- Stars of Texas Music Festival Line-Up Loaded with Country Superstars
- JOHN FORCE RACING FEATURED IN TWO OF DRAG RACING'S LEADING PUBLICATIONS
- DANIEL WILKERSON RUNS CAREER BEST FRIDAY AT CHARLOTTE NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS
- VINTAGE JOHN FORCE TAKES PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIER AT CHARLOTTE NHRA 4-WIDE NATIONALS
- Jeff Taylor Races Himself in JEGS $50K Final and Eric Aman Captures Silverstate $50K Win on Friday at the Spring Fling
- BO AND RANDI LYN BUTNER KICK OFF JHG NHRA MOUNTAIN MOTOR PRO STOCK SEASON AT ZMAX DRAGWAY
- JOHN FORCE AND RICK HENDRICK: A LONGSTANDING FRIENDSHIP INITIATED BY A MOVIE AND LATER A RED BALL CAP
Jay Turner relives terrifying crash at Mardi Gras Nitro Jam
Courtesy of IHRA
BATON ROUGE, LA – The scene was terrifying, the mood in the air tense. For a couple of moments it wasn’t known whether or not longtime Nitro Harley competitor Jay Turner was hurt, or worse.
The sold out crowd at State Capitol Raceway stood on their seats, leaned on the fences, anything to try and catch a glimpse of the man who, just moments before, was rushing down the quarter-mile on only one tire, blasting fire out of the pipes at over 150 miles per hour all to the amusement of one of the largest crowds to ever watch a drag race in the state of Louisiana. But now all they were seeing were the flashing lights of emergency crews surrounding the two-time champ.
For a few minutes the loudest sport in the world was reduced to silence. For a few moments thousands of fans, officials and even fellow competitors were reminded just how dangerous this sport can be. Despite all of the pageantry, despite all the flashy cars and can-you-believe it moments the sport of drag racing creates, behind the wheel, or in this case behind the handlebars, are human beings doing what they love most all while trying to put on a show for the fans.
WORLD RECORD E.T. PROPELS BARTONE TO 32nd NHRA WALLY
Courtesy of Jackson Racing
Pomona, CA – Tony Bartone has captured yet another NHRA National Event title for Rick Jackson Racing. The Long Island City, NY driver did so in dramatic fashion after setting a National Record elapsed time while winning the Top
Alcohol Funny Car division at the 51st Annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline contested at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif. The victory was Bartone’s 32nd of his career and his third national event victory driving for Rick Jackson Racing.
Bartone’s march to the event title began with a round two match-up against Alexis Dejoria, the daughter of Paul Mitchell Hair Products and Tequila Patron founder John Paul Dejoria. The race, which was the first time Dejoria and Bartone had met in NHRA competition, was over before it officially began; as Dejoria had difficulty staging her Tequila Patron sponsored Monte Carlo bodied TAFC within the 7-second time limit. This triggered the red-light in her lane and sent the Centre Pointe Collision Center sponsored Mustang on a solo run. Bartone covered the quarter mile track in 5.521 seconds at a speed of 263.92 miles per hour and propelled him to a semi-final rubber match with West Covina, Calif.’s Steve Gasparrelli.
Steve Legare getting geared up for upcoming PMRA season
Courtesy of PMRA
TROIS-RIVIERES, QUEBEC – After a season getting his feet wet in Pro Modified Racing Association action, Steve Legare plans on making his mark in the upcoming PMRA drag racing season.
“For the 2011 season we have made lots of changes, and we’ll be ready for the first race,” he said.
The Legare Racing Team campaigns a 1968 Chevy Camaro, and Legare noted there have been many updates to the green Pro Modified for 2011. The car, which came from Finland’s Hakan Nilsson and captured the FIA world title in its class for 2004, is a Tommy Mauney car powered by a 728-cubic inch Fulton Racing Engines powerplant. Legare added the engine has received not only new heads but a complete rebuild to the bottom end, along with a lot of tweaking to the nitrous system and the Braswell Carburetors.
An AFT four-speed Lenco sits behind the big engine, and this car will be one of a handful of non-supercharged entries in the PMRA.
JACKSON RACING RIDES LOW ET TO SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
Courtesy of Jackson Racing
Pomona, CA – It is believed by many the phrase, “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” is the official creed of the United Postal Service. The
Rick Jackson Racing team will happily take possession of this motto today after recording the low elapsed time in eliminations during their first round victory at the 51st annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline contested in Pomona, California at Auto Club Raceway.
The Centre Pointe Collision Center sponsored Ford Mustang Top Alcohol Funny Car team of car owner Rick Jackson entered the pit area of one of NHRA’s most hallowed grounds today under rain, near freezing temperatures and even some hail. The prospects of racing today seemed bleak; however, the sun came out, the track dried and the Santa Clarita, Calif. team prepared for the final qualifying session of the event. Although a tire-shaking mid-8 second elapsed time was the result, driver Tony Bartone was quietly optimistic his Steve Boggs lead crew could fine tune their Blown Alcohol Funny Car for a round one rematch from last week’s disappointing loss against Ken Webster in Phoenix.
