- Hagan Captures 50th NHRA Career Win in TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Funny Car at NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte
- Ashley, Hagan, Anderson and Herrera take Wins at Charlotte Four-Wide
- TOUGH FINAL ROUND PUTS DAMPER ON WEEKEND FOR JOHN FORCE IN CHARLOTTE NHRA 4-WIDE NATIONALS
- BO BUTNER WINS JHG MOUNTAIN MOTOR PRO STOCK SEASON OPENER
- AARON STANFIELD RUNNER-UP AT NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS AT ZMAX DRAGWAY
- JUSTIN ASHLEY WINS NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS AT ZMAX DRAGWAY
- Tony Schumacher Out Early After Jam-Packed Four-Wide Weekend in Charlotte
SAFETY DEVICE FAILURE ENDS BARTONE’S INDY
Courtesy Jackson Racing
Picture by Roger Richards
Indianapolis, IN – Tony Bartone and Rick Jackson Racing’s quest for the 2011 NHRA Lucas Oil World Championship took a turn for the worse, after a first round loss caused by the failure of an on-board device designed to provide safety 
to these 260 mile per hour race cars during the 57th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals contested in Indianapolis, Ind. The first round loss, coupled with the success of defending World Champion Frank Manzo leaves the Centre Pointe Collision sponsored Top Alcohol Funny Car team in second place in the National Point battle with only four races left to claim.
The Santa Clarita, Calif. based team did their job in qualifying, recording low elapsed time in half the qualifying sessions and finally landing in number two position with a great 5.574 elapsed time. This set up a first round match up against Kris Hool, who captured his first National Event victory two weeks ago at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.
Coughlin’s new car debut show promise for the future
Courtesy of Jegs
Picture by Roger Richards
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Troy Coughlin made a successful debut of his JEGS.com Pro Mod Chevrolet Camaro, racing his way into the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series field at the 57th Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. 
Coughlin unveiled his Jerry Bickel-built ’68 Camaro with a 520-cublc inch turbocharged Chevrolet big block engine this weekend. Pro Mod cars can be a handful at any age, but new cars are unusually recalcitrant.
A past NMCA Pro Street champion, Coughlin qualified for the race in the final qualifying session at No. 10 with a pass of 6.025 seconds at 245.67 mph. He then faced Pro Mod points leader Khalid Balooshi in the first round of eliminations, and Balooshi proceeded to make one of the best passes of the weekend to get the win light.
Still, Coughlin is encouraged with the potential of the new JEGS.com Camaro.
Indy Qualifying Day 2 for Demke and Maddern Racing Moves To #2 Position
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Clermont, IN – Day two of qualifying for the 57th Annual running of the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals for the Top Alcohol class is final. All teams competing now have only one more opportunity to participate within the 16 car field.
Chris Demke and the Peen Rite / Clean Boost Top Alcohol Dragster Team went from the 17th position and on the outside looking in all the way to the Number 2 position by posting a 5.410 at 266.37 mph.
“What a huge relief” noted Demke, “It took some finessing and detuning to accommodate the heat, but we finally pulled out a doable number that places us solidly in the field.
“For Sunday and Monday, the conditions are going to change, so we’ll do our normal servicing today and make sure everything is in top notch shape and be ready for our final qualifier at 9:30 in the morning and first round of eliminations”.
Qualifying completed for “Thunder by the Beach” at Grand Bend Motorplex
Courtesy of PMRA, Quick 32 and PBSS
GRAND BEND, ON – Qualifying rounds were completed yesterday for the Pro Modified Racing Association, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, and the Pro Bike & Sled Series at the Grand Bend Motorplex.
This event, round five of all three drag race series, is part of the track’s Teamsters “Thunder by the Beach” weekend race.
Eric Latino set the pace in Pro Modified, qualifying number one in PMRA competition. The Whitby, Ontario driver of the 1969 Camaro took top spot with a 5.966-second, 240.70-mph pass to lead the field. Mike Stawicki of Media, New York, is second on the ladder with a 5.974, 239.17 posting, and third is Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario with a 6.114, 233.94.
Rick Kopp of Burlington, Ontario heads up the Top Dragster side of the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, recording a 6.163, 225.39 run with his BAE-powered Mike Bos dragster. Second is James Lichty of Linwood, Ontario with a 6.442, 210.77, and Michael Hinbest of Orangeville, Ontario qualified third at 6.494, 195.65.
Hot Conditions Dampen Day 1 of Qualifying for Chris Demke and Maddern Racing In Indy
Courtesy Maddern racing
Clermont, IN – With the 57th Annual running of the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals underway, the first two rounds of 
Top Alcohol class are now complete. For Chris Demke and the Peen Rite / Clean Boost Top Alcohol Dragster Team, they are currently 17th, left on the outside looking in to the 16 car field going into Saturday’s qualifying attempt.
“Some days you wake up in the morning and you can conquer the world” chuckled Demke, “and some days, you just wish you could go back to bed and start all over, that was our day today.
