Saturday, April 30, 2011

BURGESS RETAINS TOP QUALIFYING POSTION; DEFEATED IN FIRST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS

BAYTOWN, Texas – Roger Burgess retained the No. 1 qualifying position at the end of qualifying on Saturday for the second time of the year and the third time in his career during the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series event at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas.


His good fortunes were short lived as mechanical problems in eliminations ended his weekend early as he had to shut off his turbo-charged Pro Care Rx 1953 Corvette after the burnout and giving the win to 16 seeded Mike Janis.


"We had no oil pressure and it wasn't safe, so we shut it off. The belt on the oil pump broke. It was the right thing to shut it off,” stated Burgess. “You learn and move on. We have to be safe first, so we lived to race another day."


Points leader Khalid Balooshi make it into the field on his third and final qualifying attempt and got a first round win in eliminations. He will face Ed Hoover in the second round.


Other second round pairings include Mike Janis vs. Raymond Commisso, Mike Castellana vs. Pete Farber, and Danny Rowe vs. Donald Martin.


Second round of eliminations for the NRHA Get Screened America Pro Mod Series will take place during the course of the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals on Sunday.

FULL THROTTLE SERIES RESULTS SATURDAY FROM HOUSTON

FORCE, SCHUMACHER, HUMPHREY AND TONGLET ARE NO. 1 QUALIFIERS AT O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA SPRING NATIONALS


BAYTOWN, Texas – John Force moved to within one of NHRA Pro Stock great Warren Johnson’s all-time No. 1 qualifying record by racing to his third consecutive top qualifying performance of the season Saturday at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston.


The other three top qualifiers from Friday also held on to their positions as Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Ronnie Humphrey (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) will lead their categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

Today's Drag Racing News

News
Leah Pruett-Leduc changes direction as Nostalgia career ends
Yahoo! Sports
Leah Pruett-Leduc has had a relatively short but productive and historical career in Nostalgia drag racing and will now be competing in the Pro-Mod class with a supercharged '68 Camaro starting in May 2011. The Roger Burgess (R2B2 Racing) owned car was ...
See all stories on this topic »
Friday Houston Happenings
NHRA.com
As part of NHRA night at the game, NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series drivers took part in an autograph session in the concourse of the stadium. The session drew large numbers of baseball fans to get autographs from the group of drivers that ...
See all stories on this topic »

NHRA.com
Year One Fast Friday NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style at Atlanta Dragway
WhoWon.com
Illegal street racing, sometimes incorrectly referred to as drag racing, has been around almost as long as automobiles. In an effort to curb illegal street racing, and concerned for their safety, NHRA has a program in place to give drivers who wish to ...
See all stories on this topic »
Toronto Motorsports Park Nitro Nationals to Include Star Power!
Inside Track Motorsport News (blog)
In some very significant news for Canadian drag racing fans -- the 2011 drag racing schedule at Toronto Motorsports Park (Cayuga Dragway) will include an appearance by Cruz and Tony Pedregon, star drivers from within the NHRA Full Throttle big leagues. ...
See all stories on this topic »

Inside Track Motorsport News (blog)
VW car show will be held May 1 at Fontana's Auto Club Dragway
Fontana Herald-News
The annual event will feature a full day of activities, including quarter-mile drag racing, Powder-Puff drag racing classes, vintage and custom car shows, a huge swap meet and vendor displays. All years and models of VWs are welcome to participate in ...
See all stories on this topic »
Cruise-in revs up memories of car songs
Payson Roundup
In addition to Brian Wilson's 1963 "Little Deuce Coupe" above, many of us remember that the 1960s brought us a myriad of gas-guzzling, high-performance, drag-racing songs. The Beach Boys also hit the airwaves in that era with "Fun Fun Fun," "I Get ...
See all stories on this topic »
NASCAR pioneer Norfleet's driving passion
Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Tia's best record to date, however, has been on the drag racing circuit where she recorded 37 wins in 52 starts. "She beat a lot of men, not boys, but men over there in drag racing," Tia's father said. "With her being so short and small and petite, ...
See all stories on this topic »

Friday, April 29, 2011

BURGESS HOLDS TOP SPOT AFTER FIRST DAY OF QUALIFYING AT O'REILLY NHRA SPRING NATIONALS

BAYTOWN, Texas – Roger Burgess took the provisional No. 1 qualifying position on Friday in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series race taking place during the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas.

