Al Segrini held his own as a nitro racer, posting five NHRA national event wins in nine final rounds and one in IHRA competition. When you pulled to the starting line to race, you weren't exactly enthused to see the popular driver in the other lane, and it had as much to do with him being a popular racer as it did that sometimes bad stuff happened to you in your lane.

Weird stuff usually happened to racers when Segrini was in the opposite lane.

Just to think, it all started in 1974 when Segrini lined up against his hero Jim Liberman for the Summernational final round. 

Currently among the most unique annual drag racing events in the country is promoter Donald "Duck" Long's Sweet 16 V, set for this weekend (Mar. 25-27), at South Georgia Motorsports Park (SGMP). By design, few spectators will be on hand to watch the country's best radial-tired racers pull out all the stops in going after big money and literal crowns and thrones for the winners. 

While Long's recently completed Lights Out and No Mercy events each fall at the same track attract huge crowds for the radial racing set, Sweet 16 is designed as a celebration of speed and good times for the race teams themselves.

"It's basically a really big test session that pays about $115,000," Long says.

There's also an element of self interest, he freely admits, explaining the decision to limit attendance beyond the race teams this year to "only about a hundred" paying spectators.

After years of establishing his name in NHRA’s Pro Stock division, seasoned veteran Mark Pawuk has found his groove in another style of factory hot rod.

Pawuk clinched his first victory in the NMCA’s Holley EFI Factory Super Cars class a week after establishing a new World Record in the NHRA’s Factory Stock Showdown. As a result of his success, Pawuk became the first to claim the new Direct Connection Contingency Program that pays $10,000 to a Drag Pak driver that wins in the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown or NMCA Factory Super Cars categories. The $10,000 purse is the largest available contingency award from a manufacturer in either class.

Running his own Burnyzz Speed Shop and an NHRA Top Fuel team apparently isn’t enough to keep Josh Hart busy.

This weekend Hart is embarking on a new endeavor.

Hart is now involved with helping car collectors and enthusiasts add hot rods, high-performance vehicles, and iconic cars to their collections through a business relationship with Show Stoppers Collector Car Auctions.

Hart is hosting the Show Stoppers Car Auction on March 25-26 at the World Equestrian Center in Expo 2 in Ocala, Fla., Hart’s hometown.

Nothing sends a message like winning in your first race, and this is exactly what Justin Ashley did.

Winning the NHRA Winternationals, in his debut with Phillips Connect, and reaching the semis just two races later, was enough for the national leader in semi-trailer tracking and sensor technologies to extend their initial program into the full 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. The original program was just for the first three races. 

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue representing Phillips Connect for the remainder of the season,” said Ashley. “It is a privilege to work with a company that so evidently embodies the principles of success within each level of their organization. It’s a driver’s dream to work with such an outstanding company, and I truly believe this is the beginning of a special relationship in the racing and business sector. I look forward to further introducing Phillips Connect to the NHRA community and using motorsports as a platform to help generate business.” 

Randy Meyer was looking for another challenge and he found one.

After winning the last three NHRA Lucas Oil Series Top Alcohol Dragster world championships with daughters Megan and Rachel, the A/Fuel tuner and team owner has found his next endeavor.

Metal fabrication tool and equipment retailers Trick-Tools has announced a partnership with Jerry Savoie’s White Alligator Racing (WAR) Pro Stock Motorcycle Team for the 2022 racing season. 

“We are very pleased to be working with WAR,” said Trick-Tools president Bruce Van Sant. “Their performance and professional approach to the sport are a great match for our company. We are looking forward to seeing how this season goes and hope our involvement can help propel them to another championship year.”

Retirement is a relative term; just ask Cory McClenathan.

So what was 34-time NHRA national event winner doing behind a wheel of a Pontiac Firebird Nostalgia Funny Car at the Bakersfield March Meet?

"You know, that's a good question," McClenathan said. "About two months ago, I got a call from Rick Akers, and he was wondering if I wanted to come out and wheel his Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car. And I'm thinking, 'Well, I've never driven one before. But that's not going to stop me from trying."

Up the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla, Lenny Lottig had never won a Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown event, much less led the points standings. It wasn’t just a victory for Lottig; it was an exclamation mark.

When 15-inches of rain saturated Gainesville Raceway and left the racing surface void of any rubber, the NHRA’s Safety Safari laid a foundation that resulted in the top eight qualifiers in the Factory Stock division, all making the field by running under the national elapsed time record.

“It still doesn’t even feel real. It’s an over-the-top feeling,” said Lottig, who entered race day as the No. 10 qualifier. “I couldn’t do it without having all of the team, between David Barton and the people back at the shop helping me work on the car; Dave and Jesse and the whole gang. I lean on Barton, who helps me make the decisions. We went out there and just concentrated and tried to run my own game.”