After a three-year hiatus, the International Hot Rod Association is thrilled to welcome the return of the historical President’s Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway as the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series returns to the track the of weekend of June 13-14.

The two-day President’s Cup Nationals will feature two full days of sportsman racing on the IHRA’s Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL in addition to two thrilling nights of nitro-powered drag racing action featuring the IHRA’s premier classes of Nitro Funny Car, Nitro Altered, Nitro Harley, Mountain Motor Pro Stock, Jet Dragster and much more.

“One of the longest tenured events in the history of the IHRA is Maryland International Raceway’s President’s Cup and we are very excited to bring this amazing race back to fans in southern Maryland,” said Skooter Peaco, Vice President of IHRA Motorsports. “The all-new Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series is packed full of entertainment and great competition as we bring in classes unique to this series. We very much look forward to returning to the tradition and excellence of this great event once again in 2014.”

The 2014 President’s Cup Nationals will include competition in a number of classes unique to the International Hot Rod Association and its Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Fans will enjoy championship competition in three nitro classes plus the world’s first Jet Dragster championship and the much anticipated return of Mountain Motor Pro Stock as drivers from across North America compete for points in the year-long battle for the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series championships.

“We are thrilled to have nitro racing and the President’s Cup back at MIR,” said Royce Miller, President of Maryland International Raceway. “The new Friday and Saturday night format is very fan and family friendly and will be an awesome experience for everyone. The Miller family will be on the starting line to celebrate the return of the President’s Cup when the first nitro qualifying session roars to life. We invite all of the MIR fans to be there and celebrate with us.”

Nitro Funny Car and Nitro Harley will bring with it the best racers in the world in those two classes as racers in two of the most popular categories in the country compete for eight spots on the ladder on Friday followed by a three grueling rounds of eliminations on Saturday to determine the champion.

The Nitro Funny Car class will be led by series points leader Jason Rupert in the “Bays & Rupert” ’69 Camaro following a dominating start to the season. The California native has won three out of four events to start the year and reset the IHRA elapsed time record on his way to his commanding start. He will be joined in Maryland by “Mr. Explosive” Mark Sanders, the legendary “Jungle Jim” Camaro driven by John Smith, Mike McIntire Jr. and the “McAttack” team, former IHRA Top Fuel world champion Bruce Litton in “U.S. Male” and more as a dozen nitro-powered Funny Cars do battle at a track known for its very fast surface.

Rupert’s biggest threat, Peter Gallen in the “Poverty Stricken” nostalgia machine, will also return to action in Maryland. Two of the fastest Funny Cars in the world representing both coasts, Gallen and Rupert produced an epic battle at IHRA’s last stop and the two will once again fight for the right to be called IHRA’s top dog in Maryland.

Mountain Motor Pro Stock – a longtime staple of the IHRA – will also to IHRA competition at the President’s Cup Nationals as many of the baddest racecars in the country compete for a spot on an eight-car ladder and a shot at a victory at one of America’s premier racing destinations. The Black Diamond Motorsports team, led by John DeFlorian and Kevin Bealko, will continue the fight against the recently announced three-car team of Goforth Racing with points leader Cary Goforth, father Dean Goforth and Todd Hoerner, along with two-time IHRA Pro Stock champion Pete Berner and more.

Nitro Altered and Jet Dragster will round out the competitive action as two classes unique to the IHRA do battle with the fastest of the fast walking away with the Ironman. Easily the most exciting addition to the IHRA in some time, the all-female Larsen Motorsports Jet Dragster team have been the talk of the series so far with close, side-by-side jet-powered racing and a unique pit area that welcomes fans to explore the world of jet racing.

The professional action will be coupled with two days of sportsman racing on the Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour as the best racers in Division 1 do battle for valuable points on their way to clinching a spot in the year-end Summit Tournament of Champions.

In addition to the on-track action, the 2014 IHRA Nitro Jam President’s Cup Nationals will feature an all-new and fully interactive Fan Fest pit experience. Fans can tour the pits, meet the drivers and take part in a number of fun family activities including the Larsen Motorsports Jet Technology Center and the Hollywood Cars of the Stars featuring real cars from famous movies and television series.

(Photos courtesy IHRA; Click to enlarge)

Before forever altering the landscape of Outlaw Drag Radial racing with a 4.093-second blast in his Pro Nitrous turned “Radial vs World” Corvette this past weekend, Jamie Hancock was best known for becoming the youngest-ever champion of a major, touring drag racing series when he won the 2007 ADRL Pro Nitrous world championship. Fast forward to the summer of 2014, though, and he’s quickly becoming a substantial figure in the small tire racing world with the aforementioned 4.09-second lap – the first-ever in the 4.0-range, as well as the quickest-ever for a nitrous-assisted radial ride.

Hancock at 2013 ADRL Memphis Drags

Recently married and working as a ground equipment mechanic for a jet engine manufacturer while working toward an engineering degree, Hancock and his father, James, who also serves as his crew chief, first looked toward the Outlaw Drag Radial ranks – specifically the Donald Long-created, no rules-having Radial vs World category – as a fun and exciting new challenge, especially with PDRA Pro Nitrous quickly turning into a 3.7-second affair for bigger budget teams.

“We were just looking to do something to pass the time,” says Hancock, now 24. “We’d actually sold the Corvette to a friend, but it’d just been sitting – literally in a barn with a leaky roof – so we bought it back and put it together with some stuff we had in the shop. We had the motor from our Pro Nitrous Firebird, a 5.3-bore space 867 with four [nitrous] systems, and a Brunodrive and converter that we’d bought like five years ago. We bought a new set of wheels, slapped those small tires on there and headed to Valdosta back in February for Duck’s Lights Out IV race.”

The first few licks on a true 10.5-inch slick didn’t go as planned, so the Hancocks made the decision to give the 315-series Mickey Thompson Pro Drag Radials a shot.

“On those tracks that are prepped for radials, you basically have to run them,” says Hancock. “Second pass out on ‘em we went 4.33, and that kind of set the hook.”

The Hancocks returned home after Valdosta and decided that they were going to try and make a legitimate run at this radial tire racing deal, sticking the Outlaw Street Car Reunion at Memphis International Raceway in late March on their calendar.

“We went to Memphis after having about a month off and went 4.24 right off the trailer,” Hancock recalls. “We were still sneaking up on it, making progress, but we knew we were going to have to make some more changes.”

The main change, Hancock readily admits, came in the way of a new bolt-together torque converter from BTE Racing.

“When we first came out, like I said, we were just using stuff that we had laying around,” says Hancock. “The car hadn’t been raced since 2010 and we’d pieced it together with parts from the shop. We got with the guys at BTE and that’s what picked us up big time – that new converter.”

When Hancock talks about picking up “big time”, he’s most assuredly referring to the fateful 4.093-second blast at Shady Side Dragway on June 6th, 2014. Coupled with a staggering 1.03-second 60-foot time, Hancock’s run stands as the quickest pass ever recorded on drag radials – something the Auburn, Alabama-native is quite proud of.

“All the way back to Valdosta, we really thought we could run good on this small tire, but that 4.09 was pretty amazing,” says Hancock, who will tell you that he knew it was on a run from the moment he let off the transbrake button. “It’s amazing how much power this little tire will take. Pound-for-pound, I mean, it’s truly amazing.”

Making the switch to the small tire takes a totally different approach, though, especially for some wheel speed-conscious former Pro Mod racers.

“It’s a totally different mentality,” says Hancock. “You gotta start slow, you have to creep up on it. My dad tunes race cars for a living, though, and 90-percent of the cars he works on are small tire cars, 28-, 29-inch tire cars. He knows how to run those tires. It took us a little bit of time, but once we had a baseline it was just a matter of figuring out where we could put the power – how quick can you turn it on and how to manipulate it so that you can get it on as fast as you can.”

Clearly, Hancock and company had the power on pretty quickly at Shady Side – quick enough to etch their family name in the drag racing record books for the rest of time. While widely celebrated, the big run has also come with a bit of baggage – controversy as to the weight of the Hancock’s Corvette at the time of the run at the center of the debate.

“You’re always going to have haters when you run good, but most everyone has been congratulating us and happy for us,” says Hancock. “That’s why you do this stuff – you do it out of pride. We’ve worked out butts off and we’re running good – that’s it.”

As for the matter of weight, Hancock says the car tipped the scales at 2,700-pounds – precisely the legal weight for his combination in Radial vs World competition.