Burgess paced the field with a pass of 5.873 seconds at 247.79 seconds while behind the wheel of turbo-charged Pro Care Rx 1953 Corvette.

"We found something on the first run and were able to make an adjustment. Steve (Petty) never holds back, he goes for it. Even though most people thought the track didn't look good, he had his own opinion and exercises it. I drive what he gives me. We’ll give that one to the tuner,” said Burgess following the run. "We still have some technical issues that we are sorting through. But once it goes, it is a pleasure to drive. It's the easiest to drive, most fun racecar I've ever driven."

The drivers in first and second in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series point’s standings are both currently outside the field of 16. Khalid Balooshi, winner of the first two events is 18th with a best of only 9.516 seconds at 92.86 mph. Second in points, Rickie Smith sits 20th with a pass of 13.269 seconds at 66.05 mph.

The final Pro Mod qualifying session is set for 12:45 p.m. on Saturday and will be followed by the first round of eliminations at 3:15 p.m.

FULL THROTTLE SERIES RESULTS FRIDAY FROM HOUSTON

FORCE, SHUMACHER, HUMPHREY AND TONGLET LEAD QUALIFYING AT O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA SPRING NATIONALS

BAYTOWN, Texas – Three weeks after being inducted into the Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame, John Force gave fans in the Lone Star state a great performance Friday as he raced to the No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car Friday at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway.

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Ronnie Humphrey (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event near Houston.

FTTV 60 Greatest Moments in NHRA

Thumbnail FTTV 60 Greatest Moments in NHRA
Apr 24, 2011

ADRL’s Extreme 10.5 Class Featured On Saturday’s “Lucas Oil On The Edge!”

O'FALLON, MO (April 29, 2011) — The American Drag Racing League (ADRL) and its Extreme 10.5 class will be featured on Saturday's "Lucas Oil On The Edge!" which airs at 7 p.m. EST on SPEED.

The show will center around the 2010 Extreme 10.5 "Battle For The Belts," which took place last October at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.

It will also re-air at 3:30 p.m. EST on Monday.

This action-packed episode will feature all of the exciting highlights from the memorable event that crowned a 2010 ADRL World Champion in one of the league's most thrilling classes.

Featuring standout drivers like Dan Millen, Billy Glidden, Gary White, Todd Moyer, Spiro Pappas and Chuck Ulsch, the Extreme 10.5 "Battle For The Belts" showcased the top eight drivers in the class as they battled it for a world title.

The event included incredible runs from Glidden, White and Moyer, but it was Millen was stole the spotlight.

Running out of the No. 8 position, Millen won four matchups on one day, capping it off with a 3.84 in the finals to claim his first ADRL World Championship.

Now in its seventh season, "Lucas Oil On The Edge!" produced by NeWave Video Productions, features some of the best highlights and action from not only drag racing, but also several different types of motorsports.

Bob Bauer Jr looks forward to racing in Quick 32 Sportsman Series

Team will debut Jan-Cen-powered Pontiac GTO in drag race series

ELMA, NEW YORK (April 29, 2011) – He has been behind the wheel of his Top Sportsman car for only one season, but Bob Bauer Jr is ready to join the drag racing action in the upcoming Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts.

"This is only my second season with the car," said the driver of the Bauer Racing entry, "but for the most part we've got it figured out."

The 2007 Pontiac GTO is a Torrelli Pro Cars product, with a 632-cubic inch Jan-Cen Racing Engines powerplant. The big-block is fueled with a Jan-Cen/Speedtech – Single Stage fogger nitrous system, and behind the engine sits an R & R Racing Transmissions T/S Powerglide with a 10-inch BDR Converter.

