Author: Mike Haag

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Tommy Johnson Jr. raced to his first Funny Car victory of the season and 13th of his career Sunday at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) were also winners of their respective categories at the 11th of 24 events on the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Johnson Jr. posted a 4.038-second pass at 313.22 mph at the controls of his Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger R/T to defeat teammate and two-time 2016 winner Matt Hagan’s 4.030 at 317.57 in his Mopar Express Lane /…

BRISTOL, Tenn.  – Steve Torrence claimed the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel on Saturday at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) also were No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 11th of 24 events on the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Torrence posted a 3.745-second pass at 324.12 mph in his Capco Contractors / Torrence Racing dragster to secure his sixth No. 1 qualifier of the year and 11th of his career. Torrence raced to victory in Englishtown, N.J., last weekend as…

By Chris Knight NEWTON, Iowa – Following his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win of the season last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron used a late race restart and three-wide pass to charge from fourth to first to win Saturday night’s Speediatrics 200 at Iowa Speedway. Byron, driving the No. 9 Liberty University Toyota Tundra, swiped the lead from Cole Custer on a restart with nine laps remaining, but a caution six laps from the finish saw the Charlotte, North Carolina, native have to defend his presence at the front. In…

BRISTOL, Tenn.  – Ron Capps raced to the Funny Car qualifying lead on Friday at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) also were qualifying leaders in their respective categories at the 11th event of 24 on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Capps powered his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T to the provisional top spot with a track record 3.880-second pass at 323.66 mph. Capps is riding a wave of momentum after posting back-to-back victories as the No. 1 qualifier in both Epping, N.H., and Englishtown,…

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Robert Hight might not have gotten the results he wanted out his new 10,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car last weekend in Englishtown, N.J., but the NHRA former world champion remains upbeat when he considers the possibilities. Hight’s new Camaro Funny Car is only two races old and his John Force Racing team is still making adjustments to the considerable change. But Hight has already seen the potential in places and that has him excited about his world championship chase. The next step is building consistency and going rounds at this weekend’s 16th annual NHRA…

BRISTOL, Tenn. — John Force, one of the biggest names in drag racing history, will officially be honored by Bristol Dragway this June as the iconic driver is named to the track’s Hall of Fame during the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze Chevy Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing, will be inducted as a Legend of Thunder Valley during driver introductions for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on Sunday, June 19. He joins such names as former track GM Jeff Byrd, Speedway Motorsports executive chairman Bruton Smith, NHRA icon Don Garlits and NHRA…

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Recent performances indicate that Allen Johnson may be closing in on his first victory during the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and also his first win in the new era of Pro Stock. The former Pro Stock world champion would gladly take that first win as soon as it comes in his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart, but if it took place at Bristol Dragway during the 16th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 17-19, it would only be an added bonus. The Greeneville, Tenn., native has been close to winning at his picturesque…

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J – Steve Torrence extended his all-or-nothing history at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park Sunday, applying an exclamation point to a wire-to-wire victory in the 47th annual NHRA Summernationals by driving his Capco Contractors/Rio Ammunition Top Fuel dragster past the U.S. Army hybrid of eight-time series champion Tony Schumacher in the final round. If the 33-year-old Texan’s overpowering victory in the season-opening Circle K Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., was a study in perfection, Sunday epitomized the contrasting concept of “winning ugly.” The normal problems of achieving maximum traction with a 10,000 horsepower race car were exacerbated by high winds…

FORT WORTH  – Texas Motor Speedway announced today that individual tickets for November’s AAA Texas 500 race weekend will go on sale this Monday beginning at 9 a.m. CT. The AAA Texas 500 weekend features all three NASCAR national series – Sprint Cup, XFINITY, Camping World Truck Series – and will mark the debut of the Chase playoff format for all three series. Race fans can take advantage of the lowest-priced ticket for the AAA Texas 500 with the NASCAR “Sights & Sounds 2-Pack” featuring two frontstretch tickets, a scanner and two earbuds starting at $88. The package provides the…

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Brittany Force took a major step in her budding Top Fuel career by registering her first two career victories during the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Force, though, is hardly satisfied and has a special milestone in mind for this weekend’s 16th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at picturesque Bristol Dragway. It’s a very popular track for all the top stars on the NHRA circuit and that includes Force, who would like nothing more than to share the winner’s circle with her legendary father, 16-time Funny Car world champion John Force, on Father’s Day.…