“Initially, it was 2,750 [pounds],” says Hancock. “Then they changed the rules to 2,650, but added a stipulation that if you were more than two inches over stock wheelbase you had to add 50-pounds. Right now, we’re 2,700.”

GOOD READS: 

Susan Wade talks fan relations in an interesting piece on Antron Brown’s understanding of what it takes to connect with race fans.

Good ol’ drag racing purist Jeff Burk provides his take on modern day nitro racing.

It may not be significant to everyone, but it’s certainly worth noting that NHRA recently lowered the minimum age for Junior Dragster – reportedly to stop losing out to things like go-cart racing when it comes to youth and motorsports.

MEDIA ROUND UP:

More Jamie Hancock and his skinny tired-Corvette.

One of Hancock’s first true 10.5 hits, before the switch to the radial.

Longtime Outlaw 10.5 racer Scotty Guadagno’s absolutely serious 4.19-second lap at Shady Side.

Francis Johnson throws down a 4.21 in his radial-equipped, stock suspension Ford Mustang.

NHRA recently shared this gem on “Big Daddy’s Brainstorm“.

RPM Association member and NHRA Pro Mod driver, Clint Satterfield, went for a wild ride at the recent NHRA Summernationals in Englishtown, NJ.  During the second round of Pro Mod eliminations on Sunday, June 1, Satterfield slid out of the groove, crossed the centerline and lightly brushed the wall in the other lane with his turbo-powered Firebird that he affectionately calls ‘Turbo Pig.’

“I could feel it drifting to the left and I was fighting it the whole way down the track,” said Satterfield. “I just rubbed the wall on the right side of the car at the very end of the run. Luckily, the damage was mostly cosmetic.”

Satterfield has completed a lot of work to get the car ready for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol this weekend, June 13-15, 2014.  Helping him accomplish everything was crew chief Bob Gardner, and fellow RPM member and Pro Mod driver, Chip King.

“Chip said he knew a guy who did carbon work and another who did painting. Turned out they were both in North Carolina, so he’s been letting us work out of his shop the last couple weeks. This really saved us a lot of time, not having to take the car all the way back to our home base in Albuquerque to get everything fixed.”

The Satterfield Racing team, along with 23 other RPM Association members, will participate in the first round of NHRA Pro Mod Series qualifying during the Thunder Valley Nationals which begins at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, June 13.

A quick look at Randell Reid’s 2014 season with two races and two final rounds might lead one to believe that this young Pro Extreme racer has had it easy. But there are few overnight success stories in racing, and, like many, Reid’s road to victory was paved with adversity.

Randell Reid first got behind the wheel of a drag car when he was only ten years old, when Junior Dragster competition opened the door for him to start his career. Having watched his father bracket race since he was only days old, racing was in Reid’s blood. From Junior Dragsters the Texan stairstepped through the ranks, following his dad in bracket racing before moving up to Top Sportsman and then Pro Mod and Pro Extreme.

Although Reid was thrilled to reach the quickest class in professional eighth mile racing where he competed against the quickest and fastest doorslammers on earth, he wasn’t quite content just lining up beside them. Like any true racer he wanted to win. However, Reid often found himself coming up short. Then, at the end of last season Reid was sidelined with a gruesome engine explosion that caught the car on fire. The ‘07 Corvette would have to be stripped, completely rewired and get all new body panels.

The car’s major overhaul, coupled with business obligations, caused Reid to miss the first two PDRA events. His first time out in 2014 was the Throwdown in T-Town at Tulsa Raceway Park, May 15-17. There he made it to the final round.

A small flame of hope began to fan for Reid and his team as they left their success at Tulsa to compete with the biggest and baddest at the PDRA Memphis Drags the following weekend.

“People know that we had a lot of downs,” Reid explained. “We had a car for a long time that we just couldn’t make work. We tried and tried and tried. We were always there and always trying to do the best we could, but we just came up short. Everybody knew about our engine explosion last year, too, and they gave us a lot of support. It really helped us overcome the lows that we had and make a positive out of it.”

Reid was hoping those positive vibes would continue at the Memphis Drags. After three rounds of qualifying in NAS Racing Pro Extreme, the Reidco Enterprises Team sat 12th with a qualifying best of 3.674, a little over a tenth off the number one spot held by Jason Scruggs. Reid would have his work cut out for him during eliminations, but the power of his Brandon Pesz/Alan Johnson designed engine was showing promise. In round one he bested number five qualifier Bader Ahli on both ends of the track for an easy, albeit upset, win. Round two paired Reid with former Pro Extreme Champ, Mick Snyder. Reid again beat his opponent off the line and cruised to victory with a 3.61 elapsed time as Snyder slowed to a 4.15. The day wasn’t getting easier for Reid as the semi finals brought on number one qualifier Jason Scruggs. Scruggs nearly matched his qualifying best with a 3.571, but his .096 reaction time to Reid’s .034 and 3.613 E.T. put Scruggs crossing the stripe last. Reid was headed to the final of his first ever PDRA event.

Bubba Stanton had advanced through the rounds on the other side of the ladder to earn his final round appearance. Stanton had more than once proved himself the man to beat, going undefeated so far in the PDRA. His streak would come to an end in Memphis, however. Stanton broke a connecting rod in the semis and was unable to make the call for the NAS Racing Pro Extreme final. From one of the lowest points of his racing career just a few short months ago, Randell Reid fought back, took on the giants of the sport and claimed victory.

“It felt wonderful to win that class,” Reid elaborated. “It’s the fastest people in the world, people like Jason Scruggs, Mick Snyder. It’s one thing to line up against them and race them and another thing to win. So I was kind of beside myself.

“I want to thank my father for helping me to do everything I want to do in my racing program. My dad is always supporting me in my racing.”

With the family business, Reidco Enterprises, backing Reid’s machine, it’s a full family affair. Randell’s father Darrell Reid competes in both Top Sportsman and Top Dragster. His brother, Laramie, fields a Top Dragster machine as well. “I give a special shoutout to our crew who gets four cars ready, clean and back to the starting line each round. That’s a tall order and a lot of work.”

Brandon Pesz serves as Crew Chief for the team, which, along with Reid’s father and brother, also consists of Chris Dollar, Andrew Arnold, Randall Works, Jeremy Frye, Carl Rose, Joe Smith, and last but not least his wife Taylor Reid. Randell also wishes to thank Todd Martin with Lethal Acceleration and Kryptonite Kustomz, who designed and wrapped Reid’s Corvette.

With one PDRA race under his belt and one victory to match, Randell Reid and his team have overcome the odds. It’s a safe bet that Reid’s first PDRA victory won’t be his last.

It takes three things to break records: a lot of power, a lot of heart, and a little luck. Earlier this year, David Pearson nailed the trifecta—twice.

Hailing from Marion, North Carolina, Pearson and his “Little Evil Racing” team first broke the 275 drag radial ET world record with their small-block-Ford-powered ’93 Mustang at Donald Long’s Lights Out V race in February at South Georgia Motorsports Park. Just one month later, Pearson reset the record yet again at the Outlaw Street Car Reunion at Memphis International Raceway.

Pearson wasn’t expecting to finish out the SGMP race weekend in the history books; he was just “hoping to run mid- to high-4.30s.” Instead, he crushed those expectations and ran 4.24 at 171.29 mph in the eighth mile on his first pass during the No Time portion of the event and later ran 4.28 during Radial vs. the World eliminations.

“It was hard to believe that a small-block Ford with a ProCharger would run like that at the race; it’s just unbelievable,” Pearson says of the weekend’s events.

In March, Pearson proved he wasn’t just a one-trick pony. Going even quicker and faster, he lit up the Memphis scoreboards with a 4.23 as he flew through the traps at 172.59 mph.

Pearson’s setup is simple, yet effective, as his combination of go-fast parts work well together. As a result, he now holds records for not only the quickest eighth-mile 275 radial pass, but also several others, including the small-block Ford, stock-suspension, eighth-mile ET record, the SBF ProCharger eighth-mile ET record, the Outlaw Drag Radial ET record, and the quickest gas-powered ProCharger record.

Pearson’s Fox-body Mustang weighs in at 3,000 pounds and its 400 c.i. SBF motor was built by Jason Eckard at Bullet Race Engines, who Pearson says “knows how to build a combination that will make the power to run big numbers.” Boost is supplied via a ProCharger F3 blower, and the latest in piston technology from Wiseco can be found within the heart of the Mustang.

