Drag racing tracks all over America have closed in the past decade.

Now, supporters of Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway are trying to do what they can so PBIR can avoid becoming the next track to be shutdown.

During the NHRA SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park, April 21-24, Competition Eliminator racer Ed Federkeil will kick-off a season-long association with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. For over 20 years Tunnel to Towers has supported our nation’s military members and first responders, by providing these heroes and the families they leave behind with mortgage-free homes.
 
Federkeil, a 33-year professional firefighter, is using his racing career and sponsor relationships to shine a light on this very important charity.

One of the worst-kept secrets in drag racing is official now. 

Kenny Koretsky has finalized the purchase of Maple Grove Raceway, located just outside of Reading, Pa. 

Koretsky's sons Kenny Jr. and Kyle plan to be the driving force behind the operation of the historic facility.  

"Kyle and I have been working on this for about a year," Kenny Jr. said. "It's been one of the hardest deals we've ever done. To hear today the money for sale has gone through is awesome."

Since the beginning, the Angel family has taken immense pride in bringing NHRA Championship Drag Racing to the greater Houston area. Now, as the sun sets on 35 years of countless world-class performances here at Houston Raceway Park, we wanted to take a moment to convey our enormous gratitude and humble appreciation to all of our friends, fans, racers and sponsors for creating so many special and historic memories here in Southeast Texas.

Together with the Gay family of Dickenson, my late father Glen along with my uncles Greg and Gary Angel, made the transition from drag racing fans into track owners in the late 1980s by building one of the quickest and fastest facilities on the NHRA circuit. They later bought-out the Gay family in 2004, making Houston Raceway Park even a larger part of our lives. We've kept the pedal to the floor ever since.

Erica Enders, the four-time Pro Stock champion, is out to prove she’s got what it takes to drive her Chevrolet across the Houston Raceway Park finish line in rapid fashion. Tonight she’ll try to prove she can throw a baseball over the plate similarly. 

The Houston native will get the opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Astros baseball game as the team dons their new Space City uniforms.  

“It’s no secret that I bleed Houston, Texas,” said Enders. “I was born and raised here, and no matter how much I travel and work, home is always where the heart is. To be asked by the Houston Astros organization to throw out the first pitch, in my hometown, for my favorite MLB team is surreal!” 

Paul Lee hit the reset button on his 2022 season, and the result of the do-over will be on display at this weekend's NHRA Springnationals at Houston Raceway Park.

On March 25, Lee announced the hiring of Dustin Heim as the team's new crew chief with the departure of Jim Oberhofer. Today he's confirmed the addition of a co-crew chief in Jason Bunker, who has most recently been with Tony Jurado and Justin Ashley.

“I am very excited to be joining Paul Lee’s team,” says Bunker. “The opportunity to be fully involved with a nitro funny car team in Indy was the perfect next step for me and my family. Taking a look at the equipment that Paul has purchased over the last couple of years, this team has all the potential to run with the top funny car teams in this sport. And to work together with Dustin is going to be a really great time, and we both can’t wait to hit the track in Houston.”

Rodger Brogdon has a tough time believing when he races this weekend at Houston Raceway Park; it will be his last time competing at the facility located in Baytown, Texas, just outside of Houston. 

Brogdon, who lives in nearby Tomball, is one of several Houston-area racers saying goodbye to his hometown track, hosting its final NHRA national event. 

"It's terrible. Anybody in this area been going there for all these years, it's going to be a bad deal, but it's out of our control," Brogdon said. "There's so many people that ask me, "What are you going to do? Where are you going to race? I mean, is anybody else building a new track?" All kinds of questions like that constantly, but you can't prepare for something like that. I tell them all the same; I haven't heard of any new tracks, any quarter-mile tracks, at least, getting built."

Rob Wendland thought he had died.

The longtime NHRA crew chief underwent surgery Jan. 25 to remove a section of his tongue because of a cancerous growth. And for a moment, he thought he hadn’t made it.

“I woke up in the recovery room, and there was nobody around. There wasn’t even a nurse around,” he said, speaking in almost hushed tones, clearly still moved by the experience. “It was an open room, and there were other people [lying] around. I swear, I thought I was dead. You’re looking around, and there’s nobody moving. It was just the craziest [feeling]. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh – I guess those prayers didn’t work.”

But the prayers had worked. That didn’t mean Wendland was left with no challenges. But he was alive.