Frequent pop-up rain showers prevented Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) officials from completing Friday qualifying at the PDRA Summer Nationals Ignited by Lithium Pros Batteries at South Georgia Motorsports Park. The all-eighth-mile series finished one of three scheduled qualifying sessions in all professional and sportsman classes, as well as two sessions in the Jr. Dragster classes.

Defending Good Vibrations United Nitro Funny Car (UNFC) champion Bobby Cotrell ascended into the point lead for the popular Nostalgia Funny Car (AA/FC) series following a win at the recently completed Spring Nitro Nationals at Spokane County Raceway.

 A longtime standout in Pro Mod, Steve Matusek’s next three races will come in a brand-new class for the veteran.
 
Matusek will make his NHRA Pro Stock debut next month in Denver at the Mile-High NHRA Nationals, driving the Richard Freeman-owned Elite Motorsports ’19 Ford Mustang that made its first appearance a month ago in Chicago.

Sources within the Don Schumacher Racing organization have insisted that they’re confident currently sidelined eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher will land a marketing partner, although after his 12-race absence nobody is predicting when that might happen.

But Tony Schumacher fans might have some hope of seeing their hero race again before the season is out, according to none other than his team owner dad.

The NHRA hit its halfway mark last weekend in Norwalk, Ohio; and, this weekend the PDRA, the eighth-mile doorslammer focused series does too in Valdosta, Ga.

The Summer Nationals Ignited by Lithium Pros Batteries, at South Georgia Motorsports Park, June 28-29, marks the fourth stop in an eight-race tour. While the first half of the season produced record-setting runs, this weekend’s event will present the PDRA with the hottest conditions these drivers have faced to this point in 2019.

The icon is back. Jason Scruggs, a driver known for his popularity in the Outlaw Pro Modified scene and later ADRL, PDRA Pro Extreme, is back with partner Rodger Henson with this beauty out of the Jerry Bickel Pro Modified emporium. This machine is destined for NHRA Pro Modified and reportedly some PDRA Pro Boost competition. 

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix is immersed in one of the most ambitious lighting upgrades at a race track in the country.

Work began last week at the dragstrip in the Gila River Indian Community to convert from traditional sodium vapor lights – most of which have been used at the track since 1983 – to state-of the-art Aleddra 500 Watt LED Pro Sports fixtures.

Matt Smith has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows during his illustrious racing career.

He has ridden the highs of two championships in 2007 and 2013 and nearly two dozen race wins, to the lows of missing races and skipping runs due to lack of funding. Just a couple of years ago, Smith wasn’t even sure if he would be able to continue racing with no money and no help, leaving the team in flux and unsure of its future.

Lifelong Ford enthusiast Dennis Healy, of Hicksville, New York, is the winner of the 2018 Ford Mustang 5.0 Fever Sweepstakes, presented by Motorcraft.

This is the 10th year the contest has given one lucky driver a new Ford vehicle. This year’s winner grew up in a Ford family and is happy to add a 2019 Ford Mustang GT to his Ford fleet.