Kane Kern adds to his impressive racing resume during the 2025 WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance

MONTGOMERY, AL – As a seasoned racer at only sixteen years old, Kane Kern has skillfully stacked numerous accolades throughout his ten years of driving experience. Equipped with an instinctual talent, eagerness to learn, and a work ethic for success, it was only a matter of time before the Louisiana native etched his name into the history books. During the 2025 WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance, the soft-spoken teenager would cross two items off his junior dragster career checklist: becoming a World Champion and winning a $10,000 purse.

Similar to many others in the sport, Kern was introduced to drag racing by his father, Coty, and the father-son duo won their first track championships the same year. Eventually, the focus of the racing program shifted to Kane, who now handles all the driving duties. The pair meticulously tracks their racing program, and the data reveal that Kern has earned final-round appearances in 74% of the events he has entered and has amassed 99 wins out of 246 events. Before the WDRA World Championship, his impressive racing resume includes eight track championships, five series championships, one Louisiana state championship, one NHRA Division 4 championship, one IHRA Division 4 championship, and one NHRA Western Conference championship. Continue reading →

Mattera swept the season with victories at the 2025 WDRA Summit Bracket Finals and World Championships

MONTGOMERY, AL – A common theme throughout drag racing is how often fellow competitors become like family through their shared passion for the sport. For the newly named 2025 WDRA Summit No Box World Champion, Bobby Mattera, his biological family is also ingrained throughout the staging lanes. Mattera became casually involved in drag racing shortly after graduating high school, thanks to the introduction from his oldest brother, Joey.

After a few years of racing, including a Super Pro Track Championship in 1991, Mattera hung up his helmet in 2001 when his twin daughters, Allyson and Megan, were born prematurely. He admits he never planned on getting back behind the wheel, but in 2013, he was offered an opportunity to drive a Buick Opel, which eventually found its way into the most prestigious winner’s circle a dozen years later.

He explained, “My youngest brother, Danny, was driving the Opel for a friend of his named Joe Brown. They were going to buy a 1968 Camaro, so they asked if I would have any interest in driving the Opel, and I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ They were going to pay for everything, and we would split whatever I won. I drove it for two years for them, and in 2015, I ended up buying the car.” Continue reading →

Newberry wheeled his reliable dragster into the winner’s circle during the 2025 WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance

MONTGOMERY, AL – Unlike other drivers who are accustomed to the local points racing environment, Joseph Newberry is relatively rusty when it comes to the thrill of chasing a championship. The Georgia native grew up around drag racing courtesy of his father, Kenny, and had a couple of years of junior dragster experience before advancing into a full-sized racecar around the age of seventeen. Eventually, he purchased a new 2005 Mullis dragster, won the Quick 16 championship at Southeastern International Dragway, and followed the big-money bracket racing scene for a few years before deciding to prioritize his family and park the racecar while the kids were growing up.

Newberry explained, “2010 or 2012 is when we quit racing altogether. I always intended to get back in it, but with three kids and sporting events, that was a lot more important at the time. All I kept was the rolling chassis, and I got it put back together at the end of last year and only ran a couple of races with it.”

2025 was the first full season back out with that same dependable Mullis ride, and Newberry planned on catching a few races here and there to get back in the groove, so to speak. He was quickly reminded of how annoying the weather can be on race day, as it had rained for nearly three months after his first race of the year. “I got to go once in April, and then every weekend that we were going to race, it rained, literally, until the fourth of July weekend,” he continued. “I almost considered not going the rest of the year, since half the year was already gone, and it was summertime and hot.” Continue reading →

Brewer honors an unforgettable friendship by winning the 2025 WDRA Summit Sportsman World Championship in his late friend’s racecar

MONTGOMERY, AL – Sometimes the road to the world championship turns out to be a country back road with a couple of potholes and switchbacks that force you to slow down. For the 2025 WDRA Summit Sportsman World Champion, Chad Brewer, that means you get to soak in the scenery and enjoy the ride because once you reach the destination, you’ll have a story worth listening to.

A military brat raised in a family of gearheads, Brewer grew up in various places but has always been involved in the car scene, no matter the location. Once his family planted their roots in Southwest Virginia, he made his first pass down Elk Creek Dragway at the age of fifteen and has eagerly buckled into a racecar ever since. Over thirty years of competition, he’s had his fair share of success, racking up approximately ten championships, NMCA victories, a runner-up at the World Footbrake Challenge, and winning the NHRA Div. 2 Bracket Finals, where his world championship aspirations were shattered due to a broken planetary in the first round at Pomona.

After a second-round exit in the No Box class at last year’s WDRA Summit World Championships, Brewer had his heart set on returning to the big stage and skillfully earned two Brainerd Motorsports Park track championships this season: No Box and Sportsman. Brewer and his parents hit the highway with two racecars, where the first of the aforementioned potholes in his success story began while on the way to Montgomery International Dragway. Continue reading →

Mike Peters rose to the top of the Motorcycle and Sled field during the 2025 WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance

MONTGOMERY, AL – Tenacity flourishes through consistent effort, optimism, and dedication to your goals, regardless of the setbacks, difficulty, or current outcome. A quote from Julie Andrews reads, “Perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth.” However, for the newly crowned WDRA Summit Motorcycle World Champion, Mike Peters, his perseverance would eventually pay off during his fifth attempt at claiming that coveted title.

The talented New York native has qualified and participated in five world championship events since 2017, including back-to-back invitations for the WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance, since the introductory Motorcycle and Sled class last season. Peters, representing Lancaster Motorplex, admitted that seemingly minor on-track mistakes left him lacking in the win light department during prior races. Yet, he maintained an admirable outlook on those experiences.

