Motorsport.com - NHRA - Stories

Dennis Taylor signs new primary sponsor

Wed, 31 Dec 2003 20:26:18 +0000

Taylor signs Plumbing Concepts as primary sponsor for 2004. ANAHEIM, Calif. - NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car veteran Dennis Taylor has announced the signing of Plumbing Concepts as the team's primary sponsor for the 2004 season. Ken Meadows, owner of Plumbing Concepts has been a long time associate backer of Taylor and stepped up to primary sponsor for this season. Taylor, who runs ... Keep reading

Pedregon announces 2004 crew chiefs

Mon, 22 Dec 2003 18:42:40 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 19) -- NHRA POWERade Funny Car owner and driver Cruz Pedregon today announced major changes to his Advance Auto Parts Pontiac Firebird Racing team for the 2004 season. Highlighting today's moves were the signing of veteran nitro methane tuner, Wes Cerny, as well as the in-house promotion of Tony Shortall to the positions of co-crew chiefs. The realignment of ... Keep reading

Yerzyk named PR Manager for Snake Racing

Mon, 22 Dec 2003 18:42:14 +0000

From the Snake Pit VISTA, Calif. (Dec. 18) -- Ted Yerzyk has been hired as public relations manager for Don Prudhomme Snake Racing, Skip Allum, team manager for Don Prudhomme Snake Racing, announced today. Yerzyk, 26, joins one of drag racing's premier race teams after spending three years as a media relations manager for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). With the ... Keep reading

2003 NHRA spectacular moments broadcast dates

Mon, 22 Dec 2003 18:41:43 +0000

ESPN to highlight spectacular moments of the 2003 NHRA POWERade drag racing season in 30-minute special GLENDORA, Calif. (Dec. 17, 2003) - The ESPN family of networks will air a special 30-minute show highlighting the on-track crashes and other incidents from the 2003 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season. The special, called "NHRA Thrills & Spills," also will feature some ... Keep reading

Etterman/Branch team up for 2004

Wed, 17 Dec 2003 22:54:10 +0000

Etterman and Branch to team up with Bar's Leaks for 2004 NEWAYGO, Mich. - Two NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car powerhouse teams have joined forces as George and Jane Etterman have partnered with defending three-time Division 4 Top Alcohol Funny Car Champion Tate Branch for the 2004 season. Bar's Leaks will return as the team's primary sponsor. Branch, from Artesia, N.M., is excited ... Keep reading

Snake Racing names Stewart as crew chief

Sat, 13 Dec 2003 00:43:55 +0000

VISTA, Calif., Dec. 11, 2003 - Christmas came a few weeks early for John Stewart when Funny Car team owner Don Prudhomme appointed him crew chief of the Skoal Racing Green Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Stewart, 48, is a veteran crew chief who has been involved in drag racing for almost 30 years. He was crew chief on Darrell Gwynn's fifth-place Top Fuel dragster this year. "He called me ... Keep reading

John "Bodie" Smith has successful surgery

Sat, 13 Dec 2003 00:43:41 +0000

WILLIAMSTON, SC, December 10, 2004 -- John "Bodie" Smith, driver of the Prestone Products Top Fuel dragster, underwent the fourth and hopefully final surgery in his left leg to enhance mobility and comfort lost during a serious accident in Brainerd, Minnesota in August 2001. The surgery included removing the supporting rod surrounding the tibia (the larger innermost bone in the ... Keep reading

McCulloch joins Herbert's Top Fuel team

Tue, 09 Dec 2003 02:27:35 +0000

Herbert chooses Ed McCulloch to tune his Snap-on Racing Top Fuel Dragster CHERRYVILLE, N.C., Dec. 8, 2003 - Doug Herbert took what he believes is the final step to improving the performance of his Snap-on Top Fuel dragster on Monday, hiring Ed "Ace" McCulloch as team manager/tuner. McCulloch, a former Top Fuel and Funny Car driver, will be returning to Top Fuel after tuning Funny ... Keep reading

2004 Junior Drag Racing League Conference schedule announced

Tue, 09 Dec 2003 02:27:26 +0000

GLENDORA, Calif. (Dec. 8, 2003) -- NHRA officials announced today the dates and locations of the 2004 NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern and Western Conference Finals. Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway will host the Eastern Conference Finals, July 15-17, while the Western Conference Finals will return to Denver's Bandimere Speedway, July 29-31. Both facilities currently ... Keep reading

