The Extreme Outlaw Pro Mod (EOPM) series presented by Precision Turbo & Engines is traveling to Atlanta Dragway this weekend (June 28), for the EOPM Night of Fire sponsored by Ross Racing Pistons and Jerry Bickel Race Cars. This will be the second Night of Fire event for the EOPM at Atlanta after giving a show-stopping performance last year in front of nearly 8,500 drag racing fans at “Georgia’s House of Speed.”

All the EOPM Stars will be on hand for the quickest and fastest Pro Modified action on the planet this weekend to try and top last year’s spectacular showing from series favorites like Danny “The Sherriff” Perry, Randy “Smooth” Weatherford, and Chris “The Northern Assassin” Rini, fresh off his recent $15,000 victory over Jason ” Holeshot” Harris in the final round of the Lucas Oil Hot Rod Pro Nitrous Shootout held at Piedmont Dragway.

Additionally, Charles Terrell, Jay Cox, Jr. Ward, Todd Howard, Scott “Machine Gun” Gunn, Carol Long, Tori Cagle, Chris Cline, David Campbell, and EOPM winner from Virginia this year Chris Patrick will all be on hand to take their shot at the famed Atlanta Dragway asphalt.

All EOPM classes with be on hand, featuring EOPM Top Sportsman stars Glen Teets Jr, Glen Teets III, Todd Atkinson, William Brown, Christy Perkins, Donn Rudd, Danny Angle, Kevin Fortney, Mike Anderson, Mark Payne, Erin Arledge, and many more. Last but not least, many young guns of Extreme Outlaw Jr. Dragster will be there, too, including Austin Terrell, Courtney Howard, Lauren Arledge, Patrick Weatherford, Allie Wisner, Mia Shultz, Alexis Shultz, Carson Perry, Jacob Baker, and many more.

Don’t miss the most exciting Pro Mod action on the planet this weekend with jet cars and fireworks for a thrilling pre-4th of July extravaganza at Atlanta Dragway’s Night of Fire! And as always, “The EOPM is just a great place to race,” and Big Daddy is always on the scene.

Todd Martin

Lethal Threat Racing announced June 26, it has entered into a new major marketing partnership with GTX Blue, a Texas-based hydration solution for the working man.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome GTX Blue to our team,” Lethal Threat Racing team owner and driver Todd Martin said. “With GTX Blue’s help we feel certain we’ll be able to quench our thirst for winning!”

The supercharged, 4,000-horsepower ’68 Mustang that Martin drives in the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Pro Extreme class will carry the colors and branding for the water company for the remainder of the 2014 season, beginning with this weekend’s PDRA race at Martin, Michigan. The spectacular GTX Blue “water flames” graphic wrap was designed and applied by Kryptonite Kustomz in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

“It’s very exciting to introduce not only a new sponsor like GTX Blue to our sport, but an entirely new product category,” said Martin, who co-owns Tulsa Raceway Park, where GTX Blue anticipates a complete product roll out Aug. 15-16, when the PDRA visits the historic Tulsa track.

“We’re really looking forward to hosting GTX Blue in Tulsa, but we also enjoy racing up here in Michigan,” Martin added. “The track is excellent, the facility is beautiful and the fans are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, so I think this is the perfect place to introduce GTX Blue to the PDRA.”

In addition to sponsoring the Lethal Threat Pro Extreme Mustang, GTX Blue supports motorsports by offering unique marketing incentives to race tracks that purchase the product.

(Photos by Ian Tocher; Click to enlarge)

Check out the live stream from MotorManiaTV.com of the inaugural PDRA Summer Drags from US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan. With multiple camera angles, live interviews and open discussion, the gang at MotorManiaTV.com has the live stream game on lock and we’re thrilled to present it to you here at DragIllustrated.com.

The fourth event of the year for the all-new Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) goes off this weekend at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan. DRAG ILLUSTRATED is on the scene and will be providing photos and race commentaries throughout the weekend, along with result sheets posted in accompanying posts. Check it out!

DI DIGITS: Qualifying Results

LIVE VIDEO via MotorMania.TV

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In round two of Top Sportsman qualifying, Ronnie Davis of Suwanne, Georgia made his career-first three-second pass to take over the top spot with his Kaase-powered ’63 Corvette.

Bubba Stanton made the only pass in the 3.50s to lead the opening round of Pro Extreme qualifying in team owner Roger Henson’s ’69 Camaro. Stanton also ran 3.56 earlier in the day during pre-race testing in the same lane at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.

Jason Scruggs

Texas racer Brandon Pesz banged the blower just as he crossed the eighth-mile finish line in round one of Pro Extreme qualifying, but still placed 13th with a 3.798-seconds pass at 193.80 mph.

Pro Nitrous rookie Lizzy Musi ran 3.78 and 3.79 in testing earlier on Friday, then with this pass she made the only run in the 3.70s to lead the opening round of qualifying for the PDRA Summer Drags in Michigan.

Blake Housley of Lees Summit, MO, made a sacrifice to the aluminum piston gods in the opening round of Pro Nitrous qualifying, but still placed 13th overall.

In his second appearance with the PDRA this year, Lucasville, OH’s Brian Gahm powered his 2013 Mustang to the top spot in round one of Extreme Pro Stock qualifying with a pass of 4.109 seconds at 175.02 mph.

HARRIS CHASING 4th STRAIGHT PRO NITROUS FINAL

Jason Harris

When the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) arrives at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI, this weekend (June 27-28), it will reach the halfway point of its inaugural eight-race season and Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous competitor Jason Harris will be attempting to keep his perfect record intact.

After winning the season opener from the number-one starting position in April at Rockingham, NC, Harris duplicated both efforts a month later in Valdosta, GA. He slipped a little with a third-place start at Memphis late in May, but the final result remained the same with Harris taking the trophy home. Still, the Pittsboro, NC-based racer isn’t taking his early season success for granted.

“Winning three races in a year, not even in a row, is almost unheard of in the Pro Nitrous world right now because there’s just so many good teams out there that nobody really dominates anymore,” he explains. “There are a lot of guys who can step up their game and go really fast at any race so I feel really fortunate just to be in the finals of all three races so far this year, never mind winning all three of them.”

As a sportsman class competitor in IHRA national events at the U.S. 131 strip, Harris has made the long tow over the West Virginia mountains and then across Pennsylvania and Ohio to reach Western Michigan several times in the past and says the trip is always worth the effort.

“It’s beautiful up there. It’s one of my favorite tracks, really wide, smooth, and Jason (Peterson, track owner) and his guys do a great job of keeping up the facility throughout the year,” he says. “It’s one of my favorite races to take my family to because it’s just a nice, scenic race track.”

Also expected to make strong runs against Harris this weekend will be Pro Nitrous rookie Lizzy Musi, who became the first woman to exceed the 200-mph mark in her class debut at Rockingham, along with Tommy Franklin, Michigan’s own Bob Rahaim, and Pat Stoken, who respectively reached the final round against Harris at the first three events.

Jason Harris

Race teams from 15 different U.S. states, plus the country of Dubai, were represented in the star-studded NAS Racing Pro Extreme field at Memphis and the Michigan event should be just as diverse. Two-time PDRA winner Bubba Stanton, along with teammate Jason Scruggs, will be there, as will Frankie “Mad Man” Taylor, who made an unprecedented 3.48-seconds pass at Rockingham, marking the first time for a doorslammer to dip below three-and-a-half seconds in the eighth mile.

Additionally, the PDRA will feature its all-new Pro Boost division presented by Precision Turbo and Proline Racing Engines, along with Aruba.com Extreme Pro Stock, Pro Extreme Motorcycle, MagnaFuel Top Sportsman, STT Safety Equipment Top Dragster and two Jr. Dragster classes.

Thursday (June 26) is reserved as an open test session day for all PDRA racers on the U.S. 131 Motorsports Park eighth mile, with Friday continuing the test session for five hours beginning at 10 a.m., followed by two complete rounds of qualifying for all classes starting at 4:30 p.m. that afternoon. A third and final round of qualifying beginning at noon will open Saturday’s schedule, with a pre-race ceremony set to go at 3:30, followed by elimination rounds. A jet car exhibition will close out both Friday’s and Saturday’s action.

MARTIN UNVEILS GTX BLUE SPONSORSHIP

Todd Martin

Lethal Threat Racing announced June 26, it has entered into a new major marketing partnership with GTX Blue, a Texas-based hydration solution for the working man.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome GTX Blue to our team,” Lethal Threat Racing team owner and driver Todd Martin said. “With GTX Blue’s help we feel certain we’ll be able to quench our thirst for winning!”

The supercharged, 4,000-horsepower ’68 Mustang that Martin drives in the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Pro Extreme class will carry the colors and branding for the water company for the remainder of the 2014 season, beginning with this weekend’s PDRA race at Martin, Michigan. The spectacular GTX Blue “water flames” graphic wrap was designed and applied by Kryptonite Kustomz in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

“It’s very exciting to introduce not only a new sponsor like GTX Blue to our sport, but an entirely new product category,” said Martin, who co-owns Tulsa Raceway Park, where GTX Blue anticipates a complete product roll out Aug. 15-16, when the PDRA visits the historic Tulsa track.

