DragStory
Johnny Ahten’s Bedtime Story from Las Vegas
Courtesy of Athen Racing
Las Vegas, NV – Johnny Ahten has a bedtime story to tell his grandchildren. It’s all about the 2011 Big O Tires Nationals. The story starts out with a pleasant tale of a hard working drag racer and team, with lots of perspiration,
anticipation, tire smoke and nitro fumes. Just as the story is getting good, it abruptly ends in a cliff hanger.
Johnny’s race weekend started out with a tire spinning first qualifying round. This was a good sign that the car was making the kind of power the CleanBoost Team knew it had. Second round qualifying on Friday saw good first half numbers during the planned shortened run. The team was excited about the data, and was ready to give the last session on Saturday their best shot yet.
This is where the story begins to make a plot twist. The professional classes in NHRA race to 1000 foot. Prior to Ahten’s last qualifying run, the pro’s had their session. In the changeover, the timers were inadvertently not changed to 1320 feet. Johnny made a good run and it looked good enough to beat the 5.539 bump spot. The problem was that without an official time in the quarter mile, the run was not recorded properly. The bottom line was Johnny Ahten and the CleanBoost Dragster was not able to qualify.
Chris Demke and Maddern Racing Win Vegas
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Photo Courtesy of Roger Richards
Las Vegas, NV – Chris Demke, driver of the Maddern Racing Top Alcohol Dragster finished off their weekend in the 
Winner’s circle last weekend at the 11th Annual BIG O Tires NHRA National Event in Las Vegas. This marks the teams 2nd National event win in 2012 and their 4th Event Win for the year.
“Since we are in the running for the Division 7 Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster Championship“ noted Demke, “we really wanted to utilize the National Event for testing to make sure the dragster was ready for the this weekends upcoming event.
“We were consistent all weekend, no tire shake, no carnage, just good passes every lap. We ran a softer tune up on Friday for the first two qualifiers just to make sure we had everything back in order after running Reynolds, Georgia a few weeks before. Saturday, we tuned her up and began eliminations from the #4 qualifying position.
Worsham, Capps, Edwards, Krawiec, Prudhomme, Reinhart on WFO Radio
Courtesy of WFO
HOLLYWOOD, FL – Big “O” Tires NHRA Vegas Nationals winners, Del Worsham, Ron Capps, Mike Edwards, Eddie Krawiec, plus Don “The Snake” Prudhomme join Joe Castello along with the NHRA’s Alan Reinhart, on WFO Radio
NHRA Nitro. To listen now, go to WFORadio.com.
Al Anabi, Alan Johnson Racing Top Fuel dragster driver, Del Worsham talks about his crucial victory in Vegas, his championship hopes, and a look ahead to The Finals in Pomona.
DSR Funny Car driver, Ron Capps, talks about his Vegas victory party, defeating Johnny Gray in the final, and his relationship with crew chief, Tim Richards.
Tim McAmis Performance Parts to Attend Street Car Super Nationals VII
Courtesy of TMRC
HAWK POINT, MO – From the heart of the South to the home of the Liberty Bell, the 2011 drag racing season has been 
full of activity for the Tim McAmis Performance Parts (TMPP) Trackside Support Team. The talented members were able to help numerous racers across the country and establish some friendships along the way. After attending the ADRL World Finals in Ennis, TX two weeks ago, the plan was to park the rolling warehouse for the winter and start preparing for the 2012 tour, but they weren’t done yet.
With some organizations still running events through November the “McAmis Mafia” felt the season was not quite over and wanted to make one more stop to bring a close to the year. What better place to do so than the Super Street Car Nationals VII in Las Vegas?
MICKEY THOMPSON TO SPONSOR THE DANNY THOMPSON CHALLENGER 2.5 LAND SPEED RECORD PROJECT
Courtesy of Mickey Thompson
STOW, OH – Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels is proud to announce their support of Danny Thompson’s 
plans to exceed the existing internal combustion wheel-driven land speed record of 417.020 mph with a goal of more than 420 mph by the summer of 2012 on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Thompson will complete the restoration of his fathers’ custom- built Challenger 2.5, building the fastest piston-powered car in the world, to achieve this incredible goal.
Through this important relationship, announced at a press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 4:15 p.m. at the 2011 SEMA Show booth 43013, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels will donate $300,000 and a variety of other services in support this historic project.
The Pro Bike & Sled Series Top Five for 2011 – Bill Anderson – Number Three
Courtesy of PBSS
SEAFORTH, ON – For a drag racer who has always competed using the professional “heads-up” method of racing, Bill Anderson proved he could race with the Sportsman-style, dial-in type 
of racing, as the Seaforth resident placed third in the Pro Bike & Sled Series 2011 Championship Point Award Series.
