C. Pedregon Taking Different Approach to Tune-Up in 2013

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News, Teams | Leave a comment

Two-time NHRA Funny Car world champ Cruz Pedregon is taking a different approach to the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The veteran driver is battling in the ultra-competitive Funny Car category without a crew chief.

So far, the concept seems to be working. Pedregon’s Snap-on Tools Toyota Camry has been really quick at times during the season. He claimed his 51st career No. 1 qualifying position at the recent Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Florida.

He will try to earn another No. 1 spot and grab a victory at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, April 5-7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Robert Hight is the defending Funny Car race champion. Read more

Hawley School Teaches Art of Drag Racing

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News | Leave a comment

Steven Andersen lived in Europe, graduated with a master’s degree in Fine Art from the University of Minnesota and had a life of luxury in New York City. He worked alongside Andy Warhol, signed autographs and even had a book published on his work by the Minneapolis Institute of Art. After leaving New York City, Anderson even had established his own nationally-recognized print shop.

But with all that, the 67-year-old Anderson could still never truly forget his very first true passion – drag racing. Read more

ProThings Named Official Crew Uniform of ADRL

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News | Leave a comment

Officials from the American Drag Racing League announced today that they have signed a multi-year partnership with ProThings to be the “Official Crew Uniform of the ADRL” for the next three years. Additionally, ProThings will sponsor the “Best Appearing Crew” at all ADRL events.

All ADRL officials will be wearing custom designed uniforms provided by ProThings beginning at the Hardee’s Georgia Drags VII Apr. 13-14, at South Georgia Motorsports Park. Read more

NHRA Factory Stock Showdown Expands 2013 Schedule

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News | Leave a comment

NHRA announced Mar. 27, that the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown will be expanded to three events for the 2013 season with new stops at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events in Englishtown, NJ, May 30 – June 2, and Sept. 13-15, at Charlotte, NC. The two new venues will book end the NHRA U.S. Nationals held at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Labor Day weekend, Aug. 28 – Sept. 2, where the program was introduced last year.

In addition to expanding the number of events, the class has been split into two separate classes within Stock Eliminator. The split is expected to bring more parity into the program and combined with a new class index, is intended to draw more participation. Read more

Hardee’s Named Title Sponsor of ADRL Georgia Drags VII

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News | Leave a comment

Officials from the American Drag Racing League announced Mar. 26, that quick-serve restaurant Hardee’s has been named the title sponsor of the ADRL Georgia Drags VII, April 13 – 14 at South Georgia Motorsports Park, in Cecil, Ga. Read more

DIXON TAKES IN BRISBANE AHEAD OF EASTER HIT-OUT

Posted on March 27, 2013 by admin in News | Leave a comment

The second-most successful NHRA Top Fuel driver in history – Larry Dixon – took time out from pre-event preparations for this week’s Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at Willowbank Raceway to chat with local media at the South Bank Parklands this morning.

Dixon will be joined on-track at Willowbank Raceway this Friday and Saturday (29/30 March) by celebrated NHRA crew chief Lee Beard as part of the Rapisarda International Autosport team of Santo Rapisarda, after the pair signed with Rapisarda’s NHRA (America’s drag racing association) team earlier this year for a full-time campaign.

“Having Lee Beard come over from the States is hugely important to our operation. To put it in perspective, I see it as being similar to when Michael Schumacher went to Ferrari in Formula 1 – he took all of his people with him so there was a comfort and skill level around him – it is exactly the same for me,” said Dixon from the South Bank Parklands. Read more

Moyer and Murillo Prepared for XDRL Season Opener

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News, Teams | Leave a comment

Todd Moyer (above) will lead his two-car team this year into X-DRL Pro Turbo competition this year, including the ’63 Corvette he will drive and his ’68 Camaro, which will be driven by NMCA star Mike Murillo.