Managed by a BigStuff3 powertrain management system, the engine is bolted to a Turbo 400 transmission supplied by Dave Klaput at Proformance Racing Transmissions with a Neal Chance torque converter direct from Marty Chance himself. Underneath, UPR’s stock suspension and a set of Afco shocks/struts from Menscer Motorsports keeps the chassis planted firmly to the strip. VP Racing Fuels powers the blue beast, and, of course, a set of Mickey Thompson 275 ET Street Radial Pros are on board for every hit. Additionally, the Supercharger Store, Addison Paint and Body, Teddy Houser Race Cars, and Engle Bail Bonds have also supported Pearson and his Mustang over the years.

“Mustang Mike (Modeste) has taught us a lot about the blower and the tune, and my wife, Tracy, does a lot of the keyboard stroking on the setup. We’ve worked hard at it for 15 years, we’ve had nitrous, turbos, ProChargers, you name it,” Person adds. “But we’ve stuck with the ProCharger setup for the last three or four years and we’ve got it figured out now.

“My crew has been great. Without the support of Mustang Mike, Deron and Cindy Lowery, Donald Banks, Tom Boggs, Paul “Boonie” Boone and my kids (Tyler, Hailey, Trevor and Jacob), I wouldn’t be where I’m at.”

The 275 radial season is heating up, and it seems inevitable that someone will be running in the teens before long.

“It’s a goal, and I’d like to go teens for sure. I know I’ll run it eventually, but I don’t know if I’ll be the first. There’s a lot of competition out there,” Pearson realizes. “At Holly Springs, we qualified number one, but the blower fell off and we still went 4.25. It could have been a 4.17 or 4.18 on that pass otherwise. It’s hard to believe a car can run that fast on a 275 anyway, I never would have dreamed it.

“I’m not here for the records, though. I’m here for the friends I’ve made and for the fun of it. I enjoy racing. When it quits being fun for me, I’ll quit doing it.”

With no quitting point in sight, the Little Evil team is more than ready to come out swinging later this season. The YellowBullet.com Nationals in August, No Mercy V in September, and possibly some NMCA or NMRA races are all on the calendar for Pearson this year.

“We’ve been even quicker than the record in testing, but it’s not official so we’re not sharing anything about it. It’ll surprise people; that’s all we want to say. It’ll have to be the perfect track with perfect conditions, but it’ll be a jaw-dropper when it happens,” he promises.

Corey Schweitzer knows high octane fuel is the lifeblood of drag racing, but he’s adamant that lead-loaded fuels aren’t the only way to get the octane levels required by today’s top racers.

“We’re not in a green sport, we all realize that, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make something that isn’t bad for the people using it,” starts Schweitzer, part of the ownership group of Fuse Fuels, along with brother, E.J., and Vince Castillo.

With a long history in motocross racing, Schweitzer and company came together in an effort to fill the void left by Shell Race Fuels when they departed the market with their own high-performance fuel offerings – focused on unleaded products.

“At first we were just answering the bell, providing products geared towards the motocross market where we were personally involved,” explains Schweitzer, “but then we decided there was a huge street market – kids with blowers, nitrous – who want 116 octane fuels, and the more we produced the more response we had.”

Response has most recently come by way of multiple top-tier PDRA Pro Nitrous teams looking for not only a competitive advantage, but also a solution to fuel-related issues specific to their big cubic inch, nitrous-huffing mountain motors.

“It really got started when we had a few top Pro Nitrous guys coming to us with problems they’d been having with certain fuels,” continues Schweitzer. “The more we looked into it the more we found that some of the fuels being used, honestly, just didn’t like nitrous. Many of them wouldn’t pass a standardized non-gumming test; they’d fail it. Then when you add nitrous to it – nitrous is 50-percent oxygen – it only makes things worse. We worked with outside sources, sent fuels to independent labs and ran tests to see what we needed to do to produce something better, something that would perform better – that wouldn’t gum up these engines.”

Jason Harris’ Pro Nitrous Firebird

Once the necessary research, development and testing had been done, Schweitzer began providing an unleaded 125-octane Fuse Fuel to teams like that of PDRA Pro Nitrous dominator Jason Harris, and the results speak for themselves. Harris, amongst other Pat Musi Racing Engines customers, has dipped into the 3.7-second range at over 200mph in his feared ’68 Firebird and won the first three PDRA events of the year using Fuse Fuels.

“Right now, we’re very happy with what we’ve been able to accomplish,” says Schweitzer. “We’re having a lot of success in the nitrous racing ranks, and we’re glad to be doing it without the use of lead. Any octane fuel – 123, 125 – any octane that you can make leaded, we can make it unleaded.

“Again, it’s not that we’re trying to go green by promoting the use of unleaded fuels,” he continues. “There are other benefits to it; when you take the lead out the fuel actually becomes much more stable. Meaning it lasts longer, it isn’t depleted by lead – our fuels are not photosensitive. Light doesn’t effect it; continued exposure to sunlight like in the staging lanes won’t attack the octane of the fuel and deplete it.”

Performance and stability issues aside, the ramifications to a racer’s health and wellbeing can’t be taken lightly.

“I’ve sucked up enough lead in my life racing motocross and sitting on the starting line, but the big problem is that once lead gets in your bloodstream there is no way to get it out,” Schweitzer explains. “95-percent of the lead that makes it into your lungs goes into your bloodstream. A lot of people think it gets burned up in the combustion process, but it doesn’t – it gets kicked out of the engine. Lead wants to attach itself to things – like valves, piston domes, etc. Manufacturers put something called lead scavengers in fuels to kick it out, and that’s why you and I end up breathing it.

“There’s not one organ in the body that lead doesn’t attack,” he continues. “It lowers IQ, it’s linked to all sorts of behavioral disorders – it’s a nasty substance. It’s a wonder why it’s still so commonly used, but we’re firm believers that it’s not necessary.”

GOOD READS:

An epic piece by Bobby Bennett on former IHRA legend Larry Carrier from early 2005 talks about a man that did more than his fair share to help grow and build the sport of drag racing.

DRAG ILLUSTRATED’s Ainsley Jacobs profiled Outlaw 275 racer David Pearson in the wake of his record-shattering performance in early 2014.

Randall Reid sure got some people’s attention with his incredible performance and Pro Extreme victory at the recently completed PDRA Memphis Drags.

MEDIA ROUND UP:

If you haven’t seen it, you probably need to make time for it – Frankie “Mad Man” Taylor’s stupid fast 3.48-second blast down Rockingham Dragway back in April. Recent DRAG ILLUSTRATED cover star Paul Taylor (Frankie’s brother) makes several appearances.

Go behind the scenes at RJ Race Cars in Galesburg, Illinois and get a look at the goings-on at one of the world’s top chassis building facilities.

Pretty comical blooper real from a NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals promo reel…

NHRA continues its 30-plus-year celebration (seemingly) of John Force with this sweet video.

Goforth Racing, currently first and third in the IHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock standings with the IHRA’s Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series, announced early in June that team patriarch Dean Goforth will return to the seat this weekend (June 13-14) in the President’s Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway. It will mark the first time racing for Goforth  since he underwent surgery on his ankle last November. Current IHRA points leader Cary Goforth and teammate Todd Hoerner will continue to field their current entries with the IHRA.

Dean Goforth

Dean and Cary Goforth will field a pair of brand-new Jerry Haas-built Chevrolet Camaros (above), while Hoerner will continue in the Dean’s Casing Service 2011 Pontiac GXP. All three cars will feature EFI-equipped engines powered by Sonny’s Racing Engines.

With the announcement, the IHRA Nitro Jam President’s Cup Nationals will field the largest contingent of Mountain Motor Pro Stock cars so far this season as the class continues to grow in its return to quarter-mile competition with the IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.

“We are looking forward to having dad back in the seat. He took on the role of team owner pretty well, but it has been hard keeping him away from racing,” Cary Goforth said.

“The biggest part of this will be getting dad comfortable with being in the car again. We have been looking for an opportunity to make this happen over the past month or so, we had his gas pedal fit for his foot and switched the car to EFI which should be more forgiving. In the end, Maryland was the perfect place to make this happen and we are very much looking forward to that event and getting dad some seat time.”

So far this season, the Goforth Racing Team has already proven a powerful force in the world of Mountain Motor Pro Stock. The team has four wins already in 2014, two with the IHRA and two more with the eighth-mile PDRA series.

(Photos by Ian Tocher)

“Hey, it’s pretty bad ass,” says Steve Matusek, co-founder and president of high-performance fuel system manufacturer Aeromotive, Inc., on his recent switch from his turbocharged Pro Modified Ford Mustang to the Agave Underground Tequila-backed, supercharged, alcohol-injected Pro Mod Camaro owned by Danny Rowe Racing.

