PDRA PXM racer Eric McKinney.  (Tom McCarthy photo)

DRO Motorcycle Editor Tom McCarthy reports in his Motorcycle Memos that since the addition of turbo-aided motorcycles to the PDRA’s Pro Xtreme Motorcycle class this year, those machines have dominated the racing. The nitrous-injected racers are asking the sanctioning body that something be done to level the playing field.

In the NHRA Top Fuel Harley class, blower bikes are the bone of contention for some of the racers. McCarthy reports that NHRA has not banned the blowers – yet, anyway.   [10/11/18]

Even though he missed the opening race in the NHRA’s Harley-Davidson series because of a problem with the team’s hauler, Tii Tharpe won five of the next eight events including the 64th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind., and, with one race remaining for the class at Las Vegas, already has succeeded teammate Jay “Bulldog” Turner as champion.

Now, the East Bend, NC, resident’s focus is on winning the premier title in Rockingham’s biggest bike race. Qualifying begins Saturday, Oct. 13, in the Ray Price Top Fuel Challenge portion of the 27th annual Jim McClure All-Harley Nitro Finals at Rockingham Dragway.

Tharp’s Top Fuel career didn’t take off until he partnered with Turner in an alliance that, quite frankly, defied all the odds.

“I’ve known Jay for quite some time,” Tharpe joked, “but we really didn’t like each other. He thought I was a brat and I thought he was an A-hole. Both of those things are still true, but we get along much better now.”

The three-day event also will crown champions in Nitro Funny Bike, Pro Fuel, Pro Modified, Pro Gas, Open Gas and a host of sportsman categories including Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Pro and Street.  (Tom McCarthy photo)   [10/11/18]

Bert Jackson at the 2004 Black Sunday event.  (Bret Kepner photo)

“Black Sunday” is probably the longest-running event originally designed for African-American drag racers, having started at Gateway Motorsports Park in 1995. Put on by the United Black Drag Racers Association, it’s open to any and all racers and draws cars from all around the Midwest.

The event was postponed from its September date by rain in the St. Louis area and will be held this weekend, Oct. 13-14.

DRO’s editor, Jeff Burk, was at the first event back when the track was called St. Louis International Raceway and will be at this weekend’s event.   [10/11/18]

Santa Pod Raceway’s 2019 calendar adds new events to its roster of familiar favorites (or favourites, if you prefer.). More than 50 events are featured in 2019’s February-to-November season at the English track.

Two new fixtures join the championship drag racing schedule, the Springspeed Nationals in May and August’s Green Light Nationals. That raises the number of Santa Pod’s national and international championship races to seven, with individual championship classes also competing at other events.

The Festival of Power launches the championship season as usual over 2019’s late-April Easter weekend and Santa Pod’s two FIA/FIM European Championship races take place on their traditional May and September dates. Historic drag racing will be highlighted by a quartet of events headed by Dragstalgia in July and accompanied by the VHRA Vintage Nationals (April) and the National Street Rod Association’s Nostalgia Nationals (May) and Hot Rod Drags (September).

On the festival and enthusiast front, the 2019 Calendar features a brand-new event in June for fans of all German car brands, Das Auto Show, which will complement Santa Pod’s regular array of Volkswagen and BMW events headed by July’s Bug Jam #33. Other freshly minted enthusiast events include May’s The Vauxhall Show and July’s The Ford Show, while there’ll be a second opportunity to enjoy the spirit of April’s The Fast Show with the launch of The Fast Show Reloaded in late June.

Santa Pod’s complete 2019 Calendar is now available online at here and includes full event and ticketing information.   [10/11/18]

Charlotte Motor Speedway will host a donation drive Saturday, Oct. 13, during the weekend’s NHRA Carolina Nationals presented by WIX Filters to collect paper products (paper towels, toilet paper, paper plates, etc.) for victims of Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael.

On Saturday, fans are asked to bring donations to zMAX Dragway and leave them behind their cars in the parking lots. Speedway staff will collect the donations from the parking lots during NHRA qualifying sessions Saturday afternoon. From there, the donations will be distributed to those impacted by recent hurricanes through The Salvation Army.    [10/11/18]