STEVE TORRENCE TOP FUEL PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIER
CAPCO CONTRACTORS DRAGSTER 3.671 SEC., 326.48 MPH
NOTE: Reigning back-to-back Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence seeded himself provisionally No. 1 on Friday to kick off the NHRA Arizona Nationals.

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TULSA, OK – Dan Phelps wasn’t even on the grounds at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park when he clinched the 2019 Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Pro Mod Series Race Star Wheels Top Dragster championship.

“We had lost in the first round and it was cold and there was nothing more that I could do anyway, so my wife and I just decided to pack up and go home,” the Labadie, MO-based champ explains. “After qualifying I was 47 points ahead of Danny (Nelson), so at 20 points per round he had to at least win a semifinal to beat me.

“I was actually listening to the race on the Internet while we were getting fuel at a truck stop in Joplin, Missouri, and when Danny lost in the second round I knew no one else could catch me, so I hugged Melodie and congratulated her because she puts just as much into this as I do.”

Phelps missed attending the MWPMS season opener in Dallas, instead joining the seven-event tour in April at his home track, the Gateway facility near St. Louis, where in 2013 he suffered a serious blowover accident that led to the purchase of his current car, a 2014 Race Tech from Russ Farmer in North Carolina.

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The NMRA Ford Nationals is excited to release its 2020 all-Ford event schedule. Operating for over 20 years, the NMRA series is the largest and longest running Ford performance series in the world. For 2020, the schedule packs in championship drag racing, exciting Street Car Shootouts, Car Shows, Manufacturer’s Midways, and much more.

“The NMRA series has a lot to offer racers and fans in 2020 with the same line-up of awesome tracks as 2019, increasing the number of special attractions at each stop on the tour, and using unique formats at two of the six events,” said General Manager, Rollie Miller.

New for 2020 are compact race schedules for the NMRA Gateway Rumble, held at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (Madison, IL), and the NMRA Ford Motorsport Nationals that takes place at Maple Grove Raceway (Mohnton, PA). These events will run over the course of three days with the gates opening on Thursday, qualifying on Friday, and eliminations on Saturday.

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ST. LOUIS — John Force handled his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil / BlueDEF Chevrolet Camaro SS team to the No. 1 qualifier spot for the fourth time of the season Saturday night at the AAA Missouri NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. Teammate Austin Prock held onto the No. 3 spot with his Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist hot rod, and Robert Hight and the AAA Missouri team and Brittany Force with Advance Auto Parts will both start race day from fourth.

Sixteen-time Funny Car world champion, John Force strung together four quality passes through two days of qualifying at the Midwest Nationals that ended with his fourth No. 1 position of the season, 159th of his career and third at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Starting the day sitting in the No. 3 spot, Force kept his performance consistent handling his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil / BlueDEF Chevy Camaro SS to a 3.911-second pass, identical to his Friday night pass with a slightly faster speed of 328.22 mph. In the final qualifying session of the Midwest Nationals, Force handled his Chevy Camaro to a blistering 3.842-second pass at 334.40 mph.

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Dania Beach, FL – Competition Eliminator racer Ed Federkeil will be competing at the prestigious Chevrolet Performance Parts NHRA U.S. Nationals Labor Day weekend in Indianapolis to raise awareness and interest for the Hoods for Heroes organization and The Ronnie Thames Foundation.  Federkeil will be teaming up with sponsors E3 Spark Plugs and FireAde to run his Nickens Powered Dodge Avenger in one of the most competitive and diverse classes contested on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The former firefighter is using his racing career and sponsor relationships to shine a light on two very important charities.

Federkeil, a 33-year professional firefighter, knows the risks firefighters take every day to save lives.

“One of the risks we are now seeing are the effects of the protective hoods that firefighters wear absorbing all sorts of carcinogens and now firefighters are succumbing to cancer years later.  I recently lost a coworker and friend to this very disease. I am getting my sponsors together to team up to promote Hoods for Heroes to get as many firefighters as possible new particulate hoods which are made of barrier materials which shield firefighters from toxic particles.”

