David Rampy’s Comp roadster at the Gatornationals. (SteveGruenwald photo)

David Rampy scored the elusive double-up at the Mar. 31-Apr. 2 NHRA Southeast Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at South Georgia Motorsports Park, taking home the trophy in both Comp Eliminator and Super Stock.

The veteran racer from Piedmont, AL, worked his way through eliminations and lined up with Bobby Dennis, Shorter, AL, in Super Stock for his first of two final rounds. Rampy took the early lead, which proved to be the difference, as he collected his fifth win in Super Stock on a holeshot running 10.152 seconds at 123.68 mph to Dennis’s 10.808, 124.45.

Rampy would then face off with Randy Daniels, Grantsboro, NC, in Comp Eliminator with his familiar ’32 roadster. Rampy again left first and crossed the finish line in 7.379 at 152.93 to secure the double-up and his 35th divisional win in Comp.

In the division’s Top Sportsman class it was Scott Underwood, Madison, AL, winning a close one over Sandy Wilkins. The pair left the line just .008 seconds apart as Underwood ran 7.314 on his 7.31 dial for his second win in Top Sportsman. Wilkins clocked in with a quicker 6.629 at 202.85 mph. Fellow Alabama racer Casey Spradlin joined Rampy and Underwood in the winner’s circle as he took home the NHRA Wally trophy in the Top Dragster in defeating reigning NHRA Lucas Oil National Champion Jeff Strickland by about four inches. Spradlin left the line with a .009-second reaction time and held on for the win.

The Southeast Division Summit Jr. Drag Racing League was also in action this weekend at SGMP with Morgan Wilson capturing the 13-17 year old category with a win over Madison Wilcox. Logan Westmoreland beat out Tucker Brown in the 10-12 class and Mathew Peterson downed Dylan MacNicol in the 6-9.

STOCK: Kevin Helms, Schriever, La., '13 Challenger, B/SA, 10.262, 119.59 def. Daniel Young, Palm Harbor, Fla., '95 Camaro, C/SA, 10.627, 124.13.

SUPER COMP: Kevin Brannon, Boiling Springs, S.C., '12 Dragster, 8.900, 176.30 def. Owen Bellamy, Crawfordville, Fla., '14 Undercover, 8.898, 177.67.

SUPER GAS: John Labbous, White House, Tenn., '63 Corvette, 9.921, 164.69 def. John Taylor, Naples, Fla., '99 Dakota, 9.912, 160.44.

SUPER STREET: Jonathan Anderson, Griffin, Ga., '05 Pontiac, 10.907, 125.35 def. Chip Rollins, Gainesville, Fla., '67 Camaro, 10.870, 124.34.

The NHRA Southeast division will head north to Raleigh, NC, and GALOT Motorsports Park for their next event this coming weekend, April 8-9. [04/04/17]

Steve Scheidker has retired as Director – Corporate Communications for VP Racing Fuels, based in San Antonio, TX.

Most of his duties will now be handled by Chris Wall or members of his marketing staff.

Scheidker will continue to do limited work for VP as a consultant from his new home near Denver. (DRO file photo) [04/04/17]

The viewers for the FS1 coverage of the eliminations from Las Vegas were up markedly for Sunday, April 2, with 1,025,000 watching the event.

The broadcast was delayed by the finish of the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup race from Martinsville, VA, which garnered 3,963,000 viewers.

The previous NHRA race at Gainesville, FL, had an audience of 439,000. [04/04/17]

Ashley Sanford may soon be moving up from TAD to Top Fuel dragster. On Monday she made a few runs including a 3.87 at over 319 mph, but was shut out of getting her license by rain at the Las Vegas track. Look out, Leah and Brittany! (Tim Marshall photo) [04/04/17]

Just days after Global Rallycross driver Alex Keyes experienced nitro for the first time, J.R. Todd completed the crossover as he stepped behind the wheel of Keyes' WIX Filters machine this morning.

At a closed test session in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Raceway, Keyes drove Todd around the prepped track before turning over the wheel completely to Todd. The NHRA veteran made two three-lap segments and was completely blown away.

"It is pretty cool to be driving around here where we typically park our 18-wheelers when we are here racing," said Todd, driver of the DHL/WIX Filters Toyota Camry Funny Car for Kalitta Motorsports. "It gives you a new respect for what these guys do. You are shifting gears going all the way around the course, it is a lot of fun. It is easy to go as fast as you can on the straightaways, but then you got get on the brakes to get on the corners that are always coming up. Huge thanks to Alex and the WIX Filters team for having me out."

Blown away could also describe Keyes' experience as he stood behind a 10,000-horsepower nitro-burning Funny Car just days ago as Todd qualified for the Las Vegas Nationals on Friday.

"It was so sweet. I have seen NHRA on TV and I know they are fast, but it just does not do them justice," said Keyes, driver of the WIX Filters GRC Lite for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. "First off, I did not know that they ran on nitro, so I was crying a little bit. Then got to the starting line and wasn't anticipating it and I jumped. After that, I got to watch about 10 runs. When you know it’s coming it is sweet. You feel it through your chest and it is definitely a cool experience."

Both are making plans to attend the other's actual events this season.

Another “crossover” event will be held Thursday, April 27, at Charlotte Motor Speedway when NHRA Mello Yello Racing drivers will swap Toyota rides with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) drivers.

NCWTS drivers Christopher Bell, Noah Gragson, Ryan Truex, and Grant Enfinger will take NHRA drivers Troy Coughlin Jr. and J.R. Todd to the oval track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for a left-turn experience while NHRA drivers will return the favor at the zMax drag strip.  (Kalitta Motorsports photo) [04/04/17]

The Ford GT from M2K Motorsports does it again, this time with a stunning run of 293.6 mph at The Texas Mile. M2K's Ford GT is now the World's Fastest Standing Mile Ford GT, Texas Mile Track Record Holder - Beeville, Arkansas Mile Top Speed Record Holder, and now Texas Mile Top Speed Record Holder - Victoria. [04/04/17]