IHRA
Overflow crowd watch records fall, winners crowned at San Antonio Nitro Jam
Courtesy of IHRA
SAN ANTONIO, TX – They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that goes double for the racing.
In front of one of the largest crowds to ever watch a race at San Antonio Raceway, records fell by the wayside and a
number of new winners emerged from the shadows to lay claim to an IHRA Nitro Jam trophy and take home a victory during the finale of the San Antonio Nitro Jam Saturday night in Marion.
Among the winner’s of Saturday’s huge show were new champions Rick Krafft in Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car and Randal Andras in Nitro Harley, while Bobby Lagana Jr. picked up a win in Top Fuel and Chris Bennett (Nostalgia Fuel Altered) and Michael Manners (Pro Fuel) swept their respective categories in front of an overflow crowd.
A capacity crowd was on hand to see Nitro Jam’s best at the San Antonio Nitro Jam Saturday in Marion
Litton, Bennett, Manners and Turner all visit victory lane
Courtesy of IHRA
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (April 1, 2011) – It appears Nitro Jam’s newest rivalry has been born.
For the fourth time in the last five finals Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car competitors Peter Gallen and Mike McIntire met 
in the final of the eight-car Funny Car class and for the fourth time this season Gallen took home the win needing a new Nitro Jam best run to lay claim to his 11th career Ironman trophy Friday at the San Antonio Nitro Jam in Texas.
“Mike and those guys are a world class group and it is an honor to get a chance to race them for the win,” Gallen said. “Those guys are giving it their all so we knew we needed to match that intensity to take home this trophy. We also had to fight a rapidly cooling track which these guys did an awesome job of keeping up with. This was a big win for us and we look forward to seeing what we can do tomorrow.”
Lagana crew comes to rescue of fellow racer
Courtesy of IHRA
SAN ANTONIO, TX – Bobby Lagana Jr. and Mike McIntire have never met on the racetrack, but that didn’t stop Lagana from racing to McIntire’s side in his time of need.
Following last weekend’s Arizona Nitro Jam in Tucson, many of the top teams on the Nitro Jam tour began their trek back east to the San Antonio Nitro Jam this weekend in Texas. But while many of the teams made it to San Antonio Raceway earlier this week without a problem, McIntire and the “McAttack” Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car team weren’t so lucky.
Just a few miles across the Texas border in El Paso, McIntire’s race rig suffered a catastrophic failure and the team was left stranded still some 600 miles from their destination.
Not knowing exactly who to call, McIntire called Top Fuel star Lagana who was already in San Antonio and asked for some advice. Not long after Lagana’s crewman Bob Szelag was on his way to El Paso to pick up McIntire’s race rig and bring it the nearly 18-hour trip back to San Antonio.
Cherissa Smallwood Looking for First Iron Man Victory in The Alamo
Courtesy of Nitro and Lace
San Antonio, TX – The NitroandLace.com Pro Fuel Dragster Team is traveling more than 1200 miles this weekend 
from their Florida home to compete in one of the largest United States landmark cities, The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas.
In 11 years of competition within the injected nitro dragster class, this is the first time that Smallwood will pilot her dragster at an IHRA Sanctioned Event within the State of Texas.
“We are very fortunate to be on the IHRA Nitro Jam Tour and invited to so many great tracks” noted Smallwood, “we’ve been looking forward to coming to San Antonio all year. In addition to racing history, this city has an incredible place in US History that makes it even more exciting for us to be here.
Perfect forecast helping fuel one of the largest advance sales in Nitro Jam history
Courtesy of IHRA
SAN ANTONIO, TX – It appears the IHRA isn’t the only one excited to be returning to San Antonio this weekend.
In advance of one of the largest Nitro Jam events of the year, a 
staggering amount of tickets have already been sold making this weekend’s San Antonio Nitro Jam one of the largest advance sales in history. And when you add in the near perfect forecast for the weekend, IHRA Nitro Jam officials are predicating one of the biggest weekends ever when the fastest cars in the world take to the track at San Antonio Raceway this Friday and Saturday.
“When we added San Antonio to the schedule late last year we knew it would be a big event, but you never know exactly how big something like this will be until you get there,” said Nitro Jam President Aaron Polburn. “To see this many people already lining up to see Nitro Jam’s return to Texas with the new format and all of the new classes is exciting. Fans are in for a real treat as we present them with some of the best nitro racing on the planet and a huge show to boot. I can’t wait.”
