Marco Abruzzi has proved himself in the Sportsman ranks, winning national championships in NHRA’s Top Dragster in 2015 and in IHRA in Top Sportsman in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

Now, Abruzzi is slowly getting his daughter, Emily, 16, into the Sportsman ranks.

Last month, Emily attended the renowned Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in Gainesville, Fla., and received her Super Comp license.

The past year has brought an epiphany to Chip Lofton. 

He watched Justin Ashley, the rising Top Fuel star he has sponsored from the beginning, duke it out with eventual victor Brittany Force for the championship to the final day of the season. And he marveled at the Larry Morgan-built for the Pro Stock car that he and Mark Beaver field and Morgan drives. But what Lofton discovered in 2022 goes far beyond any dragstrip. The knowledge he has gained offers hope to individuals and families, possibly on a global scale. 

Chris Holbrook knew it. His son confirmed it. 

A third generation of the Holbrook Family will hit the NHRA tour this year as 20-year-old Del Holbrook will climb behind the wheel of his dad's Mustang as a part of the Factory Stock Showdown division. 

"I'm really excited," Del confirmed. "It's definitely a big jump from NMCA tomorrow series. It's a very intimidating prospect. The sense of competition is definitely higher than what I'm used to."

But Del isn't worried. As he sees it, Chris has prepared him for this moment all his life. 

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Valvetrain industry trailblazer Dan Jesel has passed. The family announced the passing via social media on January 11, 2023.

Jesel founded Jesel Valvetrain Innovation in 1980 with the finest valvetrain components available without compromise.

"Dan was a beloved father, a brilliant innovator, a generous employer, and respected member of the racing community," Jesel Valvetrain Innovation said in a prepared statement.

John Sears has been named the Director of Competition for the 2023 Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, race officials announced. Sears' years of expertise and knowledge to guide the highly-competitive invitational March 3-5, 2023, at Bradenton Motorsports Park, is what made him a natural selection by Drag Illustrated Founder and Creative Director Wes Buck and team.
 
"It takes an army to pull off an event of this magnitude, and that army needs leadership," said Buck. "John's reputation speaks for itself, and he's absolutely, positively the right man for the job when it comes to maintaining the integrity of the biggest, richest Pro Mod drag race in the history of the known universe."

Back in the 1970s, long before any of the Super class racing existed, sportsman drag racers sought an affordable style of racing where they could race heads-up, with no breakout and do so on a pounds-per-cubic inch basis similar to their class racing. Their wants eventually led to the creation of Super Modified, the original 10.5 tire form of racing.

Not so far removed from the 1974 U.S. Energy crisis, class racers, then the only option for national event sportsman racing, had begun to feel the sting of extreme operating costs. Many opted for the new craze of the time, bracket racing, while a good number remained true to their craft seeking creative ways to preserve the only kind of racing they knew.

As was the case with many of the good ideas of the era, the plan began on a scratch sheet of paper and through the support of a major magazine became reality.

Car Craft Magazine presented the Super Modified concept in their July 1974 issue.

NHRA Top Fuel championship contender and rising star Josh Hart announced a multi-year extension with long-time marketing partner Advance Auto Parts for the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season and beyond. Hart will campaign his 11,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster at every NHRA national event representing Advance Auto Parts as well as their TechNet Professional Automotive Services.
 
“Advance Auto Parts has been with me throughout my career in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Fuel,” said Hart, who finished seventh in Top Fuel in 2022. “They are an amazing company to work with and the TechNet Professional Automotive Service team is the best in the business. We will be doing a lot of exciting things in 2023 and most importantly we are focusing on making another run for the Top Fuel championship. Their support is invaluable and we are thrilled to be working with them again.”

NHRA Factory X presented by Holley, an exciting new category reserved for 2019 and newer manufactured automobiles, including the Chevrolet COPO Camaro, Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, and Ford Mustang Cobra Jet (other manufacturers are welcome to submit their engine platform for approval and join the competition), is set to debut during the 2023 season and competitors will also be racing for an NHRA championship.

Following a pair of exhibition events in Charlotte and Bristol, racers in the new category, which is aimed to bridge the gap between Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and Pro Stock, will compete in six points races this year, with a champion being crowned as part of the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 26-29.

Samantha Mitchell knows drag racing. Her father is longtime nitro racer John Lawson. 

Now, Mitchell is getting her drag racing career up and running.

“It is with great sadness that Top fuel Racing Australia announces that Sam Fenech, driver of the Fabietti Racing Doorslammer has succumbed to injuries suffered in racing accident at Willowbank Raceway and passed away,” according to a statement released by Willowbank Raceway

“We send our love and support to the Fenech family and the whole team at Fabietti Racing.”

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