“We’re really looking forward to hosting GTX Blue in Tulsa, but we also enjoy racing up here in Michigan,” Martin added. “The track is excellent, the facility is beautiful and the fans are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, so I think this is the perfect place to introduce GTX Blue to the PDRA.”

In addition to sponsoring the Lethal Threat Pro Extreme Mustang, GTX Blue supports motorsports by offering unique marketing incentives to race tracks that purchase the product.

MARTIN CONFIRMS SPLIT WITH WANTYE

Joey Martin

When Joey “Hero” Martin lost to Frankie Taylor in the first round the ADRL World Finals last October in Houston, it very well could have been the end of his illustrious doorslammer-driving career. The multi-time ADRL event winner and consistent championship challenger had grown tired of the day-to-day grind of racing while constantly striving to find enough money to compete at the sport’s highest level.

However, in stepped Pro Extreme team owner Neal Wantye (above right) who ordered a pair of brand-new 2014 Camaros to be built by Joey Martin Race Cars (JMRC) in Milton, Florida, with Martin tabbed as the team’s second driver and crew chief. The two-car Martin-Wantye Racing team was off to a decent start in 2014, with both cars qualifying at each of the three PDRA races held so far (though Wantye crashed in qualifying and was unable to race at Memphis), and Martin reaching the semi-finals at Valdosta, Georgia.“It’s crazy; here we show up with a million dollars invested to race for a few thousand dollars, while a pro golfer shows up with a few thousand (dollars) in golf clubs to play for a million dollars. And then when we do win a few bucks we have to go begging just to try and get paid,” a clearly frustrated Martin toldDRAG ILLUSTRATED at the time. “There’s just no way to justify keeping on like this.”

The partnership has abruptly ended, though, Martin confirmed to DRAG ILLUSTRATED in a June 23rd phone call.

“He (Wantye) won’t talk to me by phone, but we’ve probably sent hundreds of texts back and forth,” Martin said. “Everything seemed fine after the race at Neal’s home track, Ohio Valley Dragway (June 14). He seemed happy, calling me ‘Hero’ and stuff after Barndon (Snider) beat me with a holeshot in the final there. Then I got home and that’s when the texts started.”“I don’t really know why,” Martin claimed about learning by text message that Wantye asked for both cars and any parts and tools he owned to be packed up and readied for transport to his Louisville, Kentucky, base.

An obviously discouraged Martin said he’ll be at the PDRA race in Martin, Michigan, this weekend helping Snider with his JMRC-built ’63 Corvette and he has a couple of projects to finish in his shop, but after that he’s ready to hang up his racing and building tools for good.

“I know I said it before, but I really think this is it for me,” Martin said. “I’m sick of all this racing stuff; it’s just not worth it anymore.”

Tommy Johnson Jr. (above) ran his first career three-second pass in Funny Car to claim the No. 1 qualifier for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also claimed No. 1 qualifying positions and will lead their respective classes into tomorrow’s 11 a.m. eliminations at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event.

Johnson Jr. piloted his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger to a 3.999-second pass at 317.19 mph to secure the No. 1 seed during the final qualifying session. With the run, Johnson Jr. became the 10th Funny Car driver to complete a three-second pass. He will line up against two-time world champ Tony Pedregon in the opening round.

Robert Hight

“The conditions out here were difficult,” said Johnson Jr., winner of the Funny Car event in Bristol two weekends ago. “It’s hot and humid. Personally I didn’t think we could do it. But the guys were swinging for the fence, they were going for it.”

The run gave Johnson Jr. his first No. 1 of the season and 10th of his career. He will line up against two-time world champ Tony Pedregon in the opening round.

Del Worsham qualified No. 2 with a 4.023 at 289.76 in his DHL Toyota Camry. He will be paired with Bob Bode in round one. Points leader Robert Hight was the top qualifier after Friday and will race against Jeff Arend as the No. 3 seed. 16-time world champ John Force and daughter Courtney Force round out the top five in Funny Car qualifying. J. Force will open with Alexis DeJoria while C. Force goes up against Bob Tasca III.

Kalitta drove his Mac Tools dragster to a 3.767 second pass at 327.43 mph to claim the top spot for the fifth time this season. Kalitta saved his best for last, completing the run during the final qualifying session.

Doug Kalitta

“I was sitting back there in the staging lanes and it was pretty exciting,” said Kalitta, the points leader in Top Fuel. “Everybody that was running seemed to be going low. I think the fans got a good session out of that.”

Kalitta now has 41 career Top Fuel No. 1 qualifiers. Kalitta will race Pat Dakin in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.

Seven-time Top Fuel world champion and recent Epping winner Tony Schumacher qualified second with a 3.775 at 325.61 at his home track in the U.S. Army dragster. Schumacher, the defending winner of the event, will battle Epping semifinalist Clay Millican in round one. 2012 world champ Antron Brown qualified third and will race Billy Torrence. Brittany Force and Steve Torrence round out the top five qualifiers and face Terry McMillen and Shawn Langdon respectively.

In Pro Stock, Johnson recorded his third No. 1 qualifier of the season and 34th of his career following his Friday time of 6.485 at 212.79 in his Magneti Marelli Dodge Dart.  He will open eliminations against Mark Hogan.

Brittany Force

“Conditions today weren’t as favorable as they were last night; it was a bit warmer and more humid but the track stayed awesome,” said Johnson, who has three wins on the season. “Our Mopar crew did a heck of a job and we were No. 1 in three of four runs. We really like racing in these conditions.”

Category leader Erica Enders-Stevens is the No. 2 qualifier for the second weekend in a row following her 6.594 at 209.65 in her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro. The run booked Enders-Stevens a first round appearance with Dave River. Reigning series champion Jeg Couglin ran a 6.604 at 209.30 to claim the third seed and a first round matchup with Larry Morgan. Pomona winner Jason Line and recent Bristol and Epping No. 1 qualifier Shane Gray qualified fourth and fifth.

Krawiec ran a track-record time of 6.872 at 194.86 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson during Friday qualifying to grab the top spot.

“Today it was a little hotter and more humid, but the track was great,” said Krawiec. “My hat’s off to NHRA and the Route 66 Raceway crew. They did a great job with the racing surface.”

It is Krawiec’s fourth No. 1 in a row and 18th of his career. He will face LE Tonglet in the first round.

Hector Arana Jr. earned the second spot with his 6.941 run at 192.91 on his Lucas Oil Buell. His reward is a first round pairing with Gainesville winner Steve Johnson. Scotty Pollacheck, reigning world champion Matt Smith and Hector Arana round out the top five.

 (Photos courtesy NHRA/National dragster; Click to enlarge) 

JOLIET, Ill. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 17th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Route 66 Raceway, the 12th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel

1. Doug Kalitta, 3.767 seconds, 327.43 mph  vs. 16. Pat Dakin, 3.914, 314.31; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.775, 325.61  vs. 15. Clay Millican, 3.887, 316.38; 3. Antron Brown, 3.783, 319.75  vs. 14. Billy Torrence, 3.875, 317.64; 4. Brittany Force, 3.791, 324.51  vs. 13. Terry McMillen, 3.868, 321.50; 5. Steve Torrence, 3.791, 322.65  vs. 12. Shawn Langdon, 3.865, 315.93; 6. Richie Crampton, 3.792, 324.20  vs. 11. T.J. Zizzo, 3.852, 318.39; 7. Spencer Massey, 3.793, 324.83  vs. 10. Bob Vandergriff, 3.840, 316.01; 8. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.833, 316.60  vs. 9. J.R. Todd, 3.837, 300.86.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Chris Karamesines, 3.992, 300.53; 18. Luigi Novelli, 5.213, 134.18; 19. Tim Cullinan, 11.134, 133.78.

Funny Car

1. Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 3.999, 318.32  vs. 16. Tony Pedregon, Toyota Camry, 4.216, 289.76; 2. Del Worsham, Camry, 4.023, 315.19  vs. 15. Bob Bode, Camry, 4.165, 301.07; 3. Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.026, 317.64  vs. 14. Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.146, 307.23; 4. John Force, Mustang, 4.036, 316.90  vs. 13. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.142, 307.23; 5. Courtney Force, Mustang, 4.038, 322.50  vs. 12. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.139, 303.16; 6. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.040, 312.50  vs. 11. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.101, 308.35; 7. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.048, 315.64  vs. 10. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.095, 311.92; 8. Chad Head, Camry, 4.067, 315.05  vs. 9. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.093, 303.50.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Brian Stewart, 4.361, 237.50; 18. Dale Creasy Jr., 4.439, 231.79; 19. Justin Schriefer, 5.792, 157.15.

