Arana Jr. hopes to rebound at Dallas

Coming off his first Round 1 loss in six months at St. Louis, Hector Arana Jr. is dead-set on proving the doubters wrong with a quick return to the top form he's displayed for most of the 2017 season.

 

Arana's father and teammate, Hector Sr., took full advantage of the off weekend and went through his son's Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell from end to end. He also completely disassembled and freshened all three motors the team will use down the stretch.

 

"We wanted to figure out what changed in St. Louis for us to go from the top of the timing sheets to mid-pack, which ultimately led to our early exit," Arana Jr. said. "Dad put the engines on the dyno when they first got there, saw where we were, and then went to work getting them back where they were before.

 

"In the end, the engines are back to 100 percent and ready to race. All three are very strong and he figured out what had happened and why we were leaving slower than before. It took an incredible amount of work and lots of late nights going through our notes but Dad got it done and I'm super appreciative of him, even more than normal."  (Ron Lewis photo)  [10/11/17]

SHRA crowns 2017 champions

This was the fifth season for the Southwest Heritage Racing Association. Championships were finalized at Denton, TX, on Oct. 7.

Tommy Drozd, Lake Dallas, TX, was the Nostalgia Eliminator 1 champion, followed by Andy Mears, Tera Graves, Kent Carley and Steve Dunkin.

NE2: Bruce Dodson, Grand Prairie, TX, Jason Scott, Garry Wheeler Jr., Mike Caknupp, and Mark Cottrell.

NE3: Doug Morrison, Gainesville, TX, Dustin Bradford, Jacob Reeves, Keith Darrow, and Josh Moseley.

Nostalgia Super Stock: Ronnie Smith, Athens, TX, Vic Corlett, Garry Durham, Gary Powers, and Doug Watkins.

Old School No Electronics: Michael Graves, Burleson, TX, Michael Rhea, Mike Labue, Tyler Horne, and George Silva.

Old School Electronics: Brent Lancaster, Ft. Worth, TX, Ray McFarland, Dean Johnson, Jim Baughan, and Ricky Marshall.  (Chris Graves/Max Cackle Photos)

 

Winners of the final event were: Tera Graves (NE1); Jason Scott (NE2); Doug Morrison (NE3); Doug Watkins (NSS); Michael Rhea (OSNE); and Casey Swift (OSE).  [10/11/17]

NMRA announces 20th anniversary schedule

The National Mustang Racers Association has announced the schedule for its 20th anniversary year.

 

Top-10 and championship awards will be presented in Street Outlaw, Renegade, Coyote Modified, Limited Street, Coyote Stock, Factory Stock, Open Comp, Modular Muscle, Truck & Lightning, Super Stang, and Ford Muscle.

 

Additionally, True Street will be a featured category at every event with its 30-mile cruise and three consecutive runs down the drag strip.

 

NMRA 2018 Schedule

March 1-4: Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout, Bradenton, FL

April 5-8: NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals, Commerce GA

May 3-6: NMRA Ford Motorsport Nationals, Reading PA

June 7-10: NMRA Ford Supernationals, Hebron OH

July 26-29: NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing, Joliet, IL

Sept. 27-30: NMRA All-Ford World Finals, Bowling Green, KY   [10/11/17]

New Product of the Day

 

Aeromotive Universal Bypass Regulator

CNC-machined from billet aluminum, this Aeromotive bypass fuel pressure regulator has a compact design for carbureted fuel systems with or without nitrous oxide, turbos, and superchargers. The regulator's base pressure is adjustable from 3 to 20 psi, but the included and optional high-pressure spring can increase the range from 20 to 65 psi. When referencing boost, fuel pressure will rise on a 1:1 ratio.  [10/11/17]

VOLUME XIX,  NUMBER 10 - OCTOBER  2017

Lundberg to be inducted into Hall of Fame

Veteran announcer Jon Lundberg will be inducted into the East Coast Drag Times Drag Racing hall of Fame in Henderson, NC, on Sunday, Oct. 23.

 

Old “Thunder Lungs” was among the many folks who were at the Barona Drags for Steve Gibbs’ inaugural Nitro Revival. See the cars and people at here.  (Tim Marshall photo)    [10/11/17]

IHRA is ‘sportsman drag racing’ organization says owner IRGSE

IRG Sports + Entertainment (IRGSE) released a statement today reaffirming the company’s commitment to IHRA and grassroots drag racing.

