The PennGrade1 AMRA American Motorcycle Racing Association is bringing their Harley-Davidson drag racing series back to No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana, and featuring Nitro Harley’s in a big way.
Thanks to the support of Top Fuel Harley legend Johnny Mancuso and his Circle M Ranch, and Dove Fuels, Top Fuel will now feature a full 16 bike field on race day. That means 8 more bikes are available to race and a full extra round of eliminations for the ground-pounding, flame-throwing, thundering, 220 mph nitro V-Twins. That’s a win-win for fans and racers alike!
Local hero Randal Andras—the multi-time NHRA champ—will be defending his turf to the best of his Fast Coon Ass ability. But he’ll be facing Nitro Harley studs such as 2X defending AMRA champ Ryan Peery, North Carolina Hall of Famer Jay Turner, Spevco’s Tii Tharpe, AMRA’s own John “JT” Toth, last year’s Rockingham Finals winner Jordan Peterson, Bad Apple Racing’s Tracy Kile and Jimmy “Mac” McMillan, California’s Tim Kerrigan, Ricky “Sharkey” House, Finland’s Juha “Sushi” Hintukainen, and more.
Nitro Funnybikes are like Top Fuel with one less injector and gear, but every bit as loud and awesome. Louisiana’s own Rocky Jackson will face Pennsylvania’s Michael Balch, North Carolina’s Cameron Gunter, Japan’s Tadashi “Reggie” Saitou and more.
The bikes are small but the field is large…Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel bikes are smaller and carbureted, but still pack a nitro punch and race with a full 16 bike ladder. Champion Sam White starts his AMRA title defense against “Bad Apple Mary” Dangrow, Jim “Bad Influence” Martin, Richard “Have Nitro, Will Travel” Boone, Jason Leeper and more.
Outlaw Street features record-breaking gasoline, turbo and nitrous behemoths throwing everything available in the mechanical and technological world to make all-out quarter mile assaults. Tim Grindle, Casey Smith and more will launch their no-bar marvels round after round in make it or break it madness.
Baggers are the hot deal in motorcycling right now and the AMRA has got two classes of them: Zipper’s Performance Pro Bagger and Thundermax Street Bagger. Jeremy Williamson, Rick Hunnicutt, Scott Tomsu, Jimmy Mailkranz, New Orleans tattoo artist Jeremy Justice, and more will all be hustling their big grocery getters down the 1320 for Bagger glory.
Brian Conley Jr. starts his Axtell Cylinders Hot Street championship defense, facing Joe Perry and more.
Pro Modified and Zippers Performance Modified feature gasoline, heads-up, out-the backdoor, wheelie-bar competition, led by big-timers like St. Charles H-D dealer Billy Doherty, John Price, Kimberly “K-Charm” Deshields, Jeff Workman, Nate Carnahan, Jason Adams and more.
Index classes Top Eliminator 9.30, Super Gas 9.90, BK Electric Super Pro 10.30, Pro Eliminator 10.90, and Thundermax Street Eliminator 11.50 will fill the lanes with legends like Ken Strauss, David Doremus, Curt Stuckenschneider, Brad Croneberger, Donnie Huffman, Cody Hayworth, Heather Jendruch, Robert Alther, Brad Reiss Jr, Steve Lacy, Terry Mason, Chad Trayner, Perry Paugh, Richard George, Larry Maynhart, Larry Stevens, Loren Potter, Joe Peterson and more.
Many of these same racers will also be racing Eliminator Dial-in. Want to try your own American-made V-Twin out on the quarter mile? Bring it and send it!
AMRA’s Greg Baugh and John “JT” Toth look forward to welcoming the whole Harley-Davidson drag racing family back to No Problem Raceway for this epic, season-opening event.
Event Details
Gate Fee: Day Ticket – $20, Weekend Ticket – $50 (Fri thru Sun)
Racer-only early track access on Thursday
Friday: Gates open at 8 am; Test & Tune – 3 pm to 8 pm
Saturday: Gates open at 8 am; Qualifying begins at Noon
Sunday: Gates open at 8 am; Opening Ceremonies at Noon; Eliminations immediately following.
AMRA thanks PennGrade1 oil, Zipper’s Performance, Axtell Cylinders, BK Electric, Johnny Mancuso’s Circle M Ranch, Dove Fuels and Thunder Max.
This story was originally published on April 1, 2024. 
