Rickie Smith is quick never to say never, but for drag racing's most decorated doorslammer pilot, he's as close to declaring he's done racing with a nitrous-injected Pro Modified.

Last month's NHRA Gatornationals debut of a new turbocharged combination was just a small sample size of what he's been fighting for almost a decade. He won't come out and say if you can't beat them, join them because he did beat the turbocharged combination many times with his nitrous car. He will adamantly say the turbocharged combination spearheaded by Steve Petty provides him with the best chance to win. 

Will Smith Motorsports and Hirata Motorsports are teaming up for their second consecutive season in NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster. Smith will again be behind the wheel of the Dave Hirata-tuned dragster, competing in NHRA Division 3 and select national events.   

“We’re excited to build on what we started last year as a new team,” stated Smith. “We’re working on new combinations. Our goal is to win this year, as it was last year, but we definitely feel we’re in a better position to take home the Wally on Sunday.”

Shawn Reed was lying in bed, taking the liberty and luxury of sleeping in, last Dec. 22, when he received the coolest Christmas present.

His cell phone buzzed, indicating he had an incoming text message. To that, he nonchalantly said, “Oh yeah, big deal.”

He just had finished his stint with the Paton family’s NHRA Top Fuel team, who closed their operation, lopping a year off their deal. So Reed was in “Hey, I lived my dream” mode, expecting nothing more to come of his drag-racing career. When the text-message signal went off, he said, “I figured, ‘Don Schumacher, John Force, they’re not calling me.’”

Longtime Mountain Motor Pro Stock racer DeWayne Rice has a new ride for this season. This new Jerry Bickel-built Camaro recently rolled out of Jerry Bickel's hot rod factory and is destined for some of the NHRA exhibitions in 2019. For now, it's headed to the Texas Motorplex for testing. 

Shawn Reed will make his 2019 debut this weekend at the NHRA Springnationals in Houston in the Bob Vandergriff Racing Top Fuel Dragster, sponsored by Hughes Oilfield Transportation. It will also be the first race of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season with two BVR cars entered in competition.

Matt Sackman, cylinder head specialist on the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster and a Don Schumacher Racing developmental driver, successfully earned his NHRA Top Fuel license on Monday, April 8, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Although it's still early in his Top Alcohol Dragster driving career, Houstonian Shane Conway says he's ready to win his first national event on the NHRA tour, and he'd love for it to happen at this weekend's 32nd annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals presented by Pennzoil in nearby Baytown.

Toyota and Kalitta Motorsports announced today that the auto manufacturer will be the primary sponsor of Doug Kalitta’s Top Fuel dragster at the upcoming SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park, April 12-14.

“This is an extension of the exceptional partnership Toyota has enjoyed with Kalitta Motorsports both marketing and technology-wise,” said Laura Pierce, General Manager, Motorsports, Toyota Motor North America. “We are looking forward to sponsoring Doug Kalitta, one of the sport’s most successful drivers, in Houston.”

Pro Alcohol, Pro Stock and Top Bike will be the marque categories after the withdrawal of Top Fuel from the Santo’s Super Thunder meeting at Willowbank Raceway April 19.

The one-day event has also been renamed the Super Thunder meeting.  

Top Fuel Australia, the governing body for the elite category, had earlier announced they were boycotting the event due to safety issues due to the lack of a safety net. According to TFA, “The decision has not been made lightly and no one likes to disappoint our valued fans and supporters who have been looking forward to the race meet, but safety must always come first - we have seen and know what can happen.”

Osage Casino Hotel has signed on for another three years as the official naming rights Sponsor of Tulsa Raceway Park.

Todd Martin and Keith Haney, both local businessmen and drag racers, came together in 2011 to purchased Tulsa Raceway Park. Both are driven to make Osage Casino Hotel Tulsa Raceway
Park recognized on the national level and on the local level. With the support of Osage Casino Hotel for the past nine years, they have been able to bring over 100 events to the track. Ranging from Bracket Racing, Shootouts, Midnight Drags, Outlaw Shootouts, Import Face-offs, Mud Drags, NHRA Divisional events, The Throw Down in T-Town, Obstacle course races, Spring Nationals, Outdoor concerts and more.