Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s quest for seventh NHRA world title begins Friday in Pomona
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 7) — Pro Stock ace Jeg Coughlin Jr. already has a bona fide Hall of Fame resume with six world titles and 76 national event victories placing him amongst drag racing’s all-time elite. But his multitude of accomplishments haven’t dampened his desire to compete at the top level and when the 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals begin this weekend in Pomona, Calif., Coughlin will once again be considered a serious threat to contend for the 2017 crown. Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s quest for seventh NHRA world title begins Friday in Pomona
Kalitta makes plans for second straight Pomona win
Pre-Race Report
Event 01: Circle K Winternationals
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Pomona, Calif.
Feb. 10-12, 2017
Kalitta makes plans for second straight Pomona win
Pomona Highlights: Two wins (Fall 2016, Spring 2009); Six finals (Spring 2016, Spring 2014, Fall 2013, Spring 2010, Spring 2004, Fall 1999); Six no.1 qualifiers (Spring 2014, Fall 2006, Fall 2004, Spring 2004, Spring 2003, Spring 2001)
2016 Winternationals Event Recap: Qualified second; Finalist (Defeated Scott Palmer in the first round, Antron Brown in the quarter-finals, J.R. Todd in the semi-finals, lost to Steve Torrence in the finals.)
Continue reading Kalitta makes plans for second straight Pomona win
Chevrolet Unveils Camaro GT4.R Racer for 2017 Competition
Chevrolet Unveils Camaro GT4.R Racer for 2017 Competition
New GT4 entry to run in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS, Pirelli World Challenge GTS
DETROIT (Feb. 8, 2017) – Chevrolet today introduced the Camaro GT4.R – a new-for-2017 and fully race-ready variant of the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro.
Built to global GT4 regulations, the Camaro GT4.R is eligible in the Pirelli World Challenge (GTS class) and IMSA’s Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge (GS category), two of North America’s top GT racing championships, as well as additional GT4 series across the world.
Developed with technical partner Pratt & Miller Engineering, the Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R is built off the Camaro ZL1 road car platform. The race-tuned, dry-sump 6.2L LT1 V8 small-block engine – developed and validated by Chevrolet Racing – delivers its power through a race proven, six-speed Xtrac sequential transmission with pneumatic paddle shift and adjustable traction control. Other notable features unique to the GT4.R include:
Xtrac racing limited-slip differential
Two-Way Adjustable Ohlins Racing Coil-Over Dampers
Adjustable ABS featuring Brembo brakes with six-piston aluminum monobloc calipers in the front
Aerodynamic improvements developed in the wind tunnel including a new rear wing, front splitter and front diveplanes.
The racing success of the fifth-generation Camaro gave Chevrolet engineers a head start on creating a turn-key racer in the GT4.R.
From 2010-16, the Camaro GS and Camaro Z/28.R won 55 races, two Manufacturer’s championships and five driving titles in major North American competition. The lessons and experience aided in the design and development of Chevrolet’s latest customer-driven track car.
Courtney Force seeks initial title as 2017 begins for Advance Auto Parts Funny Car driver
Courtney Force seeks initial title as 2017 begins for
Advance Auto Parts Funny Car driver
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 8) – Courtney Force put her fellow NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car competitors on notice last week that she intends to be a solid contender in this year’s championship fight.
Force heads into this weekend’s season-opener, the Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Speedway at Pomona, with a wave of momentum. She posted the top three fastest times during the Nitro Spring Training test last weekend at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix. During the test, she clocked a time of 3.804 seconds in her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS, unofficially the quickest elapsed time in history.
That should serve as a warning to others that Force is prepared to improve on last year’s sixth-place result in the points standings. Much of her team from last year – including crew chief Daniel Hood and co-crew chief Ronnie Thompson – returns intact, which Force said is important to challenging for victories and the title. Continue reading Courtney Force seeks initial title as 2017 begins for Advance Auto Parts Funny Car driver
PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil driver John Force seeks 17th title as NHRA season opens at Pomona
PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil driver John Force seeks
17th title as NHRA season opens at Pomona
Editor’s note: Resending with minor edits
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 8) – Sixteen-time NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car champion John Force will mount his assault on an unprecedented 17th title when the series opens up the 2017 campaign this weekend with the Circle K Winternationals at Auto Club Speedway in Pomona.
Driving the PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS, the all-time leader in NHRA Funny Car victories (147) seeks a strong start to 2017 after a busy offseason. Force reunited with longtime crew chief Jimmy Prock in January and also obtained the services of co-crew chief Chris Cunningham. With Prock, Force won the 2013 championship.
The partnership has already proven worthy. Force was fourth-quickest during last week’s Nitro Spring Training at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix. The test should prove to be a springboard to a successful season. Continue reading PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil driver John Force seeks 17th title as NHRA season opens at Pomona
Auto Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight ready for resurgence in 2017
Auto Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight
ready for resurgence in 2017
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 8) – Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car driver Robert Hight has had a stellar career, winning the 2009 championship and piling up 37 victories along the way.
