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Keeping NHRA Fans Up to Date

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Hight medically sidelined; Prock to drive Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevy Funny Car

Austin Prock will be taking over driving duties from Robert Hight for the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car to begin the 2024 season as the three-time world champ temporarily steps out of the driver's seat for personal medical reasons. 
16 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Austin Prock
Austin Prock will be taking over driving duties from Robert Hight for the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car to begin the 2024 season. Hight, a three-time Funny Car world champion and president of John Force Racing, will temporarily…
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Marinis, Serena will take over tuning responsibilities for Chad Green Funny Car

Chad Green Motorsports has announced that veteran crewmembers Dean Marinis and Joe Serena will be operating as crew chiefs on the Bond Coat Funny Car for the 2024 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing season. 
15 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Chad Green Motorsports
Chad Green Motorsports has announced that veteran crewmembers Dean Marinis and Joe Serena will be operating as crew chiefs on the Bond Coat Funny Car for the 2024 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing season.  Daniel Wilkerson, who tuned Green to a…
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As he looks forward to a new role, Tim Wilkerson reflects on his driving career

As he prepares to transition from owner-driver-tuner of the Scag Power Equipment Ford Funny Car to a primary role as crew chief and tuner as son Daniel takes over the controls, Tim Wilkerson has no regrets as he looks forward to his new role.
12 Jan 2024
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Feature
Tim Wilkerson
The recent announcement from the Scag Power Equipment NHRA “factory team” that Daniel Wilkerson would be replacing his father, Tim, behind the wheel of the Scag Funny Car this season took a lot of fans by surprise and left many — especially the…
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Parks Tower razed as a part of upgrades at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

The iconic Parks Tower, a major part of the landscape of Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for decades, was razed recently as part of the facility’s ongoing improvements and upgrades initiative.
12 Jan 2024
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
News
Indy tower
The iconic Parks Tower, a major part of the landscape of Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for decades, was razed recently as part of the facility’s ongoing improvements and upgrades initiative. The four-story building, named in honor of…
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The big book of drivers who wheeled Roland Leong’s Hawaiian entries

Over the course of a long career as an NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car team owner, Roland Leong was one of the sport’s most successful car owners, but he also hired, fired, replaced, or lost more than 20 drivers over that span. Here's the stories behind each.
12 Jan 2024
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
The big book of drivers who wheeled Roland Leong’s Hawaiian entries
As you've read from me the last couple of weeks, and from tributes I've posted from some of the stars of our sport, there's no way to over-report on the importance of Roland Leong…
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Additions to highlight 55th anniversary of Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals

The countdown to the start of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season is on, with the NHRA announcing a number of exciting additions leading up to and during the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals on March 7-10 at legendary Gainesville Raceway.
11 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals
The countdown to the start of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season is on, with the NHRA announcing a number of exciting additions leading up to and during the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals on March 7-10 at legendary…
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Daniel Wilkerson named driver of SCAG Wilkerson Racing Funny Car

Following the announcement of a SCAG Power Equipment multicar factory team, SCAG Wilkerson Racing has announced that Daniel Wilkerson will be taking over the driving duties for the Ford Mustang Funny Car from his father, veteran driver and tuner, Tim Wilkerson.
11 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Daniel Wilkerson
Following the announcement of a SCAG Power Equipment multicar factory team, SCAG Wilkerson Racing has announced that Daniel Wilkerson will be taking over the driving duties for the Ford Mustang Funny Car from his father, veteran driver and tuner,…
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Still charging hard: How the 1964 Dodge Chargers shaped Funny Car racing 

For 60 years, the Dodge Charger has been associated with NHRA Drag Racing, from the 1964 cars that became the predecessors of the modern Funny Car to 2023 Funny Car champ Matt Hagan's Dodge Charger. Here's a look back at the roots of the Charger Funny Car story.
11 Jan 2024
Brian Lohnes, NHRA on FOX announcer
Feature
Dodge Chargers
If there is one thing that we respect around here, it is the legacy of great names in the sport. Whether those names are attached to drivers, whether they are attached to specific race cars, or whether they are attached to enduring models, the…
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Top 5 Top Fuel breakups

The most significant forces at work on a Top Fuel dragster are invisible until they aren’t. Here's a look at five Top Fuel runs where the car ended up in more than one piece by the time it got to the finish line.
10 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Top 5 Lists
Top 5 Top Fuel breakups
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Beta Motorcycle extends sponsorship with Gordon family

Beta Motorcycles has been the primary sponsor for NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Doug Gordon since 2020, and they will continue their support of the Gordon family through 2025 as Doug’s daughter, Maddi, takes the wheel this season.
10 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Maddi Gordon
Beta Motorcycles has been the primary sponsor for NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Doug Gordon since 2020, and they will continue their support of the Gordon family through 2025 as Doug’s daughter, Maddi, takes the wheel this season. With Beta’s…
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Tony Schumacher, Rob Wendland tell all on team building, sponsorships, more

