Sunday News and Notes from the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor
News, notes, quotes, photos, and videos from final eliminations at the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka. Updated throughout the day.
UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY
Top Fuel Rd. 1
Number 11 qualifier Antron Brown advanced over Brittany Force in round one when both cars lost a cylinder, but Brown was able to hold on longer. …
Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor Sunday preview
The weekend's heat only made the competition more intense at Heartland Motorsports Park.
During Saturday’s qualifying at the 2022 Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor, where air temperatures were likened to the surface of the sun, man and machine coped with the heat in preparation for race day. Today's competitive matchups were…
Salinas, Tasca, Anderson and Gladstone retain number-one qualifying positions going into Sunday
During Saturday’s qualifying from the 2022 Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor, where air temperatures were likened to the surface of the sun, man and machine coped with the heat in preparation for race day.
Race cars are built to battle heat in all its forms. With horsepower comes an inferno that must be channeled into race-winning work. On days like Saturday’s qualifying from the 2022 Menards NHRA Nationals Presented by PetArmor, we see that NHRA race…
Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor Saturday photo gallery
Saturday's clear skies and toasty temperatures meant great qualifying runs but few changes in the order. Our photographers took advantage of the great Topeka light to snap these shots just for you. Enjoy.
Joey Gladstone hungry for more wins heading to Menards NHRA Nationals
Pro Stock Motorcycle will make its first appearance at Heartland Motorsports Park since 1997 for this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor, and the class' most recent winner Joey Gladstone is ready to keep the momentum going.
Pro Stock Motorcycle will make its first appearance at Heartland Motorsports Park since 1997 for this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor, meaning Joey Gladstone will race in Topeka for the first time in the class.
But…
Angelle Sampey returns to Topeka as the event winner, 25 years after Pro Stock Motorcycle last raced here
Over the last two and a half decades, Angelle Sampey has gone from beating Matt Hines at the 1997 Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor to becoming the winningest woman in all of motorsports—and racing under the Vance & Hines banner.
There are only two active Pro Stock Motorcycle riders at the 2022 Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor who were here at the last NHRA race in 1997; Steve Johnson and Angelle Sampey.
That 1997 Fall race in Topeka saw Johnson qualify ninth…
Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor Saturday preview
Prepare for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series to bring the heat to Topeka today for day two of qualifying at Heartland Motorsports Park.
It’s Saturday, the second day of qualifying from the 2022 Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor race. Prepare for the heat of the day to bring with it qualifying action twice as intense. Teams will work hard to reshuffle Friday evening’s…
Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor Friday photo gallery
Heartland Motorsports Park's House of Speed is a vast complex with race cars and action in every corner. NHRA National Dragster's photographers capture all of it and share some of the highlights with you here.
Mike Salinas, Bob Tasca III, Greg Anderson and Joey Gladstone top qualifying fields in Topeka
Topeka's House of Speed hosted all four NHRA Pro Classes for the first time in 25 years and Salinas, Tasca, Anderson, and Gladstone took the No. 1 qualifying spots in their respective classes on a hot afternoon at the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmors at Heartland Motorsports Park.
Friday evening's qualifying got better by the second as the conditions improved and the speeds increased at the 2022 …
Tricky Tipster: Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor
Here are Tricky Tipster’s selections for this week's Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor, and it’s no surprise that leaders Brittany Force, Robert Hight, and Erica Enders are favored in each class, with second-ranked Joey Gladstone getting the nod in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
For more than three decades, Hartland Motorsports Park has been the sight of some of NHRA’s most dramatic moments, including the sport’s first four-second and 300-mph Funny Car runs.
When it comes to results, there have been a few upsets over the…
Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor Friday preview
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to Heartland Motorsports Park's House of Speed for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Mod, and Lucas Oil sportsman drag racing.
The NHRA has returned to Topeka's House of Speed, which this weekend also becomes the home of Speed for All. As in all professional classes of NHRA racing: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Star, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. As an added bonus,…
Top Fuel's Tony Schumacher thinking big in first Topeka appearance since 2018
Hot off of his win two weeks ago in Seattle, eight-time Top Fuel world champ Tony Schumacher is excited for his first appearance in Topeka since the 2018 campaign, having erased some early-season struggles for a team that appears to be coming together at the right time.
A perfect finish to the Western Swing has Top Fuel’s Tony Schumacher on the right track, and that could be dangerous for the rest of the loaded class heading into this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports…
Kyle Koretsky: Don't call the Pro Stock championship title just yet
With 11 of 19 Pro Stock races in the books for the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, one driver has emerged as the odds-on favorite to win the championship, but Kyle Koretsky wouldn't consider that a wise wager.
With 11 of 19 Pro Stock races in the books for the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season and one driver emerging as favored to win, a betting man or woman may be tempted to lay money on the outcome. Second-generation class competitor…
Top Fuel's Buddy Hull eager to get back on track in Topeka
Top Fuel driver and team owner Buddy Hull will return to the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series this weekend during the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by Pet Armor at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka.
Top Fuel driver and team owner Buddy Hull will return to the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series this weekend during the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by Pet Armor at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka.
The second-year driver will once…
NHRA Insider podcast: Talkin' Topeka
NHRA on FOX analyst Tony Pedregon and NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor Kevin McKenna join host Brian Lohnes to talk about the upcoming Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor in Topeka, Kan., and how teams will either sink or swim in the projected searing heat of the weekend.
