Although disappointed with her start to the NHRA Countdown to the Championship with losses in the first round to open the six-race playoff three weeks ago at Charlotte and a second-round loss Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa., Leah Pritchett believes her team led by crew chief Todd Okuhara and assistant Joe Barlam have conquered a mechanical gremlin that plagued the team.

"One of our biggest successes at Maple Grove (Reading) was finding what was wrong with our race car gremlin-wise," she said. "We feel comfortable that we have our hot rod back."

Pritchett, who has won four times in six final rounds with six No. 1 qualifying performances, will arrive at Gateway ranked seventh but only 97 points out of the lead. St. Louis is the third of the six events of the Countdown and the last of three weekends in a row.

"This is such a highly critical weekend. It's coming down to the wire," she said. "We need to qualify near the top like we have most of the year and win rounds. There's 16 rounds of racing left that leaves and a lot of points on the table and we plan on getting most of them."  (Ron Lewis photo)  [09/27/17]

Irwindale Dragstrip will hold two NHRA Jr. Dragster race days on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

There is only one race left after the Irwindale event to determine the champions in the 17-race Division 7 JDRL Challenge Series. The division included races in Tucson, Maui, Kauai, Sacramento, Las Vegas and 12 other drag strips west of the Rockies.

Coming into Irwindale, the points leaders are: Peyton Janiuk leads the most "junior" of the young racer's divisions. The 5-year old, who races out of Las Vegas, has 60 points; Jacelyn Gonzaga, from Porter Ranch, has the lead with 481 points in the 6 to 9-year old category; In the 10-12 year old competition group Paso Robles' Macie Gordon leads with 438 points; La Verne resident, Braiden Chesleigh, is the points leader in the 13-14 year old category with 449; Savannah Coates has 396 points next to her name atop the 15-17 year old group and lives in Santa Ana; in the Junior Comp. division (ages 14-20) which uses larger motorcycle-type engines, a heavier chassis, and which requires an advanced license, Derrick Hegwood from Tustin has the points lead by slim little point (428-427) over Andrew Thomas from Chowchilla.   [09/27/17]

The “Boston Strangler” Funny Car made an appearance at the NHRA national event at Epping, NH, earlier this summer. (Ron Lewis photo)

Keith Edward Hughes, 72, of Punta Gorda, FL, died on Sept. 13 after a lengthy illness. A native of Lynn, MA, Hughes taught auto mechanics at Masconomet Regional High School for five years before becoming Auto Tech Dept. Head at Northeast Regional Vocational Technical High School, from which he retired after 25 years.

In 1973 Hughes partnered with Arnie Karp, Rick McGarvey, and the late Bob Ellison to build and race the “Boston Strangler” BB/FC with a crew of Pat Murphy, Tom Stillwell and Bruce Sampson. They won 10 NHRA and IHRA championships and set several records over the years.

In 2005 Hughes was crew chief for the “Boston Strangler” Top Fuel dragster. In 2008 he was inducted into the New England Raceway Hall of Fame along with Arnie Karp.

Hughes is survived by his wife, Shirley, brother David G. Hughes, two step daughters, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Donations in his memory may be made to Tidewell Hospice, 1158 Veronica St., Port Charlotte FL 33952. [09/27/17]

Officials of the Onawa Racing and Events Complex in Onawa, Iowa, have announced an open house will be held Saturday, Oct. 14, at the facility and will include street vehicle fun runs.

“We want the public to see the construction progress that has been made while allowing street legal cars, trucks and bikes to make runs down the track,” said Scott Gardner of Gardner Race Track Consulting.

Progress has been made in a variety of areas including the installation of the safety wall, the finish work on the track surface, grandstand assembly, installation of spectator fencing, paving and more; but a lot of work remains to in making the facility a fully operational drag strip. It is being constructed on the under-used Onawa municipal airport.

A grand opening will be scheduled in 2018 with the timing system operational and complete track surface preparation and more.   [09/27/17]