Author: Mike Haag

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service TALLADEGA, Ala. – On his 41st birthday, Elliott Sadler got an unexpected present. When Saturday’s Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race ended under caution in overtime with the front-runners just short of the finish line, Sadler had the lead, after Joey Logano’s last-ditch attempt to block Sadler in the tri-oval ended with Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford plowing nose-first into the outside wall. Brennan Poole got to the finish line first and thought he had won the race, until NASCAR officials reviewed the video of the finish and determined Sadler was ahead…

BAYTOWN – In NHRA drag racing the most coveted prize for a racer to win is a Wally trophy. The Wally, which was named in honor of the late NHRA founder Wally Parks, stands at more than one-foot tall with a classy brass finish.  He stands on a solid wooden platform and is the most sought after man in the world of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing. Over the years many racers have spent countless hours and thousands of dollars chasing the dream of winning a Wally.  Some of them prevail while most drivers are denied. Sixteen-time NHRA Funny Car…

BAYTOWN, Texas – Texas native Steve Torrence raced to the Top Fuel qualifying lead Friday at the NHRA SpringNationals, the sixth event of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) were also qualifying leaders in their categories at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston. Torrence, winner of the season-opening Winternationals, piloted his Capco Contractors/Torrence Racing dragster to a track record 3.724-second pass at 329.42 mph during Friday’s second qualifying session. The Kilgore, Texas native is two sessions away from securing his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and third in-a-row. “Houston…

BAYTOWN, Texas – Danny Rowe started his 2016 NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series season by qualifying in the 15th spot in Gainesville. But even after just slipping into the field, Rowe posted a strong runner-up finish to get his year started on the right foot. It also further backed Rowe’s longstanding belief that anybody who qualifies on a particular weekend is capable of winning the race. It’s a nod to not only Rowe’s own impressive skills, but also those of everyone in the talented and deep NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series class. This second…

HOUSTON — Two-time NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Erica Enders is a tried-and-true Texas girl, so racing at her home track this weekend is a special treat. Enders, who grew up in Houston, will return to Texas for the 29th annual NHRA SpringNationals, a race she has won the last two years. “Houston was the place where I won my first national event in the Sportsman ranks,” Enders said. “And 10 years later, we were able to get it done in Pro Stock and then do it back to back.” Enders started her career in the NHRA Jr. Dragster program,…

HOUSTON – Five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. has collected five of his 76 national event victories at Royal Purple Raceway, making it one of his favorite tracks on the NHRA Mello Yello tour. That’s one of the main reasons he’s pumped up to return for this weekend’s 29th annual NHRA SpringNationals, but it’s not the only one. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been more excited to get to Houston,” Coughlin said. “Elite Motorsports has a special relationship with Stan and Sheila Holt and Stan’s sons and their business, Lupe Tortilla Mexican Restaurants. They are jumping on board…

BAYTOWN, Texas – With just seven Pro Stock races under his belt heading into the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, Alex Laughlin tried to keep expectations for his first full season within reason. But with the potential that Laughlin has already seen in his Gas Monkey Garage Chevrolet Camaro this year, those goals are constantly being updated. Laughlin picked up his first career round win earlier this year, quickly checking one item off his to-do list for 2016. That’s only led to more excitement and bigger hopes for the rest of the NHRA season, which continues this…

BAYTOWN, Texas – Two-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan often compares his role as a driver to that of a quarterback, especially during the current circumstances this season. He knows it is his responsibility to keep spirits and confidence high, even with the team struggling to start the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Hagan has fully embraced that leadership role and is ready to direct the next step in helping lead the team to its first victory this season. After a confidence-boosting appearance in the final foursome at last weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, Hagan is hopeful…

FORT WORTH – Most high school sophomores are worried about getting their driver’s license, but for 16-year-old Zane Lawrence learning how to drive isn’t an issue. Lawrence, of Lillian, Texas, doesn’t need to practice his driving skills in the family car either as the Alvarado High School sophomore already is in his second year of competition in the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) Gulf South Region. Lawrence is among the numerous local dirt track racers descending upon the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track on May 13-14 for the Texas World Dirt Track Championship. It will be Lawrence’s first visit to the Texas…

BAYTOWN, Texas – This weekend’s 29th annual NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway marks the first back-to-back racing weekend of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. In the eyes of Top Fuel standout J.R. Todd, that is very much a good thing. The SpringNationals signals the start of a busy spring on the NHRA circuit and Todd hopes it’s also the beginning of a hot stretch in his 10,000-horsepower SealMaster dragster. The team has put together a solid start to 2016, earning two semifinal finishes this season and advancing to the second round at last weekend’s NHRA…