Bowling Green, Kentucky’s Beech Bend Raceway Park has long hosted one of the best biker events in the country, and this year’s PennGrade1 AMRA D.C. Jones Memorial Fall Nationals was packed with V-Twin culture junkies and high-speed Harley-Davidson drag racing. The September 25-27 event was blessed with perfect weather for racing, riding, partying, and tempting fate on the Wall of Death!
Johnny Mancuso’s Circle M Ranch Top Fuel
Defending Johnny Mancuso’s Circle M Ranch Top Fuel champ Ryan Peery and his bike loved the Bowling Green conditions, qualifying No. 1 with a 6.30 at 224.
“The cool air made for some good power on Saturday, and we ran a couple .30’s in qualifying,” said Peery. “The bike was doing exactly what we wanted it to do all weekend.”
It’s fair to say that the rest of the field failed to find the perfect groove that Peery and his bike found themselves in. Rebel Glover rode the Byron-winning (with Chris Smith in the seat) Jay Turner Racing bike to number two qualifier, but his 6.47 at 194 was a sizable gap behind Peery. Two bikes failed to make the field of 16.
Peery himself was over half a second off of his qualifying pace in his round one raceday win over Derrick Nelson.
“A little hotter on Sunday and an even better prepped track caused me to slow down for first round of eliminations,” said Peery. “But we corrected the tune-up and just made consistent passes after that.”
Peery improved to a 6.44 at 214 in E2 against Jimmy McMillan, who torched one on the big end in round one and wasn’t able to make the call.
John “J.T.” Toth was having a career day, but his 6.69 wasn’t enough for Peery’s 6.42 in the semi’s. Jordan Peterson beat Bad Apple Racing’s Cameron “Flash” Gunter in the other semi, but spun the tire and dropped a hole in the final against Peery as the Chris Stewart team continues to dial-in their new BentecSweden clutch set-up.
“Hats off to the track crew at Beech Bend, they did an awesome job,” said Peery. “They gave us a consistently good track and it allowed me to be consistent. That’s what you need to win races. This should make for a very exciting final race at Rockingham, as the points chase is getting tight. Should be four or five of us all capable of winning the championship at the final race of the season, so should be good race to come out and watch. Doesn’t get any more exciting than that.
“Thank you to RP Motorsports, Midwest Construction, P&C Johnson Trucking, the Nitro Hobo, Brian Conley Jr. and Sr., and my wife Miranda. I’ll see everyone at Rockingham.”
Armon Furr Nitro Funnybike
Ken “Stubby” Hultman has had Armon Furr Nitro Funnybike all to himself most of this season, but Beech Bend was different. Former champ Jim Doyle won the season opener at No Problem Raceway, but has stayed home in Massachusetts ever since – until Bowling Green, where he was joined by Walter Halosnki on Daryl Coffin’s bike to give Stubby a fight.
Hultman held his own in qualifying, scoring No. 1 with a 7.19 at 164 mph. That gave him an opening round bye, while Doyle eliminated Halonski on the other side of the ladder.
Unwilling to yield, Stubby put .088 on Doyle at the tree, but his bike gave up the ghost.
“Smoked the tire,” said Hultman. “When I got out of it, I broke an exhaust rocker, which prevented me to get back in it.”
Doyle also slowed but scored the win.
“We worked late into Saturday evening, as most racers do, to make the bike better,” said Doyle. “That worked out good until a fuel line leak caused the bike to slow up in the finals, but still had enough to get the win.
“Thanks to my sponsors B and R Machine and Advance Welding who helped get me back out on the track. And thanks Tim Hailey for the great coverage you give all of us. Rockingham should be good race for us, trying to get our third win of the year. I expect this race to be big as always.”
Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel
Rider Hot Rod Carlisle and bike owners Mike and Harriet Ann Blair have been knocking on the Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel “win” door for many races now, and the door was finally opened at Beech Bend.
