60 Quarters. Entry is $50; buybacks are $25.

Saturday's Mod ET race pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $75 Quarters. Entry is $55; buybacks are $30. Sunday's Mod ET race pays $600 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $80 Semis, and $20 Quarters. Entry is $40; buybacks are $20.

Racers, enter the Toy Challenge! Racers who bring an unwrapped new toy valued at $20 or more will receive entry into the Dial For Dollars time run on Saturday that pays $150 for closest to the dial and $50 for 2nd closest.

Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 am. For more info visit www.MPDragway.com.

New Jersey's Steve Sisko, racing for Atco Dragway in Division 1, is your 2014 NHRA Super Pro National Champion. Congratulations to a great guy and an amazing racer.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)’s Mopar and Dodge brands unveiled a new 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T drag racing vehicle at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. The new race car is destined to make its official on-track National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series debut in Funny Car competition at the 2015 season-opening Winternationals event on February 5-9 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.

The new 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car was designed and developed on a virtual platform, using the same production-based technology and tools applied to the street vehicles, in a collaboration between FCA production and race engineers and the Don Schumacher Racing team.

“We’re very pleased to further demonstrate Mopar’s commitment to providing quality performance parts and reiterate our dedication to NHRA drag racing and our Mopar fans with the introduction of this new 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO—Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care. “The process of designing and building this new race car has been a true collaborative effort between our own engineering team (the same one that designs our production Charger and Challenger street vehicles) and Don Schumacher Racing, and we are very excited with what we have brought to fruition. It’s just another great example of Mopar’s continuing commitment to provide quality engineering and performance parts, while staying true to our roots of racing innovation in a year that we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic 426 Race HEMI® engine.”

Project engineers worked intensely to ensure that styling from the production version of the 2015 Dodge Charger was reflected in the Funny Car with similar design cues like scalloped sides and front and rear ends to make it easily recognizable to fans. Also included in the design process was the conscious decision to add durability and increase strength to the construction of the one-piece body with the use of composite materials including Kevlar and carbon.

The segment can be seen here: www.today.com/video/today/56353759.

The Super Chevy Show event series will join the Velocity network as the newest TV program in the lineup of automotive-driven content with 13-episodes highlighting the 2015 season. Discovery Communications’ high-definition cable channel Velocity will bring the same namesake Super Chevy Show into 62 million households across the U.S., and is scheduled to air on 13 consecutive weeks from October through December 2015.

With a focus on the car show, Velocity will follow the 2015 Super Chevy Show presented by Chevrolet Performance tour with stops at each event across the country for 12 high-octane 30 minute Chevrolet-packed episodes. The 13th episode and season finale will spotlight the best cars of the tour.

Lex Dudas, President of SCSW, LLC, parent company of Super Chevy Shows views the TV program in terms of growth for the series. “Velocity takes the Super Chevy Show program to the next level of exposure for our fans, participants, and sponsors. When the current track operators took over the series in 2010 they brought everything up a notch, and have continued to build the shows to the point that it will now reach millions of Chevrolet enthusiasts through a national TV audience.”

The exclusive Super Chevy Show programming will include exciting segments designed to give the audience a view of the best Bowtie show cars in the country in stunning HD and a chance to relive the thrills while looking to spot familiar cars or catch a glimpse of Chevy drag racing at its best.

As the newest show on Velocity’s schedule, the Super Chevy Show joins the lineup with popular shows such as Overhaulin’, Chasing Classic Cars and Restoration Garage, that set the bar for diverse programming within the automotive genre.

For more information about Super Chevy, visit www.superchevyshow.com.

The third season of the American DRAGCAR racing series is well underway, with the last 5 races of the year all taking place in a 6 week span. The 2nd of these races was the October 25th SWCS #5 at Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Arizona.

Going into the race, Mark and Geanine Ballard held the top 2 positions in the SWCS points standings and were looking to battle it out with one another for the season DRAGSTAR title but were unable to capitalize on the chance after being positioned on opposite sides of the ladder for eliminations. Mark held the top qualifier spot with his 9.303 while Daryl Amans posted a 9.384 to catch the #2 spot and Geanine kept the 3rd spot with her 9.416 performance.

Daryl Amans opened the 1st round of eliminations with carnage as his driveline disassembled on the launch in chase of Bob Thurston and it was said to have also destroyed the rear end in the process. Following the cleanup, 1st round resumed with the closest race of the day when Jeff Sefranek had to chase down Marvin Wolfmeier in his Old School Vega. With near identical RT’s, it was left up to the machines to decide and the Colt managed to cross the finish line ahead of “The Wolf” by a mere 9 thousandths of a second with an 11.43 on an 11.35 over a 12.59 on a 12.50 adjusted index.

Second round saw some upsets as Tom Payton used his trademark RT advantage to take the win over points leader Mark Ballard who ran nearly 5 hundredths under index in an 11.106 on an 11.10 over a 9.257 on a 9.30 battle. And Bob Thurston then did nearly the same thing against Mike Gardner in a 12.239 on a 12.25 over an 11.075 on an 11.10 throw-down.

The semi-finals had Sefranek feeling the pressure as he met Payton at the line while Thurston was afforded the bye for the round. In straying from his norm, Sefranek managed a 3 hundredths RT advantage by the time both cars had left, but early on in the run Payton’s ‘Vette suffered uncharacteristic traction issues and fell silent only a hundred feet down-course to allow the gold Mustang an easy trip into the final.

Bob Thurston carried the performance edge going into the final with his 2nd round 1-under performance while Sefranek had not run better than 8 hundredths off index through all of eliminations. Again though, Sefranek managed to pull off another decisive RT advantage with his .016 light but as the finish line drew near, the big black Chevy was still well ahead of the charging little Ford, and when the dust had settled, Thurston had the race Predator win with a 12.151 over Sefranek’s 11.414. Thurston’s .099 run-under however enacted the “final round split” provision which awarded Sefranek with the Judicator points win.

The strong finish for both racers propelled them each up into the points chase with Sefranek falling into 2nd just over 1 round behind Mark Ballard and Thurston moved into the 5th spot only 1800 points behind with 2 races still to go.

Quarter-finals:
W: Tom Payton, '57 Corvette, Tucson, AZ., Index 11.10, RT .021, ET 11.106
L: Mark Ballard, '58 Delray, Tucson, AZ., Index 9.30, RT .104, ET 9.257

W: Bob Thurston, '57 Belair, Lakeside, AZ., Index 12.25, RT .108, ET 12.239
L: Mike Gardner, '67 Falcon, Tucson, AZ, Index 11.10, RT ,500 ET 11.075

W:Jeff Sefranek, '65 Mustang, Phoenix, AZ., Index 11.35, RT .055, ET 12.294
L: Bye

Semi-finals:
W: Jeff Sefranek, Index 11.35, RT .034, ET 11.432
L: Tom Payton, Index 11.10, RT .067, ET 16.732

W: Bob Thurston, Index 12.25, RT .NA, ET NA
L: Bye

Final:
W: Bob Thurston, Index 12.25, RT .057, ET 12.151
L: Jeff Sefranek, Index 11.35, RT .016, ET 11.414

Stacy McGlory is a senior mechanical engineering student at Tufts University in Massachusetts. She drives the Freitas & McGlory altered at New England Dragway competing in Super Pro. Stacy began her racing career in Jr. Dragster, then transitioned into a Super Pro dragster with small and then big block power. For 2014 she piloted the altered. Stacy also recently completed the Alcohol Funny Car course at Frank Hawley's school in Florida with her goal being to take over the driving duties for the Methanol Monster funny car.

Stacy's latest win came in October 2014 when she took the Pro Electronics category at New England Dragway's Old Fashioned Sunday nostalgia event. Stacy also has had an outstanding career as a gymnast and she is an honors student at Tufts, but it's her love and passion for drag racing that is evident to everyone she meets. A true ambassador for our sport, Stacy is well-liked and always ready to go that extra mile to help out a fellow racer.

The Freitas & McGlory altered was originally built in 1996 and features a Marc Rowe chassis. The current power plant is a Quest Racing 461 BB Chevy. It features Dart heads, a COMP Cams flat tappet cam and BG carb. It has a complete MSD ignition. Hand built headers handle the exhaust. Plans for 2015 include a Dart manifold and Dominator carb. Behind the big block is a Gary Kaye Powerglide featuring a Horton 8" converter. Third member is a solid Strange top loader with 4.56 gears. Getting the power to the pavement are 14.5 x 32 x 15 Hoosier slicks. Rear (only) brakes feature Wilwood calipers and Strange Rotors. With the current set up, the best times are 1.13 60 ' times with ETs in the 8.30s at 154 mph.

We are wishing Stacy best of luck in the 2015 season and great success in her drag racing career.

Laguna Beach, CA - If you're in the business of racing and are planning to attend the 2014 Performance Industry Show (PRI) in Indianapolis, this is for you. The Performance Racing Industry Trade Show has long been described as the three biggest business days in racing, but with activities consisting of more than 35 conferences, seminars and other special events throughout the racing world, the show has transformed into a six-day event. This year’s 27th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show will run from Dec. 11-13, but the flurry of activity around Race Industry Week will actually begin in and around the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, on Dec. 9.

“The PRI has long been a showcase of innovation and racing technology,” said PRI Trade Show Producer John Kilroy. “Yet, new innovation also requires more knowledge of how to apply that technology and Race Industry Week provides that. As much as our world has advanced through electronics, nothing can match the ability to exchange ideas and share insight into implementing new ideas together in one room.”
Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 9, attendees will be able to be a part of conferences, seminars and events that allow them to learn and interact with experts from around the racing industry. The events run anywhere from hardware applications to marketing and business philosophies to the world’s foremost experts on motor sport medicine, science and education (Publisher's note: see our coverage from the 2013 PRI Show HERE, including Race Industry Week).

Six major events will take place in conjunction with this year’s show. The Advanced Engineering and Technology Conference (AETC); the International Council of Motorsport Sciences (ICMS) Annual Congress; Claude Rouelle’s OptimumG Vehicle Dynamics & Data Acquisition seminar; the Race Track Business Conference; Education Day, organized by SEMA’s Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC); and the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow National Championship. In addition, PRI Management Seminars will help provide proven, practical strategies through exclusive seminars on motorsports marketing, small business management, race engine business operations, opportunities in the vintage racing market, and much more.

A number of exhibitor-sponsored seminars will also run throughout the PRI Trade Show, providing a wealth of technical education opportunities.
“There’s insight to be gained in every aspect of the industry,” said Kilroy. “Whether it’s engine development, chassis dynamics, using the latest technologies to market your racing business or selling tickets at your local track on Saturday night, there’s something available to help you reach your goals here.”

This year’s PRI Trade Show is expected to play host to exhibits from over 1,100 racing companies occupying 3,200 booths, and attract tens of thousands of racing professionals from across the U.S, and 70 countries around the globe.

For additional information on the 2014 PRI Trade Show, or hotel and travel information, visit www.pri2014.com. Also, check the web page periodically for program updates, as well as times and locations for all Race Industry Week events.

Farmington Dragway hosts the 17th Annual Footbrake Nationals on Saturday & Sunday, November 15th & 16th, 2014.

Saturday is the Footbrake Warm-up Race that includes races for Footbrake and for Top ET. Footbrake pays $2,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $200 Semis and $100 Quarters, based on 75 cars. Entry is $60 and buybacks are $50. Top ET pays $800 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $75 Semis and $50 Quarters, based on 40 cars. Entry is $40 and buybacks are $30.

The big Footbrake Nationals is Sunday and pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $250 Semis and $30 Round starting with 3rd Round win. Payouts based on 75 cars. Entry is $125 and buybacks are $80. Sunday will also have a $2K Top ET race.

Double entries allowed, no delay boxes allowed in footbrake cars. Deep staging allowed. Visit www.FarmingtonDragway.net for more info.

Owingsville, KY - The 5th Annual Terry Butcher Ironman Memorial brings three days of big-money bracket races to I64 Motorplex on Friday – Sunday, November 7 – 9, 2014. Among the eliminators are Top ET, No Box, Sportsman and Quick 32.

Friday’s schedule includes Top ET ($1,000 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $50 Quarters; 40 car minimum. $45 entry, $20 buybacks), No Box ($500 Win, $150 Runner-Up, $75 Semis, $25 Quarters; 30 car minimum. $35 entry, $20 buybacks) and 16 Car Shootout ($1,000 Win, $200 Runner-Up. $80 Entry).

Saturday and Sunday features Top ET ($2,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters; 60 car minimum. $70 entry, $35 buybacks), No Box ($1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $50 Quarters; 35 car minimum. $50 entry, $25 buybacks) and Sportsman ($400 Win, $100 Runner-Up; 15 car minimum. $30 entry, $15 buybacks). Saturday also has 32-Car Top ET Shootout and 16-Car No Box Shootout.

For more information visit www.I64Motorplex.com.

Mohnton, PA - Bracket racers once again gave back to their community when they competed in the second Race 4 Ronald's House charity event of 2014 at Maple Grove Raceway. All proceeds from the entry fees were donated to the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House. Drivers and riders raced for trophies, plaques and gift cards. A total of 179 racers competed and close to $9,000 was raised for Ronald McDonald House of Philadelphia.

Shannon Cain of Blacksburg, Va., won the RM1-Novice Racer class over Brian Osborne of West Chester, Pa. Jeff Burnley of Palm, Pa., won the RM2-Experienced Racer class over John Grater of Zieglerville, Pa. Bob Ormsbee of Harrisburg, Pa. (pictured right) won the Gambler's Race over John Grater.

"Today definitely was one of the most successful Race 4 Ronald's House events," said organizer Denny Parisan. "It was the seventh Race 4 Ronald's House and we raised close to $9,000. It made me happy to see we had so many people -- not only beginners but also seasoned drivers -- come out and join the fun, all for a trophy."

Many local businesses provided gift cards to be used as prizes for the participants. David Dissinger, Director of Speed Shops for Pep Boys Auto Parts Stores, donated $1,000 to the event. Shawn Brobst, MGR's Director of Retail Operations, donated 10 percent of the proceeds from today's food, beverage and souvenir sales.

The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House supports families of seriously ill children by creating a community of comfort and hope. Their programs include two Ronald McDonald Houses, two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a Hospitality Kiosk at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and a Ronald McDonald Camp. More than 90% of funding comes from individuals and corporate donors and the remaining 10% is provided by Ronald McDonald House Charities. While it costs the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House nearly $90 a night per family to provide housing and supportive services, families are asked only to contribute $15 per night. No one ever is turned away due to inability to pay. (photo: John Bisci).

The day’s Comp eliminator was won in a double breakout. Lou Laferrara Jr, in his Chevy-powered altered, ran a 7.71 on a 7.75 index to win. Ron Baker, in his BBC ‘67 Chevelle, ran a 8.95 on a 9.00 index to notch runner up. In Nostalgia eliminator, Greg Schreiner in his ‘68 Camaro won with a13.50 on a 13.48 dial over Jody Kenly in his 72 Challenger with a 9.99 on a 10.00 dial.

For information on racing with the Northeast Timing Organization in the 2015 season, visit www.netonostalgia.com.

Chandler, AZ - Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park’s Halloween Havoc special event was held on Saturday October 18th and featured a number of sportsman racing programs mixed in with some Fuel Altereds, Nostalgia Funny Cars, and Jet Cars. Also featured was American DRAGCAR’s 6th race of the 7 race Kenny Speed’s Wild Horse Challenge Series. The American DRAGCAR series achieved a record turnout for the WHCS and drew the attention of more racers as they were able to witness the program in action.

Some of the excitement coming into this race involved the heated points battle between 1st place Eric Holsey and 2nd place Jeff Sefranek, and as 1st round opened, Sefranek showed some seriousness with a 21 thousandths margin of victory 11.076 on an 11.05 over Brandon Wyatt running 11.578 on an 11.55. More relief for Sefranek came when Eric Holsey crossed the finish line with a 12.266 on a 12.20 only 32 thousandths behind DRAGCAR Dozen member Mark Beavin running 11.341 on his 11.30 adjusted index, but Sefranek still needed a race win to take over the points lead. In the closest race of the round, Steven Wing used a solid RT advantage to overcome the near dead on 14.858 on a 14.85 of Willie Wray with a 10.389 on a 10.35 for an even 1 hundredth margin of victory.

Sefranek then got another break in the opening of 2nd round by facing Mick Sramek who had suffered a re-indexing penalty and would be unable to run any better than 5 hundredths off his new index. This allowed Sefranek to ease through the round while Mark Beavin took out another WHCS top points contender with a win over A.J. Crader. And in the closest race of the night, Bob Thurston prevailed with a nice RT advantage running 11.906 on his 11.85 over Joe Kidd’s off pace 11.697 on an 11.60 for a 7 thousandths margin of victory.

In yet another stroke of luck, Sefranek made it past the quarter-finals with a less than stellar RT when Steven Wing drew the red light while giving chase, and newcomer Howard Devore used an RT advantage to outrun Bob Thurston in a 10.557 on a 10.50 to an 11.907 on an 11.85 battle as Mark Beavin drew the bye into the semis.

In what was sure to be one of the closest races on the night, Mark Beavin met up with Howard Devore in the semi-final round while Sefranek's luck was now affording him the luxury of the bye. Beavin left first on his 11.30 adjusted index but Devore closed the gap by 26 thousandths with an RT advantage on his 10.50 AI. As the stripe flashed beneath the two cars however, Beavin prevailed by 14 thousandths with an 11.321 to a 10.561 nail biter.

Going into the final round, Beavin nor Sefranek appeared to have any performance advantage as both cars were running nearly equal against their respective adjusted indexes so this would likely be a race won at the tree. And that’s what it came down to as The Beav gnawed the tree at the root and took a substantial RT advantage over Sefranek who was unable to make up the deficit in an 11.298 over 11.085 final round showdown.

The next WHCS race will be the Series Finals on November 15th at The Pass.

Wild Horse Challenge Series 10/18/14:

Quarter-finals:
W: Howard Devore, '69 Nova, Flagstaff, AZ., Index 10.50, RT .048, ET 10.557
L: Bob Thurston, '57 Bekair, Lakeside, AZ., Index 11.85, RT .095, ET 11.907

W: Jeff Sefranek, '65 Mustang, Phoenix, AZ., Index 11.05, RT .117, ET 11.063
L: Steven Wing, '68 Camaro, Lakeside, AZ, Index 10.35, RT (-,082) ET 10.457

W: Mark Beavin, '72 Duster, Mesa, AZ., Index 11.30, RT .707, ET 21.208
L: Bye

Semi-finals:
W: Mark Beavin, Index 11.30, RT .086, ET 11.321
L: Howard Devore, Index 10.50, RT .060, ET 10.561

W: Jeff Sefranek, Index 11.05, RT .023, ET 12.200
L: Bye

Final:
W: Mark Beavin, Index 11.30, RT .032, ET 11.298
L: Jeff Sefranek, Index 11.05, RT .097, ET 11.085

Mohnton, PA – Mike Rosa of Wolcott, Conn., scored a $10,000 payday by defeating Rich Panicaro of Mercerville, N.J., in the final round of eliminations of the $10K Footbrake Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. Rosa chose the left lane in his red 1964 Chevrolet Nova while Panicaro occupied the right lane in his 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass. Panicaro fouled, handing the win to Rosa.

"I've never raced for this much money before," said Rosa, whose home track is Lebanon Valley Dragway in West Lebanon, N.Y., "and I've never won this much money before." When asked how it felt to win the biggest purse of his Sportsman career, it was obvious the thrill hadn't sunk in yet. "I don't know yet. It's pretty crazy," Rosa admitted. "This was going to be my last race of the year, but we just may take the money and race tomorrow." More than 220 cars were entered in the one-day event.

$10,000 FOOTBRAKE NATIONALS, final round:
Winner: Mike Rosa (Wolcott, CT) 1964 Chevrolet Nova .023 6.02 dial, 6.042 @ 111.23 mph.
Runner-up: Rich Panicaro (Mercerville, NJ) 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass -.010, 6.68 dial, 6.712 @ 101.62 mph. Photos: John Bisci

Englishtown, NJ - Muscle cars both classic and modern are invited to the Big 3 Shootout at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park on Saturday, November 8, 2014.

With three classes of street-muffled bracket racing, there should be something for every muscle car. There’s the Big 3 Shootout for Mustang (2005 and newer), Camaro (2010 and newer) and Mopar LX/LC (2005 and newer). .500 full tree, dial your own bracket, no transbrakes / two-steps. Payout is $200 Win, $100 Runner-Up, based on 32 car field. Racer entry is $30.

There’s a Classic Mustang vs. Camaro Shootout, open to 2004 and older Mustangs and 2002 and older Camaros. Also .500 full tree, dial your own bracket, no transbrakes / two-steps. Payout is $200 Win, $100 Runner-Up, based on 32 car field. Racer entry is $30.
Last but not least is the Muscle Bracket, open to all U.S. muscle. Again, .500 full tree, dial your own bracket, no transbrakes / two-steps. Payout is $200 Win, $100 Runner-Up, based on 32 car field. Racer entry is $30.

Gates open at 9:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am and eliminations at 1:00 pm. Visit www.RacewayPark.com for more info.

Holland, TX – To our bracket racing friends in the Southwest, this is for you! Little River Dragway is bringing it big time on Saturday and Sunday, November 1st and 2nd, 2014 with the Big Money Showdown. There are races for Electronics and Non-Electronics on both days.

Electronics pays $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis, $250 Quarters and $100 Eighths. Entry is $150 per day, or buy a two day entry for $275. 1st Round buybacks are $50.

Non-electronics pays $2,000 Win, $700 Runner-Up, $250 Semis and $100 Quarters. Entry is $75 each day; 1 Round buybacks are $35.
Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am with time trials on Saturday at 11:00 am and on Sunday at 10:00 am.

For more info visit www.LittleRiverDragway.com.

The season in the Northeast might be winding down, but Old Bridge Township Raceway Park will be going strong through November with a series of Sunday Gambler’s Races.

Bracket 1 is for Super Pro (electronics) dialing 7.00 – 12.99. $2,000 Win guaranteed based on 64 cars. $80 entry, $40 buybacks (no buybacks on 10/26), double-entries permitted.

Bracket 2 is for Pro ET (no electronics) dialing 9.00 – 17.99. $1,000 Win guaranteed; payout will increase if more than 40 cars. Deep staging honored, no two-steps / throttle stops / transbrakes / delay boxes.

The dates are October 26, November 9, November 16 and November 23. Gates open at 9:00 am. Visit www.racewaypark.com for more info.

Things get weird at Cordova Dragway Park on Saturday October 25, 2014 with Halloweird. There’ll be a test & tune for $25, a Trophy race for $30, and a Gambler’s Race for $20 additional. The Gambler’s Race will be a single Box / No Box combo. There’s also a Jr. Dragster Trophy race for $20.

In addition to the racing, there’s a costume contest for all ages (racers welcomed, too) and trick or treats for the kids (so racers, please bring wrapped treats).

Gates Open 10:00 am, racing starts at 11:00 am. Visit www.CordovaDrag.com for more info.

The Million comes to Montgomery MotorSports Park in Montgomery, AL for October 23-26, 2014.

The event features three $20Ks and a $100K. The $20Ks are Thursday, Friday and Sunday; each pays $20,000 Win, $5,000 Runner-Up, $2,000 Semis, $800 6th Round Win, $600 5th Round Win, $400 4th Round Win, and $200 3rd Round Win. Entry is $225 per day, or enter all three days for $650. 1st round buybacks are $150.

Saturday is the $100K that pays $100,000 Win, $50,000 Runner-Up, $10,000 Semis, $5,000 Quarters, and $1,000 Round starting with 4th Round Win. Entry is $2,000, 1st round buybacks are $500. At 126 cars or more, the purse to the Win increases. At 551 or more entries, it’s $1,000,000. Wow!

Gates open each day at 8:00 am. Visit www.TheMillionOnline.com for more info.

It’s a big weekend of big-money racing at The Rock. Rockingham Dragway hosts Carolina Powerfest 2 on Friday – Sunday, October 24 – 26, 2014.

The big races are for Top ET and Footbrake. Each class features the same entry and payout on all three days: $5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $400 Semis, $200 Quarters, $100 Eighths and $50 Sixteenths, all based on 125 car minimum. Entry fee is $100 per day, or enter all three days for $200. 1st or 2nd Round buybacks are $50.

On Sunday there’ll be a Pro Tree Dial-In race that pays $1,500 Win, $300 Runner-Up and $50 Semis. Entry is $50. Make three qualifying runs on Saturday, 1st Round is on Sunday. Your dial will be the best average ET. .500 Pro tree.

Gates open 8:00 am on Friday and Saturday; gates open 9:00 am on Sunday. Visit www.RockinghamDragway.com for info.

Adel, GA - South Georgia Motorsports Park has something for every racer on Saturday & Sunday October 25 & 26, with eliminators for Super Pro, Pro ET, Street ET and Jr. Dragster.

Super Pro and Pro ET each pay $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Eighths. Entry is $50. Street ET pays $200 Win and $100 Runner-Up. Entry is $30. Jr. Dragster pays $100 Win Advanced and Intermediate, Trophy for Novice. Entry is $25.

Gates open at 9:00 am Saturday with time runs at 10:00 am. Gates open at 8:00 am on Sunday with time runs at 9:00 am. For more information visit www.RaceSGMP.com.

Who says going fast takes a load of cash? Not the staff of Grassroots Motorsports. For more than a dozen years, the magazine has been hosting their $2,000 Challenge. The basic premise is simple: teams buy, build and prepare a car without spending more than the budget cap, which is always equal to the year of the competition. For this year, teams are limited to $2,014. The level of craftsmanship at the annual event is impressive and the cars have been quick, posting quarter mile times in the 10-second range in cars built for just two grand.

This year’s Grassroots Motorsports $2014 Challenge takes place at Auto Plus Raceway at Gainesville, Florida, home of the NHRA Gatornationals, October 24-25, 2014. The rules have been heavily revised and simplified for this year, putting the focus on the thrill of cool cars rather than the minutiae of rules hawking.

There’s no charge to spectate, roam the paddock, or spend the weekend in the bleachers. Visit Auto Plus Raceway at www.AutoPlusRaceway.com.

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Stroud Safety has announced a campaign to help in the fight against the disease. Save 5% in the month of October with your purchase of Stroud Safety netting, drag chutes, cool collars and vests, fire suits or any other item that they offer in fluorescent pink and save 5%. In addition, they’ll add that 5% to their annual donation to Breast Cancer Research.

You can be part of making a difference in the fight against this deadly disease. Visit www.StroudSafety.com.

Rockingham, NC - The 19th Annual Fall Civil Wars hits Rockingham Dragway October 17th – 19th, 2014 for a weekend of outlaw racing action. Classes include Pro Tree Doorslammer ($1,500 Win / $45 entry on Saturday, $1,000 Win / $35 entry on Sunday), Footbrake ($1,200 Win / $35 entry on Saturday, $1,000 Win / $30 entry on Sunday), Open Comp ($1,000 Win / $35 entry on Saturday and Sunday), 6.0 Index and 7.0 Index (Saturday) and 6.0/7.0 Combo Index on Sunday.

Gates open Friday at 1:00 pm for testing; 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.

Gulfport, MS - Gulfport Dragway’s 26th Annual Ford vs. Chevy Shootout is Saturday and Sunday, October 18th and 19th, 2014. The weekend kicks off Saturday with a test & tune and a Ford /Chevy Gambler’s Race (if schedule permits).

Sunday includes races for Dragster ($2,000 Win, $800 Runner-Up, $200 Semis and $90 Quarters), Pro Electronics ($2,000 Win, $800 Runner-Up, $200 Semis and $80 Quarters), Pro Footbrake ($1,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $70 Quarters) and Pro Street ($800 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $60 Quarters).

Gates open 10:00 am Saturday and 8:00 am Sunday. Visit www.GulfportDragway.com.

Numidia, PA – Numidia Dragway wraps up its 2014 big money races in October with 2014 Octoberbucks this coming weekend.

Saturday & Sunday, October 18th & 19th there are $5,000 races for Super Pro and $3,000 for Footbrake. The $5,000 races pay $5,000 Win, $1,500 Runner-Up, $600 Semis, $300 5th Round Win, $200 4th Round Win, $150 2nd Round Win and $75 2nd Round Win. Entry is $150, buyback is $90. Payouts are guaranteed. The $3,000 races pay $3,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $400 Semis and $50 Round starting 2nd Round Win. Entry is $90, buyback is $60.

All races are quarter-mile. Super Pro is 6.50 – 12.99; Footbrake is 8.50 – 17.99. Two drivers may each enter the same car, one driver may enter two different cars, but one driver may not double-enter the same car. Gates open 9:00 am both days, overnight parking available. For more information, visit www.NumidiaDragway.com.

If you're an engine builder and you don't yet have The 2014 PRI Show on your to-do list, this is why you should add it.

In the racing world, there is always one constant pursuit – to make more horsepower. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that engines in all forms will once again play a huge role at the 27th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Dec. 11-13, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

“No matter what form of racing, one thing is constant – the desire to go faster,” said John Kilroy, PRI Trade Show Producer. “It’s a never-ending quest for more power and it’s why engine builders and suppliers play such a prominent role throughout the PRI Trade Show. If you want to go faster, you really need to be here at he show.” n fact, the pursuit of more power at PRI actually begins before the show even starts with Race Industry Week. The Advanced Engineering Technology Conference (Dec. 9-10) brings a wide variety of industry authorities together with engine builders, shop owners, design engineers and parts manufacturers for two days of seminars and one-on-one interaction centered on race engines. The event helps lead into the show’s three days of innovation and technology on display on the show floor.

“We like displaying all the new innovations that we have for the year at PRI,” said Justin Norris of Precision Turbo and Engine. “That’s what we have to do – in our business, it’s innovate or die. PRI is a good venue to show off all the new stuff that we have.”

One of the major benefits of the PRI Trade Show is the ability to meet face-to-face with current and potential suppliers and customers. "The benefit of going to the PRI trade show is that you're able to see the latest and greatest R&D, technology and products that people have come up with,” Patrick Topolinksi, Engine Builder/Technical Producer for the television show “Engine Power” on PowerNationTV. “The side benefit is the interaction and networking with other engine builders and anybody in the racing industry across the country. It's common for a drag racing person to talk to a truck or desert racer or engine builders in other forms of motorsports. That's one of the best things about PRI – the people you are able to share ideas with. It's a very unique trade show that brings technology and people and ideas together. As an engine builder, it's really a huge benefit to attend." PRI also offers the engine builder with the opportunity to find the latest innovations to improve their product as well. “The PRI show allows us to meet a lot of engine builders all in one place and to show that we make the best oil,” relayed Forrest Lucas, of Lucas Oil.

This year’s PRI Trade Show is expected to play host to exhibits from over 1,100 racing companies occupying 3,200 booths, and attract tens of thousands of racing professionals from across the US and 70 countries around the globe. For additional information on the 2014 PRI Trade Show, or hotel and travel information, visit www.pri2014.com. Also, check the web page periodically for program updates, as well as times and locations for all Race Industry Week events.

