NHRA
HART, TODD, ANDERSON AND M. SMITH PICK UP WINS AT AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS TO OPEN 2021 NHRA CAMPING WORLD DRAG RACING SERIES SEASON
GAINESVILLE, FL – Rookie Josh Hart won in his Top Fuel debut on Sunday, powering to the victory at the season-opening 52nd annual 
AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in his first career NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series start.
J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won in their respective categories at the first race of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
Hart, an Ocala, Fla. native, became the first driver to win in their first NHRA start since the late Darrell Russell did it 20 years ago to open the 2001 season, going 3.826-seconds at 323.66 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Burnyzz/Technet dragster to beat Shawn Langdon in the final round. Hart reached the final round thanks to victories against Clay Millican, three-time defending world champ Steve Torrence and Justin Ashley, staying in the low 3.80s in the second and third rounds. He was spectacular on the starting line in the final round and cruised to the historic win at his home track to become the 110th driver to win in Top Fuel.
S. TORRENCE, CAPPS, ANDERSON AND SAMPEY GRAB NO. 1 SPOTS AT AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, FL – Steve Torrence maintained his top spot in Top Fuel on Saturday, as the three-time defending NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series world champ qualified No. 1 at the season-opening 52nd annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.
Ron Capps (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the first race of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
Torrence qualified No. 1 for the 28th time in his career after his impressive run of 3.699-seconds at 324.90 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster from Friday held up. After a string of three straight dominant seasons, Torrence appeared to keep his momentum going to open 2021. He will take on Joe Morrison to open eliminations, looking to repeat his Gainesville triumph from last season.
CAPPS, TORRENCE, ENDERS, SAMPEY PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIERS TO OPEN 2021 NHRA CAMPING WORLD DRAG RACING SERIES AT AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, FL – Even with two new crew chiefs, Ron Capps started his 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season on a high 
note on Friday, powering to the provisional No. 1 spot in qualifying in Funny Car at the season-opening 52nd annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.
Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the first race of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
Capps put together a pass of 3.895-seconds at 329.02 mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. It would be the former world champ’s 26th career No. 1 qualifier if it holds, and a noteworthy one after longtime crew chief Rahn Tobler retired in the off-season. Capps is working with Dean Antonelli and John Medlen in 2021, a pair of proven crew chiefs in the Don Schumacher Racing camp who helped send Capps to the top on Friday.
BACK-TO-BACK E3 SPARK PLUGS NHRA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES CHAMP STEVIE “FAST” JACKSON LOOKS FOR FIRST WIN IN GAINESVILLE
GAINESVILLE, FL – It’s been a spectacular run the last two seasons for Stevie “Fast” Jackson, as the fan-favorite driver has picked up back-to-back world titles in the highly competitive E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service.
The magnitude of that accomplishment isn’t lost on Jackson, who has won six races and advanced to 10 finals over the past two years. He’s excelled in his blown Bahrain 1 Racing Chevrolet Camaro, but Jackson isn’t taking that success for granted heading into this weekend’s season opener as part of the 52nd annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at historic Gainesville Raceway.
“It’s been very special, but the pressure is real to try and have a three-peat,” Jackson said. “We keep trying to go faster and there’s a lot of pressure. You don’t want to disappoint our fans, so it’s all hands on deck trying to win three in a row. Like always, we’re going to keep trying to come up with ways to make our program better.”
ERICA ENDERS AND MATT SMTIH START NHRA CAMPING WORLD DRAG RACING SERIES TITLE DEFENSES AT AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, FL – Erica Enders made more history a year ago by becoming the first female in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series history to win four world titles. It was the second straight Pro Stock championship for Enders, who now has a goal to try and win three in a row and claim an impressive fifth world title.
A great start at this weekend’s 52nd annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at historic Gainesville Raceway would be ideal, especially considering it’s one of the few facilities where Enders, a 29-time event winner, hasn’t won in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. Knowing the rich history the race has, it’s something she hopes to change.
“It’s definitely a cool time,” Enders said. “I’m really excited to head to Gainesville. It’s a really prestigious race, right up there with Indy. I’ve been a runner-up at Gainesville three times and never won, so I’m hopeful to check that off my bucket list. There’s no better time than now. We’ve got a great group and we’re going to give it our all. I’m excited about it.”
NHRA CAMPING WORLD DRAG RACING SERIES NITRO STARS EAGER TO START 2021 SEASON AT AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, FL – Steve Torrence’s first win in Gainesville came a year ago and helped him to his third straight NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series world title. With the race back in its traditional spot, the Top Fuel star will look to start his 2021 season impressively at this weekend’s 52nd annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at historic Gainesville Raceway.
The race took place in September last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Torrence delivered a strong showing, winning the race while sporting a Don Garlits throwback look in his Capco Contractors 11,000-horsepower dragster. With the historic nature of the race, Torrence is just as motivated for a repeat performance this weekend.
“Everybody is on this team because they want to win and they want to do well,” Torrence said. “The more you do well, the more it motivates you. In this group, we consistently want to do better and accomplish more. We’re always pushing. That was instilled in me by my father and everyone on this team shares the same mindset.”
