Smax Smith is back, and has some lofty goals for the Charlotte weekend
Former FIA Top Fuel world champ Smax Smith is a fan favorite every time he straps into the big-on-heart low-on-budget Leverich Racing Top Fueler. A fan's GoFundMe effort helped get the team to the NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals, where he hopes to get his first 300-mph time slip.
Until he returned a month ago at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals, Smax Smith’s last run at an NHRA national event was at fabled Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J. That tells you how long it’s been.
The former FIA Top Fuel world champ’s race…
WATCH: Celebrate Alexis DeJoria’s return to NHRA Drag Racing by re-living last three victories
Alexis DeJoria will return to full-time Funny Car competition in 2020 at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.
Alexis DeJoria announced her return to Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing on Tuesday after a two-year hiatus from the Funny Car driver's seat. The seven-time national event winner will drive a car tuned by Del Worsham and Nicky Boninfante with more…
Doug Kalitta staying the course as Top Fuel championship talk heats up
Doug Kalitta isn’t taking his top spot in points for granted. The chance for the Top Fuel veteran’s first world championship is one of the top stories of the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, but Kalitta won’t let it interrupt his ultra-focused mindset.
With nearly the slimmest of leads and four races remaining in the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, Doug Kalitta isn’t taking his top spot for granted. The chance for the Top Fuel veteran’s first world championship is one of the top…
Shawn Langdon chasing second-straight win in Charlotte
Picking up his second victory of the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, Shawn Langdon was already riding high on Sunday. Things could be about to get even better for the former Top Fuel world champ and current Funny Car standout as he…
David Thomas honors the Ramcharger legacy in powerful way
In 1959, the Ramchargers were formed when a group of engineers and auto enthusiasts from Chrysler banded together to go drag racing. Starting with a ’49 Plymouth business coupe, the Ramchargers eventually went on to dominate the NHRA Super Stock and…
Tenacious Terry Haddock keeps his two-car team going through sheer willpower
Despite long odds and a budget the fraction of the size of his well-heeled foes, Terry Haddock, nitro-racing’s unbreakable “little guy” racer, hasn't missed a race this season.
Merriam-Webster defines “tenacious” as the quality of being “persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired.”
It’s an especially apt adjective for Terry Haddock, nitro-racing’s unbreakable “little guy” racer. It’s…
Walk 1,000 Feet returns with Alex Laughlin and Amanda Busick in St. Louis
Havoline driver Alex Laughlin helped NHRA on FOX reporter Amanda Busick bring back Walk 1,000 Feet at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis as the two walked the drag strip, raced their way through a Missouri favorite and the Chevy Camaro…
AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals Gallery
NHRA National Dragster photographer Jerry Foss captured the highlights from the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals and we've got them for you here.
Drew Skillman all but clinches Factory Stock world championship following Bo Butner motor failure
Drew Skillman has not officially been crowned the SAMTech.edu Factory Stock Showdown champion, but he is all but assured to lock up his first NHRA world championship at the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals following first-round action Saturday.…
Erica Enders' Chevy Camaro performing at championship level in St. Louis
Erica Enders drove her Chevy Camaro to pole position for the second-straight event as she chases her third Pro Stock world championship. The Elite Motorsports racer has gone more than a season without a win but has reached three final rounds and…
AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals Saturday gallery
NHRA National Dragster photographer Jerry Foss captured some of the best moments from the second day of action at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Robert Hight embraces pressure at AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals
Robert Hight will race at three AAA-sponsored events during the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, including the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. That means there will be a lot of special appearances, speeches to give and…
"We didn't get it done" - Terry McMillen reflects on missing the Countdown and where the team goes next
Terry McMillen did not make the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, breaking not just a streak of playoff appearances of for the Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel team but a perceived trend of upward movement.
He started the season well, reaching…
Greg Anderson needs a great weekend to get back into championship hunt
K.B. Racing enjoyed a banner day at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals. Two cars with K.B. Racing engines raced in the Pro Stock final and one of the flagship cars, driven by Jason Line, ended up in the winner’s circle.
That’s great.…
AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals Friday Gallery
NHRA National Dragster photographer Jerry Foss captured some of the best moments from the first day of action at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Stevie "Fast" Jackson can clinch a Pro Mod world championship in St. Louis -- here's how
Stevie "Fast" Jackson needs a lot to go his way to clinch his first National Hot Rod Association world championship in St. Louis. First -- he has to win the race.
That part won't intimidate the Georgian, who enters the AAA Insurance NHRA…
Todd Tutterow still chasing E3 Pro Mod championship heading to St. Louis
It’s already been a banner year for Todd Tutterow, but with a chance for a championship still within reach, the veteran still hopes to accomplish more to end the 2019 campaign beginning at this weekend's AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.
