Wes Distefano is having a career-best season, but his work for 2021 is far from complete.

Entering the Aug. 12-14 PDRA Northern Nationals in Mohnton, Pa., Distefano holds a 354-point lead over Daryl Stewart in the Pro Outlaw 632 standings. Distefano has appeared in the finals of all six PDRA events this season, and he’s a three-time winner in those showings in his bid to repeat as champ.

“After the win at Budd’s Creek, we came to Virginia Motorsports Park with a whole different program,” said the 40-year-old Distefano, who lives near Pontiac, Mich. “New intake, new transmission ratios, new gear ratios, different tires on the back.

Drag racing’s winningest organization is pleased to welcome David Davies to its ranks as the team’s third NHRA Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Series driver. Davies will begin his tenure with Don Schumacher Racing starting this weekend at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor in Topeka, Kan. aboard the D H Davies Racing 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak.
 
Davies joins DSR’s championship-winning Factory Stock team after having made his NHRA debut at the Norwalk, Ohio FSS event earlier this summer. While Topeka will mark only his second foray into the FSS category, Davies is no stranger to straight line racing, having successfully competed in the Modern Street HEMI Shootout, among other series, for the last three years where he racked up six event wins, and five runner-up finishes.

​​​Lucas Oil Products Inc. has signed on as a major associate sponsor of Johnny Pluchino’s Strutmasters.com ’13 Ford Mustang Mountain Motor Pro Stock car for the upcoming Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.   

 
“I'm extremely thankful to the Lucas Oil family for putting faith in us and in our class, Mountain Motor Pro Stock,” said Pluchino, the 2020 PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world champion. “I think they're going to be rather pleased with the show we're going to put on. We plan on taking home a trophy for everyone at Lucas at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. What would be better than that?!”  

T.J. Zizzo made his Top Fuel debut in September of 2003, and in the last several seasons he’s limited his races but increased his success in the NHRA ranks.

In 2021 he will be competing at two upcoming national events at Brainerd, Minn., Aug. 18-19, and St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 24-26, respectively.

 
Kalitta Motorsports is pleased to announce that CMR Construction & Roofing has joined the multi-time world championship-winning team in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series as an official partner. The strategic marketing partnership will began at the 61st NHRA Winternationals in Pomona and extend throughout the rest of the 2021 NHRA season. All three Kalitta Motorsports race cars will feature CMR branding for the rest of the season. CMR will also be the primary sponsor on one of the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster entries at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals in October.
 
"We are looking forward to introducing NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series to CMR and their corporate partners and guests," said Chad Head, Kalitta Motorsports General Manager. "We offer a unique race track experience as well as a very active business to business program for all our partners. CMR is a perfect fit with Kalitta Motorsports, and we are looking forward to a long and successful relationship."

It takes one to know one.

Successful independent single-car team owner Josh Hart gave kudos to fellow Top Fuel class newcomer Joey Haas for his final-round performance at Denver last month.

Hart won the Gatornationals to kick off the 2021 Camping World Drag Racing Series – and his Top Fuel career – this March. Haas debuted at last September’s U.S. Nationals. Just the same, Hart appreciated the statement Haas, driving Terry Totten’s Vita C/Strutmasters.com-sponsored dragster, made for the lower-budgeted privateers at the start of this summer’s Western Swing. In his lone appearance of the season and just his fourth overall, Haas fell in the final to Steve Torrence, who has been a tormenter to the rest of the Top Fuel field all year – still.

The most recent Top Fuel winner on the NHRA tour will sport a sweet new look on her 11,000-horsepower machine when the NHRA returns to action this weekend in Topeka, Kan. Championship contender Leah Pruett will begin her quest for a 10th Top Fuel triumph aboard the Cookie Pop Top Fuel dragster when qualifying for the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor kicks off on Friday evening at Heartland Motorsports Park.
 
“I am a big-time Oreo fan, and separately, a huge popcorn fan, so Cookie Pop is the perfect way for me to get the best of both worlds while on the go,” said Pruett of the sweet-and-savory snack which combines popcorn with some of America’s favorite cookie and candy brands, at only 150 calories per serving. “Our team definitely has a sweet tooth, so representing the Cookie Pop brand is right up our alley.”

Rodger Brogdon is going to be quite busy at the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented by PetArmour this weekend at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kan.

Brogdon will be driving a Chevy Camaro out of the KB Racing stable, and the standout Sportsman racer will debut his Comp car – a Jerry Haas-built unique 1966 Chevy II wagon powered by a 500-inch Pro Stock engine built by Chris McGaha.

“This will be my second Pro Stock race this season as I ran in Houston,” Brogdon said. “I have a five-race deal with those guys (KB Racing) this year. I’m racing Topeka, Indy, St. Louis, and Dallas. It is a lot of fun. It had been a while since I had been in there. It’s almost like riding a bike. The KB guys make it really easy to feel comfortable.”

Most of the season nitro Funny Car driver Jim Campbell had been struggling.

That changed for Campbell at the Lucas Oil Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., Aug. 1.

Campbell, who drives for legend Jim Dunn, advanced to the semifinals. Campbell defeated Blake Alexander and Alexis DeJoria before falling in a pedal fest to J.R. Todd.

The 50th Anniversary of anything is always special; this year’s Nightfire Nationals was no exception.

The weather on a couple of days was seasonable for Idaho’s high desert, while the others were much milder.

This good weather and an excellent racing surface made for excellent racing. The other factor was the size of the crowd in Idaho. The place was full, and the drivers and crews took notice.