Mike Castellana and "Stevie Fast" Jackson each took turns leading the opening round of Pro Mod qualifying for the 40th annual--and final--NHRA Southernationals, but in the second-last pair down the track Friday night at Atlanta Dragway, Khalid al Balooshi tied the track ET record with a 5.71-seconds blast at 250.23 mph.

"Yeah, I feel the car hook and get down on the tires and lift the front end, so I know it's going to be good," the Dubai-based racer said.

Two-time world champion Jim Halsey continued his dominance in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous by claiming his second No. 1 qualifier award of the season at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Stroud Safety Doorslammer Derby presented by Classic Graphix on Friday night. Halsey’s Fulton-powered ’68 Camaro covered the Beech Bend Raceway Park eighth-mile strip in 3.651 seconds at 208.01 mph. 

A funny thing happened on the way to Clay Millican promoting his covid vaccine.

Millican happened to catch the attention of one of the world's largest retailers.

Walmart is partnered with Millican this weekend at the Lucas Oil NHRA Southern National.

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for South East Gassers founder Quain Stott and the series' legion of followers. On April 19, 2021, Cynthia Phillips, Stott’s girlfriend of 36 years and popular SEGA racer, passed after a courageous battle with cancer.

Ten days later, her Flower Power 1956 Chevrolet C/Gasser hit the track at Shady Side Dragway (Boiling Springs, NC) for the first time since her passing.

The inaugural event for the Verge Motorsports 4.70 Door Car and 4.50 Dragster Quick Outlaws was greeted with a 98% chance of rain for race day, so the Saturday event was rescheduled for Sunday and it proved to be a great decision.  Sunny skies greeted the 51 door cars and 21 dragsters that showed for first round at the historic Mooresville (NC) Dragway.

At the end of the day, it was Lee Ashe taking his 1963 Corvette to victory lane and a $10,000 payday over a red-lighting Jonathon Gibbs. Ashe, who had been fighting chassis set-up problems all day saved his best reaction time .017 for the final but didn’t need it after Gibbs was -.008 red on the tree. Both drivers ran it all out with Ashe recording a 4.73 and Gibbs’ Camaro finishing in 4.74 seconds. Tyler Allen and Justin Smith were the semi-finalist.

Due to the impending threat of inclement weather at the Texas Motorplex this weekend, American Drag Racing League officials made the difficult decision to cancel all racing activities at the track. The CBD American Shaman 2021 ADRL tour is now rescheduled at the Dallas-area venue for July 2-3. All free tickets distributed for this weekend's ADRL Dragpalooza will be honored for the makeup date.

Ambition is not a problem for Jake Opatrny.

Opatrny had zero family ties to the sport of drag racing yet he went from a fan of the sport to a licensed Top Fuel driver.

Opatrny received his Top Fuel license at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, April 19. He made one half-track pass and two full passes to get his license.

Opatrny said he clocked 3.95 and 3.94-second full laps both over 300 mph. 

NHRA has announced the creation of an all-new electric vehicle (EV) racing class that will join the NHRA Summit Series in 2022.
 
For decades, NHRA's Member Tracks have seen EVs, hybrids, and alternative-energy vehicles use their racetracks as a proving ground. Creating an EV class within the NHRA Summit Series accelerates the NHRA's commitment to its racers and partners looking to develop new technology. With the rise in performance of electric street vehicles also comes the need for the NHRA to provide a safe place to race and a platform for competitors to evolve and demonstrate their capabilities.

In a nationwide effort to help expand COVID-19 vaccine uptake, Walmart today announced a partnership with their Walmart mobile wellness program and Stringer Performance and Top Fuel Driver Clay Millican with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) for a vaccination and education event during the 2021 NHRA Southern Nationals at the historic Atlanta Dragway. 

Walmart’s licensed pharmacists will be onsite to vaccinate eligible attendees of the event Friday, April 30 through Saturday, May 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Attendees 18 and older can walk up to get the first dose of the Moderna vaccine while allocation lasts. Information on where to get a second dose of the vaccine will be available onsite. Insurance is not required and there is no cost to receive the vaccine, however patients should bring their insurance card if they have one. 

Don Schumacher Racing is pleased to welcome the addition of the Maynard family to its roster of partners. Drag racing enthusiasts Joe and Cathi Maynard are longtime NHRA fans and when they decided to take their passion for straight line racing to the next level and become personally involved with an NHRA team, linking up with drag racing’s winningest organization as a major associate partner was a natural fit.
 
Military veterans Joe and Cathi Maynard have an active interest in supporting various charitable organizations, particularly those with a military connection. The Maynards were aware of DSR’s history with the U.S. Army, as well as military-supporting organizations, including most notably, the Infinite Hero Foundation. As residents of Clarksville, Tenn., the Maynards have developed a friendship with fellow Clarksville residents and DSR friends, Gary and Mari Linfoot, who have become synonymous with the Infinite Hero Foundation among the drag racing community. The Linfoots introduced the Maynards to DSR, and a relationship quickly developed.