It’s historic Atlanta Dragway’s last season before being turned into a shopping center or housing development or whatever, and massive fields of thundering, flaming, AHDRA nitro bikes plan to leave little left standing in their wake.
More than 20 of the explosive V-Twins are expected to race when the AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing series starts the year off at the Commerce, Georgia speed facility on April 17-18, with test and tune on Friday, April 16.
Rich Vreeland started off his Friends of TKR Top Fuel championship season last year by winning the opening race at Cordova. He’ll find repeating that task in Atlanta not impossible, but it will be far more difficult.
Amongst others, Vreeland will be facing a fully stocked Jay Turner Racing trailer, including two-time NHRA champ Tii Tharpe and defending NHRA champ Randal Andras.
Tii Tharpe
Michael Beland is trading his saddlebags in on a blue barrel of CH3NO2 for Atlanta. Tracy Kile and his Bad Apple Racing team will be there, as well as Tim Kerrigan and Ryan Peery. Ryan is bringing both his Top Fuel and Nitro Funnybike, and Kerrigan might have Frank Velasco as a teammate.
NHRA record-holder Bob “Opie” Malloy, second generation nitro stud Armon Furr, Robert “Ziggy” Stewart and more are all expected to fire ‘em up, burn ‘em out, tote the wheel, and take the stripe.
“We are excited be the first Top Fuel team to carry the number one plate for the new AHDRA and are looking forward to full fields this season at every event,” said Vreeland, who’s clearly up for the challenge.
Hawaya Racing Nitro Funnybike champion Rocky Jackson will also have his hands full defending his title, facing the likes of Gainesville winner Sam White, Peery (or hired rider Buddy Johnson), and more.
Pro Fuel also gets a big boost this year from Johnny Vickers’ Hawaya Racing, with guaranteed payouts regardless of bike counts. And like magic, bike counts are likely to increase.
Preston Bartlett
Which means more work for LSR’s Preston “President” Bartlett as he seeks to repeat his championship in the carbureted nitro class. He’ll have Gainesville winner White, Jim Martin, Jeannette Thornley, and more to deal with,
Just because nitro grabs the headlines doesn’t mean that gas isn’t ready to do some damage as well, and AHDRA comes packing plenty of gasoline heat.
John Price
Defending class champions Branon White, Jeff Workman, Mike Motto, Rylan Mason, Kevin Winters, John Price, Scott Schenkel, Greg Quinn, John Schotts, Brad Reiss Jr. and Tom Krava will defend their titles in GMS Racing Pro Open, Zippers Performance Pro Modified, Pingel Modified, Law Tigers Pro Bagger, Horsepower Inc. Hot Street, Outlaw Street, 9.30 index, Vreeland’s Harley-Davidson 9.90, 10:30 index, Universal Fleet & Tire 10.90, 11.50 index, T-Man Performance Bagger Eliminator, Mad Monkey Motorsports Eliminator, and Trophy.
Those racers will have to hold off contenders Travis Groff, Donnie Huffman, Vance Houdyshell, Justin Collier, Paul Watson, Darrell Smith, Charlie Walker, Manny “Flyin’ Taco” Carrasquillo, Jeremy Cullen, Gary DeGrange, Loreto Presce and more.
Bill Rowe, his family, and the hardest working, all-American motorcycle drag racing organization in the business look forward to welcoming all to Atlanta Dragway’s farewell season and the next of many more for AHDRA.
Racer gate opens at 9:00am for the 2:00 to 7:00 pm test and tune. Track goes hot at 11:00 am on Saturday with qualifying starting at noon. Track goes hot at 11:00 am on Sunday with eliminations starting at noon. Spectator passes are $25.00 for one day, $40.00 for two, or $45.00 for all three days.
Come light up Atlanta Dragway with AHDRA!
This story was originally published on April 12, 2021. 
