​​​The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has debuted the first episode in its new five-episode streaming series chronicling the ninth year of its Launch Pad competition. The series showcases the ingenuity of rising entrepreneurs in the automotive industry as they pitch their new product or service to a panel of industry experts.

Fifteen individuals have been selected out of a record number of applicants last spring to advance to the semi-final round. From there, five of them will be chosen to compete for cash and prizes at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev., where the series finale will be filmed before it airs on the History Channel on a future date.

​It has become a tradition during the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series for race tracks across the country to recognize and honor first responders and members of the armed forces. The Texas Motorplex has been a consistent supporter of both remarkable groups of people and their families over the years. This year during the 36th annual Texas NHRA Fall Nationals and Stampede of Speed, the Texas Motorplex will once again offer members of the active or retired military, government employees and first responders a variety of ticket discounts to the NHRA national event.

 

“We look at all the sacrifices first responders and members of the military make every day or have made throughout their careers, and we just wanted to say thank you,” said Andy Carter, Texas Motorplex General Manager. “We will be recognizing representatives from the Dallas Five as well as members of the armed services and first responders throughout the event. We also have a special promotion with the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation on Saturday.”

Joey Oksas continued his impressive run in Pro Mod, picking up his third straight win with his victory on Friday at the first race of the Osage Hotel Casino Throwdown in T-Town for the Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service.

It’s a perfect start to the double-race weekend at Tulsa Raceway Park as Oksas knocked off Jim Whiteley in a pivotal final round to extend his points lead in Pro Mod. Oksas has won every race since the MWDRS returned to action in August in his turbocharged ’67 Mustang, getting the win on Friday when Whiteley went red.

Brian Amrosini, the acknowledged "Wheelie King" from Kenosha Wisconsin was crowned overall winner of the 26th World Power Wheel Standing Championships at Byron Dragway.

After climbing atop the leader board with a 410-footer in Round 1, Ambrosini sealed the deal with his 447-foot wheelie in his second attempt of three in Round 2. Ambrosini was presented with the $10,000 Champion's check and handcrafted trophy by Byron Dragway owner B.J. Vangsness.

Two-time world champion Tommy Franklin scored his first Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous victory of the season Saturday night at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Proline Racing DragWars presented by Modern Racing. Franklin in his “Jungle Rat” ’69 Camaro defeated fellow two-time world champion Jason Harris in the final round at GALOT Motorsports Park. 
 
Daniel Pharris (Penske/PRS Pro Boost presented by WS Construction), Wes Distefano ($hameless Racing Pro Outlaw 632) and Travis Davis (Drag 965 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle) added victories to their 2021 scorecards, while Tony Gillig scored his first Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition victory in the debut of his new family-owned car. 

For the sixth time in seven races, defending world champion Jim Halsey qualified No. 1 in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous after recording a 3.64-second, 207.02 mph pass to conclude Friday qualifying at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Proline Racing DragWars presented by Modern Racing at GALOT Motorsports Park. 

The decision by Sydney Dragway to dump IHRA Australia in favor of ANDRA as the sanctioning body for the venue will have a significant impact across the drag landscape in Australia as the sport slowly begins to emerge from the Covid pandemic. 

The decision was met with a swift and hostile response from IHRA Australia, which instituted legal proceedings against Sydney Dragway for an alleged breach of contract and unlawfully terminating their sanctioning agreement with two years remaining.

According to IHRA CEO Maurice Allen, “IHRA Australia is extremely disappointed to have yesterday received advice that the board of Sydney Dragway have decided to terminate its binding and exclusive contract with IHRA Australia, and its parent company, as the official and exclusive representative and sanctioning body for all races, events or promotions conducted by Sydney Dragway.” 

We all take for granted that Pro Stock has been a simple formula. Today, those that participate in the class carry a common weight of 2,350 pounds in a two-door American made coupe no older than five years old with the source of motivation coming from an engine that displaces 500-cubic inches. Sounds pretty simple, huh? It has always been the nature of man to start with things in a difficult fashion and make it easier as knowledge and technology permit. Such was the case with NHRA Pro Stock as it took them nearly a decade to make the drag racing equivalent to NASCAR an easy proposition.

When the NHRA announced that they would be changing to a "mountain motor" format for the 1982 season, they were the last of the three major sanctioning bodies to abandon the small block Pro Stocks. The AHRA, whose rules had initially mirrored those of the NHRA inevitably allowed small blocks the use of nitrous oxide as they converted over to the mountain motor format a year prior to the NHRA's decision to abandon ship.

The racing community continues to rally around next week’s Texas Stampede of Speed at the legendary Texas Motorplex outside Dallas. The week-long event that culminates with the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals is already being regarded as one of the sport’s richest weekends, and the team at Elite Motorsports and EliteHP are looking to pile on. 

On top of a wide array of cash prizes and incentives already in place for the event, Elite Motorsports and EliteHP will be paying $2,000 to the Pro Stock low qualifier, $1,000 to the Pro Mod low qualifier and $1,000 to the Comp. Eliminator low qualifier. The winner and runner-up in Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Super Stock and Stock will also earn an additional $750 and $250, respectively, for their efforts. 

It's the kind of event which usually grows out of beer, machismo, and a group of restless fellas standing around a shop.

However, for Byron Dragway, the World Power Wheelstanding Championships was born out of the forward-thinking of a promoter who knew the importance of pleasing the paying customer.