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Keeping NHRA Fans Up to Date

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Consistency, resiliency earned Matt Hagan a third Funny Car championship

Matt Hagan and crew chief Dickie Venables made the most of a shortened season with unparalleled consistency and performance that carried Hagan to his third NHRA FUnny Car world championship.
29 Dec 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
2020 world champion profile
Matt Hagan
As a guy who rides a tractor when he’s not wheeling his 11,000-hp Mopar Funny Car, the farmer in Matt Hagan is very familiar with the old encouragement to “Make hay while the sun shines.” So, when the two-race-old NHRA racing season resumed in…
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Erica Enders joins exclusive company with fourth Pro Stock championship

Erica Enders wins back-to-back Pro Stock world championships for the second time in her career, joins exclusive company as a four-time Camping World NHRA World Champion.
28 Dec 2020
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
2020 world champion profile
EE1
The list is fairly impressive, and it includes Bob Glidden, Warren Johnson, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Lee Shepherd, Greg Anderson, and now, Erica Enders. Those are the only NHRA drivers who have won four or more world titles in Pro Stock. Enders became…
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Matt Smith rebounds from disappointing 2019 finish to claim fourth Pro Stock Motorcycle title

After a disappointing finish to the 2019 season, Matt Smith came out swinging in 2020 and was rewarded with his fourth Camping World NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship.
28 Dec 2020
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
2020 world champion profile
smith
After a disappointing finish in 2019, where he lost the championship largely due to a mechanical failure on the last day of the season in Pomona, Matt Smith entered 2020 with a lengthy to-do list, and by the time it was over, he’d checked off…
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Nitro Time Machine: The day Bob Bode scored one for the little guys

At the 2010 Houston event, independent Funny Car racer Bob Bode scored one for the little guys when he upset Jack Beckman in the final round.
27 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Nitro Time Machine
bob bode
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Megan Meyer clinches second TAD championship with dramatic mic-drop win

Just a few months after announcing her retirement from driving, 2019 Top Alcohol Dragster champ Megan Meter won her second straight championship in dramatic style at the season finale in Las Vegas.
26 Dec 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
2020 world champion profile
Megan Meyer
As hard as it is to believe, the second straight world championship that she could claim by lighting the win light in the final round of the season-ending Dodge NHRA Finals in Las Vegas was not even the last thing on Megan Meyer’s mind as she…
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John Force and the Grinch steal the Funny Car title at 2000 NHRA Finals

At the 2000 NHRA Finals in Pomona, John Force was the Grinch who stole everything when he won the Funny Car title over the late Bruce Sarver for his 92nd victory.
25 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Nitro Time Machine
force
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the NHRA staff

The staff of the NHRA wishes a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to the fans, sponsors, race teams, racetracks, and other supporters of the NHRA.
25 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Merry Chirstmas
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89 questions about Chris “the Greek” Karamesines (or should there be 92?)

Drag racing's legendary "Greek," Chris Karamesines, ended his driving career at the close of the 2020 season at age 89. Or is it 92? There are so many questions. After all, when your drag racing career spans 67 years (61 of them in Top Fuel), there’s a lot of room for questions we'll try to answer.
24 Dec 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Chris Karamesines
When it comes to the life and times of Chris Karamesines, there will always be some things you can debate. His age. Whether or not he made the first 200-mph quarter-mile pass. How much gold plating really was on his famed Top Fueler. After all,…
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After years of close calls, Doug Gordon finally wins first TAFC championship

For the last six years, Doug Gordons has been in the Top Alcohol Funny Car championship discussion but never won the title. That all changed in 2020.
24 Dec 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
2020 world champion profile
Doug Gordon
The last place that Doug Gordon and his father, Mike, wanted to be at the late-season Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals in Houston was at the top end, with TV cameras trained on them as they waited to see whether points rival Sean…
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NHRA.tv subscribers can be the first to watch 'They Walked Away' special

