On a day where the drag racing conditions were as hot as one could muster, the reality of drag racing's inherent danger couldn't have faced a colder reality. 

Drag racing was robbed of an up and coming star, the kind of star which shined brightly on and off the track. 

There are those in the drag racing community who refuse to allow Darrell Russell's memory be extinguished. 

Blue collar Funny Car sensation Tim Wilkerson has a lot to be grateful for 2018, and even more to look forward to in 2019.

Wilkerson reaffirmed his commitment to the Ford Motor Company for next season, extending the working partnership to a decade.

"We're really excited about the new Ford Mustang bodies," said Wilkerson, a ten-time winner with the Mustang body. "We're hearing that [Ford] should be coming out the middle of December or near the first of the year. We'll get one of the first ones, and then it'll go to [longtime chassis builder] Murf McKinney to mount, then we'll send it off to have it painted. All of that takes time, so we may not have it before we do our pre-season testing, but we're excited."

There was a time before Pro Modified became an official professional category when many of its fraternity believed there should be one combination, the carbureted, nitrous injected engine. Then came the supercharged, alcohol-burning doorslammer.

Welcome to the world of Stevie Fast, where doorslammers are mandatory and trash talk is king. Trust us when we tell you that Stevie "Fast" Jackson has mastered both. In this video, he dishes out his ove for rivalry and his disdain for turbos and Street Outlaws. It ain't personal, it's just the business of how drag racing ought to be.

Walk the floor with CompetitionPlus.com Director of Photography Roger Richards and Bill Swanson as they bring you the sights of the 2018 Performance Racing Industry held in indianapolis. Tune in multiple times daily as we recap the show in photos.

Straightline Strategy Group, whose Top Fuel Dragster is driven by Clay Millican, announced major moves Friday during a press conference at the Performance Racing Industry Show in Indianapolis. They have created new marketing alliances to include Funny Car, Pro Stock, No Prep Street Outlaws and Nitro Harley. Additionally, a key addition will include a new VP of Marketing and Sales.

The team has formed marketing alliances to include a Funny Car driven by Paul Lee, a Pro Stocker driven by Matt Hartford, a No Prep Street Outlaws entry driven by Jeff Lutz and a Nitro Harley ridden by Janette Thorley.

Paul Lee with his McLeod Racing Nitro Funny Car will compete in the 2019 Mello Yello NHRA Nitro Funny Car category under the management umbrella of the Straightline Strategy Group.

Lee suffered what is known as a highly fatal widow maker heart attack in December 2016 with a 100 percent blockage of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. Three stints were inserted in his main artery and Paul suffered what was thought to be significant damage that would preclude him from driving in the Nitro Funny Car division. However, through aggressive rehabilitation and significant physical training, Lee was cleared by doctors to return to the driver’s seat.

Steve Matusek is coming back to where it all began for him, behind the wheel of a turbocharged entry for 2019.

During a press conference at the PRI Show in Indianapolis, Matusek confirmed he will drive a turbocharged Ford Mustang under the Elite Motorsports umbrella while racing the NHRA Pro Mod tour.

Long before he raced a supercharged Camaro, Matusek fielded one of the more competitive turbocharged Competition Eliminator entries, a Mustang with a Ford Modular powerplant.

The drag racing world lost one of its best on Dec. 5 when Dick LaHaie passed away. The world championship driver and crew chief was 76.

LaHaie, a Michigan native, who spent 40 years drag racing, won a world championship driving in Top Fuel in 1987. He then left the driver’s seat and showed his prowess as a crew chief, tuning Scott Kalitta (1994-95) and Larry Dixon (2002-2003) to world championship Top Fuel crowns.

LaHaie began racing on his own in Top Fuel in the early 1970s and he won world championships in 1970, ’73 and ’76 in the United Drag Racers Association.

The race for the 2019 Mello Yello NHRA Pro Stock world championship is expected to be wide open and Rob Tucker Racing, anchored by driver Shane Tucker, has opted to take advantage by joining forces with veteran engine supplier and consultant Nick Ferri.

The Statesville, N.C.-based Rob Tucker Racing team will for the first time run all the NHRA national events at which Pro Stock is contested next year with an eye toward qualifying for the Countdown to the Championship.