NHRA Countdown to the Championship Preview: Is Robert Hight still the favorite in Funny Car?
Robert Hight holds the No. 1 seed in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, but he will face a stacked field of competitors in the Funny Car category entering the Mopar NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil.
Robert Hight looked like the heir apparent for the Funny Car championship throughout the first half of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season. He may still be by virtue of locking up the No. 1 seed, holding the most 2019 Wallys, and driving the…
NHRA Countdown to the Championship Preview: Can Steve Torrence repeat as Top Fuel champion?
We answer the biggest questions surrounding the Top Fuel category entering the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, which kicks off Friday at the Mopar NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil.
The NHRA Countdown to the Championship turns 12 in 2019, and Steve Torrence enters the playoffs as the No. 1 seed for the third straight season. The Texan does not need to repeat his history-making 24-round winning streak to win his second title,…
Steve Torrence eyeing more Countdown records with top seed, huge lead
Heading into final eliminations for Top Fuel at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, one thing that won’t change is that Steve Torrence will enter the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs as the top seed.
Heading into final eliminations for Top Fuel at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, one thing that won’t change is that Steve Torrence will enter the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs as the top seed.
Torrence will finish the…
Record Indy Funny Car field has some connections to past record fields
Five rounds of Funny Car qualifying at the 2019 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals helped create a record-breaking field of 16 qualifiers with Justin Schriefer’s 4.005 sitting on the bump spot. Qualifiers John Force, Ron Capps, and Tommy Johnson Jr. all have connections to previous record fields.
Five rounds of Funny Car qualifying at the 2019 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals helped create a record-breaking field of 16 qualifiers with Justin Schriefer’s 4.005 sitting on the record bump spot. The old record was 4.029 set at the 2016 Auto…
Nitro Funny Car rookie Ray Martin ready to take the sport's biggest stage
Ray Martin has NHRA licenses in 12 classes, but the latest ticket to ride for the Alaska-based driver is for a nitro Funny Car. He qualified the Worsham family’s Toyota for a shot at winning the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.
Going fast is nothing new to Ray Martin. He has NHRA licenses in 12 classes, including Pro Mod, Top Alcohol Dragster, Comp, Super Stock, Super Comp, Nostalgia Funny Car and a few others in addition to his usual ride in Top Alcohol Funny Car, but the…
Tommy Johnson Jr. fighting gremlins, the weather in pursuit of Funny Car field
As the rain continued to fall Sunday morning, Tommy Johnson Jr., driver of the Make-A-Wish Funny Car, had a wish of his own: a chance to still make the Funny Car field at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.
As the rain continued to fall Sunday morning, Tommy Johnson Jr., driver of the Make-A-Wish Funny Car, had a wish of his own: a chance to still make the Funny Car field at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.
Johnson, who this weekend is…
Veteran Jim Dunn looking for a little more Indy magic to make quick Funny Car field
Jim Dunn knows that magic happens at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. The veteran car owner has won the race before, but faces a stiff challenge to put his driver, Jim Campbell, into the field of one of the sport's quickest-ever fields.
Jim Dunn knows that magic happens at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. The veteran car owner, who first came to Indy in 1964 with a Chevy-powered fuel dragster, has witnessed how incredible things can happen at “the Big Go” in his more…
Quality not quantity has been the recipe for success for T.J. Zizzo so far in 2019
T.J. Zizzo and the Rust-oleum Top Fuel team don’t run a lot of races, preferring to spend their humble budget on quality outings instead of quantity, and they're looking to continue their impressive 2019 season this weekend at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.
T.J. Zizzo and the Rust-oleum Top Fuel team don’t run a lot of races -– you’ll always see them at their hometown event in Joliet, Ill., and, of course, at Indy, and maybe one or two others –- preferring to spend their humble budget on quality…
Kenny Delco battling hard for final Countdown spot in Pro Stock
Kenny Delco has overcome a lot of adversity this season, now he's on the verge of his first top ten finish in Pro Stock since 1990.