NHRA on FOX analyst Tony Pedregon and NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor Kevin McKenna join host Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider. The talk is all about the upcoming Menards NHRA Nationals presented by…
Lyle Barnett after win at race powered by M&M Transmission in Topeka
A lengthy break in the schedule in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon might have been just what Lyle Barnett needed after back-to-back first-round losses dropped him from second to fourth in the points standings.
A lengthy break in the schedule in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon might have been just what Lyle Barnett needed. The standout driver suffered back-to-back first-round losses, dropping him from second to fourth in…
Eddie Krawiec still on the prowl for his 50th career Pro Stock Motorcycle victory
Heading into the Countdown to the Championship, Eddie Krawiec is well positioned to win his 50th event and his fifth NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series championship. Krawiec provides an update in our latest NHRA Skype interview with host Brian Lohnes.
TSR crew chief Neal Strausbaugh discusses breakthrough Denver victory
After some early-season struggles, the new Tony Stewart Racing Top Fuel team and driver Leah Pruett connected for their first win at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver. Here, crew chief Neal Strausbaugh discusses the team's steady progress through the first half of the season.
Nitro Time Machine: Side-by-side 300 mph runs in Funny Car at 1995 Topeka race
More history was made at the 1995 Topeka event as John Force and Cruz Pedregon hooked up to provide the fans with the first side-by-side 300-mph runs in Funny Car.
NHRA North Central Division makes a triumphant return to Route 66 Raceway
Even the rain that forced the postponement of the final rounds couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the many racers, fans, and event workers that celebrated the return of drag racing to Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., last weekend.
Even the rain that forced the postponement of the final rounds couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the many racers, fans, and event workers that celebrated the return of drag racing to Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., last weekend.
Dormant…
NHRA Northeast Division Director Dave Mohn will step away at year's end
Dave Mohn, an NHRA fixture of the Division 1 region for more than 25 years, will retire from his position with NHRA this October to spend more time with family and the family business.
Dave Mohn, an NHRA fixture of the Division 1 region for more than 25 years, will retire from his position with NHRA this October to spend more time with family and the family business. Mohn, who has served as NHRA’s Division 1 Director since…
Past world champ Frank Aragona Jr. is winning more than Comp titles
Three-time NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Comp eliminator world champion Frank Aragona Jr. battled cancer to be able to return to battle on the quarter-mile and scored his 40th Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series victory this past weekend.
Wearing a serious demeanor as he peered into his log books earlier this summer at Summit Motorsports Park, three-time Comp eliminator champion Frank Aragona Jr. initially seemed to give off a "Do Not Disturb" vibe. But then he looked up, smiled, and…
Doug Kalitta to race KalittaAir.com/careers Top Fueler in Topeka
Doug Kalitta will campaign a KalittaAir.com/careers-themed Top Fuel dragster during this weekend’s Heartland NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park.
Doug Kalitta will campaign a KalittaAir.com/careers-themed Top Fuel dragster during this weekend’s Heartland NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park.
The design was inspired by Kalitta Motorsports’ and Kalitta Air’s…
Swanson Motorsports partners with Fuel for remainder of 2022 season
Swanson Motorsports has announced that Fuel, a design agency from Hiawatha, Iowa, has assumed the role of primary sponsor for driver Afton Swanson and her NHRA Top Dragster race car for the remainder of the 2022 racing season.
Swanson Motorsports has announced that Fuel, a design agency from Hiawatha, Iowa, has assumed the role of primary sponsor for driver Afton Swanson and her NHRA Top Dragster race car for the remainder of the 2022 racing season.
Fuel joins longtime…
With recent successes, Tasca team confident as they head into Topeka
A win and two runner-ups over the last four races has Bob Tasca III’s team confident that they’ve turned the corner on their season, just in time for the Countdown to the Championship.
Stampede of Speed will return to enhance fan experience around FallNationals
The Stampede of Speed, a 10-day festival of music, drag racing, and amazing fan experiences in advance of the NHRA Texas FallNationals, will return in 2022 to the historic Texas Motorplex.
The Stampede of Speed, a 10-day festival of music, drag racing, and amazing fan experiences in advance of the NHRA Texas FallNationals, will return in 2022. Hosted once again at the historic Texas Motorplex, the multi-use facility located just 35…
Betway named entitlement sponsor of NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway
zMAX Dragway officials have announced that Betway, a global betting and gaming brand, has signed on as the entitlement sponsor for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 23-25.
As the NHRA’s best drivers prepare for a pivotal Countdown to the Championship showdown at zMAX Dragway Sept. 23-25, officials have announced that the event will have a new name. Betway, a global betting and gaming brand, has signed on as the…
Nitro Time Machine: Warren Johnson tops Scott Geoffrion in thrilling Topeka final
Warren Johnson all but clinched his first NHRA Pro Stock world title following a thrilling final round win over Scott Geoffrion's Dodge at the 1992 Topeka event.
Top Alcohol Dragster standout Jasmine Salinas sponsored by Weld in Topeka
Weld Racing will be sponsoring Top Alcohol Dragster driver Jasmine Salinas at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park this week.
Weld, the fastest wheel brand on the planet, will be sponsoring NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster driver Jasmine Salinas at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park this week. Weld Racing…
Erica Enders on the Western Swing: "We did an OK job out there"
After a tough loss in Denver, four time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders rallied with a win in Sonoma and a runner-up finish in Seattle to maintain her lead in the Camping World NHRA Pro Stock standings. In our latest Skype Interview, Enders discusses her season to date and her outlook on the upcoming Countdown to the Championship.