A former star in the ADRL Extreme 10.5 class, Moyer’s twin-turbocharged Corvette has always been a fan favorite with its shooting flames and propensity for 200-mph-plus runs. Now, Moyer is excited about the new challenge in the highly-anticipated Precision Turbo & Engine Pro Turbo class. Read more

Pro Mod Reunion Race Coming to Farmington Dragway

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News | 2 Comments

Szupka Wins Twice at JEGS Cajun Sportsnationals

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, Race Coverage | Leave a comment

Steve Szupka (2nd from right, back row) won not once but twice Mar. 24, at the JEGS Cajun SPORTSnationals at No Problem Raceway and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and Jody Simoneaux took home the trophy in the NHRA Moser Sportsman Shootout.

Szupka, of Willow Grove, Pa., became just the 15th driver in history to win in two different classes during the same NHRA national event. Read more

NC Auto Racing Hall of Fame Expanding Drag Racing Exhibit Space

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News | Leave a comment

North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame (NCARHOF) Chairman Don Miller and NCARHOF Executive Director Jim Turner recently announced the NC Auto Racing Hall of Fame will be expanding it’s facility by more than 1,500 square feet to house historical drag racing vehicles and memorabilia. Read more

DI.COM BLOG: Van Abernethy’s “On The Road”

Posted on March 24, 2013 by admin in Blogs, On The Road | 4 Comments

I’m almost always alone in my drag racing travels, but this past weekend my 22 year old step-daughter, Miranda Sebastian,accompanied me on my journey. Miranda is in college and is a tremendously talented portrait photographer and her unique way of capturing people, both in candid settings or the studio never ceases to amaze her mother and me.

Just recently she told me about a college project in her photojournalism class, in which she was instructed to go out and basically write a compelling story “in pictures” about a day in the life of someone doing what they do for fun or work. Well, Miranda had the idea of going on the road with yours truly, beginning with photographing me driving down the road in the Drag Illustrated Sprinter and shooting pics of any stops we made along the way…stops that included an antique shop, a frozen yogurt dive, a Chinese restaurant and, of course, a few late-night Waffle Houses along the way as we journeyed to our weekend destinations. Read more

Race Fans, NHRA Racers Raise $12,000 at Charity Karting Event

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News | Leave a comment

Nearly 40 lucky race fans mingled with stars from the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Mar. 23, at the 11th annual NHRA Tour de Charity at the Sonoma Raceway Karting Center.

The sold-out event, which teamed race fans with NHRA racers for a day of karting on the raceway’s challenging course, raised $12,025 for Speedway Children’s Charities, bringing the 11-year total for the event to more than $122,000. Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Sonoma Raceway, raises funds for distribution to qualified youth organizations in Sonoma County. The charity has distributed more than $4.3 million since 2001. Read more

Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School Back in Session at zMax Dragway

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News | Leave a comment

Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School is back in action Apr. 1-2, at zMax Dragway, near Charlotte.

At Roy Hill’s the training is intense and serious, but accommodates the speed and skill level of each individual student. At this safety-conscious school, students learn about the equipment prior to hitting the track. They then learn how to overcome intimidation produced by the speed and power of the cars, and their skills are built as confidence increases. Read more

Sonoma Raceway’s Cardinale Passes

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News | Leave a comment

Officials at Sonoma Raceway, where the NHRA national-event tour makes an annual stop during its three-race “Western Swing,” announced Mar. 22, that longtime track publicist John Cardinale recently passed away at home with his family after a two-year battle with gastric cancer.

Cardinale was 47-years old and is survived by his wife, Andrea, and their two daughters. Read more

XDRL Announces Purse Upgrade for 3 Classes

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Drag Illustrated in Features, News | Leave a comment

The X-treme Drag Racing League (X-DRL) announced Mar. 20, that in addition to the regular purse, all qualifiers in the Pro X-treme, Pro Nitrous and X-treme Pro Stock classes will earn an extra $500 at the upcoming X-DRL Spring Nationals, Apr. 6-7, at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park.

Morrow Brothers Ford, which also is the “Official Vehicle Provider Of The X-DRL,” has added a special purse bonus for drivers in those three classes. In all, it represents a $24,000 payout bonus at the X-DRL’s inaugural event, adding even more anticipation to the X-DRL’s debut appearance in Tulsa. Read more