by Bobby Bennett Jr. ; Photo by Ron Lewis    Sponsorships are drag racing’s life’s blood. National IT Consulting company IGTG (Innovative Global Technology Group) plans to make its presence known in the straight-line sport through programs they plan to activate with four top drag racing teams.  IGTG is no stranger to NHRA drag racing. This season’s endeavor marks its fifth year in the straight-line sport and return in 2024 with Paul Lee Racing (Funny Car), Krista Baldwin Racing (Top Fuel), Matt Smith Racing (Pro Stock Motorcycle) and has started a new partnership with Angelle Sa ..read more

by Bobby Bennett Jr.    The Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series is poised to return to Virginia Motorsports Park for the Kaeser Compressors Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Classic Graphix this weekend. With national records broken in the Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous and WS Construction Pro Boost categories, top racers like Jim Halsey and Derek Ward are gearing up for fierce competition ..read more

by Bobby Bennett Jr.    If anyone knows the value of Competition Eliminator, it's Mark Beatty, Red Line Oil's Brand Director.  Beatty, a former Competition Eliminator racer from the 1990s, has proudly joined the movement of companies determined to preserve the iconic drag racing division that dates back to the early 1960s. Red Line Oil is one of the sponsors alongside Rodger Brogdon in the 2024 Rooftec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund.  "We're really excited about being a part of the Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund," Beatty said. As a brand, we really focus on the grassroots or ..read more

by Bobby Bennett Jr.    The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event in Chicago, the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals, will feature the Drag and Drive exhibition for the second year. This showcase will include drivers Alex Taylor and Tom Bailey and an array of high-performance street cars running in the 6-second range at speeds exceeding 200 mph, promising an exciting experience for fans at Route 66 Raceway. The Drag and Drive exhibition will complement the main NHRA event, featuring Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle categories.  Bri ..read more

by Bobby Bennett Jr.    Blake Bowser is passionate about drag racing, particularly drag racing that recreates the straight-line sport's history.  This passion is why, when Bowser, who runs Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, watched interest waning in the California Hot Rod Reunion (CHRR), he knew he had to do something. Bowser's "something" will come to fruition in October when he and his track personnel take over the CHRR operations.  ..read more

by Bobby Bennett Jr.    Blake Bowser is passionate about drag racing, particularly drag racing that recreates the straight-line sport's history.  This passion is why, when Bowser, who runs Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, watched interest waning in the California Hot Rod Reunion (CHRR), he knew he had to do something. Bowser's "something" will come to fruition in October when he and his track personnel take over the CHRR operations.  ..read more

by Tracy Renck    When Pro Stock Motorcycle riders compete at the NHRA’s 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, N.C., April 26-28, they must adapt to a rule change.  Following the season-opening and lone event the PSM riders have competed in so far this season – the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 8-10 – a rule change was put into place by the NHRA tech department.  After Gainesville, the NHRA tech department switched from Sunoco Cyclone 17 to Sunoco SR18. SR18 and Cyclone were allowed through the Gators, but now all PSM riders must only use Sunoco SR18.  ..read more

by Ian Tocher    The Southeast Gassers Association continued its second stage of existence Apr. 13 at historic Shadyside Dragway with the SEGA Shelby Nationals presented by Robbins Repairables. It also marked just the second race under new ownership after Leslie Horne took over from series founder Quain Stott last November. "It's kind of nice to be here and be able to race without worrying about the event or dealing with everyone's complaints and anything that could go wrong," said Stott, who established SEGA a dozen years earlier, but will only be campaigning his "Executioner" '48 A ..read more

by Bobby Bennett Jr.    Tony Schumacher, the winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA Drag Racing history, will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America's (MSHFA) class of 2025. Schumacher is one of seven motorsports icons receiving this honor, reserved for game-changing performers in American motorsports. Other inductees in the MSHFA Class of 2025 include Carl Haas, Dale Jarrett, Skip Barber, Miguel Duhamel, Ed Iskenderian, and Bill Stroppe. The induction ceremony is scheduled for March next year in Daytona, Florida ..read more

by Bobby Bennett Jr.    There's no time like the first. Brian Shrader had raced nitrous doorslammers for a long but on Saturday night at Galot Motorsports Park, he was able to check to win a national event from his list of things to do. Saturday night at the season-opening East Coast Nationals, Shrader defeated Fredy Scriba in the final round at the first of eight championship points races on the 2024 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series schedule.  Shrader shared the winner's circle with Pro Boost veteran Todd Tutterow and Johnny Pluchino, who captured the Extreme Pro Stock crow ..read more