Having campaigned his familiar red twin-turbo Mustang for seemingly a lifetime, which has created an incredible cult-like following of hardcore doorslammer fans, Matusek made the announcement in the winter of 2013 that he would be joining forces with Danny Rowe and taking the wheel of the team’s second supercharged Camaro. Following a brief pre-season test session at Palm Beach International Raceway in March, Matusek made his blown debut at the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series season-opener in Gainesville and hasn’t looked back. Heading into the halfway point of the season, Matusek has compiled four round wins, including a semifinal round appearance in Houston, as well as a career-best 5.896-second lap in Atlanta.

The switchover hasn’t come without a few surprises and interesting nuances, though Matusek has accepted the challenge like an absolute pro.

“I kind of figured that I’d hop right in there and not have any trouble,” admits Matusek. “I learned quickly that it’s just a different kind of animal. The power band is different. The way you do burnouts, the way you approach making a run is just different. Early on there were a couple of things that I really struggled with – getting used to a handbrake, mainly. Down track, though, the car is very well-behaved, very smooth. But I think that has a lot to do with the tuner – Jimmy Rector. The sound of the blower, the throttle response, again, it’s just bad ass.”

Comparing the turbo car to blower car is a matter of apples and oranges according to Matusek.

“If I would have started off in this car, just being honest, I don’t think I could drive a turbo car,” says Matusek. “Having been through all the trials and tribulations of that crazy turbo car I have, it seemed to make the transition a lot easer when I got into a blower car tuned by Jimmy Rector.”

Working with Rector has been an experience in and of itself admits Matusek, who can hardly contain the excitement that stems from working with a world-renowned tuner.

“The guy is amazing,” Matusek begins. “The car is like his left hand. He knows so much about it, how to tune it and his way around it’s almost breathtaking. He’ll ask me questions, tell me a specific RPM to do the burnout at and he’ll get right after reprimanding me if I’m too high or too low. He usually knows within 20 RPMs of what that engine is doing – it’s just amazing. His ability to evaluate a race track, change the tune up and get the car down the track – and fast, not just get down – is truly amazing.”

Along with Rector, Matusek has thoroughly enjoyed the team dynamic, especially racing with Danny Rowe.

“It’s one of those things where when you race against somebody and you have your own program, you don’t really pay that much attention to what everyone else is doing,” explains Matusek. “Now that I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time with Danny, watch him and see how he does things, I’d have to say he’s one of the most talented drivers that I’ve ever been around. He’s smooth. He’s consistent. He doesn’t make quite as many laps as other people, and if he did, I think everyone would be in big trouble. But as far as his ability to get a race car down the track – and I think you see that from the outside – the fact that he gets the car down the track virtually every time has a lot do with him. He’s a very controlled, smooth driver. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.

“The whole team is unbelievable,” he continues. “Danny, his wife, his girl and my wife and girls, we’ve all really developed a strong relationship – we hang out a lot. It’s been an unbelievable experience.”

One of the specific challenges Matusek has faced and ultimately toppled has been the staging procedure in the supercharged car versus that of his former turbo whip.

“It’s been very interesting,” says Matusek, demonstrating the mechanical penchant of someone with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics and an Associate of Science degree in Avionics. “I’ve never driven a car where I literally have to let go of a handbrake. Anytime I was using my right hand, I’d be holding a shifter for either a Liberty or Lenco – so it was unnatural for me to let my hand off a brake and let a clutch out at the same time. We tried using a line lock instead – Jimmy and the guys wired one up for me – but that throws off the clutch program because you’re dragging it in and with the blower car, unlike the turbo, the accelerator is like an on/off switch.

“When you’re trying to stage the car and you whack the throttle, you have so much bottom end torque that it wasn’t smooth bringing it into the beams. Anyway, it was clear that I needed to use the handbrake and fortunately we’re doing pretty well with it. I didn’t want to let the team down and I felt like I was using the line-lock as a bandaid, so I got it in my head that I was going to use the handbrake. I’ve got it down now; I’ve figured out a routine.”

One critical piece of the puzzle for Matusek has been utilizing the new supercharged Pro Mod platform as a development tool for his beloved Aeromotive, Inc. to bring a new mechanical fuel pump for blown Pro Mods to market.

“The very first car to ever have our new mechanical pump is the car I’m driving,” says Matusek. “Our new pump, which has just been approved for the NHRA Heritage Series, has been a lot of fun to develop and I believe we’ve created something that is truly a superior product. It’s been exciting.”

GOOD READS:

Gotta give it up to Steven Niemantas for this jaw-dropping 3,000-horsepower Bentley. They should most certainly come this way from the factory.

Lisa Collier talks to PDRA Pro Nitrous stud Jason Harris about his back-to-back-to-back Pro Nitrous wins.

MEDIA ROUND UP:

Check out this wild ride in Steve Crook’s ridiculously awesome gasser.

Watch Tom Bailey’s “Sick Second” ’69 Camaro lay down 2,500-horsepower on a chassis dyno, nearly leveling the city of Muskegon, Michigan, where Steve Morris Racing Engines resides.

Thankfully, Gary Courtier walked away from this terrifying fire unscathed, but it did end his driving career – he announced his retirement in the days following.

NHRA Pro Mod racer Dan Stevenson had a really close call in Atlanta.

Fans of fast doorslammer racing will instantly recognize Wesley Jones’ iconic ’41 Willys coupe. The swoopy nostalgia-bodied machine was built nearly 15 years ago by Tommy Mauney for New York-based racer Mike Ashley. Traces of its original Batman-themed paint scheme can still be seen, leaving no doubt as to the car’s pedigree.

NAS Pro Extreme competitor Jones, 42, lives in the historic city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The electrical contractor and owner of two successful businesses admits that his work keeps him pretty busy, but he said with a laugh, “Once a month I get out of here and go racing.”

The fact is that the second-generation racer has never been too busy to spend time at the track, starting when he was just a young boy going racing with his dad.

“My dad was involved in drag racing, mud racing and dirt racing and by the time I was in high school I was following in his footsteps. At first I
did what a lot of people did, and raced on the streets a bit because there just weren’t any drag strips close enough to drive to. In later years I got into bracket racing, but I eventually got tired of it. In 2004 I decided to go heads-up racing, and Pro Mod was the way I wanted to go.”

Having made the decision to get into Pro Mod, Wesley started shopping around for a suitable car.

“I ended up buying a tube-chassis ’67 Camaro, which was a Super Gas car originally, dropped a blower motor in it and went racing. I later converted it to a double frame-rail, chrome moly car and campaigned it from 2005 through 2009, running some ADRL and outlaw events with it. After that I bought a Monte Carlo that was originally owned by Marc Dantoni. James Clark, who lives here in Mississippi, had the car by then and he was getting out of racing. It was a nitrous car when I bought it but I swapped it out for a blower motor and raced it for a couple of years. Unfortunately it never worked real well, so in 2011 I called it quits and got out of racing.”

Jones’ retirement didn’t last very long, however, as he soon realized he was much happier sitting behind the wheel than he was sitting in the grandstands.

“All it took was a trip to an ADRL race in Memphis for me to turn things back around. I found out pretty quick that I was a very poor spectator,” Jones said. “At that point I decided I would get back into driving, and to do it would mean spending money on the Monte Carlo. Before I started racing again I worked on Jason Scrugg’s team for most of the 2013 season. Jason knew I wanted to go fast and he told me I should forget about the Monte Carlo and go find a Mauney car.”

Taking his friend’s advice to heart, Wesley began the quest to find a car from the shop of one of the top builders in the sport.

“I found the Willys I drive now about a year ago, and I can tell you that the car has a real history to it.” Jones said. “It was originally built for Mike Ashley, and from him it went to R.E. Smith, Joe Baker, back to R.E. and eventually to a guy up in Winnipeg named Frank Safanov, who I bought it from.”

These days the rejuvenated Willys is powered by a PSI-topped 526-cubic-inch Brad Anderson Hemi that Jones bought from Scruggs. The big powerplant is hooked to a Lencodrive transmission and uses a Neal Chance converter. His best eighth-mile performance to date has been an elapsed time of 3.613-seconds at a speed of 210 mph.

“I’m still learning the car, especially the Hemi because I ran Chevrolet stuff for a long time,” Jones said. “We’re making pretty good power, though, and the Traction Twins, who prep the tracks for PDRA, call me Wheels-Up Wesley now because the car hikes the front end up at the hit.”

