To this point in the season, things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for Leah Pruett and her brand new Dodge Power Brokers team with Tony Stewart Racing.

A string of qualifying woes and early round exits has left the nine-time national event winner hovering around the bottom half of the Top Fuel playoff picture with seemingly no end in sight. But the joy of drag racing is that it can all turn around in one night.

One year ago Matt Hagan checked a very important race off of his bucket list when he earned his first-ever victory atop “the mountain.”

One of the trickiest tracks on the NHRA calendar due to its unique conditions in the high altitude air of the Colorado mountains, Bandimere Speedway and its challenge is a nightmare for some and a welcome respite for others. That is why Hagan’s victory at the facility was such an accomplishment and one he is hoping to replicate this weekend.

​Tony Stewart Racing teammates Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan raced to the provisional No. 1 spots in Top Fuel and Funny Car on Friday, powering to the top positions at the 42nd annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.
 
Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 11th of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. It is also the first event in the three-race NHRA Western Swing.

A brief drizzle turned into a constant downpour, putting an early end to Friday qualifying at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Drag 965 Summer Shootout presented by Classic Graphix at Virginia Motorsports Park. The series was in the middle of the first qualifying session for Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition when rain started. A continuous heavy downpour led officials to postpone the rest of qualifying to Saturday. 

The last two times NHRA has raced on Thunder Mountain, Steve Torrence has made the most noise. This season has been relatively quiet by his standards. 

What is impressive is a third-place ranking is considered a slump. And no, it’s not because the four-time Top Fuel champion has forgotten how to win. Torrence’s so-called slump is by design.

Transitioning to a new engine-and-clutch combination designed to keep him competitive at the elevated performance levels established by rivals Mike Salinas and Brittany Force, Torrence thus far has been victimized by his hot rod’s uncharacteristic inconsistency.  

Nearly $70,000 in prize money will be on the line when the stars of the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) square off in the second annual Summit Racing Equipment PDRA ProStars race during Virginia Motorsports Park’s K95 Night of Fire on July 30. Along with the ProStars race, the entertainment-centric event will also include country music concerts, jet dragsters, nostalgia Funny Cars, a wheelstander, fireworks, and more.

 

“This event is all about putting on a show for the fans and treating our loyal PDRA racers to a one-of-a-kind experience,” said Tyler Crossnoe, the PDRA series director and VP of Virginia Motorsports Park. “The inaugural Summit Racing Equipment PDRA ProStars was a success, but we’ve doubled down on the elements that made it successful and we’ve made changes that we believe will take the show to the next level.”

Bill Bader Sr. was alive in spirit vividly for almost two hours on the grounds of Summit Motorsports Park, the track he made famous outside of Cleveland, Ohio.

Bader passed away on June 26, 2022, following an accident on his property in Idaho. His passing came on the final day of the Summit NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

Family, friends, and associates came together under a massive tent to memorialize the indelible mark of the man who lived by guaranteeing and delivering customer satisfaction to the highest level.

In 1984, Bob Brockmeyer introduced CompuLink Timing Systems at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo.

Now, 38 years later, Brockmeyer will be honored where it all started for his world-famous timing system.

Mr. Dirt didn't invent the practice of renting a race car; he just made it fashionable. 

For obvious reasons, Mr. Dirt prefers to keep his true identity unlisted, but it can be revealed with a reasonable amount of detective work. He prefers to have a race car he doesn't have to do anything to but put in gas, and even then, with the option to return it on empty - he can just run off of a pre-paid amount. He simply rents them and returns them after he'd picked up a fair amount of loot in the process. 

Flyin’ Ryan Oehler, an NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle owner/rider announced July 13 he will partner with El Bandido Yankee Tequila for the remaining of the 2022 season with the debut of the partnership at the weekend’s 42nd annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo.

“We are thrilled to welcome El Bandido Yankee Tequila to professional drag racing,” Oehler said in a press release. “Our strategic alliance with the brand will aid in distribution efforts across the remaining 2022 NHRA National event stops as well as bring brand awareness through our racing initiatives on track.”

El Bandido Yankee Tequila has two product offerings, a Blanco and Reposado tequila with a third product, Tequila Anejo hitting the market soon. The branding and label reflect its deep ties to the renowned Jalisco (Mexico) region, along with its playful depiction of a mysterious bandido who's always ready to chase down fun and raise a glass in celebration.