The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series eliminations at the 30th annual Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals were postponed by NHRA officials due to inclement weather conditions following an eight-hour rain delay at the start of Sunday racing. The Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock categories as well as the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series eliminations were completed on Monday at Topeka.

TOP FUEL

Semifinals: Clay Millican, .074, 3.676, 331.20 def. Tony Schumacher, .072, 5.198, 139.31.

Terry McMillen, .096, 3.758, 326.48 def. Steve Torrence, .050, 3.784, 320.51.

Final: Millican, .061, 3.727, 332.59 def. McMillen, .056, 6.169, 104.47 (Ron Lewis photo)

FUNNY CAR

Semifinals: Courtney Force, .036, 3.895, 330.39 def. J.R. Todd, .056, 4.495, 188.81.

Robert Hight, .058, 3.911, 330.55 def. Shawn Langdon, .069, 7.038, 97.06.

Final: C. Force, .068, 3.928, 329.83 def. Hight, .062, 4.087, 265.90  (Ron Lewis photo)

PRO STOCK

Rd. 3: Deric Kramer, .022, 6.621, 208.91 def. Matt Hartford, .065, 6.604, 208.65.

Erica Enders, .005, 6.550, 209.65 def. Tanner Gray, .014, 6.574, 209.33.

Jason Line, .068, 6.583, 210.05 def. Richard Freeman, 0.65, 6.635, 207.69.

Greg Anderson, .028, 6.657, 210.93 def. Drew Skillman, .013, 6.594, 209.04.

Semifinals: Line, .051, 6.580, 210.11 def. Kramer, .006, 6.60, 209.49.

Enders, .003, 6.603, 209.36 def. Anderson, .029, 6.581, 210.60.

Final: Deric Kramer (shown), .009, 6.615, 209.36 def. Enders, .023, 7.409. 143.58. (Ron Lewis photo)

PRO MOD

Rd. 3: Rickie Smith, .064, 5.760, 249.90 def. Shane Molinari, .040, 5.810, 252.47.

Mike Janis, .051, 5,910, 240.00 def. Mike Castellana, .027, 5.861, 218.37.

Todd Tutterow, .049, 5.769, 247.70 def. Sidnei Frigo, .063, 11.965, 66.76.

Chad Green, .049, 5.761, 248.61 def. Khalid alBalooshi, .089, 5.728, 250.00.

Semifinals: Green, .020, 5775, 248.57 def. Janis, .040, 5.798, 245.58.

Smith, .028, 5.770, 250.04 def. Tutterow, .026, 5.879, 216.48.

Final: Rickie Smith (shown), .048.6.262, 233.52 def. Green, .055, 8.805, 107.70  (Ron Lewis photo)

TOP FUEL HARLEY

Rd. 1: Beau Layne, .084, 6,252, 219.01 def. Tii Tharpe, .050, 6.418, 218.23.

Mike Scott, .043, 6.513, 217.81 def. Rickey House, .146, 7.927,211.96.

Jay Turner, .054, 6.197, 227.42 def. Bill Jackson, .033, 6.532, 217.28.

Doug Vancil, .073, 6.340, 218.62 def. David Larson, .122, 6.922, 175.25

Semifinals: Tharpe, .049, 6.298, 214.35 def. Vancil, .043, 8.937, 111.59.

Turner, .046, 6.223, 233.52 def. Scott, .017, 6.442, 221.23.

Final: Turner (shown), .010, 6.260, 226.54 def. Tharpe, .037, 6.760, 182.72  (Ron Lewis photo)   [05/21/18]

(courtesy JEGS)

Only a few races into his Top Alcohol Dragster career, Troy Coughlin Jr. drove the JEGS.com McPhillips Racing rail to the winner's circle by dominating the Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser on Sunday, May 20, at Norwalk, OH.

It's the 13th victory for the Delaware, Ohio, native but his first in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. He's previously won races in Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Pro, and also has competed in Top Fuel and Pro Mod, where he was rookie of the year in 2015.

Troy Jr. qualified No. 1 with a best pass of 5.303 seconds at 276.52 mph and beat John Paul Gutierrez, Mike Kosky and Brandon Greco to score the trophy.

Although they ended the day in the winner's circle celebrating Troy Jr.'s amazing day, his uncle Mike Coughlin and sister Paige Coughlin both exited in Round 1 at the same event, Mike in Top Dragster and Paige in Super Comp.

Sean Bellemeur (Ron Lewis file photo)

Sean Bellemeur qualified No. 1 in TAFC then left first on Todd Robertson in the final and laid down his quickest lap of the event at 5.484, 268.28 for the win. The California racer beat home state racer Tony Bogolo of Hamilton, and Brian Hough in early rounds on his way to his tenth career Lucas Oil divisional event win.

In two of the closest races of the weekend, Kimba Fuesting and Tom Dimond picked up the wins in Super Comp and Super Gas. Nick Folk was out first on Fuesting, Waukegan, Ill., but Fuesting was better at the stripe in a double breakout for the win. Dimond ran dead on the index at 9.900 seconds to beat Devin Isenhower by about three inches who clocked in at 9.003.

Edward Jirousek and Zach Sackman each scored their first NHRA divisional event win to join in the winner’s circle celebration. Jirousek, Elyria, Ohio, took an easy win in Super Street when Bryan Workman, Willard, Ohio, broke at the hit. Sackman and Ed Dudley left the line together but Sackman slowly pulled away for the win in Top Dragster running 6.133, 173.38.

Brian Browell led the remaining list of winners taking the win in Comp over David Billingsley along with Todd Frantz in Super Stock; Randy Butter in Stock; Lester Johnson in Top Sportsman and Matt Ernst in Pro Stock Snowmobile.

In the DRAW/RFC Super Shootouts presented by Moser Engineering it was Brian Folk winning in Super Comp, Tim Schmidt in Super Gas and Philip Smida in Super Street.

North Central Division racers head to Beech Bend Raceway Park for the JEGS SPORTSnationals and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series on May 25-27.   [05/21/18]

Milan (MI) Dragway will hold its first Streetcar Shakedown presented by Vector Motorsports on Saturday, May 26, with classes for everyone.

Classes include Street King, 4-Door Shakedown, 11.5 Index, FWD Frenzy, a Roll Racing class, and the Run What Ya Brung (RWYB) class. Grudge racing will be held during the Test & Tune for door cars only. The clocks will be on for all classes except RWYB.

Additionally, the event will feature a burnout competition, mobile dyno, a live DJ, car show, car Limbo, and more.  [05/21/18]

Over 30 members of the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame including “Big Daddy” Don Garlits signed autographs and mingled with fans while restored Top Fuel dragsters, Funny Cars, altereds, and more cackled their engines in the paddock at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA, during the Spring Classic Showcasing Nitro Revival. A highlight was push-start demonstrations on Saturday afternoon (May 19) that brought legendary dragsters to life on an iconic race track not known for hosting machines designed to accelerate down the quarter mile. Three dozen dragsters closed Saturday activities in a great spectacle by firing all at once in the “Line of Fire” that rumbled through the Monterey Peninsula hillside.  (DMT Imaging)  [05/21/18]