Pro Stock

1. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.574, 209.82  vs. 16. Mark Hogan, Pontiac GXP, 6.768, 205.32; 2. Erica Enders-Stevens, Chevy Camaro, 6.594, 209.65  vs. 15. Dave River, Chevy Cobalt, 6.766, 204.17; 3. Jeg Coughlin, Dart, 6.604, 209.30  vs. 14. Larry Morgan, Ford Mustang, 6.695, 207.27; 4. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.604, 209.14  vs. 13. Mark Martino, GXP, 6.657, 207.59; 5. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.605, 209.04  vs. 12. V. Gaines, Dart, 6.642, 209.01; 6. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.610, 208.94  vs. 11. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.637, 208.81; 7. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.611, 208.81  vs. 10. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.628, 209.14; 8. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.612, 208.91  vs. 9. Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.613, 208.62.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Kevin Lawrence, 6.798, 203.55.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.872, 194.86  vs. 16. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 7.057, 189.20; 2. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.941, 192.91  vs. 15. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.055, 190.19; 3. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.943, 193.40  vs. 14. Craig Treble, Buell, 7.051, 190.32; 4. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.943, 192.11  vs. 13. Chaz Kennedy, Buell, 7.021, 189.26; 5. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.959, 192.99  vs. 12. Michael Ray, Buell, 7.011, 189.07; 6. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.959, 192.36  vs. 11. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.010, 191.38; 7. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.983, 191.43  vs. 10. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 7.006, 191.62; 8. John Hall, Buell, 6.991, 190.67  vs. 9. Angie Smith, Buell, 7.005, 191.10.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Adam Arana, 7.081, 191.48; 18. Justin Finley, 7.093, 189.47; 19. Mike Berry, 7.177, 184.32; 20. Joe DeSantis, 7.178, 186.36; 21. Elvira Karlsson, 7.204, 183.07; 22. Redell Harris, 7.249, 189.95.

Quarter-Max Chassis & Racing Components announces their upcoming 4th of July On Line Sale. Take your car to the “MAX” this 4th of July with great savings from Quarter-Max Chassis and Racing Components.

Over the 4th of July weekend, visit Quartermax.com to enjoy savings up to $100. Featured items include Quarter-Max’s newly released “Extreme 4-Link Chassis Brackets” which allow for superior adjust-ability versus most competing 4-link chassis brackets. This year, as an added bonus, Quarter-Max is including a cap and koozie package to customers who spend $500 or more. Quarter-Max on line special ends on July 6th. Some exclusions may apply.

Quarter-Max and RJ Race Cars supply products, race car chassis, and components to racers participating in a wide variety of drag racing classes and sanctioning bodies. Customers include numerous championship teams world wide. For complete details visit http://www.rjracecars.com.

Mooresville NC 6/26/14:  Dave Connolly gave JRi Shocks’ new electronically controlled shock system, dubbed the JRide, it’s first professional win this weekend in the NHRA Pro Stock class in Epping, New Hampshire.

Connolly has been working closely with JRi Shocks since March on developing the system, which offers an entirely new level of control compared to the current damping systems on the market. Current “adjustable” systems allow for only one adjustment where the JRide system allows multiple adjustments to be made the entire length of the track. The electronic system is activated through the trans brake, clutch pedal or wide open throttle, and preprogrammed adjustments are made at specific intervals during the course of the run.

Back in April, JRi Shocks submitted the JRide system to the NHRA seeking approval for competition use. Aside from the many features of the JRide system, NHRA officials were most concerned that the system offered no active capabilities. After a detailed presentation by JRi engineers, the NHRA gave it the green light. “We’re incredibly happy for Dave and the whole Gray Motorsports racing team,” said Pete Brower, Drag racing market manager for JRi Shocks. “Our team has worked very hard to bring the JRide system to the drag market and to see success with it, especially this quickly reiterates in our minds that this is a valuable technology for the drag market.”

The NHRA approved JRide system is available for $7500 a set. Contact Pete Brower at 704-360-5860 or pbrower@jrishocks.com for more info.

About JRi Shocks…Since its inception in 2007, JRi Shocks has utilized cutting edge technological advancements with over 100 years of collective experience in shock absorbers, hydraulics, and electronics to create high performance, high precision shock absorbers for the racing and automotive industry. JRi offers applications for NASCAR, offroad, street performance, motorcycles, short track, drag racing and more.

Coming off yet another strong outing during the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Agave Underground Tequila Pro Mod drivers Danny Rowe (above) and Steve Matusek are ready to make some noise this weekend at fan-friendly Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

Steve Matusek

“This is as wound up as we’ve been prior to a race,” says Matusek, who earned his career-first NHRA Pro Mod final-round appearance two weeks ago at Bristol Dragway.

“I’ve been saying it a lot lately and it’s not meant to discount anyone else’s program, but I truly believe that Danny and I would have the best cars on the property right now anywhere we unloaded them. Jimmy [Rector, crew chief] and this crew are second to none and they’ve got a handle on these Agave Underground hot rods – there’s no way around it. We’re ready to get after it; I had a taste there in Bristol with our trip to the final, but we want to put a bow on it this time around.”

Matusek, founder and president of industry-leading high performance fuel system manufacturer Aeromotive, Inc., is also looking forward to his annual trip to Norwalk based on he and his company’s long running relationship with Summit Racing Equipment and their participation this year in Aeromotive’s “Dealer of the Race” program.

“It’s absolutely fantastic to have Summit Racing Equipment involved with this program,” says Matusek. “It’s a great opportunity to not only carry the Summit flag on the side of our supercharged Pro Mod Camaro for the weekend, but also to bring all the Summit Racing Equipment guys into the pits and show them a good time. We’re really looking forward to it.”

Steve Matusek

Rowe, team owner and driver, is looking to capitalize on the nearly unrivaled performance of his Jimmy Rector-tuned ‘68 Camaro thus far in 2014.

“We’re very happy with the way things have gone in the first half of the year,” says Rowe, who has qualified no lower than fourth in the last three races and number one at the season-opener. “Bringing in Steve and having the success we’ve had with both cars has been very encouraging, but we’re looking at our weekend in Norwalk as a great opportunity to get the job done and put one of these Agave Underground cars in the winner’s circle.

Danny Rowe

“We’re fourth and fifth in the points, so a final round appearance for each of us would be a great way to send us into our summer break,” continues Rowe, speaking of the nearly two month layoff for the NHRA Pro Mod Series after Norwalk and before the U.S. Nationals. “With only 10 races you have to do everything you can to keep your team in the hunt all year and not fall too far out of contention. We’re in a really good place right now and we’re excited to spend our Fourth of July weekend at the drag races.”

Qualifying for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, begins at 4:00 PM on Friday, July 4th, with a second session slated for 6:30 PM. A third and final qualifying session is set for 4:00 PM on Saturday, July 5th, with the opening round of eliminations at 6:30 PM. Final eliminations begin at 12:45 PM on Sunday, July 6th.

To learn more about Agave Underground Tequila products, sweepstakes and hosted events, visit www.agaveunderground.com, Facebook.com/AgaveUnderground or Follow @AgaveUground on Twitter.

To keep up with the latest news and results from Danny Rowe Racing, log onto www.dannyroweracing.com

Two years ago Kevin Fiscus sat in the stands at Auto Plus Raceway at Gainesville and dreamed of racing in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. With that dream now a reality for the veteran racer, Fiscus suddenly has bigger aspirations.

After making his NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series debut late last year, Fiscus has turned into a championship contender in his first full season. Currently sixth in points, Fiscus is now after his first career win in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series at this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.

Kevin Fiscus

“To race and compete with the names in this class, it’s just a dream come true and I can’t ask for a better start,” Fiscus said. “At the beginning of the season our goal was to qualify for every race, win a round at every event and finish in the top 10. Now our goal is to continue to qualify well, get in the top five and see what happens. But we’re having a blast and we couldn’t ask for anything more.”

The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals is the sixth of 10 races during the 2014 NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series and reigning world champion Rickie Smith, who is second in points, serves as the defending event winner.

As for Fiscus he has emerged as a major force in the class, qualifying No. 1 at each of the past two events in his turbocharged 2012 Ford Mustang. Before that he qualified No. 3 in both Houston and Atlanta, posting his first semifinal berth in Atlanta as well.

The next step is taking those superb qualifying numbers, which included a season-best 5.851 at 251.58 mph in Englishtown, and turning them into consistent performances during eliminations.

“We’ve met all our qualifying goals and now it’s a matter of putting it together in eliminations,” Fiscus said. “We don’t have the database of runs to fall back and that’s where we’re lacking at all these different tracks. So we’re extremely pleased with what we’ve done to date. Now we just have to put it all together and make it count on race day.”

Fiscus appears to be on a good path to do just that even if his NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series career is just eight races old. He competed in three events in 2013, making his debut at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, to get his feet wet in the highly-competitive class before the 2014 campaign.

Taking the next step and winning his first race will be difficult against a loaded NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series class that includes the likes of Mike Castellana, 2012 world champion Troy Coughlin, 2010 world champion Von Smith, Pete Farber, Steve Matusek, Danny Rowe and current points leader Mike Janis.

