Chandler will continue to fund Don Schumacher Racing Make-A-Wish and Infinite Hero Funny Cars in 2017
New Mexico philanthropist and drag racing enthusiast Terry Chandler will continue to fund the Make-A-Wish and Infinite Hero Funny Cars at Don Schumacher Racing in the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Chandler, the 2015 recipient of…
Drivers looking to rebound in 2017
While the 2016 season finished well for some — like, oh say, Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Jason Line, and Jerry Savoie — others were left scratching their heads after a season that didn’t come close to expectations. Following is a look…
2016 Top Alcohol Dragster champ Joey Severance
After winning the 2015 title with a strong 754-point score, second-generation racer Joey Severance returned for an encore that was even more impressive. In a season that included eight wins and two runner-ups, Severance cracked the 800-point barrier…
Raiders fan Pedregon's visit to training camp
Funny Car racer Cruz Pedregon has been a long time fan of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and this past summer he got to spend time at the Raiders training camp during NHRA’s Western Swing. After completing the second stop of the Swing at…
Enders, Coughlin, Freeman discuss 2017 return to Chevrolet
Erica Enders, Jeg Coughlin Jr., and Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman sat down with NHRA Indy bureau chief John Kernan to discuss the Pro Stock…
Advance Auto Parts signs multi-year sponsor relationship to back Courtney Force
Advance Auto Parts will be the major primary sponsor of Courtney Force’s Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car in the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. This multi-year sponsorship between Advance Auto…
It's 'Jungle,' by a nose ... and other stuff
As we get closer to the holidays and prepare to shut down the Insider for another year, I wanted to circle back to a few topics and address some other outstanding issues. I’m not sure how many more columns I’ll have this year, but as long as there’s…
2016 Top Alcohol Funny Car champion Jonnie Lindberg
Swedish racer Jonnie Lindberg successfully defended his 2015 crown with another impressive performance in his Landmeco-backed Camaro. Now based in Indianapolis, Lindberg began the year with a win at the season opener in Pomona and never relinquished…
Drag racing champions Jeg Coughlin Jr., Erica Enders return to Chevrolet
Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman has announced that multi-time world champion drag racers Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Erica Enders will fight for the 2017 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock crown in a pair of RJ Racecars-built Chevrolet…
Tulsa, Bristol to host 2017 Jr. Conference Finals events
The 2017 NHRA Jr. Drag Racing Western Conference Finals and Eastern Conference Finals will be held at Osage Tulsa Raceway Park in Tulsa, Okla., and Bristol Dragway in Tennessee, respectively.
The NHRA Jr. Drag Racing Western Conference Finals…
New look for NHRA Pro Stock Camaro SS
The Gen Six Chevrolet Pro Stock Camaro SS made its public debut Dec. 8.at the Performance Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis. The new model builds on the success of the championship-winning fifth-generation-based race car. It’s more…
A final look back at 2016
If you had to pick one Sportsman run as the most impressive of the 2016 season, which would you choose? I posed that question to my panel of experts that includes NHRA announcers Alan Reinhart and Brian Lohnes and NHRA Director of Statistics &…
NHRA Today: J.R. Todd talks about 2017 transition to Funny Car class
In his first full video interview since the news broke earlier this week, J.R. Todd visited the Wally Parks NHRA Studio to talk with NHRA’s Lewis Bloom about his move from Top Fuel to Funny Car next season for Kalitta Motorsports.
Original story…
2016 Comp champion Doug Doll Jr.
No driver in the history of the Comp class has ever scored more points than Doug Doll Jr. Driving for team owner Charlie Greco, Doll, a former Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals winner in Super Comp, completed a rare perfect season with eight wins…
Capps’ Long Road to his First Championship
Ron Capps’ road to his first Funny Car championship was littered with potholes and detours, not the least of which included four second-place finishes. Here’s a look at that roadmap of runner-ups. 1998: Driving for…
Kalitta Motorsports completes off-season changes
J.R. Todd will take over the wheel of the Kalitta Motorsports DHL Toyota Funny Car. Kalitta Motorsports has announced that its current Top Fuel driver, J.R. Todd, will move into the seat of its DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car vacated by…
2016 Super Stock champion Jimmy DeFrank
For the fifth time in his storied career, DeFrank was crowned the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series national champion in Super Stock. Driving his California Car Cover entry, DeFrank began the season with a victory at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals in…
NHRA’s Most Prolific 'Bridesmaids'
This season, Ron Capps broke through and earned his much-awaited first championship, removing himself from a list most racers don’t really want to be on: most wins without a championship. Who remains on that list? We look at the five…
2016 Stock and Top Dragster champ Jeff Strickland
Jeff Strickland pulled off an extremely rare feat when he won national championships in both Stock and Top Dragster. Driving a COPO Camaro for the Gray Motorsports team, Strickland won the title at the final event of the season when he defeated his…
2016 Top Sportsman champ Mike Williams
Mike Williams used a late-season rally to take the title in the Top Sportsman presented by Racing RVs class. The Canadian racer won the rain-delayed Division 7 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Las Vegas in November and returned two days…
NHRA Funny Car champs over the years
As we wind down this 50 Years of Funny Car celebration, with Ron Capps – a huge fan of the history of our sport -- finally and fittingly crowned the champion, I took a look back over the list of champions who had preceded him and whose company he…
Mopar Road Ready teen-driving school set for Austin
“Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge” is continuing its mission of teaching teens safe driving skills with the program’s first-ever Texas stop. Four complimentary, advanced behind-the-wheel training sessions are scheduled for the…
2017 Hot Rod Heritage Series schedule set
NHRA officials have announced the 2017 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series schedule, headlined by the Nostalgia Top Fuel and Nostalgia Funny Car categories. The series, celebrating its tenth season, includes classes for front engine dragsters,…
Dates set for 2017 Hot Rod Reunion events
The NHRA Motorsports Museum has announced the 2017 NHRA Hot Rod Reunion racing schedule. Unique among motorsports events, Hot Rod Reunion events honor some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and feature a fabulous array of drag cars,…
2016 Super Comp champion: Nick Folk
After years as one of the sport’s most successful E.T. bracket racers, Nick Folk pursued the NHRA Super Comp title this season and was rewarded with the national championship. He got off to a hot start with a runner-up finish at the JEGS NHRA…
Top five sportsman moments of 2016
The quest for 100: In the 62-year history of NHRA drag racing, just two drivers – John Force and Frank Manzo, have managed to win 100 national event titles. For most sportsman racers, even those who travel often and attend many…
2016 Super Gas champion: Mia Tedesco
For just the third time in the history of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and for the first time in Super Gas, a woman was crowned the national champion. Mia Tedesco drove her CARS Protection Plus Cavalier to national and divisional…
Pieces falling into place for Team Liberty
With the 2017 season on the horizon, teammates Cory Reed and Angelle Sampey recently announced their highly-anticipated plans for next year. It was announced in September that Reed was starting his own team in 2017 and three-time Pro Stock…
2016 Pro Stock Qualifying by the Numbers
Following is a look at the drivers in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle who had the best overall qualifying efforts throughout the 2016 season and in the Countdown to the Championship, breaking down qualifying bonus points and average starts…