Drag racing fans get excited at the prospect of new teams coming into the highest levels of the sport. However, when those new teams are fronted by motorsports icons not associated with the straight-line sport, it takes the euphoria to another level.

When Tony Stewart announced in October 2021 the formation of Tony Stewart Racing's two-car nitro racing team, it took the excitement factor to a peak. Drag racing fans knew the residuals would be huge, and they are proving to be.

Stewart has more than shown his value in other forms of racing, and already in a short time is showing this in drag racing. Recently, CompetitionPlus.com founder and editor Bobby Bennett caught up with the man nicknamed Smoke to discuss his foray into drag racing.

Buddy Hull can remember, as a kid watching highlights of those running through the streets of Pamplona, Spain, avoiding the 12 or so bulls turned loose. The kid would shake his head in bewilderment at the stupidity of those who would subject themselves to this danger. 

All grown up, this weekend, Hull intends to fight a bull.

So what would inspire this foolishness?

Drag racing is an explosive sport; on May 7, 2022, leading Australian Top Fuel team Jim Read Racing experienced the volatility first-hand.

The team was at the line and preparing to start the engine during eliminations at the Sydney Dragway Nitro champs meeting. Almost two weeks after the incident, which left one crewmember hospitalized, the team has announced it will return to competition this weekend during round five of the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship at Heathcote Park Raceway May 21-22).

The team and Top Fuel Series officials have conducted in-depth investigations into the car and decided the car can return to competition.

Rapisarda Autosport International's 2022 season will be on the line when the team travels to Heathcote Park Raceway, May 21-22, for round five of the Australian Top Fuel Championship. 

Teammates Damien Harris and Wayne Newby are third and fourth in the championship with one round remaining. 

“This weekend is shaping up as the most important meeting of the season for our team,” according to team principal Santo Rapisarda. “There are three finals to be decided during qualifying on day one that’s because the final round at Sydney Dragway a couple of weeks ago was canceled due to weather.

As part of a time-honored tradition, racers came from all corners of the country to compete at the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing presented by Fuelab, May 12-15, 2022 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois.

The longstanding and loved annual event was loaded with everything from fascinating competition to friendly rivalries. Waiting for racers who were able to outlast all of the others in their categories were NMCA and NMRA Winner’s Circles, Victor Awards and the decidedly desirable Nitto Diamond Tree Rings.

On the Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals side of this event, racers went over 200 mph in the eighth-mile in the extremely exciting VP Racing Lubricants Xtreme Pro Mod category, and leading the charge was Chip King, who set the pace in qualifying with a 3.68 in his magnificent Mustang Mach 1. But later in the weekend, Randy Merrick and Derek Ward met for the final round of eliminations, and Merrick muscled to the win with a 3.66 in his Corvette over Ward, who was forced to ease off of the throttle to a 4.38 in his Camaro.

The third event of the 2022 Holley NMRA Ford Nationals drag racing series took place just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway over the weekend of May 12-15, 2022, with the 17th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing presented by Fuelab. 

From the vendor midway to the UPR Products Car Show, exciting on-track action, new personal bests and records, the event is a highlight of the NMRA tour. Winners take home the Nitto Tire Diamond Tree Super Bowl rings at this event, and gain critical season championship points.

In the Mickey Thompson X275 class, Earl Stanley, who won the Street Outlaw class at the 2021 NMRA season finals, claimed the top spot in qualifying with a 4.340. Stanley bowed out early, though, and it was Eric Moore and Frank Mewshaw who cleared eliminations to make it went to the final round. Moore claimed the slightest of margins at the start, and narrowly held on for the win, 4.328 to 4.329.

Performance Racing Industry strengthens its commitment to the motorsports industry with new home in the racing capital of the world

Performance Racing Industry (PRI) will open its new 42,500-square-foot Membership Headquarters in Speedway, Ind., on May 26 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration.

The exclusive, invite-only celebration comes just in time for this year’s Indianapolis 500, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The ribbon cutting will begin at 4 pm, followed by festivities that will include an IndyCar helmet display, silent auction, show cars, driver appearances, live paintings, and private tours throughout the newly renovated building and Bryan Herta Autosport race shop.  

She seems like such a nice young woman, having studied to become a teacher and all. 

And she has that big, famous Force smile. 

There are plenty of cheesy sayings about not giving up.

If at first you don’t succeed. When the going gets tough. Winners never quit.