But competing against that kind of elite talent is also what drew Fiscus, who will be making his debut at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, to the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

“I think a lot of the excitement for me is just the level of the competition here,” Fiscus said. “You’re seeing a lot of great side-by-side races and once you get to eliminations the 16 cars that qualify are some of the best in the world. It’s some good racing and I’ve heard a bunch of awesome things about Norwalk. I’m looking forward to some great things.”

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

NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, July 4, with sessions at 4:00 and 6:30 p.m. continuing with one qualifying session on Saturday, July 5 at 4:00 p.m. Round one of eliminations is later on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Kandy Magazine and Matt Smith Racing (MSR) announced July 3, an extension of the sponsorship of Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Angie Smith for the next four NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events, in Norwalk, Denver, Sonoma, and Indianapolis. In the interim, Kandy and MSR also plan to continue negotiations to fund Smith’s championship bid through the six-race Countdown to the Championship beginning in mid-September. Smith, the wife of current NHRA world champion and team owner Matt, recently celebrated her first NHRA victory at the Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals in Epping.

“Angie’s performance has been lights out, no pun intended,” said Ron Kuchler, Kandy Magazine president. “So far, we’ve had an amazing experience racing with Angie. Her inaugural win in Epping was the icing on the cake, and we look forward to building our brand alongside Angie and the entire MSR team.”

Angie Smith

“I’m ecstatic to have Kandy Magazine renew our deal for four more races,” said Smith. “This partnership is a perfect fit for me and the team. I could not ask for anything better. With a win and semifinal appearance in the last two races, I also couldn’t be happier about our performance, and I know there is more to come. I’m grateful to Kandy for believing in me.”

Equally as enthused is Kandy Magazine Vice President Bill Nychay, who added, “I just knew this was the right fit. I have marketed many programs over the years using NHRA as a platform, and nothing we’ve done has ever felt so right. Our Kandy girl promotional models have been a big hit with the fans, and since beginning our association with Angie, our online magazine downloads have increased over 80 percent. Recently, Kandy was the No. 1-ranked U.S. magazine app in the world. We attribute much of this success to our marketing relationship with Matt and Angie Smith and NHRA.”

The sponsorship agreement will continue with Kandy branding on Smith’s bike, uniform, team shirts, and trailer. The famous Kandy girls will continue making personal appearances at select events, taking pictures, and giving away Kandy Magazine merchandise.

In a related announcement, Smith has also signed an associate agreement with Petrolhead Apparel for the next four events. The Petrolhead brand will share space with Kandy Magazine on Smith’s 195-mph Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle at the events in Norwalk, Denver, Sonoma, and Indianapolis. The Petrolhead Apparel brand made its debut at last weekend’s NHRA event in Chicago. Petrolhead also recently inked a sponsorship agreement with Smith’s teammate Scotty Pollacheck. The Petrolhead brand is co-owned by longtime racer Bill Windham and Ben Carey, the lead guitarist of the multiplatinum band Lifehouse.

“Through our recent association with Scotty Pollacheck, we’ve gotten to see the inner workings of Matt Smith Racing, and we’ve been particularly impressed by Angie following her recent win in Epping,” said Windham. “We wanted to do our part to make sure that she can continue to compete at a high level and challenge for the 2014 championship, so we’ve worked with Kandy Magazine to keep her on the tour for the next four events. It’s my hope that this will be just the start of a long and prosperous association.”

Reigning Top Fuel world champion driver Shawn Langdon (above) raced to a track record performance Saturday to claim his third  No. 1 qualifier of the season, and will try for his second victory of the season on Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.

Del Worsham (Funny Car), Erica Enders-Stevens (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also will lead their categories as the No. 1 qualifiers at the 13th of 24 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events in 2014. Sunday’s eliminations start at 11 a.m.

Shawn Langdon

Langdon flexed his muscle with his quick pass of 3.745 seconds at 325.22 mph on Saturday in his 10,000-horsepower Al-Anabi Racing dragster, resetting his own previous track record for elapsed time. He will face Terry McMillen in Sunday’s opening round.

The California native, who earned the 16th No. 1 of his career, is seeking his first win at Norwalk. Langdon will meet Terry McMillen in the first round of eliminations.

“Tonight, we felt like we could lay down and try to make the best run possible,” Langdon said. “I have a lot of confidence. The last couple races we’ve struggled in qualifying. We feel like we have that little bit of a handle back on the race car again.”

Points leader Doug Kalitta moved to second with his pass of 3.746 at 327.82 in his Mac Tools dragster. He will face rookie Richie Crampton in the opening round. Antron Brown held on to the third spot in the class, powering his Matco Tools dragster with a performance of 3.763 at 323.04 and will race Clay Millican in the opening round.

Del Worsham

In Funny Car, Worsham claimed the No. 1 spot with his Friday track record time of 4.000 at 321.88 in his DHL Toyota Camry. This is his first No. 1 qualifying position at Norwalk and 16th of his career. He will face fellow Californian Jeff Diehl in the first round of eliminations.

“The DHL Toyota Camry made a beautiful run down the track,” Worsham said. “When you can outrun guys like John Force and Tommy Johnson, that says something.”

Sixteen-time world champion Force and his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, which posted a 4.016 pass at 322.04 on Friday, qualified second. Sitting in the third slot is Tommy Johnson Jr., who powered his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger to a 4.030 at 319.67.

“You can’t take anyone lightly,” Worsham said. “I think if I take a first round win tomorrow that’ll be great. ”

Erica Enders-Stevens

In Pro Stock, nobody could match Enders-Stevens’ track record performance of 6.523 at 212.63 from Friday, giving the current points leader her second No. 1 qualifying spot in the season and eighth of her career. The driver of the Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro has yet to win at Norwalk.

“We’ve got a really consistent hot rod right now,” Enders-Stevens said. “We went up there and tried some things that we hope will work tomorrow. Consistency is what’s going to get it done.”

She will face No. 16 qualifier Travis Mazza in the opening round of eliminations.

“It’s an honor to be where I’m at,” Enders-Stevens, the first female in the category to lead in the points standings, said. “I have a new outlook and enjoy where I’m at. I feel good and confident this weekend.”

Shane Gray’s performance of 6.527 at 211.69 gave him the second spot in his Gray Manufacturing Chevy Camaro. Allen Johnson qualified third in his Mopar/Magneti Marelli Dodge Dart with his run of 6.532 at 211.89. Ohio favorite Jeg Coughlin, who qualified No. 6, will take on Rodger Brogdon in the first round.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Krawiec held on to the No. 1 qualifying spot from Friday, going 195.05 with a qualifying best of 6.844 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. Krawiec, who won at Norwalk in 2011, earned his fifth consecutive No. 1 qualifier in 2014 and will meet rookie Elvira Karlsson of Sweden in the opener.

“We’ll do our best tomorrow,” Krawiec said. “I’ve got a great motorcycle. You got stay consistent. I believe I have a motorcycle that can get the job done as long as I’m doing my job.”

Hector Arana Jr. took the second spot on his Lucas Oil Buell, running a 6.859 at 195.05 in the final qualifying session. He will face Jim Underahl in the opening round. Jerry Savoie’s 6.865 at 195.48 on his Savoie’s Alligator Farm Buell sits in third, while defending event winner Matt Smith is in the eighth spot and will meet Adam Arana in an opening-round matchup.

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

NORWALK, Ohio — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the Eighth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, the 13th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel

1. Shawn Langdon, 3.745 seconds, 325.22 mph  vs. 16. Terry McMillen, 3.906, 324.36; 2. Doug Kalitta, 3.746, 327.82  vs. 15. Richie Crampton, 3.905, 302.21; 3. Antron Brown, 3.763, 323.04 vs. 14. Clay Millican, 3.880, 315.42; 4. Bob Vandergriff, 3.777, 322.73  vs. 13. Pat Dakin, 3.875, 313.66; 5. J.R. Todd, 3.783, 319.52  vs. 12. Troy Buff, 3.853, 311.49; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.792, 324.67  vs. 11. Larry Dixon, 3.839, 322.65; 7. Tony Schumacher, 3.794, 324.12  vs. 10. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.832, 316.97; 8. Spencer Massey, 3.800, 324.12  vs. 9. Brittany Force, 3.814, 324.98.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Cory McClenathan, 3.921, 298.87; 18. Leah Pritchett, 3.996, 309.42; 19. Luigi Novelli, 4.006, 286.92; 20. Chris Karamesines, 4.134, 265.12.

Funny Car

1. Del Worsham, Toyota Camry, 4.000, 321.88  vs. 16. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, 4.343, 289.20; 2. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.016, 322.04  vs. 15. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.180, 307.65; 3. Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 4.030, 319.67  vs. 14. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.170, 303.57; 4. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.044, 318.69  vs. 13. Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.158, 299.93; 5. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.048, 316.15  vs. 12. Courtney Force, Mustang, 4.106, 321.42; 6. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.050, 310.91  vs. 11. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.077, 308.21; 7. Chad Head, Camry, 4.052, 318.02  vs. 10. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.076, 311.49; 8. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.064, 317.94  vs. 9. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.065, 315.12.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Terry Haddock, 6.994, 275.51.