 

“Moving forward, we will continue to be a Sportsman drag racing focused organization and build on the success of the Summit SuperSeries,” IRGSE CEO Lou Partenza said. “We are proactively working towards increasing membership benefits, developing new sportsman racing platforms and working with our track partners to create value for all our stakeholders, including racers and corporate partners.”

 

IRGSE purchased the IHRA in 2015. Under the leadership of Chris Lencheski, the plans for the IHRA included a professional racing series with a return to Top Fuel. After the disastrous move of the World Series of Drag Racing to Memphis last year, plans were changed to concentrate on sportsman racing this season, and Lencheski eventually left the organization.  [10/11/17]

Dustin Lee dominates NHDRO sportsman motorcycle racing

Dustin “Biscuits” Lee secured the NHDRO Crazy 8’s title at the Indianapolis event along with the Super Comp championship.

 

See more about Lee’s great season in Tom McCarthy’s Motorcycle Memos  (Tom McCarthy photo)   [10/11/17]

Thornley clinches third championship in six years of racing

​Janette Thornley was the 2016 NHRA Pro Fuel Harley champion.  (Bob Johnson photo)At the rate she’s going, Janette Thornley may soon have to change the name of her motorcycle drag racing team from Dream Chaser Racing to Dream Catcher Racing.

 

When she is crowned the 2017 American Motorcycle Racing Association Pro Fuel champion this week at Rockingham Dragway, it will be the third major title in three years for the Statesville, NC, grandmother whose end game is one day to race in the Ray Pro Fuel portion of the Jim McClure All-Harley World Finals contested this week for the 26th time.

 

In the meantime, she has become the most feared rider in a Pro Fuel class in which nitromethane-burning motorcycles reach speeds of up to 185 mph in just 1,320 feet of concrete and asphalt.

 

Thornley, who grew up in Oregon, got a late start on her unlikely career as a motorcycle drag racer. This is just her sixth season as a pro racer and already she has won two championships in the NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series (2015 and 2016) and is on the verge of winning her first AMRA title.

 

The first woman to win a championship of any kind on a nitro motorcycle, she has done so racing against the best in her profession including fellow Carolinian Johnny Vickers of Millers Creek, whom she succeeded as champion in the NHRA series.

 

Vickers, a legend in motorcycle drag racing, is the two-time defending Pro Fuel champion at the McClure Finals as well as the AMRA national record holder. He is one of those who mentored Thornley early in her career.

 

Another who offered encouragement was the late Ray Price himself. In fact, Price’s Raleigh-based Top Fuel team maintained and transported her original fuel bike. That makes her quest to compete in the Nitro Pro Fuel class all the more compelling.  [10/11/17]

Ross Laris claims top spot for South Central Division TD title

For Ross Laris (shown) and his crew this past weekend in Nobile, OK, at the final NHRA South Central Divisional Race, it took hard work to take over the top spot in Division 4 Top Dragster along with the No. 6 spot in the national standings and number for JEGS All Star’s going into 2018.

 

“My guys changed engines, rear end, and I can’t remember what else,” laughed Ross. “We moved the engine in the TD car to the SC car and pulled SC engine put it in the TD Car, then we broke a rear end in eliminations, had to change that, I kept thinking just focus and do your job, they are doing theirs.”

 

Ross is currently holding down the No. 6 spot in the National Championship hunt, as well as the No. 1 spot in the South Central Division race. The Laris Motorsports team is getting ready to make a run at the two titles.

 

The Laris Motorsports Team will have all four cars wheeling at the NHRA national event in Dallas this weekend, with son Holden Laris competing in Super Comp and Super Gas as Ross will be also wheeling a Super Comp Dragster.  [10/11/17]

Torrence ready for win at home state track

It’s been a great season for Texas racer Steve Torrence, but there is one win he is especially looking forward to: a win at the Texas Motorplex. In fact, he has yet to win at either Dallas or Houston, although he has been to the final rounds twice at each track.

 

“Yeah, it’s kinda frustrating,” said Torrence, coming off a win two weeks ago in St. Louis. “To be there (in the finals) four times and not get it done, you just have to use that for motivation.

 

“(Crew chief) Richard Hogan and these Capco guys have given me a car that can win in any condition,” he continued. “That’s what you have to have to win a championship. My level of confidence has never been higher and when a driver is confident, he just naturally drives better.”

 

Torrence currently leads the Top Fuel point with 2376 to 2334 for second-place Doug Kalitta.  (Ron Lewis photo)  [10/11/17]

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