Santa's elves have brought a little pre-Christmas gift for NHRA.tv subscribers: the chance to be the first to watch "They Walked Away, 2020," the annual crash-and-burn festival of highlights. The show will air on the FOX networks later, but you can see it first here.
23 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
They Walked Away
  You can watch the entire show now on NHRA.tv. Not a subscriber yet, JOIN NOW.
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Comp champ Craig Bourgeois beat COVID-19, persistent rivals for second title

2015 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Comp champ Craig Bourgeois won his second title in 2020, but he had to not only beat reigning champ Frank Aragona Jr. and hard-charging Doug Engels, but also defeat COVID, too.
23 Dec 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
2020 world champion profile
Craig Bourgeois
The spring of 2020 was not kind to Craig Bourgeois. After finishing second behind Frank Aragona Jr. in 2019, falling just short of winning what would have been his second NHRA Comp world championship, the Louisiana veteran opened his 2020…
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Catching up with Top Fuel's Clay Millican during a hectic offseason

Clay Millican has been plenty busy since the end of the 2020 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and in our latest Skype interview, he sat down with Brian Lohnes to bring NHRA fans up to speed.
23 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
millican
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NHRA Shop Talk: Everything you need to know about centrifugal superchargers

This week on NHRA Shop Talk, Brian Lohnes and Alan Reinhart were joined by Lance Keck of Vortech Superchargers to talk about centrifugal superchargers.
22 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Shop Talk
This week on NHRA Shop Talk, Brian Lohnes and Alan Reinhart were joined by Lance Keck of Vortech Superchargers to talk about centrifugal superchargers. They talked about how they work, why they are now so popular in NHRA Drag Racing,…
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Racing Technology: Donnie Bender explains the inner workings of a nitro fuel system

In the first of a two-part Racing Technology series, crew chief Donnie Bender explains how a modern nitro engine can burn 18 gallons of fuel on a single pass down the dragstrip.
22 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Racing Technology
bender
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NASCAR hero Tony Stewart a star student at Frank Hawley Drag Racing School

Motorsports standout Tony Stewart has been a success at every level and in every form of racing that he’s tried, so it’s probably no surprise that the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion had no problem in his recent introduction to drag racing at the Frank Hawley School of Drag Racing.
21 Dec 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
News
Tony Stewart
Motorsports standout Tony Stewart has been a success at every level and in every form of racing that he’s tried, so it’s probably no surprise that the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion had no problem in his recent introduction to drag racing at…
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Tickets now on sale for 2021 NHRA Midwest Nationals, Sept. 24-26

Tickets now are on sale for World Wide Technology Raceway’s 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series' NHRA Midwest Nationals.
21 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Madison
Tickets now are on sale for World Wide Technology Raceway’s 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series' NHRA Midwest Nationals. The annual national event, scheduled for Sept. 24-26, features the world’s biggest names in professional drag racing,…
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Craig Bourgeois' front engine dragster is a new twist on a historic design

Louisiana's Craig Bourgeois has now won two NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Comp championships driving a front-engine dragster. In our latest Skype interview with NHRA's Brian Lohnes, he explains his choice of vehicles and his drive to a second title.
21 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
bourgeois
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NHRA announces eight-race 2021 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series schedule

NHRA has announced the eight-race schedule for the 2021 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series, featuring the NHRA Motorsports Museum’s Hot Rod Reunions.
21 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Heritage
NHRA has announced the eight-race schedule for the 2021 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series, featuring the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum's Hot Rod Reunions. The series will feature thrilling racing action, highlighted by the crowd-pleasing,…
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Super Gas champ Brian Preszler: "You have to be good on both ends of the track"

Newly crowned NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Gas champion Brian Preszler joined NHRA's Brian Lohnes via Skype discuss his show-quality Corvette roadster and the keys to his successful 2020 season.
21 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
preszler
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Bryan Worner tops twin brother Byron in historic 1-2 finish in Super Stock

Bryan Worner won his first Lucas Oil Series Super Stock championship in 2020, holding off his twin brother, Byron, who finished second.
21 Dec 2020
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
2020 world champion profile
bryan worner
Bryan and Byron Worner are twin brothers who were born moments apart, and they both work as firefighters near their home in Eastern Pennsylvania. Now, the Worner brothers have something else in common: They are both NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing…
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There is no such thing as an offseason for J.R. Todd and the DHL Funny Car team