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ADEL, GA – A second evening of heavy pop-up rain storms forced Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) officials to push Saturday eliminations for the PDRA Summer Nationals Ignited by Lithium Pros Batteries into Sunday. Racing will resume at 9 a.m. at South Georgia Motorsports Park to complete the all-eighth-mile series’ fourth of eight races.

“We were all worried about the heat when we came to South Georgia in June, but this time of year also comes with these pop-up showers and thunderstorms,” said Tyler Crossnoe, race director, PDRA. “We hate to push things to Sunday. We know it’s a long drive for a lot of people. But Sunday is our rain date at the PDRA and we’re going to have to utilize it. We explored other options, such as pushing it to the next race, but we feel this is the best decision for the series.”

The series was preparing to go into the first round of eliminations for its professional categories after starting racing in the sportsman classes. Efforts to dry the track were stopped twice, leading race officials to push racing into Sunday.

“We’ll start at 9 a.m. with Pro Boost and continue through the first round of the rest of the pro classes,” Crossnoe said. “We’ll run it as fast as we can and we’ll wrap up by early afternoon as long as everything runs smoothly. We want to get teams on the road as soon as possible.”

The professional class low qualifiers going into Sunday eliminations are Daniel Pharris in Moroso Pro Boost, Randy Weatherford in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, John Montecalvo in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock, Walter Lanningan Jr. in Schwing America Pro Outlaw 632 presented by East Side Auto Transport, and Eric McKinney in Drag 965 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle.

Eliminations started in the PDRA’s sportsman classes: MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman, Top Sportsman 32, Lucas Oil Elite Top Dragster, Top Dragster 32, Coolshirt Pro Jr. Dragster presented by Knoxtown Products, Gilbert Motorsports Top Jr. Dragster and Edelbrock Bracket Bash.

Spectators who attended Saturday qualifying at the PDRA Summer Nationals can return for Sunday free of charge with a valid Saturday wristband. Otherwise, Sunday spectator passes will be available at the gate for $20.

NORWALK, OH – After two weeks off the tour Shane Tucker and the rest of his Pro Stock compatriots are ready to get back to racing action. This weekend Tucker will be wheeling his Auzmet/StructGlass Chevrolet Camaro onto the Summit Motorsports Park facility in search of his first win on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. The young Australian has expanded his program and is competing on the full NHRA Pro Stock schedule for the first time in his career.

“I really wanted to commit to running for the NHRA Mello Yello championship this season,” said Tucker. “The only way to do that is to attend every race on the tour. We missed Phoenix due to an engine issue but we are set for the rest of the season and I think we are continuing to improve every race.”

So far this season since Tucker has gotten his motor program under control with the assistance of world champion motor supplier Nick Ferri, Tucker has qualified for the last four Pro Stock races. His run of qualifying success also includes a quarterfinal finish at the historic Gatornationals in March.

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SONOMA, CA — Courtney Force raced her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car to her 10th No. 1 qualifier of the season Saturday at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway. John Force will start from the No. 9 position with his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil team and Robert Hight and the Auto Club of Southern California team will start from No. 11. In Top Fuel Britany Force and the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Monster Energy dragster will start from No. 5.

Courtney Force’s 10 No. 1 qualifiers ties the fourth most during one season in Funny Car history. It is also the most in the Funny Car category since 2000 when her dad, John Force, secured 11. Not to mention it is also the most No. 1 starts by a woman in any professional category.

“The credit is owed to my entire Advance Auto Parts team, every single crew guy who has been working on that race car doing such an incredible and consistent job on it, especially (co-crew chiefs) Brian Corradi and Dan Hood. It’s been a lot of fun for me to drive. They have that thing dialed in,” Force said.

Force secured the No. 1 spot off the efforts of her 3.910-second pass at 326.16 mph from Friday night’s session. Force has now tallied 27 No. 1 qualifiers in her career and two at Sonoma Raceway. She previously qualified in the top spot at the venue in 2014, doubling up with her sister Brittany Force who was No. 1 in Top Fuel, and went on to win the race.

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