The 43rd edition of Maple Grove Raceway’s annual P.C. Richard & Son Dutch Classic presented by Penske Leasing now is in the record books. The event – the final NHRA Division 1 race of 2014 – was hampered by rain on Friday and Saturday but enjoyed perfect conditions on Sunday. The event drew entries from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and Quebec.

• HEMI CHALLENGE: Gary Wolkwitz (Califon, N.J.) defeated Bucky Hess (Bunker Hill, W.V.). Hess’ 1968 Barracuda fouled (“red-lit”) on the starting line, handing the victory to Wolkwitz’s 1968 Dodge Dart.
• COMP ELIMINATOR: Thomas Miller (Nottingham, Pa.) defeated Mark Hopkins (Phoenixville, Pa.). Hopkins fouled on the starting line.
• SUPER STOCK: David Chiles (Reedville, Va.) defeated Wayne Truesdell (Bridgeport, N.Y.).
• STOCK ELIMINATOR: Bob Hochrun (Colonia, N.J.) defeated Frank Ferrucci (Paterson, N.J.).
• SUPER COMP: Jack Sepanek (Moosic, Pa.) defeated Brian Bell (Lowell Mass.).
• SUPER GAS: Earl Nichols (Wilmington, Del.) defeated Mickey Vorner (Edgewood, Maryland).
• SUPER STREET: Martin Ganjoin (Brick, N.J.) defeated Alain Berard (St. Louis Richel, Quebec, Canada).
• TOP SPORTSMAN: Ed Foley (Warminster, Pa.) defeated Tom Simone (Cicero, N.Y.).
• TOP DRAGSTER: Joe DiPasquale (Palmyra, N.J.) defeated Michael Esposito (Maspeth, N.Y.).
• 11.50 INDEX: Bill Cohen (Conestoga, Pa.) defeated Avril Krieg (Fairless Hills, Pa.).
• 10.00 INDEX: Brian Correll (West Chester, Pa.) defeated Vincent Laurita (N.Y.).
• 8.50 INDEX: Al Davidowski (Columbus, N.J.) defeated Delon Pleasants (Douglassville, Pa.).

On Saturday, Oct. 18, Maple Grove Raceway will present the $10K Footbrake Nationals. Gates will open at 8 a.m. with time trials at 9 a.m. For more information, visit www.maplegroveraceway.com.

Clay City, KY - You might love rock ’n roll and hate rap. You might hate country but love classical. You might hate folk and metal equally. No matter what you like or don’t like, you’ll be loving bluegrass at Mountain Park Dragway’s 44th Annual Bluegrass Nationals, Friday – Sunday October 17th – 19th 2014. This three-day event of big-money bracket racing is packed opportunities to win some serious money. Classes include Top ET (Box), Mod ET (No Box), Doorcar Heads-Up Quick 8, Dragster Heads-Up Fast 4, Saturday 32 Shootout and Sunday 32 Shootout.

On Friday, Top ET pays $1,500 Win / $500 Runner-Up; entry is $50 and buybacks are $30. On Saturday and Sunday, Top ET pays $5,000 Win / $1,000 Runner-Up; entry per day is $100 and buybacks are $50.

Friday’s Mod ET pays $800 Win / $200 Runner-Up; entry is $40 and buybacks are $20. Saturday and Sunday, Mod pays $2,000 Win / $400 Runner-Up; entry per day is $70 and buybacks are $40.

Gates open Thursday at 4:00 pm for parking and a $10 test & tune. Gates open Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am. For more information visit www.MPDragway.com.

Milan, MI - Saturday, October 18th, 2014 is the Saturday Shootout Series at Milan Dragway, with Outlaw Limited Street, X275, Ultra Street, Wild Street and Open Comp. The entry fees for Outlaw Limited Street, X275 and Ultra Street are $75; payouts based on car count. Open Comp pays $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $75 Quarters and $50 Eighths, based on 64 cars. Entry is $50. Wild Street pays $500 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $50 Quarters and $20 Eighths, based on 32 cars. Entry is $35.

Also on Saturday is the Musclecar Showdown. This is ¼-mile, heads-up index racing for footbrake cars on a .500 Pro tree. Racers can pick their index between 10.00 – 14.00 seconds. Payout is $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters, based on 40 entries. Entry fee is $40.

Gates open at 11:00 am. Visit www.MilanDragway.com for more information.

Capitol Raceway is hosting a Nostalgia Bracket Race and Nostalgia Funny Cars on Saturday, October 18th, 2014.

The bracket race has two classes – Electronics and Footbrake. Electronics pays $2,000 Win, $800 Runner-Up, $300 Semis and $50 Round beginning 3rd Round. Footbrake pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $30 Round beginning 3rd Round. Cars must be at least 20 years old to race (so anything older than 1994, which is pretty much every bracket car out there).

There will also be numerous nostalgia funny cars and altereds, including The Punisher, Screaming Insanity, Danko Racing, War Path, Danger Zone, Poison Arrow, Time Bomb, No Money No Funny, Excalibur and Screaming Eagle.

Gates open at 11:00 am. Visit CapitolRaceway.com.

Jupiter, FL, October 2, 2014 - IRG Sports + Entertainment™ (IRG) President & CEO, Jason Rittenberry, announced today that the Company has entered into a finance agreement with TPG Specialty Lending (NYSE:TSLX), the publicly traded affiliate of TSSP, the credit and special situations investment platform of TPG. The new credit facility is replacing IRG's existing debt facilities on all companies, make capital improvements to existing assets owned by the Company and to close on the acquisition of Cordova Dragway Park in Cordova, Illinois (to be rebranded as Cordova International Raceway™), that was announced in late 2013. The TPG facility also provides the Company with funds to purchase an additional major motorsports venue, which the Company will announce in the coming weeks.

The addition of Cordova adds to the existing stable of motorsports assets owned by IRG, which includes the 44-year old sanctioning body, the International Hot Rod Association™ (IHRA), previously purchased from Feld Motorsports, and venues Palm Beach International Raceway™ in Jupiter, FL, Memphis International Raceway™ in Memphis, TN and Southwestern International Raceway™ (SWIR) in Tucson, AZ .

A new division in the IRG portfolio for 2014, IRGSE Productions, with subsidiary IHRA Productions was launched this year to produce the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series television show for MAVTV. This new show will debut on the popular automotive network on November 6, 2014 as a 13-week series.

"The ability to access additional capital allows us to fund and accelerate our growth plans for IRG. We have been aggressive with acquisitions in the past few years," noted Rittenberry. "This funding will allow us to improve those venues - and complete our planned acquisitions of Cordova and one additional major motorsports venue, in addition to improving our IHRA national tours and introducing new content."

The Company is now sufficiently capitalized to begin the $10 million in capital improvements with the majority scheduled to be completed in time for the 2015 racing season. The planned capital improvements include:

• Palm Beach International Raceway™ (PBIR) - a clubhouse with pit garages and operations tower on the Road Course, concession and restroom buildings, ingress and egress improvements, additional grandstands for the Road Course, new LED monument signage at entrance
• Memphis International Raceway™ (MIR) - the addition of a 3/8-mile dirt track, restroom and concession remodeling
• Southwestern International Raceway™ (SWIR) - new restroom building and office building, renovated restaurant and pit repairs
• Cordova International Raceway™ (CIR) - new fiber optic timing and LED scoreboards, additional grandstands, resurfacing of the Drag Strip
• IHRA Motorsports™ (IHRA) - additional track preparation equipment and rigs; new lighting, sound and stage equipment; development of new show content and a national touring series; growth of IHRA Productions and new media content.

As the NHRA Pro Mod Series ends its season in Las Vegas in a few weeks, the championship is still too close to call. Rickie Smith is the current points leader coming into the race, but Troy Coughlin, Mike Janis and Von Smith are all less than 100 points behind him.

Racing two events last weekend shook up the Pro Mod points standings. Pro Mod finished the delayed NHRA Carolina Nationals from Charlotte presented by Powerocks on Friday and Saturday, then went on to race the NHRA Midwest Nationals presented by Precision Turbo & Engine on Sunday.

Troy Coughlin was #7 in points leaving Indy, he now currently sits in the #2 position after winning the Charlotte race and going to the quarter finals in St. Louis. Von Smith’s final round appearance in St. Louis put him ahead of Danny Rowe and Steve Matusek to grab the #4 spot. Mike Janis went to the finals of the Charlotte race, but an early exit in the St. Louis race bumped him down to the #3 spot. Winner Mike Knowles played the role of spoiler last weekend, starting in the #14 qualifying spot - and winning the St Louis event. Knowles jumped from #13 in points, to #10.

Supporting the Real Pro Mod (RPM) association all season has been their loyal sponsors. They continue to award products and bonuses to Pro Mod drivers at every race.
RedHorse Performance awarded first round bonuses to: Dave Pierce, Steve Matusek, Bill Glidden, Danny Rowe, Jim Laurita, Mike Janis, Steven Whitely and Jason Hamstra. Quarter-final bonuses went to Troy Coughlin, Dan Stevenson, Don Walsh and Kevin Fiscus. Rickie Smith and Todd Tutterow earned semi-final bonuses. The Larry Jeffers Race Cars Reaction Time Bonus went to Von Smit,h who cut a .027 light in his win against Rickie Smith.

At the RPM drivers meeting on Fridays of race weekends, prizes are raffled off to members. This past week, Jason Hamstra won $3,000 worth of Mickey Thompson Performance Wheels. Four drivers were each given $250 product certificates from JE Pistons: Danny Rowe, Don Walsh Jr., Chip King and Jim Bell. Von Smith and Chris Juliano each took home Powerocks chargers and Mike Janis was given two cases of CRC Brakleen.

Gulfport, MS – Gulfport Dragway has a unique program that will give racers a lot for their $20 entry fee. The Hourly Rumble and Asphalt Assault provide a venue where racers can spend an entire evening at the dragstrip and not be eliminated, while still have a chance at winning some money.

The Hourly Rumble (Friday, October 10th, 2014) and the Asphalt Assault (Saturday, October 11th, 2014) give racers a chance to hone their dial-in skills while not being eliminated. At the top of each hour, the racer closest to their dial will win one of the progressive payouts. From 6 pm to 7 pm it’s $50; from 7 pm to 8 pm it’s $75, and from 9 pm to 10 pm it’s $100. This is a great idea. Perhaps the winners will feel confident enough to join the weekly bracket program.

On Friday night from 11 pm – 2 am, the track includes a Smackdown Street Race, heads-up, drag radials and slicks only. Gates open 4:00 pm both days. Visit www.GulfportDragway.com for more info.

The Mid Atlantic .90 Association closed out its 2014 season at Atco Dragway in Atco, NJ. Two days of non-stop .90 action hit the track on Saturday morning through Sunday night.

MASGA, Mid Atlantic Super Gas Association: Going into Race #9 on Saturday, Super Gas racer Matt Schurman had a significant lead over 2006 World Champ Iggie Boicesco. Coming into the event both drivers were replacing events and with a good showing Boicesco could pass Schurman if Matt went out early. Unfortunately, Boicesco lost a heart breaker in the first round opening the door for Schurman to clinch by nights end. Schurman decided to go out in style as he took down muti-time MASGA champ Tom Goldman in the final of Race #9. In the finals it was anyone's race as both were pretty even off the line (.018 to .021 in favor of Goldman) but, Goldman was just a little too fast and lost a close double-breakout 9.888 to 9.894 handing the victory and clinching the championship for Schurman. On Sunday it another champ taking the victory as IHRA Division 1 champ Jerry Pierce took the victory back to Albany, NY. Waiting for Jerry was Joe Eckel and his 92 Camaro. In the final both driver played it safe at the tree (.015 to .018 in favor or Pierce) and with that slight advantage it forced Eckel to break-out with a 9.892 to Pierce's winning 9.913.

MASSA, Mid Atlantic Super Street Association: Jimmy Stack held a slim 2 point lead over Pittsburgh, Pa's Jeff Fisher going into event #9. Early exits by Fisher & Keith Mayers opened the door for Stack to build a lead that could see him clinch by nights end. Stack only made it to the semi-finals but, did pad his lead to 22 points going into race #10 on Sunday. Claiming the victory on Saturday was Bob Kodadek and his sharp looking Corvette. Bob who was making his 1st race of the season after an off season motorcycle accident made the best of his comeback. Waiting for Kodadek was NESSA president Kenny Vangorder and his Vega. At the tree Kodadek took a huge advantage (.022 to .083) and parlayed that into a 10.920 to 10.903 victory and his first MASSA victory. Entering Race #10 the cards were all out on the table. Five drivers had a shot at the Championship, now it was time to settle the score. Things got interesting in the first round as a match-up of the Frank Quarno & Marty Ganjoin would eliminate one from the chase. Quarno took the victory eliminated Ganjoin. Then Stack turned on the red-light to Jason Lawrence followed by Fisher who did the same to Vangorder eliminating Fisher. This would leave Quarno, Mayers and the leader Stack for the championship. Third round would eliminate another contender as Quarno took on Mayers. Mayers took the victory and with that he actually tied Stack going into the fourth round. Mayers was then defeated by Ron Ross driving the Penco Tech Camaro in the semi's. Ross then took that motivation to match up yet again with Vangorder in the finals. Ross laid down a 21 thousandths package in the finals and Kenny couldn't do much with that as Ross took his first MASSA Victory. Once the dust had settled Mayers & Stack found themselves tied but, it would come down to season victories. Mayers had two & Stack had one which means that Keith Mayers is the 2014 MASSA Champion.

MASCA, Mid Atlantic Super Comp Association: Going into the event 2 time champ Joey Cambria held a 2 round lead on about fourteen eligible drivers but, one problem....Cambria was in Ohio for business so he couldn't be there to help his cause. Knowing things wouldn't pan out till Race #10 racers still battled it out for the Event #9 victory. Ken Moses had run a limited 2014 MASCA season but, wheeled his American Race Cars digger to the finals. Waiting for Moses in the finals was Ash Senft. In the finals Senft took a huge advantage (.018 to .051) over Moses but, with the sun down and the lights on both drivers set-up way to quick with Senft breaking out the worst and handing the victory to Moses (8.861 to 8.865). After Race #9 Cambria's lead was cut down to 1 round but, he was still in the lead after Race #9. As Race #10 opened up there were 8 drivers who still had a shot at the championship. Senft & Mac Dougherty both lost in the 1st round eliminated them from the hunt, Fahnestock would then join them after round #2. Still in the hunt were Walter Olt, Kevin Scholl, Dave Long & Don Bangs. Long would take out Olt and Scholl was upended by Joe Gallucci III ending their hopes. As the night got longer it was going to come down to Long and Bangs in the finals. Long beat Dave Stine in the Semi's and Bangs got the bye-run. By now both drivers had passed Cambria for the Championship. This would set-up a winner take all 2014 MASCA Championship final round. At the hit Bangs took the advantage (.028 to .040) and held that advantage all the way to the finish line in a 8.928 to 8.923 victory and his first MASCA Championship.

Cordova, IL - Calling all Midwest owners of Buicks, Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs: Saturday, October 11 is your day at Cordova Dragway Park.

There’s a Show & Shine, a swap meet, and of course drag racing! Classes include Quick 16 Box / No Box Combo. The Q8 Box winner and the Q8 No Box winner each win $400, then run each other for an additional $600. Q8 entry fee is $75.

There’s also a Buick-Olds-Pontiac Race For Cash for Street Tires (drag radials and cheaters allowed) and Race Slicks. Each class pays $400 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters, all based on 32 car minimum field. Entry for each is $40. Gates open at 9:00 am. For more info visit www.CordovaDrag.com.

Lancaster, NY - Friday September 26 saw the Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series come to Elegant Builders Raceway Park for the final event of 2014, presented by Sam LoVetro Automotive. With a record number of cars on the property for EBRP's final race, the event ran into the early morning hours of Saturday and was ultimately called at 2:00am with three TNTSS cars remaining - Jeff Sobczynski, Tim Fletcher and Harry Phelps.

The 2014 TNTSS points championship will go to Jason Vitez. He won the first race of the season and led the points pretty much ever since. Going into the last race, Vitez had the championship points lead over JJ Jablonski, Tom Coonly, Ted Barnes and Harris Phelps in fifth.

The one and only qualifying session on Friday saw the top three qualify 3rd, 5th and 6th respectively... each gaining valuable qualifying points. Barnes was not so lucky and qualified at the bottom of the ladder, taking him out of championship contention. Then in a dramatic turn of events, both Vitez and Jablonski were taken out in first round, victims of Joe Karosik and Jim Thomson. That left Tom Coonly 57 points out of first place. If he got to the final and won, he would become the points champion.

In round two, Coonly was up against Harris Phelps. Almost dead even on the tree, Coonly was .519 to Phelps .518. At the big end, it was a .005 margin of victory for Phelps running 7.012 to Coonly's 7.016.... ending Coonly's championship hopes. And with Barnes falling in round three to Sobczynski, the top five remained almost exactly as they came into the day with the exception of fifth place.

For the first time in the TNTSS eight year history, there is a tie in the top five. Harry Phelps (Harris' father) defeated Harris in round three when Harris went .001 red. This landed them both with exactly the same number of points so both will receive embroidered TNTSS jackets along with the rest of the top five drivers.

All of this and more will be celebrated at the Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series Awards Night which is coming up in November at Johnny Rocco's in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Stay close to www.tntsuperseries.com for the finalized date and everything else you need to know about the TNT Super Series.

Atco, NJ - In the final race of the 2014 season for the East Coast Stock / Super Stock Association, William Gill in the 1957 SS/MA Chevrolet wagon took the win over James Perrone in the 1969 G/SA Nova. The almost heads-up race (Gill's 11.16 dial to Perrone's 11.17 dial) was started off by two redlights. Perrone's was first so Gill takes the win. The semi-finalists were Rich Preiser (SS/EM 67 Mustang) and Bryan Valentine (SS/JA 97 Firebird).

Despite Gill's win, it was Preiser taking home the 2014 ECSSSA Championship. Congratulations, Rich.

photos: Dave Milcarek (www.DaveMilcarek.com)

Mohnton, PA - One of the biggest Sportsman races around is coming to Maple Grove Raceway Thursday, October 9 - Sunday, October 12, 2014. The Dutch Classic will include Stock, Super Stock, Super Street, Super Gas, Super Comp, the Hemi Challenge, Comp Eliminator, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster.

Gates open Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 am and Sunday at 8:30 am. For more info visit www.MapleGroveRaceway.com.

Numidia, PA – Numidia Dragway continues its tradition of big money races in October with 2014 Octoberbucks.

Saturday & Sunday, October 4th & 5th include $5,000 races for Super Pro and $3,000 for Footbrake. Saturday & Sunday, October 11th & 12th include $5,000 races each day for Super Pro and Footbrake. Then on Saturday & Sunday, October 18th & 19th there are $5,000 races for Super Pro and $3,000 for Footbrake.

The $5,000 races pay $5,000 Win, $1,500 Runner-Up, $600 Semis, $300 5th Round Win, $200 4th Round Win, $150 2nd Round Win and $75 2nd Round Win. Entry is $150, buyback is $90. Payouts are guaranteed. The $3,000 races pay $3,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $400 Semis and $50 Round starting 2nd Round Win. Entry is $90, buyback is $60.

All races are quarter-mile. Super Pro is 6.50 – 12.99; Footbrake is 8.50 – 17.99. Two drivers may each enter the same car, one driver may enter two different cars, but one driver may not double-enter the same car.

Gates open 9:00 am both days, overnight parking available. For more information, visit www.NumidiaDragway.com.

Milan MI – Milan Dragway’s High School Nationals is coming up on Saturday, October 4th, 2014. The event is open to high school and college students and includes six classes of bracket racing: Bracket 1 for 12:00 – 13.99, Bracket 2 for 14.00 – 15.99, Bracket 3 for 16.00 – 17.99, Bracket 4 for 18.00 – slower, College 1 for 12.00 – 14.99 and College 2 for 15.00 – slower.

Requirements are simple: racers need a driver’s license, a valid student ID, and if under 18 a signed consent form. The car must have seat belts; the driver must wear long pants and a shirt with sleeves (no tanks) and a helmet for 13.99 and quicker.

For more information visit www.MilanDragway.com.

Cordova, IL - Attention to our street-legal racers in the vicinity of Cordova Dragway Park: get yourself an energy drink and get to Cordova’s Midnight Mayhem on Friday night, October 3rd, 2014. This sounds like a lot of fun, with racing from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am! This is open to street-legal cars and trucks with DOT tires and noise-quieting mufflers (sorry, no bikes).

Among the festivities will be a flag girl contest, stop-light starts, flag starts, dB drags, burn-out contest and grudge racing including sport compact and domestic shootouts. If you’re a regular bracket racer at Cordova, perhaps show up and talk to the street kids about coming back to the track on bracket day.

Entry fee is $25 for car & driver from 11:00 pm – 3:00 am, or $40 for test & tune starting at 6:00 pm. For info visit www.CordovaDrag.com.

Racers, if you also have a business in the racing industry then this is for you. The 27th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show will run Dec. 11 - 13 at the Indiana Convention Center. It's a must for anybody in the business of performance. One benefit the PRI Trade show brings that few other major conventions or trade shows offer is the accompanying Race Industry Week. With activities consisting of more than 35 conferences, seminars and other special events throughout the racing world, the show has transformed into a seven-day event. Early PRI numbers already show a 16 percent increase in reserved hotel room nights from this time a year ago.

This year’s PRI Trade Show is expected to play host to exhibits from over 1,100 racing companies occupying 3,000 booths, and attract tens of thousands of racing professionals from across the US and 70 countries around the globe. Among those exhibiting is Lucas Oil founded by Indiana native Forrest Lucas.

"Motorsports marketing has been a key to the success and growth of Lucas Oil through the years," relayed Lucas, founder and president of Lucas Oil. “Having the PRI Show in Indianapolis is a big deal for us and it’s a big deal for Indianapolis as the motorsport capitol.”

For additional information on the 2014 PRI Trade Show, or hotel and travel information, visit www.pri2014.com. Also, check the web page periodically for program updates, as well as times and locations for all Race Industry Week events.

Budds Creek, MD – Attention bike racers: the MIRock Fall Nationals is October 3 – 5 at Maryland International Raceway.

Drag racing includes Top Fuel match race, Pro Street, Real Street, 4.60 Index, 5.60 Index, Crazy 8s, Top Sportsman, Pro ET, Street ET and Grudge. There’ll also be the Orient Express Pro Street Battle Royale

Gates open at 9:00 am on Friday for parking, early testing ($100) from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and testing ($25) from 6:30 pm – 11:00 pm. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am. For more info visit www.MIRDrag.com.

Rochester, NY – The Tread City Tire / Western New York Super Rod Association (WNYSRA) announced today that Uncle Bob’s Self Storage of Buffalo, New York (www.unclebobs.com) has agreed to become a major race sponsor of the popular sportsman racing series.

Jason Oldfield, Co-Founder of the Tread City Tire / Western New York Super Rod Association, stated, “We are thrilled to have Uncle Bob’s Self Storage on board as a major sponsor for the 2014 racing season. When people think of storage in Western New York, they think of Uncle Bob’s Self Storage due to their enormous presence in the area. So, we strongly believe that this partnership will help us reach new potential fans for our series, but in addition we also feel that our existing fans and competitors will be very interested in learning more about the moving and storage products and services that Uncle Bob’s provides to their customers.”

The Chief Financial Officer of Sovran Self Storage, Andy Gregoire, stated, “I speak on the behalf of everyone at Uncle Bob’s Self Storage when I say we are very excited to be supporting the Western New York Super Rod Association in 2014. With 20 locations from Buffalo to Syracuse, we feel that this partnership will provide us an excellent opportunity to connect with our customers in the area, particularly those with an interest in motorsports. Many people are not aware that in addition to our standard indoor storage facilities, Uncle Bob’s Self Storage provides car, motorcycle, and RV storage, as well. A very large percentage of motorsports enthusiasts also own a motorized toy of their own. Thus, we believe that the Western New York Super Rod Association can help us reach those customers who will be looking for a safe and secure location to store their prized possessions during the upcoming winter months.”

For more information about the Western New York Super Rod Association, visit at the WNYSRA website at www.wnysra.com.

Rockingham, NC - The Super Chevy Show comes to Rockingham Dragway, Friday – Sunday, October 3rd – 5th, 2014. The Rockingham Super Chevy Show will include a huge car show, a large vendor midway, nitro funny cars, Classic Gear Jammers and lots of Chevy drag racing.

Sunday’s race classes include Pro ET ($3,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $400 Semis, $200 Quarters and $100 Eighths). Entry is $50, buybacks are $30. Footbrake pays $1,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters and $50 Eighths. Entry is $50, buybacks are $30. DOT pays $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $75 Quarters and $50 Eighths. Entry is $50.

Gates open Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am. For more information visit www.RockinghamDragway.com.

Here's a video that shows what happens when everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

Let's see: fast cars, unprepared surface, no roll bar, a driver restraint system (if any) that failed, and a driver whose helmet wasn't even strapped based on how fast he has it off. Although I have no idea how quick the '55 is, it appears that it would be quicker than 11.50 and therefore would need a roll bar.

The level of idiocy here at all levels is astounding. Thank God the driver was able to walk away. Hopefully he learned a thing or ten. If an NHRA or IHRA tech official ever bounces you for something, instead of getting in their face just think of this video and thank them instead.

Highlights for me at the NHRA Division 1 Bracket Finals (in no particular order): the exceptionally tight racing, not blowing anything up, not wrecking, spending time with my friends Steve & Arlene Russell, watching Steve go rounds, the weather, me winning 1st round, hanging out with my friend Bobby DiMino from Numidia Dragway, getting to know Starr from Spencer Speedway, Robin from ESTA Safety Park and Joe Lombardo from New England Dragway, NHRA Division 1 for running a smooth program (thanks Dave Mohn, Dave Ley and crew), the Gambler's races on Thursday and Friday (makes the weekend that much more fun), the multitude of racers who came up to me throughout the event to say how much they like The Dragtime News, and the racers who bought Dragtime News t-shirts. It was really a great weekend. Can't wait for Atco 2015! Here are a few teaser shots that you'll see in upcoming Dragtime News On Location coverage. Join the email list (upper-right corner of the Home page) and be alerted when it's published!

Maryland International Raceway’s Top ET $5Ks take place Friday & Saturday, September 26th & 27th, 2014 during MIR's Pro Mod Challenge.

Each day pays $5,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $750 Semis, and $100 Round starting with 2nd Round Winners. Entry is $126 per day; 1st & 2nd Round buybacks are $80.

Each race is on the 1/4 Mile for 0.00 – 12.99 dials. No throttle stops. No double-entries, but one driver may drive two cars. Gates open 3:00 pm on Friday with time trials at 4:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 9:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. For more information visit www.mirdrag.com.

The Super Chevy Show comes to Bristol Dragway, Thursday – Sunday, September 25th – 28th, 2014. Thunder Valley historically hosts one of the largest Super Chevy Shows on the calendar. Bracket racers will flock to Thunder Valley to take part in Sunday’s racing action in Bracket 1 (Super Pro), Bracket 2 (Pro) and DOT.

Bracket 1 pays $3,000 Win, $1,500 Runner-Up, $500 Semis, $200 Quarters and $100 Eighths. Entry is $60. Bracket 2 pays $1,500 Win, $600 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters and $75 Eighths. Entry is $60. DOT pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $125 Semis, $100 Quarters and $75 Eighths. Entry is $60.

Gates open Thursday for parking at 5:00 pm. Gates open Friday at 9:00 am with a test & tune at noon. Gates open Saturday at 7:30 am and Sunday at 8:00 am. Visit www.bristoldragway.com.

Mohnton, PA - Vincent Branca of Norristown, PA scored twice in final eliminations at Maple Grove Raceway to clinch the King of the Hill title Saturday at Maple Grove Raceway during the NHRA Summit Jr. Drag Racing League Challenge. The event originally was scheduled for Aug. 24 but was rained out.

Branca first defeated Jamie Rothenberger of Glenmoore, PA in the Jr. Dragster 16-17 age group final and then won the King Of The Hill finale over C.J. Ketterer of Sellersville, PA.

Justin Handwerk of Edison, NJ won the Jr. Dragster 8-9 final over Alexis Wade of Trevose, PA. Matt Schell of Exton, PA won the Jr. Dragster 10-11 final over Owen Roth of Danielsville, PA. C.J. Ketterer defeated Benjamin Spotts of Douglassville, Pa., in the Jr. Dragster 12-13 final. Jeremy Ketterer of Sellersville, PA defeated Brian O'Brien of Coatesville, PA in the Jr. Dragster 14-15 final.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and IRG Sports + Entertainment have announced the 2015 IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series schedule. The 12-race North American Tour will include a number of traditional favorites plus two new stops in Ohio and Washington as the series travels to nine states and Canada, making the IHRA one of the only truly international motorsports series.

Highlighting the 2015 schedule will be a return to IHRA's home state of Ohio for the first time since 2006 as the series travels to Dragway 42 in West Salem the weekend of September 11-12. The Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series will also travel to Washington state for the first time ever the weekend of July 10-11 at Spokane County Raceway and will host an additional international event to be announced later this year.

Both of the facilities in Ohio and Washington have undergone massive renovation projects and will provide fans and racers with an unmatched event experience. Spokane County Raceway boasts a sprawling, multipurpose motorsports facility highlighted by its new Nitro Jam date, while Dragway 42 is currently undergoing a ground-up renovation that will bring it into the upper echelon of drag racing facilities in the United States.
The IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series will kick off its 2015 season at Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson for the Southwestern Nationals the weekend of February 6-7.

2015 IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series Schedule:
February 6-7 - Southwestern International Raceway - Tucson, AZ
March 13-14 - San Antonio Raceway - Marion, TX
April 17-18 - Bradenton Motorsports Park - Bradenton, FL
April 24-25 - Palm Beach International Raceway - Jupiter, FL
May 29-30 - Cordova Dragway Park - Cordova, IL
June 19-20 - Maryland International Raceway - Budds Creek, MD
June 26-28 - Grand Bend Motorplex - Grand Bend, ON
July 10-11 - Spokane County Raceway - Airway Heights, WA
July 17-19 - Castrol Raceway - Edmonton, AB
August 7-8 - US 131 Motorsports Park - Martin, MI
September 11-12 - Dragway 42 - West Salem, OH
October 9-10 - Memphis International Raceway - Millington, TN

Visit www.nitrojam.com for more information on the 2015 IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series schedule and lineup.

The weather conditions on Friday didn't phase the veteran sled racer as he was .020 on the tree and dead zero in Round 1 to push Ron D'Alessandro under the 7.00 index. A bye in round two set him up against Pete Maduri Sr. where Karosik drilled the tree with an .012 and ran 7.010 to a losing 6.965 by Maduri. In the semis, Karosik had .010 in hand against Pete D'Agnolo and ran 7.002 to advance to the money round. There he met up with past TNTSS champion David Surmatchewski who was marching his way through both the TNTSS and the Top ET fields.

