Mike Edwards dominated the 2009 NHRA Pro Stock like few have ever done. While this title was Edwards' first as a professional drag racer, it wasn't his first championship. Edwards captured the NHRA's Modified eliminator title in 1981 and then the class was discontinued, denying Edwards the opportunity to run the No. 1 on his car in championship defense. Fifteen months ago, CompetitionPlus.com ran an article on the time Edwards won a championship as a sportsman racer. We felt it appropriate on a slow news day to rerun this informative article.

The Holley NMRA Ford Nationals and NMCA Muscle Car Nationals season openers kicked off in grand style over back-to-back weekends at Bradenton Motorsports Park. However, the huge momentum from each series was stopped cold as the COVID-19 pandemic tightened its grasp on the United States and around the world forcing our lives to adapt to a new normal.
 
ProMedia Events & Publishing have made dramatic changes to the schedule to ensure the continuity of championship drag racing in both event series. The sudden change to the schedules are designed to ensure both sanctioning bodies offer the racers, sponsors, and fans a full list of events in 2020 rather than shorten the number events.
 
“We began the year offering six championship races in each sanctioning body and we’re determined to continue that commitment despite the Coronavirus temporary shutdown,” commented Steve Wolcott, founder and CEO of ProMedia Events & Publishing. “Thanks to our incredible track partners we moved pieces around to give our country more time to recover from the pandemic and ensure a full schedule for racers, sponsors, and fans.”

The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, where the future stars of the sport earn their racing stripes, returns to action after a hiatus stemming from the COVID-19 global pandemic. Drivers are eager to return to competition at premier racing facilities across the country.

The action-packed series will tentatively resume May 15-17 with events in Division 2 at Atlanta Dragway and Division 4 at Alamo City Motorplex.

Due to the current lockdown, we’ve decided to move the date of Holley LS Fest West in Las Vegas.  The event will now be held the weekend of June 12-14, 2020 and to beat the heat we have added a twist!

Introducing LS Fest West Under the Lights! All the usual mayhem will ensue, but we’ll be starting late and running late into the Vegas night!  It’s gonna be a PARTY!  “It was clear that LS Fest attendees didn’t want us to give up on the event and we certainly didn’t want to give up on them.  They love the event and we love them for it,” said Bill Tichenor, Holley’s director of marketing and creator of the event.  “Vegas is open 24-7, so we figured LS Fest could be as well.  It’s going to be radical.  We’re coming to party!”

David Latino doubled up in Super Stock and Stock and reigning NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world champions Ray Miller III in Super Comp and Sandy Wilkins Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers scored victories at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Racing in the Mello Yello, E3 Pro Mod, Top Alcohol, and SAMTech.edu Factory Stock Showdown was postponed to a later date.

Latino claimed the first half of his double -– the 41st in NHRA national event history –- by scoring in Stock with his C/SA Corvette when reigning Comp eliminator world champion Frank Aragona Jr. red-lighted with a -.023 reaction time in the final round. A short time later, Latino wheeled his GT/GA Cobalt to victory in Super Stock, defeating red-lighting Anthony Bertozzi. It was Latino's first win in nearly five years.

Getting inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame wasn't enough of a showcase for Roy Hill on Thursday.

The veteran Pro Stock pioneer from Sophia, NC, led two of the showcase class racing divisions by setting the pace for both Super Stock and Stock.

Pro Stock stars of the NHRA have officially been added to the lineup of the JEGS- SFG Million at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan, June 29- July 5. This event will be the highest paying drag race in history, awarding $1,100,000 to a single winner on Saturday, July 4th. If history wasn’t enough to attract Michigan race fans to this event, Kyle Riley, CEO of SFG Promotions has made the race even more exciting by coordinating runs on Friday and Saturday (July 3-4) by Erica Enders, Jeg Coughlin, Alex Laughlin, and Aaron Stanfield in their 200+ mph Elite Motorsports Pro Stock cars. This exhibition is part of a larger scheme to entertain fans at the JEGS-SFG Million, called the Million Dollar Freedom Fair.

While the focus was on Pro Stock and Pro Mod at the inaugural Drag Illustrated World Doorslammer Nationals presented by CTech Manufacturing, the event also included racing in Pro 632, Top Sportsman, Super Pro and Pro ET.
 
Dillon Voss (Pro 632), Vonnie Mills (Top Sportsman), Stu White (Super Pro) and Troy Stafford (Pro ET) joined Pro Stock winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Pro Mod winner Alex Laughlin as the first-ever World Doorslammer Nationals event champions.

Thanks to our coverage partners at DragRacer.TV (formerly D3TV) and Warren Evans, we present to you the live video feed from The Baby Gators, Race No. 2 of the NHRA Lucas Oil Divisiona Race Series in Gainesville, Fla. 

The following are Friday's final qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division Fifth annual Baby Gators: