NHRA Top Fuel Dragster racer Shawn Langdon will throw out the first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Wednesday evening, Sept. 26. The game is scheduled to start at 6:15 p.m. CDT.

 

Langdon, driver of Kalitta Racing's Global Electronic Technology dragster, then will be joined by the world's biggest names in professional drag racing this weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois, for the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals. Langdon won the 2016 AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals and currently is in 10th place in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series' Countdown to the Championship.  [09/26/17]

Cody Cumpton raced to this second win of the weekend and was joined by Utah racer Shawn Hart in the winner’s circle for the second half of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Double Header at Rocky Mountain Raceways near Salt Lake City. Utah.

 

Cumpton, Vancouver, Wash., marched through the Sportsman Motorcycle class again today taking home anther NHRA Wally trophy.  Cumpton covered the quarter mile in 9.080 seconds at 135.25 mph for the win over West Jordan, Utah, racer Jeff Durfey who crossed the line in 9.720, 128.93.  Cumpton beat out Eric Jaquith on Friday for this first win of the event.

 

Hart, Layton, Utah, snagged a win for the local contingent as he downed William Carnell, Murray, Utah, in Top Dragster.  Hart qualified No. 1 then went 7.478, 177.13 for the final round win.

 

Ralph Van Paepeghem faced off with Tony Mandella in the Comp final with Paepeghem taking the early lead and the win light in 7.565 seconds, 173.47 mph.  Both drivers went 0.585 under their index with Paepeghem’s holeshot being the difference.

 

The Stock and Super Stock titles went to California racers Robert Pond and Randy Loge. Pond, Riverside, Calif., clocked in at 10.488, 124.34 in his ’67 Fairlane after Larry Gilley fouled at the start giving Pond the free pass.  Loge, Brentwood, Calif., and Rob Youngblood left the line together, with Loge out running Youngblood for the win at 10.814, 119.18.

 

Matt Harvil, Queen Creek, Ariz., rounded out today’s winners taking home the Super Comp trophy.  Harvil had a nice .006 second reaction time as Luke Bogacki turned on the red.  Harvil ran it out to a 9.389, 162.83 for the win.

 

Rain washed out eliminations on Sunday with several classes returning Monday to complete the event.  Racers in Top Sportsman, Super Gas and Super Street will complete their eliminations at the Lucas Oil event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nov. 1.  [09/26/17]

Mike Kopchik likes to reward the racers and teams that use his Rage fuel system components. So, at the second race at the famous zMAX Dragway Kopchik (second from right) brought Capps and his tuner Rahn Tobler a brand new Rage fuel pump. The Agent wonders if that pump was on Capps’ motor when he won F/C last weekend at Maple Grove? [09/26/17]

The team from Wichita Falls Raceway took home the Team Championship and Jake Howard defended his win from last year at Texas Motorplex for the NHRA Summit Racing Series South Central Division finals.

 

Wichita Falls racked up 74 points led by Howard and Eric Sandlin who took home wins in Sportsman and Super Pro respectively. Thunder Valley Raceway Park followed in second at 71 and Royal Purple Raceway in third at 61. Racers from 12 tracks in the South Central Division competed at the event.

 

Defending Sportsman champion Howard, from Lavon, Texas, took the win again this year with a holeshot advantage in his ’70 GTO and a time of 7.577 seconds at 86.81 mph against Amanda Wolter from Mustang, Okla., running 8.367, 83.28

 

Sandlin, Burleson, Texas, met up with fellow Wichita racer Bradley Thompson in the Super Pro final and earned the win in his ’75 Chevy with a run of 6.516 at 102.70. Thompson of Vernon, Texas, clocked in at 4.928, 139.46

 

In the No Box/Pro final Jason Patterson from Deer Park, Texas, took the early lead and held on to win with a time of 6.123 at 106.09 mph against Jeremy Hefler from Kennedale, Texas, with a time at 6.084, 107.76 mph.

 

Cameron Belisle, Hugo, Minn., went up against Mike Voss from Maplewood, Minn., in the Motorcycle final. Belisle had a slight lead off the line and scored the win with a time off 5.72 at 116.86 mph to Voss’ 5.904, 114.29.

 

In the Race of Champions Electronics class, Garvin West, from Lawton, Okla., and Scott Wallace from Grand Prairie, Texas, met at the line with Lawton taking the win covering the quarter mile in 5.062 at 135.82 mph.

 

The No Electrics class saw Joseph Gomez from Lovington, N.M., driving his ’64 Chevy II to the win against Ken Graham from Red Oak, Texas, with a time of 7.325 and at 83.64 mph.

 

Michael Nash from Texarkana, Texas, and Dwayne Thousand from Lake Charles, La., faced off in the Race of Champions Motorcycle final with Nash taking the win in 5.059 seconds at 137.08 mph.

 

Racers Tristin Marti from Noble, Okla., and Kasidee Edison from Mineral Wells, Texas, went head to head in the Race of Champions High School. Marti prevailed with a time of 9.443, 75.71 mph.

 

In the Jr. Street final it was Hayden Trumble from Pasadena, Texas, and Chas Morris from Mustang, Okla., going to battle. Trumble clocked in at 9.659 at 73.00 in his ’94 Trans Am for the win.  [09/26/17]