Passion. It’s all about how you display it.

And for Funny Car racer Blake Alexander, it was on full display at the NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Moments after scoring an exhilarating and hard-fought win, he put it on full display without a corporate correctness care in the world. 

Then, the television crew shoved a microphone in his face.  

Drag racing is alive and well, and there’s no finer example than the recently completed Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. The television coverage of the event drew an impressive viewership of nearly 2.1 million for its original airing on Fox. This marked the largest audience for this event on the Fox networks since 2017, highlighting the monumental nature of the occasion.

Viewership remained strong throughout the NHRA broadcasts on Fox, with Sunday’s airing of the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout and Monday’s eliminations. 

Summit Racing Equipment has reaffirmed its commitment to the World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) and its sportsman racing programs for the upcoming year. The WDRA announced the renewal of its partnership with Summit Racing, with the Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series (SSDRS) set to be the focal point of the organization's bracket racing initiatives at WDRA member tracks throughout 2024. The highly anticipated 2024 WDRA Summit World Championships will be hosted by Montgomery International Dragway in the upcoming season.

Travis Shumake has long sought to chart his own path in drag racing.

The son of legendary Funny Car racer Tripp Shumake recently took a significant step in that direction as he began the licensing process behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster on the Tuesday following the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Shumake, who acquired his Top Fuel dragster, affectionately named "Judith Light," in the spring of 2023, made three runs down the Indianapolis Raceway Park track.

During the session, Shumake gradually improved his performance. His first pass covered nearly 200 feet, while the second reached around the 400-foot mark before tire smoke forced him to shut off the car. On his third attempt, Shumake executed a planned 600-foot shut off, clocking in at an impressive 3.939 seconds and 254.90 mph. Not only did this run count towards Shumake's Top Fuel license, but it also surpassed his previous best pass of 3.967 seconds in a nitro Funny Car.

Don "The Snake" Prudhomme sometimes had a love/hate relationship with the media as a driver. But, almost three decades since he walked away from driving, he's since embraced the pen-and-mic club. 

Monday, after the crowds had dispersed at Indianapolis Raceway Park, a sentimental Prudhomme stood on the same starting line where he had won seven times. He looked off into the distance.

As a reporter approached him, Prudhomme broke his stare and greeted him like a long-lost friend. During his racing days, Prudhomme would have likely said, "Call me on the effing phone next week."

Kyle Koretsky is set to make a high-speed entrance into the NHRA Countdown to the Championship at Maple Grove Raceway as he joins forces with Michael Waltrip Brewing Company. The partnership, announced today by Koretsky alongside MWB's CEO/President Bryan Sperber and Chief Fun Officer Michael Waltrip, will kick off at the upcoming Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, followed by the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals later this month.

Almost 50 years after the IHRA revealed their mountain motor Pro Stock concept as an answer to the NHRA’s controversial pounds-per-cubic inch approach to factory hot rod racing, the NHRA has announced the large displacement Pro Stocks will be back on tour in 2024, thanks to major sponsorship from Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage. 

The new sponsorship is built on a multi-year partnership, starting in 2024, and will feature six events each season, where the eight-car field will compete for the highly coveted Wally. In addition to the event purse, racers will now have the opportunity to contend for a world title, with a season champion being crowned.

Richard Freeman, the owner of Elite Motorsports, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership. 

Mike Decker Jr., the two-time reigning champion of the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association (NEOPMA), continued his winning streak by claiming victory in the highly competitive $25,000-to-win Churchview Farm Pro Mod class at the annual Yellowbullet Nationals. This marked his third consecutive win in the prestigious event held at Cecil County Dragway on Sunday night.

Decker Jr., hailing from Maryland, secured the victory by defeating none other than his son, Mike “Hollywood” Decker III, in the final round of the NEOPMA’s seventh race out of eight on the 2023 schedule.

Decker Jr. is overwhelmed with his accomplishments.

It was just another day in the office for Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Sean Bellemeur, or at least it seemed that way on Monday during the final day of Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

Bellemeur, driving the Bartone Brothers Top Alcohol Funny Car, picked up his third career Indy victory and his 33rd national event title by stopping Doug Gordon in the final round. 

“Doug Gordon is in the other lane; everyone knows how fast he is,” Bellemeur said. “You have to be A+, A+, hey, it’s the final at Indy. You lay it all on the line, period, end of story, on fire, upside down, windows out of it, it’s Indy.