Kenny Delco didn’t compete in the Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas and he suffered through a nasty crash at the Dodge Mile-High Nationals in Denver, yet through all the adversity, he finds himself on the verge of clinching a spot in the Countdown to…
Indy 'Fanboy Jack' Beckman gives way to 'Racer Jack' as hunt for win continues
You don’t have to have won Indy to be a fan of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, but it certainly helps. Just ask Jack Beckman.
You don’t have to have won Indy to be a fan of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, but it certainly helps. Just ask Jack Beckman.
The driver of the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger Hellcat Funny Car has a deep love for the history of our sport…
Tii Tharpe, Doug Vancil will decide Mickey Thompson Tires Top Fuel Harley title at Indy
The Mickey Thompson Tires Top Fuel Harley season championship will be decided this weekend at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in a two-rider showdown between points leader and defending series champ Tii Tharpe and second-ranked Doug Vancil.
The Mickey Thompson Tires Top Fuel Harley season championship will be decided this weekend at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in a two-rider showdown between points leader and defending series champ Tii Tharpe and second-ranked Doug Vancil…
Phil Burkart Jr., Paul Smith honoring their shared Castronovo legacy at Indy
Funny Car racer Phil Burkart Jr. and Paul Smith are saluting former Funny Car owner Fred Castronovo on Smith’s Rock Batteries Funny Car at this weekend's Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, a nod to their shared history with the Castronovo family.
As a car-obsessed teenager growing up in Utica. N.Y. in the early 1980s, Phil Burkart Jr. always gravitated to the town’s hot-rodding hotpot, the Custom Body Enterprises shop of the Castronovo brothers, who fielded a Funny Car, first driven by…
Angelle Sampey embracing challenges at Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals aboard Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
The 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season has been a challenging one for three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ Angelle Sampey, but all of that could be wiped away with an impressive showing on drag racing’s biggest stage.
The 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season has been a challenging one for three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ Angelle Sampey, but all of that could be wiped away with an impressive showing on drag racing’s biggest stage, this…
J.R. Todd has a chance to make history at Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
J.R. Todd has back-to-back wins at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals and can become the first Funny Car driver in NHRA history to win the prestigious race three straight years.
For someone who grew up watching drag racing’s biggest race, winning the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals was a career-making moment for J.R. Todd. But the Funny Car standout didn’t stop there after winning in 2017. He followed it up…
Erica Enders hopes to have another memorable Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
Erica Enders is chasing another memorable Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in her Chevrolet Camaro.
Erica Enders’ favorite Indy memory happened in 2015 and it’s a moment she will never forget. It marked her first win at the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, coming in the midst of her impressive back-to-back championship run in Pro…
Stevie "Fast" Jackson revved up and ready to defend Pro Mod points lead at Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod points leader Stevie "Fast" Jackson joined Lewis Bloom via Skype in the Wally Parks NHRA Studio to talk about the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals and the battle for the season championship.
Scott Palmer has his eyes set on Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals win, Countdown berth
Scott Palmer sits 11th in the Mello Yello Top Fuel standings, just one spot out of making the Countdown to the Championship field, and a win at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals -- his stated goal -- would easily could take care of that.
First Indy win, second Countdown seed are on Ron Capps' agenda heading to 'The Big Go'
Ron Capps has never won the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, but he enters the event hot off of a win in Brainerd. Capps joined Lewis Bloom via Skype in the Wally Parks NHRA Studio to talk about that challenge, the upcoming Countdown to the Championship, and his passion for racing.
Hear from Don Prudhomme, Mario Andretti, Richard Petty, Austin Coil, Don Garlits and Joe Amato on John Force's 150th win
John Force scored his 150th win at the Magic Dry Organic Absorbent NHRA Northwest Nationals. Some of the legends of motorsports sshare their thoughts on the 16-time Funny Car champion.
John Force earned his 150th win at the Magic Dry Organic Absorbent NHRA Northwest Nationals on Sunday, etching his name in the NHRA history books in the process. We caught up with some fellow NHRA legends to get their take on Force’s accomplishment…
The road to fame: John Force looks back on his career and the road to 150 victories
Sixteen-time NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car champion John Force joined Lewis Bloom in the Wally Parks NHRA Studio to talk about his milestone 150th career win and the wins and losses on and off the track that have marked his hall of fame career.
