NHRA
SIMONTON AND KON RODZ TAFC HITS PRE-SEASON TESTING
Courtesy of Kon Rodz Racing
Maple, Ont. – The winter months in The Great White North of Ontario, Canada are often cold, dark and dreary. 
However, the past six weeks have been hot, full of hard work and optimism for Spiro Kontos and his Maple, Ont. Kon Rodz Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team.
This weekend, they will head due-south to South George Motorsports Park located in Valdosta, Ga. to provide new crew chief Randy Anderson and second year driver Cassie Simonton an opportunity to fine-tune their new set up in a test session prior to their NHRA Season debut at the 43rd Tire Kingdom NHRA Gator Nationals.
The Kon Rodz Racing team made several wholesale changes in the off season, including acquiring the tuning talents of Anderson, the former two-time NHRA TAFC World Champion and NHRA Nitro Funny Car pilot.
During the cold and snowy months leading up to the 2011 season debut, the team spent countless hours preparing a new motor combination, adding new colors to the teams Monte Carlo body and new transporter. All the pieces are in place for a much improved 2011 campaign and team owner Kontos is chopping at the bit.
Johnny Ahten Exits Early With Satisfying Results in Pomona
Courtesy of Ahten Family Racing
Pomona, CA – With rain significantly changing qualifying attempts and eliminations in Phoenix and Pomona, Johnny 
Ahten and his team are still very happy with their end results.
Ahten’s team entered the gates to Pomona with a brand new fuel system and combination. At the end of their first round of eliminations, consultant, Don Jackson, and Crew Chief, Al Ahten, found that they had taken their Clean Boost Performance Oil / Island Renovations A/Fuel Dragster in the right direction.
“First round was our first planned full pass” noted Ahten, “The car was on a mid to high 5.20 pass according to the increments and started dropping holes around 900 feet. To say the least, we were very happy with those results with the little data we had acquired up to that point.
Chris Demke’s Consistency in Pomona Earns Semi Final Finish
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Pomona, CA – Pulling into the races with the #2 on your race car gives a whole new meaning to any race team. As 
friendly as all the racers are with each other in the pits, when it’s race day, they all want to be the team that puts the higher ranked team on the trailer.
There is no question that Maddern Racing, with pilot Chris Demke, have proven themselves to be a power house each and every time they compete. The Clean Boost Performance Oil / Peen Rite Dragster ran within .04 hundredths of a second all weekend with mid to high 5.20 passes that secured them into the #2 qualifying position for race day and took them into the Semi Final round of competition.
“In the semi final match, the car launched hard” noted Demke, “it lifted the front wheels up and started heading for the wall so I had to pedal the throttle to settle it down. The car did settle down, but the elapse time suffered and we ended up running an uncharacteristic pass of 6.322 at 156.23.
CONSISTANCY ON TAP FOR JACKSON RACING IN POMONA
Courtesy of Jackson Racing
Pomona, CA – After the first day of qualifying at the Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline, contested in Pomona, Calif., the Rick Jackson Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team is currently qualified in
the fifth position, after recording a conservative 5.623 second elapsed time at 262.23 miles per hour.
Coming off a highly disappointing first round exit at last week’s season opening and rain-delayed Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., the Jackson Racing team from Santa Clarita, Calif. is happy to return to the friendly confines of Auto Club Raceway at the historic Pomona Fairplex.
The same racetrack which yielded their 5.449 ET at last season’s World Finals and the same facility which provided Tony Bartone with his first 30th NHRA National Event Wally two years ago in his return to the TAFC division.
Johnny Ahten Optimistic For Success In Pomona
Courtesy of Athens Racing
Pomona, CA – Native Californian and Los Angeles County Fire Captain Johnny Ahten, pilot of the Clean Boost Performance Ahten Family Racing Dragster is more than ready to contest the 51st running of the Kragen – Oreilly
Auto Part NHRA Full Throttle Winternationals.
“Last weekend was our first division race in Phoenix” noted Ahten, “It was a long weekend with all of the rain and although we were qualified sixth as of Friday night, many of the members of our team had commitments that could not be rescheduled forcing us to leave prior to Monday‘s festivities.
“The weather this weekend is looking a bit sketchy as well, but we are at our home track and can make accommodations to do whatever it takes to compete in Pomona”.
Ahten gives special thanks to all of the members of his crew that help pull their racing efforts together: his Dad, Al Ahten, Howard Katano, Kevin “Shark” Colvell, Todd “Rocky” Rockwell, his uncle, Bob Ahten, and Co Crew Chief – Consultant, Don Jackson.