But Hight is ready for a fresh start for the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series – which begins with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals this weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona – after a un-Hight-like 2016 that saw him win once race and finish eighth in the points standings. Continue reading Auto Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight ready for resurgence in 2017
Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson Sets Goals for Pomona, Assured for 2017 Season
Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson Sets Goals for Pomona, Assured for 2017 Season
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (February 7, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson heads to Pomona, California this weekend for the season opening 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals. The 2012 Pro Stock World Champion racer is eager to qualifying at Auto Club Raceway at Pomoma after testing at Wild Horse Motorsports Park.
“We’re excited to be testing and starting the new year out,” Johnson said. “Yesterday’s testing didn’t go as well as planned in our Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart but we’ve got a couple more days of testing before this weekend to get a good setup.”
The feeling surrounding Johnson and the Adam Hornberger-led team is in stark contrast to how they felt pulling into the gates at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona one year ago. Continue reading Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson Sets Goals for Pomona, Assured for 2017 Season
KB Racing teammates seek to remain a step ahead of stout Pro Stock competition
KB Racing teammates seek to remain a step ahead of stout Pro Stock competition
Reigning champion Jason Line and 2016 runner-up Greg Anderson primed for start of season
DETROIT (Feb. 7, 2017) – Jason Line is hard-pressed to imagine what he could do for an encore in 2017.
After all, the veteran KB Racing driver culled massive points from eight event victories and six runner-up finishes to keep one step ahead of teammate Greg Anderson and earn his third National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock world championship. Anderson matched Line’s win total to secure second place for the second consecutive season. Continue reading KB Racing teammates seek to remain a step ahead of stout Pro Stock competition
Rheem, Menards and Richard Childress Racing Tap Young Driver Ben Kennedy to Run Nine XFINITY Series Races
Rheem, Menards and Richard Childress Racing Tap Young
Driver Ben Kennedy to Run Nine XFINITY Series Races
Kennedy will run select races with RCR’s No. 2 XFINITY Series team
WELCOME, N.C. (February 6, 2017) – Rheem, Menards and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) are committed to championing the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) charge to be the series where “names are made,” and each have long histories of supporting aspiring drivers from local short tracks to NASCAR’s feeder series.
Ben Kennedy will be the latest up-and-coming driver to be given that opportunity when he climbs into the No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro for nine NXS races, the first of which will be at Talladega Superspeedway this spring.
Kennedy has worked his way up through the NASCAR development ladder. In 2016, he competed full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and secured his first NASCAR national touring series win at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. He also finished 10th in his NXS debut last season at Iowa Speedway, driving the No. 2 Ruud Chevrolet for RCR. Continue reading Rheem, Menards and Richard Childress Racing Tap Young Driver Ben Kennedy to Run Nine XFINITY Series Races
Troy Coughlin Jr. set to begin pro career in SealMaster Top Fuel dragster
Troy Coughlin Jr. set to begin pro career
in SealMaster Top Fuel dragster
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 6) — Troy Coughlin Jr. is ready for the ultimate test of his drag racing skills with his first national event in a Top Fuel dragster at this weekend’s 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona. The third-generation driver has succeeded in every class he’s raced, but even he admits the challenges of piloting the 10,000-horsepower SealMaster rail are daunting.
“I’m completely humbled,” Coughlin said after three days of testing in the Arizona desert. “It’s just so fast. Everything comes at you so quickly in the seat. It’s much more intense than I ever imagined. This is one aggressive racecar, and it never stops accelerating during the run. It’s a beast, and it’s also very, very cool.”
Continue reading Troy Coughlin Jr. set to begin pro career in SealMaster Top Fuel dragster
Two-time world champion Erica Enders readies for season of redemption
Two-time world champion Erica Enders readies for season of redemption
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 6) — For two glorious seasons from 2014-2015, Erica Enders was on top of the drag racing world, winning back-to-back titles in arguably the toughest category in all motorsports, NHRA Pro Stock. An impressive 15 victories during the stretch was punctuated by her incredible driving prowess. She was, quite simply, peerless.
Last season the proud Texan returned to earth after a switch to another manufacturer, going winless en route to a sagging ninth-place finish overall. Continue reading Two-time world champion Erica Enders readies for season of redemption
Mopar and Dodge Begin Championship Chase, Celebrate 80 Years of Mopar as 2017 NHRA Season Blasts Off
Mopar and Dodge Begin Championship Chase, Celebrate 80 Years of Mopar as 2017 NHRA Season Blasts Off
Four-driver Mopar Dodge Charger R/T NHRA Funny Car squad competes to capture fifth title in seven seasons
Leah Pritchett back in Mopar/Pennzoil Top Fuel Dragster, looks to build off top-ten finish
Mopar and Dodge put focus on NHRA Sportsman racers, Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak drivers for 2017 season
February 6, 2017 (Auburn Hills, Michigan) – When the fastest race cars on the planet roar to life this week for the NHRA Winternationals, a fleet of Mopar-powered Dodge machines will be among the front-runners at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. Drivers and teams will also continue the yearlong Mopar 80th anniversary celebration at the 2017 season-starter as they look to add to the brand’s rich drag racing tradition. Continue reading Mopar and Dodge Begin Championship Chase, Celebrate 80 Years of Mopar as 2017 NHRA Season Blasts Off
Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Takes Third at Parker 425
Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Takes Third at Parker 425
• Ridgeline Baja Race Truck opens 2017 season with a podium result
• Racing version of current 2017 Honda Ridgeline
PARKER, Arizona (Feb. 5, 2017) – The Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck opened the 2017 off-road racing season with a strong performance Saturday in the southwestern Arizona desert, leading and finishing third in the “7200” class at the Parker 425.
