Author: Mike Haag

MORRISON, Colo. – Courtney Force led a parade of track record performances by racing to the Funny Car qualifying lead Friday at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway. Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders in their respective classes at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event near Denver. Teams in all categories took advantage of cool conditions as racing was delayed until late in the evening after a series of afternoon thunderstorms moved through the area. Force powered her Traxxas Chevy Camaro to a track…

MORRISON, Colo. — Scott Palmer would have rather been racing but there was a reason why the Top Fuel driver sat out three of the past four races leading up to the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series’ famed Western Swing. The rigorous stretch of three consecutive race weekends once again starts with the 37th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at scenic Bandimere Speedway, July 22-24 with historic live television coverage of Sunday’s finals on FOX, and Palmer wants to make sure everything is in line on his 10,000-horsepower Tommy Thompson Motorsports/Marck Industries dragster. One of his major goals during…

MORRISON, Colo. — After a season filled with hiccups, frustration and some unlucky breaks, two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith is ready to put his best foot forward at this weekend’s 37th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway. Smith’s 2016 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season could quickly be summed up by what transpired at the most recent race in Chicago. Smith qualified No. 1 but suffered a tough break during his first eliminations pass and fell in the first round. It has led to a lot of unexpected headaches for Smith on his Victory Racing…

GLENDORA, Calif.  – NHRA will reach a significant milestone on Sunday, July 24 when the FOX national broadcasting network televises the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series finals of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals live from scenic Bandimere Speedway in Denver. The moment when FOX’s cameras capture the live action during the semifinals and finals of the first of NHRA’s famed trio of Western Swing races, will mark the first time in NHRA history that an NHRA national event is presented to a live audience on a broadcast television network. It will be a very proud moment for the 65-year-old motorsports…

The following Q&A puts the spotlight on NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series drivers Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) as the season heads into the famed Western Swing. Interview topics include the start of the season, their performances to date and their thoughts about the upcoming Western Swing. Audio of each interview can be found on the NHRA Media site. ANTRON BROWN Q: How hard have your three wins been to come by this year? BROWN: They have been extremely tough. Extremely, extremely tough. That is what…

By Chris Knight NASCAR Wire Service ROSSBURG, Ohio – Battling back from all kinds of adversity, Kyle Larson sailed away on a late race restart with 16 laps to go to win Wednesday night’s fourth annual Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby 150 at Eldora Speedway. “It means a lot, especially losing the way I did the two years I ran,” said Larson from Victory Lane. “Thanks to everyone on this GMS Racing team, DC Solar for coming on-board for this, this is very special for them. I knew running a blue No. 24 I had to run hard here at Eldora.…

MORRISON, Colo. — Steve Torrence already knows he has a winning recipe for the unique racing conditions of Bandimere Speedway. Doing it one more time at this weekend’s 38th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals on the FOX national broadcast network would be another feather in Torrence’s cap in what is shaping up to be the best season of the Top Fuel standout’s career. Racing at an elevation of more than 5,800 feet throws an incredible curveball directly at 10,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters, but Torrence and his team were dialed in on the unique combination a year ago and won for…

MORRISON, Colo. — Matt Hagan isn’t the first standout driver to have his share of struggles at Bandimere Speedway, where the altitude and racing at an elevation of more than 5,800 feet can throw a monkey wrench into even the best laid plans. But with one of Hagan’s main sponsors again the title name for this weekend’s 38th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, the two-time world champion would like nothing more than to claim his first win on the mountain. It has eluded Hagan thus far in his 10,000-horsepower Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T but…

INDIANAPOLIS  – Verizon IndyCar Series fans are used to watching their favorite drivers go to battle on the racetrack. On July 31, fans can see them vie on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the afternoon and then watch five drivers join forces for another competition that evening on the ABC summer hit, “Celebrity Family Feud.” Drivers Will Power, Tony Kanaan, James Hinchcliffe, Conor Daly and team captain Helio Castroneves take on Sports Illustrated swimsuit models Samantha Hoopes, Tanya Mityushina, Robyn Lawley and Hannah Ferguson, led by Nina Agdal, in the highly rated game show hosted by Steve Harvey that…

MORRISON, Colo. — If there was ever a race for former Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson to break out during the 2016 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, it would most definitely be this weekend’s 37th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway. Johnson has dominated on the mountain over the years more than anyone in the NHRA, winning six times and advancing to nine straight final rounds. To make a 10th straight final and earn his fourth win in the last five years at Bandimere Speedway, Johnson will need his best showing of the season in a…