Mark Micke, Bo Butner and Ron Green maintained their top qualifying positions through five qualifying sessions to head into the final eliminations of the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Modified as the No. 1 seeds. 

“It's gonna be awesome,” said Micke, who collected a $10,000 low qualifier bonus from Pilot Electric and Red Line Oil. “These are the baddest drivers on the planet. I told my guys, who are a bunch of young guys, they don't understand what we did. This is the pinnacle of anything I've ever done in racing. I've done a lot of shit and this is more impressive. I don't know what else to say. I was blown away.”

Racing the Good Vibrations Bakersfield March Meet at the legendary Famoso Dragstrip always has its challenges. At the 66th annual running of the historic event showcasing the pageantry of nostalgia racing, the challenges were not only on the track but also when Mother Nature tried to intervene. 

In the end, it was Tyler Hilton (Top Fuel), Shane Westerfield (Funny Car), and Mathew Leonard (Fuel Altered) claiming the top spots in their respective divisions.

Well, he does have a history of running quick and fast in Bradenton.

A month after dominating the U.S. Street Nationals from start to finish, Mark Micke continued his barrage of boost with the provisional pole position at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod. Other professional qualifying leaders include Bo Butner (Mountain Moto Pro Stock) and Ron Green (PRO 10.5 Challenge).

“I'm really confident – we threw that 3.59 in the heat. That was a style run,” said Micke, who mentioned having a staging snafu with Vergotz during Q3. “It lit a fire under my ass. If you have a bad run, it just motivates me harder. I got all the confidence in the world. I’ve learned that when you’re on a roll, you just ride it. I wish eliminations were tomorrow because I’m ready.”

CompetitionPlusTV will livestream the Don Garlits International Drag Racing Hall of Fame ceremonies on its YouTube channel and CompetitionPlus.com. The partnership with Masters Entertainment enters its fifth year of the drag racing mainstays working together to cover the illustrious event. 

Dave Dobson, vice president, producer, and director of Masters Entertainment, said his team looks forward to working with the CompetitionPlus.com team to present one of the most significant events drag racing offers. 

"We love working with CompetitionPlus; they are great partners," said Dave Dobson, Masters Entertainment. "We share a common interest in that we love drag racing. We also love the sport's history, which drives us to bring the best presentation of those who helped make it what it is today. Partnering with Competition Plus ensures we share this with some of drag racing's most passionate fans." 

There’s making moves to win a championship, and then there’s reloading to maintain and defend a title. 

Kalitta Motorsports, home of 2023 NHRA Top Fuel Champion Doug Kalitta, will maintain its lineup for the 2024 season but with significant adjustments to its crew chief positions, the team announced today. Brian Husen has been promoted to crew chief for Shawn Langdon’s Kalitta Air Careers team, while Mac Savage joins the team to replace him. The changes come ahead of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, set to commence on March 8-10, 2024, at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

Doug Foley and his Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel team underwent significant changes during the 2023/2024 offseason, notably reintroducing co-crew chief Doug Kuch and implementing various adjustments before preseason testing. The team, co-owned by Tim Lewis, participated in a two-day test session at Gainesville in mid-February to gauge the impact of these modifications on on-track performance. 

Foley expressed confidence in transitioning from a testing phase to race mode for the upcoming NHRA Gatornationals, emphasizing the positive response from the car despite limited track time due to inclement weather.

Finishing second in NHRA’s Top Fuel world standings in 2023 might satisfy some teams – but not the Capco boys at Torrence Racing.
 
Especially driver Steve Torrence.
 
That’s what happens when you win four world titles, as Torrence did from 2018 to 21.