On this fired-up episode of the NHRA Insider, host Brian Lohnes talks with Shawn Reed Racing crew chief Rob Wendland and JCM Top Fuel pilot Tony Schumacher about a multitude of behind-the-scenes topics in professional drag racing. 
10 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
NHRA Insider podcast
NHRA Insider
  On this fired-up episode of the NHRA Insider, host Brian Lohnes talks with Shawn Reed Racing crew chief Rob Wendland and JCM Top Fuel pilot Tony Schumacher about a multitude of behind-the-scenes topics in professional drag racing.…
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Analysis: Where 2023’s title contenders can improve in 2024. Part 4: PS Motorcycle

Gaige Herrera ran away and hid from the Pro Stock Motorcycle field en route to a dominating championship season. Many talented riders finished behind him in his whirlwind season; here's a look at their issues and what they can do to address them.
09 Jan 2024
Brian Lohnes, NHRA on FOX announcer
PSM
When it comes to the most unforgiving categories in NHRA Drag Racing, Pro Stock Motorcycle is virtually unassailable. The machines have the lowest horsepower among Professional categories, they require more physical acumen than any other category to…
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Chris King continues to rebuild his Funny Car team for battle in 2024 season

Chris King and crew chief Bob Peck are upgrading his Funny Car for the 2024 season, where the fireman and first responder hopes to continue to make waves in the class.
09 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Chris King
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Returning Pro Stock ace Jeg Coughlin ready to drop the clutch on a full season

Jeg Coughlin Jr. emerged from retirement for two races in 2023, and he had no trouble slipping right back into competitive mode. Come winter, the Pro Stock veteran had pledged his heart to the class once more under the Elite Motorsports banner and with the support of Scag Power Equipment.
09 Jan 2024
Kelly Wade
Feature
 Jeg Coughlin
Last fall, the drag racing world saw five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. emerge from retirement for a two-race stint. The 65-time class winner slipped right back into competitive mode, and his obvious and immediate comfort behind the wheel…
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Cameron Ferré will take over driving for Hertzig/Akers Motorsports AA/FC

Hertzig/Akers Motorsports has retained NHRA nitro driver Cameron Ferré, to pilot the “Johnnys On Thin Ice” AA/FC for the 2024 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage and Legends of Nitro Racing Series.
08 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Cameron Ferré
Hertzig/Akers Motorsports has retained NHRA nitro driver Cameron Ferré, to pilot the “Johnnys On Thin Ice” AA/FC for the 2024 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage and Legends of Nitro Racing Series.  Ferré has spent the last few years racing in the NHRA…
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What's In Store for '24: A look at some new machines ready to hit the track

As the 2023 season recedes into the rear-view mirror, we cast our first glances toward the 2024 NHRA race season and the new and updated race cars that fans can expect to see at the drags in the new year. 
08 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
What's In Store for '24
As the 2023 season recedes into the rear-view mirror, we cast our first glances toward the 2024 NHRA race season and the new and updated race cars and teams that fans can expect to see at the drags in the new year. Teams can submit their news to…
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2024 NHRA Super Stock and Stock class eliminations schedule released

NHRA has released a comprehensive schedule for Super Stock and Stock class eliminations for the upcoming 2024 season. Class eliminations involve fierce competition among similarly classified cars and combinations.
08 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Clas elimiantions
NHRA has released a comprehensive schedule for Super Stock and Stock class eliminations for the upcoming 2024 season. Competitors in Super Stock and Stock will have the opportunity to vie for the prestigious NHRA Wally in each division of the…
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Analysis: Where 2023’s title contenders can improve in 2024. Part 3: Pro Stock

Our post-2023, predictive 2024 turns to Pro Stock, where drivers are so much more a part of the equation than in the nitro classes. What's it going to take to stop Erica Enders from winning again? Here's what her top challengers have to do.
08 Jan 2024
Brian Lohnes, NHRA on FOX announcer
Feature
Pro Stock
Today, we transition fuels from nitromethane to gasoline, but we don’t transition our reasoned and statistically backed analysis as we look at the Pro Stock category.  The reality is that when we look at this class, we have to be more…
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A few things we’d love to see in 2024

Even though Christmas is over, it’s not too late to have a wish list, is it? In this case, the list doesn’t involve gifts from Santa, but rather a few things we’d like to see when the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Season officially kicks off in Gainesville on March 10.
05 Jan 2024
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
Feature
Angie Smith
Even though Christmas is over, it’s not too late to have a wish list, is it? In this case, the list doesn’t involve gifts from Santa, but rather a few things we’d like to see when the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season officially…
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Five great moments from the career of Roland Leong and his Hawaiian machines

