- NHRA RETURNS TO CHICAGO FOR ACTION-PACKED GERBER COLLISION & GLASS NHRA ROUTE 66 NATIONALS
- DRAG AND DRIVE EXHIBITION WITH ALEX TAYLOR AND TOM BAILEY RETURNS TO NHRA NATIONAL EVENT AT ROUTE 66 RACEWAY
- Record Setters and Race Winners Head to Virginia for PDRA Mid-Atlantic Showdown
- Race Wrap | NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals
- Race Wrap | NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals
- Stewart, Hagan Record Final Round Performances at Las Vegas NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in TSR Dodge//SRT Nitro Machines
- KALITTA, TASCA AND COUGHLIN JR WIN LAS-VEGAS 4-WIDE
Ahten Ready to Bring the Noise to Pomona
Courtesy of Ahten Family Racing
Pomona, CA – Growing up in southern California, Johnny Ahten would go to the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and 
dream of driving an A-Fuel car. Starting Thursday, Ahten and his CleanBoost Dragster are planning on letting the whole neighborhood know about it.
“We want to make some noise,” said Ahten. “Everyone knows when the dragsters are running, In fact, they have walls and even special gates to keep the noise down a bit.”
Not wanting to sit still and remain quiet, Ahten and the team have freshened up the clutch packs, fine tuned the fuel system and have the parts ready to go some rounds.
“The car is telling us what it wants,” added Ahten. “It’s a good time of the year to run here and I know we can because it’s my home track.”
A Fitting End To A Terrible Drag Racing Season
Written by Camp Stanley
Photo by Roger Richards
Hagerstown, MD – This 2011 season have seen things go from bad to worse to what we thought were great and then back to bad yet again. After we left the next to the last ADRL Norwalk, Ohio 
we were pretty sure we finally figured out what had been ailing our race car since the Topeka race in June. And FINALLY we got it right!
So off to the last ADRL race of the year in Dallas, Texas we went, sincere in our beliefs that all was once again well with the Appalachia on Steroids Camaro. We really had no desire to put the car away for the winter not knowing if we had truly solved our issues. We consciously decided to use the last race of the season as a test session and could help justify the expense by dropping the car off at Garret Race Cars in Marble Hill, Missouri after the race. We had scheduled the car into Garret’s after the Maple Grove race for some needed updates and some chassis work that could only be done on a chassis shop jig.
IHRA to hold $200,000 Summit Sportsman World Finals at Memphis in 2012
Courtesy of IHRA
NORWALK, OH – With renovations complete and the track ready to go, the International Hot Rod Association is pleased to announce the 
much-anticipated return of championship sportsman drag racing to Memphis International Raceway.
The track, located in beautiful Millington, Tenn., will host three full days of sportsman drag racing at the IHRA World Finals in October of 2012 featuring three distinct races and the crowning of champions in all of IHRA’s sportsman categories.
“Memphis International Raceway is honored to be the host track for the 2012 IHRA World Finals,” Vice President and General Manager Pam Kendrick stated. “Next season marks the initial year for the IHRA and MIR partnership to build a successful program for the racers. We are excited to cap off our first full season as Memphis International Raceway with the World Finals.”
Coughlin, Hight, Bennett, Reinhart on WFO Radio
Courtesy of WFO
HOLLYWOOD, FL – Jeg Coughlin, Robert Hight, and Bobby Bennett join Joe Castello along with the NHRA’s Alan Reinhart tonight at 7 pm ET. To Listen, go to WFORadio.com
4-time Pro Stock World Champion, Jeg Coughlin Jr. stops by WFO Radio to give details regarding his return to the NHRA Pro Stock wars in 2012, driving a Mopar.
Robert Hight of John Force Racing, stops by preview the final race of the 2012 season and stump for votes for his team that was nominated for the Full Throttle Hardest Working Crew Award.
CompetitionPlus.com editor, Bobby Bennett brings the heat with his championship perspective.
Perkins Goes Broke in Vegas
Courtesy of 801 racing
Las Vegas, NV. – Going broke in Vegas usually means only one thing. The tables got the best of you, or the one armed bandit 
kept everything it was given. At the Division 7 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Cody Perkins may not have lost money at the casinos, but the 801 Racing sponsored Top Alcohol Dragster did break a few parts.
“I think we broke one of everything,” said Perkins. “We broke all kinds of parts like heads, belts and even our windshield.”
Cody was able to get his 801 Racing dragster into the show in the number six slot with a 5.402. Cold track conditions were not kind to the sun and heat loving team. In the first round against Megan McKernan, Perkins was first off the line but the fun ended there.
