Don Nelson, the owner of the California Hustler nostalgia funny car, has been involved in the sport for many years, and now those many years of trying and the frustration of getting oh so close to winning an event, just to come up short has been vindicated. Sunday, May 6, Nelson's new driver, veteran Jeff Arend, and famed crew chief Ron Swearingen brought Nelson his first victory as a car owner at the Ignitor at Boise’s Firebird Raceway.

 

Arend in a post-race interview disclosed the he had some extra motivation for the race on Sunday. "Yesterday (Saturday) I found out that Don's car had never won a race, so I just decided we were gonna change that."

 

Swearingen and Arend seemed to find their grove on Saturday in qualifying and never looked back. Full story coming soon. [05/08/18]

The 17th annual Quick Fuel Technology Bluegrass Nationals presented by Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center, the third of the 2018 NMCA season, will be held May 17-20 in Bowling Green, KY.

 

From three-second, 200-mph VP Racing Fuels Xtreme Pro Mods and Mickey Thompson Radial wars cars, to the classic iron showcased in the Dave Duell Classic, one of the largest Nostalgia Super Stock races of the year, Beech Bend Raceway will be packed with power and performance. The Bluegrass Nationals also will host the 12th annual LSX Shootout, which features LS and modern LT-powered vehicles.

 

There is plenty more on the schedule for the NMCA Bluegrass Nationals.  [05/08/18]

Nancy Gennarelli drove her 840 horsepower 2018 Dodge Demon through the quarter mile in a jaw-dropping 9.907 seconds Saturday, May 5, to turn back Georgia’s Tim Godbee and win the Demon Invitational portion of Rockingham Dragway’s Whipple Superchargers Modern Street Hemi Shootout.

 

Mopar racers from 17 states and Canada participated but Bill McFadden of Scotch Plains, NJ, was the only one who left with multiple trophies. McFadden drove his 2007 Dodge Magnum past the Dodge Charger of Chris Dufresne of Pomfret, MD, to win the King of the Hill title and then beat Raymond Minich of Doylestown, PA, to win the Mopar Dial-In class. Dufresne would come back to win the 10.50 Index class.

 

Demon Invitational: Nancy Gennarelli, Gates, NC, .241 RT, 9.907, 137.26 mph, def. Tim Godbee, Guyton, GA, .161 RT, 10.137, 135.13 mph.

 

Demon Performance: Harrison Zauke, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, 2007 Jeep, .040, 8.348, 164.81, def. Todd Barber, Orange, CT, 2010 Challenger, .018, 8.356, 165.44

 

King of the Hill: Bill McFadden, Scotch Plains, NJ, 2007 Magnum, .125, 11.929 on an 11.400, 86.27 mph, def. Chris Dufresne, Pomfret, MD, 2016 Charger, .169 19.718 on a 10.520, no speed recorded.

 

Mopars Dial-in: Bill McFadden, Scotch Plains, NJ, 2007 Magnum, .020, 11.555 on an 11.400, 103.54 mph, def. Raymond Minich, Doylestown, PA, 2016 Challenger, .353, 12.205 breakout on a 12.270, 112.29 mph.

 

9.50 Index: Brian Brunt, Wixom, MI, 2007 Jeep, .077, 9.548, 135.47 mph, def. Jon Deter, Shrewsbury, MA, 2008 Jeep, .050, 9.607, 143.72 mph.

 

10.00 Index: Don Keller, .193, 10.081, 124.90 mph, def. Unknown #457, .294, 10.181, 139.67 mph.

 

10.50 Index: Chris Dufresne, Pomfret, MD, 2016 Charger, .009, 10.637, 120.85 mph, def. Justin Skudder, Plainview, NY, 2006 Charger, .048, 10.621, 120.38 mph.