Pro Stock

1. Erica Enders-Stevens, Chevy Camaro, 6.523, 212.63  vs. 16. Travis Mazza, Ford Mustang, 7.365, 200.86; 2. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.527, 211.69  vs. 15. Mark Hogan, Pontiac GXP, 6.738, 206.23; 3. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.532, 211.89  vs. 14. Larry Morgan, Mustang, 6.698, 210.77; 4. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.546, 211.53  vs. 13. John Gaydosh Jr, GXP, 6.677, 208.26; 5. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.551, 211.69  vs. 12. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.603, 211.56; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Dart, 6.554, 212.03  vs. 11. Rodger Brogdon, Camaro, 6.574, 211.23; 7. Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.557, 211.00  vs. 10. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.566, 211.39; 8. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.564, 211.20  vs. 9. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.566, 211.69.

Did Not Qualify: 17. V. Gaines, 7.639, 190.40.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.844, 195.05  vs. 16. Elvira Karlsson, Suzuki, 6.984, 188.81; 2. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.859, 196.33  vs. 15. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.981, 193.24; 3. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.865, 195.48  vs. 14. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.952, 193.05; 4. Chaz Kennedy, Buell, 6.867, 194.27  vs. 13. Michael Ray, Buell, 6.943, 192.03; 5. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.871, 196.93  vs. 12. Shawn Gann, Buell, 6.933, 192.60; 6. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.873, 195.03  vs. 11. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.928, 193.79; 7. John Hall, Buell, 6.882, 194.63  vs. 10. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.913, 193.16; 8. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.909, 193.88  vs. 9. Adam Arana, Buell, 6.912, 196.07.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Justin Finley, 6.994, 192.14; 18. Joe DeSantis, 7.002, 191.76; 19. Wendell Daniels, broke.

Danny Rowe (above) raced to a first-round victory from the No. 1 qualifying position Saturday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park near Cleveland. Rowe outran Kenny Lang in the first round of competition with a performance of 5.907 seconds at 246.62 mph in his ’68 Camaro. Rowe earned the No. 1 qualifying position with a performance 5.875 at 248.57.

In the first round, Von Smith outran No. 9 qualifier Bob Rahaim, Steve Matusek took out Bill Glidden, Kevin Fiscus defeated Clint Satterfield, Peter Farber outran 2011 Norwalk winner Mike Castellana and Rickie Smith defeated Steven Whiteley.

Pro Mod eliminations continue Sunday at approximately 12:45 p.m. with the following second round pairings: Rowe vs. V. Smith, Farber vs. Matusek, and Coughlin vs. Janis.

(DI.com file photo by Joe McHugh)

NORWALK, Ohio — First round-by-round results from the Eighth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, the sixth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

ROUND ONE – Von Smith, Chevy Camaro, 5.923, 241.37 def. Bob Rahaim, Camaro, 5.972, 240.51; Steve Matusek, Camaro, 5.974, 245.90 def. Bill Glidden, Ford Mustang, 6.042, 230.33; Kevin Fiscus, Mustang, 5.932, 250.09 def. Clint Satterfield, Pontiac Firebird, 6.022, 242.02; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.907, 246.62 def. Kenny Lang, Camaro, 6.224, 196.59; Pete Farber, Dodge Daytona, 5.909, 247.75 def. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 6.045, 215.51; Mike Janis, Camaro, 5.983, 244.92 def. Gary Capano, Chevy Corvette, 5.966, 237.34; Troy Coughlin, Corvette, 5.952, 249.16 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 5.933, 244.12; Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.909, 246.57 def. Steven Whiteley, Camaro, 14.106, 76.42.

Final order after 3 rounds of qualifying in Pro Modified at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, the sixth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

Psn—Num-Driver, Home Town, Car Type—————Qual-ET–Qual-Spd

1    6 Danny Rowe, Laguna Hills CA, ’68 Camaro        5.875  248.57

2    1 Rickie Smith, King NC, ’13 Camaro              5.910  246.26

3 1456 Mike Janis, Lancaster NY, ’13 Camaro           5.910  245.81

4    8 Pete Farber, Baldwinville MA, ’69 Daytona      5.927  248.20

5 5450 Steve Matusek, Olathe KS, ’68 Camaro           5.927  246.93

6    2 Troy Coughlin, Delaware OH, ’12 Corvette       5.962  250.04

7 220F Kevin Fiscus, Jacksonville FL, ’12 Mustang     5.967  248.89

8 2377 Von Smith, Oak Ridge TN, ’69 Camaro            5.975  238.81

9  360 Bob Rahaim, Grosse Pointe MI, ’69 Camaro       5.976  239.44

10  701 Clint Satterfield, Albuquerque NM, ’68 Firebi  5.982  244.12

11 1938 Eric Latino, Whitby ON, ’69 Camaro             5.985  244.25

12  324 Bill Glidden, Whiteland IN, ’10 Mustang        6.039  235.27

13    3 Mike Castellana, Muttontown NY, ’69 Camaro     6.040  237.63

14 1109 Gary Capano, Greenville DE, ’08 Corvette       6.046  236.63

15 5200 Steven Whiteley, Grand Junction CO, ’68 Camaro 6.071  239.95

16    7 Kenny Lang, Grande Pointe MB, ’13 Camaro       6.072  235.72

       ———— Not Qualified ————

17 1087 Jim Laurita, Morgantown WV, ’68 Camaro         6.120  234.78

18 2105 Doug Winters, Pleasant Garden NC, ’57 Bel Air  6.132  231.00

19    9 Chip King, Semora NC, ’69 Daytona              6.138  238.01

20 6967 Jim Bell, Edmonton AB, ’69 Camaro              6.139  229.51

21  303 Dan Stevenson, Bolingbrook IL, ’13 Camaro      6.157  221.45

22 3382 Don Walsh, Wixom MI, ’68 Camaro                6.184  245.94

23  318 Michael Biehle, North Vernon IN, ’13 Mustang   6.326  238.72

24  377 Harold Martin, New Hudson MI, ’14 Corvette     7.468  137.36

In a thrilling side-by-side final round duel with longtime rival Ron Capps, NHRA Funny Car icon John Force picked up his 140th career win on Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Erica Enders-Stevens (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at Summit Motorsports Park near Cleveland.

John Force (near lane) and Ron Capps

In the championship round, Force powered his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang to a performance of 4.113 seconds at 317.27 mph while Capps, who was making his third runner-up finish at Norwalk, had a run of 4.135 at 305.56  in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger.

Force, the reigning Funny Car world champion, earned his first ever win at Norwalk and second of the 2014 season. Force outran Cruz Pedregon, Ohio native Chad Head and Tim Wilkerson to reach the final round against Capps.

“It was special to me,” said Force. “I’ve come to this track for decades. I’ve won here at the Night of Fire races. Robert [Hight] and my daughter Ashley [Force Hood] have won here. I keep coming back here. The Bader family is P.T. Barnum doing this year-round, 90-some race a year. They light the fire under those fans. Look at the crowd on Friday night and that whole fireworks show. I’ve been real lucky in my career and you want to win them all, but I really wanted this win.”

John Force

His fellow John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight maintained the points lead in the super-tight Funny Car class, while Force, the No. 2 event qualifier, jumped to second in the Mello Yello points standing.

“It’s a really great show, and I’m just excited to be a part of it,” said Force. “We raced some great kids: Capps, Cruz, Wilkerson, Chad Head. We gave them some good racing. Hey, we got the win. I’m just glad to get that one out of the way. Now I’ll try to get my second win here.”

In Top Fuel, 2013 world champion Brown claimed his fifth Top Fuel victory of the season and second in a row, knocking off No. 1 qualifier Shawn Langdon in the final round in his 10,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster. Brown covered the distance in 3.797 at 318.84 and pulled away from Langdon’s Al-Anabi Racing dragster, which lost traction and posted a 4.982 at 155.52.

Antron Brown

Brown beat fellow Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tony Schumacher, Steve Torrence and Clay Millican to reach the final round.

“It’s been a true blessing to be out at this racetrack this weekend,” said Brown. “The Bader family really put on a great show. The racetrack was great all weekend long. We got some cloud cover today. When four cars can run 3.75 in the first round with other cars across the board at .76, .77, that shows you how competitive the Top Fuel class is right now. It’s crazy tough to win a round right now, let alone a race.”

With the victory, Brown maintained the second spot in the Top Fuel points standings but cut into Doug Kalitta’s series lead, while Langdon moved to third in points.

Enders-Stevens, the current points leader in Pro Stock, claimed her fourth victory in 2014 and the 10th for her career by knocking off former crew chief Dave Connolly in the final round. Enders-Stevens’ Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro posted a winning performance of 6.632 at 210.14, while Connolly’s effort of 6.665 at 207.56 in his Charter Communications Chevy Camaro was no match for the event’s No. 1 qualifier.

