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.

Gordon “Tripp” Tatum III fulfilled a lifelong dream when he picked up his first-ever NHRA Top Fuel win with his incredible, record-setting performance at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Florida on March 13, 2022.

Although Tatum began competing in the prestigious category in 2021, he started racing in the late 1980s when he attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School as a teenager alongside his father, Gordon Tatum II, who was a Top Fuel driver in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

“When I was a kid, I had a photo on my wall of Gordon’s beautiful front-engine Top Fuel Dragster,” Hawley remembered of his youth. Hawley was pleasantly surprised when Gordon called to enroll himself and his son, Tripp, at his drag racing school. “I got to know both of them well when they competed in our race series at several national events. I feel so fortunate to have worked with many of today’s pro drivers early in their careers.”

PPG (NYSE: PPG) today announced its renewed sponsorship of the Tasca Racing team for the 2022 NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION® (NHRA®) season. 

Bob Tasca III, Tasca Racing team president and driver, will compete in 22 events across the U.S. in this year’s NHRA Nitro Funny Car division. The team’s FORD® SHELBY® MUSTANG® Nitro Funny Car will display PPG’s colorful livery in the races at the New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire, and the Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.  

“We are excited to be sponsoring Tasca Racing for another season,” said Bill Shaw, PPG director, strategic sales, Automotive Refinish. “Our long-time partnership brings two industries together, creating a strong collaboration between our companies. We look forward to continuing our support and sponsorship of Tasca Racing.”

Race Winning Brands, Inc. (“RWB”), a portfolio company of MiddleGround Capital, announced the acquisition of PAC Racing Springs (“PAC”), a leading manufacturer of high-performance valve springs serving the automotive and powersports performance and racing aftermarket. PAC represents the ninth add-on acquisition for Race Winning Brands.

PAC is headquartered and operates out of an industry-leading facility in Southfield, Michigan, just outside the industry-famous “Motor City,” Detroit. With roots in engineering and manufacturing dating back over a century, PAC Racing Springs has combined their manufacturing expertise with involved, high-performance racing experience to focus on developing and producing best-in-class valve springs and valvetrain components.

Engineering, manufacturing, and testing in-house in the USA using precision equipment and techniques makes PAC a veteran in the performance valve spring market, aligning well with the rest of Race Winning Brand’s high-performance portfolio. PAC’s product line further enhances RWB’s ability to serve various racing markets, from circle track to drag racing.

Dan Parker once described himself by saying, “I’m not a blind man trying to race, I’m a racer who went blind.”

Now, he’s a blind racer who’s earned a place in the Guinness World Records. Last Thursday, Parker became the fastest blind racer of all time. His two-run average of 211 mph at Spaceport America on March 31, 2022, came 10 years to the day from when he lost his sight in a Pro Mod crash. It broke the mark of 200.9 mph set in 2014 by England’s Mike Newman, who was born blind.

Parker’s record-setting blast down the runway outside Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, came two years after he fell short due to performance issues and high winds. 

Randy Meyer isn't giving up on the injected nitro Funny Car.

Though it's not a legal combination for the NHRA's Top Alcohol Funny Car division yet, the injected nitro racing icon is building a program in hopes it will be. 

Julie Nataas piloted Meyer's Funny Car at the recently completed Funny car Chaos Classic event at the Texas Motorplex. She could not get the car much further than the starting line without the car going up in smoke. 

Still, Meyer is determined to make it all work. 

There's a saying which suggests, "All good things must come to an end."

And since 1988, Houston Raceway Park, located in Baytown, Tex., has been a good thing for NHRA drag racers and its fans. 

On April 24, 2022, the last NHRA national event will play out before a packed house.

At the conclusion of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 4 points meet in Nobile, Okla., Competition Eliminator driver Jeff Taylor admired his yellow 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt as it sat in the winner’s circle. He turned to his engine builder David Nickens and said, “You know that thing looks a whole lot better parked there in front of that sign than it did parked under those tires on Thursday.” 

To say that it was an eventful week for Taylor would be an understatement of epic proportions. In Competition Eliminator, it seems there’s a story of struggle behind every success, and Taylor’s most recent win is no exception. 

When the seasoned Sportsman competitor traveled to Oklahoma from his home in Sellersburg, Ind., he had yet to see, much less sit in, the car he would be driving. Nickens was bringing it from his shop in Texas with his brother, Robert, and nephew, Buddy. 

Thanks to his family’s unwavering support, accomplished Jr. Dragster driver Jonathan McClain took the next step towards accelerating his future when he completed the NHRA/IHRA Super Comp competition licensing program at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School.

The young racer was gifted his 2002 Spitzer Junior when he was just seven years old. Although he didn’t make his first run until he turned nine, Jonathan showed tremendous natural talent as a driver and went on to earn some serious accolades.