- Race Wrap | NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals
- Race Wrap | NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals
- Stewart, Hagan Record Final Round Performances at Las Vegas NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in TSR Dodge//SRT Nitro Machines
- KALITTA, TASCA AND COUGHLIN JR WIN LAS-VEGAS 4-WIDE
- AUSTIN PROCK SECOND IN LAS VEGAS 4-WIDE NATIONALS; WIDENS FUNNY CAR POINTS LEAD
- THE JOHN MASSINGBERD MEMORIAL AWARD PRESENTED AT DRAG STRIP MEMORIES
- Shawn Langdon Suffers First Opening-Round Loss of Season
Two-time Atlanta Champ Coughlin Slowly Moving in the Right Direction
Courtesy of Jegs
COMMERCE, GA – Jeg Coughlin Jr. and the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger team are pleased with the progress made at this weekend’s NHRA drag race at Atlanta Dragway.
The four-time Pro Stock champion made it in the Atlanta field in the No. 15 slot after a best run of 6.695 seconds at 207.62 mph. The two-time Atlanta winner will now face No. 2 qualifier Allen Johnson in Sunday’s first round of eliminations. Johnson’s best lap was 6.613 seconds at 209.23 mph.
“We qualified for the show, which is always the first goal,” Coughlin said. “We’re still not where we want to be, but we are making progress. We have to remember that we’re a brand-new team and that things take time. It’s tough, because we’re happiest when we’re at the top of the sheets, but we’re finding our way along.”
Coughlin’s return to Pro Stock after a year’s absence has been difficult at times, despite his continued prowess on the Christmas Tree. Making his return tougher is the fact that the competition in Pro Stock is at an all-time high.
DeFlorian Holds Down #1 Spot In Extreme Pro Stock After Friday Qualifying Sessions
Courtesy of Black Diamond Motorsports
Picture Courtesy of Roger Richards
Reading, PA – John Deflorian, Jr and the Black Diamond Motorsports Team Camaro completed a dominant performance on Friday, powering to the No. 1 qualifying position at the American Drag Racing League, ADRL 
Northeast Drags II presented by Penske racing in Mohnton, Pennsylvania . Deflorian was the quickest of the twenty Extreme Pro Stock drivers attempting to make the field in each of Friday’s two sessions at Maple Grove Raceway, highlighted by his 4.074-second, 177.65 mph pass in the evening session, which was the quickest run of the day.
“Sonny’s Racing Engines has just given us tremendous power and this car is just amazing,” DeFlorian said. “We’ve worked really hard to get it right. I can’t thank Kevin (Bealko) enough for this opportunity.”
Kevin Bealko and the Black Diamond Motorsports GXP, the only automatic transmission powered Extreme Pro Stock, is only .017-second out of qualifying for the field at Maple Grove Raceway . Bealko will put in his best chassis set-up for the final qualifying session on saturday.
Suggs Rockets to #1 Qualifier at Mardi Gras Nitro Jam
Courtesy of IHRA
BATON ROUGE, LA – Through four races Ron Maroney was darn near unbeatable. That is, until he met Mike Hilsabeck.
In Hlsabeck’s Nitro Jam debut the Fuel Altered racer out of Phoenix, Ariz. upset undefeated Maroney in an exciting final that saw the driver of the “Arizona Thunder” win in a pedal fest to bring the opening night of the Mardi Gras Nitro Jam presented by Domino’s Pizza at State Capitol Raceway to a close.
Hilsabeck was joined by winners Bill Evans in Pro Fuel and Jay Turner in Nitro Harley on the first night of action at the Louisiana track. Nitro Jam’s AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car class was cut short of its final due to moisture on the track.
Taylor Returns To His Old Form At Maple Grove
Courtesy of ADRL
READING, PA – After not qualifying for the first two events of the 2012 season, Frankie Taylor got the run he was 
looking for on Friday during the American Drag Racing League’s (ADRL) Northeast Drags II presented by Penske at Maple Grove Raceway.
Switching back to a blower, supercharger set-up after not qualifying the first two races with a turbocharger combination, Taylor delivered a classic run in his Jeffers Pro Cars Corvette, running an outstanding 3.653 at 207.85 miles per hour to leap to the top of Pro Extreme.
“It’s coming back around. That’s not too bad for our first lap in a blower in (6 months),” Taylor said. “To finally get in the field felt really good. It was great to get that one under our belt.”
A steady rain wiped out Friday’s third qualifying session.
Gasparrelli Takes 801 Racing to Finals in Houston
Courtesy of Gasparrelli Racing
Baytown, TX – Steve Gasparrelli likes racing at the Houston stop on the NHRA series schedule. This past weekend at the O’Rilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals, Gasparrelli took his ECS/801 Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car all the way to the
finals. Although he didn’t win the race, Gasparrelli believes things could have worked out differently.
“I feel like we left some on the table,” said Gasparrelli. “Our car ran very well. You have to hand it to Jay Payne. He really stepped up in the finals. At the 2002 Houston race, I beat Jay to win the race. In 2004, he beat me. I believe next time we race each other in a Houston final, it’s my turn to win.”
