German class rookie Silvio Strauch certainly found some grip in qualifying on his first visit to Santa Pod with his Top Methanol Dragster. The landing made a mess of the front end on the ex-Peter Schofer rail, but the Engine ghost team were able to fix things in time for eliminations.  (Rose Hughes photo)

Several European records were set at the FIA/FIM-E Finals at Santa Pod Raceway, including Maja Udtian (Top Fuel), Filippos Papafillippou (Top Fuel Bike), Marcus Christiansen (Super Twin Bike), and Steve Venables (Super Street Bike).

In addition, Jimmy Ålund recorded the first 5.7 from a blower car in Europe. See all the results from DRO European correspondents Ivan Sansom and Rose Hughes at here. [09/17/19]

Retiring Victory NSS series director Chris Schneider (left) congratulates 2019 champion Dennis Spurgeon (right).  (Dennis Mothershed photo)

With 40 classic Super Stocks on hand and over 10 of the racers with a shot at the series championship, the expectations were high for an exciting final event for the Victory NSS series at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Those expectations were met and then some!

After four hard fought rounds of racing during the Monster Muscle Car Weekend, the last three racers still in the battle [Clay Kossuth, Tom Hoffman and Dennis Spurgeon] could all take the title: whoever won this race was going to be champion.

When the smoke cleared, Dennis Spurgeon edged out Tom Hoffman to win the race and take home his first championship Gold Cup.

With this being the last Victory race of the year, a Gambler's Race was added to the schedule. Series title sponsor Dennis Mothershed (at right) was a very proud father when his son Matthew took that win.

Many of the Victory racers will be competing this weekend, Sept. 20-22, at the NMCA World Street Finals at Indy. There will be three days of Nostalgia Super Stock racing, with class run-offs on Friday, the NMCA vs Victory All Star Race on Saturday, and the Dave Duell Classic on Sunday. More than 70 NSS racers from around the country are expected for this weekend.  [09/17/19]

The first of three events in four weeks for the Southwest Heritage Racing Association was held at North Star Dragway in Denton, TX, on Saturday, Sept. 14. Points tighten with only two more events of the season.

NE1: Tera Graves, Princeton, TX, .0257 RT, 4.686, 140.19 def. David Crow, Hutto, TX, .0325 RT, 4.746, 143/27

NE2: Dusty Rose, Tykon, OK, .0148 RT, 5.081, 133/45 def. Bruce Dodson, Grand Prairie, TX, .0238 RT, 5.020, 134.89

NE3: Keith Darrow, Forney, TX, .177 RT, 5.473. 124.48 def. Larry Young, El Campo, TX, no run

Old School No Electronics: Tim Stuckey def. Jim Baughan

Old School Electronics: Art Howard def. Michael Rhea, red-light

Nostalgia Super Stock: Garry Durham def. Vic Corlett   [09/17/19]

Troy Coughlin Jr. took the absolute toughest route to the winner's circle of the 35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals Sunday to claim his fourth victory of the season in his JEGS.com McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster. Ranked third in the world leading into the event, Coughlin beat national points leader Shawn Cowie in the quarterfinals (5.181/280.14 to 5.203/279.50), fourth-ranked Duane Shields in the semifinals (5.221/279.27 to 5.248/277.77) and second-place runner Megan Meyer in the final (5.211/279.96 to 5.261/273.61) to claim his team's home event for the second straight year.

Top Alcohol Funny Car: Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.417, 270.86 def. Chris Marshall, Camaro, 5.493, 267.27.

Competition Eliminator: Christopher Piston, Dragster, 8.117, 146.45 def. Tom Martino, Chevy Cobalt, 8.193, 156.39.

Super Stock: Herbie Null Jr., Chevy Camaro, 9.700, 136.83 def. John DiBartolomeo, Camaro, 9.271, 142.24.

Super Comp: Kyle Bigley, Dragster, 8.925, 162.57 def. Ken Moses, Dragster, 8.940, 174.41.

Stock Eliminator: Joe Santangelo, Chevy Camaro, 10.385, 119.92 def. Randi Lyn Shipp, Pontiac Firebird, 10.662, 121.58.

Super Gas: Ed Alessi Jr, Pontiac Catalina, 9.937, 158.45 def. Jake Barbato, Chevy Camaro, 9.958, 160.48.  [09/17/19]

The Nostalgia Nitro Nationals at Tulsa Raceway Park is the place for front-engine Top Fuel drag racing action this weekend. The All American Fuel Dragsters will take part in quarter-mile competition under the lights. The event carries on 50-plus years of Top Fuel competition that stretches back to the 1965 NHRA World Finals at the legendary dragstrip.

The Nitro Nationals is the next to last for NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Top Fuel championship race ahead of the season closer at the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, CA. Mendy Fry and the High Speed Motorsports fueler, Adam Sorokin and the Champion Speed Shop small block Chevrolet (shown), and Jim Murphy with the WW2 dragster are rolling from California in the top three points positions.

Ohio racer Tyler Hilton will strap into the big block Chevrolet-powered "Great Expectations III" AA/Fuel Dragster. Tim Cullinan is on the way from Illinois with his late-model 426 hemi-powered "Irish Car Bomb." Local racing legend Paul Schultz is loaded up with nitro for his Hemi-powered "Spirit of Tulsa" dragster.

Nostalgia Funny Cars and A-Fuel dragsters will also run at this event. (Brian Losness photo)   [09/17/19]