Bauer said he has raced since the early 1990s, always in the full-fendered door cars. He started out with running in the Heavy and Mod ET classes, and then ran a popular 1977 Vega station wagon for many years.

Bauer said he is hoping for low seven-second times with the white GTO.

Crew chief for the effort is from Mike Mitchell, while family members Michelle, Larry, and Robert Bauer III make up the rest of the team.

Sponsors for the team include Galaxy Auto Place Inc, Jan-Cen Racing Engines, R&R Racing Transmissions, SCI, Citizens Bank (Tim Collins), and Smukall Performance Inc.

Bauer's first Quick 32 Sportsman Series race will be the upcoming 2011 season opener May 20-21 at the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park, the Victoria Day Weekend Challenge, and he said he plans on running all the Quick 32 Sportsman Series events.

"It's a good, growing series, and close to home for me," he said. "And with good payouts, what could be better?"

Today's Drag Racing News

News
Richard Petty: The King in drag racing?
Yahoo! Sports
In 1964, Richard Petty won Nascar's championship with the new 426 Hemi engine (arguably, the greatest engine ever built - since it's in every nitro car in drag racing) in his Plymouth Belvedere. Bill France, the owner of Nascar, decided to ban the ...
See all stories on this topic »

Yahoo! Sports
Drag Racing Privateer - Sportsman's Struggle
Import Tuner Magazine
We had the unpleasant circumstance of showing up on the one weekend of the year preceding NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing's series Finals at Pomona, CA. As far as we could see rolling in alongside 600 or so dead-serious Top Fuel, Pro Stock, ...
See all stories on this topic »

Import Tuner Magazine
New Braunfels racer to compete at NHRA O'Reilly Spring Nationals
San Antonio Express (blog)
By Mike Haag BAYTOWN – South Texas will be well represented when Michael Ray of New Braunfels competes in the National Hot Rod Association Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Motorcycle race at this weekend's O'Reilly Spring Nationals at Royal ...
See all stories on this topic »

San Antonio Express (blog)
Satchell Boyz Racing All Set for PBSS Drag Racing Opener Next Month
WhoWon.com (press release)
THOMAS, Ontario -- With a father who has been immersed in local drag racing circles for several decades, it was only natural for Brandon Satchell to want to race. Starting as an official at St. Thomas Dragway, Brandon's father Larry Satchell was at the ...
See all stories on this topic »
2011 Tony Turner Award goes to Willard Kinzer
WKYT
He is 83 years old and has no plans to retire or stop drag racing… yes, drag racing. The owner of Kinzer Drilling in Floyd County has certainly lived the American dream. But his generosity is why Willard Kinzer is this year's Tony Turner Award Winner. ...
See all stories on this topic »
Atlanta Motor Speedway Donating $1 to Red Cross From Each Friday Night Drags ...
WhoWon.com
Atlanta Motor Speedway will donate one dollar from each grandstand ticket sold at the Speedway's summer drag racing series season opener. "With our facility having been damaged by a tornado in recent years, we know first-hand what it's like when ...
See all stories on this topic »
Mud & Crawl is this weekend
Enterprise-Record
OROVILLE — ATV mud drag racing has been added to extreme rock crawling this weekend for the fifth annual Surplus City Spring Mud & Crawl. Gates open at 9 am at Riffles RV Park, 4515 Pacific Heights Road and racing starts at 10 am both Saturday and ...
See all stories on this topic »
Video Find: Electric Beetle Runs Sub-10-Second Quarter Mile
MotorTrend Magazine
Electric cars may not bring to mind blisteringly fast quarter mile runs today, but that may soon change if the National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) has anything to say about it. When it comes to going fast, NEDRA is out to change minds ...
See all stories on this topic »