DHL Funny Car driver J.R. Todd joins NHRA's Brian Lohnes for a Skype interview and discusses his 2020 campaign, his plans for the upcoming season, and his desire not to race in the Chili Bowl.
20 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
todd
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Brian Preszler's Super Gas championship; a national title, won at the divisional level

First-time champ hit the road with two cars and couldn’t be stopped
20 Dec 2020
David Kennedy
2020 world champion profile
Brian Preszler Super Gas championship 2020 NHRA
The first thing everybody notices is the car. Brian Preszler’s ’57 Corvette roadster is so striking it would’ve made Zora Arkus-Duntov a drag racing fan. In its second year of competition with Preszler at the wheel, the car gleamed, beamed, and took…
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Dom Lagana: 'I'm feeling great and getting stronger every day'

After suffering life-threatening injuries in a highway accident, Dom Lagana is on the road to recovery and returning to the sport he loves so much.
19 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Dom Lagana
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Jody Lang's first Stock championship is a long time coming but well worth the wait

After a number of near misses and close calls, Jody Lang finally broke through for his first Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Stock world championship this season.
18 Dec 2020
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
2020 world champion profile
jody lang
How many remember the 2011 season when Jody Lang finished with a staggering 699 points, but lost the Stock world championship to Joe Santangelo, who scored 701? And how about 2005, when Lang posted another monster score of 672 points, but…
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2021 NHRA Rulebooks now available online

The 2021 NHRA Rulebook and 2021 Summit Jr, Drag Racing League Rulebook are now online and viewable by all who wish to compete in the NHRA arenas.
18 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
NHRA Rulebook
The 2021 NHRA Rulebook and 2021 Summit Jr. Drag Racing League Rulebook are now online and viewable by all who wish to compete in the NHRA arenas. The main NHRA Rulebook is packed with all the information you need to go racing with NHRA…
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Young and quick an unbeatable combination for Top Sportsman champ Darian Boesch

Driving one of the quickest cars in the class, 21-year old Darian Boesch earned three wins on his way to the championship in Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers.
18 Dec 2020
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
2020 world champion profile
Darian Boesch
Bracket racing what is essentially a Pro Mod car might be the ultimate test of man and machine, and Darian Boesch passed with flying colors in 2020, winning the world championship in the Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers class.…
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50 years, 10 manufacturers, 84 body styles: A guide to Pro Stock diversity

Although it’s pretty clear that the Chevrolet Camaro has become the body style of choice in Pro Stock over the last decade, it certainly wasn’t always the case. Here's a look back at the variety that has made the class a fan favorite for 50 years.
18 Dec 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Pro Stock
The 2020 season was supposed to be a yearlong salute to the Pro Stock class, which was celebrating its 50th year of competition. All sorts of special promotions for fans were planned, as were television, web, and print features across NHRA…
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2021 Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet presented by Lucas Oil postponed

Auto Club Famoso Raceway officials have decided to postpone the 2021 Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet, presented by Lucas Oil. in Bakersfield, Calif. The new date is set for May 27-30.
17 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
March Meet
Auto Club Famoso Raceway officials have decided to postpone the 2021 Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet, presented by Lucas Oil. in Bakersfield, Calif. The new date is set for May 27-30. The pandemic is causing a new wave of issues with…
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Tickets now on sale for Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor

Tickets are on sale for the 32nd annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor. This event marks the 15th stop on the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season tour.
17 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Topeka
Tickets are on sale for the 32nd annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor. This event marks the 15th stop on the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season tour. Tickets may be purchased now for the event scheduled Aug. 13-15,…
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Rookie Troy Coughlin Jr. on driving a Pro Stock car: "It feels kind of normal"

Troy Coughlin Jr. showed flashes of brilliance during his Pro Stock debut in 2020. Now, he's ready to take the next step in his first full season with the Elite team.
16 Dec 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
TJ Coughlin
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