- QUICK 32 SPORTSMAN SERIES, PRO BIKE & SLED SERIES AND FRIENDS BACK AT EMPIRE DRAGWAY FOR 2025
- Robert Murphy Secures JEGS $50,000 at the Strange Spring Fling presented by OPTIMA
- CONGRUITY NHRA PRO MOD SERIES GOES FOUR-WIDE RACING IN CHARLOTTE AT EVENT POWERED BY CULP LUMBER
- DragRaceTV Launches on Roku — A New Era of Drag Racing Coverage is Here
- JHG MOUNTAIN MOTOR PRO STOCK SERIES OPENS 2025 SEASON AT ZMAX DRAGWAY
- Jeff Serra Claims APD $15,000 at the Strange Spring Fling presented by OPTIMA
- ICUracing.com Launches DragRaceTV Channel on Roku to Promote Grassroots Drag Racing Content
JOHN FORCE REMEMBERS PRO STOCK GREAT BOB GLIDDEN
John Force, 16-time Funny Car world champion, on the passing of Hall of Fame NHRA Pro Stock driver Bob 
Glidden.
“We all know what Bob Glidden has accomplished in a lifetime. Feats that will never be broken, accomplishments that will never be broken. We know what he’s accomplished and what he’s done. He was the man. But there’s the other side of Bob Glidden, the personal side of Glidden, him as a person. The love that he had for his family, his boys and Etta. How he always treated everyone with respect, even if it was just in passing. That was the side of the man that I loved the most. He will be missed. I miss him already. But he’ll be with us every day.”
Track Reconstruction Scheduled at Summit Motorsports Park
While many record-setting and remarkable passes have been made on the track surface at Summit Motorsports Park 
through the years, a $1.6 million track reconstruction project is in the works.
As part of it, the staging lanes will be new asphalt and the head of the staging lanes through 100 feet past the finish line will be concrete from barrier wall to barrier wall, with new asphalt from that point to the sandtrap at the end of the track.
“Our track surface has worked well, but since we became part of the NHRA in 2007, I’ve been thinking about ripping out the track and starting over so that we have an all-concrete surface rather than a concrete and asphalt surface,” said Bill Bader, Jr., president of Summit Motorsports Park. “We really got aggressive about it three years ago, and we’ve been researching it and talking with Jim Head, who races a high-horsepower car and is a concrete paver, so he has an understanding of what’s needed to ensure a high-quality track.”
COURTNEY FORCE RECAPS THE 2017 SEASON
YORBA LINDA, CA – Courtney Force, driver of the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, finished 
2017 a career best third in the NHRA points standings. Her season was highlighted by a new sponsorship in Advance Auto Parts as well as five finals appearances and seven No. 1 qualifiers. She took a couple minutes to talk about her season long consistency, her sister’s championship and what she’s looking forward to in 2018.
Q: You had a career best finish in 2017 coming in third in points. How much confidence does that give you for 2018?
It was huge. Really excited about the team that I have with Advance Auto Parts and all my crew guys my crew chiefs — They gave me a phenomenal race car all season long we had a lot of consistency and for us to finish off the season as my career best, finishing third place. I was really proud of us. I think that was a huge accomplishment for us and it really goes to show how far we’ve come throughout the years. Being that we were in the hunt for the championship right down to the last race at Pomona really goes to show that we have a championship team. We’re ready to battle it out in the 2018 season and really hope to go for that title.
COUNTDOWN to a Championship
Jarrod Kolne – 2017 TNT Super Series FIFTH PLACE
NIAGARA FALLS, ON – Southern Ontario’s Jarrod Kolne had an outstanding start to his class racing career. Not only 
did he finish in fifth place in this year’s Joe’s Transmission TNT Super Series points chase, he also took home Rookie of the Year honours.
The Cayuga, Ontario based racer has had lots of success in the bracket racing ranks. In 2017, he set his sights on 10.90 index racing and found himself competing at the top of the field.
Along with earning a number one qualifier this year, Kolne was seen deep into eliminations many times and ended the season with his first TNTSS final round appearance, earning a runner-up to veteran Harry Phelps.
Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway Announces 2018 Schedules
LANCASTER, NY – While race teams, fans and partners are looking for the perfect gift to give their loved ones this 
holiday season, Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway is giving their own gift to its racing family.
The 2018 Franco’s Pizza Friday Night IHRA Drag Racing and X-Press Signs Stock Car Series track schedules have finally come together and are ready for release.
Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway will begin its 59th consecutive season of operation on Saturday, April 21 at 2 p.m. featuring the annual Queen City Clash for the Stock Cars. The Dragway season opener is Friday, April 27 with tech inspection and time trials.