“I hate cold tracks,” added Perkins. “We know how to run in the heat, but when we have cool conditions like this, it is really hard for us to get down the track. I am considering bringing in someone next year to do a sun dance.”
Ahten’s Divisional Race not in the Cards
Courtesy of Ahten Family racing
Las Vegas, NV – NHRA Top Alcohol Drag Racing is not always easy to deal with. This last weekend at the Division 7 race at
the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Johnny Ahten and his CleanBoost sponsored team realized this very fact. The plannedtesting on Thursday went well, and hopes for a long weekend were in place. Friday’s rainout was a unwelcome surprise. This meant that the team had two runs on Saturday to qualify.
“We ran a 5.520 at 205.88 on Saturday and it just wasn’t enough,” said Ahten. “Then in the last session there was a delay after an oil down. The track cooled and we went up in smoke just like a few other teams.”
The Divisional race did provide some good run data the CleanBoost Team will take into the last National race in Pomona this weekend. There Johnny and the boys plan on using what they learned, and with a slight chip on their shoulder, plan to have the upper hand.
The Quick 32 Sportsman Series Top Five for 2011 – Jamie and Lynda Bridge – Number Two
Courtesy of Quick 32
NAPANEE, ON – Jamie Bridge has always been an innovator when it comes to his racing, and this helped pay off for the Napanee racer this year, placing second in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts Championship
Point Award Series Standings.
“We had an incredibly good year,” noted the Top Dragster driver of the Lynja Motorsports Team. “The car has been so good this year.”
Along with his success in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, Bridge has been successful in both NHRA and IHRA divisional competition.
Bridge qualified his dragster for all of the six Quick 32 Sportsman Series events in 2011. He won the Top Dragster side of the eliminations in the first event and the last event, both held at the Cayuga Dragway. In the first race, he lost the event final to Top Sportsman driver and 2011 Champion Phil Sampson of Granton, Ontario, and was eliminated in the event final in the last race of the year by another Top Sportsman entry, Tom Orr of Shawville, Quebec.
The Pro Modified Top Five for 2011 – Eric Latino and the Team Green Camaro – Number Three
Courtesy of PMRA
WHITBY, ON – A new car and a new partner gave Eric Latino a fast and winning combination, placing the Whitby, Ontario driver third in the Pro Modified Racing Association Marydel Homes Championship Point Award Series presented by
Magnum Auto Parts, Patio Passport and Global Emissions Systems Inc. this year.
Trading in his 1938 Chevy coupe for a new G-Force Race Cars 1969 Camaro, Latino qualified number one at three of the PMRA meets, and second in two other events in 2011. He was only eight points behind PMRA champion Vito Montesano of Maple, Ontario when the season ended at the Cayuga Dragway in September.
Driving the Team Green Camaro, Latino consistently put down laps in the sub six-second range after he teamed up with prominent Pro Modified car owner Rob Sporring.
Ahten Has a Need for Rapid Acceleration and MPH
Courtesy of Athen Family Racing
Las Vegas, NV – Johnny Ahten and his CleanBoost Racing Team are looking forward to this weekend’s Division 7 race because they have a need for speed. Video Games, movies and even rock songs all celebrate the passion for moving across
the pavement. More than just getting down the track, the goal is to do it in a timely manner.
“We want to haul ass, now more than ever,” said Ahten. “We want to get back to what we know how to do.”
Planned testing on the Thursday before the divisional is the plan of attack for the CleanBoost Team. During the past weekend’s Big O Tire’s Nationals Johnny experienced some positive results. Early numbers showed they were one of the quickest cars to the sixty foot mark. Putting that knowledge and information into practice is what has the team motivated.
“Many teams stayed in town after the nationals,” added Ahten. “It’s a stout field, and the testing will help.”
THREE OUT OF SIX ADRL “BATTLE FOR THE BELTS” COMPETITORS WIN THE ON MICKEY THOMPSON TIRES
Courtesy of Mickey Thompson
STOW, OH – Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels is proud to celebrate another year of champion racing at the annual American Drag Racing League (ADRL) “Battle for the Belts” World Finals VII competition presented by Summit
Racing Equipment. Three out of six competitors in the ADRL “Battle for the Belts” took home the exclusive champion belt on Mickey Thompson tires including Ashley Owens (using part #3055S and #3210), Dan Millen (using part #3169W 10.5-inch rear tires and PRO-5 Drag Wheels) and Morgan Benfield (using the new #3625 Junior Dragster tire).
Dan Millen has earned special congratulations for his “Triple Crown” win as he won the race, a “Battle for the Belts” victory, and the 2011 Mickey Thompson-sponsored Extreme 10.5 Class Championship. The Mickey Thompson team joined the celebration following three exciting days of incredible World Finals VII racing action.