Quarter-mile nitro racing is back at San Antonio Raceway
Courtesy of IHRA
SAN ANTONIO, TX – It has been three long years since the sights, sounds and smells of the world’s fastest and most 
exciting motorsports event filled the lanes at San Antonio Raceway.
But after a long wait, fans of nitro-powered drag racing entertainment are finally going to get what they have been craving when the IHRA Nitro Jam series returns to the Alamo City for two days of over-the-top drag racing April 1-2 at the San Antonio Nitro Jam right in the heart of racing country.
Armed with a brand new racing format, all-new classes, more nitro-powered drag racing than ever before and the only quarter-mile Top Fuel racing in the country, Nitro Jam is ready to put on show like never before with a Texas-sized lineup awaiting Nitro Jam fans this weekend.
East coast cars dominate Arizona Nitro Jam Finale
Courtesy of IHRA
TUCSON, AZ – What exactly is the definition of irony? Just ask Peter Gallen.
Traveling nearly 2,000 miles from his home in Pennsylvania to be in Arizona for the Arizona Nitro Jam, Gallen had
high hopes that the weekend would be filled with hotly contested laps against some of the best west coast racers around.
Instead, Gallen found himself in Saturday’s final racing against a man who calls Ohio home as two of the best Prostalgia Nitro Funny cars from the east duked it out in Saturday’s Arizona Nitro Jam finale with Gallen coming away a winner and setting a new national record in the process to claim the Ironman trophy in front of a capacity crowd at Nitro Jam’s debut event at Southwestern International Raceway.
“I think we actually discovered the definition of irony this evening. We came out here obviously to support the IHRA, but we also came out here to see what these west coast guys that we have heard about for so many years are really all about,” Gallen said. “Instead we ended up racing Mike (McIntire) in the final. I guess it is what it is. It is a win and we will certainly take it.”
Nitro Jam’s Arizona debut plays to standing room only crowd
Courtesy of IHRA
TUCSON, Ariz. (March 25, 2011) – It was glorious day at Southwestern International Raceway on Friday.
Not only were the stands packed full with fans eager to enjoy Nitro Jam’s brand of motorsports entertainment, but another day – James Day to be exact – stole the show with a big win in the Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car “Duel in the Desert” Friday in Tucson, a win he was proud to dedicate to ill car owner Dale Pulde.
“It is an honor just to be asked to drive this car for Dale, but to win in this thing is like a dream come true,” Day said, eagerly grasping his brand new Ironman trophy. “This is a legendary car and it drove like a legend tonight. All I have to say is this win is for Dale who is still recovering. Hopefully this trophy will help him feel a bit better.”
Lagana on display as excitement builds for Arizona Nitro Jam debut
Courtesy of IHRA
TUCSON, AZ – Defending Nitro Jam Top Fuel champion Bobby Lagana Jr. and his Lucas Oil Top Fuel team were spotted all across 
Tucson on Thursday to help promote the inaugural Arizona Nitro Jam this Friday and Saturday at Southwestern International Raceway.
Lagana, who unveiled a brand new Lucas Oil sponsorship on Thursday with all new team uniforms and a new wrap which he will debut on Friday at the Arizona Nitro Jam, had his Top Fuel dragster on display at several locations across the city, culminating with a stop at Miller’s Surplus where local television, newspaper and ESPN radio were on hand to talk about the race.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be in Tucson this weekend to put on a show for the Arizona fans. We have a brand new sponsor and we are excited to begin our partnership with Lucas Oil with a good showing this weekend,” Lagana said. “This is a huge event for us and for Nitro Jam and we are glad to be a part of it. I expect a huge turnout and some great racing this Friday and Saturday.”
Legendary ‘Jungle Jim’ Funny Car returns at San Antonio Nitro Jam
Courtesy of IHRA
SAN ANTONIO, TX – It is one of the most popular and well known race machines in drag racing’s storied past and it will once again power down the quarter-mile against a field of eight of the toughest Prostalgia Nitro Funny Cars in the
land at the San Antonio Nitro Jam April 1-2 at San Antonio Raceway.
The legendary “Jungle Jim” Camaro will return to competition the first weekend in April during the IHRA Nitro Jam series’ return to San Antonio for two thrilling days of drag racing competition. And the man filling the shoes of the “Jungle Jim” cars namesake is no other than Jon Capps, brother of NHRA competitor Ron Capps.
“I am really looking forward to this event. This is the hometown for car owner Henry Gutierrez and we are both excited to get out there and put on a show,” Capps said. “It will be a great show and, as always, the ‘Jungle Jim’ car won’t disappoint.”