 

11.50 Index: Delano McFarlane, Fayetteville, NC, 2015 Challenger def. Nick Billet, NA, 2016 Hellcat – no times available

 

12.50 Index: Gary Sanders, Eagle Springs, NC, 2017 Charger, .093, 12.275, 100.88 def. Mike Waiwood, Parma Heights, OH, 2015 Challenger, .054, 12.223, 103.25

 

Rookie: Edward Peraza, Edgewood, MD, 2015 Challenger, .503, 13.778 on a 13.050 dial, 83.03 mph, def. Brian Carbonaco, Seagrove, NC, 2017 Charger, .514, 14.370 on a 12.500 dial, 88.63 mph

 

“It was a great weekend,” said track owner Steve Earwood. Event promoter Dan Van Horn attracted some of the fastest street Hemi’s in the country. Brandon and Sunny Mass and the Mass Traction crew did an outstanding job keeping the track in optimum condition to get these high-horsepower cars down the track. The Rockingham crew and I are already looking forward to next year’s event.”  [05/08/18]

Winners of the first event of the season, a double-race weekend held at State Capitol Raceway in Louisiana on April 20-22 were Perry Comeaux (shown), Prairieville, LA (Moser $10K race); Brian Hughes, Diana, TX ($5K race); Dalton Lummus, China, TX (Jr. Dragster Sat.); Trey Gallet, Breaux Bridge, LA (Jr. Dragster Sun.); Seth Hyatt (No Box Sat.); Robbie Mullins (No Box Sun.).

 

The second event of the 2018 IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular series will be held May 18-20 at Keystone Raceway Park in New Alexandria, PA.   [05/08/18]

Jackie Fricke, Flemington, NJ, and Tony Bogolo, Hamilton, OH, took home the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively in the final results from National Trail Raceway and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series on May 6.

Fricke worked her way through the field and ran 5.288 seconds at 271.24 mph in her final round victory over Brandon Greco, Roscoe, PA, who clocked in at 5.461 seconds at 245.18 mph.

 

Bogolo faced off against Todd Robertson, Harrison Twp., MI, and posted a winning run of 5.934 seconds at 246.39 mph in his ‘05 Camaro. Robertson drove to a 7.845/91.30 lap for his runner up finish.

 

COMP ELIMINATOR: Todd Frantz, Louisville, KY, '09 dragster, C/ED, 7.284, 180.40 def. Greg Kamplain, Brownsburg, IN, '14 dragster, B/ED, 6.988, 165.40.

 

SUPER STOCK: A.H. Adkins, Ravenswood, WV, '69 AMX, SS/B, 8.933, 135.25 def. Earl Roe, Newark, OH, '85 Camaro, GT/KA, 10.222, 127.78.

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR: Leonard Mattingly, Cox's Creek, KY, '00 Firebird, A/SA, 10.121, 130.38 def. Bryan Merkle, Johnstown, OH, '00 Firebird, A/SA, 10.630, 111.09.

 

SUPER COMP: Edmond Richardson, Greenbrier, TN, '14 American, 8.897, 175.32 def. Robert Bauer III, Elma, NY, '15 Chromeworx, 8.894, 162.49.

 

SUPER GAS: Joey Shipp, Indianapolis, '91 Cutlass, 9.892, 157.91 def. Carl Rectenwald, Columbus, OH, '94 Lumina, 9.860, 170.67.

 

SUPER STREET: Wayne Kelley, Mount Vernon, IN, '79 Malibu, 10.869, 147.31 def. Dalton Deffenbaugh, Lebanon, IN, '69 Nova, 10.856, 136.63.

 

TOP SPORTSMAN: Gary Wojnowski, Brunswick, OH, '09 Cobalt, 6.842, 193.07 def. Kynon Dinkel, Terre Haute, IN, '04 Cavalier, 6.543, 213.23.

 

TOP DRAGSTER: Ed Dudley, Fishers, IN, '11 Spitzer, 6.392, 210.93 def. Michael Scheel, Norwalk, OH, '33 Bantam, 6.267, 221.38.

 

PRO STOCK SNOWMOBILE: Scott Hagen, Oxford, MI, '13 Ski DOO, 8.436, 154.58 def. Matt Ernst, Clinton, IA, '11 Arctic CAT, 8.448, 152.81.

 

North Central Division racers head to Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, May 18-20.  [05/08/18]