When the tree came down, Surmatchewski had a slight advantage, leaving first by a mere .005 and then took only .008 at the stripe, breaking out in the process. But it was Karosik who broke out less, running a 6.996 to Surmatchewski's 6.993 for the win.

Visit www.tntsuperseries.com for more information about the series.

The NHRA Motorsports Museum New England Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA Insurance concluded on Sunday with racing taking center stage. Eliminations in each of the categories were contested with winners crowned during the course of the thrilling day.

Before eliminations began, the legendary Cacklefest™ kicked off the day. Dozens of classic cars including front engine dragsters, Funny Cars, and classic nitro burning machines came to life down the length of the track.

Following the Cacklefest™ all eyes turned to the track and the nostalgic quarter mile drag racing. In Top Fuel Tony Bartone took top honors; William Masiello won 7.5 Index; Bob Schneider won 7.0 Index; Competition Eliminator winner was Don Nave; Gas Eliminator was Jared Kinson; the winner of Modified Eliminator was Ronald Childs; Nostalgia Super Stock was won by Serge Couterier; Top Stock Eliminator was Jody Noble; Hot Rod Eliminator winner was Richard Dispirito; Pro Comp was James Gifford; Mark Keenan won Flat Head Inline Eliminator; East Coast Gassers winner was Pete Boyer and Alan Borowski won AA/Gas.

Cordova, IL – Cordova Dragway Park’s Oktoberfest of Drag Racing is coming up Saturday & Sunday, September 27th & 28th 2014.
Saturday races are Super Bracket Combo and Low Roller Combo. Super Bracket Combo is for 0.00-13.99 dials, with Box on one side and No Box on the other. The Super Bracket Combo pays $2,000 Win, $850 Runner-Up and $100 Round starting with 3rd Round Win. Entry is $90 and a buyback will be available for 1st round non-winners. The Low Roller Combo (12.50 and slower, no delay boxes, but transbrakes and 2-steps are OK) pays $500 Win and $200 Runner-Up. Entry is $40, and a buyback will be available.

Sunday features the Ozark Mountain Super Shifters’ Season Finale and ET bracket racing for Top ET, Modified ET, Super ET, True Street, Trophy and Jr. Dragsters.

Gates open 5:00 pm Friday for a test & tune. Gates open Saturday at 9:30 am with time trials at 11:00 am. Gates open Sunday at 8:30 am with time trials at 9:30 am. Visit www.CordovaDrag.com for more info.

Clay City, KY - The Original Mopar Southern Classic is Saturday & Sunday, September 27th & 28th, 2014 at Mt. Park Dragway.

Saturday is Mopar Takes On The World in Top ET, Modified, Quick 16 and Super Street. Other makes are welcomed to enter to take on the Mopars. Top ET pays $2,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters and $50 Eighths. Entry is $75, buybacks are $40. Modified pays $1,200 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $40 Quarters and $20 Eighths. Entry is $50, buybacks are $30. Quick 16 pays $1,200 Win, $400 Runner-Up and $150 Semis. Entry is $100, no buybacks. Super Street pays $350 Win, $150 Runner-Up and $50 Semis. Entry is $30, buybacks are $15.

Sunday is for Mopars only, with bracket racing in Top ET, Modified and Nostalgia Super Stock Showdown pitting SS Hemi and SS Wedge. Top ET pays $1,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $50, buybacks are $30. Modified pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $40 Quarters. Entry is $50, buybacks are $30. The Super Stock Showdown pays $1,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $200 Semis and $100 Quarters. Entry is $100.

Gates open Friday at 4:00 pm for a test & tune. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 am. Visit www.MPDragway.com.

Fridays see the return of the track’s popular Street Legal Drags, providing a great way to help bring new racers to our sport in a fun and safe environment. Saturdays (and occasional Sundays) are Summit Series ET bracket points. Sundays are Test & Tune. Please check the track’s website and schedule to make sure these events are in effect on the specific day you’re planning to go.

Numidia is known as “The Home Of The Guaranteed Payout,” and the track’s series of 2014 big money races will showcase that. Big money races scheduled include Sunday & Monday, May 25th & 26th ($5,000 Super Pro / $5,000 Footbrake); Friday – Sunday, July 4th – 6th (3rd Annual Superbucks In The Hills); the month of October it will be OctoberBucks (exact schedule to be announced).

Other races include the OK 4WD Mudbog (rescheduled for May 3rd), MANDRA nostalgia drags on Saturday, May 10th, National Dragster Challenge / Jr. Dragster Challenge (Saturday, June 14th), Fireworks Show / Great Lakes Nostalgia Funny Cars (Saturday, June 28th), NHRA King Of The Track (Saturday, July 12th), NADM Diesel Nationals (Saturday, July 19th), 4th Annual Racer Appreciation Day (Saturday, August 16th) and NETO nostalgia drags on Saturday, August 23rd.

For more information about Numidia Dragway, visit www.NumidiaDragway.com.

Racing retailers, engine builders, fabricators, warehouse distributors, race team members and other motorsports professionals planning to attend this year’s Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis can now register online, via the PRI website. There is no charge. This year's PRI Show takes place December 11-13, 2014 at the Indiana Convention Center.

The PRI Show is a trade-only event; only members of the racing industry are granted admission. For additional information on the 2014 PRI Show, visit www.PRI2014.com.

Montgomery, AL - Montgomery Raceway Park’s Super 7 Series Season Finale scheduled for last weekend was rained out and has been rescheduled to Friday – Sunday, September 19th – 21st, 2014. Super Pro features a daily payout of $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $500 Quarters, and $50 Round starting with 3rd Round Win. Payouts ate based on 100 entries. Enter any single race for $150, or enter the weekend (three races) for $350. 1st or 2nd Round buybacks are $100. Electronics OK. Two drivers may drive the same car in a single class, but one driver cannot double the same car.

In addition there’ll be Pro Class races on Saturday and Sunday that each pay $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, and $50 Quarters. Payouts based on 30 entries. Entry is $30 per race, 1st or 2nd Round buybacks are $20.

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

The Performance Racing Industry Show returned to Indianapolis last year for the first time since 2004 after the show’s owner, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), acquired the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS), consolidating it with the PRI Trade Show under the PRI brand. For 2014, show producers are preparing an even better event for the 27th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, to be held at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, from December 11–13, 2014.

"The 2013 show was a huge success for both exhibitors and attendees,” said PRI Trade Show Producer John Kilroy. “Yet, we have areas that we’re looking to fine tune and improve on to ensure we present the most incredible showcase of the latest advances in racing technology in the show’s 27-year history." With that in mind, the decision was made to open more space in the Exhibit Halls to accommodate additional racing parts manufacturers as exhibitors by not allowing trailers inside the Exhibit Halls.

“We’re zoning off streets adjacent to the Convention Center for trailer exhibits, and there will be many trailer manufacturers with regular exhibit booths inside the Convention Center. We just won’t have trailers inside the Convention Center,” relayed Kilroy. “In turn, that will allow for additional space to bring more exhibitors inside the Exhibit Halls.”

This year’s PRI Trade Show is expected to play host to exhibits from over 1,100 racing companies occupying 3,000 booths, and attract tens of thousands of racing professionals from across the US and 70 countries around the globe. For additional information on the 2014 PRI Trade Show, or hotel and travel information, visit www.pri2014.com.

Rochester, NY – Multi-time Super Rod and Hot Rod champion Jon Jablonski is used to winning races, not to mention bunches of rounds of competition. So, one can understand why Jon felt a little out of sorts early this season as he struggled to get his Jason Vitez Race Cars ’67 Chevy II to repeat from one run to the next. Jon was so frustrated that he literally removed his car from competition so that he could concentrate on testing to get the car to meet his performance expectations. That strategy paid dividends just a scant few weeks after re-entering competition with a win at the Tread City Tire / Western New York Super Rod Association (WNYSRA) event at Empire Dragway, which was presented by BRK Machine & Performance of Alden, NY.

Sixteen drivers entered Sunday’s race, and it didn’t take long for Jablonski to notify the rest of the field he was back and meant business, as after two rounds of qualifying Jablonski sat atop the qualifying list with a 9.910 e.t.. For his efforts, Jablonski earned an additional 10 points for being the #1 qualifier, and a first round matchup with prior race winner and current points leader, Jeff Gregoire. The tough matchup didn’t faze Jablonski though, as he was able to use a healthy starting line advantage to defeat Gregoire with a 9.931 second E.T. to Gregoire’s break-out 9.866.

In the second round of eliminations, Jablonski found himself up against previous WNYSRA race winner John Cira of Rochester, NY, who was third overall in the points standings. In contrast to Jablonski’s first round race where he had a significant starting line advantage, in this race Jablonski found himself behind at the start with a .036 second reaction time to Cira’s stout .008 second R.T. Knowing that Jablonski would be closing on him fast at over 150 mph, Cira was concerned about scrubbing too much speed on the top end and allowing Jablonski to get around him. This ended up coming back to haunt Cira though, as he took too much stripe and broke out with a 9.880 second elapsed time to Jablonski’s winning E.T. of 9.915 seconds. In the other 2nd round pairings, Doug Lynden of Fredonia, NY defeated the 1994 Chevy Corvette of Mark Herbold, Bill Elekes in his 1995 Chevy Beretta beat Len Oleksy of Depew, NY, and Andy Lawrence of Spencerport, NY used a near perfect .002 second reaction time and excellent 9.915 second elapsed time to defeat the always competitive Jon Pellicane of Attica, NY in his 2013 Chevrolet Corvette. Lawrence’s 0.017 second package on his winning run held up as the best of the event, and as such he was named the winner of the “Jiffy-tite Package Award”, which includes a $50 gift certificate from Jiffy-tite Motorsports.

In the semifinals, Jablonski was matched up with Lynden in his 1927 Ford roadster. When the Christmas Tree lit, both drivers left the starting line with superb reaction times; .011 seconds for Jablonski, and .006 seconds for Lynden. But, at the other end, Jablonski laid down a near perfect 9.906 second elapsed time to defeat the too quick Lynden, who broke out with his 9.876 second E.T. The other semifinal matchup saw Elekes take on Lawrence. Unfortunately though, this race was over before it started as Lawrence ended up being disqualified for failing to stage his car in the allotted time. This occurred as Lawrence engaged the transbrake, and a transmission malfunction caused his Chevy Monte Carlo to back up a few inches, which was just enough to back out of the stage beam.

That set up the finals between Elekes and Jablonski, who are not only very good friends, but also have a mentor – protégé relationship. In the past, Jablonski had driven Elekes’ race cars on more than one occasion. But in addition, Jablonski worked for Elekes for many years, including at Elekes’ most recent venture, Autos Direct of Buffalo. In late 2013, Jablonski felt he was finally ready to make a go of it on his own, and with Elekes’ guidance founded Autos Direct of Alden. So, this was definitely not going to be just another final for these veteran competitors, as winning this race was certain to be a little sweeter than most.
Given what was at stake, everyone expected to see the best from both drivers, and they didn’t disappoint. Jablonski and Elekes left the starting line with near identical reaction times, with Jablonski holding a slight .005 second advantage over Elekes. But, on this day, Jablonski’s car was remarkably dialed-in to the Super Rod index of 9.90 seconds, and this run would prove no different as Jablonski would run a 9.925 second elapsed time to secure the victory over Elekes and his 9.934 second E.T. In every round of competition at this event, Jablonski ran closer to the Super Rod index than his competitor, which certainly played a large role in his victory.

For more information about the WNYSRA, visit www.wnysra.com.

Milan, MI – Milan Dragway has something for everybody the weekend of September 19th – 21st, 2014.

Friday night is Harleys at the Dragway, which includes three all-Harley classes, one metric class and one All Run Drag Bike class. There’ll also be a swap meet, vendors and live music. Gates open at 5:00 pm. $12 to race or watch.

Saturday is the Saturday Shootout Series with Outlaw Limited Street, X275, Ultra Street, Wild Street, Open Comp and Jr. Dragsters. Sunday is the Musclecar Showdown. This is ¼-mile, heads-up index racing for footbrake cars on a .500 Pro tree. Racers can pick their index between 10.00 – 14.00 seconds. Payout is $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters, based on 40 entries. Entry fee is $40. Gates open at 11:00 am.

Visit www.MilanDragway.com for more information.

Cayuga, ONT - Past TNT Super Series champion David Surmatchewski from Oakland, Ontario took the win in the REVS Full Throttle Powersports RACE OF CHAMPIONS - an event unique to the Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series - held during the Labour Day
weekend events at Cayuga Dragway. Open to all previous TNTSS event winners and with no entry fee, the ROC paid $1,200 to win and $400 to runner-up.

Surmatchewski got the competition bye in round one as the number one qualifier. In round two, he faced Pete D'Agnolo who has been on fire recently, winning everything from no box to the 2014 IHRA Super Stock Division One title. D'Agnolo earned his first TNTSS win one week ago and got himself a spot in the ROC. That's where it ended as he went .012 red to Surmatchewski's .013 green. In the semis, Jamie Stoneman had the tree .019 to .030 but he couldn't catch Surmatchewski who ran dead-on-3 to Stoneman's 7.021 - margin of victory .007. At the same time, Marc Vezina was making his way through the other side of the ladder, taking out Gary Kerl, Ted Barnes and JJ Jablonski. In the final both drivers away got away clean. Surmatchewski had the lead .036 to .052 and ran dead-on-8 while letting Vezina take the stripe to go under 6.973.

Surmatchewski was the 2011 Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series Champion and drives a 1983 Olds Cutlass powered by a 377 small block Chevrolet making 600hp @ 8100rpm. The car has run a best of 10.19 @133 mph.

Visit www.tntsuperseries.com for more info.

Holland, TX - Little River Dragway will be the place to be for grudge racing on Saturday, September 20th, 2014 as the track hosts the Bar None, Fade All Grudge Race.

There’ll also be Index racing: 5.80 pays $1,500 Win ($50 entry), 6.60 pays $800 Win ($40 entry) and 7.00 pays $600 Win ($30 entry).
Gates open at 2:00 pm, with the lanes opening at 4:00 pm. For more info visit www.LittleRiverDragway.com.

Budds Creek, MD - Maryland International Raceway presents the Quartermasters Challenge on Sunday, September 21st, 2014.
The Challenge is an 1/8-mile, all-run race that pays $3,000 Win, $800 Runner-Up and $100 Semis. Entry is $85, re-entry is $40. There’s also an 1/8-mile Top Sportsman that pays $1,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up and $100 Semis, based on 48 car field. Entry is $75.

Also on the schedule are Jr. Dragsters ($250 win), test & tune, a show & shine and many grudge races. Gates open at 9:00 am. Visit www.MIRDrag.com for more info.

Crofton, MD - If you race on two wheels and you’re in the area of Capitol Raceway, then the Metro Area Grudge Bike Blowout on Sunday, September 21st could be for you.

Pro ET pays $1,500 Win and $500 Runner-Up. Entry is $50 and 1st round buybacks are $20. Street ET pays $750 Win and $200 Runner-Up. Entry is $40 and 1st round buybacks are $20. V-Rod and Bagger each pays $300 Win and $100 Runner-Up. Entry is $25 and 1st Round buybacks are $10.

There’ll also be No Time, Grudge, test & tune, a dunk tank and a Corn Hole Competition (I don’t want to know). For more info visit www.capitolraceway.com.

Gulfport, MS – Gulfport Dragway’s Fall Drags are coming up on Saturday, September 20th, 2014. Electronics pays $300 Win, $200 Runner-Up and $60 Semis. Entry is $40; 1st and 2nd Round buybacks are $10. Footbrake pays $250 Win, $150 Runner-Up and $50 Semis. Entry is $30; 1st and 2nd Round buybacks are $10. Jr. Dragster pays $150 Win, $75 Runner-Up and $25 Semis. Entry is $20. 10 car minimum.

Trophies also awarded to Winners and Runners-Up. $100 paid to Low ET during time trials. Gates open at 11:00 am, time trials at 12:00 noon, and 1st Round starts at 3:00 pm. For more info visit www.GulfportDragway.com.

Piedmont, NC - The Mini Million comes to Piedmont Dragway during September 19th – 21st, 2014.

The event features three $15Ks and a $30K. The $15Ks are Friday, Saturday and Sunday; each pays $15,000 Win, $3,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $600 6th Round Win, $400 5th Round Win, $200 4th Round Win, and $100 3rd Round Win. Entry is $175 per day, or enter all three days for $500. 1st round buybacks are $125.

Saturday is the $30K that pays $30,000 Win, $5,000 Runner-Up, $2,000 Semis, $800 6th Round Win, $600 5th Round Win, $400 4th Round Win and $200 3rd Round Win. Entry is $400, 1st round buybacks are $180.

Gates open Friday at 12:00 noon with time trials at 3:00 pm. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 am. Visit www.TheMillionOnline.com for more info.

If you're an NHRA Division 1 bracket racer and will be heading to US-13 Dragway in Delmar, DE for the Division 1 Bracket Finals next week, here's the parking map for the pits. Click on the small map here to go to a larger version.

See you in Delaware next week!

If you're a regular reader of The Dragtime News, you know that I'm as devoted a drag racing fan as there is. Being the fan that I am, I watch all of the events on ESPN2. I think overall the coverage is good, especially given the fact that many of us can remember when our sport was rarely if ever on TV. Now we have a whole season, and it includes qualifying and Sportsman programs as well.

So I was watching the coverage of The U.S. Nationals, taking in all of the history of the event and hearing the drivers say how winning Indy is so special. And I found myself wondering, "It might be special, but is it really so unique?" It seems like all of the reverence for this event is based on its past, not on its present. However, back when this event started it obviously had no past: it was the event's very existence that made it special and unique.

In the early days of our sport, there were no national events. That changed in 1955, when the first national event in Great Bend, KS gave racers from different parts of the country the chance to meet at one event and prove who was the best. The event was special because winning it was such an accomplishment, and unique because it crowned national champions which hadn't been done before. That single event then went to different tracks for the next few years. It settled in Indianapolis in 1961, the same year that the Winternationals was added as a second event. In more recent memory (I believe until sometime in the 1990s), the U.S. Nationals featured double points, which kept the event both special and unique.

Fast forward to present day and The U.S. Nationals is really the same as any other stop on the NHRA tour. True, it has another qualifying session, a 64-car Comp field and it's the final race of the regular season for the pros to secure a top-10 spot in the Coutdown To The Championship, but other than that it's no different. I say let's make it special and unique once again. Bring back double points for the pros. That'll really make things interesting, especially because it is the last race of the regular season before The Countdown. You want to win the "biggest race of the year?" Then let's make it the biggest race of the year. Imagine: a team with no mathematical chance at the top 10 under the current points system could make it in if they have a really good day at the U.S. Nationals with a double points system. On the flip side, teams that would be a lock under the current points going into Indy would have to fight extra hard to do well in a double points scenario to keep from getting bumped.

Anything that can help build more drama and excitement for our sport is a good thing, and double points for the pros at The U.S. Nationals would provide both. That's just my .002.

Milan, MI - Milan Dragway presents their Nostalgia Drags on Saturday, September 27th, 2014. Open to cars 1989 and older, race classes include Nostalgia Box (7.75 & quicker, 1/8th mile, $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $50 Quarters, based on 40 cars, $40 entry), Nostalgia No-Box (13.99 & quicker, $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, $50 Quarters, based on 40 cars, $40 entry), and Nostalgia Sportsman (11.50 & slower, footbrake, $500 Win, $150 Runner-Up, $50 Semis, $25 Quarters, based on 30 cars, $35 entry).

There’s also a Muscle Car Show & Shine, The Great Lakes Gassers, and funny car match races. Gates open at 9:00 am. Visit www.MilanDragway.com for more info.

Greensboro, NC - The McCandless Mopar Classic comes to Piedmont Dragway on Sunday, September 14th, 2014, featuring Mopar drag racing, car show and swap meet.

Drag racing classes include Top ET (0.00 – 7.99) that pays $1,200 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters; payouts based on 32 car field. Entry is $35, buybacks are $30. Footbrake (all run) pays $700 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $50 Semis and $25 Quarters, based on 32 car field. Entry is $20, buybacks are $15. There’s also Mopar Street and a test & tune.

Gates open at 10:00 am, time trials start at 12:00 noon. Visit www.TheMillionOnline.com for more info.

Mohnton, PA - Maple Grove Raceway will present the annual Fun Ford Weekend on Sunday, September 14th, 2014. The event includes an all-Ford car show, drag racing, manufacturers midway and swap meet.

The weekend will kick off on the evening of Friday, Sept. 12, with Auto Locator Fast Friday. Gates will open at 4 p.m. with informal heads-up racing and testing from 5-10 p.m. Adult spectator admission is $10. Entry fee is $20 for street-legal cars and motorcycles, $25 for trailered cars. On Saturday, Sept. 13, Maple Grove will host Fords Against The World and the Fairlane Club of America's car show. Cars of all manufacture are welcome and if a Ford wins the final round of eliminations in the Bracket 1 or Bracket 2 classes, Scott's Transmission Center will award a $150 bonus to the driver.

RACER CLASSES AND PURSES:
Saturday Bracket 1, Sunday Quick Ford (Bracket 1): 7.00-19.99 sec. E.T., electronics. If a Ford wins on Saturday, Scott's Transmission Center will pay 1 $150 bonus. Purse: $800 to win, $400 for runner-up, $100 for semifinals, $75 for quarter-finals, $50 for eighths.

Saturday Bracket 2, Sunday Fast Ford (Bracket 2): 7.00-19.99 sec. E.T., non-electrnics. If a Ford wins on Saturday, Scott's Transmission Center will pay a $150 bonus. Purse: $800 to win, $400 for runner-up, $100 for semifinals, $75 for quarter-finals, $50 for eighths.

For more information, visit www.maplegroveraceway.com.

Gulfport, MS – Attention in the Gulfport Dragway pits! September 13th & 14th are the last chances for Gulfport’s bracket racers to gain points for the 2014 season.

Pro Electronics and Pro Footbrake run both days; each pays $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $40 Quarters. Entry is $40 and buybacks are $20. Jr. Dragster runs Saturday only and pays $150 Win, $50 Runner-Up and $20 Semis. Entry is $20 and buybacks are $10.

Gates open Saturday at 12:00 noon, Sunday at 8:00 am. Visit www.GulfportDragway.com.

Montgomery Raceway Park’s Super 7 Series Season Finale is Friday – Sunday, September 12th – 14th, 2014. Super Pro features a daily payout of $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $500 Quarters, and $50 Round starting with 3rd Round Win. Payouts ate based on 100 entries. Enter any single race for $150, or enter the weekend (three races) for $350. 1st or 2nd Round buybacks are $100. Electronics OK. Two drivers may drive the same car in a single class, but one driver cannot double the same car.

In addition there’ll be Pro Class races on Saturday and Sunday that each pay $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis, and $50 Quarters. Payouts based on 30 entries. Entry is $30 per race, 1st or 2nd Round buybacks are $20.

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

North Carolina’s Top 10 Street Outlaws will take on the Top 10 from Tennessee at the 2nd Annual NC Street Outlaws Top 10 Shootout at Farmington Dragway on Friday – Saturday, September 12th – 13th, 2014.

Street Outlaws pays $3,000; entry is $75. True Street pays $1,000 Win based on 20 cars; entry is $50.6.49 and 7.49 pays $500 based on 10 cars; entry is $50.

Gates open Friday at 5:00 for testing and qualifying. Gates open Saturday at 12:00 noon. For rules visit www.NCStreetOutlaws.com.

Rockingham, NC - The Carolina Coalition bracket series makes a stop at Rockingham Dragway September 13th & 14th. 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 $1,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis, and $20 Round starting 3rd Round win. Entry is $50 for either day, or $90 for both.

Friday is open for parking. Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am with time trials at 9:30 am. Gates open Sunday at 8:00 am, with a time run for new entries only. Visit www.RockinghamDragway.com for more information.

Crofton, MD - You need discipline! You need to bring your bad-a$$ toys to Capitol Punishment Grudgefest on Saturday, September 6th, 2014 at Capitol raceway. In addition to the scheduled pairs of grudge match racing including Big Lou’s Camaro vs. Shawn Murphy’s Mustang, there’ll also be an Ultra Street Showdown that pays $2,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $250 Semis and $100 Quarters, all based on 16 car minimum. $100 entry.

Gates open at 9:00 am. For more info including Ultra Street rules, visit www.CapitolRaceway.com.

Milan, MI - Attention to our Michigan heads-up racers: Milan Dragway’s Heads-Up Series continues this Friday, September 5th, 2014. Classes include Outlaw 10.5, Drag Radial, All Motor, Motor City Muscle, Open Comp, X-Treme Street Bike and Outlaw Sled. Gates open at 12:00 noon with qualifying at 3:00 pm and eliminations at 7:00 pm.

For our Stock and Super Stock racers in the area, Milan is having a Stock/Super Stock Combo Race on Sunday, September 7th, open to all NHRA and IHRA-legal Stockers and Super Stockers.$75 entry, gates open at 9:00 am.

For more information, visit www.MilanDragway.com.

Chandler, AZ - To our racing friends in the Southwest, American DRAGCAR’s Wild Horse Challenge Series is coming up Saturday, September 6th 2014 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

Gates open at 5:00 pm. For more info visit USDragCar.com.

Some people were surprised when defending NHRA Pro Mod Champion Rickie Smith recently unveiled a new '69 Camaro from Jerry Bickel. Going into the NHRA U.S. Nationals in under two weeks, Smith is the Pro Mod points leader, but has several other drivers close behind him.

“There are four races left to clench that championship, but really only three for the Nitrous cars. These nitrous cars do not like the dry, hot conditions of Vegas. We need to get this done.” added Smith.

NEW YORK (August 26, 2014) - The recent Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series was filled with some amazing on-track action. Friday's event in Lancaster NY saw 27 cars while Saturday at Empire was rained out and moved to Sunday. Jim Thomson from Niagara Falls, Ontario won Friday and runnered-up Sunday, Pete D'Agnolo from Rochester, NY won his first TNTSS race on Sunday and Clarence, New York's Jamie Stoneman defeated Tom Coonly.

Visit www.tntsuperseries.com for more info.

All super cars invited, all car clubs that are classic muscle car oriented are invited. Competition will include best appearing classes, fastest muscle car classes and elimination classes for all makes. For more information visit www.luskvilledragway.com.

Tioga Center, NY – Bracket racers at Skyview Drags’ ET racing series on Saturday, September 6th will be racing for cool bonus prizes in addition to the track’s normal payouts.

The winner in Super Pro will receive a 1998 US $5 American Eagle Gold coin in excellent condition. The winner in Pro will receive a 2014 Silver Eagle coin made from .999 pure silver. Bike/Sled winner will receive a 2003 Silver American Eagle coin in uncirculated condition. Street, Trophy and Jr. Dragster winners will each receive a collectable coin set.

For more information visit www.SkyviewDrags.com.

Elk Creek, VA - Help a good cause while racing for some big bucks at Elk Creek Dragway on Saturday, August 30th, 2014 at Race 4a Cure. A portion of the proceeds will go to cancer research.

Super Pro pays $1,200 Win, $200 Runner-Up and $50 Semis. Entry is $65, and 1st and 2nd round buybacks are $30. Footbrake pays $1,000 Win, $200 Runner-Up and $25 Semis. Entry is $50, and 1st and 2nd round buybacks are $20.

Gates open 10:00 am with time runs at 2:00 pm and eliminations at 6:00 pm. Visit www.ElkCreekDragway.com for more info.

Montgomery, AL - The Mini Million comes to Montgomery MotorSports Park in Montgomery, AL for Labor Day weekend.

The event features three $15Ks and a $30K. The $15Ks are Friday, Saturday and Sunday; each pays $15,000 Win, $3,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $600 6th Round Win, $400 5th Round Win, $200 4th Round Win, and $100 3rd Round Win. Entry is $175 per day, or enter all three days for $500. 1st round buybacks are $125.

Saturday is the $30K that pays $30,000 Win, $5,000 Runner-Up, $2,000 Semis, $800 6th Round Win, $600 5th Round Win, $400 4th Round Win and $200 3rd Round Win. Entry is $400, 1st round buybacks are $180.
Gates open Friday at 12:00 noon with time trials at 3:00 pm. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 am.

Visit www.TheMillionOnline.com for more info.

Cordova, IL - Attention to our street-legal racers in the vicinity of Cordova Dragway Park: get yourself an energy drink and get to Cordova’s Midnight Mayhem on Friday night, August 29th, 2014. This sounds like a lot of fun, with racing from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am! This is open to street-legal cars and trucks with DOT tires and noise-quieting mufflers (sorry, no bikes).

Among the festivities will be a flag girl contest, stop-light starts, flag starts, dB drags, burn-out contest and grudge racing including sport compact and domestic shootouts. If you’re a regular bracket racer at Cordova, perhaps show up and talk to the street kids about coming back to the track on bracket day.

Entry fee is $25 for car & driver from 11:00 pm – 3:00 am, or $40 for test & tune starting at 6:00 pm. Other Midnight Mayhem dates are October 3rd. For more info visit www.CordovaDrag.com.

Boonsboro, MD - Mason-Dixon Dragway keeps it classic with their Labor Day Weekend Classic Saturday, August 30th - Monday September 1st, 2014. The Classic gives racers in six classes three chances to get to the Winner’s Circle.

Each day, Super ET pays $2,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $200 Semis and $100 Quarters. Payouts based on 64 entries. Entry is $75 per day, buybacks are $40 per day.

Pro ET pays $1,200 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $75 Quarters. Payouts based on 64 entries. Entry is $60 per day, buybacks are $30 per day.

Street ET pays $300 Win, $150 Runner-Up, and $25 Round starting with 4th Round loser. Entry is $40 per day, buybacks are $30 per day.

Motorcycle ET pays $300 Win, $150 Runner-Up, and $25 Round starting 4th Round loser. Payouts based on 30 entries. Entry is $45 per day, buybacks are $30 per day.

Trophy pays Giant Trophy Win, 3’ Trophy Runner-Up. Entry is $30 each day. Junior Dragster pays Trophy + $200 Win, Trophy and $100 Runner-Up. Entry is $30 per day, buybacks are $20 per day.

Gates open all three days at 8:30 am. Visit www.masondixondragway.com for more info.

Milan, MI – Milan Dragway’s ET bracket racing series continues on Sunday August 31st with racing for Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Super Pro Bike.

Super Pro and Pro have the same payouts: At 45+ cars, $1,200 Win, $350 Runner-Up, $125 Semis, $60 Quarters and $30 Eighths. At 25-44 cars, $1,000 / $300 / $80 / $40 / $20. At 24 or fewer cars, Win 40%, Runner-Up 20%, Semis 10%. Entry is $45, 1st round buybacks are $20.

Sportsman pays $400 Win, $150 Runner-Up, $75 Semis and $30 Quarters, based on 30+ cars. At 29 or fewer, $300 / $100 / $50 / $20. Entry is $35, 1st round buybacks are $20. S/P Bike pays $300 Win, $100 Runner-Up and $35 Semis, based on 8 bikes. Entry is $35, 1st round buybacks are $20.