Jim Dunn Racing selects Tony Bartone

Tue, 09 Dec 2003 02:27:08 +0000

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6, 2003 - Jim Dunn Racing has selected Tony Bartone to drive the K & N Filters/Lucas Oil Pontiac Funny Car in 2004, signing the drag racing veteran and former national champion to a three-year contract. "Tony Bartone's credentials are impeccable," said team owner Jim Dunn. "He's a tremendously talented racer who can drive just about anything that has tires and a ... Keep reading

Pomona II: Kurt Johnson eliminations summary

Sun, 07 Dec 2003 04:43:04 +0000

Kurt Johnson Caps Off Strong Year with Runner-Up Finish in Pomona ACDelco Cavalier pilot Kurt Johnson finished off an outstanding 2003 season by scoring a runner-up finish at the Auto Club of Southern California Finals in Pomona, CA. After qualifying sixth, Johnson again displayed the form that powered him to a second place finish in the POWERade championship chase, consistently ... Keep reading

Pomona II: Gary Scelzi eliminations summary

Sat, 06 Dec 2003 17:20:14 +0000

Scelzi reaches the semifinals, ends first full Funny Car Season sixth in points POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 9, 2003) - Gary Scelzi ended his first full season of NHRA Funny Car competition with an impressive run to the semifinals in today's final eliminations of the Automobile Club of Southern California Finals. Driving his super-fast Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus to No. 4 ... Keep reading

Pedregon's announce 2004 sponsor

Sat, 06 Dec 2003 15:36:55 +0000

Quaker State Racing and Tony Pedregon Pair Up in 2004 INDIANAPOLIS, IN (December 4): Quaker State Racing announced today that it would return to the National Hot Rod Association as primary sponsor of an NHRA Funny Car, which will be driven by recently crowned 2003 POWERade Series champion, Tony Pedregon. "This sponsorship is important to Quaker State for several reasons," James ... Keep reading

Pedregon family reunion

Sat, 06 Dec 2003 15:36:55 +0000

Press conferences are a dime a dozen, particularly at trade shows like the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) behemoth in downtown Indianapolis. But when the Pedregon brothers have a new gig to detail, all of the regular rules go out the window. As everyone already knows, Cruz and Tony Pedregon now have their own NHRA PowerAde funny car team now. Two number ones and two teams ... Keep reading

SPORTSnationals set for 2004

Sat, 06 Dec 2003 15:36:53 +0000

NHRA schedules Sportsnationals for 2004 Lucas Oil Series season. GLENDORA, Calif. (Dec. 4, 2003) - NHRA officials announced today that a national event exclusively showcasing NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series sportsman competition will be held in 2004. The NHRA SPORTSnationals will be contested April 23-25 at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, La., one of the marquee quarter-mile ... Keep reading

2004 Shootout moves to Las Vegas

Wed, 03 Dec 2003 18:45:23 +0000

Budweiser Shootout moving to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway LAS VEGAS - The Budweiser Shootout, an all-star event which showcases the NHRA's best-performing Top Fuel teams, has a new home. The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will become the new host of the event that will be contested Oct. 30, 2004, during the fourth annual ACDelco NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. "The ... Keep reading

David Baca: Reflections on 2003, looks ahead to 2004

Wed, 26 Nov 2003 18:47:47 +0000

In 2003, David Baca, from Brentwood, Calif., qualified for all 23 events contested on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. He qualified in the top half of the Top Fuel field at 13 of the 23 events. At the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, he captured his first No. 1 qualifying position of his career and followed that with a top spot (No. 1) at Memphis. His rookie season ... Keep reading

Final 2004 NHRA schedule

Thu, 20 Nov 2003 16:16:17 +0000

2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule

44th annual             K&N Filters Winternationals                             Feb. 19-22
                        Pomona, Calif.


20th annual             Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals                  March 5-7
                        Phoenix


35th annual             Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals ... Keep reading

2004 NHRA tentative schedule

Thu, 20 Nov 2003 16:08:25 +0000

2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule

44th annual             K&N Filters Winternationals                             Feb. 19-22
                        Pomona, Calif.


20th annual             Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals                  March 5-7
                        Phoenix


35th annual             Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals ... Keep reading

Topeka: Troy Coughlin Friday summary

Wed, 19 Nov 2003 20:24:46 +0000

Troy Coughlin is focused on improving Troy Coughlin returned to the track at Heartland Park Topeka as the defending Pro Stock winner. In the first of four scheduled qualifying sessions Troy posted a run of 6.911 at 199.17 mph. The JEG'S Mail Order Chevy Cavalier ended the session just south of the bump in the No. 18 position. The second session started as the sun began to set ... Keep reading