The eight drivers taking part in the thrilling exhibition Redemption on Friday, April 21 at the NHRA SpringNationals have been selected, race officials have announced.
 
The eight drivers from across the region who were chosen to compete are Craig Ofarrel, Chris Hamilton, Dui Buy, Chase Kurszewki, Cody Jones, Kenjo Kelly, Ryan Hall, and Kyle Thompson. Sergio Gonzalez will be at the event as an alternate.
 
The drawing to pair the eight-car elimination field will take place on April 21 at noon at the NHRA Nitrozone located in the midway.
 

The NHRA South Central Division Moser Sportsman Shootout is set to take place on Saturday, April 29, in conjunction with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Texas Motorplex.
 
Through a season long point’s battle in 2016, the top two Moser Sportsman Shootout point’s earners in each of the seven classes in competition were slotted into the 16-car field while John Garner and Jessica Ogden will complete the ladder as the Moser Shootout Wild Card entries. 

The 2017 NMRA Keystone Automotive Drag Racing series pulled in to Commerce, Georgia, after a week of wild weather in Atlanta, which included tornadoes, an earthquake, and a collapse of a section of I-85. Just like last year, too, the second stop of the season, the 9th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by Steeda Autosports, saw unseasonably chilly temperatures Thursday and Friday. The conditions presented a challenge at first, but the weather showed some sweet southern hospitality in time for Saturday and Sunday and competitors took advantage of the recently repaved surface.

A combination NMRA and NMCA VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw field meant there were fourteen cars fighting it out, but it was Manny Buginga who led the way with his MJM Construction Corp-backed, turbocharged ’03 Cobra in qualifying with his 4.330 at 169.21 mph hit. Jacky McCarty of McCarty Performance, though, had his mind set on getting the win and stopped at nothing as he relentlessly took out the other drivers. McCarty faced off against Jarod Wenrick in the finals, and his 4.435 at 169.87 mph pass in his ’93 Mustang helped McCarty make his mission a reality.

Many fans noticed that Terry Chandler wasn't at the starting line at Las Vegas two weeks ago celebrating when her Make-A-Wish Funny Car team and driver Tommy Johnson Jr. recorded their first win of the season in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and moved up to second in championship points.

Terry, who also funds the Infinite Hero Foundation team for Don Schumacher Racing, had been suffering from headaches and an MRI revealed a tumor on the front lobe of her brain that was removed Monday. She will spend three weeks at home resting before beginning radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

Veteran Drag Racer and Northwest Drag Racing Hall of Fame member, ”Gentleman” Hank Johnson bravely batted his final round opponent to the end but sadly was lost on Saturday, April 10, to the vicious opponent known as Cancer. He was 75-years old.

Johnson bravely fought the disease all the way into the lights and looked like he would win in typical “Gentleman Hank” fashion: with goggles down and a top end charge he was well known for, but unfortunately, just came up short at the end.

Chris Powers had a simple plan headed into the PDRA East Coast Nationals at Galot Motorsports Park, outside of Durham, NC.

The mountain motor Pro Stock driver simply wanted to gain experience and the more laps down the eighth-mile track was better for him. What transpired in his first outing came as a surprise to not only those watching and competing, but the biggest came to Powers himself. 

Summit Motorsports Park and the Ohio Dept. of Transportation have agreed to fund a study to look at possible solutions involving three light poles on the park's property that are in proximity to the Huron County Airport.

As an immediate step, both parties have agreed that the poles will be marked with red beacons and striped with reflective tape to ensure visibility for pilots approaching the Huron County airport. One of the poles has been in place for nearly 20 years, while the other two poles were part of a $400,000 lighting upgrade at the park last year.

Saturday was no day to play favorites at Rockingham Dragway where upsets were the rule rather than the exception at the ADRL Spring Drags, first race in the 2017 series.

Among the top qualifiers, only Top Fuel Harley rider Tii Tharpe of East Bend, N.C., managed to find his way to the winners’ circle although his No. 1 start was itself something of an upset insomuch as the field included multi-time national champion and pre-race favorite Jay “Bulldog” Turner.

Bobby Bode of Barrington, Illinois won the $1,000 Sportsman finale Sunday during the Chandler Aviation Spring Nationals for the Protect The Harvest Midwest Junior Super Series presented by Lucas Oil at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois. Landon Sipple of Berea, Kentucky, won twice over the weekend: Pro Sportsman B on Saturday and Ages 10-12 on Sunday.