Much has been spoken in recent months about Clint Neff, as very well should have been the case. Neff and fellow idea man Harry Clack debuted a one-of-a-kind A/ED in Comp Eliminator this year and displayed monumental performance utilizing the most unexpected combination. For Neff, though, remarkable has been the norm his entire life, and the personal side of his journey is worthy of note. 

Neff's father, Ron, ran Modified from the early 1960s to the mid-70s before shifting his focus to Comp Eliminator. According to NHRA statistician Bob Frey, Papa Neff was "one of the best drag racers to have never won a national event," with five national event finals contested and thirteen finals reached at the divisional level. Ron drove a split bumper Camaro followed by a tidy assortment of Econo Dragsters,  was the 1990 Division 5 champion in Comp, and finished in the top 10 in the national standings four times. It makes sense that his son would catch the bug.

After three years away from drag racing, world championship crew chief Tommy DeLago got back into the NHRA mix on Jan. 4, 2022, joining Davis Motorsports/Justin Ashley Racing and working with fellow world championship crew chief Mike Green.

DeLago, working with Green, just missed having a Top Fuel world title season for Ashley as he finished fourth in the season points standings and had three wins and three runner-up finishes.

Although Ashley didn’t reach the Top Fuel summit, DeLago was thrilled to be part of the Top Fuel team.

 
RAI plans to return to Willowbank Raceway, Queensland for the first time since January 4, 2020, for Round Three of the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship, January 7-8.  

At their last appearance, the team swept the podium. Wayne Newby took the win over Damien Harris in the A-Final with Californian import Ashley Sanford claiming victory over Phil Read in the B-Final. 

“We are looking forward to returning to Willowbank,” said team owner Santo Rapisarda. “Over the years the venue has been a happy hunting ground for the team. 

Mason McGaha has proven he’s a solid NHRA Pro Stock driver in his brief career so far.

In 44 races, McGaha has 30 round wins and one runner-up finish at the 2021 Charlotte (N.C.) Four Wide race in the spring.

On Dec. 27-28, McGaha attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in Gainesville, Fla.

Those who know Stevie “Fast” Jackson understand he’s not the type to sit idle, even when he’s in a cast up to his chin. Today, Jackson is running at break-neck speed; no pun intended, while healing recovers from neck surgery to repair injuries sustained as far back as 2008.

“I wake up in the morning, and the first question I ask myself every day when I get up is, how can I better my race team today?” Jackson said. “What can I do? How can I spend my time making it easier for my team to win? We’ve been working on a new deal that’s been coming to fruition for a while now.”

Jackson has finalized a deal that will make him part of Sidnei Frigo and Artivinco Racing in 2023, although he could be sidelined for up to six months while recuperating. 

Back-to-back Competition Eliminator championships in 2003-04, as well as 16 national event wins, naturally generated a certain level of respect for Dean Carter in NHRA. Those accolades look great on paper, but the respect meter pegs when you see Carter on the dragstrip nestled into the cockpit of the front-engine Nostalgia Dragster he runs in Comp.

The Glendale, Ariz., drag racer knows no other way. His father, Ray, was deeply involved in drag racing throughout his youth. 

"I got drug to racetrack after racetrack, but it was fun," said Carter, whose own driving career was launched at the age of 16 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, then known as Firebird International Raceway. 

For some drag racers, the offseason is a time to expand their skills and presence in the sport.

That’s exactly what is happening this week at renowned Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in Gainesville, Fla.

Classes began Dec. 27 and conclude Dec. 30, and a star-studded class of racers are attending.

The sign in the corner of Joe Napoleon’s shop describes his approach to everything, life or his TurnKey Industries trailer business.

“Innovate or evaporate,” Napoleon confirmed. 

The bold saying has been the mantra of the man who came from the humblest of beginnings and earned his way into one of the most talented high-end trailer manufacturers. Some might consider him a Picasso of trailers. 

It is said time flies by when you are having fun, and for Camrie Caruso, the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year, understands there’s credence to the saying. 

“It was crazy, like two different seasons,” Caruso said of her debut in Pomona in February and the season-finale in November. “The Winternationals was just a blur, and then at the end of the season at the Auto Club Finals, I couldn’t believe the season was over. I was way more comfortable at the last race of the season.”

Caruso was presented the Rookie of the Year accolade on Saturday, following a season where she outperformed the other rookie contenders with a final round appearance and a No. 1 qualifier. Both milestones came at the final national event at Houston Raceway Park, where she raced the five-time champion, Erica Enders.