Author: Mike Haag

KENT, Wash.  – Reigning Funny Car world champion Del Worsham sprinted to the provisional top qualifier in record setting fashion Friday at the Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) also were qualifying leaders in their respective categories at the 16th event of 24 on the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Worsham posted a 3.886-second pass at 327.98 mph in his DHL Toyota Camry to reset both ends of the track record at Pacific Raceways and lead the Funny Car class through Friday. Worsham, who…

When NHRA Funny Car driver John Force walks out on the starting line at a dragstrip and looks down the track and sees the crowd in the grandstands, something magical seems to happen inside of the 67-year-old drag racing legend. “It’s just the love of beating the competition, the cheer of the crowd and the sights and sounds of a dragstrip,” Force said.  “That is what keeps me going.  It may sound corny, but it is what it is. “I’m used to winning 10 straight and they’ve whipped me bad the past couple of years.  I’m used to being in…

NAPA, Calif. – Funny Car racer Cruz Pedregon and Top Fuel racer Leah Pritchett spend most of their time on dragstrips across the country, but after this weekend’s Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals, the two drivers stepped off the racetrack and onto the gridiron for some summertime football. Pedregon and Pritchett are in the middle of the Western Swing, one of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series’ most treacherous stretches with races in Denver, Sonoma, Calif., and Seattle in back-to-back-to-back fashion. After completing the second stop of the Swing at Sonoma Raceway, the two racers stopped by the Oakland Raiders’…

KENT, Wash. — Chris McGaha looks at his current situation and isn’t exactly happy about the missteps that have been made to this point during his 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. But instead of focusing on what has already transpired, the Pro Stock standout is trying to concentrate on what is in front of him approaching the final race of the famed Western Swing. That means a strong performance at this weekend’s 29th annual Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Lucas Oil at Pacific Raceways, his first win of 2016 and a better position heading…

KENT, Wash. — It has been a long and circuitous journey for Brandon Welch, but the NHRA Funny Car newcomer is now living his dream and he doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon. Welch made his professional debut in 2015, racing the final two events of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. He has taken the next step this year and will have three races under his belt in 2016 when he heads to Pacific Raceways for the 29th annual Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, Aug. 5-7. The journey to this point…

KENT, Wash. — The goal for every racer in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is to be performing at his or her best when the six-race Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship begins. After a slow start and a number of close calls this season, Top Fuel standout J.R. Todd appears to be headed in that direction. The latest sign came on Sunday when Todd picked up his first victory of the season in Sonoma during the second stop of the famed Western Swing. He will carry that momentum in his 10,000-horsepower SealMaster dragster into Pacific Raceways for…

KENT, Wash. — On the surface, everything appears to be going well for Funny Car standout Jack Beckman during his 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The former world champion is third in points, has advanced to four final rounds and won a race less than a month ago in Chicago. But with the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship rapidly approaching, Beckman knows there is still plenty of room for improvement in his 10,000-horsepower Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T. After winning the first two races of the famed Western Swing a year ago, Beckman has just…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service LONG POND, Pa. – Chris Buescher sat in his car on pit road, dreaming of the possibilities. NASCAR had just red-flagged Monday’s rain-delayed Pennsylvania 400 when a heavy fog settled over Pocono Raceway after 138 of a scheduled 160 laps, and Buescher was the unlikely race leader. “I’m thinking of every kind of rain dance I can,” Buescher said on his radio. The mental rain dance worked. When NASCAR ended the stoppage by calling the race because of weather, Buescher had his first victory as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, and Front Row…

LEXINGTON, Ohio  – If there were any questions that Simon Pagenaud was feeling the pressure of the Verizon IndyCar Series title battle, the Team Penske driver answered them emphatically with an aggressive victory at today’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Pagenaud, in the No. 22 PPG Automotive Refinish Chevrolet, banged his way past teammate and primary championship contender Will Power for the deciding pass of the race and drove on to a 4.1620-second victory. Coupled with winning the Verizon P1 Award in qualifying Saturday, Pagenaud extended his championship advantage to 58 points over Power with 12 of 16 races completed.…

SONOMA, Calif. – John Force continues his mid-season surge and raced to his second consecutive Funny Car win of the year in front of a sold-out crowd at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals. J.R. Todd (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were winners of the 15th NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event of the season in Sonoma, Calif. Force secured his 145th career victory in the category when he defeated Ron Capps in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T in a tightly contested race. Force powered his Realtree Peak Antifreeze Camaro to…