Carlisle qualified No. 2 with a 7.27 at 173 mph, within striking distance of No. 1 qualifier and defending class champ “Bad Apple Mary (AKA BAM)” Dangrow’s 7.20. Carlisle’s teammate Richard Boone was third on “Da Bug” with a 7.39 as Team Blair flexed their muscles.
“After the tire shake and resulting carnage in Illinois – and the required repairs by Hawaya Racing – we brought the fresh and untested ‘Buddy Bike’ Pro Fueler of Mike and Harriet Blair to Bowling Green to battle the best that the AMRA has,” said the eloquent Carlisle.
“In Q1 we matched our personal best of 7.27 that we ran here last year. That gave us the number one spot in that round. In Q2, Mary of Bad Apple Racing bested us with a 7.20, putting us in the number two spot through the rest of the qualifying rounds. We ran 173 mph on the Buddy Bike, which was the fastest mph in Pro Fuel during qualifying.”
BAM’s number one qualifying pass had a 1.13 60-ft. time and broke the AMRA Pro Fuel eighth mile record with a 4.444.
“On raceday, the ladder lined us up with fellow Hawaya Racing Products racer Walter Halonski for round one,” continued Carlisle. “We were able to make it past Walter and meet Jim Martin in round two. We knew that we needed a holeshot on Jim and we were able to edge him out ever so slightly on the tree and take the round win.
“In the semifinals we drew Sam White. Sam has been a racing hero of mine for many years – even before I got my nitro license – and meeting him in competition was an honor. We were having some tuning issues and knew once again that it was going to be down to the holeshot, and we did it! Sam was slightly quicker than us, but our holeshot held out and we were in the finals!
“As we were working one side of the ladder, BAM was working the other and it was a Bad Apple vs. Red Eyed Racing final! Mike Blair, crew chief Charlie Houston, and Ziggy Sal worked on our bike’s tune-up while I worked on my mental tune-up. We knew yet again that it was going to take a good light to run with razor-sharp Mary.
“As the sun was setting and the air was cooling, we knew one hell of a race was brewing (so poetic!). After our burnouts and we staged, we both left almost identically, with Mary edging me by .013 on the tree and .021 in the 60 ft. By the 330 we were evening out, us with a 2.984 and Mary with a 2.982. Ladies and gentlemen, if you came to see a drag race, this was it!
“At the eighth mile, I was 4.561 and BAM was 4.565 and it was still anyone’s race as we were neck and neck. At the 1000 ft. mark we were still only .034 apart. I tucked in as tight as I could as my clutch locked in the final stage and our top end charge was able to just slightly pull ahead with us crossing the line with a 7.299 and BAM running a 7.382.
“What a thrill to be able to race the caliber of competitors in our class and finally win an AMRA event in front of our friends and family – and on my honeymoon with my beautiful bride Lisa Ling Carlisle! This event was a milestone in many ways, as bike owner Mike Blair and his father have both won this event and we were riding in memory of Arno St. Dennis, Mike’s mentor and employer in his formidable years. This win was over the top for us!
“I’d like to thank Mike and Harriet Ann for believing in me and giving me such a badass bike to ride. I’d also like to thank the Red Eyed Racing family that volunteers their time and effort getting us to and from the races and working tirelessly to get me down the track. Also a huge shout-out to Johnny and Leanne Vickers and the Hawaya Racing family for setting us up with such a sweet ride and helping to keep it in top notch shape.
“I’d like to thank our sponsors: My employer and fellow teammate Kenny Satterlee and the Metro Fleet crew for putting up with my racing addiction. John Truskosky and Myles from Cottonmouth Custom Cycles of Pensacola for their support and helping to keep our tow rig rolling. Burnout Cycles of Rossville, Georgia, for helping out with parts and service and just about anything we need at the drop of a hat. The Outlaws Motorcycle Club that I’ve been a member of for 28 years, for all of their support and being able to represent them in a positive way. And last but not least, my beautiful little family Lisa Ling Carlisle and our daughters Mackenzie Brock and Noelle Hart, that love this lifestyle as much as me and makes all of this worth it.”