MotorTrend Magazine
Badcock Looks To Finish Pro Bike Career On A High
PaddockTalk
... is an entertainment extravaganza held annually at Willowbank Raceway across the Queen's Birthday weekend (June 10-13 in 2011) and is the season-finale for the ANDRA Pro Series – the elite professional level of drag racing in Australia. ...
See all stories on this topic »
Tim Richards takes over crew chief role for Ron Capps
Racer
"Based on everything Tim has accomplished in all levels of drag racing, we are confident he will be able to lead the NAPA team to success in short order." The 67-year-old Richards, who had retired after the 2008 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series ...
See all stories on this topic »

Web
Taupo Drag Racing
Drag Racing Forum is sponsored by World Motorsport Links All your motorsport links on one website, if it's not there, why not add it ...
www.dragracing-forum.com/showthread.php?tid=418

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Year One Fast Friday NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style at Atlanta Dragway

Illegal street racing, sometimes incorrectly referred to as drag racing, has been around almost as long as automobiles.  In an effort to curb illegal street racing, and concerned for their safety, NHRA has a program in place to give drivers who wish to race their cars a safe place at the track to see what their car can really do.

The name of the program is NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA program, and the local version of that is called the Year One "Fast Friday" Street Legal Racing Program, held on select Fridays throughout most of the year.  The program offers the opportunity to compete in grudge-match-style drag racing in a safe, controlled environment.  In addition, every racer receives an elapsed time slip that tells them exactly what their car did at five different points on the track, each time they make a pass down the quarter mile racing surface.

Anyone with a driver's license (17 years old and under must have parent's written permission – see website for further information) is allowed to race their car as fast as it will go on the quarter mile, and there is no worry about traffic tickets.  In fact, the only tickets handed out at Atlanta Dragway are the Elapsed Time slips each racer receives after they make a pass down the quarter mile racing surface.  Obviously, the really fast cars are subject to NHRA safety rules.

If you are a first time racer, let them know at the racer gate, as they have a helpful information packet that explains a lot about the program.

A $20 entry fee gives you and your car access to the entire facility from 6:30 to 11:00pm.  Spectators and crew can get in for $10.  Children 6-12 years old are $5, and children 5 and under are free.

For more information, please contact the Atlanta Dragway office at (706) 335-2301 or visit http://www.atlantadragway.com/ and click on the NHRA Drags – Street Legal Style icon.

Today's Drag Racing News

News
Rick Peterson: Local drag racer returns after accident
Topeka Capital Journal
Ranker, who will turn 53 next month, is a mainstay on the local drag racing scene but was forced to miss the entire 2010 season after a scary work-related accident. "I'm an electrician and I fell through a roof and was strapped to a backboard and ...
See all stories on this topic »
Aerospace Components Named Title Sponsor for NHRA Unleashed
WhoWon.com
Aerospace Components, an industry leader in manufacturing high performance drag racing products, has been named the title sponsor for NHRA Unleashed, a celebration of American horsepower, it was announced today by NHRA officials. ...
See all stories on this topic »
News & Analysis A realistic look at the new ADRL
Drag Racing Online Magazine
By Jeff Burk The biggest story in the doorslammer racing world in 2010 and 2011 revolves around the American Drag Racing League and the major changes that racing series has gone through in the last six months. After two races under the new management, ...
See all stories on this topic »
FYI WIRZ: NHRA Full Throttle Hot Leaders Talk Race 5 at Houston
Bleacher Report
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series presents the O'Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown (Houston), Texas. The best way to enjoy an NHRA Full Throttle drag race is in the stands with earplugs and a cold beverage after ...
See all stories on this topic »

