The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway proved challenging for Chris King, owner and driver of the Howards Cams/Competition Parts Dodge Funny Car team. Throughout the two days of qualifying, the team faced significant motor damage as they battled to secure a spot in the 16-car field. Unfortunately, this setback prevented them from participating in the highly anticipated 69th Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park this weekend. Although King won't be racing, he's determined to fulfill his sponsor and fan event obligations.

CITGO Petroleum Corporation has recently joined forces with John Force Racing, marking a significant partnership for the NHRA Drag Racing community. The partnership will officially kick off at the NHRA U.S. Nationals, where the highly recognizable CITGO CITGARD product logo will be proudly displayed. As part of the agreement, CITGARD will take on the role of an associate sponsor for John Force Racing, with a prominent spot on Brittany Force's Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster.

"CITGO is a huge company, with products and brands everyone recognizes," Force said. "CITGO shares our values and our commitment to safety, integrity, accountability, and caring for our people, partners, and fans. We eagerly anticipate building a strong partnership with them."

Chris Raschke sells parts daily to drag racers who cover a race course at over 330 miles per hour. 

Raschke, the Director of Sales and Marketing for ARP Bolts, recently drove his way to the only prize awarded at each SCTA-BNI SpeedWeek, the Hot Rod Magazine Perpetual Trophy for the fastest speed timed over one mile during the event behind the wheel of George Poteat's Speed Demon entry. It was the 11th time the team had taken home the hardware.

Raschke recorded a 333.360 while running on a restricted three-mile course with a a twin-turbocharged, alcohol-burning, 444 cubic inch small block LS Chevrolet V8 in the A/Blown Fuel Streamliner class.

Head Racing has announced the establishment of the Dylan Cromwell Memorial Scholarship to honor the legacy of their late team member, Dylan Cromwell. The scholarship aims to provide promising individuals with opportunities in mechanical schooling, particularly those hailing from Cromwell's hometown of Scobey, Montana. The announcement comes following Cromwell's tragic demise in a highway accident while transporting one of the Head Racing Funny Cars to the NHRA Nevada Nationals in Las Vegas on October 24, 2021.

The 23-year-old Montana native's untimely passing deeply impacted the Head Racing team and his close friend, driver Blake Alexander. To continue Cromwell's dedication to his hometown and the sport he loved, Head Racing has united with the Cromwell family and the people of Scobey, Montana, in establishing this memorial scholarship.

The Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series recently concluded a double-event at World Wide Technology Raceway, bringing some excitement and shaking up the Championship points. After a storm disrupted the July event, the MWDRS returned on August 18-19 to sunny skies and cooler temperatures for the "Back to School Bash," which featured two full days of intense racing.

"We knew early on that a significant storm was coming," Series Founder Keith Haney explained the challenges posed by the storm. "We told the racers after the first round, listen for updates, and when it gets close, pack up quick. Sure enough, we had high winds and torrential rain, with even the track suffering some damage."

Despite the interruption, the July event resumed with Mark Micke dominating the Stroud Safety Pro Mod category. 

Maddi Gordon, the daughter of reigning Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion Doug Gordon, is following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather. The California native recently became the first third-generation Top Alcohol Funny Car driver in NHRA history when she obtained her license this week in Brainerd, Minn. Having risen through the ranks in the NHRA Jr. Dragster League and piloting a Super Comp dragster, Maddi is living her dream.

“It’s totally surreal,” exclaimed the enthusiastic 19-year-old just a few days after making the passes necessary to get her license. “I’ve dreamed about this my whole life. And I never really thought it would actually come true.”

For reigning Funny Car champion Ron Capps, Hot Wheels cars are as cool at 58 years old as when he was a six-year-old boy growing up in Southern California.

As a result, Capps will be paying homage to the iconic diecast manufacturer Hot Wheels and former team owner Don ‘The Snake’ Prudhomme. The timing couldn’t come at a better time as this year’s event marks the 50th anniversary of Prudhomme’s victory at the 1973 U.S. Nationals and the 10th anniversary of the ‘Snake & Mongoose’ film. His NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra will showcase a throwback of the iconic Hot Wheels x NHRA Funny Car. 

“This is a dream come true both as a kid growing up and now as an NHRA driver,” said Capps, who swept the 2022 U.S. Nationals by qualifying No. 1, winning the All-Star Callout race, and winning the event. “It’s exciting to bring together the old-school Hot Wheels fans like myself with the next generation and offer up a tribute car with Don ‘The Snake’ Prudhomme. It’s also a tribute to what Hot Wheels did for the sport with ‘The Snake’ and ‘The Mongoose.’ It’s going to be incredibly emotional to be on the starting line at Indianapolis Raceway Park with ‘The Snake’ standing behind the car.

Last year, Will Smith debuted in Top Fuel at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, and the experience was unforgettable for the Top Alcohol Dragster graduate. Smith will return this year with the same Larry Dixon-led team and this time with sponsorship from Mac Rak, a leading North American premier pallet rack repair company.

Smith has gained confidence as he heads into his second U.S. Nationals. From the get-go, Smith has shown advancement and consistency behind the wheel of the Top Fuel machine. Now, equipped with additional experience and countless runs in Dixon's dragster, as well as guidance from crew chief Tony Shortall, Smith eagerly awaits the biggest stop on the Camping World Drag Racing Series tour.

When one seeks to make positive change, there are elements to the process, including walking a political tightrope at times. 

Pro Stock team owner Richard Freeman joined the Professional Racers Organization [PRO] board earlier this season, intending to help change some aspects of drag racing for the better. Change, as he sees it, can come without one being a politician. 

"I wouldn't be a very good politician," Freeman said adamantly. "I can tell you because I say what I believe, and when I want to say it, and how I want to say it, and people don't like it, that's no problem."

World champions Tony Schumacher, John Force, Steve Torrence, Matt Hagan, Antron Brown, and a host of others are set to showcase their skills in the highly-anticipated Scag Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout, taking place from February 8th to 10th, 2024, at Bradenton Motorsports Park. This exclusive invitation-only event, featuring more than two dozen elite Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers vying for victory, brings to the game a $250,000 prize for the winners in each class; the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Alan Johnson, President of the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO), expressed his excitement about the event.