“With the track being as hot as it is, we backed the car down significantly on both qualifying passes today, she just forgot she was supposed to be softer at every increment.
Troy Coughlin to unleash new Pro Mod car on Indy field
Courtesy of Jegs
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Champion drag racer Troy Coughlin used the two-month break in the Get Screened America Pro 
Mod Drag Racing Series calendar to perfect his new twin turbo-charged JEGS.com Pro Mod Camaro and the veteran racer says he’s as ready as can be for this weekend’s 57th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
“We’ve tested four different times and feel as though this car is about as ready as we can make it,” said Coughlin, a past world champion in NMCA competition. “We started at Norwalk, went to Michigan, came over here to Indy, and then had one more test in Michigan and have sorted this thing out, we believe.
“Testing never fully replicates a national event. The track’s are never quite prepared the same way and the pressure certainly isn’t there, but you do the best you can do. The real first test will come in Round 1 of qualifying.”
‘FOCUS THIS’ – DOUTHIT’S JET CAR BRINGING FORD THRUST TO NMRA EVENT
Courtesy of Focus This
Columbus, Ohio – Ford fans in the State of Ohio are in store for quite a surprise this weekend, as second-generation Jet Car driver David Douthit brings his 10,000 horsepower, J-85 General Electric powered 2000 Ford Focus Jet Car called 
‘Focus This’ to the 33rd Annual NMRA Ford Expo, scheduled for September 2nd-4th at National Trail Raceway in Columbus.
Douthit, originally from San Diego, Calif. and now residing in Colorado Springs, Colo., literally cut his teeth at the Drag Strip. The son of legendary showman ‘Smokey Joe’ Douthit, David began his racing career working on the family’s wheel stander; a crowd pleasing 69 Nova called Smokey Red. In 1993, one week after graduating high school David received his jet dragster license and at the time was the quickest and fastest teenager in the world. Since then, the Douthit Family has traveled the world making exhibition runs in Hawaii, Aruba, Curacao, Japan, Mexico City, and all over the United States and Canada.
Roy Hill unveils new sponsors, aims to defend U.S. Nationals SS/BA crown
Courtesy of Roy Hill
Photo by Roger Richards
CLERMONT, IN – The top qualifier awards keep piling up for Roy Hill and the Phoenix Racing Ford Mustang Cobra Jet Super Stock team. Now he just needs a win to go with them.
After a successful outing at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Southeast Division race held last weekend at zMax Dragway in Concord, NC, Hill and his team enter the 57th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals with high hopes.
At zMax, Hill and his teammate, hired gun Grant Lewis, qualified numbers one and two in Super Stock competition. Hill was entered in Super Stock/A Automatic, while Lewis competed in B Automatic and made it to the semifinals before a staging issue disqualified him.
“We had a great weekend at zMax,” Hill said. “For it to be as hot as it was, the cars ran great, and I feel really confident heading to Indy.”
VP INTRODUCES UNLEADED, NON-OXYGENATED “C9”
Courtesy of VP
SAN ANTONIO, TX – VP Racing Fuels today announced the introduction of “C9” racing fuel to complement 
its longstanding C10 blend. “Like our very popular C10, new C9 is an ethanol-free, non-oxygenated unleaded product,” said Jim Kelly, VP’s Corporate Director-Sales.
“C9 prevents all the problems associated with ethanol in pump gas, thus making it a great fuel for seasonal storage,” Kelly continued. “Unlike pump gas which leaves deposits, clogs injectors, attracts moisture and separates while in storage, C9 won’t go bad. You won’t have to drain fuel from your carburetor even if your engine sits idle for weeks or months, and C9 will remain stable at least two years in a sealed container. Make C9 the last thing you run through the carburetor and fuel tank before putting your boat or favorite ride away this winter and you’ll see instant results when it’s time to get things started in the spring.”
“With an octane rating of 96 (R+M/2), C9 provides an economical alternative to C10 that still offers more resistance to detonation and improved performance over premium pump gas,” Kelly added. “C9 won’t harm catalytic converters or oxygen sensors and will provide great starts in heat or cold.”
In addition to automotive applications, C9 will perform well in motorcycles, quads, snowmobiles and more. C9 racing fuel is for use in racing vehicles only and may not be used in street-driven motor vehicles.
Richest weekend in IHRA sportsman history at Summit Racing World Finals October 14-16
NORWALK, OH – One weekend, three races, over $200,000 in cash and prizes. It is safe to say that the Summit Racing 
Equipment World Finals presented by RacingJunk.com weekend at Virginia Motorsports Park October 14-16 will be the biggest and richest sportsman weekend in the history of the International Hot Rod Association.
Featuring three huge races, the World Finals weekend at Virginia Motorsports Park will include the $5,000 to win, open to all racers Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular followed by the Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions and Summit SuperSeries World Championship all in one incredible weekend of racing.