Bleacher Report
2011 NHRA: Mcmillen Interviewed In New Drag Racing Show
PaddockTalk
"I was excited to be a part of this inaugural show," McMillen said as he made his way towards Houston. "This is a great opportunity to fill the void needed to not only promote the upcoming ESPN2 telecast, but also to give fans another chance to be a ...
See all stories on this topic »
Pro Racing Fuels Returns with Contingency and Special Awards to PMRA and Quick ...
WhoWon.com
by Bruce F. Mehlenbacher MISSISSAUGA, Ontario -- Pro Racing Fuels will return to both the Pro Modified Racing Association and the Quick 32 Sportsman Series as a sponsor for the two drag racing series. ?This is good news for our racers in both the PMRA ...
See all stories on this topic »
Retired NHRA Legend Muldowney Still a Major Draw for Houston Drag Race
WhoWon.com
HOUSTON -- Drag racing legend Shirley Muldowney loves entertaining the fans. This weekend at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway, she'll get another chance. In celebration of the NHRA's 60th anniversary, the three-time Top ...
See all stories on this topic »
2011 NHRA: Kenny Youngblood To Focus On Texas Racers On Zizzo Racing Dragster ...
PaddockTalk
"When we unveiled the car at Pomona, the wrap featured four of his paintings that represented West Coast drag racing (Gas Rhonda, Dave Condit, Bakersfield Drags, and the Speed Sport Roadster)." At this weekend's NHRA Full Throttle Series event at Royal ...
See all stories on this topic »
2011 NHRA: Danny Rowe Looks To Repeat History As Pro Mod Drag Racing Series ...
PaddockTalk
As the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing series returns to Royal Purple Raceway, April 29-May 1, for the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals, it's that exact phrase that driver Danny Rowe hopes to be uttering in Winner's Circle on ...
See all stories on this topic »
Team JEGS Set To Rock Indy Opener
Autochannel (press release)
INDIANAPOLIS, April 27, 2011: For more than 30 years, the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis has signified the beginning of a busy summer of racing in the NHRA's North Central Division. It also marks the time when ...
See all stories on this topic »

Autochannel (press release)

Web
Wednesday Night Drag Racing resumes April 27 - Las Vegas Motor ...
The popular Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Pacific Street Car Association Wednesday Night Drag Racing Series resumes its 11-race, 2011 season at The Strip at ...
https://www.lvms.com/strip/media/news/588428.html
Drag Racing - Android Forums
Ok so this is my first post guys so take it easy on me. I have this app called drag racing and was wondering if anyone else has this app and if you.
androidforums.com/android-games/325713-drag-racing.html
Drag Racing's Early Days Recalled With "Snake and Mongoose ...
Drag Racing's Early Days Recalled With "Snake and Mongoose" @ Anaheim Comic Con! News.
www.wizardworld.com/drraeadarewi.html

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

MIR's famous Mountain Motor Nationals is just around the corner! May 13-14,2011








Find us on Facebook

AEROSPACE COMPONENTS NAMED TITLE SPONSOR FOR NHRA UNLEASHED

GLENDORA, Calif. (April 27, 2011) – Aerospace Components, an industry leader in manufacturing high performance drag racing products, has been named the title sponsor for NHRA Unleashed, a celebration of American horsepower, it was announced today by NHRA officials.

Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed (nhraunleashed.com) events give fans of all makes and models of muscle cars and all things that go fast the ability to enjoy a sensory-overload high-performance weekend. Each Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed event offers exciting heads-up racing, automotive displays, and much more. All of the activities are geared toward celebrating the love affair that young and old hot-rodding enthusiasts have developed with the car culture.

“We are thrilled to be title sponsors of the NHRA Unleashed series and to be working alongside NHRA,” said Al and Kim Kussy, owners of Aerospace Components Inc. “Aerospace is proud to be able to support the drag racers who compete in the NHRA Unleashed events as they are the heartbeat of our company.”

Aerospace Components is the first title sponsor for NHRA Unleashed, as the popular grassroots racing tour enters its second season.

“We are excited to welcome Aerospace Components into the NHRA family of series sponsors,” said Ray Wilkings, director of operations for NHRA Unleashed. “It is the first-ever primary sponsor for NHRA Unleashed and we are looking forward to working with the team at Aerospace Components in the upcoming season. We are certain the partnership will benefit both organizations.”