“I know how hard they have worked to get a win,” said Dangrow, who noted that Hot Rod lost a lot of weight to get more competitive. “As much as I don’t want to lose, I was really happy for him and having competition like that makes me and us as a team better.”
Nostalgia Fuel
The Bowling Green race was the fourth stop of the inaugural Nostalgia Fuel Championship. This new series is a collaboration between the AMRA, Al Balice’s Rockford Liquidation Warehouse, Craig Caulk Racing, and the Nostalgic Dragbike Racing League.
Coming into Bowling Green, Bryan and Leo Hess with Full Blast Engineering held a solid lead with wins at the Iowa Hog Drags, AMRA’s Illinois Nitro Nationals, and the Truett and Osbourne Drags. Jordan Henry held second place while Jay Rogers and Doug Whitmore were tied for third place in the points.
“As the class continues to gain momentum and participants, you never know who you’re going to see joining the fun,” said League spokesman Jay Rogers. Bowling Green saw Paul Warner, Whitmore, Henry and Rogers in the field. With a four bike minimum required to accrue points, the stage was set for the battle for second place in the championship.
“After the first round of qualifying, Paul was low ET and in the number one spot, and I was sitting number two,” said Rogers. “Jordan was number three and Doug unqualified with mechanical problems.
“Round two had everyone working on their bikes. We decided to sit out the round, not sure if we could better Paul’s first round 5.43 eighth mile. The other three bikes were hard at work to make round three.
“We sat out round three again, trying to save our bullets for eliminations, confident that our number two spot was secure. Paul slowed to a 5.83 in the third round and Jordan had mechanical problems that would take him out of the competition for the weekend. Doug struggled to keep their bike running after the burnout, and after three attempts to get the bike down the track in Q3, were unable to pull it off.”
All of that left Rogers and Warner facing each other in the final. Paul had lane choice and chose the right lane. When the tree dropped, Jay got out on Paul slightly with a .168 to Paul’s .202. By the 330-mark, Jay still held a slight lead but Paul was charging hard after him. Jay’s 9.64 at 94 won with a .028 margin of victory against Paul’s 9.36/102 on a holeshot.
Jay, Doug, and Jordan had planned to continue on to Temple, Texas for the Temple Party Drags for the last stop on the 2026 season for them, but the weather won out and that race had to be rescheduled.
“On behalf of all of the competitors in the Nostalgia Fuel class, thank you to everyone that has followed along,” said Rogers. “If you’d like more information on the structure of the class and the rules that we use, head over to the Nostalgic Dragbike Racing League Facebook page and join the conversation. We have a simple goal: get as many of these older bikes that can no longer compete in the modern fuel classes back to the track and making laps!”
Pro Outlaw and Axtell Cylinders Hot Street
Charley “No Bags” Douglass ripped both of his no-bar bikes down the Beech Bend 1320 for Pro Outlaw and Axtell Cylinders Hot Street wins. The fact that the Virgina racer flipped his turbo bike and went to the hospital the last time he was at this track only makes the wins more poignant.
“This was the first AMRA race for Douglass Racing for the 2026 season,” said Douglass. “We made the choice to race in Bowling Green because we really needed to spend some time with our race family and friends.
“It was great to have my dad with me at the track. I appreciate the time, memories and support through the 27 years we have been racing together. I want to thank my wife Angel for her support, understanding, and love. We were able to celebrate our 16-year wedding anniversary driving to this race.
“This was the first time back in Bowling Green since my flip-over two years ago, so I know it was hard on Angel to watch me make my first pass of the weekend in the same left lane. My hope was to make my first 200 mph pass in that lane. I ended up running 199.76 mph on Saturday and 7.386 ET.”
The 199 wasn’t backed up, but Douglass still claimed the Pro Outlaw record with a 197.76. He also set eighth-mile records with a 4.869 at 155.49 mph and claimed the No. 1 qualifier.
But before that: “On Friday testing, I broke the transmission main shaft and had to replace the transmission. My nephew Jacob has done an outstanding job crewing for me this year. He knows what needs to be done between rounds and gets it done. Thank you, Jacob!”
