Matt Hagan literally has handled stubborn calves and maneuvered bulky farm machinery on his acreage in Southwestern Virginia.
 
And his Sublime Green Direct Connection Dodge Charger Hellcat Funny Car was about as willful in Friday’s opening qualifying sessions at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, near Denver.

Matt Hagan, the current Funny Car points leader, came close to breaking a track record on Friday at the 43rd annual and final Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway. With a sold-out crowd in attendance, Hagan secured the provisional No. 1 qualifier position, thrilling fans and setting the stage for an exciting weekend of racing.

Hagan, piloting his 11,000-horsepower Dodge Direct Connections Charger SRT Hellcat, blazed down the track with a time of 3.895-seconds at 324.59 mph. This stellar run not only positioned Hagan for his first No. 1 qualifier spot of the season but also marked his monumental 50th career No. 1 spot. With the race being sponsored by Dodge, Hagan expressed his gratitude for the support and promised the fans an unforgettable show.

“It’s a lot going on in there, but Dickie Venables is a hell of a crew chief,” Hagan commended. “That’s what we’re supposed to do. It’s a Dodge race and we’ve got the car in the No. 1 spot. We want to keep that up and see what we can do tomorrow. A big thank you to all the fans that came out here today and this weekend. It’s such an emotional weekend, but we’re going to put on a heck of a show for these fans."

Kenny Bernstein should have been wearing a t-shirt that read, “Been there, done that. Got the t-shirt.”

That’s exactly how the experience went as he sat in the cockpit of Antron Brown’s Matco Tools-sponsored dragster as it warmed up before the Q1 session at the NHRA Mopar Mile High Nationals, the tenth stop on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series tour.. 

“This is exactly how we did everything, how we started, how the clutch felt, how the steering felt, how the brake felt, how the fuel shutoff was, where it was located,” Bernstein explained. “It was no different than my car 16 years ago, so it was a piece of cake, but I enjoyed it so much, and I love [Antron]. He’s the best.”

Top Fuel racer Shawn Langdon has a relationship with Bandimere Speedway that spans all the way back to 1997 when he was a Junior Dragster racer. This weekend he will say goodbye to the picturesque facility with longtime Kalitta Motorsports marketing partner SealMaster. 

Langdon, who has three titles at the track located outside of Denver, Co.,is gunning to add a second Top Fuel title alongside his 2013 crown and two Super Comp wins and Junior Dragster championship. 

Since 1978 the NHRA Mile-High Nationals held at iconic Bandimere Speedway located just outside of Denver has created many magical moments during its illustrious tenure on the NHRA schedule. One of those moments was when a lesser-known Junior Dragster graduate turned fuel racer toppled one of the era's most seasoned and dominating Top Fuel drivers.

J.R. Todd, who licensed as a Top Fuel driver as a teenager, then served as a Funny Car crewman when he lost his ride, topped Tony Schumacher in the final round of the 2006 NHRA Mile-high Nationals. It was the first time he'd hoisted an NHRA trophy as a professional.

The NHRA teams are currently amid one of their season's busiest and most challenging stretches, the western swing. The Salinas family has opted for a different kind of adventure as they leave their race shops in the Midwest and head west for races in Colorado, Washington, and California. Top Fuel driver Mike Salinas, his daughter Jianna Evaristo, a Pro Stock Motorcycle rider, and other family members have set off on a motorcycle road trip, temporarily escaping the daily demands of their business operations.

"This ride was something that we really wanted to do as a way to not focus on the business for a few weeks, but instead focus on our time together," said Mike Salinas. "All we have is time, and we know our businesses are in good hands while we are enjoying time on the road."

Bandimere Speedway, the iconic racing track located outside of Denver, Colorado, is set to close later this year. However, the family that owns the track is determined to build a new facility on a much larger plot of land. Owner John Bandimere Jr. told the Denver Post that his family plans to take a year off in 2024 before launching a new facility near Denver International Airport in 2025 reportedly ten times the size of the current location.

Bandimere, in the same article, emphasized that the main reason for the move is the need for more space and not encroaching residential development. The current 100-acre speedway, which has been in operation for 65 years, faces parking constraints that will become increasingly problematic after 2023. To address this issue, the family is considering two potential sites near DIA, totaling approximately 1,100 acres.

"We haven't had any room for parking," Bandimere told DenverPost.com. "We've been renting our neighbors' lots for parking, and they're under contract to sell also because there's so much development happening in the valley."

Kenny Bernstein understands that one little spark can turn into a raging inferno in no time. 

Bernstein, the revered drag racing legend who has seven world championships (six NHRA, one IHRA) to his credit, isn't making a drag racing comeback but is enjoying a few minutes of nitro ecstasy as he sits behind the wheel of Antron Brown's Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster during a Friday warm-up at 2:30 PM, CST during the Dodge Mile High Nationals outside of Denver, CO.

The most difficult part of the experience, Bernstein admits, will be to remind himself, this is only a one-time deal and racing again is not in the cards.

The bitter and divisive battle between rival sanctioning bodies ANDRA and IHRA Australia for control of Australian drag racing has flared again.

The latest skirmish concerns performance limitations and restrictions for Doorslammer, Pro Mod and sedan-type body classes.

The catalyst for the latest outbreak of hostilities came after a spate of major crashes last season including the death of Sam Fenech, one of the most popular and revered Doorslammer racers in Australia, at Willowbank Raceway in January.

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rookie Chase Van Sant will be competing in the class for the first time at the Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, July 14-16.

However, Van Sant is no stranger to racing at the track outside of Denver.

“I think I raced there for three or four years when I was probably 12 to 13 until I was 15,” said Van Sant, 25. “I went last year working for Jerry (Savoie) and Karen (Stoffer). So, it was my first time back, yeah, for a little while.”

When Van Sant arrives riding a Suzuki for White Alligator Racing in Morrison, Colo., it will be a farewell for the Mile-High Nationals.