The four leading Oz Top Fuel teams, Jim Read Racing, PremiAir Racing, Rapisarda Autosport International, and Lamattina Top Fuel Racing, have joined forces to establish their own Australian Top Fuel Championship series.

The six-round series will run from January to June 2022 across four states and territories, with a minimum of six cars per round.

The decision by the team owners to go it alone means Top Fuel will no longer be part of the 400 Thunder Pro Series, the peak body for the category since 2015.  

Through hard work and determination, Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Ryan Oehler has made himself into a championship contender in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class.

With that mindset, Oehler was at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., July 8, making test laps on his Buell in preparation for the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil on July 16-18.

“It went pretty decent,” Oehler said of test session. “I made four runs. I was just trying to get some data. I’ve only made 10 runs in my whole life at Bandimere Speedway. In 2018 and 2019, I went out in the first round both times just because it was so new to me. What I’m seeing is I’m really having to start turning the steam up. The (back) tire is so important. I think it might be one of the most important pieces after you have a finely-tuned program.

JEGS Speedweek marches on at National Trail Raceway, with action-packed racing from the NHRA Sportsman Drag Racing. JEGS Speedweek hosts a doubleheader weekend with the JEGS SPORTSnationals specialty event followed by a Division 3 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, giving the country's best Sportsman racers twice as many chances to win and earn points.

Wednesday saw a track-operated open test-n-tune and shootouts for Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street as well as a Stock/Super Stock Combo Gamblers. The schedule will shift to the annual JEGS SPORTSnationals on Thursday and Friday, closing with the North Central Division Lucas Oil event Saturday and Sunday.

Drag racing has lost another legend.

In 1988, NHRA announced the new Houston Raceway Park as a means of keeping NHRA drag racing in Texas with the departure of the Texas Motorplex for a brief stay with the IHRA. Today, NHRA and the track located in Baytown, Tex., have announced the 2022 NHRA Springnationals, April 22-24, will be its final national event. 

"Our family is extremely proud to have showcased the top level of professional drag racing for 35 wonderful years," said Seth Angel, Houston Raceway Park Track Operator. "It's been a dream come true to meet and work with all the incredible drivers, team owners and NHRA executives who come together each year to entertain the millions of racing fans in our area.”

A 4.095 elapsed time isn’t exactly setting the strip on fire, but back in 2011, it was enough to provide Cruz Pedregon with a No. 1 qualifying position at the NHRA Mile High Nationals. What was most impressive about the Snap-on Tools-sponsored driver is his run was .08 quicker than No. 2 qualifier Robert Hight.

In seven of the last ten seasons, Pedregon has qualified no lower than fourth at Bandimere Speedway.

Unfortunately for the competition, Pedregon enters this weekend chock full of momentum from a win at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

NHRA and Virginia Motorsports Park have teamed up to announce May 13-15, 2022, as the triumphant return of the Virginia NHRA Nationals to Richmond. Furthermore, due to a full second-half schedule and travel logistics, the 2021 Virginia NHRA Nationals have been canceled.
 
“Virginia Motorsports Park is saddened to miss the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series for the second year in a row,” said Tommy Franklin, VMP President and owner.

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Longtime Jim Dunn Racing supporter, Lescure Company out of northern California, will be the primary sponsor on the team’s Nitro Funny Car at the first two races of NHRA’s western swing in Denver and Sonoma.  The mechanical contracting company has been an associate and primary sponsor of the Dunn’s Funny Car team for many years and welcomes the opportunity to add the Denver promotion prior to their home race in Sonoma.

 As the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) enters the second half of its eight-race 2021 season, the all-eighth-mile series is preparing to honor one of the sport’s most prolific engine builders at the upcoming Summer Shootout presented by Ty-Drive. The Virginia Motorsports Park event, July 15-17, will host the Sonny Leonard Memorial Race for the PDRA’s Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock class. 
 
“Following the loss of Sonny Leonard over the offseason, our Extreme Pro Stock racers and Sonny’s family at Sonny’s Racing Engines started thinking of ways to honor Sonny,” said Tyler Crossnoe, the race director at PDRA and vice president at Virginia Motorsports Park. “It made a lot of sense to hold a memorial race at his home track, Virginia Motorsports Park. Sonny was a huge part of the PDRA community, especially in the Extreme Pro Stock class. From both the PDRA and VMP perspectives, we’re proud to host the Sonny Leonard Memorial Race this weekend.