It was a tough Pro Outlaw field that included No Problem winner Billy Doherty, Byron winner Jerry Cameron, and the intensely quick Bagger hero Jeremy Williamson.
Douglass had the round-one bye and then faced Doherty in the semifinals. With a normally aspirated knife in a turbo gunfight, Doherty’s only hope was to grab time at the tree, and the always quick rider did just that with an .023 against Charley’s .055. It wasn’t enough, as Charley’s 8.19 easily dispatched Doherty’s 8.70, both at 153 mph.
That’s a low mph figure for Douglass, who lost lane choice for the final to Williamson, who ran 7.75 at 169.
The final coulda-woulda-shoulda been epic. “Was on the 2-step too long and went red,” said Williamson, who was -.265 red. Both bikes ran 7.42, with Douglass only .001 quicker.
The normally aspirated Axtell Cylinders Hot Street field was just as tough, with Byron winner Clayton Danford qualifying No. 1, Douglass second, and U.S. 131 winner Jeremy “Skinnywrench” Wilson third.
Douglass faced Danford in the final and once again benefitted from a redlight, as Clayton punched in at -.022 and threw away what would have been a winning 10.15 at 106 to Charley’s 10.27 at 133.
“I want to thank my family and friends from Indiana that kept us fed and entertained all weekend,” said Douglass. “This is my 23rd consecutive year racing some form of Hot Street. I want to give honor and glory to my God and my savior Jesus Christ for all my accomplishments, for keeping me safe and saving my soul!
“I also want to thank longtime supporters Energy-One Clutches, CP pistons, Carillo rods, H-D of Lynchburg, SA RACING Steve Allstaedt, Andy Simon, Chad Hart XLXBhorsepower, Joe Perry/Joe’s Parts, Old Guys Do Rule Racing Tom Caldwell and JB-TECH, Jesse Brown, my tuner.”
Zipper’s Performance Pro Bagger and Thundermax Street Bagger
Some racers double once in a lifetime. Bagger racer Nick Boey can’t seem to stop doubling up!
“We were able to put together another double-up weekend for the third time in four races,” said Illinois racer Boey.
In hotly contested Zipper’s Performance Pro Bagger and Thundermax Street Bagger, no less. Boey qualified No. 2 in both classes, .008 behind number one Shannon Poor’s 8.24 in Pro Bagger and well behind Jimmy Maikranz’s record setting (both ends) 9.14 at 151.63 mph with a 9.40 in Street.
But Poor’s bike was hurt, coasting down track on his round one bye and no-showing against Bert Baker in round two. That set up the final between Baker and Boey. Double-duty Bert (also racing Top Fuel!) grabbed .041 at the tree but ran 8.33 to Nick’s winning 8.11.
David “Paco” Cartwright took .034 from Boey at the tree in round one of Street, but his 10.02 at 133 allowed Nick’s 9.60 at 145 to drive around.
Maikranz handled teammate Jeff Boudreaux in round one to meet Boey in the final. This time it was Boey’s .171 that took the tree against Jimmy’s .222, and Nick kept it out front 9.39 at 146 to 10.83/148 for the win.
“These wins don’t come without a team,” said Boey. “My dad was less than one month recovered from rotator cuff surgery and was still at the track doing anything he could with one arm. The crew from 2 Boss Performance stepped up big again and helped us work on the bikes all weekend. We were able to put together fast consistent passes all weekend and it earned us the win.”
And the Street Bagger eighth mile MPH record at 142.91 mph.
Huffman Performance Super Gas 9.90 and BK Electric Super Pro 10.30
It wasn’t just out-the-backdoor racers that won doubles at Beech Bend. Ohio sportsman racer Richard George accomplished the feat in Huffman Performance Super Gas 9.90 and BK Electric Super Pro 10.30.
George qualified third in Super Gas, behind No. 1 Chuck Kennedy. Despite a whopping .014 to .174 lead at the tree, Kennedy lost to Jimmy Smith with a 10.15 to Jimmy’s 9.97 in the semis. In a great race on the other side, George beat Byron winner Robert Alther with an .076/10.01/130 to Alther’s .061/10.04/130.