Erica Enders-Stevens

“You can’t think about any of the negative things when you get into a 215-mph race car and I was able to do that today,” Enders-Stevens said. “At the end  of the day we came out on top and that’s all that matters.”

Enders-Stevens, who set both ends of the track record (6.523 at 212.63) in qualifying, beat Travis Mazza, Jonathan Gray, fellow Texan Chris McGaha to advance to the final round. With the win, Enders-Stevens increases her Pro Stock points lead.

With 10 Pro Stock wins, Enders-Stevens joins Angelle Sampey (41) and Shirley Muldowney (18) as the only female racers to have double-digit wins in a pro category.

“Shirley [Muldowney] is a legend and a mentor and Angelle is also a friend who lives a few miles from me,” Enders-Stevens said. “Those are two extremely talented ladies who are passionate about our sport. They broke down barriers so we could all do what we enjoy doing out here. It’s great to have my name on that list.”

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hines claimed his third win of the season and fourth victory at Summit Racing Motorsports Park, riding his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a performance of 6.901 at 193.96 in the final round against Hector Arana’s Lucas Oil Products Buell.

Andrew Hines

“It was a lot of little things that needed to fall into place to finally come around today,” Hines said of his new bike at Norwalk this weekend. “Without the help of everybody on the crew, we wouldn’t been able to get where we are. We struggled in the semis. But I was able to outrun Hector and to get around him was big. The fourth win light was definitely the prettiest one of the day.”

Hines, a three-time world champion, beat John Hall, Jim Underdahl and Steve Johnson to reach the final round, and increases his points lead with the victory. His fellow Sreamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate and event’s No. 1 qualifier Eddie Krawiec remains in the second spot, while Hector Arana Jr. is third.

“Today, we learned exactly what we need to do,” Hines said. “We started treating it differently than in years past. Instead of slowing on Sunday my bike actually picked up. Hopefully, that’s bad news for the competition and we could continue on a roll. There is no time to sit back and relax.”

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues July 18-20 with the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver.

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

NORWALK, Ohio — Final round-by-round results from the Eighth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, the 13th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL

ROUND ONE – Tony Schumacher, 3.772, 328.06 def. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.786, 324.59; Steve Torrence, 3.780, 327.11 def. Larry Dixon, 3.801, 325.45; Pat Dakin, 3.829, 320.28 def. Bob Vandergriff, 4.159, 289.69; Shawn Langdon, 3.759, 324.44 def. Terry McMillen, 3.884, 325.22; Doug Kalitta, 3.752, 327.51 def. Richie Crampton, 3.779, 323.35; Antron Brown, 3.756, 324.67 def. Clay Millican, 4.038, 241.58; Troy Buff, 3.834, 312.50 def. J.R. Todd, 6.795, 96.38; Brittany Force, 3.753, 329.83 def. Spencer Massey, 3.778, 326.95; QUARTERFINALS – Buff, 4.689, 190.27 def. Dakin, 11.648, 69.71; Brown, 3.824, 320.89 def. Torrence, 4.527, 186.67; Langdon, 3.786, 327.51 def. Force, 3.866, 305.56; Schumacher, 3.847, 317.42 def. Kalitta, 4.224, 236.26; SEMIFINALS – Brown, 3.793, 320.89 def. Schumacher, 5.171, 144.41; Langdon, 9.866, 80.36 def. Buff, broke; FINAL – Brown, 3.797, 318.84 def. Langdon, 4.982, 155.52.

FUNNY CAR

ROUND ONE – Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.104, 315.19 def. Courtney Force, Ford Mustang, 4.439, 209.95; Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.094, 311.77 def. Tony Pedregon, Toyota Camry, 4.258, 258.91; Del Worsham, Camry, 4.072, 317.64 def. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, 4.295, 282.78; John Force, Mustang, 4.080, 317.72 def. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.199, 261.57; Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.059, 316.90 def. Jeff Arend, Charger, 11.685, 70.73; Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.167, 304.25 def. Robert Hight, Mustang, DQ; Chad Head, Camry, 4.075, 316.30 def. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.090, 309.77; Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.075, 315.49 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.145, 312.86; QUARTERFINALS – C. Pedregon, 4.109, 307.58 def. Johnson Jr., 4.141, 312.06; Capps, 4.130, 309.42 def. Hagan, foul; Beckman, 4.181, 305.91 def. Worsham, 4.476, 226.01; J. Force, 4.217, 279.21 def. Head, 4.755, 181.76; SEMIFINALS – Capps, 4.126, 311.34 def. Beckman, 4.169, 309.84; J. Force, 4.149, 290.88 def. C. Pedregon, 4.150, 306.53; FINAL – J. Force, 4.113, 317.27 def. Capps, 4.135, 305.56.

PRO STOCK

ROUND ONE – Jonathan Gray, Chevy Camaro, 6.619, 209.98 def. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.591, 210.83; Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.590, 210.08 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.595, 210.64; Jeg Coughlin, Dodge Dart, 6.587, 210.47 def. Rodger Brogdon, Camaro, 6.603, 209.75; Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.590, 210.31 def. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.623, 209.82; Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.615, 209.79 def. John Gaydosh Jr, Pontiac GXP, 6.684, 207.62; Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.571, 211.10 def. Mark Hogan, GXP, 6.754, 205.88; Erica Enders-Stevens, Camaro, 6.570, 211.39 def. Travis Mazza, Ford Mustang, 12.297, 71.93; Allen Johnson, Dart, 6.589, 210.73 def. Larry Morgan, Mustang, 6.671, 209.30; QUARTERFINALS – McGaha, 6.621, 209.52 def. Nobile, 7.026, 158.89; Johnson, 6.609, 209.92 def. Coughlin, 6.658, 209.17; Connolly, 6.607, 209.85 def. S. Gray, 6.597, 210.50; Enders-Stevens, 6.593, 211.06 def. J. Gray, 6.660, 209.33; SEMIFINALS – Connolly, 6.883, 209.10 def. Johnson, 11.306, 81.45; Enders-Stevens, 6.601, 211.20 def. McGaha, 18.030, 46.32; FINAL – Enders-Stevens, 6.632, 210.14 def. Connolly, 6.665, 207.56.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

ROUND ONE – Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.985, 191.95 def. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 23.502, 24.78; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.896, 193.35 def. John Hall, Buell, 6.923, 191.46; Adam Arana, Buell, 6.913, 194.30 def. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.911, 193.96; Chaz Kennedy, Buell, 6.905, 192.14 def. Michael Ray, Buell, foul; Hector Arana, Buell, 6.958, 195.42 def. Shawn Gann, Buell, 6.926, 194.13; Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.905, 195.34 def. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.873, 196.13; Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.897, 195.68 def. Elvira Karlsson, Suzuki, foul; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.910, 194.66 def. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.979, 192.77; QUARTERFINALS – Johnson, 6.988, 191.43 def. A. Smith, 6.986, 192.11; H. Arana, 6.970, 194.49 def. Kennedy, foul; A. Arana, 7.006, 183.94 def. Krawiec, 7.041, 179.06; Hines, 6.892, 193.35 def. Underdahl, 7.000, 192.91; SEMIFINALS – H. Arana, 6.894, 196.10 def. A. Arana, 6.960, 194.91; Hines, 6.950, 193.13 def. Johnson, 6.991, 191.46; FINAL – Hines, 6.901, 193.96 def. H. Arana, 6.924, 195.53.

NORWALK, Ohio — Sunday’s final results from the Eighth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. The race is the 13th of 24 in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

Top Alcohol Dragster – Mike Strasburg, 5.450, 269.40  def. Mark Taliaferro, 5.682, 189.12.

Top Alcohol Funny Car – Steve Harker, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.627, 240.77  def. Chris Foster, Ford Mustang, 5.616, 257.73.

AA Gassers – Bob Cook, Corvette, 5.687, 121.26  def. Steve Crook, Chevy, 5.663, 123.37.

Competition Eliminator – David Rampy, Bantam, 7.307, 181.01  def. Robert Bailey, Dragster, 6.640, 204.76.

Top Dragster – Tyson Fabish, Dragster, 6.502, 207.91  def. Troy Stone, Dragster, 6.097, 236.46.

Top Sportsman – Mike Coughlin, Camaro, 6.816, 206.86  def. John Hochstedler, Stratus, 7.040, 197.31.

Super Gas – Philip Smida II, Cavalier, 9.901, 143.35  def. Lauren Freer, Corvette, 9.928, 166.39.

Super Stock – Brad Zaskowski, Camaro, 10.235, 123.11  def. Ricky Decker, Camaro, 10.013, 122.02.

Super Comp – Scotty Richardson, Dragster, 8.847, 171.34  def. Rusty Cook, Dragster, foul.

Stock Eliminator – Sal Biondo, Mustang, 9.472, 141.82  def. Craig Marshall, Dart, foul.

