Veteran Pro Stock driver Shane Tucker will represent UrPay, an Australian-owned payment processing company, throughout the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series as a brand ambassador. Beginning with the historic NHRA Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals, March 9-12, Tucker, who also hails from Australia will host VIP motorsports guests and potential clients throughout the NHRA season in the UrPay Finish Line Lounge adjacent to his Pro Stock pit. Tucker’s 210 mph Pro Stock Chevrolet Camaro will also be adorned in UrPay branding throughout the season.

The Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series, Presented by J&A Service, will collaborate with FloRacing for the 2023 season to broadcast all eight of the MWDRS tour stops.  

“We’ve worked extremely hard with FloRacing to create an amazing partnership that will allow us to showcase the series like never before. We’ll be doing things that no other series has done”, states series Founder Keith Haney. “I’m so excited to present what we have worked so hard to achieve the last few months.

​You only get one chance to make a first impression, and for Monty Bogan, Jr., a former IHRA world champion, his first NHRA Division 4 event will always be a memorable one.

Bogan, who made the trek from Jonesville, SC, headlined the final day of the NHRA Southwest division season opener with a double-up victory at No Problem Raceway, taking home both Competition Eliminator and Super Stock titles.

"We had a great weekend down here," Bogan said. "We came down here with the intention of competing for the Rooftec Competition Eliminator Bonus. We ended up winning that. We ended up winning Super Stock."

Round Five of the 2022-23 Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship at the Perth Motorplex, March 3-4, is shaping up as a make-or-break round for the leading contenders headed by Rapisarda Autosport International star and series leader Damien Harris chasing his first Oz title since 2015.

The seven-round series returns to the ‘Plex for the second time this season.

Harris holds a narrow 90-point lead over reigning champ Peter Xiberras and veteran Phil Read tied in second spot, followed by Harris’ teammate Wayne Newby 50 points adrift in fourth place. Phil Lamattina, runner-up to Xiberras in the 2022 ATFC championship, trails Newby by 30 points, with his teammate Shane Olive 70 points behind in sixth place.

A capacity crowd filed into No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana, about an hour outside of New Orleans, and what they saw was some absolutely competitive drag racing during the NHRA's Division 4 season opener. 

Witchita, Kansas-based Top Alcohol Dragster racer Aaron Cooper picked up his second career win, stopping Jackie Fricke in the final round. Cooper ran a 5.302 elapsed time at 283.25 to drive around Fricke's 5.385, 265.13. The second-generation drag racer tied his father, Gary Cooper, in NHRA wins with the victory.

"This is a great way to start the season," Jones said. "We don't know how many races we can run in a year. We just run the regional races. So to come out here and get a leg up on some great cars in our division, it's an awesome start to the year. It's all I can really say because we'd really like to get in the JEGS All-Stars. It's one of the ways we can show we can kind of run with the guys that are out there getting a ton of runs. Just happy to get another one for my dad. I'm tied with him now. We both got two Wallys."

Well, Moses didn't part the Red Sea until he was 80 years old.

For Dodge Hemi Shootout racer Anthony Rhodes, the vision of grabbing gears didn't materialize until he became retirement age. At 67 years old, while racing in the famed Louisiana version of the Hemi Shootout, more commonly referred to as the Chootout, the Charleston, SC-based drag racing grabbed his first race win of any type.

"That's my first win in my life in a Hemi or any other car," said Rhodes, grinning ear to ear.

The NHRA's Southwest Division 4 kicked off its season at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, La., under chamber of commerce weather for the weekend, and with car counts and performances equally impressive.

Brad Brewer annihilated the B/Altered index to lead first-day qualifying with a 6.898, at -.762 under. He was nearly a tenth quicker than No. 2 Rick Brown, whose truck was -.640 under the B/Truck Automatic standard. Sportsman veteran Jeff Taylor holds down the third spot with a 6.972, -.638 under the index. Currently, there are 26 entries on the qualifying list.

As the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competition in Division 4 kicks off this weekend in Belle Rose, La., all eyes will be on the Competition Eliminator category as racers begin vying for a piece of the coveted RoofTec Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund. 

Ashton and Mignon Hudson, and their daughters Bliss and Ella, have been the driving force behind many initiatives that have helped this program pick up steam. The Hudson family works tirelessly alongside the project’s architect, Rodger Brogdon of RoofTec, to advance the fund in all directions. Their passion for the Competition Eliminator category is evident in everything they do as they remain focused on the ultimate goal - to drive interest and participation in the category. After all, as they see it, the Competition Eliminator category is incredibly exciting, and these special competitions have done a lot to increase the intensity for racers and fans alike. This year, the team plans to give more love to the real heroes of the RoofTec Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund, the sponsors. 

 
There’s one thing about NHRA Pro Stock standout Matt Hartford – he’s direct and to the point.

That definitely was the case when CompetitionPlus.com asked him about his goals for the 2023 Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

“Same thing as 2022, except tried to finish higher in the points,” Hartford said. 

Hartford finished sixth in the 2022 points standings, highlighted by his win in Denver and his runner-up effort at the Charlotte, N.C., fall race.