In true old-school fashion, Jones is for the most part a one-man show, doing everything from sponsoring the car to doing most of the work on it.

“I work on my car here at my shop by myself most of the time,” he said. “I do everything from welding and making wheelie bars to tearing the motor down, whatever has to be done. Of course I don’t do everything on my own. One of my cousins, Rick Woodruff, who lives in Atlanta, helps me at the track. I also have a lifelong friend, Paul Rusche, who helps me quite a bit, too, and that’s pretty much my standard crew. We pick up another person here or there when we need some extra help.”

Jones, who plans to attend all of the PDRA events this season, had plenty of praise for the new organization.

“Racing with the PDRA has been some of the most fun I’ve had; it’s been great,” he said. “I believe the people behind the organization have done as good a job as could be done. Starting something new, especially knowing the financial challenges involved, is a high-risk deal these days. I think they have done a great job securing class sponsorships and contingency payouts for the racers. There’s not much doubt that some potential sponsors and backers are skeptical based on experiences with other sanctioning bodies in the past. It’s just going to take a little time for the PDRA to prove it has the structure, the people and the racer support to carry it into the future.

“And as far as I’m concerned the level of competition is second to none,” Jones added. “I like to say it’s where the fastest door cars in the world come to play. The bottom line is that it’s all about prestige, to see who really is the best in the game. The money along the way is nice, but even though it helps out some it’s not going to offset your costs to be at the top level. When I worked for Jason I didn’t get paid, and my guys don’t get paid either. We all do it for the fun of doing it. Sure, there are good days and bad days but when it’s all said and done it’s a lot of fun. And right now we’re all having plenty of fun.”

Second-year driver Brittany Force (above) earned the Top Fuel No. 1 qualifying position Saturday at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers at Bristol Dragway.

Del Worsham (Funny Car) and Shane Gray (Pro Stock) also will lead their categories into Sunday’s noon eliminations as the No. 1 qualifiers at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event.

Brittany Force

Force claimed her second No. 1 qualifying position of the season by making a 3.828-second pass at 317.94 mph in her Castrol Edge dragster. The sophomore driver is seeking her first career win and says that would be the perfect Father’s Day gift for her 16-time world championship dad, John Force.

“[Winning] would be the ultimate Father’s Day present to my dad,” said Force, who is paired against the legendary Chris Karamesines in the first round.

“I love coming here to Bristol. It’s one of my favorite tracks by far. It’s just beautiful and green, and I have forgotten how loud it is when you’re standing down here at Thunder Valley. I’m excited for race day, and I would love to end up in the winner’s circle. I think it’s pretty awesome to be running alongside the legendary Greek.”

Optima Batteries dragster driver J.R. Todd qualified second with a 3.835 at 315.12 and will face Terry McMillen in the opening round and seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher, a five-time Bristol winner, qualified third in his U.S. Army dragster with a 3.854 at 330.47 and will meet Billy Torrence in the opener.

Del Worsham

In Funny Car, Worsham set both ends of the track record with a 3.992 at 319.45 in his DHL Toyota Camry on Friday to earn his second consecutive No. 1 qualifying position at this event. Worsham will face fellow Californian Jeff Arend in the first round of eliminations. It was the second No. 1 of the season for Worsham and 15th of his career.

“Every race seems like we’ve gotten stronger and stronger,” the two-time Bristol event winner said. “Hopefully tomorrow we can maintain that strength. It should be a great race against my good friend Jeff Arend tomorrow.”

Tim Wilkerson is the No. 2 qualifier following his career-best elapsed time of 4.013 at 317.72 and will face Bob Tasca in the first round. Three-time Bristol winner Ron Capps qualified third with a run of 4.024 at 316.38 in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger. He will race Tony Pedregon in the opening round.

Shane Gray

In Pro Stock, Gray set both ends of the Bristol track record to claim his first career No. 1 qualifying position with a performance of 6.621 at 208.78 during the final session in his Gray Manufacturing Chevy Camaro. Gray will meet Curt Steinbach in the opening round as he pursues his first win of the season.

“We are living for today,” Gray said. “I wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for my crew. We definitely have the equipment to do what we did today. I’m not going to worry too much until tomorrow and have some fun.”

The reigning Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin qualified in the No. 2 position in his JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Dart and will race Kenny Delco in the first round, while points leader Erica Enders-Stevens posted the quickest run of the final qualifying session and moved up to the No. 3 qualifier with a 6.631 at 208.17 in her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro. She will face Larry Morgan in the opener. Local favorite Allen Johnson, driver of the Mopar/Magneti Marelli Dodge Dart, qualified fifth and will face Dave Connolly in the opening round.

(Photos courtesy JFR/Lewis; NHRA/National Dragster; Click to enlarge)

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 14th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers at Bristol Dragway, the tenth of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed after pairings.

Top Fuel

1. Brittany Force, 3.828 seconds, 317.94 mph  vs. 16. Chris Karamesines, 4.485, 190.08; 2. J.R. Todd, 3.835, 315.12  vs. 15. Terry McMillen, 4.444, 238.93; 3. Tony Schumacher, 3.854, 330.47  vs. 14. Billy Torrence, 4.161, 240.25; 4. Antron Brown, 3.873, 313.07  vs. 13. Richie Crampton, 3.939, 266.58; 5. Spencer Massey, 3.876, 312.93  vs. 12. Clay Millican, 3.909, 261.42; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.879, 317.34  vs. 11. Bob Vandergriff, 3.904, 321.12; 7. Shawn Langdon, 3.880, 316.75  vs. 10. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.900, 315.42; 8. Doug Kalitta, 3.890, 318.32  vs. 9. Leah Pritchett, 3.898, 309.13. Did Not Qualify: 17. Pat Dakin, 5.489, 246.48.

Funny Car

1. Del Worsham, Toyota Camry, 3.992, 319.45  vs. 16. Jeff Arend, Dodge Charger, 6.460, 100.70; 2. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.013, 317.72  vs. 15. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 5.349, 306.81; 3. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.024, 316.38  vs. 14. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.621, 192.66; 4. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.074, 315.27  vs. 13. Justin Schriefer, Chevy Camaro, 4.333, 285.17; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.074, 306.60  vs. 12. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.127, 299.86; 6. Courtney Force, Mustang, 4.077, 313.07  vs. 11. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.123, 308.99; 7. John Force, Mustang, 4.099, 306.81  vs. 10. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.121, 305.29; 8. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.111, 308.99  vs. 9. Chad Head, Camry, 4.118, 313.22.

Pro Stock

1. Shane Gray, Chevy Camaro, 6.621, 208.78  vs. 16. Curt Steinbach, Camaro, 6.848, 200.80; 2. Jeg Coughlin, Dodge Dart, 6.621, 208.62  vs. 15. Kenny Delco, Chevy Cobalt, 6.843, 201.82; 3. Erica Enders-Stevens, Camaro, 6.631, 208.17  vs. 14. Larry Morgan, Ford Mustang, 6.822, 205.22; 4. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.636, 208.55  vs. 13. V. Gaines, Dart, 6.690, 207.30; 5. Allen Johnson, Dart, 6.636, 207.85  vs. 12. Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.681, 206.35; 6. Rodger Brogdon, Camaro, 6.643, 207.94  vs. 11. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.678, 207.53; 7. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.644, 207.53  vs. 10. Shane Tucker, Cobalt, 6.669, 206.86; 8. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.659, 207.85  vs. 9. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.669, 207.43. Did Not Qualify: 17. John Gaydosh Jr, 6.883, 201.22.

Enders-Stevens Lets Out of the Clutch in Bristol

After leaving the final round of eliminations at Bristol Dragway three of the last four years winless, Elite Motorsports Pro Stock driver Erica Enders-Stevens sealed the deal Sunday by scoring her third win of the season at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Capturing the ninth win of her career wasn’t an easy feat, going up against two Pro Stock champions in final eliminations. With a round-one victory over Larry Morgan, followed by red-lights from both Greg Anderson and Jeg Coughlin Jr., Enders-Stevens found herself paired up against Jonathan Gray in the final, but when Gray got a bad start off the line, Enders-Stevens motored her Chevy Camaro to the win with a 6.698-second pass at 207.15 mph.

“Bristol has always been really good to me,” Enders-Stevens said. “I’ve been to three finals in the last four years here and hadn’t been able to get it done until today. As a driver, sometimes you’d rather be lucky than good, and today was one of those days for us. Jeg should have beat us on paper. Fortunately for us, he went red and we were able to move on to the final.