The season-opening round of the Best In The Desert series, the Parker 425 features a rugged course with wide-ranging conditions, from sand washes and rough rock sections to wide-open rally roads. Continue reading Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Takes Third at Parker 425
Successful Nitro Spring Training complete, John Force Racing ready for 2017 season
Successful Nitro Spring Training complete,
John Force Racing ready for 2017 season
CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 4) – John Force Racing completed a successful preseason test session Saturday at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, with Courtney Force leading the way in Funny Car with her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS, and her sister, Brittany Force, the third-quickest Top Fuel dragster driver in her Monster Energy car. Continue reading Successful Nitro Spring Training complete, John Force Racing ready for 2017 season
Courtney Force advances to the top of Funny Car chart on Day 2 of Nitro Spring Training
Courtney Force advances to the top of Funny Car chart on Day 2 of Nitro Spring Training
CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 3) – Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force blistered Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park during the second day of NHRA Nitro Spring training Friday, posting the three-quickest passes of the week – including an incredible run under the Funny Car national record.
Force’s best run in her Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car was 3.804 seconds at 333.33 mph, quicker than Matt Hagan’s national-record run of 3.822 seconds set last year in Brainerd, Minn. Because Force’s pass came during testing, it is not a national record. Continue reading Courtney Force advances to the top of Funny Car chart on Day 2 of Nitro Spring Training
NHRA fans can meet the John Force Racing drivers at John Force RaceStation Meet and Greet
NHRA fans can meet the John Force Racing drivers at
John Force RaceStation Meet and Greet
YORBA LINDA, Calif. (Feb. 3) – John Force Racing is hosting a Meet and Greet with all four of its drivers at the John Force RaceStation before the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season-opener in Pomona.
The Meet and Greet will be held Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the John Force RaceStation, 22722 Old Canal Road, Yorba Linda, Calif. Admission is free. Continue reading NHRA fans can meet the John Force Racing drivers at John Force RaceStation Meet and Greet
Valerie Thompson named first female member of Bonneville 200 MPH Club Board of Directors
Valerie Thompson named first female member of Bonneville 200 MPH Club Board of Directors
World’s Fastest Female Motorcycle Racer Appointed to Prestigious Land Speed Racing Board
Pomona, CA. (Feb. 3, 2017) – The world’s fastest female motorcycle racer, Valerie Thompson, was appointed to the Bonneville 200 MPH Club board of directors during their recent meeting on January 28th at the National Hot Rod Association Museum in Pomona California.
Thompson is a seven-time land speed record holder, team owner/driver and member of six different land speed racing 200 MPH Clubs. She made history at the 2016 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials, winning the “The Fastest Time of the Meet” award with a speed of 304.263 mph (489.6 KMH) piloting the Team “7” Racing streamliner. Thompson is the first female rider over 300 mph, earning the title of “Worlds Fastest Female Motorcycle Racer.” Continue reading Valerie Thompson named first female member of Bonneville 200 MPH Club Board of Directors
DE LA VARA CELEBRATES VICTORIES IN OFF-SEASON F4 U.S Championship driver competes in F4 NACAM
DE LA VARA CELEBRATES VICTORIES IN OFF-SEASON
F4 U.S Championship driver competes in F4 NACAM
INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 3, 2016) – For Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda competitor Moises de la Vara of Guadalajara, the off-season has been busy. Before the inaugural F4 U.S. season concluded, de la Vara suited-up for his second competition season in the FIA Mexican F4 Championship, F4 NACAM, making him the first North American competitor to ever compete in two FIA F4 championships simultaneously. Continue reading DE LA VARA CELEBRATES VICTORIES IN OFF-SEASON F4 U.S Championship driver competes in F4 NACAM
Robert Hight, Courtney Force quickest on Day 1 of NHRA Nitro Spring Training
Robert Hight, Courtney Force quickest on Day 1 of
NHRA Nitro Spring Training
CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 2) – John Force Racing driver Robert Hight turned the quickest overall elapsed time in the NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car class to lead all drivers in Thursday’s opening day of the Nitro Spring Training test at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Continue reading Robert Hight, Courtney Force quickest on Day 1 of NHRA Nitro Spring Training
NHRA Nitro Spring Training: One day until John Force Racing’s teams report
NHRA Nitro Spring Training: One day until
John Force Racing’s teams report
CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 1) – John Force Racing’s four nitro teams are primed for the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
But first: preseason testing in the form of NHRA Nitro Spring Training, held this week at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix.
Numerous NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car teams will test there starting Thursday. For JFR, the test will mark the first time on the track for two new driver/crew chief combinations. Continue reading NHRA Nitro Spring Training: One day until John Force Racing’s teams report