Mark Beaver, owner of Beaver Motorsports, confirmed to CompetitionPlus.com that his team will run a limited NHRA Pro Stock schedule in 2024.

“We’re planning on running eight to ten races and Larry (Morgan) is going to drive the car,” Beaver said. “We do our motors in-house; Larry Morgan Racing does the engines, and we will be running a Camaro again.”

Beaver said his team plans to start its season at the 2024 NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series opener – the 55th annual NHRA Gartornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 7-10.

SCAG Racing has made another acquisition, announcing the integration of Paul Richards Racing into its fold. The move sees driver Dave Richards and the Versatran/BlueBird Funny Car team transitioning to compete under the SCAG Racing banner, debuting at the NHRA Gatornationals.

“This is a best-case scenario for our Paul Richards Racing team. We’re still all together, same group of great, hardworking guys, just now we get to focus on racing,” Dave Richards said. “When Randy and SCAG approached us with the deal, we knew we couldn’t pass it up. With Versatran and BlueBird they were already making sure we could race a full season and now there’s a sense of stability. My brother Paul and I can’t thank the SCAG team enough for investing in this team, trusting us to represent Versatran, BlueBird and SCAG, and believing we deserve to be out here.”

The North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame honored accomplished track promoters Steve Earwood and the late Jim Turner alongside other luminaries during a gala event on Feb. 17. The ceremony, held at the Greensboro Coliseum, also inducted Larry “Spiderman” McBride, Rob Vandergriff, Wally Stroupe, and Gary and Charlie Wisecarver into its prestigious ranks.

The 21st annual Shriner’s Drag Racing and Hot Rod Expo served as the backdrop for this esteemed occasion. This event, a long-standing tradition, supports the Shriners’ Children’s Hospital, exemplifying the charitable spirit deeply ingrained in the drag racing community.

Steve Earwood, a stalwart figure in the racing world, received the Jeff Byrd Memorial Award for lifetime achievement. His three-decade tenure as the owner and operator of Rockingham Dragway solidified his legacy within the sport. Meanwhile, Jim Turner, posthumously honored with the Pioneer Award alongside his wife Dora, left an indelible mark as the former operators of Piedmont Dragway.

If there’s something Josh Hart has learned early in his drag racing career, it is to be prepared for the unexpected. His biggest test could be at the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals next month, where he is the defending Pep Boys All-Star Callout champion. 

But, the test for him will not be defending his title. It will instead be whether or not he gets in the show. 

Hart experienced one of his worst seasons on record, but the tide started to turn late in the season. However, for the R+L Carriers-sponsored driver, the early shortcomings had him come up short in the point standings of the special race-within-a-race.

This is certainly unchartered territory for Dave Richards.

After racing part-time for 10 years, Dave Richards and Paul Richards Racing will be running the full 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season for the first time in the Versatran/BlueBird nitro Funny Car.

His first stop with a full-time operation is competing at the inaugural $1.3 million PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton (Fla.) Motorsports Park, which began Thursday and concluded Saturday night.

The nitro pit area is a community where crew guys will come and go. But more often than not, those working relationships turn into longtime friendships. 

That’s precisely what happened with Jim Oberhofer and Nicky Boninfante, who worked together back in the day at Kalitta Motorsports on Scott Kalitta’s Top Fuel dragster back in his championship years. Then, they went their separate ways to pursue other opportunities. 

They are back together this year as the Clay Millican Parts Plus Top Fuel dragster tuners. 

Paul Lee, a key figure at Wharton Automotive Group, Inc (WAG), has successfully acquired the highly regarded sport compact single-disc clutch line from Competition Clutch Inc. 

The acquisition of Competition Clutch, a leading brand in the sport compact clutch and flywheel market, represents a significant step in the Wharton Automotive Group’s ongoing expansion within the high-performance automotive driveline sector. Competition Clutch will now operate out of McLeod Racing’s manufacturing facility in Anaheim, CA as part of the deal.

Competition Clutch has been integral to the sport compact industry since its inception. Offering a diverse range of products, from stock replacements to full race twin and triple disc clutches, 

Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage (JHG) and J&A Service will serve as the presenting sponsors of the 2024 Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod (WSOPM). The event is scheduled for March 1-3 at Bradenton Motorsports Park and will feature over 60 top Pro Modified teams vying for a $100,000 winner-take-all prize.

This news comes on the heels of the successful inaugural SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout, which was presented by Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage at Bradenton. With its impressive collection of over 200 cars, ranging from classic hot rods to cutting-edge supercars, JHG is making its WSOPM debut as the co-presenting sponsor. Additionally, JHG will partner with Elite Motorsports and compete for a $25,000 prize in the second annual Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitational.

Drag Illustrated founder and editorial director, Wes Buck, expressed his enthusiasm for JHG’s involvement.

Pro Stock driver Eric Latino owns GESi, a leading producer of catalytic converters for OEM, aftermarket, and performance applications. 

Latino, now a co-owner of the KB Titan brand, has managed to marry his business into drag racing. He has been in the emissions industry for now 25 years. 

The former Pro Modified driver, who is now trying his hand at NHRA Pro Stock, is working on making drag racing engines more environmentally friendly since he sees a day coming when leaded fuels wind down in drag racing.