Captial Raceway Under New Management
Courtesy Raceway Promotions
CROFTON, MD – Raceway Promotions LLC is happy to announce they’ve reached a new management agreement of with Capitol Raceway Promotions, Inc. for the promotion and operation of Capitol Raceway in Crofton, Md.
The raceway, soon to reopen, will be operated and promoted by Raceway Promotions, a company formed by John Crane and B.J. Herrell, veterans of the industry with years of race experience in every aspect of motorsports from sponsorship to team owner/operator to promotions and more. Crane and Herrell, both well respected business owners with a love for racing, look to build upon their experience and the storied past of Capitol Raceway to restore the track to a favored destination for racers and fans.
Crane stated: “This is a wonderful opportunity for B.J. and I to go back to the golden days of drag racing. We both are delighted and proud to be operating the track and believe our ideas to make this the hub of racing in the Baltimore/Washington area can be realized with our knowledge of the racers, the fans, and all the business owners that support the racing community. It is our expectation that once the racers see how we operate the track, the community will embrace us with open arms.
Mickey Thompson Returns as NHRA Divisional Level Associate Contingency Sponsor
Courtesy of Mickey Thompson
STOW, OH – Mickey Thompson will support NHRA Sportsman class racers again in 2012 at the divisional level as an Associate Contingency Sponsor for the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Through this relationship, Mickey Thompson Motorsports will be on site at numerous divisional events with the fully-equipped Mickey Thompson trailer to provide trackside service to the Sportsman class racers throughout the season.
“We continue to show our commitment to NHRA Sportsman racers with a contingency sponsorship for all divisional events,” stated Tom Kundrik, Motorsports Manager, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels. “Mickey Thompson has supported NHRA racers for more than 28 years and we continue to provide outstanding support and service to all Sportsman class racers in this exciting series.”
VP INTRODUCES “C85” ETHANOL RACING FUEL
Courtesy of VP Fuels
SAN ANTONIO, TX – VP Racing Fuels today introduced “C85” racing fuel, offering significant performance gains over conventional E85 according to Jim Kelly, VP’s Director of Racing Fuel Sales.
“Conventional E85 gained some popularity because it was cheap and made some power, but it has a significant downside,” said Kelly. “In addition to requiring a costly E85 carburetor and completely revamped and upgraded fuel system, E85 is corrosive and very inconsistent.”
“When you don’t know if you’re getting 60% ethanol, 80% ethanol or something else, it’s extremely difficult to tune,” Kelly continued. “Many engine builders have cited up to a two-jet swing in their tune from one batch of E85 to the next.
By contrast, C85 is blended with the same degree of care and precision as every other VP fuel, with a consistent proportion of ethanol and every other component in every drum. It takes all the guesswork out of tuning.”
ADRL, O’Reilly Auto Parts Form First-Time Partnership for 2012 Season
Courtesy of ADRL
O’FALLON, MO – The 2012 American Drag Racing League (ADRL) season now includes a first-time partnership that will make it easier than ever for fans to get tickets to ADRL events.
The ADRL announced on Thursday an agreement with O’Reilly Auto Parts to promote its live events in 2012, and O’Reilly Auto Parts one of the largest specialty retailers of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories in the United States, will now become an advance ticket distributor and promotional partner.
ADRL tickets will be available at O’Reilly locations through a marketing sponsorship with O’Reilly Auto Parts, forging an ideal first-time partnership between the two companies.
Bateman and HipLink Team Go to Semi-Finals at Vegas
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Photo courtesy of ImagesLTD.com
Las Vegas, NV – With only about ten laps on their current engine combination, Garrett Bateman and the HipLink Dragster are proving they are quick on the track, and on the uptake. Going to the semi-finals at the SummitRacing.com Nationals this past weekend, Bateman is a happy man.
“Going to the semi’s was an exciting deal,” said Bateman. “It has come together quickly, and the car gets better each round we go. We had a great weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, despite the loss.
Bateman qualified in the number six position with a 5.452/251.67. In the first round of eliminations, the Nitromethane Injected Top Alcohol Dragster was matched up against Brooks Brown. Bateman snapped off a .029 reaction time and took the round win with a 5.568/247.79 to Brown’s 5.917/213.98. In the second round, Greg Hunter had a great view of Bateman’s best run of the weekend. The scoreboard showed a 5.335/255.29 for the HipLink Team, besting Hunter’s 5.486/260.97. Now it was on to the semi-finals.
TNT Super Series – Sixth Season Begins In 30 Days
Courtesy of TNT
CANFIELD, ON – The competitors in the toughest sportsman drag racing series in the country have only one month before opening day. The Joe’s Transmission TNT Super Series will see its most exciting season yet with increased payouts and more contingency postings than ever before. Based on heads-up, 10.90 index racing, the TNTSS will see thirteen races in 2012 – including stops at five different tracks in western New York and southern Ontario.