Gates open at 9:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. Visit www.MilanDragway.com.

Leicester, NY – Bracket racers in upstate New York should mark Empire Dragway’s 21st Annual 1/8th Mile Nationals on their schedules for Friday – Sunday, August 29th – 31st.

Box and No Box each have the same payouts: Friday’s races each pay $1,000 Win, $250 Runner-Up and $100 Semis. Saturday’s and Sunday’s races each pay $1,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up and $150 semis. Entry for either class is $140 for the weekend or $55 for any single day.

Bikes and sleds are welcomed in No Box. For more info such as gate times visit www.EmpireDragway.com.

Luskville, Quebec – Luskville Dragway presents its Fall Bracket Finals Friday – Sunday, August 29th – 31st 2014.

Friday night features a Cruise Night. Saturday night features a Cruise Night, Jet Cars and Street Car Shootout. For the bracket racers is two days of big money races on Saturday and Sunday. Super Pro pays $5,000 Win on Saturday and also on Sunday. Entry for Super Pro is $200 for either day or $350 for the weekend. Semi Pro pays $2,000 Win on Saturday and again on Sunday. Entry for Semi Pro is $125 for either day or $200 for the weekend.

Gates open Friday and Saturday at 8:00 am, gates open Sunday at 9:00 am. Visit www.LuskvilleDragway.com for more details.

Bristol, TN - Bristol Dragway gives fans of every manufacturer the opportunity to see their favorite classics in action. To give fans and competitors added value, Fun Ford Weekend and Mopar Thunder combine for a doubleheader event on Aug. 29th -30th, 2014. The new format features the same elements that made each event popular, but puts them together to give fans even more bang for their buck.
During the course of the weekend, competitors have the opportunity to face off against other racers of the same make, as well as opponents from the rival manufacturers, during the All Manufacturers Gambler's Race on Friday night ($2,000 Win, $750 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, $100 Quarters. Entry $50).

Saturday bracket racing includes the Ford vs. Mopar Gambler's Race, as well as Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and True Street bracket racing for both Ford and Mopar.

Gates open 10:00 am on Friday and 8:00 am on Saturday. Visit www.bristoldragway.com for information.

Atco, NJ - The 2014 Summer Series Shootout at Atco Dragway continues Labor Day weekend, Friday – Sunday August 29th – 31st, 2014.

Friday and Sunday each feature a $5K that pays $5,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $800 Semis, $400 Quarters (if 8 round race) and $75 Round starting with 3rd Round loser. Entry is $150 and buybacks are $95.

Saturday is a $10K that pays $10,000 Win, $3,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $500 Quarters (if 8 round race) and $100 Round starting with 3rd Round loser. Entry is $200 and buybacks are $125.

ET breaks are 6.50 – 12.99. No double entries. Gates open Friday at 11:00 am with time trials at 1:00 pm. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. Visit www.atco-dragway.com.

Drag racing legends Don ‘The Snake’ Prudhomme and Tom ‘The Mongoose’ McEwen will share their colorful racing stories at the Grand Opening Breakfast at the 2014 Performance Racing Industry Show in Indianapolis, IN, kicking off the world’s largest gathering of motorsports professionals.

On the morning of Thursday, December 11, 2014, the great heritage of the Grand Opening Breakfast at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show continues with the special appearance of two of the biggest names in drag racing’s storied history: Don ‘The Snake’ Prudhomme and Tom ‘The Mongoose’ McEwen.

The two were part of the greatest rivalry in drag racing history—Snake and Mongoose! With 49 career victories, Prudhomme ranks sixth in NHRA history for most wins. Beginning his driving career in 1962, he was the first driver to win the NHRA series title four consecutive times. McEwen is listed as No. 16 of the 50 most significant drivers of NHRA’s first 50 years, winning five NHRA national events.

“We’re honored to have Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen as our special on-stage guests at the Grand Opening Breakfast,” said John Kilroy, producer of the PRI Trade Show. “In addition to their skills as racers, they were responsible for a promotion that started countless boys, as well as girls, dreaming about becoming drag racers.

“I’ve seen Don and Tom together before, and the friendship and the rivalry of Snake and Mongoose will be a treat for the audience, as Dave Despain is sure to draw out their best racing stories,” continued Kilroy.

The Grand Opening Breakfast begins at 8 a.m., Thursday, December 11, 2014, with doors set to open at 7 a.m. It will be held in the Sagamore Ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center.

The PRI Trade Show takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, December 11–13, 2014, in Indianapolis. Over 1100 industry suppliers occupying 3200 booths will exhibit the latest developments in auto racing technology before 40,000 attendees from the US and 70 countries. It is the premier trade show for motorsports professionals throughout the world. It is open to the trade only; race fans are not permitted. To register for the PRI Trade Show, or for more information, go to www.pri2014.com.

The Inaugural Autometer Top 8 Shootout presented by S&W Race Cars and Nitroplate was held recently at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, MD. In the end it was an all family affair as the Boicescos swept both, with Amanda (photo right) taking the win in Super Comp and father Iggie winning Super Gas. Joining Amanda and Iggie were Keith Mayers who took the win in Super Street. The Autometer Top 8 Shootout featured the best eight qualifiers of this year's first six events in a special shootout. In the Super Comp it was the two wildcards reaching the finals as #7 Amanda Boicesco took down #8 Andy Roberts 8.972 to 8.979. Shifting gears to Super Gas it was the #1 & #2 Qualifiers as Iggie Boicesco took down George Donhauser 9.943 to 9.899. Rounding out the shootout was the 10.90 class and in the end it was past IHRA World Champ Keith Mayers taking the win over Jeff Fisher on a hole-shot 10.904 to 10.902.

The Mid Atlantic .90 Association also completed event #s 7 & 8 of their 2014 season on Saturday & Sunday. On Saturday Walter Olt from Medford, NJ took the Super Comp victory over Ash Senft 8.903 to 8.908. In Super Gas it was New York native George Smith taking down Iggie Boicesco 9.901 to 9.910. Rounding out Saturday's action was MASSA. 2013 Champ Jimmy Stack finally won a race in 2014 by taking down Rich Price in the finals 10.923 to 11.006. On Sunday, another sunny day greeted the racers. In Super Comp action local bracket racer Dale Powers turned on the throttle stop and prevented Walter Olt from doubling-up with a 8.897 to 8.892 victory. In MASGA action Derek Clark (photo left) finally claimed a victory by defeating Iggie Boicesco on a hole-shot in the finals 9.902 to 9.901. Rounding out the action at Cecil County was the 10.90 class and it was Keith Mayers taking down Martie Ganjoin in the final round 10.912 to 10.890. The Mid Atlantic .90 Association will close out their 2014 season at Atco Dragway on September 27th & 28th.

Mohnton, PA - Lightning - red lightning, in the form of Byron Worner's crimson VEGASFUEL Camaro - struck twice at Maple Grove Raceway. Worner, of Duncannon, Pa., won both rounds of final eliminations on Saturday and Sunday in the ATI Stock-Super Stock class. This was the final weekend for points in that division and Mark Petitdemange of Oxford, Pa., earned enough to claim the championship. The championship is unofficial until points are verified, but Petitdemange had a substantial lead over second place driver Tony Curcio of West Chester, Pa.

SATURDAY, AUG. 9 FINAL-ROUND RESULTS
ATI Stock-Super Stock: Byron Worner (Duncannon, Pa.) defeated Mark Petitdemange (Oxford, Pa.).
Gold Rush Trailers Super Pro: Barry Sauder (Ephrata, Pa.) defeated Mark Smith (Center Valley, Pa.).
Ciccarone Racing Products Pro: John Binkle (Mount Joy, Pa.) defeated Rob Snyder (Sinking Spring, Pa.).
P.C. Richard & Son Street: Dave Raser (Oxford, Pa.) defeated Scott Smith (Birdsboro, Pa.).
Ray’s Yamaha Top Bike: Wayne Pyfrom (Denver, Pa.) defeated Joe Stuebner (Hamburg, Pa.).
NHRA Jr. Street: Jake Karol (Mohnton, Pa.) defeated Robert Weidenhammer (Reading, Pa.).
Trophy: Allen Britton (Pottstown, Pa.) defeated Robert Rippel (Fawn Grove, Pa.).

SUNDAY, AUG. 10 FINAL-ROUND RESULTS
ATI Stock-Super Stock: Byron Worner (Duncannon, Pa.) defeated William Gill (Langhorne, Pa.).
Gold Rush Trailers Super Pro: Derrick Fox (Malvern, Pa.) defeated Mike Daniels (Devon, Pa.).
Ciccarone Racing Products Pro: Paul Werner (Sinking Spring, Pa.) defeated Mark Dennebaum (Clarks Summit, Pa.).
P.C. Richard & Son Street: Mark Ketterer (Sellersville, Pa.) defeated Dave Raser (Oxford, Pa.).
Ray’s Yamaha Top Bike: Austin Youndt (Stevens, Pa.) defeated Joe Stuebner (Hamburg, Pa.).
NHRA Jr. Street: Robert Weidenhammer (Reading, Pa.) defeated Hunter Zajac (Manheim, Pa.).
Trophy: Shannon Cain (West Chester, Pa.) defeated Lindsay Holzman-Hain (Robesonia, Pa.).
Non-points Jr. Dragster: Kyle Robb (Denver, Pa.) defeated Nicholas Bealer (Douglassville, Pa.).

The 28th Annual MOPARS @ Etown is Saturday, August 23rd 2014. The event includes a muffled No-Electronics Money Bracket that pays $250 Win, $125 Runner-Up, $50 Semis, based on 32 cars; entry is $40. There’s also a Mopar King Of The Hill bracket race, with the winners in B1/7.00-10.99, B2/11.00-11.99, B3/12.00-12.99, and B4/13.00-slower duking it out to claim the King Of The Hill. Race entry for these classes is $25. There’ll also be a Mopar car show, a swap meet, and the Super Car Shootout. All vehicles must be Mopar-powered and bodied. Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am.

Also, if your Mopar is 1979 and older, Etown has added two special classes to their Digs at ETown event which will be held the same day on their 1/8th mile drag strip (the Mopars at ETown is on their 1/4 mile). So if you want to extend your weekend bring your Mopar to this Digs event. Only $12 to get in and that includes a tech card to race. Any car 1979 or older is always welcome to the DIGS events at Etown, and it's cool that the track has added something just for Mopars at this particular event.

Visit www.RacewayPark.com for more information.

If you're heading to the 60th Annual U.S. Nationals and live in the Indianapolis area, be sure to set aside some time to take in all of the festivities like the Big Go Block Party in Brownsburg, Indiana on Tuesday, August 19th. The event will take place from 6-9 p.m. at the Brownsburg Town Hall complex and will feature a driver autograph session, show cars from numerous NHRA teams, and many interactive displays.

Beginning at 7 p.m., top NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series racers will take part in a free autograph session and will allow fans to interact with their favorite drivers. Representing the Top Fuel category will be Shawn Langdon and Khalid alBalooshi of Al-Anabi Racing; Antron Brown, Tony Schumacher, and Spencer Massey of Don Schumacher Racing; Brittany Force of John Force Racing; Steve Torrence of Capco Racing/Torrence Motorsports; Richie Crampton of Morgan Lucas Racing; and Leah Pritchett of Dote Family Racing.

Funny Car racers Courtney Force and Robert Hight from John Force Racing; Matt Hagan, Jack Beckman, and Tommy Johnson Jr. of Don Schumacher Racing; and Cruz Pedregon and Tony Pedregon of Pedregon Racing will also take part in the autograph session.

Pro Stock Motorcycle racers Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec of the Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team will also be on hand to meet the fans.

For more information about The Big Go Block Party, like Facebook.com/BigGoBlockParty.

The 2014 Cooley's Anemia Foundation / Long Island Drag Racing Classic Car Show and Test & Tune will be held Saturday, September 13th at the Hempstead Fire Department Training School located at 370 Milburn Avenue in Hempstead.

Registration will be from 7 - 9 AM, with the Test & Tune running from 9 AM to 4 PM. Show: $25; Test & Tune: $60 prior to the event, $70 on the day of the event; Vendors: $100. As always you will be required to have a DOT approved helmet and your car must pass a tech inspection.

You can pre register by calling or emailing:
Cooley's Anemia Foundation
740 Smithtown Bypass, Suite 201
Smithtown, NY 11787
(631) 863-0532 Fax (631) 863-0535
email: darlene@suffolkcaf.com

More information can be found in the LIDragRacing.com forum HERE or on their Facebook page.

Rochester, NY – The Tread City Tire / Western New York Super Rod Association (WNYSRA) announced that Banner Engineering of Minneapolis, Minnesota has agreed to become a major race sponsor of the growing racing series. As such, Banner Engineering was the presenting sponsor of the sixth race of the WNYSRA season at Empire Dragway on Saturday, August 16th.

Phil Harnden, Co-Founder of the Tread City Tire / Western New York Super Rod Association, stated, “We’re extremely excited to have Banner Engineering join us as a race sponsor for the 2014 season. Banner has been involved in drag racing longer than most people know, as their photoelectric sensors are used in the timing systems at almost every track in North America." Banner Engineering has evolved into a worldwide leading manufacturer of industrial and process automation components. Today, virtually every manufacturing company in the Fortune 500 relies upon Banner Engineering to satisfy their sensing requirements.

The Director of North American Sales for Banner Engineering, Dan Colvin, stated, “Though our products are not utilized primarily in motorsports, we realize that many of the fans and competitors may have the need for the types of products we manufacture at their full-time jobs. So, we, along with our distributor for the region, KOM Automation, believe that we can leverage this partnership with the Western New York Super Rod Association to positively affect sales in the territory. Thus, as you can imagine, we are all very enthusiastic about moving forward with the WNYSRA.”

For more information about the WNYSRA, visit www.wnysra.com.

Everyone at Mike Janis Racing has been busy since the last NHRA Pro Mod race in Norwalk and they are working hard to prepare for the 60th Annual U.S. Nationals August 29th – September 1st. Janis is currently in 2nd place, just 11 points out of first.

“We have been working overtime every day to give it our best shot at regaining the points lead and winning the NHRA Pro Mod Championship,” said Janis. “Being one of the lowest funded teams out there makes us work extra hard; we really have to think outside of the box, but we just make due the best we can.”

The Janis Racing team competed in the PDRA race in Richmond, Virginia July 25-26 and ran the car in the Pro Boost class. They kept the car 100% NHRA legal and showed up with a completely different engine and drive train set-up. “The Pro Boost class lets you be 50 pounds lighter and there is no overdrive limit. We kept everything legal, qualified 3rd and made it to the semi-finals only losing by 3 thousandths,” said Janis. “It was a great test session and we were really happy with the performance for the conditions.”

Deciding they just weren't satisfied enough and needed to be stronger before Indy, Janis is scheduled to participate at the Indy test session Wednesday, August 20th along with several other Real Pro Mod (RPM) association teams. “We want to make sure all of our ducks are in a row so we can repeat last year and go for the win!”

With all the hard work and racing, family still remains number one to Janis. He recently spent a week vacation in California to celebrate his 37th wedding anniversary with his wife Michelle and welcomed another grandchild to his family, Camden James Janis.

Milan, MI – Attention, all you 'No ET' racers in the Michigan area, this is for you! Bring it to Milan Dragway on Saturday, August 23rd, 2014 for the No ET Nationals and get into the No ET $2,000 Payout. This is a winner-takes-all race with a $250 buy-in. Rules? We don’t need no stinkin’ rules! EXCEPT: 29W or smaller, no bars, and no ET.

Gates open at 12 noon. Visit www.MilanDragway.com for more info.

Clay City, KY – Kentucky bracket racers, this is all you. Mt. Park Dragway presents the 2014 George Poynter and Joey Whitt Memorial Race on Saturday and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th with money races in Top ET (top bulb) and Mod ET (bottom bulb).

In Top ET, Saturday has two races and Sunday has one; each pays $3,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, $100 Quarters and $50 Eighths. Enter any single race for $80; enter two for $150; enter all three for $200. Buybacks are $40. On Sunday there’s also a 32 Box Shootout that pays $3,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $125 for the first 32.

In Mod, Saturday has two races and Sunday has one; each pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $40 Quarters. Enter any single race for $50; enter two for $90; enter all three for $120. Buybacks are $25. On Sunday there’s also a 16 Mod Shootout that pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, and $100 Semis. Entry is $100 for the first 16.

Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 am with time runs starting at 12 noon. For more information visit www.mpdragway.com.

Gulfport, MS - Attention Gulfport Dragway bracket racers. If you went to the August 9th Summit Super Series and have your receipt, use it for entry on the make-up day of Saturday, August 23rd. August 9th receipts are only good on August 23rd. Pro Footbrake (actually the flier says Pro Football, but I think I know what they meant) and Pro Electronics each pays $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $40 Quarters. Entry is $40 and buybacks are $20.

Gates open at 4:00 pm with time trials from 4:00 pm and eliminations at 7:00 pm. Visit www.GulfportDragway.com for more info.

Union Grove, WI - OK, Wisconsin racers. If you have off on Friday, August 15th and want to spend the entire day at the track testing, grudging, hanging out, basically having a great time, then get you and your car to Great Lakes Dragaway for the 5/50 and Real Street Drags.

The 5/50 means $5 to spectate and $50 race all day from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. For fifty bucks you can make unlimited runs. That's a great deal if you have a lot of testing to do. Then you can stick around for the Real Street Drags that night for no additional charge. The Real Street Drags are 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm. If you arrive after 5:00 pm the gate fee for racers is $35. The Real Street Drags include $$$$ races, flashlight starts, flag starts, normal tree starts, instant green starts, spot cars out, if it goes on the street, it goes at RSD! According to Great Lakes' website, "The track is prepped and set on kill. A full force of safety crew is on site. Enjoy the atmosphere of street racing with the benefits of a prepped track, no police run-ins, and knowing there are EMTs watching your back."

Sounds good to me! Visit www.GreatLakesDragaway.com.

Mohnton, PA - AmericanMuscle.com will present its sixth annual Mustang Show on Saturday, Aug. 16, at Maple Grove Raceway. Spectator gates will open at 9 a.m. Spectator admission and parking is free.

The all-Mustang show includes racing, entertainment. a car show, burn-out contest, food and refreshments, a dyno challenge, activities for kids and celebrity appearances by Chip Foose, Vaughn Gittin Jr., the AmericanMuscle Girls and Brett "Big Schwag" Wagner.
The event is the largest Mustang-only show in the Northeast and benefits the Special Olympics.

The AmericanMuscle.com Mustang Show is a track rental and is not a Maple Grove Raceway event. For more information visit www.americanmuscle.com.

Gainesville, FL - Midnight Madness Street Wars comes to Auto Plus Raceway on Friday, August 22nd, 2014 at 8:00 pm. If you think you have the fastest street car in town, bring it out to Midnight Madness Street Wars. $10 to watch, $15 more to race 8:00 PM until midnight.

Midnight Madness Street Wars is true heads-up 1/4 mile drag racing for cars, trucks and motorcycles on a fully prepped racing surface. Pro / Full tree option; VP Racing Fuel sold during racing event. Visit www.autoplusraceway.com for more information.

If you're a Pro Mod racer who will be racing at the War On Wheels at Maryland International Raceway on Wednesday, August 13th, you can try to be the Last Man Standing. This program is a "Run-Whatcha-Brung - Last Man Standing" format. There will be no qualifying or ladders and pairings will be random with a deck of cards.

There will be one shakedown opportunity at 6:00 pm at each event. Pro Mod entries will receive car, driver and three crew credentials free provided the car meets minimum E.T. requirements and has preentered the event (pre-entry deadline is 3 days prior to the race). Must run 4.65 or quicker to pre-enter (1/8th mile). Pro Mods must be a full body car with functional doors. No restrictions on power adders, engine displacement or minimum weight. Any size tire permitted. All IHRA safety rules and requirements in effect.

There will be no qualifying or ladders; pairings will be done with a deck of cards by the race director. If there is over a 16 car field in any class, in third round only the two quickest winning ETs will go to the final. If there is a bye run, the bye run car's ET will count toward qualifying for the final. No more than four rounds of eliminations will run. Any cars that are eliminated in early rounds may make test runs behind each round of eliminations (time permitting).

For more information visit www.MIRDrag.com.

Mohnton, PA - Drag racers will be giving back to their community again on Sunday, Aug. 24, when they compete in the Race 4 Ronald's House charity event at Maple Grove Raceway. All proceeds from the entry fees will be donated to the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House.

Race 4 Ronald's House will be held during the rescheduled Spring Bracket Nationals, which was postponed due to rain earlier this season. Drivers and riders will race for trophies, plaques and gift cards. The entry fee is $65 and includes car or motorcycle, driver and one crew member. Racing is open to all types of cars, trucks and motorcycles. A special carload ticket for $20 is offered to spectators. Participants must pre-enter with event organizer Denny Parisan by calling (610) 696-7888 or via e-mail at denny.parisan@countycorvette.com.

The first Race 4 Ronald's House of 2014 at MGR, held on June 1, was won by Lee Ormsbee (Veteran racer class) and Jim Calvarese (Novice class). Ormsbee defeated Chuck Snyder in the veteran's final. Calvarese defeated Charles Busnack in the final round of novice eliminations. Both Calvarese and Busnack drove Corvettes. More than $7,800 was raised for Ronald McDonald House Philadelphia.

Greensboro, NC - Piedmont Dragway presents the $30,000 Big Money Backhalf Shootout on Saturday, August 9th, 2014. Backhalf racers from NC, VA, SC, NY and NJ will be on the property shooting for the cash, including Troublemaker, Southern Assassin, Blue Magic, Virginia Slim, Horsemen, 3M Silver Bullet, Big sexy and Skoot. There’ll also be grudge racing, testing and Bikefest. Gates open at 12:00 noon.

Visit www.PiedmontDragway.com for more information.

If you have a registered and inspected street car, bring it to Lebanon Valley Dragway for the 2nd Annual Shakedown Shootout on Friday, August 15th.

All cars must be registered and inspected, but mufflers are not required. License plates may not be “transporter” or “dealer” plates. There will be two classes, Big Tire and Small Tire. You get one time trial and then you race. Pairings are random and the race will be on a .400 Pro tree with no times displayed. The winners of each class will race each other in the final for prize money. Entry is $100 for racers; spectators and crew are free. Gates open 3:30 pm, time trials at 5:00 pm, 1st Round at 6:00 pm.

Visit www.dragway.com for more info.

Epping, NH - New England Dragway is teaming up with End 68 Hours of Hunger to provide a special discount for fans attending the 39th Annual Auto Plus Jet Cars Under the Stars event on Saturday, August 9th, 2014.

Anyone who brings in an unopened 18 ounce jar of peanut butter or 20 ounce jar of plastic squeezable jelly will receive $5 off a general admission ticket. The organization, which started in New Hampshire consists solely of volunteers. End 68 Hours of Hunger is dedicated to combating the problem of childhood hunger in every community. Their mission is simple: confront the 68 hours of hunger experienced by some local school children by providing bags of food to those who may not have a meal between the free school lunch they receive on Friday and free breakfast they receive in school on Monday morning.

To learn more about the organization visit their website at www.end68hoursofhunger.org.

ATI Performance Products has introduced their new 1.62 ratio, straight cut, Vasco gear sets for Powerglide Transmissions rated up to 3,500 hp.

These new, heavy-duty gear sets accept 27-Spline Input Shafts and feature a T400 Output Shaft. Special case machining is required and once the case has been machined, it cannot go back to a standard type gear set. The special parts needed to install this gear set are included. A lightweight billet Aluminum carrier and gun drilled output shaft are standard on these gear sets and saves over 2 lbs!

Each gear set comes complete with Flange and Reverse Ring Gears and a reverse piston, pressure plate, frictions & steels. They are available in both standard 28-inch lengths and shorty 18-inch lengths for rear engine dragsters. ATI warranties all gear sets for 2 years against failure and are on sale now for $2,995. #204880VS-LWT – 1.62 Vasco Gear Set 28” / #204879VS-LWT – 1.62 Vasco Gear Set 18”

For more information, visit ATI online at www.ATIracing.com.

Mohnton, PA - Twenty U.T.I. Jr. Dragster series drivers from Maple Grove Raceway will be headed to the NHRA Division 1 Jr. Championships in Numidia, Pa., on Aug. 8th - 9th. The 20 racers will be split into two 10-car teams: MGR1 and MGR2. Among the entrants will be three Ketterer siblings: Paige (8-9 age group), C.J. (12-13) and Jeremy (14-15). The Ketterer trio from Sellersville, Pa., will be joined by twin sisters Jamie and Jesse Rothenberger of Glenmoore, Pa.

Also on the roster are 2013 MGR champion Vincent Branca (Norristown, Pa.), three-time 2014 MGR winner Elizabeth Pyles (East Prospect, Pa.), Chris Smolenski (Perkasie, Pa.), Kyle Robb (Denver, Pa.), Kelsey Brinckman (Boyertown, Pa.), Amber Bell (Hershey, Pa.), Skyler Stump (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), Matt Witkowski (Elverson, Pa.), Brian O'Brien (Coatesville, Pa.), Katlynn Hoffman (Birdsboro, Pa.), Robert Pennabaker (Morgantown, Pa.), Mark Price Jr. (Collegeville, Pa.), Ranae Nyce (E. Greenville, Pa.), Braylon Kuhn (Douglassville, Pa.) and Deja Brown (York, Pa.).

Empire Dragway presents its 4th Annual Empire Nostalgia Gold Cup on Friday – Sunday, August 8th – 10th, 2014. The Gold Cup is one of the largest assemblies of nostalgia gassers in the country; the event also includes funny cars and a variety of bracket eliminators.
The 1/8th mile bracket classes include Nostalgia Gas for 8.50 and quicker / 1966 and older ($500 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $125 Semis and $75 Quarters), Mod Gas for 7.50 and quicker / 1976 and older ($500 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $125 Semis and $75 Quarters), Quick Nostalgia Electronics and Quick Nostalgia No Electronics, each for 5.50 and quicker (each pays $500 Win, $200 Runner-Up, and $125 Semis), Open Comp Altereds and Front Engine Dragsters ($500 Win, $200 Runner-Up, and $125 Semis) and Street & Strip for 1976 and older ($200 Win, $100 Runner-Up, and $50 Semis).

The daily racer entry is $50 (except the Quick Nostalgia classes which are $75). Gates open Friday at 3:30 pm, gates open Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 am. Visit www.EmpireDragway.com for more info.

Mark your calendar for two days of authentic nostalgia drag racing at the 6th Annual Dover Drag Strip Nostalgia Drags & Car Show happening Saturday & Sunday, August 9th & 10th, 2014 at Lebanon Valley Dragway. The Dover Drags is a full fun family nostalgia weekend. This will be the fourth 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 Eliminator for altereds, dragsters and gassers, Dover Vintage for pre-1973, Dover Modified for pre-’73, 11.99 and quicker, Dover New for ’74 and up, Dover Electronic and Dover 4-Speed. Racer entry is $35 per day. Also scheduled to compete with their own points races are The Northeast Timing Organization (NETO), the North East Nostalgia Drag Racing Association and The East Coast Gassers.

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.

Attention racers! If you know someone who’s been saying how cool it must be to race down the dragstrip but has never actually been to one with their own car, Street Wars at Rockingham Dragway on Saturday, August 2nd, 2014 is for them.

Street Wars is open to all imports, muscle cars, bikes and trucks. For $25 you can make unlimited “fun runs” down the Rockingham quarter-mile. What a great way to get more people interested in our sport! For the more serious and experienced racer is the Import / Sport Compact Quick 8 that pays $600 Win and $250 Runner-Up. This is a guaranteed purse with 8 entries; entry fee is $75.
Gates open at 6:00 pm with Fun Runs until midnight.

Visit www.RockinghamDragway.com for more information.

The Tread City Tire / Western New York Super Rod Association (WNYSRA) announced that S&W Race Cars has agreed to become a major contingency sponsor of the series. As part of their support, S&W Race Cars will award a $100 credit to the winner and $50 credit to the runner-up at all remaining WNYSRA events. Drivers can accumulate their awards over time and spend them on the vast array of S&W Race Cars’ products and services. John Cira and Kirk Parry, the winner and runner-up, respectively, of the WNYSRA Event #2 presented by Jan-Cen Motorsports, were the first winners of the contingency postings by S&W Race Cars.

Phil Harnden, co-founder of the Tread City Tire / Western New York Super Rod Association, stated, “We’re overjoyed to have S&W Race Cars on as a sponsor of the WNYSRA for the remainder of the 2014 season. S&W Race Cars is well known as a supplier of the highest quality race cars and components. So, we are very excited about the opportunity to present S&W’s craftsmanship to our competitors and fans.” Harnden added, “I have competed and won with cars constructed by Scott Weney and the staff of S&W Race Cars. So, I can personally attest to the high degree of quality found in S&W’s products.”

For more information about The Western New York Super Rod Association, please visit the WNYSRA website at www.wnysra.com.

Atco Dragway’s 4 Day Super Bucks Weekend is coming up August 7th – 10th, 2014.

The weekend includes $10K races on Thursday and Saturday that pay $10,000 Win, $3,000 Runner-Up, $1,000 Semis, $100 Round starting with 3rd Round loser (must be eight round race). Entry is $200 per race, Calcutta is $15, buybacks are $125.

The big races are the $25Ks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Each race pays $25,000 Win, $8,000 Runner-Up, $4,000 Semis, $1,000 7th Round lose, $600 6th Round lose, $450 5th Round lose, and $300 4th Round lose. Entry is $300 per race, Calcutta is $20, buybacks are $220. COMBO ENTRY: enter all five races for $1,100; enter all three $25Ks for $775.

Gates open each day at 8:00 am. For more information visit www.Atco-Dragway.com.

Ted Barnes from Caistorville Ontario marched through a 36 car field and took the win at the recent TNT Super Series at Elegant Builders Raceway Park in Lancaster, NY.

Barnes qualified fourth with a 7.003 before heading into round one to face Jason Sobczynski. Slight advantage off the start to Barnes with a .512 to a .517, Sobczynski ran off allowing Barnes to coast to the win. Round two was near dead even on the tree against Paul Cochi (.517 to .516). Barnes won here in a double breakout 6.997 to a 6.956. The semi-final round saw Jamie Stoneman fall in a .003 finish line battle. Barnes lit the beacon here with a .523 / 7.000 package to Stoneman's .525 / 7.002. That set things up for a final round against Paul Young. The 2009 TNTSS champion couldn't wait, going .487 red and handing the win over to Barnes who ran it out to a 7.009.

"What an awesome night!" said Barnes. "We were making good decisions, had the tree and got lucky when we needed it! Plus my dad, who couldn't be here tonight, was messaging me CLAP, CLAP, CLAP all night long. A huge thank you to Russ & Arlene Parker for coming out of retirement to be here tonight and help with the series." Barnes also happens to be the creator of the TNT Super Series. "Without Joe Boniferro at Joe's Transmission, this series simply wouldn't exist. Eight years in and the car count continues to grow. Just look at tonight's 36 car field - that's a record."

