Top Fuel veteran Doug Kalitta is on the hunt for his 50th career victory, and he took a major step toward achieving that milestone on Friday at the 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway. Kalitta secured the provisional No. 1 qualifier position with an impressive performance.

Joining Kalitta as provisional No. 1 qualifiers are Bob Tasca III in Funny Car and Gaige Herrera in Pro Stock Motorcycle. These drivers have set themselves apart as the top contenders in their respective categories during the 11th race of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Driving his Mac Tools dragster with 11,000 horsepower, Kalitta blazed down the track with a noteworthy time of 3.753 seconds at 327.66 mph. This exceptional run puts him in contention for his second top spot of the season and adds another milestone to his career with a total of 53 top qualifiers. Kalitta, a 49-time event winner, is optimistic about his chances to secure his second victory in Seattle as part of the NHRA's three-race Western Swing.

It’s as if fate was saving it for a big stage. The NHRA rolls into Pacific Raceways this weekend for the Northwest Nationals,  and the milestone is still available for one of the Toyota Gazoo Racing North America drivers to claim.

Who wants to win race No. 200 for the manufacturer, who first claimed victory on February 29, 2004, at the K&N Filters Winternationals at Pomona Raceway, when Jerry Tolliver defeated Gary Densham in the final round. 

Sonoma Raceway has announced the appointment of Brian Flynn as its new Executive Vice President and General Manager, according to a statement made by Marcus Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Speedway Motorsports. Flynn, a distinguished veteran in the motorsports business, brings with him a wealth of experience, having spent 30 years in senior motorsports and business management roles.

As Rickie Smith shuffled over to the airplane wing, he knew there was no turning back. At the time, Smith, the winningest IHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock racer, was doing stuff that NHRA 500-inch Pro Stockers did, like jumping out of a perfect airplane during a Winston promo in the 1990s days before the NHRA Springnationals in Columbus, Ohio. 

When his tandem jumping partner signaled it was time to go, Smith knew there was no turning back.

Thursday, at Virginia Motorsports Park, ahead of the Professional Drag Racers Association ProStars event, when the engine for Scott Palmer’s Top Fuel dragster fires, Smith, will kinda-sorta experience a bit of deja-vu.

ICE Recovery + Wellness, a premier recovery solutions provider, has joined forces with Funny Car driver Jason Rupert as the primary sponsor for the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway from July 28-30. Rupert and his dedicated volunteer crew have diligently prepared for the event since his last appearance in April at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.

Rupert's Ford Mustang will transform with a new wrap courtesy of Ultimate Design to mark this exciting partnership. ICE Recovery + Wellness, located in San Diego's Carmel Valley, offers a range of sought-after recovery modalities, including cryotherapy, infrared sauna, Normatec compression, IV nutrition, and EMSculpt NEO for fat loss and muscle building.

The NHRA Drag Racing Series is all set to embark on its second week of the Western Swing at Pacific Raceways this weekend. As the Salinas family gears up for another round of racing action, the outcome from the previous weekend at Bandimere Speedway might have failed to meet their expectations. Nevertheless, they cherished the opportunity for quality family time while journeying from Colorado to Washington on their beloved motorcycles.

In the fiercely competitive Top Fuel competition, Mike Salinas demonstrated his prowess by securing a fourth-place qualification in Denver. Unfortunately, his journey ended in round two, succumbing to eventual race-winner Clay Millican. Jianna Evaristo, on the other hand, endured a mechanical setback with her bike in round one due to a failure to start, despite her 11th-place qualification in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

However, this week heralds a fresh beginning, particularly for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, as riders prepare for their inaugural start at the esteemed Northwest track.

  
There’s no question NHRA nitro Funny Car driver Matt Hagan believes his team can win any race.
 
To do that, it takes many elements – great crew chief. Check, Dickie Venables.
 
Great car. Check. He drives for Tony Stewart Racing.

Kalitta Air Careers livery will adorn the side of the Top Fuel dragster driven by Shawn Langdon in a bid to recruit pilots and mechanics at the upcoming Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Wash., from July 21-23, 2023. This initiative extends beyond the dragster to include a comprehensive employee-recruiting strategy across various social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, as well as traditional media outlets, including aviation journals and other digital and print publications. Additionally, plans are underway to incorporate an on-site component in the near future.

The Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel dragster will represent the company for the remainder of the 2023 season, except for the Nevada NHRA Nationals on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in late October, where FES Lighting will be the primary partner for Langdon’s Toyota team.