- 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
POINTS LEADER J.R. TODD MARKS 10 YEARS AT KALITTA MOTORSPORTS, RIDES POINTS LEAD INTO LAS VEGAS
YPSILANTI, MI – Ten years ago this race, J.R. Todd was a part-time Top Fuel driver sitting in Indianapolis watching college basketball on 
television. Then on Friday evening of the spring Las Vegas race, his life would change forever. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Season resumes April 12-14, 2024 at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals on the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Todd received a call to join Kalitta Motorsports in Las Vegas following the first two rounds of qualifying. Unusual, yes, but definitely doable – especially if you’re a part-time driver looking for a fulltime ride.
“It’s crazy that it’s already been 10 years; it’s definitely flown by, and a lot of good things happened,” Todd said. “We won a lot of races since then, won a championship, and I’m very thankful for that call from Connie Kalitta 10 years ago. At the time, I was racing part time for Bob Vandergriff, and we weren’t scheduled to race that weekend. I had been out used car shopping with my Mom and Dad, and it was March Madness. Continue reading
BAM WEATHER TO PROVIDE WEATHER DATA AND FORECASTS TO NHRA
GREENWOOD, IN – BAM Weather (BAMWX.com) announced today that they will be providing weather data and forecasts to the National 
Hot Rod Association (NHRA). NHRA, which is now the largest racing organization in the world, was founded in 1951. BAM Weather will provide weather data, forecasting, and support through their platform, Clarity, for NHRA operations.
Weather has a major impact on sporting events across the world and anything from light rain to severe weather can affect racing events the NHRA hosts. To mitigate weather concern, NHRA will utilize Clarity’s 24/7, live meteorological consultation to aid in critical weather-related decisions.
“We’re excited to add BAM Weather as a partner for the NHRA,” NHRA Vice President of Racing Administration Josh Peterson said. “The weather is a huge factor in our sport, and their experts and standout technology ensure we will have the proper tools to make the most accurate weather assessments possible. Working with BAM Weather will allow us to make proactive weather-related decisions when it comes to our events as well.”
Drag Race Bracket Bonanza Announces Summit Racing Equipment as First Prize Donor
DALLAS, TX – Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB), the first dynamic bracket competition for drag racing fans, is excited to announce 
Summit Racing Equipment as the first prize donor for the 2024 season. DRBB will award Summit Racing Equipment gift certificates to players in The Four-Wide Cup Series, The Majors Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, the U.S. Nationals, and the Overall Season Series. Additionally, DRBB will conduct random drawings and social media giveaways for other players throughout the season to receive gift certificates. Altogether, DRBB and Summit Racing Equipment will reward over 100 players with gift certificates throughout the 2024 season.
“I am thrilled to have Summit Racing Equipment step up and offer gift certificates to our players throughout the season,” said Elon Werner, Drag Race Bracket Bonanza creator. “The enthusiasm the thousands of players have shown for DRBB is awesome and I am so happy we can now give them a little something extra for their bracket picking efforts. Summit Racing Equipment is more than race car parts and I am so happy fans will get the chance to shop with one of the coolest companies supporting racers on and off the track.” Continue reading
Jim Dunn Racing and Buddy Hull Roll Out KGC Funny Car for Vegas
Long Beach, CA – Rolling into The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals Jim Dunn Racing and driver 
Buddy Hull will be looking for their first win of the season this weekend with the new-look Kindness General Contractors known as KGC Dodge Charger Funny Car.
In addition to the new primary sponsor the team will be promoting local companies, Gilley’s, Treasure Island and Primal Steakhouse as it continues to battle in one of the toughest Funny Car fields in recent memory. Kindness General Contractors has been a long-time supporter of Jim Dunn Racing and the team is looking forward to representing them at one of the most unique races of the season.
“One of the amazing things about NHRA drag racing is the relationships you make and KGC has been with us for a number of years,” said Jon Dunn. “We have done some specialty cars with them to support and recognize veterans and they are just a great company to be associated with. This weekend we are looking to keep moving in the right direction and hopefully go some rounds with the KGC Funny Car.”
VIVA LAS VEGAS, STEWART AND HAGAN TAKE ON THE 4 WIDE!
Las Vegas – The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the fourth event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag 
Racing Series’ 20-race calendar in 2024. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) brings its two full-time entries – one in Top Fuel for Top Fuel rookie Tony Stewart and one in Funny Car for 49-time Funny Car winner and four-time champion Matt Hagan.
Coming into Las Vegas, Stewart is ninth in the Top Fuel standings, 161 points behind leader Shawn Langdon. Hagan is fourth in the Funny Car standings, 73 points behind leader J.R. Todd.
Stewart enters Las Vegas representing the Rayce Rudeen Foundation on his blue and yellow Top Fuel dragster. Hagan, meanwhile, sports red, white and blue colors of Operation Healing Forces and Shelor Motor Mile on his Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car.