Opening day is Friday May 4 at Dunn Tire Raceway Park (DTRP) in Lancaster, NY presented by Autos Direct of Buffalo. Then it’s a double-header on Memorial Day weekend thanks to Steve’s Electric with Friday May 25 at DTRP and Saturday May 26 at Empire Dragway in Leicester, NY.
Saturday June 9 and Sunday June 10 sees the cross-border series descend upon Cayuga Dragway at Toronto Motorsports Park (TMP) in Cayuga, Ontario presented by Bieda’s Powersports.
San Antonio Nitro Jam Goes Big for Dennis
Courtesy Ladies’ First Pro Fuel Dragster
San Antonio, TX – Kristen Dennis and her Ladies’ First Pro Fuel Dragster went big Texas Style. That is putting it mild. Dennis captured the IHRA Nitro Jam Ironman trophy and the crowds couldn’t get enough of this Texas native.
“I signed and handed out all the hero cards I had, and went to scrambling to find more,” said Dennis. “In Texas the saying is, “Go Big, or Go Home!” I have regular duties I perform on my car prior to each round. After the first run, I didn’t have time to pack my chutes or even warm up my car, that’s where a great crew steps in. I was busy signing cards and speaking to fans. It was a very humbling experience. San Antonio race fans rock!”
On the track, Dennis was matched up against Robin Samsel in the first race. Samsel knew he had to be quick off the line, but pushed the tree a bit too much and red-lighted the race away. Dennis posted a 5.416/259.37 for the win. The Ladies’ First team raced back to the pits to hop the car up for the finals against Bill Evans. They knew they had to be on their game. When finals time came, Dennis got the starting line advantage and never looked back. She couldn’t have anyway, after posting a 5.385 elapsed time with a thundering 276.92 miles per hour to Evan’s 5.512/264.39.
Perkins Goes to Finals in Vegas
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Las Vegas, NV – When you are passionate about something, it shows. Cody Perkins is passionate about Drag Racing, and even more so about winning. After not competing up to his standards, Perkins was determined to make an impression on the SummitRacing.com Nationals. The 801 Racing sponsored driver and car then set off to do something about it.
In qualifying, things were not exactly going as planned. With only fifteen cars in attendance, the idea was to gain data and save on parts. Perkins ended up in the number fifteen position with a pedestrian 14.358/50.54. That didn’t bother Perkins. In the first round he was up against Megan McKernan. Cody’s 5.415/261.98 was enough to send the number two qualifier home. Next up was the fellow 801 Racing sponsored car of Johnny Ahten. Ahten got the ever so slight reaction time advantage, and was ahead at the sixty foot mark. Ahten had some traction issues and Perkins won the round with a 5.503/232.55.
Second round Vegas Exit doesn’t slow down Ahten
Courtesy of Ahten Family Racing
Las Vegas, NV – Johnny Ahten came to the SummitRacing.com Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the confidence of a winner, having just won a race. He left the track still feeling like a winner, even thought the Island Renovations/801 Racing Dragster didn’t hoist the trophy. After a loss, Drag Racers begin thinking about the next trip down the track. After Ahten was done racing for the day, planning for the next outing was in motion.
Ahten started eliminations from the number ten position. Not exactly where they wanted to be, but they were in the show and ready to run. Up first was Mike Austin. The round was over at the start, when Austin broke. Ahten lifted early to a 5.940/225.52.
The second round saw the Ahten Racing Team preparing for a match up with fellow 801 Racing teammate Cody Perkins. Johnny Ahten’s crew prepared the car, and towed to the staging lanes. During the ride, they had full expectations of returning to the pits and doing it all over again. There’s that Drag Racer optimism again. When the light came down, Ahten got the slight advantage. At the sixty foot mark, Ahten’s .936 pace had him in the lead. Then the cup went from being half full to just about empty. Ahten had to pedal the car, and Perkins went ahead for the victory with a 5.503/232.55 to a 5.700/236.80.
NHRA & NMCA Continue Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed Series!
Courtesy of ProMedia
SANTA ANA, CA — It was announced today that NHRA, Aerospace Components, and ProMedia, the parent company of the NMCA, will once again combine forces and continue the Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed series in conjunction with the NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals event series.
Outlined in a multi-year agreement reached between the NHRA and ProMedia, the Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed Series will again be contested at all NHRA Member Tracks on the 2012 NMCA and NMCA WEST tour. NMCA events include: Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA. (April 12-15); Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, CA (June 22-24); Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL. (July 12-15); Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Ky. (Aug. 3-5); Milan Dragway, Milan, Mich. (Aug. 24-26); Speedworld Dragstrip in Wittman, AZ. (Sept. 21-23); Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, (Oct. 11-14); and Royal Purple Raceway, Houston (Nov. 9-11).