Next up on the 2014 TNTSS schedule is a pair of re-scheduled races August 22-23 in western New York. Visit www.TNTSuperSeries.com for the details and latest news.

How well is Erica Enders-Stevens doing leading the Pro Stock points? Well enough to have the luxury of skipping two races. You go, girl! Enders-Stevens will skip the NHRA national events in Sonoma, CA and Seattle, WA in order to better prepare for the rapidly-approaching Countdown to the Championship, Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman announced recently at Bandimere Speedway. Enders-Stevens has led the points since March, making her the most prolific racer in the pro classes this season.

"This has been the game plan for us from the start," Freeman said. "The fact we've had such a great year and Erica has been driving so well is bringing more attention to this move but we never intended to run the entire schedule. We don't have a major sponsor, so there are no commitments to fulfill. The rest of our supporters are totally onboard. We've got some things we want to work on to prepare for the last few regular-season races and especially the Countdown. I really believe we'll still be in the points lead, even skipping Sonoma and Seattle, or we'll be close enough to get that No. 1 ranking back in the two races before the Countdown starts."

Enders-Stevens leads the Pro Stock class with four victories this season, also winning the non-points K&N Horsepower Challenge in Las Vegas. She has collected at least one round-win at every race and has led the points standings after 10 of 14 races. Her 241-point lead at the start of this weekend's race is the largest in any professional class.

The Houston native's victory on July 6 in Norwalk, Ohio, was the 10th of her career, making her only the third female to post double-digit national event victories in NHRA history (along with three-time series champions Angelle Sampey and Shirley Muldowney). She is far and away the most successful woman in Pro Stock class history with 10 career victories, eight No. 1 qualifiers, and 143 elimination round-wins. She is the only female to have won or been top qualifier in Pro Stock.

"We've got lots of goals left to accomplish, not the least of which is winning the Mello Yello Pro Stock championship," Enders-Stevens said. "The guys will have this Camaro ready to win Brainerd and Indy and all six races in the Countdown. I don't believe this will affect our plan of attack at all. It's a team decision and obviously every decision Richard has made this year has worked out perfectly, so we'll go home and prepare for Brainerd."

This is the first time in NHRA's playoff era that a class points leader has willingly skipped races. The next race for the Elite Motorsports team will take place Aug. 14-17 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

Atco, NJ – Atco Dragway hosts the NHRA Division 1 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series on August 1st – 3rd, 2014. Classes in competition will be Super Street, Super Gas, Super Comp, Stock, Super Stock, Comp Eliminator, Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Alcohol Dragster. All the good stuff! Also on the schedule is the KC Jones Jet Train and the Danny O’Day wheelstander.

Racer entry is $170. Gates open Thursday, July 31st for parking and a track-operated $75 test & tune. Gates open Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 am. Visit www.Atco-Dragway.com for more info.

Numidia, PA - The Northeast Jr. Drag Racing Championships are coming up August 6th – 10th, 2014 at Numidia Dragway.

Numidia Dragway is making sure to give the participants plenty of opportunities to win by having a number of gambler’s and high-roller’s races. Wednesday August 6th features a gambler’s race; gates open at 10:00 am with time runs at noon. Thursday August 7th also features a gambler’s race, with time trials a 11:00 am.

Friday August 8th feature tine runs at 9:00 am, the Race Of Champions at 4:00 pm, and the Numidia barbecue at 6:00 pm. Saturday August 9th includes a single time session at 8:30 am followed by eliminations at 12 noon. If 1st Round doesn’t go your way, you can join the consolation race. Stick around for Sunday, August 10th for the High-Roller’s Race.

Entry fees for the gambler’s races is $30 per race; a $20 1st Round buyback is available. Entry fee for the High Roller’s race is $50, and there’s a $20 1st Round buyback. Visit www.NumidiaDragway.com for more info.

If you own a Corvette, then Saturday, July 26th is your day at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. The 27th Annual East Coast Corvette Show & Go includes all-Corvette drag racing and car show. Drag classes include dial-your-own bracket racing. Cars must have street mufflers. Convertibles must have top or roll bar. Racer entry is $30. Gates open at 9:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am and eliminations at 1:00 pm.

Visit www.RacewayPark.com for more info.

The MIRock Bike Fest comes to Maryland Int’l Raceway Friday – Sunday, July 25th – 27th, 2014.

Racing classes include Pro Street ($150 entry), Real Street ($100 entry), 4.60 Index ($150 entry), 5.60 Index ($75 entry), Crazy 8s ($50 entry), Top Sportsman ($100 entry), Pro ET ($60 one-day entry, $100 two-day entry), Street ET ($50 one-day entry, $80 two-day entry) and Grudge ($50 entry per day). There’ll also be a stunt jam competition and a Top Fuel Bike match race.

Gates open 9:00 am Friday for parking, tech and a test & tune. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am. Visit www.MIRDrag.com for more information including payouts per class.

Attention, Pro Mod racers! Farmington Dragway presents the 2nd Annual Quick 8 Racers Pro Mod Race & Reunion on Saturday, August 2nd, 2014. This is a special 16-car qualified Pro Mod field. There’ll also be bracket racing for Top ET, Footbrake ET, Street ET and Jr. Dragsters.

Gates open at 8:00 am, time runs start at 11:00 am, Pro Mod qualifying at noon, 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Visit www.FarmingtonDragway.com for more info.

The Southeast’s best Jr. Dragster racers will converge upon Carolina Dragway for the Southeast Jr. Dragster Summer Nationals on August 1st – 3rd, 2014.

Bracket 1 Jr. Dragster (ages 12-17) pays $1,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $50 Quarters. Entry is $50 for a single day or $80 for a two-day. $30 buybacks 1st or 2nd round.

Bracket 2 Jr. Dragster (ages 11 and under) pays $500 Win, $150 Runner-Up, $50 Semis and $20 Quarters. Entry is $30 for a single day or $50 for a two-day. $20 buybacks 1st or 2nd round.

Pro Dragster 7.90 Index pays $500 Win, $150 Runner-Up and $50 Semis. Entry is $30 for a single day or $50 for a two-day. $20 buybacks 1st or 2nd round.

Gates open Friday at 3:00 pm with a $25 test & tune from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am. Visit www.HouseOfHook.com for more info.

Owingsville, KY - I-64 Motorplex presents its Summer Championship on Saturday, July 19th, 2014. With eliminators for Top, No Box, Sportsman and Jr. Dragster, there’s literally something for every bracket racer.

Top ET pays $2,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $65 Quarters. Payouts are guaranteed. Entry is $65 and buybacks are $30. No Box pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Payouts are guaranteed. Entry is $50 and buybacks are $25. Sportsman pays $400 Win, $100 Runner-Up, $35 Semis and $10 Quarters. Payouts are guaranteed. Entry is $35 and buybacks are $10. Jr. Dragster pays $500 Win, $100 Runner-Up and $25 Semis. Entry is $40 and buybacks are $15. There’ll also be a $1,000 Win 16-car shootout; entry is $80.

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

Milan, MI - The 2014 Michigan Mopar drag race and show & shine rolls into Milan Dragway on Saturday July 26th. 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 pays $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.

Attention to our bracket racing brothers and sisters up north: because the last Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series was rained out before eliminations were completed, the Sister Act Band $1,000 SHOOT-OUT had to be postponed to Saturday July 19th...with the remaining open spot in the SHOOT-OUT to be determined on Friday July 18th.

The SHOOT-OUT will take place July 19th on the 1/4 mile at Empire Dragway in Leicester, NY. Even better news is there is still one spot up for grabs in the four-car, winner-take-all, no-entry fee, $1,000 to win specialty race. The four cars were to be the event winners and the first round losers who ran closest to the index from the June 7-8 double weekend at Cayuga. The field already has three of those four players set... Tom Coonly (June 7th winner), Sam LoVetro Jr (June 7th first rd loser closest to index) and Jamie Stoneman (June 8th first rd loser closest to index). The fourth spot will go to the winner on Friday July 18th at Elegant Builders Raceway Park in Lancaster, NY. Because the SHOOT-OUT rules stipulate the participants had to be at the Cayuga weekend to be eligible, if Friday's winner was not at Cayuga, then the fourth spot will go to the eligible racer that goes furthest in eliminations. Tie-breaker will be qualifying position.

Visit www.TNTSuperSeries.com for more info.

NHRA Legend and Hall of Famer Big Jim Dunn will undergo surgery for colon cancer next week. Doctors are encouraged, stating that they caught the cancer in it's earliest stages and predict an extremely positive outcome.

“We are grateful that this was discovered during his annual physical.” said Jim’s son Jon Dunn. "Early diagnosis is crucial in his treatment and recovery. I can't think of a single NHRA event Dad has missed, and know it won't be long before he's back." The Jim Dunn Racing Team and Grime Boss Funny Car will not compete in the “NHRA’s Western Swing." The Grime Boss Funny Car will again join the tour at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, MN on August 15-17. There will be a pre-event autograph session and an appearance at Menards in Baxter, MN on Thursday of the race week.

Get well wishes to Jim can be posted to the Grime Boss Facebook page (www.facebook.com/GrimeBoss).

There are a lot of Pro Mod racers in The Dragtime News audience, and if you're one of them. this is for you: The Real Pro Mod (RPM) association re-launched its website with a new look, new features and more updates on this growing group of racers. Fans can learn more about their favorite RPM drivers, find out who is making news and browse through photo galleries of RPM drivers at NHRA Pro Mod Series events. The Real Pro Mod (RPM) association was created by Pro Mod team owners and drivers to preserve and promote the future of this class of drag racing. Visit the new site at www.RealProMod.com.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at Southwestern International Raceway is a Run Whatcha Brung Street Night for street cars, street trucks and bikes only. The night will feature two “arm drop” drag racing sessions as well as regular 1/4-mile racing, all with no track prep. Gates open at 6:00 pm, with racing starting at 7:00 pm.

Visit raceswir.com for more info.

From top qualifier to event winner, Steve Harker swept the Top Alcohol Funny Car class in his Speed City-CAM2 Blue Blood Racing Motor Oil Monte Carlo at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

Harker took the Number 1 spot after impressive runs of 5.55 @ 265.12 mph and 5.54 @ 264.39 mph. Harker then proved his experience as tuner and driver throughout the event, kicking things off in Round 1 with a 5.58 win over a red-lighting Todd Robertson. In Round 2 Harker again laid down another bracket car performance with a 5.58 pass to defeat Fred Tigges’ 5.60. In the Semis, Harker got the win with a 5.65 over Todd Veney’s 5.81.

In the final, Harker faced off against Central Region champion Chris Foster. Harker left on Foster, pulling a .026 reaction time to Foster’s .063 reaction. Harker had to drive around Foster for the win as Foster was quicker with a 5.61 to Harker’s slower-but-winning 5.62.

Racers, if you’ve ever been thinking of going for some racing in the Great White North, then Luskville Dragway’s 33rd Annual Bracket Bonanza is the race for you. It’s Friday – Sunday, August 1st – 3rd 2014.

On Friday there’s a test and tune and 4 high rollers: Super Pro Dragster ($20,000 to win), Super Pro Door Car ($10,000 to win), Semi Pro ($4,000 to win) and Jr. Dragster ($1,000 to win).

Saturday’s Super Pro pays $10,000 to win and Semi Pro pays $2,000 to win. Entree for Super Pro is $400 for the weekend, $150 for Semi Pro and Jr. Dragster is $100 for weekend with cash and prizes Saturday and Sunday. Sunday’s Super Pro and Semi Pro are same prizes.

Gates are open all day Thursday and there’s a test & tune and a Gambler’s race, too. For more information including gate times on Friday, Saturday and Sunday please visit www.LuskvilleDragway.com.

The Tread City Tire / Western New York Super Rod Association (WNYSRA) announced that Jiffy-tite Motorsports of Lancaster, New York has joined the upstart racing series as a sponsor. As part of their sponsorship, Jiffy-tite has created the “Jiffy-tite Package Award” that includes a $50 gift certificate towards the purchase of Jiffy-tite’s quick connect fluid fittings. The award will be presented at every WNYSRA event to the driver with the best winning package during eliminations.

“We’re thrilled to have Jiffy-tite on board,” stated Jason Oldfield, President of the WNYSRA. “I’m a customer of Jiffy-tite myself, using their fittings on both my fuel lines and transmission cooler lines, and couldn’t be happier with their performance. This new award will give other racers the opportunity to experience the outstanding performance of Jiffy-tite’s fittings first-hand.”

The first driver to win the “Jiffy-tite Package Award” was Jon Pellicane of Attica, NY, who at the WNYSRA opener presented by Damorie Construction put together a 20-thou package with his near perfect 0.005 reaction time and 9.915 second ET en route to defeating Mark Herbold of Elma, NY in the first round of eliminations.

For more information, visit at the WNYSRA website at www.wnysra.com.

July 12th 2014 at Montgomery MotorSports Park is an all day index and grudge event. Index classes include 5.00 Class ($1,500 Win, $400 Runner-Up and $100 Semis. Entry is $65) and 6.00 and 7.00 Classes (each pays $1,000 Win, $250 Runner-Up and $75 Semis. Entry is $65).

Heads-Up racing includes Daddy’s Girl vs. Pat The Troublemaker, Love Joy vs. Dancing With The Devil, Reggie Let vs. Curtis Duncan, Nugett vs. Turbo Tim and Krist vs. Marcus Moore.

Gates open at 10:00 am. Visit www.MMPDragRacing.com.

The inaugural Fun in The Sun Racing Series presented by S&S Race Promotions, LLC, will be hosted by Bradenton Motorsports Park, Bradenton, Florida, on November 14th-18th, 2014.

This five-day, big buck, 1000-foot race will help kick off the Fun in The Sun Racing Series, which will feature contingency prizes, a points fund offering, and will guarantee $10,000.00 to each day’s event winner. The Fun in The Sun Racing Series evolved following conversations between Scott Weney and Scotty Richardson, two racing legends and current champions. Weney and Richardson recently expressed their mutual need and desire to race at such an event but recognized that these events no longer exist. Drawing on their business instinct and racing drive, the two Scotts formed S&S Race Promotions, LLC, and began organizing their Inaugural Fun in The Sun Racing Series. “Strange, Drag Racing Action, Hoosier, Aerospace, Bradenton Motorsports Park, Palm Beach International Raceway and many others are lending their support. Together, we will make our series successful and memorable,” said Weney.

In addition to the daily $10,000 payout, each winner will also receive a special inaugural race custom water jet trophy made by S&W Precision Specialties. Event runner-ups will receive $2,500, semi-finalists will be awarded $1,000, and quarter-finalists will receive $500. Payouts will begin at 3rd round ($100 per round 9 round race).*

The Fun in The Sun points series will award its top 10 finishers. The series champion will be awarded $2,500.00 as well as a paid entry into Palm Beach International Raceway’s 2014 five-day event ($875.00 value). The race also features a dragster versus dragster and door car versus door car format until laddered. In addition, everyone who races in all 5 of the inaugural Fun in The Sun races will receive a $100.00 discount off of their Palm Beach five-race entry package. They will also receive a 20-point Palm Beach bonus as well. Fun in The Sun will also host a “Duck Race” for $875.00, a “Run for the Money” race which will take place every day, and a Calcutta. Racers also have the chance to “Win a Dragster” during the Racecraft Dragster Challenge.

“Scott and I know what it takes to make racers happy, and what it takes to make their families happy too. The combination is challenging, but we plan on creating an experience that will be fun and fair for everyone,” Richardson added.

You can save $75.00 by taking advantage of the Fun in The Sun five-race pre-entry package discount that is available until July 30th, 2014. For more information visit www.racefuninthesun.com or contact Scott Weney at scottw@swracecars.com or Scotty Richardson at richardson.scotty@yahoo.com.

As part of the IHRA NitroJam Summer Nationals at Cordova Dragway Park, bracket racers in Top (Box), Mod (No Box) and Jr. Dragster can vie for a coveted Iron Man trophy on Saturday, July 19th, 2014.

Box and No Box will run separate to the end, where the payout is $2,500 Win and $1,000 Runner-Up. Prior to the end, the payouts for Box and No Box are $500 6th Round, $300 5th Round, $200 4th Round, $100 3rd Round and $50 2nd Round. Entry for each class is $90. Jr. Dragster pays $100 Win, $50 Runner-Up and $25 Semis. Entry is $30.

Gates open at 7:00 am, with time trials starting after 1st Round of IHRA Pro-Am eliminations. For more info visit www.CordovaDrag.com.

The NMRA rolls into Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois, over the weekend of July 10-13, 2014. The 9th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street legal Drag Racing Presented by Strange Engineering is one of the crown jewels in ProMedia organization's family of events.

This year’s event includes the Bracket Showdown for all makes and models including dragsters and altereds. No NMCA or NMRA membership is required. Classes include Bracket 1 for electronics and Bracket 2 for non-electronics. Bracket 1 pays $1,200 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, $150 Quarters and $60 Eighths. Bracket 2 pays $1,000 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters and $50 Eighths.

The schedule is for two time trials and Friday, two time trials and a Dial-In for Dollars on Saturday, and one time trial and eliminations on Sunday. Sounds like Sunday is the day that hard-core racers will care about. Entry on Sunday for Bracket 1 is $60; entry on Sunday for Bracket 2 is $50.

For more info including schedules and entries for Friday and Saturday, visit www.Route66Raceway.com.

Got an old hot rod or race car sitting in your barn? Bring it to the longest running nostalgia race in the country at the Old Time Drags and Rod Run at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ on Sunday, July 27th, 2014. Featuring the Funny Car Reunion with nitro and alcohol funny cars, vintage racers and rods, the cars of NETO, supercharged Willys gassers, and a giant street rod show. There’s also bracket racing for machines 1972 and older. On Saturday, July 26th there’s the Long Island Hot Rod Reunion.

Gates open Sunday at 8:00 with time runs at 10:00 am. Visit www.RacewayPark.com for more info.

The Pro Mod "Last Man Standing" will be run at the War on Wheels event July 16th, 2014 at Maryland Int’l Raceway. This program is a "Run-Whatcha-Brung - Last Man Standing" format. There will be no qualifying or ladders and pairings will be random with a deck of cards.There will be one shakedown run opportunity at 6:00 pm. The race will be run on the 1/8 mile. Pro Mod entries will receive car, driver and three crew credentials free provided the car meets minimum E.T. requirements and has pre-entered the event (pre-entry deadline is 3 days prior to the race). The car must run 4.65 or quicker to pre-enter and must be a full body car with functional doors. There are no restrictions on power adders, engine displacement or minimum weight, any size tire permitted and all IHRA safety rules and requirements in effect. Payout is $4,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis and $200 Quarters.

Visit www.MIRDrag.com for more info.

Gulfport, MS - Attention in the Mississippi pits! Gulfport Dragway presents 1/8th mile Gambler’s races for Electronics and Footbrake on Saturday, July 12th, 2014.

Each class pays $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $40 Quarters. Entry is $40; 1st Round buybacks are $20. There’s also a Jr. dragster race that pays $150 Win, $50 Runner-Up and $20 Semis. Entry is $20; 1st Round buybacks are $10.

Gates open at 12 noon, with Jr. Dragster time trials at 12 noon and big-car time trials at $4:00 pm. Visit www.GulfportDragway.com for more info.

Mohnton, PA - The annual Super Chevy Show will take place July 10-13 at Maple Grove Raceway. The all-Chevrolet event includes drag racing, exhibition vehicles, an extensive car show, swap meet and manufacturers midway. The following changes have been made to the schedule and event weekend:

• No swap meet entries will be admitted until Friday morning, June 11. There is no swap meet set-up on Thursday, July 10.

• To be eligible for the True Street class, entrants must have purchased a $60 E.T. Bracket tech card and there will be a $20 sign-up fee, payable in the first floor of the NAPA Officials' Tower.

• The Last Chance Race will allow electronics, but "cross-talk" will be not be used.

• The Last Chance Race is for competitors who have been eliminated in Round 1 or Round 2 of competition. Any multiple class-entered driver still having one entry remaining in competition will not be eligible for the Last Chance Race. New entries will purchase the $23 Sunday pit pass ticket at the gate and also buy a $35 tech card at the first floor of the NAPA Officials' Tower.

For complete information about the full Super Chevy program including schedule, bracket classes and payouts, call Maple Grove Raceway at (610) 856-9200 or visit www.MapleGroveRaceway.com.

ATI Performance Products, Inc. has introduced its second Super Damper (Part # 917315) for the 2014+ Corvette Stingray Z51 Performance Package 6.2L LT1 Dry Sump engine for street and high performance racing applications. The new aluminum-shell, steel-hub damper is a direct fit replacement for the stock OEM unit and is better capable of handling a wider variety of driving habits that Corvette owners will put their new cars through. OEM dampers are optimally tuned to a narrow band of perceived normal driving conditions and do not perform well outside of those limits. The ATI Super Damper can handle any engine speeds and driving conditions that get thrown at it to better protect your engine. ATI Super Dampers provide balanced dampening of torsional crankshaft vibrations through all RPM ranges and exceed SFI 18.1 Safety Certification for competition use.

For more information visit www.atiracing.com.

Precision Turbo and Engine (PTE) has unveiled its newest race-ready, twin turbo Pro Mod car. The 2014 Chevrolet Camaro will be driven by Don Walsh, Jr. and will make its debut at an upcoming NHRA race. Owned by Harry Hruska and built by Larry Jeffers Race Cars, Precision Turbo’s new Pro Mod Camaro will serve as the flagship PTE development car.

Powered by a 521 cubic inch Brad Anderson Enterprises engine, the car will also be boosted by twin Precision Turbo & Engine NHRA-legal and SFI-approved GEN2 Pro Mod 88 CEA turbochargers. “I couldn’t be happier with how this car turned out. It looks incredible and should run flawlessly. Larry Jeffers and the guys did an excellent job putting it together,” stated Hruska. “Our revolutionary GEN2 Pro Mod CEA turbos feature the most innovative and advanced turbo technology currently on the market, and we’re confident that this car will be a front runner.”

Hruska has owned a string of highly-successful Pro Mod cars over the years, including the iconic ’68 Camaro first piloted by Brad Personett and currently driven by Walsh, the ’11 Ford Mustang previously driven by Walsh, as well as the Plymouth Duster in which Todd “King Tut” Tutterow set the eighth-mile speed record in 2011.

Dedicated to continuous innovation and advancement of turbo technology, Hruska has put together what will be a fiercely competitive Pro Mod car and test-platform. “In collaboration with Larry Jeffers Race Cars, we have put together a uniquely-designed chassis for turbocharged applications to help develop the program,” Hruska added.

See the rest of Dave's photos from the event HERE...

Tioga Center, NY - Skyview Drags has announced a two-day Independence Day weekend bracket extravaganza. The Northern Summer Nationals will feature two days of points-series racing as well as two $20 Gambler Races, one on Friday, July 4 and again on Saturday, July 5.
Gates open for all classes Friday at 8:30 am with time trials at 10:30 am. There’ll also be a night Test & Tune, with gates opening at 5:00 pm. The Gambler’s race is 7:15 pm.

Gates open on Saturday for Jr. Dragsters at 8:30 am, with time trials at 10:00 am. Gates open for all other classes at 10:30 am, with time trials at 1:00 pm. The Gambler's race kicks off after 3rd round of points racing. For more info visit www.SkyviewDrags.com.

Milan, MI – Milan Dragway has three big days planned for July 4th weekend.

Friday night, July 4th, 2014 is the Heads-Up Series that features Outlaw 10.5, Drag Radial, All Motor, Motor City Muscle, Open Comp and X-Treme Street Bike.

Saturday July 5th and Sunday July 6th each features bracket racing for Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Super Pro Bike. Super Pro and Pro each pays $1,200 Win, $350 Runner-Up, $125 Semis, $60 Quarters and $30 Eighths (all based on 45 cars). Entry is $44; there’s a $20 1st Round buyback. Sportsman pays $400 Win, $150 Runner-Up, $75 Semis and $30 Quarters (all based on 30 cars). Entry is $35; there’s a $20 1st Round buyback. Super Pro Bike pays $300 Win, $100 Runner-Up and $35 Semis (all based on 8 bikes). Entry is $35; there’s a $20 1st Round buyback.

Gates open Friday at noon with qualifying at 3:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 11:00 am, gates open Sunday 9:00 am. For more information visit www.MilanDragway.com.

Beginning the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday, the Dick Moroso Memorial 5-Day Bracket Championship returns to the Drag Strip at Palm Beach International Raceway™ (PBIR) on November 21 – 25, 2014. Presented by Madaris Window & Insulation and The Screen Shop, the Championship consists of daily 1/4-mile competitions where drag racers from around the country come to PBIR to earn bracket points and vie for more than $77,000 in cash, trophies and prizes.

“In 2013, these annual bracket races were named the 5-Day Bracket Championship Featuring the Triple $20s. For this year, we wanted to pay homage to the influential founder of the Five-Day Bracket Race and the former namesake of the facility,” said Dale Gann, Vice President and General Manager of PBIR. “He remains one of the most well-known and revered men in motorsports. It was a tremendous loss and heartbreak for the racing community when he died of brain cancer in 1998, at the young age of 59.”

Dick Moroso was a champion drag racer, car owner and sponsor, but was best known for the aftermarket parts he created, as the founder of Moroso Performance Products. He purchased Moroso Motorsports Park in 1981 which was renamed Palm Beach International Raceway in 2008. The first of the big money bracket races, the Five-Day Bracket Race was created by Dick Moroso in 1982 and held at his track as a showcase for the grassroots racer; it was widely considered the most significant bracket race in the country for decades.

Sponsors of the Dick Moroso Memorial 5-Day Bracket Championship at PBIR include: Madaris Window & Insulation, The Screen Shop, Sunoco Race Fuels, Lucas Oil Products, Holley Performance Products, Dixie Racing Products, MotorSports Innovations, and FTI Converters. Holley Performance Products of Bowling Green, Kentucky will be providing a $100 gift certificate for the first perfect reaction time during eliminations, for each day of the event. Additionally, those racers have a chance at a second $100 gift certificate if their final run also has a perfect light on the tree.

Dixie Racing Products of Hendersonville, North Carolina is offering one Ohlins TTX36 shock valued at $1,100 to the points winner of the Championship. The five winners of each of the daily races will receive a Dixie solenoid shifter kit valued at $159. MotorSports Innovations of Hainesport, New Jersey will award a $300 gift certificate to the points winner of the Championship, while the best losing package over the five race days receives a $200 gift certificate.

FTI Converters of DeLand, Florida will give a $500 gift certificate toward the purchase of any transmission or torque converter to the points winner. An additional $500 gift certificate toward the purchase of any transmission or torque converter will be up for grabs by raffle as well. As part of the contingency program in which the racer’s vehicle must have the product installed and a decal displayed, each day’s winner will receive $100, and each day’s runner-up earns $50.

“Many thanks to our supporters for making all of this possible and providing such incredibly generous gifts to our racers,” noted Gann. “We especially want to extend our gratitude to Madaris Window & Insulation and The Screen Shop for being the title sponsor and presenting sponsor of the event respectively and also for supporting the track year-round.” Details about the Dick Moroso Memorial 5-Day Bracket Championship are available HERE.

Racers, if you have an off weekend from your regular racing schedule and want to have some fun with your pick-up or dually, then bring it to Maryland International Raceway on Saturday, June 29th 2014 for TruckMANIA.

Open to diesel trucks, pick-ups, dump trucks, big rigs, SUVs, no matter what kind of truck you have, there’ll be a race class for you. ET Bracket Classes include Big Rig, Diesel Shootout, Tuff Truck and Race Truck; each pay $500 Win, $200 Runner-Up and $50 Semis. Heads-Up Q8 Classes include Pro Rig and Pro Street; each pay $1,000 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $50 Semis and $25 Quarters. Race entry is $40.

Gates open at 11:00 am with time runs starting at noon. Visit www.MIRDrag.com for more info.

Pete Farber (pictured) won the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, putting him #8 in the standings. The Wally wasn’t the only thing Farber brought home from Bristol. He won the Larry Jeffers Race Cars $500 bonus for the quickest winning reaction time, cutting a .004 light in the semi-finals against Jim Laurita. Farber was also one of the RPM raffle winners of a Powerocks charger along with Jim Bell.

Other raffle winners at the RPM driver’s meeting on Friday included Clint Satterfield who took home $3,000 worth of Mickey Thompson Performance Wheels. $250 in merchandise certificates to JE Pistons went to Kenny Lang, Gerry Capano, Chip King and Steven Whitely. CRC Industries gave away a case of Brakleen to Donnie Walsh.

RedHorse Performance bonuses of $300 went to first round qualifiers Jim Bell, Troy Coughlin, Danny Rowe, Clint Satterfield, Von Smith, Rickie Smith, Don Walsh and Steven Whitely. $500 bonuses were awarded to quarter-final finishers Kevin Fiscus, Dan Stevenson, Mike Castellana and Mike Knowles. Mike Janis and Jim Laurita received $700 for making it into the semi-finals.

The next race in the NHRA Pro Mod series for the drivers of the RPM is July 4-6 in Norwalk, Ohio, presented by Mid Atlantic Energy Services.

Mohnton, PA - In the past it was named Geezers Reunion at the Grove. This year its official title is Glory Days Nostalgia Drags. No matter what you call it, it's a high-speed blast from the past. MGR's Glory Days Nostalgia Drags - a throwback to drag racing's wild, colorful early days - includes drag racing, a car show and swap meet.

The featured drag racing portion of the nostalgia racing fest will take place on Saturday, June 28, and is headlined by four alcohol-burning Nostalgia Funny Cars: Total Insanity, Fireball Monza, Bits & Pieces and the Mascott 'Vette. The Nostalgia Funny Cars will be joined by five nostalgia drag racing organizations: East Coast Gassers, the 422 All-Stars (nostalgia Super Stocks), Back Seat Drivers, North East Timing Organization (NETO) and Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Drag Racing Association (MANDRA). The "Jungle Jim" Liberman tribute car - a replica of the late legend's 1970 Camaro Funny Car owned by Glenn Gualtieri - will be on display on the midway.

Nostalgia E.T. bracket racing (no cars newer than 1989) will take place on Sunday, June 29, with a special top-16 shootout on Saturday, June 28. The car show will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 28. Judging is scheduled for 2 p.m. with awards at 4 p.m. There is no entry fee to enter the car show, but a pit pass is required. The top 25 judged cars will receive awards. The summer swap meet will take place on Saturday, June 28. General admission is $5 and a vendor space (15 ft.x20 ft.) is $35. Gates will open at 7 a.m.

Racers, I've often used my space here at The Dragtime News as a platform to communicate what I feel are good racing habits to adopt. Pulling your chutes is one of those habits that I feel anyone with a chute-equipped car should do on a regular basis. On a related note, I've gotten to know Bob Stroud, who many of you know is a leader in safety equipment. I wanted to share a little more about his background and the company's drag chutes.

