The opening round of the FIA/FIM-E European drag racing series was completed at Santa Pod Raceway, England, over the weekend with bumper entries across the championship categories.

Headliners included Anita Makela, the flying Finn picking up where she left off at the end of last season in championship form, qualifying low before storming through eliminations and taking the event win over Norwegian Maja Udtian with a superb 3.842/296.72 to reset the FIA Top Fuel ET record -- and the comparatively low terminal speed hints at more to come. (Rose Hughes photo)

Micke Gullqvist (FIA Pro Modified), Jimmy Alund (FIA Pro Stock) and Sandro Bellio (FIA Top Methanol) picked up the event trophies in the remaining Euro championship classes.

Over on two wheels, Steve Venables blitzed the huge FIM-E Super Street Bike field, qualifying low and sitting in the sixes throughout eliminations and culminating in a new European ET record 6.854/213.90 in the final round to defeat Erich Gruber.  (Rose Hughes photo)

Rikard Gustafsson (FIM-E Top Fuel Bike), Marcus Christiansen (FIM-E Super Twin Bike), Janne Koskinen (FIM-E Pro Stock Bike) and Blade Dummer (FIM-E Junior Drag Bike) took the honors in the other FIM-E classes.   [05/31/19]

TJ Zizzo began the season with a semifinal finish at the Gatornationals.  (Steve Gruenwald photo)

Chicago native TJ Zizzo doesn’t race the full NHRA Mello Yello schedule, but he certainly won’t miss an appearance at the Route 66 Nationals just down the road in Joliet, IL.

And he has a little added incentive this year. Zizzo will have approximately 50 Rust-Oleum employees and their families at the race since his sponsor is headquartered in Vernon Hills, IL.

A Joliet tradition for Zizzo Racing is TJ's world-famous Nitro Cakes. Fans are invited to the Rust-Oleum pit Saturday at 9 a.m. to chow down on some FREE pancakes. "That's something that every fan remembers. I get more fans excited about our pancakes than I do going to the semi-final round at Joliet a couple years ago! Pretty amazing."

In addition, Zizzo will be teaming with NHRA announcer Alan Reinhart for the Nitro School presentation to the fans at 12:45 on Saturday. [05/31/19]

Lizzy Musi couldn’t be entering this weekend’s PDRA North-South Shootout at Maryland International Raceway on a better note following her victory at the Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings race in Epping, NH. She became the first female winner in No Prep Kings history, taking the $40,000 prize with an impressive performance in her Edelbrock-equipped “Aftershock” Camaro.

Musi knocked off boyfriend Kye Kelly in the final round, continuing to show remarkable progress in her racing career.

“To be the first woman to win a No Prep Kings event is an honor,” said the daughter of famed engine builder Pat Musi. “We struggled hard last year. Over the winter we did our homework and worked on coming up with the best combination possible. For me and Kye to be in the finals, it was kind of like a dream.”  (Tara Bowker photo)    [05/31/19]

Jim Dunn Racing will have colorful new graphics on their Dodge Charger Funny Car for the NHRA Route 66 Nationals. Retailer Menards and east coast transportation leader, DiPinto International Logistics, will be prominently featured as co-primary sponsors.

The racing team will be promoting Bauducco’s Mini Panettone bread that will be sold in all 300+ Menards stores later this season. At the same time, the team is recognizing DiPinto International Logistics recent expansion into Port Newark.

The familiar Cattleman’s Cut brand will return as primary sponsor of Dunn’s Funny Car driven by Jim Campbell for the NHRA Western Swing in July.   [05/31/19]

Reigning North Central Region Top Alcohol Dragster champion Troy Coughlin Jr. will unveil a special "WELD Racing At JEGS" design on the McPhillips Racing dragster he'll pilot at this weekend's Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

"It's going to be fun to promote their V-Series and RT-S wheels and hopefully we'll sell a lot of product for them. What's really neat is if you jump on JEGS.com and use our wheel simulator, you can see what all the different WELD wheels look like on your own ride."  [05/31/19]

PUMA and Pirelli have partnered to create a racing-inspired shoe. The new Replicat-X shoe was inspired by Pirelli’s CINTURATO Blue tire.

The Replicat-X sports an oversized full rubber outsole, with a molded sock-liner. Pirelli’s unique CINTURATO Blue tread pattern on the sole—used to generate maximum traction during wet races—provides grip and control for the power under consumers’ feet.

“Fast as a bullet, aerodynamic as a racing car, the shoe’s upper features a perforated Microfiber-suede on the vamp, with lateral mesh panels for breathability, providing the perfect fit to own the road,” according to PUMA.

The shoe will be released under the PUMA Motorsports line. [05/31/19]