Past Mexican drag racing champion turned NHRA Pro Stock racer Fernando Cuadra has zero problem being labeled a dreamer, and with good reason - he is one. But one by one, those dreams are starting to come true.

The latest comes this weekend at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragster when a third Cuadra son enters the complex world of NHRA Pro Stock driving a new Mustang sponsored by the family's Corral Boots brand. David Cuadra will transition from the Top Sportsman division into the Camping World Drag Racing Series.

Months ago, while David was still learning the ropes, his father celebrated the family's inclusion in the Countdown to the Championship. In a significant milestone, one of the three drivers, Cristian, earned a berth organically, while Fernando Sr. and Jr. earned a spot with revised rules.

Talk about taking Super Gas racing to the next level.

Roy and Keith Raftery’s new C7 Corvette Roadster is what happens when the 9.90 division crosses paths with the ingenuity of Pro Modified.

For the last two seasons, Competition Eliminator racer Rodger Brogdon has watched countless numbers of racers in the complex division enjoy the fruits of winning what has turned into one of the more lucrative divisions in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Sunday afternoon in Noble, Oklahoma, the Santa Claus of Competition Eliminator was able to keep a few of his presents.

Brogdon, for the first time since 2007, scored his 11th NHRA Div. 4 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event victory, stopping Sean Dodd in the final round of the Thunder Valley Raceway Park in Noble, Oklahoma. In a double-redlight, Dodd had the first infraction handing the victory to Brogdon.

Brogdon entered the first round of eliminations as the No. 15 qualifier and opened eliminations with a victory over Clark Smiley. He then drove past Brooke Heckel and Greg Kamplain and was able to fend off Brad Plourd in the semis.

Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage (JHG) has partnered with Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, with the Tennessee-based company highlighting its world-class car collection on the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car of three-time champion Matt Hagan.

JHG will serve as the co-primary sponsor of Hagan during the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals April 28-30 at zMAX Dragway. The red, white and blue car design will feature JHG on the hood of Hagan’s 11,000-horsepower machine. JHG will also be Hagan’s co-primary sponsor at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals June 9-11 at Bristol Dragway and primary sponsor at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals July 28-30 at Sonoma Raceway. For all other races, JHG will be featured in an associate partner position on each side of the rear wing.

Two of the most prolific drivers in nitrous Pro Modified racing, Jim Halsey and “Tricky” Rickie Smith, squared off in the Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous final round Sunday afternoon at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Classic Graphix. Racing at Virginia Motorsports Park, Halsey won when Smith went red. Halsey recorded a weekend-best 3.646-second pass to go back-to-back at the second stop on the 2023 PDRA tour.

An afternoon of heavy rain showers put a stop to Saturday eliminations at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Classic Graphix at Virginia Motorsports Park. Eliminations will continue Sunday. 

With several hours of rain in the forecast for Saturday afternoon, Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) officials moved the first round of eliminations up to Friday night at the Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Classic Graphix at Virginia Motorsports Park. The low qualifiers in several classes continued their success with first-round wins. 

CompetitionPlus.com reported on April 21 that Bandimere Speedway will close at the end of its 2023 race season.

Seeing the curtain drop on the Morrison, Colo. facility near Denver is hard to imagine for many racers and fans. The Bandimere family has been running the facility since its opening in 1958.

The facility has been a mainstay on NHRA’s Division V calendar and home to the NHRA national event – the Mile-High Nationals for more than 40 years. The final Mile-High Nationals is set for July 14-16.

Tami Bandimere, part of Bandimere Speedway’s executive team, said there’s nothing in stone right now about relocating Bandimere Speedway.

Standout Pro Mod racer Lizzy Musi unveiled on a YouTube video that she is battling Stage 4 breast cancer.

“I’m going to start at the beginning and explain to everyone and give some awareness while speaking about it,” said Musi, 31. “I started out about two years ago with breast augmentation and it didn’t work out, so I had to do a revision of it, and I went to the doctor in Mississippi, and he did an awesome job and I was very happy with it. It fixed my first situation and then I had my second revision done in June and a couple months down the road, I want to say six months later around December/January I noticed like a marble-sized lump in my breast.”

Musi kept a positive outlook about that finding.

 
A trio of repeat winners highlighted the second race of the year for the Southeast Gassers Association (SEGA) Apr. 15, when they visited historic Shadyside Dragway in North Carolina.
Ted McKee visited victory lane again after picking up the B/Gas win three weeks earlier at Reynolds, GA, as did 2022 class champion Tim Hall in C/Gas, and Super Stock winner Rick Varner, who actually won twice in the Peach State after also earning the A/Gas title there in a second car.