In addition to his Army Special Forces experience, and as an active jumper (with over 1,000 parachute jumps–many testing his own products), Bob Stroud applied his engineering degree from Oklahoma State University in the design and exhaustive testing of the Stroud Drag Chute system. As a result, Stroud Drag Chutes are designed to be reliable, durable, and user friendly. The exclusive tri-panel design is very consistent, opens softly and pulls straight. The Stroud Drag Chute system pulls low to keep the vehicle directionally stable and firmly on the ground in the deceleration process. One person can easily pack the chute in less than 5 minutes.

The chutes are designed and manufactured in United States with the finest materials and construction techniques for long life and superior performance. From top fuel and bracket racers to drag boats and land speed record holders, there are over 50 styles available to meet the stopping requirements of virtually every performance vehicle in the world. Custom solutions for unique applications are a specialty at Stroud Safety and can be made in a wide range of colors for that professional appearance.

Call to discuss your requirements at 405-632-2022 or explore Stroud Safety Drag Chutes, restraint systems, ballistic containment, fire suppression systems, fire suits and much more at www.stroudsafety.com. Want to pull your chute but don't know how to pack it? Check out Stroud’s Chute Packing video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRhWplI5yKc.

After four races in three weeks to kick off its 2014 season, the Mid Atlantic .90 Association will return to action at Maryland's Cecil County Dragway for the Mid-Summer Shootout on June 28th & 29th. Two days of.90 racing awaits the racers during the weekend. This is a new event for the Mid Atlantic .90 Series and now gives Cecil County two weekends of .90 racing. Cecil County is one of the original tracks and has been on the schedule since the early 1990s.

Kelli Barbato (MASSA), Matt Schurman (MASGA) and Dave Long (MASCA) will enter Cecil County as the current point leaders but can expect stiff competition from the rest of the Mid Atlantic .90 Association members. This will also be the final opportunity for drivers to earn that coveted spot in the Autometer Top 8 Shootout that will be held at Race #7 at Cecil County in August. The Top 7 racers will earn a spot with the #8 spot being a "Wildcard" that will be chosen between any member who has earned a point in qualifying.

For those wishing to get in and set-up early gates will be open beginning at 5pm on Friday the 27th weather permitting. Gates open at 8:00 am on both Saturday and Sunday. For more info e-mail Rob Keister, rekeister@aol.com.

Leicester, NY – When race day arrived on May 31st, 2014, it saw the largest contingent of Super Rod racers in over 2 years descend upon Empire Dragway for the inaugural Tread City Tire / Western New York Super Rod Association (WNYSRA) event presented by Damorie Construction. When Jeff Gregoire of Elma, NY arrived with Jim and Jamie Stoneman’s 1993 Chevy S-10 pickup truck, many people probably didn’t give him much chance of winning given that he hadn’t raced at all in 2013. However, Gregoire proved that for some, like himself, racing is just like riding a bike as he came out on top of a group of the best competitors from New York, Pennsylvania, and Ontario, Canada.

Round 1 of eliminations saw Gregoire take on John Cira from Rochester, NY in his familiar “Rock ‘N’ Roll Express” ’68 Chevrolet Nova. Cira left the starting line first, but Gregoire forced Cira to go quicker than the 9.90 Super Rod index with a run of 9.866 seconds, giving the victory to Gregoire with his 9.919 ET. Additional round 1 highlights included Super Rod veteran Jerry Stoutenberg of Rush, NY in his 1964 Plymouth Valiant disposing of #1 qualifier Corinne MacMillan, and Jon Pellicane of Attica, NY defeating Mark Herbold from Elma, NY in the battle of late model Chevy Corvettes. In his victory over Herbold, Pellicane put together a stout 0.020 “package” (total amount of time away from a perfect run, calculated using the racer’s reaction time at the starting line and elapsed time), which ended up earning him a $50 gift certificate from Jiffy-Tite Corporation for the best winning package of the event.

In the 2nd round of eliminations, Gregoire was matched up against #5 qualifier and perennial contender Jon Jablonski of Alden, NY in his 1967 Chevy Nova. Gregoire had a slight lead as they left starting line, and he was able to parlay that into a win when Jablonski got out of shape and had to lift to avoid wrecking his freshly painted ride. Also advancing from round 2 were the aforementioned Jerry Stoutenberg and Jon Pellicane, as well as Tommy Allen of West Seneca, NY in his 1998 Chevy Cavalier, and Jeff Gregoire’s cousin Matt Gregoire of Blasdell, NY, with his immaculate 1966 Chevrolet Nova SS.

In the quarterfinals, Gregoire used an excellent .007 reaction time to take a significant starting line advantage over competitor Tommy Allen. With his close to perfect 9.899 elapsed time, Gregoire was able to hold off the hard-charging Allen when he went even quicker with a 9.896 ET in the double-breakout race. With Matt Gregoire having a bye-run, that left Pellicane battling Stoutenberg for the third and final spot in the semifinals. Pellicane had a small lead as he and Stoutenberg left the starting line, with reaction times of .018 and .031, respectively. But, once Pellicane coupled that reaction time to his excellent elapsed time of 9.903, he mathematically eliminated any chance that Stoutenberg had of winning. In the loss, Stoutenberg finished his evening with a very competitive 9.895 ET.
With 3 cars left in the semifinals, Jeff Gregoire received the bye-run into the finals, which set up the potential for an all Gregoire final if Matt could get past Jon Pellicane. As one might imagine though, Pellicane wasn’t exactly willing to let that happen without a fight. When the green lights flashed for both drivers, Pellicane had the slimmest of starting line advantages with his reaction time of .010 as compared to the .015 reaction time of Matt Gregoire. As he had been doing all day, Pellicane again ran very close to the index with a slightly too quick 9.897 elapsed time. Gregoire was able to get to the finish line first, but in doing so he ran a much too quick elapsed time of 9.851 seconds, handing the victory to Pellicane.

This set up the finals between Jeff Gregoire and Jon Pellicane. Based upon how they had run throughout eliminations, Pellicane probably would have been considered the favorite given the consistent excellent runs that he had strung together to reach the finals. But, the veteran Gregoire certainly wasn’t intimidated as he knew he had just as good a chance at winning as Pellicane. When the cars left the starting line, Pellicane had a slight .009 second advantage with his .028 reaction time versus the .037 reaction time of Gregoire. As the cars approached the finish line, Gregoire was ahead but Pellicane was closing fast, and by the time they reached the stripe it was Pellicane who got there first. However, this was to be another double-breakout affair, with Gregoire taking the win with his slower but closer to the index elapsed time of 9.897 seconds over Pellicane’s too quick ET of 9.874 seconds.

Race two of the 8 race Tread City Tire / Western New York Super Rod Association series will take place on Saturday, June 28th, again at Empire Dragway in Leicester, NY. Gates open at noon, with open time trials for all competitors starting at 1 pm. WNYSRA qualifying sessions are currently scheduled for 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm, with final eliminations slated to start at 5:00 pm. For more information, visit at the WNYSRA website at www.wnysra.com. The complete point standings can be found at www.wnysra.com/pdfs/2014_WNYSRA_Points.pdf.

Cayuga, Ontario - The Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series took to the Cayuga Dragway quarter mile for the Dilts Piston / ATI Performance weekend June 7th & 8th, 2014. Saturday saw West Seneca, New York's Tom Coonly best the 25 car field and move himself up to second in the championship points chase. Sunday got first round complete before rain ended the day.

After two qualifying sessions on Saturday, Steve McCarrick qualified on the pole with a 10.902. In round one, Coonly killed the tree with an .011 against Kevin Orr. Then it was two-time series champ JJ Jablonski in round two uncharacteristically rolling the beams, advancing Coonly to the quarter-final bye run.

The semis saw Coonly take out Harris Phelps with a .026 starting line advantage and setting him up to face Marc Vezina in the final. Vezina got there with help from his pit crew, grandson Owen Underhill. Almost dead even at the tree (Coonly .021 to Vezina .018), Coonly let him go at the stripe to win in a double breakout 10.892 vs 10.883.

"Got to thank Jeff Gregoire and Jamie & Heather Stoneman," said Coonly. "And Phil's Quality Auto Service and Autos Direct Buffalo.com for all their help." He went on to thank Mike Janis at Jan-Cen Racing Engines. "We had trouble at Empire two weeks back and had to sleeve the block. Mike got it turned around real quick so we were able to make this race. And it ran awesome!" "Thanks to Joe Boniferro and Ted Barnes for an awesome series. And to Dilts Piston / ATI Performance for sponsoring the weekend," he added. "We wouldn't have a series at this level without all their help."

Next up on the 2014 TNTSS schedule is a New York double on July 18-19. Visit www.tntsuperseries.com for all the latest news on the series. Photo: Stacee Kenington.

Crofton, MD – Mason-Dixon Dragway presents an Outlaw Quick 8 on Saturday, July 5th, 2014. This 1/8 mile race pays $1,600 Win, $900 Runner-Up, $300 Semis and $100 Quarters. Also on July 5th is Real Street that pays $600 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $60 Quarters. Payouts based on 16 cars.

Then on July 12th, bring your street car to Mason-Dixon on for the track’s Street Races. With four classes of competition there should be something for everyone. Kwik 16 is for the quickest 16 on the property and will use a Top Sportsman format. Payout is $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up and $100 Semis. 1/8th mile, NHRA rules, mufflers or turbo, any tire. 1st Round losers can fall into 1st Round of Pro-Street. Pro-Street is for street appearing cars with mufflers, any tire and motor combo, ¼ mile, 11.49 and quicker. Sportsman is also for street appearing, any tire, mufflers required, ¼ mile. Pure Street and Street Bike are for street appearing cars / bikes with DOT tires, no engine mods and tagged and insured. ¼ mile.

Drivers must have valid driver’s license and wear long pants. No tank tops. Racer entry is $35. For gate times visit www.MasonDixonDragway.com.

West Lebanon, NY - The SuperCar Shootout “Now & Then” comes to Lebanon Valley Dragway on Saturday, June 28th, 2014. Now & Then pits new vs. old supercars against each other.

Other SuperCar races scheduled include August 23rd at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, August 24th at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, NJ, and September 19th & 20th at the Buick Nationals at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, MD. Then on Saturday October 18th it’s the SuperCar Nationals Warm-Up, followed the next day, Sunday October 19th with the 5th Annual SuperCar Nationals.

The SuperCar Shootout is for “Factory Appearing Stock Tire” racing for musclecars from 1955 to 1974. This is heads-up, Pro tree racing on a Sportsman ladder. To see if your musclecar fits in, visit www.SuperCarRaces.com.

Leicester, NY - (May 28, 2014) Steve's Electric out of Phelps, NY powered the Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series at Empire Dragway to an awesome season opener. Twenty-nine of the best sportsman drag racers in the northeast came out to do battle with Steve McCarrick earning the #1 qualifier award with a 10.901. But when eliminations began, it was Jason Vitez from Elma, NY who emerged as the victor.

Vitez qualified 7th with a 10.916 and defeated Kirk Parry in a tight .009 MOV first round match up. In round two, he overcame a starting line disadvantage (.535 to .517) to take out Chris VanBaalen with a near perfect 10.904. Vitez then laid a .514 10.923 package down to eliminate Eric Macchiaroli's .542 10.911 in the quarter-finals. The semi's saw Vitez come from behind (.511 to .505) and beat Jason Oldfield in a double breakout 10.890 to 10.830. That set him up for the final where he would face former TNTSS champion Ted Barnes. Both drivers were almost even at the start (Barnes .532 to Vitez .536) but Barnes couldn't hold off the hard charging Camaro of Vitez who ran a 10.907 to Barnes' 10.924 to take the win and the championship points lead. This win is Vitez's third in TNTSS competition and improves his starting spot in the REVS Full Throttle Powersports Race of Champions coming up in September. Vitez's son Zachary also won that day at Empire in the junior dragster class.

Stay close to www.TNTSuperSeries.com for updates and for all the latest news the TNT Super Series.

Holland, TX - The Shoot Out At The River Grudge Race is coming to Little River Dragway on Saturday, June 14th, 2014.

7.00 Index pays $500 Win with a $50 entry fee. Truck Shootout pays $1,000 Win. No entry fee for the Truck Shootout; not open to full chassis trucks. 5.80 Index pays $800 Win with a $65 entry fee. Motorcycle Street ET pays $700 Win, $300 Runner-Up with an eight-bike minimum.

Gates open at noon. For more information, visit Little River Dragway at www.LittleRiverDragway.com.

Racers, I've made no secret that I am a fan of John Force and the entire John Force Racing team. I think what the man has single-handedly done for our sport is nothing short of monumental. Ready to carry the mantle are his daughters Ashley, Courtney and Brittany, each of whom are talented drag racers in their own right. I like them all and pretty much for the same reasons, but let's take a look at Courtney and my Top 3 list of why she rocks:

1 - Despite having the Force last name, she didn't just go to a driving school to get her nitro license and jump into a fuel funny car; she cut her teeth in Super Comp first.

2 - She truly is as nice in person as she seems on TV. She is always smiling and will always make time for fans young and old. She, along with the other women of drag racing, are exemplary role models for the younger female fans.

3 - And last but not least, she takes a great photo! I captured these at the driver introductions at The 2014 NHRA Toyota Summernationals in Englishtown, NJ:

Montgomery MotorSports Park’s Super 7 Series continues on Friday – Sunday, May 30th – June 1st, 2014.

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, $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. Payouts based on 100 car minimum.

Saturday’s and Sunday’s Pro Class 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.

Mohnton, PA - The 2014 edition of Maple Grove Raceway's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series weekend now is in the history books and two local racers walked away with victories.

Rich McPhillips of Phoenixville, Pa., defeated Brandon Greco of Roscoe, Pa., Saturday night for Top Alcohol Dragster honors. On Sunday afternoon, Chase Fahnestock of Newville, Pa., won the Super Comp finale over Shawn Fricke of Flemington, N.J.

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: Rich McPhillips (Phoenixville, Pa.) defeated Brandon Greco (Roscoe, Pa.).
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR: Fred Tigges (Holbrook, Mass.) defeated Matthew Gill (West Bridgewater, Mass.).
COMPETITION ELIMINATOR: Scott Benham (LaGrange, Texas) defeated Frank Aragona (Freehold, N.J.).
SUPER STOCK: Peter Biondo (Maspeth, N.Y.) defeated Larry Miller (Gettysburg, Pa.) when Miller fouled at the starting line.
STOCK ELIMINATOR: Anthony Fetch (Colonia, N.J.) defeated Jack Matyas (Bethlehem, Pa.).
SUPER COMP: Chase Fahnestock (Newville, Pa.) defeated Shawn Fricke (Flemington, N.J.).
SUPER GAS: Patrick Dehner (Smithtown, N.Y.) defeated Troy Coughlin (Delaware, Ohio) when Coughlin fouled at the starting line.
SUPER STREET: Frank Quarno (Morris Plains, N.J.) defeated Jason Lawrence (Hamilton, N.J.).
TOP SPORTSMAN: Michael Daniele (Wantagh, N.Y.) defeated Michael Kaufman (Woodcliff Lake, N.J.).
TOP DRAGSTER: Alan O'Brien (Ronceverte, West Virginia) defeated Glenn Flack (Del Haven, N.J.).

For more information about Maple Grove Raceway, visit www.maplegroveraceway.com. Text & photos: John Bisci / Maple Grove Raceway.

Attention racers! If you know someone who’s expressed interest in the drag strip but has never actually been to one with their car, Street Wars at Rockingham Dragway on Saturday, June 14th, 2014 is perfect for them.

Street Wars is open to all imports, muscle cars, bikes and trucks. For $25 you can make unlimited “fun runs” down the Rockingham quarter-mile. What a great way to get more people interested in our sport! For the more serious and experienced racer is the Import / Sport Compact Quick 8 that pays $600 Win and $250 Runner-Up. This is a guaranteed purse with 8 entries; entry fee is $75.

Gates open at 10:00 am with racing starting at 11:00 am. Visit www.RockinghamDragway.com for more information.

When the Dennis Champney-owned and Duane Beers-driven Methanol Monster Alcohol Funny car pulls into the gates of New England Dragway for the opening race of the season it will be with a new marketing partner and a new motor combination.

Racing primarily at New England Dragway in Epping, NH in the East Coast Pro Comp Association events, the team will also venture up to Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Canada to compete in several National Drag Racing Association races as well as the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional event at New England Dragway.

Among the activities will be a flag girl contest, stop-light starts, flag starts, dB drags, burn-out contest and grudge racing including sport compact and domestic shootouts. If you’re an experienced bracket racer at Cordova, perhaps show up and talk to the street kids about coming back to the track on bracket day.

Entry fee is $25 for car & driver from 11:00 pm – 3:00 am, or $40 for test & tune starting at 6:00 pm. Other Midnight Mayhem dates are July 4th, August 1st, August 29th and October 3rd. For more info visit www.CordovaDrag.com.

Boonsboro, MD - Hey Mopards, this one’s for you! It’s the 31st Annual Mid Atlantic Mopar Meet at Mason-Dixon Dragway on Sunday, May 18th, 2014.

There will be 32 show classes for Mopar race cars and street cars and three bracket racing eliminators: Class I for 7.00 – 13.99 dials. Class I payout is $600 Win, $250 Runner-Up. Class II is for 7.00 – 16.99 dials. Class II payout is $350 Win, $150 Runner-Up. Street ET is for 10.00 – 19.99 dials. Street ET payout is $150 Win, $75 Runner-Up. There’ll also be Trophy and Slant Six. Racer entry is $35.

Gates open Sunday at 8:00 am. On Saturday May 17th there’ll be a test & tune and a $20 Gambler’s Race. Gates open Saturday at 8:00 am. Visit www.MasonDixonDragway.com.

Atco, NJ - The Philadelphia Modifiers’ Spring nostalgia race is Sunday, May 18th 2014 at Atco Dragway.

Classes include Super Pro (7.00 – 11.99 dial, electronics, $500.00 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $50 Semis), Pro ET (9.00 – 15.99, no electronics, $400 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $50 Semis), Street ET (11.50 – 19.99, no electronics, $200 Win, $100 Runner-Up, $50 Semis), and Street Rod (street legal & tagged, no electronics). Entry is $40.

Gates open 8:00 am, time trials 10:00 am, racing at 1:00 pm. Visit PhiladelphiaModifiers.org.

Mocksville, NC - For you sport compact racers, the Blueridge Motorsports Drag Series is May 17th at Farmington Dragway.

Classes include Brutal Elite FWD ($3,000 Win, $700 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, $65 entry), All Motor ($200 Win, $50 Runner-Up, $15 entry, 10 car minimum), 7.0 Index ($250 Win, $75 Runner-Up, $15 entry, 10 car minimum), 8.0 Class ($200 Win, $50 Runner, $15 entry, 10 car minimum), Footbrake ($400 Win, $100 Runner-Up, $15 Semis, $15 entry, 25 car minimum), 9.0 Index ($150 Win, $25 Runner-Up, $15 entry, 10 car minimum), True Street ($200 Win, $50 Runner-Up, $15 entry, 10 car minimum), and 6.0 Index ($400 Win, $100 Runner-Up, $15 entry, 10 car minimum).

Gates open at 8:00 am. Visit www.farmingtondragway.com.

Rockingham, NC - Rockingham Dragway presents its IHRA Iron Man Memorial Weekend Bracket Nationals Friday May 23rd – Monday May 26th, 2014 with big money races for Top ET, Footbrake, and Jr. Dragster.

SATURDAY, MAY 24th and MONDAY, MAY 26th: 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 25th: 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 for a Test & Tune beginning at 5:00 pm. Gates open 8:00 am Saturday – Monday. For more information visit www.rockinghamdragway.com.

The two-day Mountain Motor Nationals are coming up May 9-10 at Maryland International Raceway. Classes include supercharged, turbocharged and nitrous Pro Mods, stock-bodied, no wheelie bars Outlaw Drag Radial, and X275.

In addition there’ll be a $5K Top ET each day. Payout is $5,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $750 Semis and $100 Round starting with 2nd Round Win. Entry is $126 per day, 1st and 2nd Round re-entry is $80. No double-entries, but one driver may drive 2 cars. 12.99 and quicker, no throttle stops.

Gates open Friday at 3:00 pm with Top ET time trials at 4:00 pm. Gates open Saturday at 9:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am. Visit www.MIRDRag.com for more info.

Numidia Dragway turns back the clock on Saturday May 10th with their Nostalgia Day. Open to 1983 and older vehicles, there are cash payouts and three bracket classes: Bracket 1 is for 7.00 – 11.99 dials, electronics are permitted. .500 full tree, handicap start. $45 entry. Bracket 2 is for 8.50 – 13.99 dialn, no electronics. .500 full tree, handicap start. $35 entry. Bracket 3 is 13.99 – slower dials, no electronics, .500 full tree, handicap start. $35 entry.

Gates open at 9:00 am with time trials at 11:00 am and eliminations at 2:00 pm. Visit www.NumidiaDragway.com for more info.

Got a truck? Bring it to Atco Dragway on Saturday May 10th for the Big Rig Diesel Race & Truck Show. Includes race classes, a show & shine, a vendor midway, monster trucks and Bob Motz in his Jet Truck.

Race classes are Heavy (26,001 and up. Winner $500, Runner up $250 & Semi $100); Medium (17,000- 26,000. Winner $500, Runner up $250 & Semi $100); Light (10,000 to 16,999. Winner $500, Runner up $250 & Semi $100); and Pick up (up to 9,999. Winner $500, Runner up $250 & Semi $100). Must have 16 in each class for full payouts.

Entry for race or show is $40. Entry for race & show is $60. Gates open at 9:00 am. Visit www.AtcoRaceway.com.

Mohnton, PA - Maple Grove Raceway will host two dates of Index Series drag racing: on Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, June 1.

On Saturday, May 10, the sole Index Series class run will be 11.50 Index. The winner and runner-up on May 10 will be invited to participate in a special eight-car showcase eliminator at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national event at Old Bridge Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J. on May 30-June 1.

On Sunday, June 1, the classes are 8.50 Index, 10.00 Index and 11.50 Index. The Index Series is open to full-bodied doorslammers.

Rules for all Index Series classes:
1. Full-bodied street cars only. No dragsters, Altereds or roadsters.
2. Full round-tube or square-tube chassis are not allowed.
3. Car must have a finished interior.
4. Lettering and decals are limited to the windows only.
5. No electronics. No throttle stops, controllers, delay boxes or devices. All boxes must be completely removed from the vehicle.
6. No electronic, hydraulic or pneumatic shifters or clutch release devices.
7. All solenoids and actuators must be completely removed from the vehicle.
8. Transbrakes and two-steps are permitted.
9. Any type of power-adder is allowed.
10. Mufflers required. (Turbos are considered mufflers.)
11. NHRA pro ladder in use: 16-car qualified fields.
12. Compulink auto-start active with 10-sec. timeout.
13. Deep staging is permitted.

8.50 Index: .400 pro tree. Stock style front suspension. Minimum weight: 2,800 lbs. Maximum tire size: 33x10.5w. Fuel: gasoline or alcohol (no nitromethane). 10.00 Index and 11.50 Index: .500 pro tree. Tubs and "back-half" cars are permitted. Lexan windows permitted. Maximum tire sizes: 30x13.5 for DOT; 29x10.5 for non-w slicks. Any size drag radial permitted. Gasoline only (E85 is permitted).

Entry Fees: 8.50 Index, $75; 10.00 and 11.50 Index, $55. Payouts: 8.50 Index: $1,000 Win; $500 Runner-Up; $200 Semis; $75 Quarters. 10.00 and 11.50 Index: $450Win; $150 Runner-Up; $100 Semis.

Visit www.maplegroveraceway.com for more info.

Milan, MI – Jr. Dragster racers in the Michigan area should get over to Milan Dragway for the season opener weekend on Saturday & Sunday, May 10th & 11th.

Saturday is the first points race of the season while Sunday is a non-points bracket race. Advanced and Intermediate classes each pays $100 Win + trophy, $50 Runner-Up + trophy and $15 Milan Bucks semis. Novice class is 70% payback, Winner and Runner-Up receive a trophy. Entry in each class is $20. Saturday points race winners also receive a one night stay at Splash Universe Water park Resorts.

Saturday also has an All Run Trophy Class that’s open to all racers after the 2nd round of the main races. The winner and runner-up each receive a trophy. Entry is $20.

Gates open Saturday at 11:00 am; gates open Sunday at 9:00 am. Visit www.MilanDragway.com for more info.

Crofton, MD - Bring your street car to Mason-Dixon Dragway on Saturday, May 10th for the track’s Street Races. With four classes of competition there should be something for everyone.

Kwik 16 is for the quickest 16 on the property and will use a Top Sportsman format. Payout is $1,000 Win, $300 Runner-Up and $100 Semis. 1/8th mile, NHRA rules, mufflers or turbo, any tire. 1st Round losers can fall into 1st Round of Pro-Street.

Pro-Street is for street appearing cars with mufflers, any tire and motor combo, ¼ mile, 11.49 and quicker. Sportsman is also for street appearing, any tire, mufflers required, ¼ mile. Pure Street and Street Bike are for street appearing cars / bikes with DOT tires, no engine mods and tagged and insured. ¼ mile.

Drivers must have valid driver’s license and wear long pants. No tank tops. Racer entry is $35. For gate times visit www.MasonDixonDragway.com.

Cordova, IL – Attention all high school racers in Illinois: bring yourself and your car to Cordova Dragway Park on Sunday, May 4th 2014 for the Battle of the High Schools.

There are lots of different competitions planned, including the dB Drags, Individual and Team competitions, Team Spirit Awards, Best Appearing Car, Worst Appearing Car (!), and a burnout contest. The overall Battle winner is qualified for the Summit Bracket Finals September 12-14, 2014 in Martin, MI.

Racers must have a valid driver’s license, proof of school affiliation, long pants, closed-toe shoes and seat belts. Helmet required with convertibles or t-tops. This probably goes without saying, but no dragsters and no delay boxes.

Gates open 8:00 am, time trials start at 9:00 and eliminations at 1:00 pm. For more info visit www.CordovaDrag.com.

Rockingham, NC - The Holcomb Motorsports Spring Civil Wars hits Rockingham Dragway May 2nd – 4th, 2014 for a weekend of outlaw racing action. Classes include Outlaw 275 vs. 28s ($5,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $350 Semis and $125 Quarters; free entry), SR275 ($2,500 Win, $750 Runner-Up, $150 Semis, $75 Quarters. $100 entry), and Nitrous 28” Tire ($2,000 Win, $750 Runner-Up, $150 Semis, $75 Quarters. $100 entry).

There’ll also be Pro Tree Doorslammers ($1,500 Win on Saturday, $1,000 Win on Sunday), Footbrake ($1,200 Win on Saturday, $1,000 Win on Sunday), Open Comp ($1,000 Win on both Saturday and Sunday) 6.0 and 7.0 Index on Saturday ($1,200 Win each based on 16 cars in each) and 6.0 / 7.0 Combo Index on Sunday ($1,000 Win based on 32 cars).

For more info visit www.rockinghamdragway.com.

Mohnton, PA - Maple Grove Raceway's Spring Bracket Nationals has a new format. "We regret having to change the format of the Spring Bracket Nationals but there was a lack of entries," said Maple Grove's Vice President and General Manager Lex Dudas. "As of today we received only 83 entries for Saturday and 82 for Sunday. In order to make the event work, we needed 256 entries each day. "Andy Anderson put a lot of work into promoting this event it its original form, and we thank him, but the interest simply wasn't sufficient. Instead, we will host two days of non-points bracket racing with generous, guaranteed purses offered on Sunday. Any racer who submitted an entry will receive a complete and prompt refund and is welcomed to race with us that weekend under the new format. If the entrant paid by check, they will receive a refund check. If they used a credit card to pay for their entry their account will be credited."

SATURDAY, MAY 3
MGR will host a Test 'n' Tune and grudge racing event. Gates will open at 9 a.m. with time trials running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry fees are $25 for trailered cars and $20 for driven cars. Crew passes and spectator admission tickets are $10. MGR also will host two gambler races for electronics and non-electronics cars. Any racers desiring to participate in the gambler races may enter in the first floor of the NAPA Tower by paying $25. Payout will be based on the number of entries with the winner receiving 50%, runner-up 25% and the semi-finalist(s) receiving 12.5% each.

SPRING BRACKET NATIONALS -- SUNDAY, MAY 4
Bracket racing for the following classes: Super Pro ($2,500 to win), Pro ($1,500 to win), Street ($500 to win), Top Bike ($500 to win). Jr. Dragsters also will compete on Sunday. Standard entry fees will apply for the event: Super Pro -- $70 per car and driver; Pro -- $50; Street -- $40; Top Bike -- $45 and Jr. Dragsters -- $30. The races are non-points events for all eliminators. Crew and adult spectator fees will be $15. Gates will open at 8 a.m. with time trials at 9 a.m., followed by eliminations.

For more information, please call Maple Grove Raceway at (610) 856-9200 or visit www.maplegroveraceway.com.

Mustangs will stampede into Maryland International Raceway coming up on Friday – Sunday May 2nd – 4th, 2014 when the National Mustang Racing Association comes to town.

Events include the SVT Shootout, the Terminator/GT500 Shootout, Pure Street, two All-SVT True Street classes, burnout contests, a giant midway, show classes and a swap meet.

There’ll also be ET bracket racing on Saturday and Sunday with no NMRA membership required. Top ET pays $1,500 Win, entry is $60 for one day or $100 for both. Mod ET pays $1,000 Win, entry is $50 for one day or $80 for both. Street ET and Stick ET each pays $500 Win, entry is $45 for one day or $70 for both..

Gates open Friday and Saturday at 9:00 am; Sunday at 8:00 am. For more info visit www.MIRDrag.com.

Jupiter, FL - The IHRA Nitro Jam Palm Beach Nationals are coming to Palm Beach International Raceway™ (PBIR) May 2nd-3rd, 2014.

Palm Beach International Raceway will host Nitro Funny Car, Nitro Harley, Nitro Altered, Mountain Motor Pro Stock and Jet Dragster competition over two days of racing. For the first time since 2009, the IHRA has returned to a traditional competitive racing format with professional qualifying taking place on Friday, May 2 and eliminations set for Saturday, May 3. A championship purse and championship points are on the line in all classes when the IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series stops at Palm Beach International Raceway the first weekend in May.

Pro Stock returned to IHRA competition for the 2014 season after a brief hiatus. Earlier this year, Missouri native John DeFlorian shattered the IHRA records in speed and elapsed time with a 6.224-second pass at 226.70 mph in San Antonio. Currently, DeFlorian sits second in the Pro Stock standings behind Oklahoma native Cary Goforth. They will be joined in Bradenton by Goforth's teammate Todd Hoerner, along with two-time IHRA Pro Stock World Champion Pete Berner, Scott Hintz, Kevin Bealko, and more.

Nitro Altered, another extreme class once banned from organized competition due to the extreme danger behind the wheel, will include Arizona native Ron Maroney in "Blind Faith," Las Vegas native and third generation racer Kyle Hough in "Nanook", the popular "Arizona Thunder" driven by Mike Hilsabeck, "Bullet Bob" driven by Don Blackshear, and more.