The 2011 Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed season will open at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Cecil, Ga. on May 6-7 before heading to Tulsa Raceway Park in Oklahoma on June 3-4. No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, La. will host the series June 17-18 and it will visit Cordova Dragway Park in Illinois July 15-16. After taking the month of August off, the series will resume in September with two events – Milan Dragway in Michigan on Sept. 9-10 and Lebanon Valley Dragway in New York on Sept. 16-17. The series will conclude in Southern California Oct. 14-16 at Auto Club Dragway at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Six of the seven NHRA divisions are represented in the 2011 Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed schedule.

Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed features an incredible variety of classes, including the Outlaw 10.5, Limited Street, and x275 Radial, as well as index classes for 8.50, 9.50, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0, and 13.0.

All Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed winners receive the famous Wally trophy.

For the latest information about Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed, please visit nhraunleashed.com on the Web.

Today's Drag Racing News

News
Snowmobile Drag Racing to Return to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis
WhoWon.com
by Scott R. Smith INDIANAPOLIS -- Snowmobile drag racing returns to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis during the Spring Spectacle of Speed, NHRA North Central Division Lucas Oil race. The event will take place on April 29 to May 1 and the snowmobiles ...
See all stories on this topic »
JEGS NHRA Division 3 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Preview
Autochannel (press release)
The Coughlin's have won Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events in nine different classes, Top Fuel, Pro Comp, Super Eliminator, Comp, Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Dragster, and Top Sportsman. The Coughlin's have won Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series ...
See all stories on this topic »
Drag Racing Resumes this Week at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with ...
WhoWon.com
It's time to leave the holiday break in the rear-view mirror and go drag racing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Strip at LVMS will be a hotbed of straight-line activity, kicking off the wild weekend on Wednesday night with LVMS/PSCA ...
See all stories on this topic »
Skyview Drags Announces Season Schedule
WBGH
While they have women competitors in all classes, this race offers women who may not race the opportunity to get involved in drag racing by competing against each other for a trophy and bragging rights. Also, on June 18 and 19, Skyview will play host ...
See all stories on this topic »
Stock Nissan Leaf Entered in Pikes Peak
Gas 2.0 (blog)
Electric cars are the next frontier in motorsports, from drag racing to the Dakar Rally. But while these vehicles are modified for racing, the Nissan Leaf entered into the 2011 Pikes Peak Rally is bone stock. Pikes Peak is no stranger to electric ...
See all stories on this topic »

Gas 2.0 (blog)
Steven McRae: Dancing at full throttle
Telegraph.co.uk
Photo: Johan Persson By Mark Monahan 1:04PM BST 26 Apr 2011 Steven McRae must be the only Royal Ballet principal dancer ever to have been reared amid the smoke, sweat and speed of drag racing. "My dad got involved with cars at a very young age," he ...
See all stories on this topic »

Telegraph.co.uk
Feisty Coughlin Knows He's Bringing Knife To A Gun Fight
Autochannel (press release)
HOUSTON, April 26, 2011: Pro Mod driver Troy Coughlin knows the 366ci small block powerplant in his JEGS.com Pontiac GTO puts him at a disadvantage to all the other drivers competing in this weekend's Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series ...
See all stories on this topic »

Autochannel (press release)
ADRENALINE JUNKIES
Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman
By GREG JOHNSON MAT-SU — That periodic rumbling you're feeling may be coming from the Butte, as Alaska Raceway Park prepares for its 47th season of blistering drag racing action. The state's only sanctioned drag strip is cleaning and tuning up for ...
See all stories on this topic »

SUPER CHEVY SHOW LAS VEGAS HIGHLIGHTS

A busy weekend for Super Chevy Fans in Las Vegas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 26, 2011) – The Super Chevy Show in Las Vegas will start the ball rolling with a Cruise from L.A. to Vegas. Original Parts Group (1770 Saturn Way, Seal Beach, CA 90740) will serve as the starting point for the Cruise and will be handing out “Cruise to Vegas Goodie Bags” for all participants. Cruisers will meet at OPG and travel will commence at 10a.m. PST. Cruisers will need to arrive between 9-9:30a.m. in order to tour the facility, receive a Cruise map and their goodie bags. Jim Campisano, editor of Super Chevy Magazine, will be leading the Cruise to Peggy Sue’s diner for lunch along the way.