“I’m really excited about the win but it’s definitely my team’s trophy. They’re the ones that gave me the race car that went A to B when it mattered. We were consistent and performed like a team and I couldn’t be more proud of them. I’ve struggled the last month, but it means a lot to me that they’re so encouraging and never waiver.”

Through it all, Enders-Stevens knew she had continual support this weekend, especially from a special passenger riding alongside her Sunday. An unexpected loss this week of Nicole Stevens, a close relative of Enders-Stevens’ husband, may have put a toll on emotions but Enders-Stevens was able to bring home the win in her honor.

“It’s a very sad situation that shouldn’t have happened the way it did,” Enders-Stevens said. “I’m just going to continue to have faith because God has a bigger plan and he needed her in heaven for some reason. I know she was probably riding along with me today. I’m just glad we were able to get it done this weekend after the week that we have had. Winning on Father’s Day is just an added bonus.”

To top it all off, with her win in Bristol Enders-Stevens has extended her championship points lead once again, but this time over Coughlin, who assumed the second spot from his teammate Allen Johnson.

“It’s pretty cool even though it’s unchartered territory for me,” Enders-Stevens said. “I’ve never been in this position, so it’s going to be something that I’m going to have to learn how to handle, but with a team like I’ve got I know we’re going to be just fine.”

Enders-Stevens will look to make it two wins in a row when the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series makes its next stop for the Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals, June 19-22, at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.

Tommy Johnson Jr. Lights up the Tires in Thunder Valley

Tommy Johnson Jr. and the Don Schumacher Racing Make-A-Wish Funny Car team made a very important point on Sunday in Bristol: They are by no means to be taken lightly. Johnson and his Terry Chandler-sponsored team put a series of former world champs on the trailer on raceday at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals with their very reliable John Collins-tuned Funny Car and surely made a lot of wishes come true as they earned their first win together as a team.
 
For Johnson, it was particularly special as the win fell on Father’s Day. Twice before TJ has won on Father’s Day, and he was able to do it again with his father, veteran drag racer Tommy Johnson Sr., in attendance.
 
“I woke up this morning thinking, well it’s Father’s Day, and I seem to do pretty good on Father’s Day,” said Johnson, who also won on this special day in Columbus in 1988 and then again in Englishtown in 2007. The Englishtown win, notably, was also Johnson’s most recent victory. He returned to racing full-time this year after being off the full-time circuit since the conclusion of the 2008 season.
 
“Our Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger was just a really good car all weekend,” said Johnson. “The guys did a great job, and I felt good coming into today. Knowing that it was Father’s Day did give me some confidence, and as a driver, that’s always a good thing. I thought, well I’ve done this before – why not again?”
 
The win was the 10th of Johnson’s career in a nitro category and it also marked the 226th win for the Don Schumacher Racing organization. In addition, it was the first Funny Car victory of the season for DSR.
 
“It’s not that we haven’t been competitive, we just haven’t been able to put it all together on Sunday,” said Johnson, who had raced to the semifinals twice this season but had yet to make the final round. “We’ve qualified great but just couldn’t get it to go right on raceday. I’m thrilled we were able to get it done today. I didn’t want to get to the final and get a runner-up and still not have a DSR Funny Car win. I wanted to prove that we’re not in a slump, it’s just tough out here. We just needed to step it up a little bit.”
 
And step it up they did. Johnson missed one qualifying session due to weather and another due to a simple mistake that prevented them from making the final qualifying pass; however, the two runs he did make during qualifying were exceptional. One was the quickest of the session and the other was second quickest, allowing Johnson valuable bonus points and situating him in the No. 5 qualifying position heading into raceday.
 
On Sunday, Johnson and his Make-A-Wish Dodge got the better of Cruz Pedregon in the first round, 4.147 to 4.613, and then blasted past a troubled Robert Hight in round two for a 4.175 to 6.00 win. Unfortunately for DSR, that made for a TJ versus teammate Matt Hagan semifinal.
 
Both DSR cars were tuned right up, but it was Johnson with the win light this go ’round, 4.201, 299.46 to Hagan’s 4.207, 293.54. The victory set up a final-round meeting with Tim Wilkerson in which a 4.156, 302.14 defeated his opponent’s 4.423, 227.34, and the Make-A-Wish team’s hunger was finally satiated. They got their win.
 
The win was the first for new crew chief Collins, who joined the team just a few races into the 2014 season. Collins had been the assistant crew chief on the Ron Capps-piloted NAPA Dodge Charger since 2010.
 
“I’m very proud for John to get that first win as a crew chief. We grew up together and are from the same hometown, so this is really neat,” said Johnson, who moved into the No. 3 position in the Funny Car standings with the victory. “He’s slowly making this car his own, and he’s doing a great job. The first car he ever worked on was my Top Fuel dragster in 1999. To see him work his way up in the ranks of racing as a crew member, assistant crew chief, and now a crew chief and to get his first win is pretty cool. He did the bottom end on my dragster the first time he ever went to a race and worked on a car. And now he turned the screw before I staged in the final. That’s a pretty neat deal.
 
“The car was working perfect today. It was running great, and the guys did a great job. They turned that thing around every lap, and man they have put in so many extra hours lately at the shop – I’m just thrilled that the work paid off.
 
“Our car has been right there for awhile now, and maybe it’s the heat and coming into the hot conditions of the summer that played into our hands. I’m looking forward to the next three months.”

Cleveland, Ohio-based drag racing retailer and high performance service center, Speed City, announced today they are expanding their corporate efforts by welcoming Lydia Bohm as their new director of marketing and communications.

Showing great passion for racing and drag racing in particular, Bohm proves to be a logical fit for this up-and-coming racing superstore. Finding her love for drag racing during years spent as marketing manager at Weldon High Performance, Bohm shows much confidence in her decision to join the Speed City team as a key player in the company’s future.

Looking for continued market growth in a dominating industry, Speed City is putting its right foot forward and unleashing Bohm to do what she does best. By further developing the company’s brand image, market reach and communications message, Bohm’s experience in the racing industry will certainly bring increased visibility and awareness for this fast growing company.

Bohm’s role will also have her overseeing the Corporate Sponsorships Program for the Speed City Racing Team as they get set to debut in the professional ranks of the NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Nitro Funny Car class.

“Growth is key and we know the importance of a solid marketing and communications program to be instrumental for the company’s future success.” Said Diana Harker, president of Speed City. “Lydia is a great asset to the company and the fact she not only loves racing but ‘gets’ the racing marketplace from having spent time on multiple sides of the corporate fence truly shows she belongs at Speed City.”

As president of Speed City, Harker developed the concept for the company’s brand which sells new and used racing parts, race cars and trailers. The company  has achieved its place as a performance retailer and has continued to expand  by now  providing a high performance service shop for engine, chassis and general maintenance for drag racing vehicles. Speed City has seen considerable growth since its inception with customer reach growing in both the local and international markets.

For more information on Speed City check out SpeedCityPerformance.com or for the latest news on the Speed Racing Team visit SpeedCityRacing.com.

Recently, S&W launched their largest sale of the year titled the ‘All American Summer Sale.’ This monumental sale is currently underway, spanning the hot summer months until September 2^nd, 2014.

“This is a massive sale,” said S&W’s Jill Canuso. “It’s the perfect opportunity to purchase chassis upgrades, finish your current project car or get a head-start on your big off-season projects. Most importantly, everyone will save money when they take advantage of these special deals.”

Sale items will include everything from Roll Bars & Roll Cages to Door Car Chassis Kits. Join S&W’s e-mail list or check the ‘Sales, Savings Programs, Contingency & Contests’ page often at www.swracecars.com, as the summer sale deals will change from time to time. S&W has been a USA Manufacturer, in Pennsylvania, since 1959. In addition to the S&W made components, other USA made products will be included, such as Wilwood.