Kopp Motorsports to debut new combination, new sponsors in 2011
Courtesy of Quick 32
Burlington, ON – As the 2011 season quickly approaches, preparations are in full swing for the Kopp Motorsports 
drag racing team as it prepares to enter its first full season of competition in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts.
The team, led by owner and driver Rick Kopp, will introduce a new major sponsor to the world of drag racing.
“These guys are really excited to be onboard with our program and are looking forward to utilizing every marketing advantage drag racing has to offer.” said Kopp. “Although the sponsorship is completely finalized, an official announcement won’t be made until closer to our first event.”
ADRL Reveals Significant Event Payout Increases In All Classes For 2011 Tour
Courtesy of ADRL
O’FALLON, MO – The reward for performing well at an American Drag Racing League (ADRL) event will be greater than it has ever been in 2011.
The world’s top eighth-mile drag racing league announced on Thursday that it will increase the purse and payouts for all five professional classes (Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Extreme 10.5, Pro Extreme Motorcycle and Extreme Pro Stock) at each national event on the 2011 ADRL Tour.
In all, there will be a $330,000 increase in purse payouts from 2010, a sign that the ADRL continues to grow and build lasting partnerships with numerous sponsors, and provide even more opportunities for its competitors.
“The level of competition just keeps getting better in the ADRL and we know that requires more investment from our competitors,” ADRL Executive Vice President Jeff Fortune said. “By working closely with our sponsors, we were able to significantly increase our payouts, and we are confident this exciting move will lead to even more memorable action in the ADRL in 2011.”
CONSISTANCY ON TAP FOR JACKSON RACING IN POMONA
Courtesy of Jackson Racing
Pomona, CA – After the first day of qualifying at the Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline, contested in Pomona, Calif., the Rick Jackson Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team is currently qualified in
the fifth position, after recording a conservative 5.623 second elapsed time at 262.23 miles per hour.
Coming off a highly disappointing first round exit at last week’s season opening and rain-delayed Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., the Jackson Racing team from Santa Clarita, Calif. is happy to return to the friendly confines of Auto Club Raceway at the historic Pomona Fairplex.
The same racetrack which yielded their 5.449 ET at last season’s World Finals and the same facility which provided Tony Bartone with his first 30th NHRA National Event Wally two years ago in his return to the TAFC division.
Clean Boost Performance Oil Renews with Johnny Ahten for 201
Courtesy of Athen Racing
Santa Clarita, CA – Bringing together the support to facilitate a drag racing initiative is never an easy task for any 
race team. Despite those odds, it is with great pleasure for Johnny Ahten to announce that he has resigned a major associate partnership with Clean Boost Performance Racing Oil.
“We are very happy to be a part of the Clean Boost Family” noted Ahten, “to represent such great people that have a genuinely proven great product puts together a win/win situation for all of us.
“We look forward to our 2011 Drag Racing Season and providing back performance results directly relating to our number one choice of racing oil”.
Grassroots Street Machine Event Part Of 2011 RPM Magazine Lucas Oil Products Extreme Event Line-up
Courtesy of RPM
Brantford, ON – “Where else could we be in 2011 with our Extreme Events but at the single most talked about event for fast street machines that went down in 2010… Brian Hansen’s grassroots 10″ Wide Racing Street Car Cruise!”
Exclaims RPM Editor Chris Biro.
“The RPM / Lucas Oil Extreme Events are just that… EXTREME EVENTS! We have chosen events in 2 countries that are quite different and will be promoting them under the ‘Extreme Events’ banner through RPM Magazine, www.rpm-mag.com online, and on race weekend along with our Extreme Events supporters.
This particular event’s entry is exclusive and limited to those first approximately 64 cars that contact Brian and meet his criteria for the program,” continued Biro. “We’ve been overwhelmed and are overfull already,” added Hansen. “But you can bet you will see some of the best of the best 8, 7 and even 6 second quarter-mile street cars in the world that weekend!”
Johnny Ahten Optimistic For Success In Pomona
Courtesy of Athens Racing
Pomona, CA – Native Californian and Los Angeles County Fire Captain Johnny Ahten, pilot of the Clean Boost Performance Ahten Family Racing Dragster is more than ready to contest the 51st running of the Kragen – Oreilly
Auto Part NHRA Full Throttle Winternationals.
“Last weekend was our first division race in Phoenix” noted Ahten, “It was a long weekend with all of the rain and although we were qualified sixth as of Friday night, many of the members of our team had commitments that could not be rescheduled forcing us to leave prior to Monday‘s festivities.
“The weather this weekend is looking a bit sketchy as well, but we are at our home track and can make accommodations to do whatever it takes to compete in Pomona”.
Ahten gives special thanks to all of the members of his crew that help pull their racing efforts together: his Dad, Al Ahten, Howard Katano, Kevin “Shark” Colvell, Todd “Rocky” Rockwell, his uncle, Bob Ahten, and Co Crew Chief – Consultant, Don Jackson.
