Former Top Dragster World Champion Tom Martino of Martino Motorsports fought through a tough field of PDRA Lucas Oil Elite Top Dragster competitors this past weekend at the 2021 PDRA Summer Shootout at Virginia Motorsports Park to bring home another victory for the City of Champions’ famed mantle in Youngstown, Ohio.

Even with tricky weather conditions and hot track temperatures dealt throughout the rare three-day event, Martino ran right on his dial-in three of his four rounds of Lucas Oil Elite Top Dragster eliminations taking out championship contenders Peter Maduri, Larry Roberts, Chase Beverly, and Nick Hamilton along the way.

Accident?

Oh, that.

That’s about how much Alexis De Joria dwells on her wall-banging crash five years ago this Aug. 1 at Sonoma Raceway that left her with a broken pelvis.

“I had an incident [when] I raced there in 2016,” she said, as though she vaguely remembered that her Funny Car made a violent left turn shortly after the launch and rammed the guard wall. “But that stuff happens. I don't even think about it. You just move on. You can't let that stuff bother you. Win, lose or crash, you have to put it behind you and move on to prepare for the next race.”

Aaron Stanfield had the COPO Camaro to beat in the Factory Stock Showdown class at the Dodge//SRT Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented By Pennzoil, July 16-18.

Then a wheel stand got in his way.

Stanfield lost in the semifinals at Bandimere Speedway to Leah Pruett when his 2020 COPO Camaro did a wheel stand off the starting line for far longer than he wanted.

 For most drag racers, arriving at Sonoma Raceway for this year's 33rd annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals will immediately conjure up warm memories of former track manager Kyle "Big Nasty" Seipel, who passed away last month at the age of 50 after a long battle with cancer. That is certainly the case for Pro Stock driver Troy Coughlin, pilot of the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

"This weekend I'm racing in Kyle's honor," Coughlin said "He did so much for the sport, as a driver, a crew chief, a track manager, and an event organizer, that his contributions set him apart from others. We lost a great person and his impact is sorely missed.

Gerard Hansen, an automotive historian and motorsports professional, has announced a new motorsports facility based in Petal, Mississippi, just outside of Hattiesburg. 

The primary purpose of building the new facility is to develop “tomorrow’s racing champions,” track officials stated. “Mississippi Raceway Park will bring national exposure, provide recreation, and create jobs. [It] has the potential of becoming a major destination for motorsports enthusiasts throughout the Southeast.”

 
Pennsylvania’s Kurt Steding knew he had to get involved when he found out the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) was bringing its eighth-mile drag racing show to Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa. The Pittsburgh area construction contractor is putting his full support behind the PDRA Northern Nationals, as P2 Contracting is the title sponsor. Steding’s three-car race team, P2 Racing, is also the presenting sponsor. 
 
“Kurt Steding has been a rising star in the PDRA over the last few seasons, and it’s a big deal to have him on board as an event sponsor now as well,” said Will Smith, marketing director, PDRA. “Kurt came to us and wanted to do anything he could to help make this race a success. With the support of P2 Contracting and P2 Racing, there’s no doubt we’re going to make a major first impression on the Maple Grove fans at the Northern Nationals.”
 
“Everyone associated with P2 Contracting and P2 Racing is excited about the opportunity to work with a great organization like the PDRA and to sponsor an event at an historic facility such as Maple Grove Raceway,” said Tom Lang, public relations director, P2 Racing. “This will be PDRA’s first visit to Pennsylvania and we hope it will be a memorable one. We also hope to see both of our team cars in the final round of Penske/PRS Pro Boost presented by WS Construction.”

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 Veteran Top Fuel driver/owner Scott Palmer is competing on a limited NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule in 2021.

Palmer planned on competing in last weekend’s Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., outside of Denver, but his plans changed.

Palmer opted to sit out the event and let Alex Laughlin make his Top Fuel debut in the Havoline-sponsored dragster.

Rob Passey makes a good living with a landscape and excavation company he owns, and he also is one of the largest snow removal contractors in Salt Lake City, Utah.

However, it isn’t enough for him to forget about his addiction to drag racing.

Since 2004, Passey has been competing on a limited schedule in NHRA’s Top Fuel ranks and he was once again competing at the Dodge//SRT Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented By Pennzoil, July 16-18.

This was team/owner driver Passey’s second race of the season as he also competed in the Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, April 16-18.

There’s no NHRA nitro Funny Car driver who compares to the legendary John Force.

Force has won 16 world championships and 153 national events, both NHRA records.

The Bandimere family, owners of Bandimere Speedway, were in court battles last summer with officials from the Jefferson County Health Department as related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bandimere Speedway is in Morrison, Colo., 20 minutes from Denver. Bandimere Speedway has been hosting races for 64 years.

The Bandimere family executive team runs the speedway and the family frustrations with restrictions for their events led to them host the “Stop the COVID Chaos” Rally, Sept. 1 at Bandimere Speedway.

The rally was billed to celebrate God and country and the people of the great state of Colorado.