ABOUT S&W RACE CARS

Founded in 1959, S&W Race Cars is known worldwide as the leader in drag race chassis development and innovation. Their custom built, award winning race cars are used by many of the leading NHRA & IHRA professional, Nostalgia and Sportsman race teams. Their 27,000 sq ft. headquarters houses a full line of affordable chassis kits, roll bars and roll cages, suspension parts, rollers to complete race cars and much more. S&W’s Made in the USA products are used by do-it-yourselfers and professionals around the world. S&W Race Cars also carries products for use in pro/street cars, street rods, and off-road trucks and RV’s. The manufacturing department provides WaterJet cutting, MIG and TIG welding, sheet-metal forming; round or rectangular tube bending and full-service machine shop services. For more information visit www.swracecars.com or call (800) 523-3353.
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If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call Jill Canuso at 610-948-7303 x112 or e-mail Jill at jillc@swracecars.com

Brandon Pesz Pro Extreme Corvette

As the Official Wrap Provider of the PDRA, Kryptonite Kustomz will have a presence at every PDRA National Event. The helpful Kryptonite Kustomz staff is available for questions and can produce sponsor decals and other small scale projects right at the track. On Thursday, June 26, at the upcoming Summer Drags, the Oklahoma-based company will be holding an Open House for PDRA teams to learn more about what Kryptonite Kustomz brings to the racing industry.

Kryptonite Kustomz is known for their head-turning wraps that cover everything from golf carts to semi rigs and race cars of all shapes and sizes. One of the most innovative features they now offer is a fully functional mobile wrap unit.

“Wraps are still fairly young in drag racing,” informed Chris Davis of Kryptonite Kustomz. “We have one of the first fully functional mobile wrap trailers. That’s virtually unheard of in the wrap world. Arrangements can be made to provide mobile services at the customer’s location.  We realize the time and mobilizing expense is not always feasible to race teams.

“We’re excited to be a part of the PDRA,” Chris continued. “We enjoy being a part of the race family. Quality is of number one importance to us. We don’t cut corners. Just like anything else in the world there are a lot of bad wraps out there. We want racers to see what a quality job looks like. It looks almost like paint. These race teams have a large investment in their cars and have pride in their appearance. We want them to look good. We want them to be right. We use exclusively 3M products. 3M has recognized the effort we’re trying to make in the drag racing industry. Together we’re here to support the racer.”

Racers can check out the jobs Kryptonite Kustomz has done for Todd Martin and Brandon Pesz of Lethal Threat Racing, Joey Martin and Neal Wantye, as well as Randell Reid, among others.

Racers can learn more about this when they stop by the Kryptonite Kustomz open house on Thursday evening at US 131 Motorsports Park. Their equipment trailer will be open for viewing and staff will be on hand to answer questions. Everyone is also welcome to enjoy free pizza and soft drinks.

Visit us at kkwraps.com or follow us on Facebook.  Contact us by phone at (918) 994-6010 or (918) 809-1888.

For more on the world’s premier eighth mile drag racing organization visit www.pdra660.com. Follow the PDRA: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube.

Pete Berner

It’s been a long road for the two-time IHRA Pro Stock World Champion. Although not too far from his days of hoisting trophies, Berner has been battling car demons for the better part of two and half seasons. The massive power in-house engine builder Jerry Janota put into each of Berner’s big block Chevy engines could not be harnessed no matter what combination the team tried.

This past weekend at the IHRA President’s Cup Nationals, Berner and team decided to go back to the GXP that set the quarter-mile world record in 2010. A return to the GXP also meant a return to flying Summit Racing Equipment colors. And a return to a successful combination.

“It was great to be back at Budds Creek,” relayed Berner. “The track was outstanding. It was a fun weekend. We were able to connect with fans that we hadn’t seen in years. The MIR fans were very excited to see Pro Stock back and to hear that we were going to be back again 2015.

“We decided to put the same setup in the GXP from the engine back that set the benchmark in 2010, even down to the shocks. It really worked great. Unfortunately, there was still a learning curve, and we couldn’t capitalize on it as much as we wanted to in the limited time we had, but we were pleased with the results.”

Berner qualified fourth with a 6.331 at 222.07 MPH. In round one he defeated a slowing Kevin Bealko by posting his best time of the weekend, a 6.307, even though Berner clicked off early. This paired Berner with number one qualifier Todd Hoerner in the semis. Berner got off to a great start with an incredible .014 light to Hoerner’s .082. Unfortunately, when Berner hit fourth gear, a transmission fitting broke and the GXP slowed to a 6.763, letting Hoerner squeak by with a 6.402 win.

“We missed a great opportunity to run in the final,” told Berner. “We knew we would have our work cut out for us, running a guy that was capable of ‘20s, but my light should have showed just how determined I was. IHRA did a phenomenal job on the track. The car was telling us it wanted to go fast. The motor wanted more fuel and then would need more gear. On that run it could have run a mid to upper 6.20. Unfortunately, a five dollar part would end our chances at the final.

“I’m excited for Adam [Drzayich, crew chief]. He spent this season, like we have the previous two years, working on a car that was impossible to fix. Thanks to him and many others we now have a great race car that will go down the track every time. We just ran out of time to perfect the combination this weekend.

“We have a lot of people to thank,” Berner said of his program’s turnaround. “First, Jim Greenleaf [Motorsports and Event Manager at Summit] for giving us the opportunity to run Summit colors again. Eric at Penske for promptly getting our shocks back up to speed. Pat Norcia with Ram Clutches for being a sounding board of advice to us. And Jerry [Janota] for putting the motor back to where it was when we ran the 6.20 in such short notice.

“Adam is doing a great job. He’s got a lot of heart. This has been a learning curve for him, too, since most of his success has come in working with 500 inch motors. He’s doing phenomenal, though.

“I want to congratulate Todd on getting to the final and John [Konigshofer] for winning the event. They had to get past some issues themselves and it was good to see them win again. They’ll head into Canada with their heads held high.”

Berner looks to continue this new path at his next stop on the IHRA tour, the Nitro Jam Summer Nationals in Cordova, Illinois, July 18-19.

“We have something to race with now,” he concluded. “For a while we’ve just tried to be competitive. Now we want to win.”

GOOD READS: 

One of the nitro’s absolutely best guys and real-deal racers – Dale Creasy Jr. – talks with the gang at CompetitionPlus.com.

Cole Coonce, a “died in the wool drag racing junkie and one of drag racing’s premiere journalists” tells DragRacingOnline.com about his very first trip to the drag strip.

Street legal racer and 14-time PGA Tour winner Kenny Perry had an incredible shot at the recently completed United States Open Championship.

MEDIA ROUND UP: 

Shockwave Jet Trucker driver Kent Shockley goes through all sorts of work to send the jet-powered Semi down the track.

If you’re having anything less than a stellar day, THIS will fix it. Check out our friend Ben Bray, who is recovering from a terrible accident in Australia, burn some rubber during the ANDRA Summer Nationals back in January.

NHRA Top Fuel racer Khalid al-Balooshi, who we lovingly refer to as the “Beast From the Middle East”, makes a pass during the Qatar Mile in his turbocharged Supra.

It was a big race weekend at Memphis International Raceway (MIR) as the IHRA Summit Racing Series hosted the Division 4 Pro-Am Tour. Local racers as well as racers from across the county came to MIR to compete in 1/4-mile and 1/8-mile classes. MIR is one of more than 100 IHRA member tracks in seven divisions that participate in these Sportsman competitions.

The competition is populated by Sportsman competitors who are the backbone of grassroots drag racing. By the end of the weekend, 16 champions would be determined with six of them calling MIR their “hometown” track.

Mark Meadows doubled up on the weekend taking the Ironman win both Saturday and Sunday from Double Grove, Ark. in the Quick Rod class.

Devin Johnson from Collierville, Tenn., also had a double showing over the weekend, taking the Runner-Up trophy on Saturday and the Ironman win on Sunday in Jr. Dragster Beginner.

Danny Nelson from Batesville, Ark., took the Ironman win in Super Rod on Saturday as well as honors for best appearing in car category.

Jesse Bobo from Walnut, Miss., took the Ironman win in Top Dragster on Saturday.

Justin Poindexter from Millington, Tenn. took the Ironman win in Jr. Dragster Master on Saturday.

“It was a great weekend for our racers,” stated Pam Kendrick, VP & GM of Memphis International Raceway. “A lot of our local racers came out and went to winner’s circle over the weekend. It’s always great to see them there and to see so many new faces at the track. It was the perfect weather and an all around good weekend to race.”

