Top Fuel driver Scott Palmer and Tommy Thompson Motorsports will field a new CatSpot Litter Top Fuel dragster on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. RJS Racing Equipment will be an associate sponsor.

Top Fuel fan favorite Scott Palmer is gearing up for a full assault on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. On the heels of a career-best season in which Palmer finished No. 12 in the final standings after competing at 19 of 24 events, drag boat juggernaut Tommy Thompson Motorsports is increasing its involvement with Scott Palmer Racing to field a new dragster that will prominently showcase CatSpot Litter on the 10,000 horsepower machine. Palmer will also spotlight Brand Design Company at various events this season.

For the past three years, Richie Crampton was a full-time driver of a Morgan Lucas Racing Top Fuel dragster.

That will not be the case in 2017.

Ron Capps begins reaping the benefits of being the 2016 NHRA Funny Car world champion with Don Schumacher Racing's NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T.

On Saturday, he will "work" the sidelines holding a parabolic microphone for San Francisco's KNBR radio during the NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and L.A. Rams at the L.A. Coliseum that will air on FOX at 1:30 p.m. (PT).

Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School is back at ‘The Strip’ in Las Vegas starting May of 2017. The school will offer a full slate of classes, including NHRA Super Comp and Super Gas licensing courses as well as its Adventure Dragster program featuring “side-by-side” racing.

“We’ll be starting our West Coast tour at Tucson Dragway in April, then we’re at Auto Club Dragway, our second home, in Fontana, CA. Then it’s on to Vegas,” said Hawley. "We’re looking forward to beginning classes again at Las Vegas. It’s been a few years since we offered classes at the facility and we can’t wait to get started. Our first classes will be in May of 2017. Adding Vegas back on our West Coast schedule gives our customers even more opportunity to add their names to the list of graduates of Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School.”

Even his own daughters Ashley and Courtney have given him fits on the dragstrip, lining up next to him on race day. But John Force, the NHRA’s most victorious Funny Car driver, has had wave after wave of worthy and colorful opponents. Here is a look back, in no particular order, at some of the 16-time champion’s most memorable opponents throughout his 40-plus years in the class that’s concluding its 50th birthday celebration in 2016.

The release of the International Hot Rod Association’s “State of the State” document further cements The 400 Thunder Professional Drag Racing Series as a market leader in the delivery of motorsports entertainment.

IHRA Vice Chairman of the Board of Managers and Chief Executive Officer Chris Lencheski described 400 Thunder in his annual report as potentially “the future of our USA-based professional programming. As evidenced in Australia, the global view model of the IHRA is a success, and confirms what we believe to be a path for our future product professionally.”

NHRA officials have announced that the previously announced TBA event on the 2017 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule will be held at National Trail Raceway outside Columbus, Ohio.

The event will be a Lucas Oil Divisional event and will include Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Top Dragster and Top Sportsman. 

Menards, a leading chain of home improvement centers, has signed an agreement to become the title rights sponsor of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at Heartland Park Topeka.

The 29th annual Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties will be held May 19-21, 2017. Heartland Park Topeka is the fastest track in the country and during the 2016 event Matt Hagan set the national speed record with a blistering pass of 335.57 mph.

ProMedia Events & Publishing confirmed Tyler Crossnoe has joined the NMRA/NMCA event team as Race Master.  Crossnoe will be working closely with recently hired Competition Director Kurt Johnson, Chief Starter T.J. “El Prepe” Bailey, Race Operations Director Gene Bergstrom and General Manger Rollie Miller at most of the events in 2017.

As Race Master, Crossnoe will be responsible for pre-event track prep at NMRA and NMCA partner tracks. He will also be working with Johnson and Bailey on track prep during each event, while running the ready line and working directly with staging team members Daniel Rosner, Kevin Lamphere and Chuck Danbom.

Holley Performance Products has announced the inaugural LS Fest West, an extension of Holley’s LS Fest event, set for May 5-7, 2017, in Las Vegas.

LS Fest is a celebration of anything and everything powered by the GM LS engine or current-generation LT engine. The original Holley LS Fest has become the go-to event for anyone looking to put their LS-powered project to the test and for spectators looking to learn all they can about the LS platform.