Perhaps admiring the beautiful Beech Bend sunset in the final, Smith was a full .216 behind George’s .051 and broke out trying to catch up.
George qualified ninth in the 20-bike BK Electric Super Pro 10.30 field with a 10.39. Cody Hayworth was No. 1 with a 10.308.
Hayworth was a victim of Robert Mallory’s .006 light in the semi’s. Mallory still took the tree in the final with an .076 to George’s .111, but George kept it closer to the index with a 10.37 to Mallory’s .46.
A man of few words, George simply said he was “Amazed,” then added “I would like to thank my wife Cheryl, my son Willie, BK Electric and Huffman Performance, for sponsoring our classes, and all the other sponsors, and Motormainia.tv so people at home and abroad can watch live. Special thanks to Greg and Julia (Baugh) for keeping the AMRA alive and giving us a great place to race!”
Zipper’s Performance Modified
Canadian Russ Johnson swept the Zipper’s Performance Modified table at Beech Bend, qualifying number one and beating defending class champ Kim DeShields in the final. Johnson took the tree by .021 and ran an 8.85 at 146 to 9.28/140 for DeShields.
“Had some electrical/shifting problems on Saturday but got them resolved for the finals,” said Johnson. “It seemed like Kim and I always met in the finals and I always lost. But Sunday, that was a different story. Cut a good light, hit every shift, bike ran quickest it ran all weekend with an 8.85. Me and Jeff (Flora) where very happy after that win.
“Wanna thank Zipper’s Performance for sponsoring the class. Thank Jeff for letting me ride it, and Rod for the help. And the AMRA.”
Top Eliminator 9.90
Super Pro number one qualifier Cody Hayworth only qualified seventh in Top Eliminator 9.90, but performed on raceday when it mattered.
In the Top Eliminator final he faced Randy Erdman, who defeated No. 1 qualifier Chuck Kennedy in round two. Kennedy also qualified in the Super Gas top spot.
Hayworth was very generous against Erdman at the tree, watching him leave with a .075 before starting his own quarter mile journey with a .147. But Erdman struggled with a 13.31 at 89 mph while Cody nailed a winning 9.93/109.
“What a wonderful weekend!” said Hayworth. “Great weather,friends, and family. We struggled all weekend with the Mod/TE bike but was able to park it on the dance floor in TE! I got lucky every single round between racers missing shifts or redlight or a bye, we got to go dancing. Got No. 1 qualifier in 10.30 class but went a little too fast in the semi’s, ending our day.
“I want to thank the good lord upstairs for keeping me safe doing what I love, and my wife and parents for keeping me straight and allowing all the shenanigans! See y’all at The Rock!”
S&S Cycle Pro Eliminator 10.90
S&S Cycle Pro Eliminator 10.90 No. 1 qualifier Bryce Creek (10.901) had it going on raceday too, until the sixth and final round against John Bradley. That was when Creek paddled off the starting line with a .138 in the wake of Bradley’s .015. Creek worked his oars furiously to break out with a 10.86.
“It’s been a hell of a ride this year, starting with bike issues,” said Bradley. “It’s been nine years (since) I’ve won an AMRA event. I will be 70 in November and really didn’t even know if I had a win left in me. So I have just been trying to have fun, and wow what a ride. Made an old man’s dream.
“I want to thank S&S, AMRA, and David Loeke with Backwoodz Performance for making an old man’s dream come true.”
Austin “Hammerhead” Hughes was dead-on 10.90 in his round one win against “Laid Back Larry” Stevens. Larry was .006 quicker at the tree but .007 off the index. Wow!
Thundermax Street Eliminator 11.50
Kevin Winters is a double winner waiting to happen, it just hasn’t happened this year…yet. But Winters did win Thundermax Street Eliminator 11.50 at Beech Bend.
After qualifying fourth with a 10.54 (behind No. 1 Clark Guidry’s 11.51), Winters slashed his way through the 34 bike field to reach the final against John “My Timeslips Sure Show It” Poett. Poett took the tree .072 to .095, but his 12.01 ET wasn’t going to cut it. Kevin won with an 11.79.
