Steve Torrence piloted to the top of the category Friday night at Seattle as the current Top Fuel points leader took the preliminary No. 1 qualifier at the 31st annual CatSpot NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.

Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) are also preliminary No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 16th of 24 events on the 2018 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Steve Torrence has been dominating in NHRA’s Top Fuel ranks this season.

The Texas driver arrived at the 31st annual CatSpot NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways near Seattle first in points – 137 points in front of second-place Tony Schumacher.

Momentum was rolling for Matt Hagan with back-to-back wins until the last two races in Denver and Sonoma, Calif., where he managed to post just one round win.Momentum was rolling for Matt Hagan with back-to-back wins until the last two races in Denver and Sonoma, Calif., where he managed to post just one round win.

Hagan, who is piloting the Sandvik Coromant Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, is trying to regain some of his championship-winning form and he took a step in that direction Friday at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash., near Seattle.

Alex Laughlin understands his role within the cockpit can be at breakneck speed with little time to think, only the opportunity to react.

Outside of the car, some of his activities can be a little more tedious, like applying decals of a new sponsor or speaking to members of the United States Congress.

Laughlin was invited to Washington, DC., and July 25, 2018, addressed Congress on behalf of the Congressional Motorsports Caucus.

The word is that nitrous Pro Mods will struggle mightily in the high-altitude conditions at Bandimere Speedway. Robert Costa is determined to change that way of thinking and he is ready to do it on the biggest stage. 
 
Costa, the owner of Albuquerque Dragway, will campaign his nitrous-powered ’70 Duster at the DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series of Pro Mod, which takes place Aug. 10-11 just outside of Denver. 
 
The thin air on Thunder Mountain may put a nitrous car at a disadvantage, but with 15 years’ experience racing at Bandimere, Costa is confident he can prove the naysayers wrong at the biggest and richest Pro Mod race in the history of the known universe.
 

Sonny’s Racing Engines celebrates 50 years in business in 2018. Longevity of this magnitude in any industry is uncommon and certainly a cause for celebration.

From humble beginnings in December of 1968, Sonny Leonard rose in prominence thanks to his innovative engine designs and uncompromising performance. Sonny’s has over 100 national and world records on land and sea. In Mountain Motor Pro Stock alone, Sonny’s engines have amassed 17 World Championships across PDRA, IHRA and ADRL. A Sonny’s engine won the first Pro Stock Championship with Rickie Smith in 1987. Additional MMPS Championships have been racked up by customers Billy Huff, Doug Kirk, Tommy Mauney, John Montecalvo and Cary Goforth.

Super Stock racer Rodger Comstock of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was involved in an on-track incident during the first round of qualifying at the CatSpot NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Washington. Comstock made contact with the right-hand wall and then coasted across the centerline and into the left-hand wall, before his Super Stock 2016 Cobra came to a stop. Comstock exited the car under his own power and has been transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. 

Veteran drag racing announcer Al Tucci has been named the official voice of the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod for the second consecutive year. Tucci will bring his iconic announcing style to the second annual event at Bandimere Speedway, Aug. 10-11. 

Billed as the biggest, richest Pro Mod drag race in the history of the known universe, the 2018 World Series of Pro Mod will feature an invitation-only field of 32 legal Pro Mods fighting for a $100,000 winner-take-all prize. 

“The race that (WSOPM founder) Wes Buck and his team put together is phenomenal,” Tucci said. “Look at everyone who was waiting for an invitation to race – everyone wants to be a part of this show. And it’s not just the hundred grand. It’s about the prestige. It’s about showing the result of the hard work it takes to conquer the mountain.”

Success has come in droves for NHRA Top Fuel driver Blake Alexander this season – his first driving for Bob Vandergriff Jr. Racing.

Alexander has competed in just six of the season’s 15 races so far this season and had incredible success. He has advanced two three final rounds and won at Norwalk, Ohio (June 27) and Sonoma, Calif. (July 29), the last race on tour. He defeated eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher in the final round.

Alexander has posted a 16-4 elimination round record and is 12th in the point standings – just 88 points behind 10th place Richie Crampton. In addition to his wins, which where the first Wallys of his career, Alexander was runner-up at Atlanta and reached the semifinals at Chicago and Denver.

Oberto brand ambassador, Jim Dunn Racing, will display its 10,000 horsepower Funny Car at the Seattle Mariners game on Thursday, August 2 with special graphics recognizing Oberto Beef Jerky’s 100th Anniversary.  Founded in 1918, the popular snack product is headquartered in Kent, Washington, which is also the host community to this weekend’s NHRA national event at Pacific Raceways.
 
Oberto Beef Jerky has partnered with Jim Dunn Racing for several seasons and has shown multiple versions of its graphics on the race car depending on product announcements and retailer tie-ins.  The 100th Anniversary scheme is special for everyone involved.  Team Manager, Jon Dunn, noted “It’s special for Jim Dunn Racing to have the opportunity to recognize such a great brand during their 100th Anniversary celebration.  Our race team has been around for more than 50 years so we can relate to how hard the Oberto group has worked to build their following over the decades.”