Limited Number of Tickets Remain for Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
Norwalk, OH – The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals is one of the most popular and prominent annual events at Summit 
Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
Race fans are fascinated by the fast times and awed by the action year after year in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Mod and other categories.
And now, preparations are underway for this year’s event, the 15th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, June 24-27. Nighttime qualifying for the enthralling NHRA categories that Friday will take things up a notch, and a full fireworks show and flames flying from Bob Motz’s jet engine-powered truck will put the exclamation mark on the evening.
When the global pandemic caused the cancellation of last year’s event, Summit Motorsports Park promised fans that their tickets would be honored at this year’s event. That, coupled with statewide capacity limits currently in place, means that a limited number of tickets are available for fans who don’t already have them.
Mickey Thompson Back as NHRA Major Event Sponsor for 2021
STOW, OH – With a proven legacy in drag racing, it’s no surprise that Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels is back as a major event sponsor of 
the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.
“For more than 20 years, drag racing has been an important part of what we do, and who we are,” said Ken Warner, Vice President of Marketing, Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels. “We offer a complete line of competition tires for racers, and we look forward to an exciting 2021 NHRA season.”
In addition to continuing its role as a contingency sponsor for all NHRA sportsman racing and Pro Mod classes, the company will also attend all national events with the fully equipped Mickey Thompson trailer to provide trackside support to racers throughout the 2021 season.
The NHRA season begins March 11-14 with the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fl. To see the full schedule of 2021 NHRA events, go to www.nhra.com.
After Positive Renewal Period NHRA FallNationals Tickets on Sale Now
ENNIS, TX – The continuing positive developments across the state of Texas have Texas Motorplex, home of the NHRA FallNationals, eager 
to host fans from across the country. Since the beginning of the year FallNationals preferred customers have been renewing their seats for one of the biggest motorsports events in the state and last year’s largest NHRA national event. Today tickets for the 36th annual NHRA FallNationals went on sale to the general public, for the national event slated to be contested, October 7-10. The fourth of six Countdown championship playoff events, the FallNationals, is where title hopes are on the line and championship aspirations become a reality.
“Last year we overcame a lot of hurdles to get to the FallNationals. That race was one of the biggest outdoor events in the state and I could not be prouder of how our whole team pulled together with the NHRA,” said Texas Motorplex General Manager Andy Carter. “We saw an incredible renewal rate and we are excited to start making tickets available to the general public. Once again we will have the top NHRA competitors in almost every premier class, plus our Friday Night Live show and many more extra family-friendly add-on elements. Coming to the FallNationals will be more than a playoff race it will be a full blown entertainment experience for everyone.”
The NHRA FallNationals will feature the four top-tier categories competing in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series highlighted by Top Fuel and Funny Car stars like John Force, Brittany Force, three-time Top Fuel champion and Kilgore, Texas resident Steve Torrence, Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, J.R. Todd, Shawn Langdon, Alexis DeJoria and 2020 Rookie of the Year Justin Ashley. Additionally Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors like Erica Enders, Alex Laughlin, Greg Anderson, Matt and Angie Smith, Scotty Pollacheck, Angelle Sampey will also be battling for the Camping World Drag Racing Series world championships. Pro Mods, Factory Stock and a host of Lucas Oil Series sportsman categories will also be on the property.
Additionally the NHRA FallNationals will feature the return of the “Friday Night Live” which will include Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying under the lights as well as specialty exhibition races and the popular Friday Night Live After Party on the starting line with Laney Newman.
At the end of the month Texas Motorplex will kick off their major event schedule with the inaugural Nitro Madness event which is shaping up to be one of the largest Funny Car events in the last 50 years. Over 60 competitors have entered with additional competitors reaching out to Funny Car Chaos promoter Chris Graves every day. The event will be held Match 26-27 with tickets on sale now.
Texas Motorplex was the first all-concrete stadium-style drag racing facility constructed. Built in 1986, Texas Motorplex has been the place of many drag racing milestones and world record performances. The Billy Meyer-owned facility hosts a number of racing and car show events between January and November each year and also features the Champion’s Club – an 11,000 square-foot facility – that serves fully catered events throughout the year.
Fans can order tickets at www.texasmotorplex.com or call 800-MOTORPLEX.
NHRA ANNOUNCES DODGE//SRT AS TITLE SPONSOR OF DENVER, INDIANAPOLIS EVENTS; MOPAR EXPRESS LANE TO SPONSOR READING RACE
GLENDORA, CA – NHRA officials announced Mopar and Dodge//SRT as the title rights sponsors of the Dodge//SRT Mile-High NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, the prestigious Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.
These three events will take place this season as NHRA celebrates its 70th anniversary.
“We’re excited and honored to have Dodge//SRT expand their ongoing support of our series, competitors and fans with the addition of title sponsorship of our most prestigious event during our 70th anniversary season, the newly named Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals,” said Glen Cromwell, NHRA President. “It is a testament to their decades-long commitment to both motorsports and automotive enthusiasts to have Dodge//SRT and Mopar remain an intricate part of the fabric that makes up our history.”