“(My) third race of the season, Beech Bend Raceway Park, Bowling Green, Kentucky – my favorite track,” said Winters. “Ran three classes: Eliminator dial-in bracket class, Street Eliminator 11.50 index class, and Pro Eliminator 10.90 index class.
“On Saturday, I qualified No. 4 in 11.50 and number sixteen in 10.90. Both classes had 34 bike entries. Sunday, went three rounds in both Eliminator dial-in bracket and Pro Eliminator 10.90 index class. Street Eliminator 11.50 index class, I won, making it my third consecutive win in this class this year. Overall great weekend of racing. See ya at the next one! Thank you AMRA!”
Baker Drivetrain Eliminator
“Wild Bill” Quinn finally sealed the deal in Baker Drivetrain Eliminator, a 74-bike field at Beech Bend. Fellow finalist Tim Parker made that last round easy for Quinn, going -.008 red.
“Indescribable feeling, my first ever win at one of the biggest Harley drag races in the country,” said Wild Bill. “I’ve been at this for four years and have never won a bracket race. Not even a small local race. I made it to the AMRA finals one time in Maryland and my clutch exploded.
“My bike’s nickname is “Junkyard Dog” because my racing budget comes from my side hustle scrapping cars. It is a simple, foot-shifted, 106 stroker twin cam, mostly built from hand-me-down parts and scrap metal. There is nothing fancy going on with this bike.
“To finally get my first win at Beech Bend really means a lot. This is a big event for our racing team and motorcycle clubs. It is a national AMRA race for championship points and also a big gathering of our friends and family in the motorcycle community. Not to mention the biggest, wildest party on the circuit!
“I crashed here at 115 mph in 2023, I’ve had blowouts on my trailer and almost wrecked trying to get here. I’ve been broken down in my van and had to spend the night on the side of the highway trying to get home. This dragstrip has kicked my ass a few times.
“There were 74 riders entered in Eliminator, some of which are the best Harley drag racers in the world. I qualified second Saturday with a .002 reaction. I was super stoked. I could have gone home happy just for pulling that off. Seeing my winlight come on for seven rounds straight on Sunday felt like I was dreaming.
“I kept the same 10.850 dial-in for every race. Round four, my opponent (Thundermax Street Eliminator 11.50 winner Kevin Winters) and I had the same 60-ft. time and we both ran our dial-ins dead-on. I only beat him by a little bit off of reaction time (actually, a substantial .022 to .118 advantage). I nearly fell over when I saw the timeslip. I was blessed with a little bit of fortune throughout the day. A couple of opponents redlighted and I did have a bye run to the final.
“The final race was extra special. My entire team was already at the starting line celebrating and taking a photo for Hot Rod’s (Carlisle) first AMRA Pro Fuel win. I had to photo bomb it quick with my leathers and helmet on. Then I went out and got my first win! It was really cool, we got our first wins together since Hot Rod got me into drag racing. To quote my brother and teammate Sick Rick McCune – ‘Hey! It’s our turn!’
“What a relief it is to finally get a win after all the money spent, hours in the garage, and time on the road. I was really worried I’d have to go through life like Napolean Dynamite’s Uncle Rico telling people how I almost went all the way to victory lane at AMRA if my clutch didn’t blow up (hilarious!).
“I would like to dedicate this race to Jesus Christ, my parents Bill and Eileen Quinn, my wife Christy Quinn, Red Eyed Racing Team, Widowmakers Motorcycle Club, my engine machinist James Best of Dudley’s Basement, my sponsors DOA Junk Cars, Burnout Cycles, and Metro Fleet Repair. Thank you to all who have supported me.”
Shutdown Area
The next race is the Big One, the Jim McClure Memorial AMRA Finals at North Carolina’s Rockingham Dragway on October 16-18, 2026. The whole Harley-Davidson drag racing family, riders and fans will be there, and you should be to!
This story was originally published on October 9, 2026. 
