Dave Hill’s birthday cake will be covered in candles in June when he turns 58. 

In spite of all those trips around the sun, in many respects, he’s the same guy he was as a teenager growing up near Sevierville, Tennessee.

He was a speed demon back then, a young man whose idea of a big weekend was to spend Friday and Saturday nights dashing down 411 Dragway. It’s a need he couldn’t shake more than a decade later as a street racer in Chicago.

After a breakout weekend in Houston at the NHRA SpringNationals Sand Haulers of America has extended their primary sponsorship relationship with rookie sensation Camrie Caruso to include the New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire and the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee.

The first-year Pro Stock driver from Denver, North Carolina, raced to her first career No. 1 qualifier and then reached her first finals round in Houston backed by Sand Haulers of America as well as a host of associate sponsors including GESI, Titan Racing Engines, Right Trailers, PowerBuilt Tools, VP Racing Lubricants, and NGK Spark Plugs. She will be looking for her first career win when the Sand Haulers of America Chevrolet Camaro rolls in New England Dragway the first weekend of June.

Bobby Bode last competed on the NHRA racing scene on April 16 at the SpringNationals in Houston.

His last run down the dragstrip is one fans likely remember.

Bode advanced to his first nitro Funny Car final round before losing a nailbiter to Matt Hagan when he had a fiery explosion right before the finish line when the body of his Funny Car blew off.

Hagan clocked a 3.982-second at 326.63 mph to defeat Bode’s 4.046-second run at 282.95 mph.

Kevin Chapman walked away from a fiery accident during the recently-completed FIA Main Event race at Santa Pod Raceway. Chapman’s Funny Car ricocheted off both track walls and erupted in flames as it came to a stop upside down. He was uninjured.

Chapman was competing in round two of Santa Pod’s Funny Car Cup series, having won the opening round at Easter. The Bury St. Edmunds racer had won the series title in 2019. His Ford Mustang-bodied Funny Car carried the colours of Thermoreg International, a thermostatic industrial valve manufacturer.

There’s no question, NHRA Camping World Drag Series Pro Stock is one of the most competitive ever.

Erica Enders atop the points standings as she aims to win her third world championship in four years.

KB Racing’s stable of reigning world champ Greg Anderson (sixth in the points), Kyle Koretsky (third), Dallas Green (fourth) and Rodger Brogdon (tenth) are going to do their best to keep the world title in the KB Racing fold.

Past Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) world champions Tommy and Amber Franklin made series history Saturday night when they became the first father-daughter duo to win the same event. Racing at the DeCerbo Construction American Doorslammer Challenge presented by Callies at Summit Motorsports Park, Tommy won in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous and Amber won in $hameless Racing Pro 632.

Two-time Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous world champion Tommy Franklin earned the No. 1 qualifying spot for the second race in a row at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) DeCerbo Construction American Doorslammer Challenge presented by Callies. Franklin’s 3.686-second pass at 204.98 mph was the quickest after two Friday sessions in Pro Nitrous, the only class that completed a second session before rain showers paused the Summit Motorsports Park event. All other classes will compete their second qualifying session Saturday morning.

NHRA has partnered with The Fan-Brand for an exciting collection of officially licensed lighted wall signs, billiard lights, and wall décor products bearing the NHRA’s marks and colors. The licensing partnership was secured by JRL Group, NHRA’s licensing agency.

“We are honored to be selected by the NHRA to serve as their licensing partner.” says Harrison Grimm, Founder and CEO of The Fan-Brand. “You would be hard-pressed to find a more devoted and passionate fanbase and we look forward to helping those fans share their love for sport of drag racing through our new product line.”

Racers and dignitaries joined hundreds of motorsports professionals for the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Membership Headquarters in Speedway, Ind., on May 26.

Located at 1255 Main St. along the pathway directly to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the new 42,500-square-foot facility is among the recent attractions added to the revitalized town. 

Rickie Smith is one of the most prolific drag racers in the history of the straight-line sport. We happened across this footage from the 1983 IHRA Spring Nationals in Bristol, when, wearing only a helmet, fire jacket, blue jeans, and sneakers strapped a camera man alongside of him for a run down the Thunder Valley quarter-mile.

Our favorite line, "How about it, slick?"