Attending the Cruise provides a great opportunity for car show enthusiasts to get extra coverage of their vehicle in Super Chevy Magazine as well as the online edition via photo and video coverage throughout the Cruise.

Finally, the Cruise will end at Total Performance Engineering (6867 Speedway Blvd Unit R-104 Las Vegas, NV 89115). Total Performance Engineering will also be hosting an “Open House” at their new location in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway business park, conveniently located right across from the dragstrip. The Open House will run from 5:00-7:00pm Friday night. All Super Chevy fans attending the weekend’s festivities as well as Cruise partakers are welcome to be present at the event. In addition to having their showroom and performance shop areas open and available for everyone to see, Total Performance Engineering will have some of their custom built cars on display as well.

The event-filled weekend will consist of:

Drag Racing – Many classes of bracket racing including specialty classes for a Corvette Challenge and 5th Generation Camaro Shootout. Jet Dragster, Nostalgia Top Fuel and Wheelstanders will also be making appearances on the track.

Car Show – One of the largest annual car shows in Las Vegas with plaques and jackets for class winners on Sunday, and special awards for Editors Choice picks on Saturday

Swap Meet – A large selection of used, antique and hard to find parts for Chevrolet and GM vehicles

Autocross – One of the hottest attractions for the Super Chevy Shows in the western U.S. Many 1960’s muscle cars will face off again current production Camaros, Vettes and other bowtie models to see who will take home the prized awards each day. The autocross course, sponsored by Total Cost Involved, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Currie Enterprises, and Toyo Tires, is open Saturday and Sunday, 10a.m.– 3:30p.m.

Revell Make N’ Take activity – Available to families both Saturday and Sunday from 12:00-2:00p.m. This activity provides a free Revell snap-together model kit for children and families to have fun putting together a classic 1969 Camaro Z28 model in the car show awards tent.

Vendor Midway – more than 20 national vendors will bookend the Car Show area with display units providing all of the latest original equipment and aftermarket performance and restoration parts for all Chevrolet cars and trucks.

Super Chevy Show presented by GM Performance Division and Original Parts Group

April 29-30-May 1, 2011, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Car Show Classes: http://www.superchevyshow.com/participant-info/car-show/

Midway Vendors: http://www.superchevyshow.com/midway-info/

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Altered Brothers

Click to see the photo! 
Drag Racing Pictures: Altered Brothers by Danny White. The Gretchko Bros. from the Cleveland, Ohio, area raced fuel altereds from the late sixties into the early seventies. Brothers Tom, Tim, and driver Mike raced in the Midwest and at UDRA shows. The state of the art Logghe chassis car ran a very stout 6.73 in 1972.

Smith Continues Domination of Texas Outlaw Pro Mods

Drag Racing Results: Smith Continues Domination of Texas Outlaw Pro Mods by Celeste Smith. Gaylen Smith won another Texas Outlaw Pro Mod race Saturday night at Dallas Raceway over a field of 15 cars. The race managed to get in despite the weather and two accidents.

Marriott Triumphs at Texas Raceway

Click to see the photo! 
Drag Racing Results: Marriott Triumphs at Texas Raceway by Chris Graves. The Painless Performance Outlaw Fuel Altered Association made their 2011 debut on a beautiful Friday night under the lights at Texas Raceway in Kennedale, TX.

NHRA GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES HOUSTON PREVIEW

DANNY ROWE LOOKS TO REPEAT HISTORY AS GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES HEADS TO HOUSTON

BAYTOWN, Texas – The phrase “History tends to repeat itself” is one not only limited to the textbooks and notepads found in schools. In fact, the phrase can be seen in the pits and on the track of many NHRA Drag Races around the country.

Whether it’s the wave of successful wins a driver can have in one season, a string of No. 1 qualifiers that occur in back-to-back races, or even a repeat world championship, history can have a tendency to repeat itself on the dragstrip. As the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing series returns to Royal Purple Raceway, April 29-May 1, for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals, it’s that exact phrase that driver Danny Rowe hopes to be uttering in Winner’s Circle on Sunday.