Gasparrelli’s consistent qualifying numbers settled him in the number four slot with a best time of 5.640/259.61. That paired him up against Todd Veney in the first round of eliminations. Gasparrelli laid down his best ET to this point with a stout 5.621/259.76 to beat a tire-shaking Veney. In Sunday’s second round, Kris Hool got the starting line advantage, but Gasparrelli’s top end charge and his 5.651/258.86 was enough to defeat Hool’s 5.685/257.24. In the semi-finals, Tony Bartone lay in wait. Gasparrelli’s Team knew they had to be on their game, and as the two cars left the line glued together, Gasparrelli edged out the close win with a 5.664/257.92 over Bartone’s 5.671/261.37.
Lucas, Neff, Nobile, Hines and Reinhart on WFO Radio
Courtesy of WFO
HOLLYWOOD, FL – NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Royal Purple Raceway winners, Morgan Lucas, Mike Neff, Vincent Nobile, and Andrew Hines all join Joe Castello, along with the NHRA’s Alan Reinhart,
on WFO Radio NHRA Nitro. To listen now, go to http://www.wforadio.com/
Morgan Lucas,driver of the GEICO/MAVTV Top Fuel driver, stops by WFO Radio to discuss his victory in Houston, his team’s effort en route to victory, and his final round battle with Antron Brown.
John Force Racing Funny Car driver, Mike Neff, talks about JFR winning six races in a row to start the season, keeping the momentum going, and his thoughts on a great start to the 2012 NHRA season.
Positive Results Give Alexander Confidence Heading into Atlanta
Courtesy of Paul Smith Racing
Photo Courtesy of Roger Richards
COMMERCE,GA – College student and Funny Car racer Blake Alexander just finished a week of challenging finals, working on earning a degree in Communications. Now he heads toAtlantafor the NHRA Southern Nationals
to complete another challenging task: pilot the Auto Service Plus nitro Funny Car down the hot Atlanta Dragway. Career-best numbers at his previous race inCharlottegive Blake extra confidence.
“I think it raises the confidence in everyone on the team, but at the same time we’re just going to take it one step at a time. The conditions in Atlanta will be unlike any that we’ve raced in all year, so we’re going to take it step-by-step to see how the new supercharger fits in,” said Alexander.
This event marks the first full year that Blake has been driving a nitro Funny Car. He began testing and licensing runs in the Paul Smith’s Top Fuel School Funny Car following this event in 2011. Now three competitive events in to his Funny Car career, Blake says he’s more confident in his driving.
BMR Suspension Handling A-arms for the 2010-2012 Mustang
Courtesy of BMR
Thonotosassa, FL – Correct the suspension geometry on your lowered S197 Mustang with a set of Handling A-arms from BMR Suspension. Based on our well proven traditional A-arm design, these Handling A-arms feature ¾” taller ball joints
to raise the roll center height on lowered vehicles for improved handling. The BMR Handling A-arms are constructed from heavy duty 1.25” DOM tubing and feature laser cut double-gusseted reinforcement plates.
The non-adjustable A-arms (AA025) include a combination of low-deflection, internally-fluted, polyurethane bushings and fluted, greasable, Delrin bushings. The adjustable A-arms (AA026) include Delrin bushings and Teflon-lined XR series spherical rod ends with stainless spacers. The result is a high quality tubular A-arm that minimizes bushing deflection, reduces unsprung weight by up to 11 pounds, and improves handling by reducing body roll. Installation time is only 3 hours. Available in black hammertone or red powdercoat.
To preview all of BMR’s high-performance suspension parts, please visit www.bmrsuspension.com, email sales@suspension.com, or contact them at BMR Suspension, 12581 N. US Highway 301, Thonotosassa, FL 33592, 813-986-9302, Fax: 813-986-8055.
TNT Super Series Enhances Rookie of the Year Award
Courtesy of TNT
ROCHESTER, NY – As the popular Joe’s Transmission TNT Super Series (TNTSS) approaches opening day, the 10.90 
based sportsman series continues to promote new sportsman talent.
The 2012 Tim Thorne Rookie of the Year Award by Sam LoVetro Automotive will award a cash prize of $250 to the winner at the yearend banquet.
That winner will be the driver who is new to the TNTSS in 2012 and has the most points at yearend.
Started in 2011, this award was created in the memory of the late Tim Thorne. Tim was a well-known contributor to the local drag racing community in the southern Ontario area for many years who passed away last year.
CHP Nationals Features X275 Radial Shootout at Atlanta Dragway
Courtesy of ProMedia
Santa Ana, CA—The inaugural Chevy High Performance Magazine Nationals will kick off June 1-3, 2012 and it will be featuring the exciting and popular X275 category at the famed Atlanta Dragway (Commerce, GA). The event is open to
all Chevy/GM powered vehicles, including Mustangs and other non-Chevy 275 drag radial cars.
The racers will be competing for $2,000-to-win along with a generous contingency payout that offers $300-per-sticker to the winner and $100-per-sticker to the runner-up—42 leading performance companies are posting contingency awards for over 90 products.
“We are excited to have the X275 program as part of the Chevy High Performance Magazine national event,” says Henry De Los Santos, editor of Chevy High Performance Magazine. He continues, “the X275 racers can look forward to excellent media coverage by our magazine and many other major media outlets.”
