TOPEKA, KS – Three-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown enjoyed a monumental day at Heartland Motorsports Park, picking up his first win as a team owner with his memorable triumph on Sunday at the 33rd annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor.

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 14th of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Facing off with four-time defending world champion Steve Torrence in the final round, Brown powered to a run of 3.902-seconds at 309.49 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster to earn his 69th career victory and first since the third race of the 2021 season, snapping a 30-race winless streak in the process. It’s also his first since he became a team owner this year, as Brown put together a strong day that started with round wins against points leader Brittany Force in a first-round thriller, Josh Hart, and Justin Ashley, setting up the marquee matchup with Torrence. Brown had the starting-line advantage and enjoyed a wire-to-wire win, setting off a huge celebration for the longtime star.

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TOPEKA, KS – Bob Tasca III powered to the No. 1 qualifying spot for the second straight race on Saturday at Heartland Motorsports Park, securing the top position in Funny Car at the 33rd annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor.

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 14th of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Tasca’s run of 3.930-seconds at 323.81 mph in his 11,000-horsepower BG Products Ford Mustang held up from Friday, giving the veteran his ninth career No. 1 qualifier in the process. He’ll look for his second win in three races on Sunday, as well as his first career victory in Topeka, entering eliminations with plenty of momentum. In addition to Friday’s run, Tasca made the best run of Saturday’s two sessions to close out qualifying, going a stout 3.940 at 322.96 to end the day on another huge positive.

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TOPEKA, KS – Top Fuel standout Mike Salinas closed out Friday at Heartland Motorsports Park with the top run of the night, racing to the provisional No. 1 spot at the 33rd annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor.

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 14th of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Racing next to points leader Brittany Force on the final run of the evening, it was Salinas who had the top performance of the opening round of qualifying, delivering a strong pass of 3.754-seconds at 323.19 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Pep Boys dragster. If it holds, it would give Salinas, who has four wins this season, his third No. 1 qualifier in 2022 and 11th in his career. Salinas led the points for a two-race stretch earlier this summer before Force jumped back in the lead, and the veteran is trying to close the gap again this weekend in Topeka.

“The way we’re doing this, we’re taking it one round at a time and not getting too far ahead of ourselves,” Salinas said. “There’s a lot of racing ahead of us and a lot of great teams. You can just see the cars getting closer and closer. Tomorrow is going to be awesome. Our cars love the heat and we’re getting ready for Sunday. It’s going to be a dogfight and it’s anybody’s race out there. All the Top Fuel cars are so close here.”

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TOPEKA, KS –  Pro Stock Motorcycle will make its first appearance at Heartland Motorsports Park since 1997 for this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals, meaning Joey Gladstone will race in Topeka for the first time in the class.

But Gladstone has enjoyed at least one other significant first lately, picking up his first career NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series victory last month in Sonoma. After two weeks off, Pro Stock Motorcycle is back in action at Topeka’s House of Speed and Gladstone is ready to keep the momentum going on his J&A Service Suzuki Hayabusa.

The victory brought him within two points of leader Angelle Sampey and after a series of near-misses this year, including back-to-back runner-up showings before Sonoma, the win might have opened the floodgates for more Gladstone success in 2022.

“Going to all these finals and losing, you wonder if it’s ever meant to be, but then you win and it makes all that sacrifice worth it,” Gladstone said. “It means more than you could ever imagine. (Sonoma) was just the start for us. We’re hungrier and we’re going to stand on it a little bit and try to get this championship. Now that the monkey (of getting a first win) is off my back, we’re going after the big one and trying to win a championship.”

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The weekend will feature free parking for fans, as well as special attractions like the NHRA Concert Series, bonus sportsman events and autograph sessions

INDIANAPOLIS – Along with the incredible racing action from the stars in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series at the biggest race of the year, the prestigious 68th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals on Aug. 31-Sept. 5 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is set to feature a multitude of special events.

The specialty Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout in both Top Fuel and Funny Car and eliminations on Labor Day are a big part of the must-see weekend, but the Big Go lives up to its name with a host of attractions like the NHRA Concert Series, the bonus Dodge HEMI Challenge and JEGS Allstars for sportsman racers, a full slate of racing across every category, autograph sessions, the SealMaster track walk, free parking for all fans at IRP and much more.

Drivers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which features some of the sport’s top racers, and the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon will all look to become winners at the prestigious event. A year ago, Jeffery Barker picked up his first win in the Pro Mod class at Indy. The fastest Super Stock cars will challenge for ultimate bragging rights and a bonus purse during the popular Dodge HEMI Challenge as well.

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CONCORD, NC – As the NHRA’s best drivers prepare for a pivotal Countdown to the Championship showdown at zMAX Dragway on Sept. 23-25, officials have announced that the event will have a new name. Betway, a global betting and gaming brand, has signed on as the entitlement sponsor for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

The second race in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series’ six-event Countdown to the Championship brings cooler fall temperatures to the lightning-fast drag strip – providing the potential for track-record speeds when nitro-powered Top Fuel and Funny Car machines scorch zMAX Dragway’s pavement in search of a coveted Countdown triumph.

“When you can parlay the visceral on-track NHRA experience and unparalleled access to the drivers, cars and teams, the payout is a great weekend for the fans,” said Charlotte Motor Speedway executive vice president and general manager Greg Walter. “Bringing on board a global partner like Betway, which shares our focus on putting fans first and providing a best-in-class experience, everyone wins big.”

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TOPEKA, KS – A perfect finish to the Western Swing has Top Fuel’s Tony Schumacher on the right track and that could be dangerous for the rest of the loaded class heading into this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park.

Schumacher won in Seattle two weeks ago, erasing some early-season struggles for a team that appears to be coming together at the right time. That has the eight-time Top Fuel world champ excited for his first appearance in Topeka since the 2018 campaign, as the longtime star returned to full-time racing this year. There were some early bumps in the road, but as Schumacher and his team showed in Seattle, this team may be primed for a run at another world title as the Countdown to the Championship approaches.

He holds the track record for the quickest pass at Topeka’s House of Speed and a 2010 win at the facility, and Schumacher, who has 86 career victories, will try to add another this weekend in his 11,000-horsepower Scag Top Fuel dragster, knowing full well the importance of this stage of the season.

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The Big Go will also feature the thrilling Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout specialty race in both Top Fuel and Funny Car

INDIANAPOLIS – The event drag racing fans and drivers have waited for all season, the prestigious 68th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, is set to take place on Aug. 31-Sept. 5 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and there’s plenty in store on the sport’s grandest stage.

The biggest, longest, and most historic event in drag racing is set to be one to remember with action across several categories, the specialty Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, special concerts throughout the weekend and thrilling bonus events like the Dodge HEMI Challenge and JEGS Allstars for sportsman racers. Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is also welcoming fans to the Big Go with free parking throughout the entire race weekend.

It is the 16th of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, as well as the final race before the Countdown to the Championship, and there’s nothing like winning a Wally on Labor Day Monday at the Big Go.

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