As the 2014 racing season wears on racers using Pat Musi Racing Engines have continued to establish themselves as the dominant forces in their respective categories, led by Jason Harris and his four consecutive Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Pro Nitrous wins.

Jason Harris

Harris extended his undefeated season June 28 by capturing the inaugural PDRA Summer Drags title at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI. In the PDRA’s brief history, no one except Harris has left an event with a Pro Nitrous trophy.

“It’s unreal; we’ve had a fantastic season. Everything has worked so well ever since we unloaded for the first time at Rockingham (NC),” Harris said. The latest Pat Musi Racing Engines 903 EFI engine sits between the framerails of his ’68 Pontiac Firebird “Warbird” built by Robert Hayes Race Cars. The combination has been lethal for Harris’ Pro Nitrous opponents, enabling the car to click off eighth-mile runs in the 3.70-second range at 200 MPH seemingly at will.

Lizzy Musi

Pat Musi’s daughter, Lizzy, has made headlines during her rookie campaign in Pro Nitrous and came close to putting together a perfect weekend in Martin. The dynamic 23-year-old rocketed to the number-one qualifying position in “King Kong 5”, the Jerry Bickel-built 2010 Dodge Stratus owned by Curacao’s Frank Brandao and formerly driven by her father. Musi unloaded with a 3.791 in the opening round of qualifying that put her at the top of the field and she carried that momentum into raceday, running a string of 3.70s on her way to the final round, including a new PDRA Pro Nitrous record 3.765 in the semi-finals. The semi-final matchup with another Musi-powered car, Tommy Franklin’s ’68 Camaro, was the quickest side-by-side race in PDRA Pro Nitrous history; Musi’s 3.765 edged Franklin’s 3.776 by five thousandths of a second at the finish line.

Musi had the car to beat going into the finals, but a malfunctioning nitrous solenoid prevented her from staging the car and Harris streaked to the win on a bye run.

“It was an unbelievable weekend for us and our engine customers,” Lizzy Musi said. “Five of the top seven qualifiers in Pro Nitrous were running Musi engines and it was an all-Musi final round. We were hoping to get that first win, but it just wasn’t meant to be. We’ll regroup and get ready for the next PDRA race thanks to the support of Lucas Oil, Edelbrock, and our newest sponsor, Drag 965. My dad worked with Shaikh Mohammad Al Sabah of Kuwait and his Drag 965 team over in Qatar and now they’ve come on board with our team and with Jason Harris’ team. We’re so happy to have their support and we look forward to representing them the rest of the year.”

“The performance of all these cars this year really speaks for itself,” said Pat Musi. “We’ve worked hard to get to this point and we’re working just as hard to keep moving forward. We’ve really been focusing on gains with our cylinder head and camshaft programs, as well as increasing our parts inventory and scaling our operation to accommodate new customers.

“I feel very confident that we will have a car in the 3.60s before the year is over.”

JEGS.com driver Troy Coughlin capped off a stellar weekend for the famed Coughlin family with a thrilling victory in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series event Sunday presented by Mid Atlantic Energy Service. The win, Coughlin’s first of the season, came not long after his brother, Mike, won in Top Sportsman.

Mike Coughlin (near lane) and John Hochstedler

Mike Coughlin ended a five-year drought at NHRA national events with a final-round victory over John Hochstedler. Coughlin had a .037 light to Hochstedler’s .084. Hochstedler had the slower dial-in, so Coughlin’s pass of 6.816 seconds on a 6.72 dial ran down Hochstedler’s 7.040 on a 6.98 dial.

“Any time one of us wins it is sweet,” Troy Coughlin said. “I was standing down at the finish line when Mikey’s win light came on. I’m like, ‘Wow!’ I was jumping up and down ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to get up here and have our crack at it, too.”

Coughlin earned the Pro Mod victory with a holeshot over Von Smith in the final round. Coughlin ripped off a .018-second reaction time, getting a .107-second advantage on the starting line.

Coughlin’s pass of 5.940 seconds at 250.92 mph was more than enough to hold off Smith’s run of 5.920 at 243.99 mph

Troy Coughlin (near lane) and Von Smith

“Von is fast,” Coughlin said. “He was faster than us and was driving a little bit better, so we knew we had to dig deep and get it tuned up a little bit. The track looked like it was going to take it. I was backing up from the burnout and I said, ‘Let’s try and leave with him because I know we can run with him.’

“When I put it in the second stage light, it was a little deep into it, so it probably killed another three-hundredths, but we had a good hot rod today, no doubt.”

Coughlin, the No. 6 qualifier, earned a holeshot win over Eric Latino in the first round Saturday before taking out Mike Janis in the second round Sunday. Coughlin’s run of 5.950 at 249.63 mph easily outdistanced Janis’ slowing pass of 6.599 seconds at 167.84 mph.

That put him up against Rickie Smith in the semifinals in a matchup of the two most recent Pro Mod champs. Coughlin left first again with a .045 light, and he outran Smith with a lap of 5.940 at 250.32 mph, beating Smith’s 5.946-second run at 245.94 mph.

Troy Coughlin

Smith had lane choice in the final, and Coughlin and his team, led by crew chief Steve Petty, were up to the task.

“Steve has done an awesome job on this thing all weekend,” Coughlin said. “He’s been keeping it consistent, keeping it fast, keeping it from having problems. He and Brian (Metzenhiem) and Kyle (Pettis) and Mike (Rees) were perfect. It was just a perfect weekend for us.”

And it came in his home state of Ohio, not far from JEGS headquarters in Delaware, Ohio.

“We’ve got a ton of people up here from JEGS.com and a lot of friends,” Coughlin said. “My wife Julie’s family is from Cleveland. It’ll be a big party tonight. Doubling up with Mike, wow, what a weekend.”

(Photos courtesy JEGS; Click to enlarge)

PRO MODIFIED

ROUND ONE – Von Smith, Chevy Camaro, 5.923, 241.37 def. Bob Rahaim, Camaro, 5.972, 240.51; Steve Matusek, Camaro, 5.974, 245.90 def. Bill Glidden, Ford Mustang, 6.042, 230.33; Kevin Fiscus, Mustang, 5.932, 250.09 def. Clint Satterfield, Pontiac Firebird, 6.022, 242.02; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.907, 246.62 def. Kenny Lang, Camaro, 6.224, 196.59; Pete Farber, Dodge Daytona, 5.909, 247.75 def. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 6.045, 215.51; Mike Janis, Camaro, 5.983, 244.92 def. Gary Capano, Chevy Corvette, 5.966, 237.34; Troy Coughlin, Corvette, 5.952, 249.16 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 5.933, 244.12; Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.909, 246.57 def. Steven Whiteley, Camaro, 14.106, 76.42; QUARTERFINALS – Coughlin, 5.950, 249.63 def. Janis, 6.599, 167.84; R. Smith, 5.918, 247.07 def. Fiscus, 5.916, 250.97; Farber, 5.974, 246.93 def. Matusek, 6.011, 244.16; V. Smith, 5.939, 241.24 def. Rowe, 5.929, 247.57; SEMIFINALS – V. Smith, 5.911, 242.76 def. Farber, 8.541, 107.29; Coughlin, 5.940, 250.32 def. R. Smith, 5.946, 245.94; FINAL – Coughlin, 5.940, 250.92 def. V. Smith, 5.920, 243.99.

NORWALK, Ohio — Pro Modified point standings (top 10) following the Eighth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, the sixth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

1.  Rickie Smith, 414; 2.  Mike Janis, 403; 3.  Von Smith, 362; 4.  Mike Castellana, 359; 5.  Steve Matusek, 358; 6.  Danny Rowe, 353; 7.  Kevin Fiscus, 333; 8.  Pete Farber, 319; 9.  Troy Coughlin, 313; 10.  Steven Whiteley, 238.

Eric Latino earned his first Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) win June 28, by defeating doorslammer legend Todd Tutterow in the Pro Boost final at Martin, Michigan. But that wasn’t the only “first” the veteran Canadian racer experienced that weekend at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.

Arriving early from his home in Whitby, Ontario, for the inaugural PDRA Summer Drags, Latino and crew were set to take advantage of the PDRA’s pre-event test session on Thursday (June 26), before qualifying began Friday with eliminations to follow on Saturday. However, just after Latino backed up from his initial burnout, things suddenly turned sour.

“As I sat there waiting for my guys to set the wheelie bars all my red warning lights came on and I saw my oil pressure had dropped to zero,” Latino explained. He immediately shut the roots-blown Hemi down and though his crew eventually sorted out a gremlin in the oil pump, Latino’s track day was lost. “Long story short, we couldn’t do any testing whatsoever on Thursday.”

Later that night while speaking with PDRA employee Denise “Racerchick” Ramsey, Latino says he mentioned how disappointed he was about not getting in any test hits, but planned to participate in Friday morning’s last-chance test session before official qualifying began by mid-afternoon.