Stevie "Fast" Jackson resumes E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod title chase at U.S. Nationals
Stevie "Fast" Jackson will have his hands full as he attempts to defend his Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals title over Labor Day weekend. The racer is hunting down his first NHRA world championship with Todd Tutterow, Jose Gonzalez and a stacked Pro Mod field on his heels.
Stevie “Fast” Jackson can smell blood. He holds a 133-point lead with four races remaining in the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series season. Jose Gonzalez, his closest competitor in the standings, needs to pull off a miracle to catch…
Brainerd winners Leah Pritchett, Ron Capps hope to ride momentum to Indy success
Teammates Leah Pritchett and Ron Capps enter this weekend’s Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals hot of their respective victories in Top Fuel and Funny Car at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd. Crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Rahn Tobler assessed their teams’ chances for success at Indy with NHRA's John Kernan.
Terry McMillen looking to secure Countdown berth at Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
Top Fuel racer Terry McMillen sits in the 10th and final spot for the Countdown to the Championship and will try to hold onto or better that position at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, where he is the defending event champ. NHRA's John Kernan reports from Indy.
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The first of five Mello Yello Series qualifying sessions at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30. Two more…
Jimmy Daniels will put his perfect Dodge Hemi Challenge record on the line
Mopar Super Stock racer Jimmy Daniels has not lost a round in the Dodge Hemi Challenge since 2016, and brings an umblemished 14-0 record and the hope of a fourth straight win into this year's event at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.
Whenever one contemplates the impact of a perfect 14-0 record in sports, it usually conjures up memories of the NFL’s 1972 Miami Dolphins and their historic unbeaten season. For Mopar Super Stock racer Jimmy Daniels, that statistic has a different…
Cruz Pedregon still optimistic about chances of making Funny Car Countdown
Entering the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, former Funny Car world champ Cruz Pedregon sits in 11th place, and will have to battle his way into the top 10 in Indy for a chance to compete for the Mello Yello championship.
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The first of five Mello Yello Series qualifying sessions at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30. Two more…
Who will make the NHRA Countdown to the Championship?
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals with 21 racers chasing down 11 spots in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. We go class by class to see who has a shot at making it into the Countdown.
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals with 21 racers chasing down 11 spots in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. Some (okay, many) of those racers have a better chance of snagging a spot in…
Australian Top Fuel champs will challenge the field at Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
Driver Wayne Newby and the Rapisarda Racing team, Top Fuel season champions in their native Australia, will return to the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals to challenge the best that the NHRA has to offer. The team recently tested in Indy.
Coming off 150th win, John Force ready for Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
Coming off the latest landmark victory in his legendary NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series career, John Force has a chance for another noteworthy achievement on drag racing’s grandest stage, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.
Coming off the latest landmark victory in his legendary NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series career, John Force has a chance for another noteworthy achievement on drag racing’s grandest stage. The 16-time Funny Car world champ recently picked up his…
Brainerd atmosphere brings out the best in Funny Car star Ron Capps
There’s a certain affinity Ron Capps has with Brainerd International Raceway and its huge on-site campground known as “The Zoo.” After all, there is a part of the campground named after the Funny Car world champion.
There’s a certain affinity Ron Capps has with Brainerd International Raceway and its huge on-site campground known as “The Zoo.” After all, there is a part of the campground named after the Funny Car world champion, a corner aptly called “Capps…
Standout Top Fuel rookie Austin Prock motivated to build on first career victory
Austin Prock is still savoring every part of picking up his first career NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series victory in Top Fuel in Seattle, but it’s only pushed him to try to do more, especially with the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship approaching.
Austin Prock is still savoring every part of picking up his first career NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series victory in Top Fuel. But one aspect of enjoying the victory for the Top Fuel rookie is how much it has motivated him to try to get more and…