Inaugural SPORTSnationals champs to be honored at 2016 event
Jimmy Scott Bobby Warren The champions from the inaugural SPORTSnationals in 1974 have been named grand marshals of the JEGS NHRA SPORTSnationals, which returns to…
Oberto Beef Jerky primary sponsor for Jim Dunn Racing in 2016
Oberto Beef Jerky will be the primary sponsor of the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car for the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Oberto will be displayed as the title sponsor on the Dodge Charger at 10 NHRA races beginning at the 2016 NHRA…
Five wild Winternationals rides
The Circle K NHRA Winternationals is known for many things. It’s the annual season opener, where new cars, sponsors, and paint schemes famously debut. It can also be one of the most scenic venues on the tour when snow caps the mountains behind…
Valvoline, Nova Services to partner with Shane Gray for 2016
Pro Stock racer Shane Gray will carry the colors of Valvoline on the Gray Motorsports Camaro for the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, along with backing from Nova Services at select events. Valvoline, a longtime partner of Gray…
McClelland among 2016 Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductees
Television personality and announcer Dave McClelland, the longtime former Voice of the NHRA, will be one of seven motorsports figures inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America later this year. In addition to McClelland, the 2016 class…
Funny Cars: Who's on first? I dunno ...
Jim Johnson and Jimmy Nix suited up; the firesuits were mostly for show. Jack Chrisman's Comet was a race car, shown here running in B/FD in Pomona. Well…
DeJoria returns to Tequila Patrón livery for 2016
Alexis DeJoria Racing is going back to its roots for the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Operating out of the Kalitta Motorsports camp, The Patrón Spirits Co.-backed Toyota Camry Funny Car team will once again sport the…
Jack Chrisman
With only a couple of weeks remaining until the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season kicks off, this week’s trip into the National Dragster photo archives takes us into the files of one of the racers who won at the first…
Allen Johnson, Marathon Petroleum announce sponsorship agreement
NHRA Pro Stock racer Allen Johnson and Marathon Petroleum Corporation have announced a sponsorship agreement that ensures that Johnson, the 2012 NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock world champion, will remain…
Denso Spark Plugs named title sponsor of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event in Las Vegas this spring
Denso Products and Services Americas Inc. has signed an agreement to become the title-rights sponsor of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this spring. The 17th annual Denso Spark Plugs NHRA…
Back-to-back champ Enders ready to blaze another new path
No NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series driver had a better run in the last two years than Houston native Erica Enders. Not Antron Brown, not Tony Schumacher, not Matt Hagan, not even the legendary John Force. Enders, who now lives in New…
Practice Tree racing
Who says you need a dragstrip to have a drag race? Or even a car for that matter. Today, many racers have found a way to fulfill their need for competition and socialize with friends by attending organized practice Tree events. Practice Tree races…
2016 predictions
The 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is nearly upon us. With one weekend remaining before the NHRA Nitro Spring Training test session at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix followed by the Circle K NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, it…
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season with their families and friends. I know I did! My dad and I spent Christmas with my Uncle Jon O, Aunt Kim, and my cousins Jessica and Julia. Some of you may not know this, but Jon O is an amazing…
NHRA’s 50th anniversary Funny Car celebration kicks off at Circle K NHRA Winternationals
NHRA will officially kick off its 50th anniversary Funny Car celebration at the tradition-rich Circle K NHRA Winternationals at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Feb. 11-14. A wide variety of classic nostalgia Funny Cars will be on display in…
Back-up run certification no longer required for NHRA national records
NHRA’s competition committee has announced that the longstanding 1-percent back-up policy to certify national record performances in the NHRA Mello Yello Series, J&A Service Pro Mod Series, and Lucas Oil Series Alcohol categories will no…
Winningest Winternationals drivers
Everyone knows that the start of a drag race is one of the most important parts of a winning recipe, but that also applies to the season as well. There’s nothing quite like a win at the season-opening Winternationals to jump-start a season.…
Laughlin to pilot 2016 Gas Monkey Garage Camaro
Second-year Pro Stock racer Alex Laughlin will return to the wheel of the Gas Monkey Garage Chevrolet Camaro in 2016 as Laughlin Motorsports and Gas Monkey Garage have announced a partnership for the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series…
On-track testing begins for next generation of NHRA Pro Stock cars
Shane Gray KB Racing Allen Johnson V. Gaines The era of fuel-injected NHRA…
Early Funny Car History 101
As one Insider reader tweeted to me last week after my column about working to create a list of the top 20 Funny Cars, “Can open, worms everywhere.” Yes, indeed, we did open a whole can of worms with the notion that I – or anyone…
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis to construct permanent Top Eliminator Club pavilion
Officials gathered Jan. 21 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis for the official groundbreaking ceremony for the multipurpose motorsports facility’s new TEC Pavilion. From left are Eric Pagels, W.A. Lynch; Joel Brame, Kruse…
NHRA Factory Stock Showdown returns for 2016
The extreme racing of the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown is returning for the 2016 season with four appearances on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series including a new stop at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. This season will mark the…
Tony Pedregon
After a successful career that spanned more than two decades and produced two NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car world championships, 43 wins, and more, Tony Pedregon will step away from driving in 2016, joining the NHRA on FOX broadcast…
NHRA shifts gears into a new era with 2016 season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will venture boldly into a brand new era when the tradition-rich Circle K NHRA Winternationals gets underway Feb. 11-14, at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Celebrating its 56th running, the iconic…
Your winter homework assignment
A full season of racing can be long and arduous, even for the most die-hard Sportsman racer, and few could blame any individual who elects to devote the winter months to relaxing, watching football, or whittling down a long-overdue list of “…
Ready to break out
With top stars dominating the win column in 2015, the logjam of talent going for their first wins during the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season has us poised to see some new blood in the winner’s circle. Pro Stock’s Chris…
Five feats yet to be accomplished
With more than 60 years of competition, you would think that we had seen it all when it comes to accomplishments in NHRA Drag Racing, but here’s a quick list of some items yet to be accomplished, ranked in order of possibility. 200-…
JEGS SPORTSnationals set for May 27-29 return to Beech Bend Raceway Park
The much anticipated return of the JEGS NHRA SPORTSnationals to Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky., Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29 is taking shape as the official event schedule has been announced. This year’s event is expected to…
Top 20 Funny Cars: Let the debate begin
As I noted here last Friday and as was announced earlier this week on NHRA.com, NHRA will be celebrating the Funny Car class throughout the 2016 season. Using the 1966…
Accomplished industry executive Brad Gerber named NHRA vice president of sales, chief development officer
Brad Gerber, a skilled sales executive with vast experience in the world of automotive publishing and digital media, has been named NHRA vice president of sales and chief development officer. Gerber will lead NHRA’s sales and business…