“That’s when she asked if I had already paid for Thursday and I said, ‘Yeah, I paid 400 bucks, but whatever it is, it is,’” Latino recalled. “So I guess she went and talked to (PDRA Director) Bob Harris and when she came back the next morning and handed me a Friday test sticker I said, ‘Man, thank you, you’re awesome.’ Well, she answered, ‘Oh, am I awesome? Well, how awesome am I now?’ and she handed me 200 bucks.”

Upon hearing Latino’s plight, Harris essentially opted to refund Thursday’s test fee and charged only the reduced rate for Friday’s shorter test session.

“You know, I’ve never got money back that I paid a promoter or track owner before—never—so that was pretty nice. It really said a lot to me about the organization and the people that run it,” Latino said.

“What Bob said to me was, ‘The PDRA wants our racers to be happy; we want to be fair and feel like that’s the only fair thing to do.’ I told him they did not have to do that and I even asked if they were sure and Bob said, yes, he was sure. He repeated numerous times, ‘This is exactly what we want to do.’

“I think if I would’ve got one pass down the track it would’ve been different, but I was blown away with what happened,” Latino added. “That was a first for me.”

Latino went on to qualify his G-Force Race Cars-built ’69 Camaro second in the 16-car Pro Boost field, then took down Randy Bryan, Larry Higgenbotham and Tutterow’s teammate Kevin Rivenbark to reach the final round. He gave credit to chassis consultant Joe Lepone Jr. for a turnaround in performance after struggling with power application problems early this year.

“The car drives like a Cadillac now,” he said.“It’s my team, though, they got the job done; I’m happy to have won this for them.”

(Photos by Ian Tocher; Click to enlarge)

GOOD READS

Pat Musi Racing Engines had a great outing at the PDRA race in Martin, MI, but the company’s namesake says there’s a lot more to come.

When our old pal Jeff Burk over at DragRacingOnline.com starts wondering again it’s usually a good time to pay attention.

The Bristol (TN) Herald Courier posted a story about sportsman racing double-threat Lauren Freer to its online edition.

GOOD VIEWS

Check out the NHRA nitro class finals from this past weekend at Norwalk, Ohio.

To say this season has been difficult for PDRA Top Sportsman racer Aaron Glaser would be a vast understatement. But, as with any valley, the trials cause the brighter moments shine that much more.

The year started out on a high note for the Glaser family as they welcomed their second son, Brady, into the world. The timing of this caused the 2013 ADRL Top Sportsman Champ to miss PDRA opener, the Spring Drags at Rockingham Dragway.

A family man first, Glaser was happy to put racing on hold, but was ready to get his season started by the time the PDRA made its second stop on the tour. A series of parts breakage ensued for the team and Glaser was out in round one of both the Georgia and Memphis Drags.

Despite the rough road, Aaron had high hopes for the Summer Drags at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan. Being a closer event for the Kentucky natives, the Glasers would go to the race track for the first time together as a family of four. Unfortunately, more difficulties still lie ahead.

“Even Martin started out rough,” Glaser said. “I blew a tire just south of Indy. Then drove about another hour and blew another tire. I didn’t have another spare so I had to backtrack to Indy to get a tire. When I fixed the tire the second time there was a pothole there and I didn’t see it. I stepped in it and twisted my ankle. Then when we got up there we hurt another torque convertor in qualifying. We switched converters. Then the next pass we broke a flywheel in the motor so we had to pull the transmission out again. So the trip up there and qualifying was testing for us, but once we got to eliminations things came together.”

Glaser qualified fifth at the Summer Drags with a stout 4.08 in the Glaser Collision Center ‘69 Camaro, which proudly bears the number “1″ from winning the ADRL championship. But with Glaser having yet to win a round in 2013, he and his team remained anxious to shake off the demons plaguing them.

So when he got past Boyd Beyer in round one without breaking anything, the team was able to breathe a quick sigh of relief before focusing on round two. He put friend and competitor, Glenn Butcher, on the trailer and marked his path to the semi finals, where he met up with Curt Fredrich. Another win light and Glaser was back in the final round, where he would face off against fellow Kentuckian Eric Burnett.

“Me and Eric grew up together,” Glaser said of his final-round competitor. “I’ve raced with him my whole life. They’re a great family. I’ve painted all their cars.  It’s pretty cool to be in a final at a national event like that and race someone from your home town.”

Although Glaser and Burnett may be friendly off the track, that is all pushed aside when the helmets go on. Glaser drove like the champion he is and earned his first PDRA trophy.

“We’ve been struggling this year so [the win] really helped pick morale up for the team. We’ve got the car sorted out now. As long as we don’t have any more breakage I think we’ll be good. The car’s running well, really well. The big thing for us is consistency,” Glaser said.

“I couldn’t do this without my crew,” he continued. “Joe Riggs is a really good friend that goes to all these PDRA races with us. My father does most of the tuning on the engine, calls the shots, keeps the car running well. My mom takes care of the dial-in prediction, downloads the Racepak, takes care of all the computer stuff. It’s great because it’s the same group of us that goes to all the races. We’ve all got our jobs. We all do the same thing.  We’ve been doing this so long together and we’re such good family or friends, I can trust them to do their jobs. I don’t have to worry. I can focus on driving the car and doing what I need to do because my crew is spot on. They are awesome. We’ve got a great car and a great crew.

“Part of what made this win special was that my whole family was there,” Glaser added. “Usually my wife, Heather, stays behind to take care of the boys and the businesses so I can go play. I owe a lot to her. It makes it a lot better when you have the whole family there to celebrate.”

Adding to the cool factor was a unique repeat in history for the Glaser family.

“It’s pretty cool that we won Martin because when my oldest son Connor was two or three months old we won an IHRA race at Martin and we have a picture there with him in the winner’s circle and now we got to do it all over again with my youngest. Pretty neat to have the same picture at the same track with both boys when they were each just a few months old.”

Now Glaser’s oldest is nine and is following in his father’s footsteps. “It’s pretty cool [to have Connor racing],” Glaser said. “He has a big ol’ time with it. He’s raced a lot locally, but this was his PDRA debut.”

When Glaser and his family aren’t racing together, they’re running the family owned-and-operated Glaser’s Collision Centers and enjoying quality family time. “If I’m not racing or working I’m playing with the boys. My older son is big into basketball. All winter long we’re doing the basketball thing with him. We’re real big on family. If we’re not racing, we’re all still together.”

The Glaser family businesses support the race team. Aaron also credits a few other companies in the industry with aiding in his success.

“We were struggling a little bit with our engine program and hooked up with Pat Musi last year. He’s helped us quite a bit so we want to thank him. We switched to a Jerry Bickel car last year also, and, without a doubt, it’s been the best and most consistent car we’ve ever run,” Glaser said. “Without those couple of companies and my crew we couldn’t do this by any means.”

Gloaser also singled out his competitors as a major reason he loves the Top Sportsman class.

“All the guys we race with – like Bruce Thrift, Cheyenne Stanley, Billy Thomas, and Glenn Butcher – they’re all very good competitors. These guys are tough,” he said. “It’s amazing the competition, because they’re great guys and competitors, but some of the best friends you’ll ever meet. In fact when we won the race every one of them was down there high fiving and congratulating us. I can’t say enough about the competitors we race with.”

Among those competitors, Glaser himself is one of the toughest. Besides the 2013 ADRL Championship, he also owns two IHRA Division 3 Championships. Although an experienced and decorated veteran of the sport, Glaser is still younger than much of his competition. Looking to the future, he hopes to one day compete in Pro Nitrous, the class he admires the most. But for now, Glaser is content.

“Once my boys get older and my business is a little more established I’d like to take a run at Pro Nitrous,” he said. “I’m the type that if I can’t do it right, I don’t want to play. Right now [in Top Sportsman] I’ve got the equipment, crew and ability that when I roll through the gates I’ve got as good a chance or better than anybody. I know I can win.

“I’ve got great kids, a great wife, couple cool race cars, good business so I’m happy right now. Life is good, real good.”

NHRA legend and hall of famer “Big Jim” Dunn (above right) will undergo surgery for colon cancer next week. As a result, the Jim Dunn Racing team and Grime Boss Funny Car driven by Jeff Arend will not compete in NHRA’s Western Swing.

Jim Dunn

Dunn’s doctors are encouraged, stating that they caught the cancer in its earliest stages and predict an extremely positive outcome.

“We are grateful that this was discovered during his annual physical.” said Jim’s son, Jon Dunn.  “Early diagnosis is crucial in his treatment and recovery.  I can’t think of a single NHRA event Dad has missed, and know it won’t be long before he’s back.”

The Grime Boss Funny Car will rejoin the tour at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Aug. 15-17. There will be a pre-event autograph session and an appearance at Menards in Baxter, Minn., on Thursday of the race week.

Robert Julius, CEO of Nice Pak Products/Grime Boss, said, “The Nice Pak family, including everyone at Grime Boss, wishes Jim a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. We look forward to seeing him back out at the races soon.”