For more information on the 2014 IHRA Nitro Jam Palm Beach Nationals, visit www.NitroJam.com or www.RacePBIR.com.

Milan MI – Milan Dragway’s High School Nationals is coming up on Saturday, April 26th, 2014. The event is open to high school and college students and includes six classes of bracket racing: Bracket 1 for 12:00 – 13.99, Bracket 2 for 14.00 – 15.99, Bracket 3 for 16.00 – 17.99, Bracket 4 for 18.00 – slower, College 1 for 12.00 – 14.99 and College 2 for 15.00 – slower.

Requirements are simple: racers need a driver’s license, a valid student ID, and if under 18 a signed consent form. The car must have seat belts; the driver must wear long pants and a shirt with sleeves (no tanks) and a helmet for 13.99 and quicker.

For more information and to download the consent form, visit www.MilanDragway.com.

Gulfport, MS – Gulfport Dragway’s Ironman Classic is Saturday, May 3rd, 2014. Racers in Electronics, Footbrake and Jr. Dragster will have the chance to win cash and the coveted Ironman trophy.

Electronics and Footbrake each pays $1,200 win, $500 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters and $50 Eighths. Entry is $50 and 1st Round buybacks are $25. Both classes will race in the quarter-mile.

Jr. Dragster pays $200 Win, $75 Runner-Up, $50 Semis, $40 Quarters and $30 Eighths. Entry is $30 and 1st Round buybacks are $25. Jr. Dragster will race in the eighth-mile.

Gates open at 12:00 noon. For info visit www.GulfportDragway.com.

Budds Creek, MD - The Mickey Thompson Tires MIROCK Superbike Series heads to Maryland International Raceway for the first MIROCK event of the year in Maryland at the 17th annual Fast by Gast Spring Nationals on April 25-27, 2014.

There'll also be a midway full of motorcycle parts, apparel, and accessories. Gates open 9:00 am on Friday for early parking and test & tune. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am. For more information including entry fees and payouts visit www.MIRDrag.com.

Mohnton, PA - Maple Grove Raceway will host its annual Universal Technical Institute High School Challenge on Sunday, April 27. Students will drag race in street-legal cars, competing for bragging rights against other area high schools. The Challenge also offers aspiring young mechanics and racers an opportunity to showcase what they’ve learned in automotive classrooms in front of their peers. Also on the schedule is a high school alumni race: All past participants are welcome to compete in the special Alumni Eliminator. The overall winner on April 27 will represent Maple Grove Raceway at the NHRA Northeast Division Summit Racing Series E.T. Final in September.

RULES:
All competitors must be current high school students with a valid driver’s license. • Cars may not run quarter-mile elapsed times quicker than 11.50 seconds. • All cars must have a closed exhaust system. • All vehicles must pass an NHRA technical inspection before making any runs. • Motorcycles are not permitted. • All cars must use street tires or D.O.T.-approved drag tires. Slicks are not permitted. • All students under the age of 18 must present a parental release form signed by both parents before competing. Only original consent forms will be accepted – no photocopies. • Parental consent forms are available at Maple Grove Raceway.

Gates will open at 8 a.m. with time trials at 9:30 a.m. Race entry is $25 per student. Adult spectator admission is $15, young adults (ages 13-15) are $10 and kids 12 and under are free. For more information visit www.maplegroveraceway.com.

Roger Sinistri Sr., of Spring Township, Pa., passed away April 7 at age 79. Sinistri was inducted into Maple Grove Raceway's Walk of Fame in 2006 and also was voted into the Eastern Motorsport Press Association's Hall of Fame.

A self-employed professional engine builder and tuner, Sinistri (shown left in photo) won Top Stock Eliminator class at the 1968 NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis with driver Larry Lombardo (shown right in photo) in the famous "Buckshot" Corvette. Lombardo went on to set several national records in 1969 using Sinistri horsepower.

He is survived by wife Patricia (Reigle), children Sherry (Fellen), Annamarie (Boyer) and Roger Jr., and five grandchildren. Services were held April 11 at the Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home in West Reading with burial in Forest Hills Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, 1 Reed St., Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19147. (photo: Roger Sinistri Jr. Collection).

"Just thought I would share! After 4 years of racing I finally got my first event win! I grew a beard (albeit trimmed) to motivate me to win and it worked! I made a few changes to help me also but the beard kept me focused. I dialed a 6.97 to her 6.45 I cut a .003 light to her .043 and ran a 6.968 to her 6.41. After 3 races I'm the points leader by 2 points. I'll continue to work to cut good lights and run the number and let it chips fall as they may. Hope your car is running strong as ever! Take care, Leigh Zaremba."

Leigh, that's awesome! Congratulations on getting your first event win! Keep the focus and keep it going! I've been in the midst of a dry spell myself and your letter has motivated me anew, so thank you for sending!

You can read more about Leigh on the Readers' Rides page.

Leigh Zaremba, current Pro ET points leader at Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville, FL and compassionate supporter of animals. Love it! Photo: Thomas Gaines.

Englishtown, NJ - Muscle cars both classic and modern are invited to the Big 3 Shootout at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park on Saturday, April 19th, 2014.

With three classes of street-muffled bracket racing, there should be something for every muscle car. There’s the Big 3 Shootout for Mustang (2005 and newer), Camaro (2010 and newer) and Mopar LX/LC (2005 and newer). .500 full tree, dial your own bracket, no transbrakes / two-steps. Payout is $200 Win, $100 Runner-Up, based on 32 car field. Racer entry is $30.

There’s a Classic Mustang vs. Camaro Shootout, open to 2004 and older Mustangs and 2002 and older Camaros. Also .500 full tree, dial your own bracket, no transbrakes / two-steps. Payout is $200 Win, $100 Runner-Up, based on 32 car field. Racer entry is $30.

Last but not least is the Muscle Bracket, open to all U.S. muscle. Again, .500 full tree, dial your own bracket, no transbrakes / two-steps. Payout is $200 Win, $100 Runner-Up, based on 32 car field. Racer entry is $30.

Gates open at 9:00 am with time trials at 10:00 am and eliminations at 1:00 pm. Visit www.RacewayPark.com for more info.

Mohnton, PA – Maple Grove Raceway will launch a new program for young aspiring drag racers. The program, called NHRA Youth Racing, was designed by the National Hot Rod Association to give teenage boys and girls – ages 13-16 – the opportunity to race against their peers in full-bodied street vehicles with an adult co-driver as their teammate. The new program will combine racing with car safety and will be sponsored at MGR by Universal Technical Institute. NHRA Youth Racing allows teens to learn to drag race safely, in a full-size car, without having to purchase a purpose-built race car.

“This is another tool in our sport’s toolbox to attract youth and their parents to drag racing,” said MGR Vice President and General Manager Lex Dudas. “The program will be conducted during our local bracket racing events and is an excellent way for parents to bond with their children.”

Competitors will go through an orientation and licensing procedure on an eighth-mile drag strip in their vehicles, which must meet program requirements. Approved vehicles must be registered, insured, street-legal vehicles with mufflers and street tires and limited to 10 seconds and slower in the 1/8th mile. All runs must be made with an approved licensed supervising adult, who must be the participant’s parent or legal guardian or 25 years of age or older with a valid state driver’s license. The licensed supervising adult must be seated in the passenger seat of the vehicle anytime the participant is in the driver’s seat. The licensed supervising adult must drive the vehicle in the pits, into the staging lanes, and on the return road past the time-slip booth. Helmets are mandatory for the participant and the licensed supervising adult.

It is an inexpensive program and a way for families to use drag racing as a learning tool. Race dates will be announced soon on www.MapleGroveRaceway.com. The link to the online application may be found HERE.

Rochester, NY – Phil Harnden and Jason Oldfield, drag racers with over 60 years of combined racing experience, have announced the formation of the Western New York Super Rod Association (WNYSRA).

The WNYSRA will showcase competition in the International Hot Rod Association’s (IHRA) Super Rod category, one of the longest running sportsman drag racing classes in existence. Super Rod features a wide variety of full-bodied cars and street roadsters which run on a 9.90 second index in the quarter mile. All races are started using a 4-tenths of a second “Pro-Tree”, the same as is used in the Top Fuel and Pro Stock categories.

Phil stated, “Jason and I felt the need to start this series to fill a void for sportsman drag racers in the area. Our racers are very passionate about this type of racing, and we wanted to provide them with the opportunity to compete in a class they enjoy so very much.”

In 2014, the WNYSRA is currently slated to run 8 total events; 6 at Empire Dragway just outside of Rochester, NY, and 2 at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, Canada. The full schedule:

• May 31 - Empire Dragway
• June 28 - Empire Dragway
• July 12 - Empire Dragway
• July 26 & 27 - Toronto Motorsports Park
• August 16 - Empire Dragway
• September 6 - Empire Dragway
• October 11 - Empire Dragway

Jason added, “Our primary mission is to provide an outlet for some of the best heads-up, pro-tree drag racing competitors in western New York, southern Ontario, and northwestern Pennsylvania. But, in addition to serving the racers, it is also our goal to provide our sponsors with unprecedented marketing value for their money though exposure at the track, in printed media, and on-line. We’re going to have some extremely exciting announcements coming very soon as we start to introduce our partners for the 2014 racing season.” For info visit www.wnysra.com.

West Lebanon, NY - The SuperCar Shootout has announced a series of races at Lebanon Valley Dragway.

The four race series kicks off Saturday April 26th with the SuperCar Battle Of The Brands. Next, on Saturday June 28th it’s the SuperCars @ LVD Now and Then. Then on Saturday October 18th it’s the SuperCar Nationals Warm-Up, followed the next day Sunday October 19th with the 5th Annual SuperCar Nationals.

The SuperCar Shootout is for “Factory Appearing Stock Tire” racing for musclecars from 1955 to 1974. This is heads-up, Pro tree racing on a Sportsman ladder. To see if your musclecar fits in, visit www.SuperCarRaces.com.

The 6th Annual Door Wars doorslammer race is coming up at Maryland International Raceway Friday – Sunday, April 11th – 13th, 2014.

Classes include Pro Mod (1/4 mile, $3,000 Win, $150 entry for non-NEOPA members), Outlaw 10.5 (1/8th mile, $5,000 Win, $200 entry), Outlaw Drag Radial and X275 (each 1/8th mile, each $2,500 Win, each entry $100) and Ultra Street (1/8th mile, $1,000 Win, $100 entry).

There’ll also be ¼ mile, $2,000 Win Modified ET races on Saturday and Sunday. Entry is $66 per day, with 1st and 2nd Round buybacks.

On Friday gates will open at 9:00 am for parking, testing and tech. On Saturday gates open at 8:00 a.m., gates open Sunday at 9:00 am. Visit www.mirdrag.com for more information.

Chandler, AZ - The Kenny Speed’s Tire & Performance Center Wild Horse Challenge Series season opener took place Saturday, March 29th 2014 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.

The closest race of the event came in Round 2 when Geanine Ballard used a nice 8 hundredths reaction time advantage to overcome her performance versus index deficit of 9.198 on a re-adjusted 9.15 index and the under-index 12.613 on a 12.65 adjusted index performance of Wayne Thacker and take the win in a 1 thousandth of a second margin of victory drag race.

The next Wild Horse Challenge Series race will be held at the Pass on April 26th. For more information about the American DRAGCAR series of events, visit www.usdragcar.com.

Holland, TX - Little River Dragway presents Spring Motorcycle Sunday All Motorcycle Drags on Sunday, April 13th, 2014.

Classes include Harleys vs. Imports, Top Bike 4.50 Index ($1,500 Win, $300 Runner-Up, Pro tree), Street ET ($100 Win + trophy, $25 entry, full tree, no wheelie bars or electronics), Harley ET ($100 Win + trophy, $20 entry, full tree) and Pro ET ($500 Win, $150 Runner-Up, full tree, electronics and wheelie bars OK). All brands are welcomed.

Gates open at 9:00 am with eliminations at 2:00 pm. For more information visit www.littleriverdragway.com.

Those of us who compete in dial-in racing know how difficult it is to win rounds even when using an automatic transmission. Winning with a manually-shifted, clutch-equipped race car is even more tricky, but Brad Zaskowski and his McLeod Soft Lok-equipped Camaro did just that when he won Super Stock at 45th Annual Amalie Oil Gatornationals. This was Zaskowski’s fourth national event win. "Thanks McLeod for a extremely reliable, deadly consistent, and low maintenance clutch," said Brad.

On Sunday Zaskowski completed a 10.135 second pass at 124.19 mph in the final round to bring home the victory, overcoming a perfect reaction time by his opponent Joe Tysinger. The weekend was made even more complete when Zaskowski’s dad, Bill Zaskowski, won the GT/J class trophy with his McLeod Soft Lok equipped car.

"All of us at McLeod would like to congratulate Brad" says Paul Lee, NHRA Funny Car Driver and McLeod Racing owner, "It’s awesome to see how well our clutch performed for him. Our customers know that same quality and performance goes into all of our racing and street clutches." If you race a shifted car, you can learn more about McLeod at www.mcleodracing.com.

Gulfport, MS – Gulfport Dragway presents the Spring Fling Drags on Saturday, April 5th, 2014, with eliminators for Electronics, Footbrake and Jr. Dragster.

Electronics pays $300 Win, $200 Runner-Up and $60 Semis. Entry is $40, 1st and 2nd Round buybacks are $10. Footbrake pays $250 Win, $150 Runner-Up and $50 Semis. Entry is $30, 1st and 2nd Round buybacks are $10. Jr. Dragster pays $150 Win, $75 Runner-Up and $25 Semis. Entry is $20.

There’ll also be a $100 award for low ET set during time trials, and trophies to winners. Gates open 2:00 pm, time trials at 3:00 pm and 1st Round at 6:00 pm.

Visit www.GulfportDragway for more info.

New on the Track Info page is Cordova Dragway Park, an IHRA 1/4 mile track in Cordova, IL. Visit the Track Info page by clicking the link on the left side of the header of any page, or by clicking here.

If you’ve been a regular visitor of The Dragtime News you’re probably already a pretty experienced racer, but perhaps you have some friends who have wondered what it’s like to be racing down the quarter-mile. Thanks to County Corvette of West Chester, PA they can do just that and help a great cause, the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House. On Sunday June 1st, 2014 County Corvette will be holding their annual Race Day for the Beginner at Maple Grove Raceway. You’ll have the chance to win prizes including trophies, plaques and VISA gift cards. There’s also be a class for the more seasoned racer, too.

To help make the day go smoothly there will be an overview course on Wednesday, May 28th 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. 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 May 15th. All types of vehicles are welcomed, from street cars and hot rods to pick-‘em-ups and 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.

Palm Beach International Raceway™ (PBIR) will host the Super Chevy Show presented by Chevrolet Performance on April 4 - 6, 2014. PBIR is the first stop in the 2014 season of the Super Chevy Show, the national event for all Chevrolet enthusiasts with 12 shows across the country.

The weekend kicks off with Test & Tune on the Drag Strip on Friday, April 4 - an open track session for any make and model of car, truck, dragster or motorcycle, during which racers can speed down the track for just $20 for multiple runs. Gates open at 6:00 pm; racing continues until 11:00 pm. Spectator tickets are just $10 for adults while children 12 and younger enter free. Parking at the track is also free.

On Saturday, April 5, gates open at 8:00 am, and the Super Chevy Magazine Triathlon starts at 10:00 am, followed by bracket racing, the CamaroGuys Gen 5 Challenge presented by S&W Race Cars, Pro Show, and the car and truck show awards ceremony. On Sunday, April 6, gates also open at 8:00 am with time trials beginning at 9:30 am. Bracket racing, Pro Show, and car and truck show awards round out the day. For more details, visit www.RacePBIR.com and www.superchevyshow.com.

On the left is the blown and beautiful nostalgia Ford Mustang funny car of Chuck Exton from Canadensis PA; on the right is the home-built Super Comp dragster of Bill Baer from Braidwood, IL.

See both of these cars and the rest of Readers' Rides HERE...

I raced at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park on Sunday, March 23rd for the track's opening day of Sunoco Super Challenge Points bracket racing. I doubled the Dodge in Super ET and Pro ET and had a decent day, going down in the 2nd round of Super and the 3rd round of Pro. I have to give congratulations to those who each had a very good day, including Super ET's winner Lenny Bucher, Pro ET's winner Rick Mattioli, Street ET's winner Tom Nieradka, Top Street's winner Mike Beck and Motorcycle winner Ken George (sorry, no photo of Ken...)

Capitol Raceway in Crofton, MD presents their 1/8th mile Outlaw Quick 8 Pro Mods on Saturday, May 3rd 2014. Payout is $5,000 Win, $1,500 Runner-Up, $1,250 Semis and $750 1st Round lose. Entry is free for car and driver. IHRA certifications apply, no screw blowers, cars must have working doors. Engine diaper is mandatory.

There’ll also be a ¼ mile Super Gambler’s Race that pays $2,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $100 Semis (payouts based on 80 car minimum). Entry is $40. Also on the ticket will be no-time cars ($40 entry) and the Top of The Hill match race showdown.
Gates open 10:00 am. Pro Mod qualifying at 1:00 pm / 3:00 pm / 5:00 pm; 1st Round at 7:00 pm. Gambler’s Race at 3:00 pm.

For more information including complete Pro Mod rules and weights, visit www.CapitolRaceway.com.

Attention in the Mopar pits! It’s the 23rd Annual Mopars @ The Rock on Saturday, April 12th 2014 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 Quarters; entry is $35. Footbrake pays $750 Win, $250 Runner-Up, $50 Semis and $25 Quarters; entry is $25. Trophy is for street-driven Mopars with no slicks. Winner gets a 4-foor trophy.
There’ll also be the Super Stock Hemi Shootout, a judged car show with twenty-six classes, and a Mopar swap meet.

Visit Rockingham Dragway’s website at www.RockinghamDragway.com for more information.

Clay City, KY - The first 2-day race of Mountain Park Dragway’s 2014 season is The Spring Championship, being held Saturday & Sunday April 5th & 6th, 2014.

Top ET / Box has two 1/8th mile races on Saturday and one 1/8th mile race on Sunday. Saturday’s “A” race pays $2,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $200 Semis, $100 Quarters and $50 Eighths. Entry is $65 and 1st Round buybacks are $35. Saturday’s “B” race pays $1,500 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis, $50 Quarters and $25 Eighths. Entry is $50 and 1st Round buybacks are $25. Sunday’s Top ET / Box race pays $3,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $250 Semis, $125 Quarters and $75 Eighths. Entry is $80 and 1st Round buybacks are $40.

Modified ET / No Box has races on Saturday and Sunday. Each race pays $600 Win, $200 Runner-Up, $80 Semis and $40 Quarters. Entry is $40 and 1st Round buybacks are $30.

Saturday also features Jr. Dragster ($150 Win, $50 Runner-Up and $25 Semis) and Super Street (1/4 mile, footbrake, $300 Win, $150 Runner-Up and $50 Semis).

Gates open Friday April 4th at 5:00 pm for a test & tune. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 am. For more information visit www.MPDragway.com.

Bristol, TN - Roadrunner Markets Street Fights flips the ignition and fires up for the 2014 season at Bristol Dragway. Offering owners of any street-legal ride the chance to test its mettle on the legendary drag strip, this year's schedule consists of 17 events and features a variety of ways for racers and spectators alike to win.

To kick-off the season, drivers can race for free on Saturday, March 29 with a receipt proving purchase of any Pepsi and Frito-Lay product from a Roadrunner Markets store. Starting with the Saturday, March 29 kick-off event, racer-favorites such as Perfect Light Night and the MPH Club return to the track. Testing driver reaction time, Perfect Light Night rewards any racer who clocks a .000 off the stripe and new for 2014, the Roadrunner Reaction Time contest gives the best reaction time each night with a $25 gift card good for gas and merchandise at any Roadrunner Markets Shell location.Gates open at noon for the March 29 season opener with racing set to begin at 1 p.m.

For those preferring the thrill of pure speed over the finesse of fast reflexes, the MPH Club and Power Hour return to recognize Street Fight's quickest rides. To earn a coveted MPH Club decal, racers must post a run at, or quicker than, the night's MPH requirement which ranges from 100 MPH - 150 MPH.

Taking the competition one step further, Power Hours pits the event's eight quickest rides in best-two-out-of-three grudge matches and rewards the winner with a trophy declaring their dominance in Thunder Valley. Racers participating in Power Hour also have the opportunity to compete in the year-long competition with the season's fastest machine earning a championship jacket and trophy. The complete 2014 Power Hours schedule is April 3rd, May 1st, May 29th, June 26th, August 7th, September 4th and September 18.

For a complete season schedule or to find more information on racer and spectator promotions, visit www.bristoldragway.com.

The Midwest Super Comp Series has announced their 2014 schedule. The season gets going Saturday May 3 at Route 66 Raceway. The following week on May 10 it’ll again be Route 66 Raceway. Then May 31 & June 1 the series moves to Byron Dragway, followed by Byron Dragway again June 21 & 22. July 12 & 13 is Cordova Dragway, then August 9 & 10 the series moves back to Byron Dragway. August 23 & 24 will be Great Lakes Dragway, and then the season wraps up September 20 & 21 at Byron Dragway.

For more information visit www.midwestsupercomp.com.

Mohnton, PA - Racers, do you have old racing parts that you need to get rid of to make room for new racing parts? Maple Grove Raceway’s annual spring flea market will take place April 5th & 6th at the track. Gates will open at 8 a.m. each day. More than 600 vendors are expected to participate in the much-anticipated event that pairs vendors of all things automotive with enthusiasts seeking cars, rare parts and racing equipment.

A 15 ft.-by-20 ft. vendor space costs $35 for one day or $50 for both days. Admission is $5 for adults and kids 12 and under (accompanied by an adult) are free. For more information, visit www.maplegroveraceway.com.

The Real Pro Mod Association (RPM) is a group of Pro Mod owners and drivers committed to the continued participation of Pro Mods at NHRA events. RPM prides itself in being formed by racers for the purpose of benefiting racers. To that end, the Real Pro Mod Association is proud to say many RPM members won prizes and bonuses at the recent NHRA Pro Mod Series race in Gainesville, FL, March 14-16, 2014 from RPM sponsors including Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, JE Pistons, Powerocks and Redhorse Performance Inc.

The next race in the 2014 NHRA Pro Mod Series takes place at Baytown, TX, April 25-27, 2014 and is presented by RPM Association sponsor J&A Service. For more info about RPM, visit www.RealProMod.com.

Our friends at The East Coast Stock / Super Stock Association have announced their 2014 schedule, which includes stops at Atco Dragway (Atco, NJ), Maple Grove Raceway (Mohnton, PA) and Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (Englishtown, NJ).

The series kicks off May 3rd & 4th at Atco, then moves to The Grove July 5th & 6th before returning to Atco on July 26th. After that it’s back to The Grove August 9th & 10th, Atco September 27th & 28th, and then the season finale at Englishtown on October 26th. Gates open 9:00 am at Atco and 8:00 am at The Grove and Englishtown.

For more information about bringing your Stocker or Super Stocker out to race with the ECSSSA, visit their website at ECSSSA Facebook page.

I'll be racing at Englishtown on March 23rd and I want to see a bunch of chutes being pulled! If you race elsewhere, send me a photo of you pulling the chutes and I'll run it. Let's a start a Pull The Chutes campaign!

Drag strips and high schools can have beneficial partnerships that don't have to be restricted to youth racing programs on the strip. They can also include business partnerships. Case in point: students from Joliet Central High School presented social media plans for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, the latest chapter in an annual curriculum partnership between the school and the race track. Since January, students have spent classroom hours creating marketing agencies, researching demographic information, familiarizing themselves with drag racing, choosing various platforms and formulating a social media plan with the help of bi-weekly classroom visits from Route 66 employees.

“This project is a wonderful example of how our students can benefit from the experience of industry professionals who provide real-world learning opportunities,” said Cheryl McCarthy, Joliet Township High School superintendent. “The students have done an outstanding job creating innovative and exciting marketing strategies that utilize 21st century social media skills and this experience would not be possible without our continuing partnership with Route 66 Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway."

Seven groups of students presented their plans to a panel of judges, including Superintendent McCarthy, track president Scott Paddock and Matt Cloud with Gatorade’s digital marketing agency, VML. The winning group, which will be chosen next week, will implement their plan via accounts created over the next several months, while also receiving guidance and support from Route 66 Raceway. Through R.A.C.E., Route 66 Raceway’s charitable entity, a $2,500 scholarship was also awarded to Chris Vergel for his work on the project. Chris maintains a 3.4 grade point average, demonstrated outstanding leadership throughout the project and wrote a 500-word essay on his involvement and learning experience. Chris has already been accepted to three universities and plans to major in business administration next fall.

In 2013, JTHS and Route 66 teamed up for the Route 66 Raceway 15th Anniversary Banner Project, which engaged students in the design, marketing and sale of eight 25-by-15 grandstand banners. Students from both Joliet Central and Joliet West designed banners, while students from Joliet Central sold them to sponsors for charity. All totaled, the partnership raised $10,000 for the Joliet Area Community Hospice, which has served Joliet since 1982. The 125 students from Joliet West and Joliet Central that participated in the project voted to select the hospice as their charity of choice after learning about its mission and the service it provides the community.

The Benchmark Project began in 2012 and involved students creating and fabricating 20 benches to be sold for charity. All totaled, the partnership raised $20,000 for three community organizations. Joliet Central High School selected the G.W. Buck Boys and Girls Club as their beneficiary and presented them with $10,000; while Joliet West divided the funds raised and elected to give $5,000 to the Will County Humane Society and $5,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

For more information on Route 66 Raceway visit www.Route66Raceway.com.

Saturday March 22 at Virginia Motorsports Park is Outlaw Heads Up Index eaturing extreme heads-up action in 4.90, 5.90, 10.0, 11.0 and 12.0.
4.90 runs in the 1/8th mile and pays $1,200 Win, $600 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $75 Quarters; entry is $75. 5.90 runs in the 1/8th mile and pays $1,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $50 Quarters; entry is $60. 10.0 runs in the ¼ mile and pays $500 Win, $150 Runner-Up, $75 Semis and $50 Quarters; entry is $40. 11.0 and 12.0 both run in the ¼ mile and each pays 60% Win / 40% Runner-Up out of a purse 80% of 1st Round entries. Entry is $30.

There’s also 1/4 Mile Pro that pays $800 Win, $300 Runner-Up and $20 Round starting with 2nd Round win. Payouts based on 36 cars in Round 1. Entry is $35.

Gates open 9:00 am with time trials starting at 11:00 am. Visit www.VMPDrag.com for more info.

The full schedule for this season has already started at SWIR with the February 22nd race and the remaining six dates are April 5th, June 21st, September 27th, October 25th, November 8th, and the finals on November 22nd. The season opener for the Wild Horse series will be on March 29th, followed by April 26th, May 31st, June 14th, September 6th, October 11th, and those finals running on November 15th.

Thanks to all the sponsors and racers who support American DRAGCAR and make this venue possible and a special thanks to Kenny Speed's Tire & Performance Center for coming aboard as title sponsor for the Wild Horse Challenge Series.

For more information about the Amercian DRAGCAR series, visit www.usdragcar.com.

In what has to be one of the longest running grudges in grudge race history, Edmund Hall vs. Mike Hill, Part 21 comes to Montgomery MotorSports Park in Montgomery, AL on Sunday, March 23rd, 2014.The day also includes 4.70 Index ($2,000 Win, $700 Runner-Up, $250 Semis and $125 Quarters; entry $85), 5.30 Index ($1,500 Win, $400 Runner-Up, $200 Semis; entry $65), 6.0 and 7.0 Index (each pays $1,200 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $150 Semis; entry $50), and 8.0 Index ($300 Win, $150 Runner-Up, $75 Semis; entry $35).

Gates open at 10:00 am; racing starts at noon. Visit www.MMPDragRacing.com.

The debut of Mopar’s newest Pro Stock class vehicle, the Dodge Dart, took place at the NHRA Gatornationals with a win by Allen Johnson. Joining the Dodge Charger R/T in the Funny Car class and the Dodge Challenger in Sportsman competition, the Dodge Dart was chosen as the next generation Pro Stock vehicle and developed on a virtual platform, using production-based technology and tools used for street vehicles, with Chrysler Group LLC race and production engineers working hand-in-hand with the race teams.

The Pro Stock Dodge Darts will be driven by Johnson and Jeg Coughlin, Jr.

The Mini Millions gets underway Thursday – Sunday, March 27th – 30th 2014 at Montgomery MotorSports Park in Montgomery, AL.
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 Win, $600 5th Round Win, $400 4th Round Win, and $200 3rd Round Win. 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, $2,000 6th Round Win, $1,500 5th Round Win, $1,000 4th Round Win and $500 3rd Round Win. 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.

The 3rd Atomic Blast takes place Friday – Saturday, March 14th – 15th 2014 at Gulfport Dragway in Gulfport, MS. The Blast includes hot rods, street rods, lead sleds, gassers, rat rods, music, pin-up and tattoo contests and 1/8th Mile Flag-drop Drags.

A weekend pass for car and driver is $20. Gates open 4:00 pm Friday and 8:00 am Saturday. Visit www.AtomicBlastShow.com for more info.

The North East Timing Organization has announced its 2014 schedule. The group’s season of nostalgia drag racing kicks off April 27th at Island Dragway. After that, it’s May 3rd & 4th at Lebanon Valley Dragway, June 1st at Island, June 14th at Cecil County Dragway, June 28th at Maple Grove Raceway, July 6th at Island, July 27th at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (Englishtown), August 2nd & 3rd at Island, August 9th & 10th at Lebanon Valley, August 23rd & 24th at Numidia Dragway, September 7th at Island, September 27th & 28th at Lebanon Valley, October 4th at Atco Dragway and October 19th at Island.

For more information about racing with NETO, visit www.netonostalgia.com.

Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels returns to NMCA racing as an official 2014 series sponsor as well as the Super Street 10.5W class sponsor. The company will also offer contingency awards for all Pro, Sportsman and special-event classes, and Mickey Thompson Motorsports will be on site at most events offering trackside support.

“It’s great to renew our relationship with NMCA as both a series and contingency sponsor,” stated Tom Kundrik, Motorsports Manager, Mickey Thompson. “Our support of the oldest and most recognized all-domestic vehicle drag racing series in the country is something we’re very proud of, and we look forward to another great year.”

With more than 100 participating manufacturers and the largest all-cash contingency programs in street-legal drag racing, the NMRA, NMCA, NMCA WEST and CHP Nationals attract the largest field of streetcar competitors and fans. For more information about the NMCA series, visit www.nmcadigital.com. For more info about Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, visit www.mickeythompsontires.com.

To our Buick racing friends in the Lone Star state, make sure you bring it to Little River Dragway in Holland, TX on Saturday, March 29th 2014 for the Texas Buick Nationals.

Hosted by The Lone Star Performance Buick Club, this is open to all makes and models. Gates open at 12:00 noon with time trials at 1:00 pm. Entry for test & tune is $10; if you want to enter the bracket race the entry will be an additional $10.

