After its scheduled season opener was preempted by track equipment troubles and bad weather in Georgia last month, the South East Gassers Association (SEGA) finally got its 2022 campaign underway Apr. 9, with the inaugural SEGA Gene Cromer Memorial at historic Shady Side Dragway in Shelby, NC.

"Gene Cromer is the man who inspired me so many years ago to get into drag racing," SEGA founder and organizer Quain Stott told a packed house during pre-race ceremonies. "He was instrumental in the formation of SEGA, too, a Gasser pioneer who helped me see what had to be done to create a period-correct experience like we have right now for all you fans and racers here today. We all owe a lot to Gene and all what he did for drag racing."

Three rounds and three different winners that’s the scorecard after local hero Damien Harris defeated reigning champ Peter Xiberras in the final of Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship at the Perth Motorplex, April 8-9. 

Harris has joined Phil Read and Phil Lamattina as race winners at the halfway mark of the series. 

Harris claimed his first win since the 2018 Winternationals and walked away with a swag of honors, including a new ANDRA and Motorplex track record for 1000 feet, plus bonus points for low E.T. And Top Speed.

 
In a Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous field full of past world champions and veterans, relative newcomer “Mountain Man” Mike Achenbach scored his second career win Saturday night at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech at GALOT Motorsports Park. Achenbach used a 3.668-second pass at 206.80 mph in his Buck-powered “Deep Purple” ’69 Camaro to defeat Jay Cox in the final round. 
 
Achenbach was joined in the winner’s circle by pro winners Todd Tutterow in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, Chris Powers in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition, Alan Drinkwater in $hameless Racing Pro 632, Chris Garner-Jones in Drag 965 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle, and Tim Essick in Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by AFCO. 

Many things matter to Nancy Matter, but the one that takes the top spot is giving back to worthwhile causes.  

It's not hard to pick up on her passion for those who have helped her to help care for others and inspire the way she gives back to good causes. 
One need not look any further than the reverence she holds for children and the American military veteran. 

Melanie Salemi made a major statement on the first day of the 2022 Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) season at the East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech, as she fired off a string of 3.50-second passes to set a new WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive elapsed-time record. Her 3.568-second pass at 207.91 mph during the third qualifying session at GALOT Motorsports Park also gave Salemi the No. 1 qualifying spot in Pro Boost, which saw 24 cars attempt to qualify for the 16-car field. 

When the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing rolls into to Houston for the SpringNationals April 22-24, it will be an emotional time for Pro Stock star Erica Enders.

Houston is Enders’ hometown track – the site of her first NHRA national event win in Super Gas in 2004 – but this will be her last race in Houston as the track is closing 

After 35 years, the Houston Raceway Park in Baytown will drop the curtain down for good after its 2022 season.

Houston Raceway Park hosted its first national event in 1988. Since then, the track has been the site of many special moments. 

After 25 years of nitrous racing, Jerry Albert of Jerry Albert Racing kicks off the 2022 Racing season with a twist. The husband and wife (Traci Albert) team out of Avon, Ohio will be debuting their new 2015 Camaro in the PDRA Elite Top Sportsman category. The Wally Stroupe built, Pro Charged powered, Brad Anderson Hemi, owned by Rick Bowling will be wheeled by veteran Jerry Albert and their quest for success will be starting at the PDRA season opener this weekend at Galot Motorsports Park. 

“I’ve been a nitrous racer for over 25 years and switching to the Pro Charger will be a new challenge for me to master, no doubt”, said the multiple-time NHRA Division Champion. “Galot will be the first time out in the car with this combination as well as my first time in the seat of the 2015 Camaro.  The test sessions prior to qualifying will be the first hits made and qualifying in the stout Elite Top Sportsman field will be an accomplishment in itself.  Having the right pieces in line and working with companies that I believe in, like ComSync and Marc Smith/MSR Suspension, we can easily achieve our goals. With Kings of Vapor, R.A.B. Trucking and Route 76 Truck Repair on board, I'm looking forward to seeing what this car can do."

Travis Shumake, son of the late NHRA Funny Car driver Tripp Shumake, will make his NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster debut this weekend at Las Vegas behind the wheel of a Randy Meyer Racing Top Alcohol Dragster. Shumake will be racing in the NHRA Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, April 8-10.

“My goal is still to be in a Funny Car but there is so much I can learn from Randy in the A/Fuel car while gaining much needed seat time and race-day experience” said Shumake. “I had an incident here in Vegas last fall in the Funny Car and mentors Chad Head and Justin Ashley pointed me in the direction of Randy."

Davis Motorsports and team owner Dustin Davis will host a special charity dinner event on Thursday, July 21 at the Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club. The dinner will celebrate the life and legacy of the late Eric Medlen with proceeds from ticket sales, donations and silent auction going to the Sonoma chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities to honor the spirit of the late Eric Medlen.

“I have been a member at Santa Rosa for some time and it is a beautiful location to honor the memory of Eric Medlen,” said Davis. “I spoke with John Medlen about hosting an event to celebrate Eric and he was in full support, so I knew we were doing the right thing. Supporting a great organization like Speedway Children’s Charities is something we all know Eric would be excited about. We want to have an event that gives people the chance to honor Eric, tell some stories and remember what a great driver and person we lost but will never forget.”

Toronto-area resident John Waldie, retired but not retiring, is a devoted ambassador for the Pro Modified class and longtime supporter of drag racers and stock car teams north of the border and 2016 inductee and still-active policy-shaper of the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

His phone rang Feb. 15, and on the line was his close friend Jim Luikens, another who cast a wide net of friendships in the automobile and racing industry. They had known each other for years and collaborated most recently for Luikens’ Pro Modified reports for National Dragster magazine and DragRaceCentral.com.