Complete results from the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL Division 4, Race 1 at Memphis International Raceway:

Top Sportsman – Leslie Dugas, Grandview, Texas, ’97 Cutlass, (.016) 7.769 on 7.743, 144.01 def. Glenn Wright, Odessa, Texas, ’12 Camaro, (-.007) foul

Top Dragster – Jesse Bobo, Walnut, Miss., dragster, (.026) 7.594 on 7.59, 175.25 def. Mike Crader, Bedford, Texas, dragster, (.027) 7.344 on 7.34, 178.61

Super Stock – Scott Stillings, Floyds Knobs, Ind., ’98 Grand Am, (.013) 8.932 on 8.88, 141.25 def. Jarrod Granier, Ladadieville, La., (.039) 9.524 on 9.45, 132.74

Stock – Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., Donaldsonville, La., ’04 GTO, (.047) 10.652 on 11.90, 112.15 def. Randy Eakins, Sikeston, Mo., ’10 Challenger, (.157) 10.690 on 11.90, 123.44

Quick Rod – Mark Meadows, Beech Grove, Ark., dragster, (.050) 8.875 on 8.90, 181.72 def. Tommy Costales, Manuel, Texas, dragster, (-.013) foul

Super Rod - Danny Nelson, Batesville, Ark., ’63 Corvette, (.032) 12.303 on 9.90, 72.57 def. Tommy Maedgen, Troy, Texas, ’69 Camaro, (-.001) foul

Hot Rod - Tony Jones, Gilmer, Texas, ’67 Camaro, (.017) 10.908 on 10.90, 148.05 def. Greg Fowler, Point Pleasant, W.Va., ’80 Camaro, (.003) 10.930 on 10.90, 142.29

Junior Dragster Master - Justin Poindexter, Millington, Tenn., dragster, (.016) 7.936 on 7.94, 81.60 def. Caleb Morse, Ponchatoula, La., dragster, (-.006) foul

Junior Dragster Advanced – Mallory Bontrager, Wylie, Texas, dragster, (.055) 8.874 on 8.90, 76.21 def. Cody Hughes, Decatur, Texas, dragster, (-.067) foul

Junior Dragster Beginner - Graeme Rufenacht, Round Rock, Texas, dragster, (.125) 12.152 on 11.93, 54.71 def. Devin Johnson, Collierville, Tenn., dragster, (.313) 11.933 on 11.96, 55.75

Complete results from the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL Division 4, Race 2 at Memphis International Raceway:

Top Sportsman - Scooter Hampton, Odessa, Texas, (.002) 7.215 on 7.18, 180.26 def. Rowdy James, Odessa, Texas, ’00 Corvette, (.036) 7.432 on 7.42, 181.42

Top Dragster - Craig Liles, Artesia, N.M., dragster, (.001) 7.135 on 7.15, 188.20 def. Chris Gulitti, Spring, Texas, dragster, (.017) 7.287 on 7.32, 188.12

Super Stock - Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., Donaldsonville, La., ’99 Firebird, (.013) 9.881 on 9.85, 133.10 def. Scott Stillings, Floyds Knobs, Ind., ’98 Grand Am, (.039) 8.995 on 8.98, 148.09

Stock - Randy Eakins, Sikeston, Mo., ’10 Challenger, (.081) 10.759 on 10.72, 123.10 def. Matt Pellichino, Hammond, La., ’06 Corvette, (-.004) foul

Quick Rod - Mark Meadows, Beech Grove, Ark., dragster, (.013) 10.137 on 8.90, 102.26 def. Ed Bousman, Camanche, Iowa, dragster, (-.011) foul

Super Rod - Tommy Maedgen, Troy, Texas, ’69 Camaro, (.040) 9.910 on 9.90, 154.53 def. Wes Neely, Florence, Miss., ’67 Camaro, (-.003) foul

Hot Rod - Jamie Abbott, Arlington, Texas, ’81 Trans Am, (.004) 10.928 on 10.90, 137.15 def. Dennis Clark, Pasadena, Texas, ’68 Camaro, (.024) 10.915 on 10.90, 134.19

Junior Dragster Master - Shallon Brosson, Larenzo, La., dragster, (.042) 7.903 on 7.90, 82.23 def. Darian Boesch, Kenner, La., dragster, (.049) 7.916 on 7.90, 81.61

Junior Dragster Advanced - Mallory Bontrager, Wylie, Texas, dragster, (.038) 8.949 on 8.90, 74.82 def. Jordan Broussard, Carencio, La., dragster, (.058) 8.982 on 8.90, 71.38

Junior Dragster Beginner – Devin Johnson, Collierville, Tenn., dragster, (.174) 11.939 on 11.90, 56.16 def. Graeme Rufenacht, Round Rock, Texas, dragster, (.203) 11.912 on 11.92, 54.26

The racing community lost a true friend and ambassador of the sport in Stuart Williams, who died earlier this Spring on Mar. 28, 2014, at age 58, following an 11-month battle with cancer.

Williams, who grew up in Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, had a unique love for the sport of drag racing after attending his first NHRA national event at age 14 in Maple Grove, Pennsylvania. Although he was enamored by fast cars, it was the people of the sport, namely the car owners, that fascinated him most. Understandably, Williams eventually became a car owner himself and was always quick to let someone else occupy the driver’s seat while he stood by and closely studied how the car performed. It was what he enjoyed most and he was a constant fixture on the starting line each time his car made a pass.

Although Williams fielded a competitive race car for years, he became best known for his role in 2010 launching the Extreme Outlaw Pro Mod (EOPM) series. The EOPM, which began with a modest and almost unnoticed event at North Carolina’s Roxboro Dragway, exploded in popularity in the following years. Within a few short seasons, Williams had guided the series in all the right directions and it was soon holding events at national event-caliber facilities, while gaining a tremendous amount of exposure in the process.

The staff of the EOPM grew as well, and although Williams was the most visible member of the organization, no one was quicker at deflecting the spotlight off himself while heaping high praise on those around him.

“I’m just one tiny spoke in the wheel,” Stuart proclaimed during an interview last September. Indeed, those around him loved the man, whose steady leadership had a uniquely humble element.

“Stuart was a great promoter and he really made this deal happen,” said engine builder Charlie Buck, who first met Williams in 1995. Buck eventually became involved with the operation of the EOPM and along with race director Rick Moore, the two hope to forge ahead just as Williams intended. And though the series handily exceeded many people’s expectations—including Williams himself on occasion—he always desired to take the club to the next level, and to all the levels that followed. “It was always Stuart’s dream to have the EOPM on television, and we hope to get it there someday,” Buck added.

On April 12, two weeks after Williams’ passing, the EOPM successfully held its 2014 season opener at Virginia Motorsports Park. His memory was very much alive in the hearts of all involved, but the personal touch and talents that Williams brought to each event were sorely missed. “It didn’t take long to realize that Stuart did much more than everyone thought he did,” Buck commented, as he reflected on the season opener.

The furthering of the EOPM is one thing Stuart Williams was very vocal about, and was even at peace with the realization that he may not be there to see it all unfold. “I’ve told Rick and Charlie that I want this organization to go on without me should I be taken,” Williams said last September as he battled cancer. Even in his absence, though, Williams’ spirit is still close and perhaps even still guiding with an ever-humble hand. Godspeed, “Big Daddy,” you’re still always on the scene.

GOOD READS:

DRAG ILLUSTRATED’s Van Abernethy profiled Stuart Williams early in 2014 prior to his passing. Take a second to get to know one of Pro Modified racing’s most passionate supporters.

Pretty awesome feature by regular DI contributor Brian Wood on our friend and longtime Top Sportsman standout Boyd Beyer at PDRA660.com.

If you didn’t already know, IHRA is continuing their relationship with mountain motor Pro Stock racers and will continue to have the low 6-second, 220-plus-mph doorslammers as a part of the NitroJam show through 2015.

Check out NHRA Funny Car champion Jack Beckman as he turns his driver blog on NHRA.com into a fancy version of Craig’s List, trying to sell his enclosed race car trailer.

MEDIA ROUND UP: 

Looking so effortless, it’s hard to believe THIS is DeWayne Mills’ shot-heard-round-the-world 4.10, 196-plus-mph lap at Holly Springs Motorsports Park a few weeks back.

Watch an old boy PULL LEVERS in this epic in-car, multi-angle video from TheRacingVids of nitrous Pro Mod racer Ed Burnley straight getting it done. Life is good.

Back in May, Tom Motry’s “Drastic Plastic” full-load Fuel Altered went 5.87 and almost ended the world in the process (that’s scary fast) with Joe Haas behind the wheel, and you NEED to see it.

Recent DI cover star Mark Micke goes 4.18 at Lights Out V earlier this year in the world’s quickest and fastest G-Body.

All the finals from this past weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol.

LONG WATCHES:

Inarguably the most time-tested quarter-mile outlaw Pro Mod club on the planet, the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association is still putting on quite possibly the best show in the New England area every summer. Check out their latest event from Atco Dragway (21 minutes). It gets pretty serious about the 20 minute mark.