An eventful weekend of racing at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) North-South Shootout presented by Line-X at Maryland International Raceway concluded early Sunday morning when Jay Cox defeated Lizzy Musi in a rerun of the Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous final round. The original final round had to be rerun after debris blew through the sensors, tripping the eighth-mile beams in Cox’s lane.

Finally.

There have been few times during the illustrious career of Pro Stock veteran Greg Anderson that he has been relieved to achieve something, but that is exactly what he was Saturday night at the Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway as Anderson topped the Pro Stock field for the first time in nearly a year.

Top Fuel racer Richie Crampton certainly noticed the Route 66 Nationals has attracted the largest pro car count of the year and said that’s a positive sign.

Much was made earlier this month about Funny Car’s John Force turning the page on his 60s. But NASCAR pioneer Donnie Allison told Competition Plus while preparing for this year’s 25th anniversary of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride for the Victory Junction Camp, “That ain’t nothin’. You know how old I’ll be in September? 80.”  Someone remarked, “That’s young!” Allison said, “I know it! I’m riding a motorcycle across the United States of America.” And he wasn’t the oldest person on his sixth annual bike adventure. Hershel McGriff, who raced last season in a NASCAR K&N West Series race at Tucson Speedway, will be 92 years old this December.

Force, whose next victory will put his career total at 150, said before this race began, “Bottom line, we keep putting ourselves in a position to win. I’m getting more confident every week. I’m using every trick I’ve got to run with these kids, but it’s gonna happen.”

Funny Car driver Ron Capps landed the provisional qualifying lead Friday evening at the 22nd annual Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. Coming off of back-to-back wins, he is seeking his first No. 1 qualifier of the season.

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional qualifying leaders in their respective categories for the ninth of 24 events on the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Logic would dictate that a racer would have a more relaxed weekend when the event is closer to home. That doesn’t seem to be the case for Bo Butner, of Floyds Knobs, Ind.

Ten years ago June 5, a freak Friday accident in the pits left Butner, then exclusively a sportsman competitor, in Joliet’s Silver Cross Hospital with four pins inserted into his left leg during a five-hour surgery to stabilize a broken femur and ankle. This visit has left him scrambling to replace a new Nitro Fish merchandise trailer that caught fire Wednesday on its journey to Route 66 Raceway, destroying all the souvenirs inside.

Ron Capps has been on quite a roll as of late.

Two straight wins has vaulted the veteran racer from ninth in the NHRA Funny Car standings up to third and a similar result this weekend in Chicago will put the former champion right back in the thick of the 2019 championship chase.

It is safe to say, Mike Salinas is on cloud nine.

In less than a year, Salinas has gone from Top Fuel afterthought to championship contender, collecting his first final, first win and first No. 1 qualifier all in the span of 12 months. Now, with all of the firsts out of the way, it is time for Salinas to start adding to his numbers.

Racing at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) North-South Shootout presented by Line-X at Maryland International Raceway, Moroso Pro Boost rookie Kris Thorne fired off a 3.707-second pass at 216.55 in his turbocharged ’17 Corvette to finish Friday qualifying as the No. 1 qualifier for the second consecutive race.

Jim Dunn Racing will have colorful new graphics on their Dodge Charger Funny Car in Joliet, Illinois for the NHRA Route 66 Nationals.  Retailer Menards, and east coast transportation leader, DiPinto International Logistics, will be prominently featured as co-primary sponsors.  The racing team will be promoting  Bauducco’s Mini Panettone bread that will be sold in all 300+ Menards stores later this season.  At the same time, the team is recognizing DiPinto International Logistics recent expansion into Port Newark.