BRITTANY FORCE RECAPS THE 2017 SEASON
YORBA LINDA, CA – Brittany Force, pilot of the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster, took some time to look back at 
how the whole 2017 season came together to earn her the first Top Fuel world championship for John Force Racing and the first by a woman in 35 years. Force ended the year with four race wins, two runner-up finishes and two No. 1 qualifiers. A strong showing in the Countdown to the Championship secured her first Top Fuel world championship.
Q: You finished the season with a three hat Sunday. Green hat for the No. 1 qualifier, yellow hat for the race win and white hat for the championship. Does it get any better than that?
No, it’s pretty incredible to see what Alan Johnson, Brian Husen and our team pulled off that day. Not that we just won a championship but we won at my home track and were the No. 1 qualifiers. That just seems absolutely unreal. Its because of the group and support that I have around me that I’m able to pull it off.
ROBERT HIGHT RECAPS THE 2017 SEASON
YORBA LINDA, CA – Robert Hight, driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro, took a few 
minutes to sit down and look at how his second NHRA Mello Yello championship came together as well as how important the championship was to his family and his relationship with crew chief Jimmy Prock. Hight, a four-time winner in 2017, captured the second championship of his career on the strength of two wins in the Countdown and three No. 1 qualifying efforts.
Q: Was the second championship more satisfying than the first?
I believe it was. It was easier to win the championship in 2009 because we did it from the No. 10 spot. I don’t think that is possible anymore unless you win four or more races in the Countdown. Four out of six would be tough to do. All I had to do was show up in 2009 and qualify and it was over. I also think we went into Pomona this year needing to go round for round with Ron Capps. He went a lot of rounds this year and won a lot of races. He was the current champ so there was a lot more pressure on him. This one was more special. I also got Jimmy Prock back as my crew chief. I was pretty bummed in 2013 when John (Force) switched crew chiefs and he ended up winning the championship that year. I was pretty bummed and then Jimmy left after that. We were lucky enough to get him back and I was really lucky to have him as my crew chief. I always thought that there was some unfinished business. With all that and the difficulty to win in this class and how hard it is this championship is more special.
Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous and Pro Boost Will Pay $10,000 to Win in 2018
PITTSBORO, NC – At the PRI Show this past week, the Professional Drag Racers Association announced that the 
payout in their top three classes will increase in 2018. PDRA Pro Extreme, Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by MoTeC and Andy McCoy Race Cars Pro Boost will now all pay $10,000 to win. That’s an increase of $3,000 for Pro Extreme and Pro Nitrous and $4,000 for Pro Boost.
“We’re entering into year five,” stated Bob Harris of the PDRA. “We have put down strong roots and we recognize that the cost of racing will always continue to rise. We felt the timing was right to increase the payout for these classes. This organization has always been ‘by racers, for racers’ and one of our main goals is to give back to the racers as much as possible. We hope our racers will continue to see our commitment to them through moves like this. Our series consists of an elite group of racers and we want to treat them as such.”
JOHN FORCE RECAPS THE 2017 SEASON
YORBA LINDA, CA – John Force, the 148-time Funny Car winner, wrapped up the 2017 season in seventh place in 
the NHRA Mello Yello point standings with a No. 1 qualifier and a win at the Gatornationals. The winningest driver in NHRA history’s season was highlighted with two more NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships as a team owner. Daughter Brittany Force earned her first Top Fuel world championship and son-in-law Robert Hight took home his second Funny Car world championship crown. John Force took some time to reflect on the 2017 season and talk about what’s coming in 2018.
Q: Could you be any happier as a team owner?
No, because we told Chevrolet, Jim Campbell, that John Force Racing had won all those championships for all those years and that we could turn it around again. We need to get back financially and get our people back and we made that happen. No, I’m tickled pink to be a champion, as part of this championship team with Robert winning and with my daughter Brittany. It’s amazing what took place.
Megan Meyer, John DiBartolomeo, & Alan Reinhart on WFO Radio NHRA Nitro
HOLLYWOOD, FL – Megan Meyer headlines this edition of WFO Radio NHRA Nitro. Meyer discusses her NGK 
sponsorship for the 2018 season and her plans to run for the Top Alcohol Dragster World Championship.
NHRA Division 1 Hall of Famer, John DiBartolomeo, from Drag Racing Edge, discusses the latest edition of the magazine, and his thoughts on the DOT seminar at the PRI Trade Show.
NHRA’s Alan Reinhart gives his thoughts on the 2018 Pro Stock rules changes.
Host, Joe Castello, recaps PRI in Indianapolis, Indiana.
AUDIO LINK: http://wforadio.com/nhra-nitro-12122017/