Chris Demke Looking to Defend 2010 Winternationals Championship
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Pomona, CA – The Top Alcohol Dragster Team of Maddern Racing with Chris Demke behind the wheel is ready for 
their first ever National Event Repeat Victory. The 2010 Winternationals Top Alcohol Dragster Champion team is based in Sun Valley, California and is looking forward to competing at their home track where family and friends can attend.
The 2011 Season started out on a high note for Demke’s Team. They powered their way to yet another #1 qualifying position leading into last weeks Division 7 2011 kick off race in Phoenix, Arizona. The team ran a very respectable 5.286 at 271.95 miles per hour.
Final Results from Gainesville Raceway LODRS Event
Gainesville, FL – Sunday was picture perfect weather for the final day at the Gainesville LODRS event. Over 434 cars would start eliminations in round 1. Flawless runs from all teams made for a quick day. The race ran without incident after seeing several oil downs and a Top Alcohol Dragster tire explosion that lead to a day of frustration for the teams and track crew.
Class winners:
Top Alcohol Dragster – Alvin Moser, Hilltown PA
Top Alcohol Funny Car – Wayner Morris, Lincoln University PA
Comp Elim – Jim Kimbrough, Pace FL
Super Stock – Peter Biondo, Maspeth NY
Stock – Dick Kincaid, Canton OH
Super Comp – Steve Mikus, Ashley MI
Super Gas – Peter Bionda, Maspeth NY
Super Street – Dave Connolly, Elyria, NY
Top Sportsman – Gilmer Hinshaw, Burlington NC
Top Dragster – Jason Hoff, Littlestown PA
10.0 Index – Vic Singer Jr, Summerfield FL
11.0 Index – Brian Radley, Belleview FL
12.0 Index – Jason Rollins, Alchua FL
Finals Pictures – click here
Final Round Results, all Classes – click here
DON “THE SNAKE” PRUDHOMME, KURT BUSCH TONIGHT ON WFORADIO
Courtesy of WFO
HOLLYWOOD, FL – Drag Racing legend, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and 2004 Cup Champion turned part-time NHRA Pro Stock driver, Kurt Busch will join Joe Castello along with the NHRA’s Alan Reinhart, live at 7 p.m. ET on WFO Radio NHRA Tuesday. To listen live or on-demand following the show, go to WFORadio.com.
“The Snake” stops by WFO Radio to talk about the 60th NHRA Winternationals where he will be honored by the NHRA Drag Racing community. Don will also discuss his venture into the Indy Car Series with longtime friend Chip Ganassi. Prudhomme gives a preview of “The Snake Pit”, a special collection of his classic race cars that will be present at the 60th Winternationals in Pomona, CA.
2011 Bud Shootout winner Kurt Busch took some time out from testing with NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson, to discuss his own test with his Mopar Dodge Avenger in Bradenton, FL, as well as, his preparation for his attempt to qualify for the upcoming Gatornationals. Kurt also discusses driving for Roger Penske and his attempt to win the 2011 Daytona 500.
Johnny Ahten Anticipates 2011 Racing Season
Courtesy of Ahten Family
Santa Clarita, CA – The off season has proven to be short for many NHRA Drag Racing Teams. Johnny Ahten, pilot of 
the Ahten Family Top Alcohol Dragster team is thrilled that the off season is rapidly coming to an end.
After finishing out the 2011 season placing 3rd within the 2010 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Pacific Division 7 points series, Ahten’s team is hoping to better that this year and they know with the competition, they have their work cut out for them.
“We were having some issues with our fuel system” noted Ahten, “that was causing us severe part carnage. We’ve consulted several crew chiefs, including Don Jackson. We changed some things around and are now armed with a new combination along with parts and we have high hopes moving into the new year.
LODRS Division Two 2011 Season Opener In the Books
Bradenton FL – Three days of great competition where capped off with the crowning of the first champions of the 2011 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at the season opener held at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
There were many hard fought battles and tons of close racing in all classes as over 380 competitors vied for victory in 13 classes.
Along with all of the regular classes for any LODRS event, NHRA division 2 director Rich Schafer took the advice of his track owners and operators to add the 10.0, 11.0 and 12.0 index classes from the popular NHRA Unleashed series.
The new index classes allow local bracket racers the opportunity to run for a coveted ‘Wally’ and a divisional championship.