He explained, “Every time I felt like it was just a little screw up, and it just wasn’t my day. I kept telling myself, ‘I know that I’m a good racer, and if I stick with it, then my day will come.’ When you love doing something that’s a win-or-lose situation, I always tell my mom and dad, ‘We might have lost, but so what?’ I’m going home safe, we’re smiling and having fun at the end of the day, and that’s really what it’s all about.” Continue reading →

The host facility adds a WDRA Rod to its expansive trophy collection following the WDRA Summit Southeast Bracket Finals

BENSON, NC – The WDRA Summit Bracket Finals presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance completed its 2025 season at the beautiful GALOT Motorsports Park for the Southeast installation of the series. Teams of drivers from several racetracks competed, with the Team Championship honors staying at the home track: 55 points for the home track, followed by Greer Dragway with 47. Farmington Dragway and Coastal Plains Dragway tied with 45 points, with the remaining ranks including Mooresville Dragway (36), Ware Shoals Dragway (35), South Carolina Motorplex (25), Piedmont Dragway (25), Cherokee Race Park (10), Wilkesboro Dragway (8), and Kinston Dragstrip rounding out the standings.

Thursday featured a test-and-tune session, a complimentary pizza party, a Team Captains Race, and a pit vehicle race. Farmington Dragway swept the eliminations with Jerald Ayers earning the Team Captains win and Justin Holston winning the pit vehicle race in a wheel-standing golf cart over Cody Spears (Greer Dragway). Continue reading →

MONTGOMERY, AL – The competition was as intense as the temperature as the WDRA Summit Bracket Finals, presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance, moved to Montgomery International Dragway for the Southern installation of the exciting series. The home team gained the overall Team Championship points lead after the third round and topped the leaderboard with 61 points, followed by Gulfport Dragway with 53, and Brainerd Motorsports Park team one with 45 points. The remaining standings included Holiday Raceway (40), London Dragway (32), North Florida Motorplex (27), Brainerd team two (26), Gleason Raceway Park (21), I-22 Motorsports Park (14), Gulfport team two (3), and Atmore DragStrip with 1 point.

Thursday kicked off the weekend with test and tune, but Friday began eliminations with the Fuel Factory Race of Champions prior to the Team Captains Race and Gamblers Race. Brainerd Motorsports Park representative Joseph Newberry claimed the Box Fuel Factory Race of Champions victory by running over his 5.22 dial-in while Mitchell Reaves broke out six thousandths to take runner-up honors for Holiday Raceway. Charlie Lockhart ran dead on his 5.73 dial-in to overcome the reaction time deficit and secure the No Box win over Andrew Lindamood from Holiday. London Dragway’s Noah Jent put together a .024 total package to leave Ryan Alexander (Atmore) mathematically ineligible in the Junior Dragster class.  Cody Harrison (North Florida) went .0001 red beside Chad Brewer from Brainerd who was .018 total on the free pass for the Sportsman win. Ed Riley is .023 on the tree and runs two above his dial-in to earn the Motorcycle win for Gleason over Robert Meeks from North Florida. Continue reading →

US 131 Motorsports Park earned their second Team Championship title over last year’s victor and this year’s host facility, Mid Michigan Motorplex

STANTON, MI – The fourth event of the WDRA Summit Bracket Finals presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance series was contested at Mid Michigan Motorplex as the facility hosted their neighboring Northern racers for a weekend full of camaraderie and competition. In addition to the home team, drivers from US 131 Motorsports Park, The Ubly Dragway, Lapeer International Dragway, Northern Michigan Dragway, Grand Bend Motorplex, St. Thomas Dragway, Shannonville Drags, and an assortment of racers dubbed the Outlaws, battled throughout the main event to earn points for their respective teams. When the burnout smoke cleared, US 131 Motorsports Park earned the Northern Team Championship with 82 points, followed by Mid Michigan with 63, the Outlaws (41), Northern Michigan (40), Team Canada (34), Ubly (12, and Lapeer with 6 points.

After all the competitors completed their time run, eliminations began with the Fuel Factory Race of Champions on Friday. Jim Ribble from Lapeer secured the Box class victory over Will Crawford from US 131. Dan Synder had a three-thousandths starting line advantage to take the win for Northern Michigan over Ubly’s Warren Smith in the No Box ranks. Mid Michigan claimed the Junior Dragster victory as Ean Guenthardt’s green light shined while Vince Tiburzi from US 131 lit up a .009 red light. James Persinger from Northern Michigan used a .011 reaction time to take the Sportsman win over Jeff Talbot, who was representing Team Canada. Continue reading →

Keystone Raceway Park hosted the WDRA Summit Eastern Bracket Finals presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance on September 11-14, 2025

NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA – Keystone Raceway Park was the third stop on the WDRA Summit Bracket Finals presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance tour, marking the third consecutive season as the Eastern event host. In addition to the home team, representatives from several regional tracks competed during the main event to secure points in hopes of becoming Team Champions by the end of the evening. Maryland International Raceway dominated the competition to claim the overall win with 90 points, followed by Empire Dragway with 55. The remaining standings included Lancaster Dragway (46), Beaver Springs Dragway (41), US 13 Dragway (37.5), Keystone Raceway Park (37), a miscellaneous group nicknamed Dumpster Fire, put together 34 points, Sumerduck Dragway (27), then Skyline Motorsports Park and Southside Dragway, rounding out the standings with 6 points each.

Not one, but two, unfortunate mechanical malfunctions soiled the track surface beyond timely repair, resulting in a split-and-quit situation in both of the Gamblers Races. The Fuel Factory Race of Champions featured the top representatives from each participating facility in a run-off to determine who could claim they were the best of the best. Continue reading →