When the Dodge Hemi Shootout, a specialty event showcasing Hemi-powered musclecars of the late 1960s, hits the track at 11 AM EST, it will mark two decades it has served as a showcase event at the Dodge NHRA U.S. Nationals.

David Hakim, a longtime Chrysler historian and administrator for the program, was the brainchild of the program, which began in 2001. 

“At that time, Mopar was a presenting sponsor and Mopar realized the ’68 Superstock Hemi Darts and Cudas were iconic to the brand,” Hakim explained. “Mopar [had] just released the new, or the revised Hemi block, the Gen2 Hemi block and the head. So it was a great way, not just to market the brand and the brand’s illustrious history, but to market the parts that Mopar made for these cars.”

​​During the Sonoma Nationals earlier this season Kalitta Motorsports announced that CMR Construction and Roofing joined the multi-time world championship-winning team in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series as an official partner. Since that announcement CMR Construction and Roofing has expanded their relationship and extended their partnership through the 2022 NHRA season. They will immediately become a major associate on J.R. Todd’s Toyota Camry Funny Car with increased logo presence on the rear quarter panel and their branding increased on the Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon Top Fuel dragsters.
 
Additionally, during the 2022 NHRA season CMR Construction and Roofing will be associate sponsor on all three race cars with sizable logo branding and be a primary on Doug’s Top Fuel dragster at a TBD race.  They will also continue to be the presenting sponsor of the Kalitta Motorsports’ B2B sponsor summit in 2022. CMR Construction and Roofing will continue to utilize VIP corporate hospitality for the 2022 season and continue their sponsorship of the J.R. Todd visor-cam at a TBD race during the first half of the 2022 season.

Veteran Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan confirmed to CompetitionPlus.com he will be filling in for Richie Stevens at the U.S. Nationals Sept. 2-5 in Indianapolis and drive the Camaro for Beaver Motorsports and owned by Mark Beaver.

“Mark called me up and asked me if I could drive the car and I told him I’m sure I can,” Morgan said. “I feel bad for Richie. I would really like the thank the guys for giving me this opportunity. The last time I ran Pro Stock was like three or four years ago. I’m excited about doing it. Mark and I are best friends and I’m glad to help him out.” 

Veteran nitro Funny Car Justin Schriefer’s passion for competing in the NHRA is still as high as ever.

Schriefer, who is based out of Grant Park, Ill., will make his season debut at the Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals, Sept. 3-5 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis
Indianapolis.

Jose Gonzalez has been on a tear this season, and by virtue of photographic proof, we are convinced he's prepared to raise the level a notch or two. Check out this new rocket for Gonzalez from Jerry Bickel, and headed to Proline for the horsepower.

Last year, the JEGS Allstars race found a new home when it moved to historic Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. Held during the Dodge SRT U.S. Nationals, NHRA’s oldest and most prestigious event, the pairing proved to be a successful one with Indy proving to be the perfect host for the JEGS Allstars race, which celebrates its 37th year in 2021.

This week, the best Sportsman racers from across NHRA’s seven geographic divisions will return to Indianapolis for the special event that crowns both an overall team champion and individual winners in 10 separate eliminators.

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CompetitionPlus.com, a leader in drag race reporting for over two decades, will continue its tradition of expanded race coverage of the Dodge SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

Thanks to sponsorship from Jerry Bickel Race Cars, Smart Sanitizer, and McLeod Racing, the Spartanburg, SC-based, pioneering online magazine will present individual full event notebooks for all Camping World Drag Racing Series categories, as well as one for the Pro Modified division and the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Highly acclaimed videographer Les Mayhew will chronicle the event with various event features in a Video Notebook.

Originally published 9-1-2006

On one weekend the careers of Blaine Johnson and Tony Schumacher intersected...

Many drivers look back on the first elimination-round passes of their professional careers as a bit surreal. But nothing could come close to the emotional swing that Tony Schumacher experienced in his first race in a Top Fuel dragster.

It promised to be intimidating enough for Schumacher because it came at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, the National Hot Rod Association's oldest and most prominent race.

But 10 years ago, that first quarter-mile ride, which should have taken about 4.7 seconds, seemed to take an eternity.

Schumacher was the No. 16 qualifier. As such, he was paired against No. 1. But this time the No. 1 qualifier didn't pull up to the starting line. He had died two days before of massive head injuries from a top-end accident during qualifying.

So Schumacher had a single pass instead of getting to race Blaine Johnson, the 34-year-old sensation who was running away with the Top Fuel championship, owned the national speed record, and set a track-record 4.61-second elapsed time on his final run. Gone was the likeable Californian whom veteran publicist Rick Voegelin called "a tiger in a race car." But little did anyone know just how much this rookie Schumacher, this rather overwhelmed 26-year-old from Chicago, would turn out to be the same kind of driver.

Despite heat, humidity, and heavy rain, racers were incredibly competitive at the NMCA All-American Nationals, Aug. 26-29, 2021, at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. They pushed play rather than pause, and took on the challenges that came with tuning and traversing the track in oppressive weather. They wanted to go wheels-up and win, and along the way, they wowed the crowd.

Awaiting those who fought and found victory at this fifth-of-six races on the NMCA tour were enticing Edelbrock Victor Awards.

Most of the VP Racing Lubricants Xtreme Pro Mod drivers pulled off 3.70 and 3.80 passes in qualifying, and among them was Chip King, who clocked a 3.75 in his Mustang Mach 1 to set the pace. But as the sun set on Sunday night, Jackie Slone and Dave Roemer were inching into the beams in their nitrous-sipping Camaros for the final round of eliminations. Slone secured the win with a 3.75 after Roemer turned on the red light.

Racecar drivers are never satisfied, and veteran NHRA Sportsman competitor Justin Lamb is the prime example. No matter his achievements, the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (LODRS) overachiever just keeps redefining the goal.
 
Lamb, whose first national event victory was in Top Comp at the SPORTSnationals in Fontana in 2006, has claimed 27 wins across a total of six categories. He's raced two cars for most of his career, and most commonly, he has been devoted to Super Stock and Stock Eliminator.
 
The devotion to door cars has paid off by way of five Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championships – three in Super Stock (2015, 2017, 2018) and two in Stock (2013, 2017). Lamb also has eight division titles earned in NHRA's Pacific Division across four categories, Top Comp (2003), Comp Eliminator (2011, 2012), Stock (2013, 2017, 2019) and Super Stock (2015, 2017).