The fact they were at the NHRA Gatornationals spoke volumes about the heart of the Jim Head Racing team. 

Then to reach the final round, said it in a tone as deafening as the team's Mustang Funny Car driven by Blake Alexander. 

Gainesville was the first race back since the team suffered the tragic hauler accident that cost crewman Dylan Cromwell's life, killed in an accident en route to the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. 

Big money will be on the line as some of the best DOT radial drag racers in the world look to battle it out at the 5th Annual Sweet 16 "Battle of the Thrones."

Presented by DuckX and BossX, and sponsored in part by Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels, Sweet 16 5.0 will feature the Baddest Radial Vs. the World, Pro275, X275, Limited Drag Radial (LDR) and ULTRA STREET competitions. Races will be held March 24-26 at South Georgia Motorsports Park.

It’s been a busy offseason for the Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series (MWDRS) presented J&A Service and its racers, and they’re ready to see the results of their hard work this weekend at the season-opening MWDRS Xtreme Texas Nationals, March 18-19 at Xtreme Raceway Park in Ferris, Texas. 
 
Headlining the Xtreme Texas Nationals are the series’ two quickest and fastest classes, Stroud Safety Pro Mod and J&A Service Funny Car. 
 
In Pro Mod, which has been a part of the Mid-West series since its inception, the competition has become incredibly tight, with several different power adders and engine combinations competing at a high level.

Stevie "Fast" Jackson understands the optics of the situation don't yield much in the way of positivity.

For the first time since 2002, the NHRA Pro Modified enters the new season without a series sponsor. Additionally, a last-minute signing of FTI Performance provided a purse for the class at the NHRA Gatornationals.

However, the racers have always been responsible for funding their purse, whether through a sponsor or their own marketing branch, such as the former Real Pro Modified Association, which disbanded at the end of 2019. 

Regardless of how one paints the picture, Jackson believes having a purse is essential.

Doorslammer racing veteran Keith Haney has added yet another eye-catching hot rod to the list of Keith Haney Racing entries over the years, as he plans to unveil his screw-blown “America - Lady Liberty” ’16 Camaro during the Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series (MWDRS) presented by J&A Service season opener, March 18-19 at Xtreme Raceway Park in Ferris, Texas. 
 
“Lady Liberty” started life as “Enigma,” Haney’s record-setting, nitrous-fed Radial vs. the World entry that he debuted at Lights Out 7 in February 2016. “Enigma” made waves in the radial racing scene with Haney and Brandon Pesz sharing driving duties. Street Outlaws star “Daddy Dave” Comstock also made some passes in Enigma. The car even carried Haney to the MWDRS Radial vs. the World championship in 2017, the same year Haney also won the Pro Mod title. 

Look at the latest car build to roll out of the world-famous championship-winning chassis shop of RJ Race Cars and Quarter-Max. This stunning new Pro Boost 2022 Chevy Camaro was custom built for Roderjan Busato’s MRB Motorsports Team.

Under the hood, you’ll find industry-leading FT fuel injectors with FuelTech EFI and data system to manage the Procharged Hemi built by ProLine Racing. Behind the engine will sit an M&M transmission and torque convertor to transition all that horsepower back to the rear end.

Local racer Phil Lamattina snapped an 18-year losing streak when he defeated Rapisarda Autosport International star Wayne Newby in the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel championship final at Sunset Strip Dragway, Mildura.

The Carrot King’s last win was in March 2014 at the Perth Motorplex.

“This is one of the best wins in my career, and I might add its been a long time coming.” Said Lamattina. “To take three wins from three starts, you've got to really take your hat off to our tuner Aaron Hambridge and the crew. Racing in my hometown and with many friends and family watching on was a real thrill. In the final, I just tried to blank it all out and to take the win was a very emotional experience.”

Newby's teammate, Damien Harris, having not raced since January 2020, outgunned reigning Oz champion Peter Xiberras to secure third place.

Few people knew Sunday during the Amalie Oil Gatornationals just how special the moment was for Tripp Tatum to advance to the Top Fuel final round against fellow independent team owner Doug Foley. 

It was the first time each of them had reached the “money round.” One year after Josh Hart served notice that he would become part of the championship conversation (and a model for the sport’s business-to-business opportunities) by winning the 2021 Gatornationals on his first outing in a Top Fuel dragster, the Top Fuel class would have another first-time winner. 

But for Tatum, it went beyond that. 

Foley’s crew chief is Aaron Brooks, who is respected throughout the nitro pits. And Tatum offered some insight after defeating Brooks and Foley with a 3.700-second elapsed time and 330.31 mph on the Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway 1,000-foot course. 

The noise was deafening for Matt Hagan, and it wasn't coming from his 10,000-horsepower Dodge Funny Car.

Just moments before his crew fired the engine, Hagan was strapped in and ready to race against final round opponent Blake Alexander at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. when the voices fired up in his head.

"I was up there going, 'Don't think about it, don't think about it. You need to win, but don't think about it," Hagan recalled. "It's just one of those things when it just happens, it happens, and it becomes natural. You just go up there, and it's like putting an old shoe on, and you just do what you're supposed to do. You know you've got a good car underneath you, and you know you've got the parts and pieces that TSR supplies."

This was no ordinary race for Hagan, who had never won the NHRA Gatornationals. He'd been close but never sealed the deal.