For more information visit www.littleriverdragway.com.

Moroso Performance Products and Competition Engineering, in their continued effort to provide the best quality products and services to their customers, racers, and racing enthusiasts has rewired and rebuilt their websites. They now offer "direct to you" purchasing, allowing you to buy Moroso and Competition Engineering products online, anytime.

Visit both the Moroso and CE sites to find out about all their latest news, shows, events and products.Use the Event Calendar to find out when a Moroso rep will be visiting your town. Stop by and view their latest products in person. Also find comprehensive product installation instructions, watch Moroso product demos on Moroso TV and sign up for the email list and get first word on new products, specials, events and more.

Visit www.Moroso.com and www.CompetitionEngineering.com.

Greer Dragway in Greer, SC kicks off their 2014 season of weekly Saturday IHRA Summit Super Series bracket racing on March 15th with eliminators in Pro / Top ET (electronics), Footbrake (no electronics, no transbrake) and Jr. Dragster.

Pro pays $1,500 Win, $300 Runner-Up and $20 per round won beginning 1st Round, based on 50 cars. Entry is $50, 1st Round buybacks are $35. Footbrake pays $800 Win, $200 Runner-Up and $15 per round won beginning 1st Round, based on 32 cars. Entry is $40, 1st Round buybacks are $25. Jr. Dragster pays $150 Win, $75 Runner-Up, $25 Semis, and $20 Quarters. Entry is $20, 1st Round buybacks are $10.

Gates open at 12:00 noon, eliminations at 5:00 pm. Visit www.GreerDragway.com.

Atco Dragway celebrates life in the slow lane with their Grocery Getter Race on Sunday, March 23rd, 2014. This bracket eliminator is open to vehicles running 15.00 and slower; drivers must have helmet and seat belts and must drive the car in. .700 Pro Tree. Payout for between 32-47 cars is $300 Win, $100 Runner-Up and $20 Round starting 3rd Round Loser.

Entry is $35; gates open at 9:00 am. Visit www.Atco-Dragway.com.

Carolina Dragway’s 2014 season gets into high gear on Saturday, March 8th with March Madness featuring the XTreme 28 & 29 Shootout. This free-entry race pays $4,000 Win, $1,000 Runner-Up, $500 Semis and $250 Quarters. Any power adder is allowed, stock-style front suspension, any rear suspension, no wheelie bars, maximum tire size 29 x 10.5W or 315 (turbo and blower cars must run 28s or 275s).

There’ll also be the Outlaw 4.840 Top Gun Shootout for nitrous-powered cars with 4.840 bore space engines or smaller. Door cars only, any chassis, any tire.

Gates open 9:00 am, test & tune at 12:00 noon. Visit www.houseofhook.com for more info.

These lightweight third members from Mark Williams Enterprises start with ring gears that are pocket milled to reduce weight, Supra-Fin micro polished, and Sub-Zero treated for superior material integrity (eliminates retained austenite). Ceramic dual opposed angular contact bearings are employed in the pinion support to reduce friction and add rigidity to the pinion. They are also lighter than conventional bearings. Features: • Pocket lightened ring gear • Supra-Fin finished gears • ceramic pinion support bearings • billet aluminum yoke • low-drag seal • aluminum or lightweight steel 40-spline spool • 32-spline pinion input 9-1/2" gear • Sub-Zero treated ring and pinion • low-drag assembly procedures • free transporter case and Torco gear lube • Eligible for M-W's Thirdmember Exchange Program

9-1/2" Low Friction Thirdmembers – part # 57022-XXX (XXX designates gear ratio). Also available are 9" 28 spline Low Friction Thirdmembers with 4.86 to 6.50 ratios – part # 57022.

For information about other Mark Williams products, visit www.MarkWilliams.com.

Attention in the Super/Top ET and Pro/Footbrake ET pits! Virginia Motorsports Park has three days of big money 1/8th mile racing for you. The 5th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Classic is Friday – Sunday, March 14-16, 2014. Friday features a Fat $5K Warmup; Sunday is the Fat $5K Finale, each day includes races for Top ET and Footbrake. Payouts for each race are $5,000 Win, $1,500 Runner-Up, $500 Semis, $300 5th Round Win, $200 4th Round Win, $100 3rd Round Win. Entry is $100, buybacks are $60. Double entries permitted.

Saturday is the $10,000 Main Event, with races for Top ET and Footbrake. Payouts for each class are $10,000 Win, $2,000 Runner-Up, $700 Semis, $300 5th Round Win, $200 4th Round Win, $100 3rd Round Win. Entry is $150, buybacks are $80. Double entries permitted.

A 3-race Weekend Entry is $290, a $60 saving vs. buying three separate 1-day entries. Gates open Thursday at 5:00 pm for parking. Gates open Friday and Saturday at 8:00 am, Sunday at 9:00 am. Visit www.vmpdrag.com for more information.

Maple Grove Raceway honors its 2013 Sunoco Race Fuels Money Trail champions at its annual banquet held at the Crowne Plaza Reading hotel. From left, Lee Risser (Stock-Super Stock), Vincent Branca (Jr. Dragster), Brock Moshier (Pro), Paul Werner (Street), Cory Stuebner (Top Bike), and Lanny Werley (Super). Photo: Don Carrick/Studio 413.

Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, NC - The chance to get back on the track after a long winter and the added incentive of a free entry bonus are expected to draw a large field of bracket cars to Rockingham Dragway for the annual Racer Appreciation ET Shootout February 22nd - 23rd. “After almost three months, our racers are ready to get back into a routine and so are we,” track owner Steve Earwood said. “The sound of race motors at The Rock is one of the first signs of spring. I can’t wait to get started. I think we’ve got an exciting schedule and, as usual, we’ve tried to throw in a little something to everyone.”

Among those “little somethings” is a comprehensive bracket racing schedule that includes 11 points races that will determine Rockingham track championships and those eligible to compete in the IHRA Summit Super Series finals. The first of those events will be contested in conjunction with the Racer Appreciation opener, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.

The February opener will pay $2,000 to Top ET winners on both Saturday and Sunday; $1,000 to the Footbrake winners and $150 to the champions in the increasingly competitive Jr. Dragster division. Although the competitive portion of the event will be restricted to Saturday and Sunday, the track actually will open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday February 21st for parking and tech inspection. Two-day adult admission is $25 per person. Sunday only admission is $15. As usual, children under six are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult and parking also is free in Rockingham Dragway’s main lot.

Among those expected to take advantage of the early season event are 2013 Rockingham track champions Dave Lowe of Raeford (Top ET), Wesley Roberts of Benson (Footbrake, pictured) and Nicholas Rabon of Florence, S.C. (Jr. Dragster). Roberts, a member of the potent Ronnie Roberts Racing effort, is expected to wage another season-long battle for track bragging rights with teammate Eric Aman of Mt. Olive, the 2012 Footbrake champ.

In addition to the Summit Super Series events, Rockingham’s bracket racing schedule will include the Southern Jr. Dragster Spring Nationals on March 15-16; a Hoosier Tires Carolina Coalition bracket race on March 29-30; and the annual Big John Memorial Weekend Iron Man Bracket Championships, May 23-26. Visit www.rockinghamdragway.com for more information.

Carolina Dragway in Aiken, SC presents their 28” & 29” Shootout on Saturday, February 22nd, 2014. This free-entry race pays $2,000 (based on an 8 car minimum). There’ll also be grudge racing and test & tune all day. Gates open at 10:00 am with shakedowns at noon and eliminations at 3:00 pm.

For more information visit www.houseofhook.com.

Montgomery MotorSports Park kicks off the seventh season of their Super 7 Series on Friday – Sunday, February 28th – March 2nd , 2014 with big bucks races for Super Pro and Pro classes.

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 Saturday and Sunday. Payouts based on 100 entries. 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 Pro Class races each pay $1,750 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $100 Semis and $50 Quarters. Payouts based on 40 entries. 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.

The Frantic Ford has partnered with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a national organization dedicated to curing childhood cancer. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation evolved from 4-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott’s front yard lemonade stand into a national movement dedicated to finding better treatments and cures for all childhood cancers and founded on the premise that you are never too young to make a difference.

Please donate because every dollar makes a difference. Fighting childhood cancer, one cup at a time! Team Frantic will be racing to raise funds with the Frantic Ford Funny Car at dragstrips from New Hampshire to Florida. You may donate online at www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1112535.

NHRA has hired The Brand AMP, the largest public relations firm in Orange County, Calif., to proactively reach the new media audience, non-traditional media outlets, bloggers and social media channels to bring new fans into the sport of NHRA Drag Racing. “Today’s media landscape has changed, shifting to online media, bloggers and individual influencers,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. “These outlets reach a younger demographic, have an impact on trend setting, and many times are feeder outlets to much larger non-traditional media coverage. The Brand AMP knows this area extremely well and their involvement will have an immeasurable impact on expanding NHRA’s reach to an entirely different segment of the population.

“In addition, we believe the agency will compliment and drive broad awareness for our diversity and multicultural initiatives, expand and enhance our social media efforts and assist in building the next generation of stars in the sport.” The Brand AMP is based in Seal Beach, Calif., and boasts a roster of lifestyle, consumer products, fitness and tech clients including Qualcomm, DIRECTV, VIZIO, TaylorMade Golf, adidas Golf, Ashworth, Beachbody, Bell Powersports, Mizuno and Carhartt, among others.

In addition to proactive media outreach to non-traditional media outlets including new media, lifestyle, tech and entertainment, the agency will be charged with assisting NHRA in its social media outreach and platforms, developing strategies and synergies including newsworthy content to increase the sport’s following and expand its reach outside the traditional audience.

The move expands the capabilities of NHRA’s current media relations efforts and will deliver a fresh approach to positioning the sport.
“We all recognize that awareness of the sport is key to our success for all our stakeholders. The agency showed tremendous enthusiasm to make an impact on the sport by leveraging their strong media relationships and deep knowledge of the new media scene,” said Compton.

Palm Beach International Raceway™ (PBIR) welcomes LKQ Pick Your Part (LKQ) to its family of track sponsors and partners. The dragstrip's Lane 2 scoreboard now bears the LKQ logo, each timing slip printed for a Drag Strip pass now has LKQ designated for Lane 2, and public address announcements now refer to the right lane as LKQ Pick Your Part Lane 2.

"I am proud to announce our new partnership with sponsor LKQ Pick Your Parts. We look forward to maintaining a 3-year relationship with LKQ as the naming rights sponsor of Lane 2 on the dragstrip. After several meetings and discussions with Plant Manager Rod Donhoff of the Riviera Beach location regarding their yards in Palm Beach County and their needs to market themselves, it made sense for LKQ to choose one of our largest pieces of real estate here at the track for the next 3 years," noted Jackie Rea, Director of Business Development at PBIR.

With more than 50 locations across the U.S. recycling more than 500,000 vehicles a year, LKQ Pick Your Part is a leading source for high quality, low cost used auto parts. South Florida locations include West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

For more information about PBIR, visit www.RacePBIR.com.

JUPITER, FL (January 17, 2014) --- No one hoisted a trophy and there was no big check at the top end but that did not diminish the competitive fire on the first day of the 4th annual PRO Winter Warm-Up at Palm Beach International Raceway. Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang continued their steady performance improvements with a team leading elapsed time of 4.039 seconds at 315.56 mph in the second session on Friday.

“That run felt great. We have made a couple other runs in the 4.0s the past couple of days but with the fans in the stands and someone in the lane next to you it is just great to race. (Crew chief) Mike Neff and this Auto Club team have been testing a few things and we are focusing on the NHRA Circle K Winternationals. It has been cold here but we are working around that and seeing some good numbers,” said Hight, the 2013 Chevy Performance U.S. Nationals winner.

Hight’s Funny Car teammates also put on an exciting show for the fans on Friday. Courtney Force and the Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car hazed the tires in both sessions but earlier in the day on Friday she lit up the scoreboard with a 4.06 second pass. 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion brought the crowd to their feet when he pedaled his Castrol GTX High Mileage Funny Car in both sessions shooting header flames above the roof of his 10,000 horsepower Funny Car. Force has consistently been in the 4.0s yesterday and today including a 4.03 second blast this morning.

“This is awesome to be back with drag racing fans. We won the championship last year and this was the first time for these folks in Florida to celebrate with us. That 4.03 this morning was a great run for this Castrol team and Robert has been running in the 4.0s and so has Courtney. We are all testing different things and then the brain-trust will get together and look at the data,” said Force. “PRO does a great job with this event and thanks to team owners like Don Schumacher, Bob Vandegriff, Bob Tasca and Connie Kalitta, we have a great show for people to see. The Al-Anabi Dragsters ran great tonight and my daughter Brittany Force made a good 3.82 second run in the Castrol EDGE Dragster.”

The Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster driven by 2013 Auto Club Rookie of the Year Brittany Force made a strong showing during the exhibition runs posting elapsed times of 3.891 seconds and then improving to 3.824 seconds; fourth quickest of the second session.

Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, IL - Route 66 Raceway has announced has announced more events for its 2014 season.

Taking place under the lights on Saturday, June 7, The Four Seasons Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing 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 26-29. Last season’s Nationals event featured four three-second Funny Car runs at Route 66, the only track to break the four-second barrier four separate times in 2013.

The Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing showcases the NMRA and NMCA, July 10-13, with over 30 classes of all-door slammer drag racing. On top of the monumental track action, check out the pristine car show cruisers and browse the manufacturer’s midway and swap meet.

On August 16, the Hollywood Casino Joliet Route 66 Classic returns to pay homage to early drag racing and hot rod culture, including a special appearance from members of the Nostalgia Drag Racing League. In the ultimate tribute to all things vintage, hundreds of classic hot rods will participate on the drag strip and in the Cruise-In Car Corral in a quarter-mile blast down memory lane.

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

Tickets for the 2014 events at Route 66 Raceway are on sale now (except for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals) and are available by visiting www.Route66Raceway.com or by calling (888) 629-RACE.

Jeff Sefranek submitted the Colt of Arms Mustang to Readers' Rides. His dad Jerry Sefranek is the long time owner of this ’65 Mustang and started drag racing in the early ‘60s during his time in the Air Force while stationed in New York.

Jerry continued in class and bracket racing after his Air Force days until the early ‘70s while living in Cleveland, Ohio until moving to Phoenix, Arizona. There he picked up his bracket racing right on into the mid ‘90s when he handed the Mustang over to his son Jeff, who continues to campaign the little warhorse almost in the same condition as when he first drove the car over 30 years ago.

Continued here...

The 2014 King of The Coast series kicks off Friday – Sunday, February 21st – 23rd at Gulfport Dragway in Gulfport, MS. The weekend includes money bracket racing on Saturday and Sunday in Electronics, Footbrake, Sportsman and Jr. Dragster.

Each Electronics race pays $4,000 Win, $500 Runner-Up, $350 Semis and $40 Round starting with 3rd Round win. Payouts based on 75 entries. Entry per race is $85, or buy a two-race entry for $160. 1st Round buybacks are $60. Each Footbrake race pays $1,500 Win, $300 Runner-Up, $150 Semis and $25 Round starting with 3rd Round win. Payouts based on 50 entries. Entry per race is $60, or buy a two-race entry for $100. 1st Round buybacks are $30. Each Sportsman race pays $150 Win, $50 Runner-Up and $25 Semis. Payouts based on 10 entries. Entry is $25 per day; 1st Round buybacks are $15. Jr. Dragster Age 8-9 pays $100 Win and $50 Runner-Up, based on 6 entries. Jr. Dragster Ages 10-12 and 13-17 each pay $150 Win, $50 Runner-Up and $25 Semis, based on 10 entries.

Gates open Friday at 4:00 pm for a test & tune and a Gambler’s Race. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 pm. For more information visit www.GulfportDragway.com.

ST CATHARINES, ONTARIO (January 27, 2014) - Officials with the Joe’s Transmission TNT Super Series are excited to announce a new sponsor for its annual race of champions, REVS Full Throttle Powersports in St Catharines, Ontario. What started three years ago as an idea to showcase the talent in the Joe’s Transmission TNT Super Series, the REVS Full Throttle Powersports TNTSS Race of Champions will see the highly coveted event through to at least 2016 and will take the series to its tenth season.

Kasey Janzen of REVS Full Throttle Powersports has been supporting the TNTSS in many ways since the series began. "It just made sense for us to get behind the race of champions. Performance is what we're all about and this race brings out the best of the best," said Kasey. The 2014 ROC will take place on Saturday August 30th at St Thomas Raceway Park after the regular race that day and will be run on the 1/8 mile.

This race is open to any TNTSS racer who has won an event at any time in the series history. It is free to enter and pays out $1200 to the winner, $400 to the runner-up. "Currently there are 30 drivers eligible for the ROC. Each race leading up to the ROC is another chance for someone to get into the race or to improve their qualifying position," said Ted Barnes, TNTSS Director.

The TNTSS is a self-governing organization with input from its teams. Based on NHRA’s Super Street & IHRA’s Hot Rod classes, competitors run on a 10.90 index in the 1/4 mile (7.00 in the 1/8 mile) and race for a guaranteed purse that pays back more than 100% of the racer's entry fees. The year-end points fund provides cash & prizes to the top eight finishers and the Series Champion receives a prize package worth over $4,000. Visit www.tntsuperseries.com for more information.

Attention all .90 Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street racers: the 2014 "Livin' In The .90s" photo and event calendar is now available from JYR Photos. Featuring Super Class .90 racer photos and 2014 events from the Northeast, the calendar starts with February 2014 and goes through January 2015. This calendar is packed with over 125 photos of possibly you and many of your fellow S/ST, S/G, and S/C racers. JYR Photos has been producing photo calendars for 10 years and now they are available for the .90 classes. Coverage is from various events in the Northeast. Also included: 2014 NHRA, IHRA National & Div. events listed along with .90 association events & racer birthdays. Price is $20 each + $5 S+H.

Says JYR's Jim Young, "My calendars are very personal. Most of the customers are either past or presently featured in the pages or know several people who are. This makes them more of a conversation piece which ultimately grows the customer base as an added bonus. Add to that the fact that most all the events related to the particular type of racing are researched and listed on their respective dates. Ultimately, it becomes their one stop to know what is going on in the racing world. Race promoters can even advertise for extra promotion of their event or any company can advertise in this space. In the end the calendar becomes a useful tool as well as a nice piece of wall art anyone would be proud to hang in their home, office, shop, trailer, or anywhere."

To order, contact Jim directly at nhra1209@aol.com.

Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, IL - Route 66 Raceway has announced its 2014 Rockett Brand Racing Fuel ET Bracket Series schedule.

The first of nine ET Bracket Races gets underway on April 27. Also, part of this season’s Test & Tune lineup will feature Friday Nights at 66, a "fun run" format open to all racers. If you’re new to racing, Route 66 Raceway’s trained staff will guide you through the process to safely race your car on the drag strip. Each of the Friday Nights at 66 events will also feature a host car club in the designated Cruise-in Car Corral, a non-competitive place to show your vehicle and watch the races.

The 2014 Rockett Brand Racing Fuel ET Bracket Series dates are April 27, May 4, May 18, June 14 (NHRA King of the Track), July 6 (National Dragster Challenge), July 27, August 2, August 10 and August 17. For the latest event details and information stay connected by visiting www.Route66Raceway.com.

Maple Grove Raceway, Mohnton, PA - Over three decades the Super Chevy Show at Maple Grove Raceway has grown into the largest event on the tour, drawing hundreds of racers and car show participants to the legendary facility. So racers, take note: for 2014 The Super Chevy Show will be held earlier in July, on the weekend of July 11-13.

The event kicks off on Friday, July 11 with rounds of time trials for the racers. Racing will then continue through the weekend. The car show portion will be held Saturday and Sunday only with awards on each day. Joining the fun this time will be the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association, which will be making the first of two appearances this summer. Racing the full quartermile, these Pro Mods have been re-writing the Maple Grove record book the past two seasons and promise to deliver yet another great show.

Also on hand will be four jet dragsters that will heat up the summer days. Jill Canuso and the “Queen of Diamonds” along with the popular “Jersey Thunder” will be making their return to Maple Grove. Joining from out West will be the MavTV “Missle” and the Lucas Oil “Terminal Velocity.”

Entering its 52nd season, Maple Grove will have a full schedule of events from April to October, including the NHRA Nationals that will once again be part of the NHRA Mello Yello Series Countdown to the Championship, on Oct. 2-5.

For more information, visit www.maplegroveraceway.com.

The International Hot Rod Association™ (IHRA) and IRG Sports + Entertainment™ (IRG) have announced The Sonic Rush Tour, an all-new series set to debut in 2014. The 2014 Sonic Rush Tour, presented by AMSOIL, will visit 13 cities in nine states with its unique brand of motorsports entertainment.

At the heart of the Sonic Rush Tour is a dedication to providing fans with a race track experience unlike anything they have ever seen before. With non-stop entertainment designed to test the senses, the Sonic Rush Tour is exactly what its name suggests – a rush of sights, sounds and smells that is unlike anything else in the industry.

Among the machines that will populate the lineup of the Sonic Rush Tour in 2014 will be the brand new X-Treme Shockwave, a 30,000 horsepower jet-powered semi-truck. Other jet vehicles will include the uniquely designed Queen of Diamonds II jet dragster, piloted by the world famous Jill Canuso, and jet-powered Funny Cars. Other cars will include the Chevy Rebellion wheelstander driven by Richard Hutchins, the Candyland stagecoach wheelstander driven by Ed Jones, and the complete collection of Mike West's unique contraptions including the car-eating Megasaurus and a wild set of jet-powered vehicles including a golf cart, a smart car and even a flame-throwing recliner.

For more information on the 2014 Sonic Rush Tour schedule, visit the tour’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/SonicRushTour and follow the tour on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/SonicRushTour. A newly designed website at www.SonicRushTour.com will debut in the coming weeks.

Beaver Springs Dragway, Beaver Spings, PA - Bracket racers at Beaver Springs Dragway can join points once and get the chance to run in two Bracket Finals. In 2014.there will be a new separate Southern Bracket Racing Association (SBRA) points system to be held monthly at the Beaver. The racers will earn points in a totally separate SBRA points structure. All races will be run exactly like the SBRA Bracket Finals were with Super Pro (electronics permitted) and Foot Brake (no transbrakes or 2 steps) plus Bike. All races will run one Sunday per month and will be 1/8 mile. For more information, visit www.beaversprings.com.

Old Bridge Township Raceway Park’s bracket racers who sign up early for the 2014 Sunoco Super Challenge E.T. Points Series will receive a $5.00 discount per category joined.

Raceway Park offers several points classes, giving racers with all different types of cars the opportunity to do more than just make time shots. E.T. points racers race for cash and trophy payouts, end-of-season awards, and the chance to compete at Etown’s Summer Thrill Shows.

To receive the discount, sign up by Friday, February 14th. For more information, call the track at 732-446-7800 during weekday business hours, or visit www.EtownRaceway.com.

Auto Plus Raceway, Gainesville, FL - Attention in the bracket pits: all Auto Plus Raceway racers with a permanent NHRA competition number are eligible to register for the VP Racing Fuels Points Fund Program. This program will generate additional money to be awarded during the season’s racer awards ceremony and banquet. Any racer with a permanent competition number can pay a one time annual fee of $35 per category to earn points.

It is not necessary to enter the Points Fund Program to race. Points will only be calculated and posted for the racers who have both a valid competition number and have paid to enter the program in that category. A racer can buy into the points program at any time in the season, however there will be no holding or awarding past event points earned prior to paying the fee. Payment can be made at any Auto-Plus Raceway scheduled event before first round of eliminations or in the track office during regular business hours.

Event points are awarded as follows: 10 points for purchasing and turning in a tech card. 10 points for actually teching in an eligible vehicle. 10 points are awarded for each round won. Each class winner will receive 2 bonus points and each runner-up will receive 1 bonus point. New for 2014: fourteen (14) events are currently scheduled for 2014. The worst two (2) points events will be dropped from the cumulative season points total, and the top twelve (12) points events will count towards the season total. BONUS POINTS: 1/8 Mile Series: Pay points fund entry fee by January 25th, 2014 prior to 1st round of eliminations to receive 25 Bonus Points. Pay points fund entry fee by February 15th, 2014 prior to 1st round of eliminations to receive 10 Bonus Points. For more information visit www.autoplusraceway.com.

The Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association has released a preliminary schedule for the 2014 season. The series is slated to kick off April 11th – 13th at Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville, MD, then again at MIR May 9th – 10th. Then on May 30th – 31st the series moves to Capitol Raceway in Crofton, MD, and then to Atco Dragway in Atco, NJ June 14th. July 11th – 13th will be at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, PA for Super Chevy, then back to Capitol Raceway on August 15th – 16th. September 6th – 7th is Maple Grove Raceway, and then the series wraps up September 26th – 27th at the International Pro Mod Challenge at Maryland International Raceway. More dates may also be added.

The Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association provides Pro Mod racers the opportunity to provide entertainment for spectators, increase sponsor promotions and advertisement, and help tracks drive more spectator business. The Northeast Outlaw Pro Association features a wide variety of body styles and engines configuration making for some of the quickest and fastest door slammers in the country, typically in the high 5 second range at over 240 MPH. The Association works closely with tracks, organizations and drivers to help increase the recognition of the Pro Mod class.

For more information about The Northeast Pro Mod Association, visit www.neoutlawpromods.com.

Flowmaster introduces their new manifold downpipes, available for the 1965-1967 Chevrolet Caprice, Bel Air, Impala and Biscayne with 396 and 427 Big Block V8 engines, 1963-1967 Chevrolet Corvette with the 327ci V8 engine and manual or automatic transmissions, 1968-1974 Chevrolet Corvette with 327 and 350 V8 engines and automatic Transmissions, 1980-1981 Corvette with 350 ci V8 engines, and 1984-1985 Chevrolet Corvette with 350 ci, V8 engine. These mandrel bent pipes include factory style flanges, donut gaskets and donut sleeves for an easy installation. Constructed in durable 409S® Stainless Steel, the pipes are covered by Flowmaster’s Lifetime Limited Warranty.

Also new from Flowmaster is the American Thunder crossmember-back exhaust system for the 1965-1968 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice. This system is perfect for the person looking for an aggressive sound level inside and outside of the car, with all of the performance benefits that you would expect from Flowmaster. This bolt-on DOR (Dual Out Rear) system features aluminized Super 40 Series mufflers and dual 2.50” tailpipes with a welded H-Pipe assembly. The system is finished off with a pair of 4.25” x 2.25” polished oval stainless steel tips. Like all Flowmaster systems, the pipes are mandrel bent to reduce any restrictions and maximize performance. The exhaust system is manufactured in the USA and is covered by Flowmaster’s 3 year Limited Warranty. Designed for an easy fit, this system includes all necessary parts and hardware for installation. Note: On Big Block cars, Flowmaster’s part # 81075 Down Pipe kit (sold separately) can be used to connect to factory manifolds.

Please visit www.flowmastermufflers.com for additional application and product information.

Rich's race car is a footbrake 1980 Olds Cutlass Supreme Pro Eliminator car. 357" small block Chevy on 110 gas. Says Rich, "Atco Dragway is my home track, but I also race at Englishtown, Island Dragway, Cecil County Dragway, Maple Grove and US-1 . S&W parts include roll cage, ladder bars & cross members, rear coil over shocks, springs & mounts, fuel door and inside door pulls. This year I will also have front- and mid-plates with limiters."

"Best ET so far is 10.31 @ 129.4 on 9 inch slicks. Thank you to Scott & the crew at S&W for all of your tech support and great products."

For information about S&W Race Cars, visit www.swracecars.com.

I64 Motorplex in Owingsville, KY presents its 2nd Annual Winter Street Race on Saturday, January 18th, 2014 for street legal cars and trucks only. Payout is $750 winner, $200 Runner-Up, $100 Semis. Entry is $35 and 1st or 2nd Round buybacks are $25. Double entry allowed. The 1/8th mile E.T. break is 8.50; go quicker and you’re done.

Gates open at 9:00 am with eliminations at 11:00 am. Visit www.i64motorplex.com for more info.

During the month of January 2014 Little River Dragway in Holland, TX will be hosting open test & tune plus regular shootouts on Sunday afternoons.

Gates will open at 12 noon, and the lanes will be open from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Little River Dragway will resume back to Friday night test & tune starting in February 2014.

For more information visit www.LittleRiverDragway.com

Good Vibrations Motorsports of Whittier, CA is proud to be celebrating it's 25th Anniversary. To help their customers celebrate, Good Vibrations is having a sweepstakes and will be giving away many freebies including parachutes, helmets, copper gaskets, specialty tools, fuel injection components and supercharger parts. A drawing will be held every month and a lucky recipient will be rewarded. There is no purchase necessary.

Visit Good Vibrations' website for details at www.GoodVibrationsRacing.com.

MASCA / MASGA / MASSA pack some of the best .90 racing on the East coast and gives racers an added alternative to the NHRA / IHRA events on their off weekends. MASCA / MASGA / MASSA counts 6 out of your best 10 races towards the championship and all races are run on a Saturday / Sunday basis so racers don't have to take extra days off from work. Everyone gets two time runs in the morning and then run off a NHRA Sportsman Ladder with the higher qualified car getting lane choice for first round only. If you want info on MASGA (Super Gas) please email Leanne at lmfogerty@hotmail.com. For MASCA (Super Comp) & MASSA (Super Street) please e-mail Rob at Rekeister@aol.com.

Joliet, Ill., Nov. 27, 2013 – The Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning Burndown at Sundown!, part of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series weekend, returns to Route 66 Raceway on Saturday, June 7, for a night of fire-breathing jet cars and high-speed action.

In its fourth year, the Burndown at Sundown! and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series offer a wide array of racing over three days with the show ramping up on Saturday with some of the fastest and most powerful cars Route 66 Raceway has to offer. In addition to every ticket being a pit pass, there will also be a driver autograph session on Saturday night to give fans complete access to the Burndown at Sundown!

“In many ways the Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning Burndown at Sundown! kicks off our season on the Route 66 Raceway drag strip. This is the first real opportunity for our fans to see injected nitro dragsters and top alcohol funny cars blaze down the track, and our signature jet car finale will have everyone on the edge of their seat as they attempt to hit speeds of 300 mph,” said Scott Paddock, Route 66 Raceway president. “We will also have a few new surprises for fans in attendance, making our fourth Burndown at Sundown! the best one yet.”

Also taking place over the three day event weekend, June 6-8, is the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series – a regional touring series featuring nearly 500 of drag racing’s elite. From Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars to wheel standing Super Stocks, the 10 categories of premier sportsman competition truly offer something for each and every fan.

The 2014 NHRA schedule of events at Route 66 Raceway is as follows: June 6 - 8 Burndown at Sundown! & NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series; June 26 - 29 O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries The complete Route 66 Raceway Dragstrip and Dirt Oval 2014 schedule of events will be announced at a later date. For more information on Route 66 Raceway stay connected on Twitter and Facebook or by visiting www.Route66Raceway.com.