The Rayce Rudeen Foundation is a non-profit organization that works with organizations and programs to encourage a healthy and productive life that is free of addiction. The designated 501(c)(3) is named in honor of Rayce Rudeen, who at age 26 passed away from an accidental Fentanyl overdose. Since its inception, the Rayce Rudeen Foundation has advocated for creating a supportive community in which everyone can access prevention, treatment, recovery and family-support services, all free from stigma.
This Week and MBE
Matt gives tour of his Mooresville NC Cylinder Head Manufacturing facility………. QUESTIONS??? Ring or Email Matt@MBELLC.com (704) 856-0200
TOP FUEL’S TONY STEWART FEELING SURGE OF MOMENTUM HEADING INTO VEGAS’ NHRA 4-WIDE NATIONALS
LAS VEGAS – Returning to the site of his first victory as an NHRA competitor, racing legend and Top Fuel rookie Tony Stewart also enters 
this weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with some newfound momentum.
The motorsports Hall of Famer picked up his first NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series round win on Sunday in Phoenix and then added another, advancing to the semifinals for the first time in Top Fuel.
It was a strong improvement for Stewart in his 11,000-horsepower Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT dragster ahead of this weekend’s race at Las Vegas, which is a motorsports facility that has treated him very well over his storied championship career. That includes on the drag racing side as well, where Stewart won in Top Alcohol Dragster last year at the four-wide event. The unique spectacle of four-wide drag racing is also something Stewart has quickly embraced.
Stewart Advances to Top Fuel Semifinals at NHRA Arizona Nationals
Hagan Takes Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car to Winternationals Runner-up Spot
Auburn Hills, MI – Hall of Fame racer Tony Stewart has won races in various forms of motorsports including paved ovals, dirt ovals, road 
courses and drag strips during his famed racing career and the Top Fuel “rookie” added to his winning total Sunday at the NHRA Arizona Nationals when he captured two Top Fuel rounds in the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Direct Connection Dodge//SRT car.
Known throughout the racing community as “Smoke,” Stewart had actually lived up to his nickname in qualifying rounds at Firebird Motorsports Park with his Top Fueler losing traction in very tough track conditions, but his TSR Dodge//SRT squad, led by Neal Strausbaugh and Mike Domagala, adjusted the car’s settings for Sunday’s eliminations and Stewart won two rounds of competition.
The first-round victory over former World Champion Brittany Force was Stewart’s initial Top Fuel round win after making an impressive performance last year in the Alcohol Dragster division, which included two NHRA national event wins. Stewart replaced his wife, Leah, as the driver in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster at the Gatornationals last month.
AUSTIN PROCK JOINS JOHN FORCE IN COLLECTING NHRA WINS THIS WEEKEND AT PHOENIX
Prock earned his first win as a Funny Car driver in just his third start in the class
CHANDLER, AZ – John Force Racing driver Austin Prock proved Sunday that he is unquestionably a quick learner. In just his third career 
NHRA start in a Funny Car, the Lansing, Mich., native recorded his first win in that class, earning top honors in the 39th annual Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park.
Prock (3.952 seconds/320.74 mph) defeated Alexis DeJoria (4.049 seconds/316.90 mph) in the final round.
“This is huge,” Prock said. “All you want to do is to make your parents proud. It was a big win for Chevrolet and a double-up for John Force Racing. We’re rolling out of here with some gold, baby. WOOOOOH!”
Cheered on by a second straight sold-out crowd in as many days, Prock joined team owner John Force in leaving Phoenix with a Wally winner’s trophy.
HULL GIVES PROCK A RUN FOR HIS MONEY IN PHOENIX
CHANDLER, AZ – Some race weekends serve as lessons more than others. For this year’s NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports 
Park, the lesson for Funny Car driver Buddy Hull is ‘it’s not how you start, but it’s how you finish.’
The driver for Jim Dunn Racing started race day from the No. 16 spot, which is a challenge that Hull is not one to stray away from. In round one, he was set to run against No. 1 qualifier and recent Funny Car standout, Austin Prock. With close reaction times, Hull was ahead of Prock at the 330-foot mark. The tide turned by the end of the race, but Hull was still proud that he didn’t give Prock an easy win. Prock would go on to win his first Funny Car national event outrunning Alexis DeJoria in the final round.
“We both left, and even though I didn’t see him, I heard him pedal the car two times. It’s this thing that you feel when you’re in the car, you actually feel it more than you hear it,” said Hull. “And then we struck the tires and knocked the tire off at probably 450-500 feet, somewhere in that range. Next thing, he comes by me, and I heard him pedal it one more time, and maybe even one more time after that. So when I saw him out in front of me that far, I wasn’t going to pedal it again. I’m not going to blow up our race car.
