Rickie Smith cannot help it. When he discusses a feat he or his team have earned, he gets misty-eyed, and his voice cracks with emotion.

Sunday's all Rickie Smith Racing final, was enough to make the iconic doorslammer racer turn on the waterworks.

"Without my wife, and God and you can put that in print, Rickie Smith wouldn't be nowhere," Smith said, the emotion getting the best of him.

The NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, scheduled for Aug. 28-30, has been canceled due the current COVID-19 pandemic. NHRA made this difficult decision after exhaustive deliberation with track representatives, health officials and government authorities.

Engine builder Sonny Leonard is used to his phone ringing off the hook, whether it's from customers, potential customers or friends just ringing him up to chat.

Monday morning brought a different style of phone calls to his Lynchburg, Va.-based engine shop.

Leonard, who owns and operates Sonny's Racing Engines, said the shop has been getting calls of condolences on his passing. The problem is Leonard is very much alive.

One nitro-class driver shared Saturday that the NHRA might release a statement early this coming week, possibly Monday, that the Aug. 28-30 Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway is back off the revised schedule.

No NHRA spokesman has confirmed or denied the rumor.

And Kyle Wurtzel, who failed to qualify in the Top Fuel class Saturday along with debuting former drag boat racer Kim Davidson, said he doubts the NHRA will move ahead with the Atlanta event.

Steve Torrence popped up from the cockpit of his bright red Capco Contractors Dragster, and he was seeing red Sunday afternoon.

He slid to the ground and marched straight for the timing tent at the top end of the Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis dragstrip, determined to see his time slip and figure out why he lost the Top Fuel class’ final round of the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals, this showdown between the Nos. 1 and 2 qualifiers.

Ron Capps was on top of his game Sunday.

And, by late afternoon, the driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for Don Schumacher Racing was celebrating in the winner’s circle at the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals presented by Pennzoil.

The winner in the NHRA Mello Yello Series Pro Stock class Sunday was the Coughlin family.

Jeg Coughlin Jr., winner of five Pro Stock world championships, bested his nephew, Troy Coughlin Jr., who was competing in just his second career Pro Stock event Sunday at the inaugural Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Indianapolis.

It took longer than she expected, but Angelle Sampey finally got a win aboard her Vance & Hines Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson.

Sampey, a three-time world champion, who initially agreed to a four-race trial with the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team in January of 2019, was celebrating her first victory with the team Sunday at the inaugural Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals presented by Pennzoil in Indianapolis.

Jonathan Gray raced to his first career E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series victory since 2017 on Sunday as at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, slipping past Bo Butner in the final round as part of the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals presented by Pennzoil.

The Pro Mod race, which was presented by Jerry Bickel Race Cars, was the second of the 2020 season in the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service. Gray went 5.5850-seconds at 249.49 mph in his nitrous-powered Camaro to knock off Butner, who went 5.899 at 248.48 in the finals. It gave Gray his second career win in the class in a matchup that featured two standouts driving for the injured Rickie Smith, a multi-time champ in the class.