As a car owner, Roland Leong did it all, from helping to launch careers, tuning cars to record numbers, and winning big events like the Winternationals and U.S. Nationals. Here's a look back at five defining moments in his career.
05 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Roland Leong
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A final 'aloha' to 'the Hawaiian'

We lost Roland Leong, the irrepressible owner of the “Hawaiian” line of Top Fuelers and Funny Cars, last week, and his friends, former drivers, and more shared their thoughts about the man and their experiences with him.
05 Jan 2024
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Roland Leong
Roland Leong, the irrepressible owner of the “Hawaiian” line of Top Fuelers and Funny Cars, was a part of our drag racing world for seven decades before his passing just after Christmas, and if you were a fan of any kind of racing in that span,…
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Analysis: Where 2023’s title contenders can improve in 2024. Part 2: Funny Car

Last year's championship fight in Funny Car came down to the last day of the season, and for much of the year, it was a wide-ranging war with a number of medal-winning performances before Matt Hagan stood tall. What can his challengers do better this season? Let's find out.
04 Jan 2024
Brian Lohnes, NHRA on FOX announcer
Feature
Funny Car
Previously, we took a look at the final standings of the Top Fuel category in 2023 and how the cars that finished second through…
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Five memorable moments from the amazing racing career of Don Schumacher

Don Schumacher, one of the most storied car owners in nHRA history, passed away Dec. 20. In this video, we look back at five memorable moments from his driving and team ownership years.
04 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Don Schumacher
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Analysis: Where 2023’s title contenders can improve in 2024. Part 1: Top Fuel

Doug Kalitta was the 2023 NHRA Top Fuel champ, so he’s the nitro-powered rabbit everyone else is chasing, but let’s take a look at those who finished behind him and see what they need to do in 2024 to steal his crown. 
03 Jan 2024
Brian Lohnes, NHRA on FOX announcer
Feature
Top Fuel
The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series promises to be an incredible follow-up on the 2023 campaign. The moves, plot twists, new teams, and energy around the entire sport is very, very high. All that is great, but once we get past the…
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2024 Is On: The Insiders talk ownership news, passing of legends and more

On this first 2024 episode of the NHRA Insider podcast, host Brian Lohnes is joined by Tony Pedregon to talk about the news of the last couple of weeks, the passing of legends like Don Schumacher and Roland Leong, the wild news about JCM Racing, the new Scag factory drag racing team, and a whole lot more. 
02 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
NHRA Insider podcast
Insider podcast
  On this first 2024 episode of the NHRA Insider podcast, host Brian Lohnes is joined by Tony Pedregon to talk about the news of the last couple of weeks, the passing of legends like Don Schumacher and Roland Leong, the wild news about…
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Happy New Year from the NHRA

As we all put behind us a very successful 2023, the staff of the NHRA wishes a Happy New Year to its members, fans, racers, sponsors, member track operators, and everyone else who helps make the world of NHRA Drag Racing a wondrous place.
01 Jan 2024
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Happy New Year
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Best of Behind the Scenes 2023

All season, the NHRA social media team has gone behind the scenes during the top-end victory celebrations to bring you unfettered moments of joy and celebration of the winners and their interactions with those they defeated. here's a compilation of the best of those moments.
31 Dec 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Best of Behind the Scenes 2023
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Scag Power Equipment forms NHRA Factory Team

Scag Power Equipment has announced an increased presence in NHRA Drag Racing through the formation of a new multi-car factory team to make a greater impact beyond that of its previous sponsorship role within the NHRA.
30 Dec 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Scag Power Equipment f
Scag Power Equipment has announced an increased presence in NHRA Drag Racing through the formation of a new multi-car factory team to make a greater impact beyond that of its previous sponsorship role within the NHRA. Scag Racing will make its…
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In Memoriam

29 Dec 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
In Memoriam
Recent passings of notable figures from within the NHRA world. The NHRA extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of those we have lost. Notices of passing can be sent to nhra@nhra.com.…
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Legendary NHRA car owner Roland Leong, "the Hawaiian," passes away

Legendary NHRA team owner Roland Leong, known far and wide for a string of beautiful Top Fuel and Funny Cars emblazoned with the name The Hawaiian in tribute to his birthplace, passed away Dec. 29.
29 Dec 2023
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
News
Roland Leong, third from left, first came to NHRA prominence as the car owner when Danny Ongais won Top Gas at the 1964 Winternationals in Leong's dragster 14
Legendary NHRA team owner Roland Leong, known far and wide for a string of beautiful Top Fuel and Funny Cars emblazoned with the name The Hawaiian in tribute to his birthplace, passed away Dec. 29. He was 79. Leong was a successful gas dragster…
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