Presented by Wiseco Performance Products, the 2011 season was the inaugural year for the PBSS, which pits motorcycles against snowmobiles in ET-style, dial-in drag racing, competing on a Sportsman ladder.
“We’ve always done heads-up racing,” said Anderson, who rides the Team Fun Racing Pro Sled Arctic Cat. “We started off fresh, and it’s been a definite learning curve,” he continued. “We have the machine worked out, and now we have to get some consistency.”
The former Pro Ice Oval Racer, ice, grass, and asphalt racer has been competing since the early 1980s, and has never raced anything but sleds. His 2009 Arctic Cat Z1 Turbo is powered with a stock 1056-cc turbocharged engine on an Arctic Car Twin Spar chassis with a stock throttle body fuel injection system and a Boondocker Z1 Highjacker control.
Mickey Thompson Announces Bonus for First Car in the 5’s on 10.5W’s
Courtesy of SCSN
Las Vegas, NV – Mickey Thompson Tires today announced a $1,500.00 Bonus Award for the 1st Pro Street Racer that runs a 5-second pass on M/T 10.5W’s at this years Street Car Super 
Nationals VII… The pass has to be made during Qualifying or Elimination’s and must meet all the Pro Street Class requirements.
In 2010 Brad Personette shocked the world when he lit up the Las Vegas scoreboards with a 6.088/250.37 pass and reset the bar big time!! With the 150lb weight break for running a 10.5w tire in Pro Street, many teams with Extreme Combos feel confident that the quality of the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will make this the place to achieve the milestone!!
Street Car Super Nationals is a one of a kind event that brings racers from all across the US and Canada to race for some of the Largest Cash Purses in the sport!!! Then add in another $250,000.00 in posted Contingency and Bonus Awards and it’s a who’s who in the staging lanes. You will see champions past & present from the ADRL, IHRA, NSCA, NHRA, PSCA, Orlando, Shakedown @ E-town and many others at this race!!!
ADRL 2011 Driver Of The Year Cary Goforth Claims First Extreme Pro Stock World Championship
Courtesy of ADRL
O’FALLON, MO – Faced with numerous questions and debuting an entirely new crew, Extreme Pro Stock driver Cary 
Goforth made a resounding statement to open the 2011 American Drag Racing League (ADRL) season with a win at Royal Purple Raceway in March.
Goforth didn’t stop there, either.
The passionate and hard-working Goforth put together one of the finest seasons in XPS history, using that first-race momentum to win his first ADRL World Championship.
There was more for Goforth, too, as the talented Oklahoma native was also named the 2011 ADRL Driver of the Year in a year he won’t soon forget.
Eaton Products To Power Todd Robertson’s NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car
Courtesy of Pro Power Racing
MAUMEE, OH – Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation today announced its sponsorship of owner/driver Todd Robertson and his National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) Pro Power Racing team in its new Top
Alcohol Funny car class beginning February 2012.
A longtime supporter of competitive drag racing, Eaton will act as Robertson’s primary sponsor also providing product support to Pro Power Racing.
Robertson’s car has a Brad Hadman chassis with a Chevrolet Monte Carlo body and is equipped with Aeroquip Performance hoses and fittings for fuel, oil, vacuum and brake lines. Eaton will also support the team with toggle switches for electrical controls and data acquisition and tubing and fittings for fuel management.
“Todd’s racing ventures have been an effective marketing tool for Eaton for several years,” said Mike Rasnick, Eaton sales manager. “We are happy to help him take the leap into one of NHRA’s most competitive classes.”
Five-time world champion Coughlin announces return to Pro Stock
Courtesy of JEGS
LAS VEGAS, NV- Five-time world champion drag racer Jeg Coughlin Jr. used the main stage of the world-renowned 
SEMA show to announce a return to the NHRA’s Pro Stock class in 2012 behind the wheel of a JEGS.com and Mopar-sponsored Dodge Avenger, which will be powered by a 500 cubic inch HEMI motor built in-house at JNR Racing Engines.
Coughlin, along with engine builders Nick Ferri and Roy Simmons, have been working closely with motorsports experts at Chrysler Technology Center (CTC) for the past several months to prepare for a full-scale assault on the Full Throttle Championship.
“The adrenaline is definitely pumping,” Coughlin said. “The level of factory support Mopar is providing is fantastic and I think it’s going to be very special. The passion the CTC and Mopar folks have for drag racing and for taking the their brand to the top of the sport is invigorating. These guys and gals are on a mission and we’re thrilled to be working with them.