It’s already been a banner year for Todd Tutterow, whose career-best season in the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service has also included his first NHRA victory. But with a chance for a championship still…
Pleased with progress this season, Karen Stoffer aims for win at Midwest Nationals
Karen Stoffer already accomplished one major goal this season qualifying for the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. Now wants something she hasn’t had since 2015 and that’s a victory at this weekend’s AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Racing with a new team in 2019, Karen Stoffer already accomplished one major goal this season qualifying for the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. But the Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran now wants something she hasn’t had since 2015 and that’s…
Robert Hight: 'Every point matters' in tight Funny Car championship battle
Two-time NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car champion Robert Hight joined Lewis Bloom in the Wally Parks NHRA Studio to talk about his long and successful career and to take a look at this year's championship battle.
In the Countdown battle for the first time, Alex Laughlin returns to site of first win
When Alex Laughlin scored his first career Pro Stock win at the 2016 AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, he had just missed out on the Countdown to the Championship by a mere two points. Fast forward three years and he's among the favorites to win not just the race but the championship, too.
As memorable and thrilling as picking up his first NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series win was, Alex Laughlin remembers feeling that something was missing. The Pro Stock star was in his first full season and missed out on the Mello Yello Countdown…
Robert Hight hopes for same result in less dramatic fashion at 2019 AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals
Moments after winning the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals last year, Robert Hight was involved in a top-end crash past the finish line that broke his collarbone. He'll take the win this year, minus all of the other drama.
Robert Hight will gladly take a repeat of everything that took place a year ago in St. Louis, except for what happened just past the finish line in the finals. Moments after winning the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology…
Another strong outing in St. Louis could be a gateway to a championship for Richie Crampton
Richie Crampton’s season took a sudden turn with a win at the Countdown opener, and now the Top Fuel veteran is excited to see if he can keep the momentum rolling at this weekend’s AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.
In the span of a few hours, Richie Crampton’s season took a sudden turn at the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship opener. Now the Top Fuel veteran is excited to see if he can keep the momentum rolling at this weekend’s eighth annual AAA…
"That's how you learn new things" - how Tom Elliott became the elder statesman of Top Dragster
Tom Elliott has been racing for a long time. He now exists as an elder statesman in a category, Top Dragster, that ranges younger, if for no other reason than its speed.
Tom Elliott has been racing for a long time. He now exists as an elder statesman in a category, Top Dragster, that ranges younger, if for no other reason than its speed.
The six-second rockets are among the quickest in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag…
Tom Bailey stars in Hot Rod Drag Week with record 5.99 run
Tom Bailey becomes the talk of Hot Rod Magazine’s Drag Week event with a thrilling 5.99-second, 250-mph performance and a convincing win in the Unlimited class.
NHRA fans get to see five-second Pro Mod cars at least a dozen times a year, but how many of those cars are street legal, or capable of being driven even a few miles on public roads? The answer is almost certainly zero which is what makes Tom Bailey…
Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil Saturday gallery
Check out the best shots from the second day of racing from the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil as captured by NHRA National Dragster photographers Marc Gewertz and Bob Szelag.
"Race with your car, not with your mouth" - Mike Kloeber prepared for Countdown fight
Mike Kloeber and Clay Millican start the NHRA Countdown to the Championship in sixth place and he wants his Parts Plus Top Fuel dragster to do the talking.
Mike Kloeber took over tuning duties for Clay Millican ahead of the 2019 season and helped bring the Parts Plus Top Fuel team to the No. 6 seed at the start of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. That is four spots below where the Straightline…
Karen Stoffer: "I want to take a shot at the championship."
Thanks to her partnership with the White Alligator team, Karen Stoffer is enjoying her best season in years, and she believes she's got a legit shot at the Mello Yello Pro Stock Motorcycle championship.
Even though Reading, Pa., is more than 2,600-miles from her home in Minden, Nev., Karen Stoffer almost considers Maple Grove Raceway to be her home track and with good reason the track has been the home of some of her most memorable moments,…
Jeg Coughlin Jr. preparing to chip away at Pro Stock points lead
With six NHRA championships to his credit, including five in Pro Stock, there isn't much that Jeg Coughlin Jr. hasn't seen or done during his long career.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. won his first Pro Stock race more than two decades ago, and his career resum is Hall of Fame worthy with six championships and 81 national event wins for starters. Given his vast experience, it’s hard to throw Coughlin a pitch that…
Hear what the teams said following Friday qualifying at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil:
"It's ladies' night and I'm about to do this" -Angelle Sampey
Track records were broken after a pair of weather delays in Reading, Pennsylvania. Hear what the teams had to say about the first day of qualifying at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil.
Don Schumacher Racing…
Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil Friday gallery
The NHRA Countdown to the Championship blasted off in Reading and NHRA National Dragster photographers Marc Gewertz and Bob Szelag captured the action.
