J.R. Todd made his quickest pass of the season on Friday, as the former Funny Car world champ powered to the provisional No. 1 spot in qualifying at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park.

Billy Torrence (Top Fuel) and Kyle Koretsky (Pro Stock) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 11th race of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Two-time Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous world champion Tommy Franklin earned his first No. 1 qualifying award in over a year when he took his “Jungle Rat” ’69 Camaro to the top spot at the PDRA P2 Contracting Northern Nationals presented by P2 Racing Friday night at Maple Grove Raceway. 

With almost 200 different classes culminating under the headings of Stock and Super Stock, those two categories harken back to the days when performance was king and “my car is faster than yours.” Today, that has somewhat changed with the basics still being run under very strict rules.

“I think it may have all started back in the days when performance cars were being built by the factories,” says long-time veteran of the sport Dave Ley.

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​As fans get geared up for the return of the NHRA’s best to zMAX Dragway this fall, officials announced today that DEWALT® has signed on as the sponsor for the Sept. 17-19 DEWALT NHRA Carolina Nationals at the Bellagio of drag strips.

“We are elated to add DEWALT® to the Charlotte Motor Speedway family of blue-chip sponsors who help bring our world-class events to life,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “As leaders in the field of high-quality tools, our friends at DEWALT know a thing or two about power, toughness and innovation – characteristics that are equally vital to success in drag racing – so it’s only fitting that we have them on board as title sponsors for one of the biggest drag races of the season.”

The Wharton Automotive Group, consisting of McLeod Racing and FTI Performance, is owned by NHRA Nitro Funny Car driver and businessman Paul Lee. Lee closed the deal on Silver Sport Transmissions (SST) on July 30, 2021. With the addition of SST, the Wharton Automotive Group becomes the premier destination for aftermarket and performance driveline components and technology in the world.

Silver Sport Transmissions, a TREMEC Elite Distributor, leads the industry in TREMEC 5 and 6-Speed kits. Their in-house engineering department continuously develops and refines complete, turnkey kits for a wide variety of applications – from classic American muscle cars and trucks to four-wheel drives and late model imports. With decades of experience, SST’s powertrain experts can help you transform your vehicle’s drivetrain into a modern and rewarding driving experience.

The Australian Top Fuel championship series has released details of their inaugural calendar that features six meetings and runs from January to June 2022.

Round one is scheduled for Sydney Dragway, followed by Calder Park Raceway, Victoria, in February, then a cross country trek to the Perth Motorplex, Western Australia, for the Westernationals in March. Heathcote Park Dragway in Victoria hosts round four ahead of a return to Sydney Dragway in May for the penultimate round of the series. 

Wes Distefano is having a career-best season, but his work for 2021 is far from complete.

Entering the Aug. 12-14 PDRA Northern Nationals in Mohnton, Pa., Distefano holds a 354-point lead over Daryl Stewart in the Pro Outlaw 632 standings. Distefano has appeared in the finals of all six PDRA events this season, and he’s a three-time winner in those showings in his bid to repeat as champ.

“After the win at Budd’s Creek, we came to Virginia Motorsports Park with a whole different program,” said the 40-year-old Distefano, who lives near Pontiac, Mich. “New intake, new transmission ratios, new gear ratios, different tires on the back.

Drag racing’s winningest organization is pleased to welcome David Davies to its ranks as the team’s third NHRA Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Series driver. Davies will begin his tenure with Don Schumacher Racing starting this weekend at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor in Topeka, Kan. aboard the D H Davies Racing 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak.
 
Davies joins DSR’s championship-winning Factory Stock team after having made his NHRA debut at the Norwalk, Ohio FSS event earlier this summer. While Topeka will mark only his second foray into the FSS category, Davies is no stranger to straight line racing, having successfully competed in the Modern Street HEMI Shootout, among other series, for the last three years where he racked up six event wins, and five runner-up finishes.

​​​Lucas Oil Products Inc. has signed on as a major associate sponsor of Johnny Pluchino’s Strutmasters.com ’13 Ford Mustang Mountain Motor Pro Stock car for the upcoming Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.   

 
“I'm extremely thankful to the Lucas Oil family for putting faith in us and in our class, Mountain Motor Pro Stock,” said Pluchino, the 2020 PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world champion. “I think they're going to be rather pleased with the show we're going to put on. We plan on taking home a trophy for everyone at Lucas at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. What would be better than that?!”