Maddern Racing
Demke in Search of Elusive First Kansas Nationals Win
TOPEKA, KS – Former Top Alcohol Dragster world champion Chris Demke and his Maddern Racing team are more 
than ready to dust off the cobwebs after over a month off since their last race. The SoCal team is making the tow out to Heartland Park Topeka for the NHRA Kansas Nationals, May 20-22, a race where Demke has been to the finals four times in his career.
“I have been to the final round and lost at Topeka more times than I want to talk about. The fact that the track wasn’t on the schedule at the beginning of the season had our team bummed. We usually go to this race but we’ve never been able to win the national event. For as many times as we’ve been here, I would’ve expected that record to be better. We’re excited to have at least one more chance to win a national event Wally at Topeka,” Demke said.
Demke Racing in Memory of Fallen Friend at Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS – Like everyone else in the NHRA community, Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Chris Demke enters this 
weekend’s Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals with a heavy heart after the unexpected loss of friend and NHRA Chief Starter Mark Lyle earlier this week. Demke and his Maddern Racing team will race this weekend in Lyle’s memory.
“Lyle and our team go way back. We knew him back when he was the Division 6 starter. We hung out with him on and off the track. We were really excited when he was promoted to NHRA Chief Starter. He was one of the good guys. He did his job and he did it very well. You could always trust Mark to tell you what was going on. He would have the track properly prepared. He will be sadly missed. Such a tragedy and a surprise. Lyle was the man,” Demke said of his late friend.
Demke Adds to Phoenix History with Regional Event Runner-Up
CHANDLER, AZ – Chris Demke added to his colorful Phoenix history last weekend when he raced to another final 
round at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park’s NHRA regional event. The California native qualified No. 1 and lost a close final round to blown alcohol rival Joey Severance.
Demke’s qualifying effort, highlighted with a 5.255/274 MPH best, was a confidence boost for the team as they move on through 2016 without a key former crew member.
“It wasn’t a show stopper, but it certainly gave our team confidence and proved to the rest of the teams that we are still a major contender without (former tuner) Adam Rhoades’ help.”
Quick Rebound on Demke’s Mind at Phoenix Regional
CHANDLER, AZ – Top Alcohol Dragster hitter Chris Demke, who typically starts off the season strong at the NHRA 
Winternationals, is eager to move on after a first-round loss at the season opener last month. The Maddern Racing driver will have his chance this weekend at the NHRA Lucas Oil Series regional event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix.
“We had some issues with tire shake at the Winternationals that caused us to go into first round with a tune-up that was too conservative. I’m fairly certain we know the solution to the problem, so I’m just anxious to get back on the track so we can prove it,” noted Demke, a three-time event champion at Phoenix.
Demke Out Early at NHRA Season Opener
POMONA, CA – For just the third time in the last six years, Chris Demke left Auto Club Raceway without the Circle 
K NHRA Winternationals Wally. A first-round loss certainly isn’t the way Demke and his Maddern Racing team hoped to start off their 2016 season, but the SoCal team knows why they went out early and will take the proper steps to prevent future E1 losses.
Demke’s Winternationals weekend started on a positive note when he drove the Peen Rite dragster to the provisional number five position with a strong 5.263 ET at 275 MPH. Tire shake-plagued runs followed on the other two qualifying attempts, leaving Demke to enter eliminations from the sixth spot. He faced Boost Performance Products teammate Johnny Ahten.
“Having to pedal on the last two qualifying runs put us behind the curve on what was necessary to run aggressively first round. We put a tune-up in the car for E1 that we knew would get down the track and we flat-out got beat. Hat’s off to Johnny Ahten for stepping up and running his best ET in that particular car. Johnny is a tough character and we didn’t take him lightly; we were just trying to get down the track without any problems and ended up losing.
Demke Chasing Fifth NHRA Winternationals Victory
POMONA, CA – Just as he finished last season, Chris Demke will kick off this 2016 season at Auto Club Raceway at 
Pomona with his usual positive demeanor. The Circle K NHRA Winternationals, February 11-14, is a big race for Demke and his Maddern Racing team, who have won the season-opening race in four of the last six years. It’s a clean slate; everyone’s first stop in the pursuit of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster world championship.
“The Winternationals is always an important race because it’s the first race of the season. If you can do well here, it gives your team great momentum going in to the early part of the season. Fortunately for our team, we’ve won the Wtinernatiaonls the last two years and four total. I have great memories at the Winternationals. My first national event win was at the 50th anniversary Winternationals in 2010. It’s the race where I’ve had the most success,” said Demke, who lives nearby in Valencia.
Demke Finishes 2015 Season No. 2 in NHRA TA/D National Points
POMONA, CA – Defending NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster national champion Chris Demke completed his 2015 season 
at last weekend’s Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway. The local favorite bowed out in an uncharacteristic first-round loss and watched as rival Joey Severance went on to win the 2015 national championship title.
Demke qualified fifth in one of the most impressive national event fields in history with a stout 5.261 et. The Peen Rite team’s defense strategy was already foiled at that point, as Severance qualified on the opposite side of the ladder, meaning Demke couldn’t prevent him from reaching the final round and winning the championship.
Demke’s Championship Defense Comes Down to NHRA Finals at Pomona
POMONA, CA – Just one race, the 51st Annual Auto Club NHRA Finals, remains in Chris Demke’s Top Alcohol 
Dragster national championship defense season. Held this weekend at the home track of Demke and his Maddern Racing team, Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the Finals is Demke’s last chance at successfully defending his championship. He is in true defense mode this weekend, as all he can do is block rival Joey Severance from winning the 2015 title.
“We have our work cut out for us, but so does Joey,” Demke admitted. “We can’t claim points at any more races; all we can do is block Joey and hope that we meet up with him in the semifinals or earlier. If he makes it to the final round he wins it all. It’s a tall order at the Finals because there are a lot of strong cars entered for this weekend. I’m hoping for a semifinal matchup with Joey. If I have to pair up with him at any time, a semifinal pairing would make for a great story, win or lose.”
Dallas Runner-Up Chris Demke Chasing Second National Championship at NHRA Toyota Nationals
LAS VEGAS – The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has never been a particularly successful track for Chris Demke 
and the Maddern Racing Top Alcohol Dragster team. The defending NHRA Lucas Oil Series national champion will need to change that at the NHRA Toyota Nationals this weekend, though, as he’s in a tight points battle with Joey Severance, who is known to nearly dominate The Strip.
“Even Jim Whiteley pointed that out to me after Dallas, and I responded with, ‘Who won the last NHRA event at Las Vegas? Who stopped Joey’s streak?’ Well, that was the Peen Rite/Boost Performance Products dragster. We just want to pick up where we left off. We don’t typically do as well as we’d like there, but our backs are against the wall. We’ll see how it goes,” Demke said.
Demke Still Fighting for National Championship at NHRA Fall Nationals
ENNIS, TX – Chris Demke’s NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster national championship defense season takes him and the 
Peen Rite/Boost Performance Products team to the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals near Dallas this weekend. The Californian group has their sights set on the event win, which would come with a customary Stetson cowboy hat and, more importantly, a boost in the national points standings.
“I went to Norwalk with the goal of winning the race as well as the billet ice cream scooper that is awarded to each winner of that race. Now I’m coming after the custom cowboy hat given to the winners at the Fall Nationals,” said Demke, who is currently second in Lucas Oil Series points. “While a cowboy hat might not fit my look, I’m sure it will fit one of our crew members just fine.”