Just one year ago Rowe claimed his first win in the newly created series when he held off fan favorite Melanie Troxel in the final round. The win moved Rowe all the way up to the fourth spot in the point standings and helped give him the momentum he needed to finish second overall by season’s end.

Now, just one year later, Rowe is sitting in a prime spot to take the point standings for the first time in his career. In the first two races of the season, Rowe has collected a runner-up finish in Gainesville and a semifinal round finish in Las Vegas. He currently sits third in the point standings, just 57 points behind first place driver Khalid Balooshi. Is this a chance for history to be repeated for Rowe?

“It would be huge to win again there,” Rowe said. “To have that little bit of momentum and consistency on our side would be huge, especially in this class.”

Though a repeat win in Houston is the first and foremost thing on Rowe’s mind entering this weekend’s event, the thought of winning the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod world championship in just its second year in existence is never too far behind.

“Every point counts in this class,” Rowe said. “We’re looking for everything that we can get. The way you look at the championship is by looking at today. At where you are right now. We’re really focused on what we’re going to do in Houston and if we can do that at every race and have that consistency, hopefully we will be on the right side of the points standings at the end of the season.”

But Rowe knows that with so many impressive cars and drivers in the series this season, and the hot summer months just around the corner, everyone has a chance to grab that world title.

“Obviously anyone in the top 10 is in the game deep,” Rowe said, referring to the point standings. “It’s anybody’s race right now. The points difference between winning a race and finishing runner up is such a huge swing, so all it takes is a race win to really change the outcome in the standings. I think at this point in the season, it really is anybody’s race.”

Rowe will have his hands full as the series heads to the Houston area. Pro Mod points leader Balooshi has swept the first two events of the season in his Speedtech ’68 Camaro, and defending world champion Von Smith is always a top contender in the series.

Featuring the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars with an extremely diverse collection of vehicles, including ’63 Corvettes, ’68 Camaros, ’67 Mustangs, ’68 Firebirds as well as late model cars, the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series offers something for every kind of hot-rodding enthusiast.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals will also be part of the 60th anniversary celebration of NHRA. Legendary Top Fuel pilot Shirley Muldowney will be on hand to sign autographs, meet fans, and participate in the festivities.

• SCHEDULE: Get Screened America qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on April 29 and at 12:45 p.m. on April 30. The first round of Pro Mod eliminations begins on April 30 at 3:15 p.m. Pro Mod eliminations resume on May 1.

• TICKETS: Tickets are available for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals. Please call Royal Purple Raceway at (281) 383-2666 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com/buy-tickets to purchase tickets online.

• ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise 30-minutes of racing highlights from the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series portion of the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals on Sunday, May 8 at 2 p.m. (ET).

• ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Series event on the Internet at www.nhra.com. Visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

NHRA GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD SERIES POINT STANDINGS

UPDATED 4/12/2011 (Following the second of 10 races; victories in parentheses)

1. Khalid Balooshi, Dubai, UAE, Speedtech ’68 Camaro (2) 204

2. Rickie Smith, King, N.C., ‘68 Camaro 148

3. Danny Rowe, Laguna Hills, Calif., Sterling Bridge ’67 Camaro 147

4. Roger Burgess, Duluth, Ga., ProCare Rx ’53 Corvette 128

5. Kenny Lang, Manitoba, Canada, Kenny Lang Racing ’53 Corvette 122

6. Ed Hoover, Gilbert, S.C., ’68 Camaro 98

7t. Ray Commisso, Toronto, Canada, ProCare Rx ’68 Camaro 97

7t. Brad Personett, Elkhart, Ind., ProCare Rx ’68 Camaro 97

9. Michael Gullqvist, Hasselby, Sweden, Persaker, ’68 Camaro 87

10. Von Smith, Oak Ridge, Tenn., Barwa/Al-Anabi Racing ’68 Camaro 86