The NAPA Auto Parts Ignitor presented by Peterson Chevrolet achieves a new milestone in 2021 as Firebird’s longest running event celebrates its 50th year. Set for Saturday and Sunday, May 1-2, the traditional northwest season opener will jumpstart the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Funny Car Series.

Nitro Funny Cars are set to test Fri., April 30th, from noon till 6 pm. Saturday will showcase three qualifying heats at noon, 3 pm and 6 pm. Final eliminations in the Stinker Stores Nitro Knockout kick off at high noon on Sunday.

​Leah Pruett’s Top Fuel dragster will feature a brand-new look this weekend at Atlanta Dragway. Whisps Cheese Crisps, the snack company that’s on a mission to bring premium, quality cheese to consumers nationwide, will adorn Pruett’s 11,000-horsepower machine as its primary sponsor at the NHRA Southern Nationals outside of Atlanta.
 
Pruett, an eight-time Top Fuel winner, is no stranger to success at Atlanta Dragway. In 2018, she claimed the Southern Nationals Wally trophy, and in 2015, it was where she recorded her career-first runner-up finish. At this weekend’s race, which is slated to be the NHRA’s final event at the Commerce, Ga. facility, Pruett aims to close out the series’ last outing at Atlanta Dragway by driving her Whisps Cheese Crisps Top Fuel dragster to the winner’s circle.
 
“Being able to represent one of my favorite snacks on the track is awesome,” remarked the health-conscious Pruett. “The light, crunchy Whisps Cheese Crisps were already a part of my go-to snack selection since they’re deliciously low carb, high protein, and gluten-free. They always beat even my cheesiest cravings.

For the first time in its seven-year history, the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) will bring its brand of eighth-mile drag racing to Kentucky’s historic Beech Bend Raceway Park this weekend. The Stroud Safety Doorslammer Derby presented by Classic Graphix, April 29-May 1, is the second race on the eight-race PDRA tour and the first major event of the season for the Bowling Green facility. 
 
“We’ve been looking forward to coming to Bowling Green since the schedule was announced last fall,” says Tyler Crossnoe, race director, PDRA. “Beech Bend is a unique facility and it has such a rich history. We couldn’t be more excited about making our own mark on the Beech Bend history books this weekend.”

The Daily Race Schedule for the 2021 Good Vibrations March Meet, presented by Lucas Oil, was recently released and Nitro Fans are going to be pleased. For the first time in the event’s history, Nighttime Nitro Sessions are scheduled for both Friday and Saturday night.

“We are making the most of a difficult situation,” said Blake Bowser, Vice President of Famoso Dragstrip. “Not having the March Meet in March was frustrating, but we are going to make up for it in May with a massive drag race May 26-30.”

Oftentimes when a person establishes a new company, they use their own name; Harry’s Auto Parts; or the name of the place it’s located; Spring Haven Auto Parts; or some bination of the both; Harry’s Spring Haven Auto Parts. Not so for Red Roberts.

After service to his country in the Army, Roberts went to work with Bill Hays and his successful Hays Clutches company. After the purchase of Hays Clutches by new owners and the elimination of Roberts’ position in 1968, Roberts continued his rise within the industry as the sales manager for Weber Speed Equipment, then owned by Harry Weber.

With his knowledge of clutches, Roberts branched out on his own, starting the clutch company that has become synonymous within the industry, McLeod Clutches. Where though did the name McLeod come from? 

It doesn't hurt to play both sides of the fence. Or in this case, Pro Modified standout Khalid alBalooshi will have both a centrifugal and roots-style supercharged entry in 2021. Here's his latest hot rod, a conventional supercharged entry, built by the fine folks at Jerry Bickel Race Cars. 

Emotion filled the voice of Manny Buginga as he talked about the FuelTech Outlaw Street Car Reunion VIII held at Virginia Motorsports Park this weekend. The event, which featured the renamed BCOP 275 (X275) class in Blake Copson’s honor, was the first time Buginga has his own Pro 275 car at the racetrack since Copson’s unexpected passing on March 6, 2021. 

The event featured the wild highs and lows of a drag race that ended in victory and a visit to the winner’s circle for the Buginga team, coupled with the waves of sadness knowing that Copson would never be able to share in the team’s victories again. Along with his own championship-winning Corvette, Copson piloted Buginga’s X275 car with massive success in recent years and was an accomplished driver with a string of wins under his belt, part of the new generation of drag racers the sport so desperately needs. 

A full house was on hand at Shadyside Dragway Apr. 17, for the second of 11 scheduled Southeast Gassers Association (SEGA) events this year. And thanks to an all-run policy for eliminations, for the first time in series history all four official classes--A/Gas, B/Gas, C/Gas and Super Stock--required five rounds of competition to determine race winners.  

Seventy-nine total entries of mandated 1967 or older body styles eventually were whittled down to winners Gabriel Burrell in A/Gas, T.J. York in B/Gas, Larry Noel in C/Gas, and Mark Hackett in Super Stock. None were repeat victors from the season opener last month in Holt, FL, but all were veteran SEGA drivers with multiple victories from past seasons.

The year was 1963. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the U.S. President and assassinated in November of that year. The Vietnam War began ramping up, and Zip Codes were introduced by the Postal Service. For us car guys, an AC Cobra made its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Closer to our drag racing world though, the NHRA formally announced the inaugural group of Division Directors; Darwin Doll, Buster Couch, Bob Daniels, Dale Ham, Darrel Zimmerman, Terrel Page and Bernie Partridge.

In December of 2020, we lost the last remaining member of that group, Darwin Doll when he passed away, but not before leaving a legacy that will last forever more. A crowd came together in April to pay homage to the man who had given so much of his life to the sport he loved. As a side note, 1963 was also the year Darwin and Pat Doll were married which began a partnership dedicated to our sport.

Greg Anderson envisioned a perfect last NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway next week.

His former mentor and fellow Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson would be out on the racetrack, going for his 98th victory, while Anderson tries to pull within one victory of the all-time class leader with a 96th and second of this young season.

In Anderson’s fantasy, Kurt Johnson, his sidekick from the early days and Warren’s 40-time-winner son, would be racing, too. After all, the Commerce, Ga., venue and property that the NHRA is selling for commercial development is just about 30 miles from the Johnsons’ homes at Sugar Hill.