Ground-pounding, flame-throwing, Nitro Harley-Davidson motorcycles are returning to Cecil County Dragway on April 26-28, as the PennGrade1 AMRA series rolls into the scenic Rising Sun track for the Maryland Nitro Nationals. The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast fans are in for the thunderous competition they remember and can’t forget.
Headlining the event are the 6 second heavyweights of Circle M Ranch/ Dove Fuels Top Fuel and the tough men that ride them. They include two-time and defending champ Ryan Peery, North Carolina Hall of Famer Jay Turner, AMRA’s own John “JT” Toth, Spevco’s Tii Tharpe, Dean Comunal representing the locally famous/infamous Bad Apple Racing team, Jordan Peterson and more.
Take away one injector, a gear, and some cubic inches and you’ve got Nitro Funnybikes—every bit as loud and awesome as their big Top Fuel brothers. Bad Apple Racing’s Cameron Gunter, No Problem Raceway runner-up Jason Leeper, and more will flog their Nitro Funnybikes for your enjoyment.
Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel are smaller and carbureted, but still make a lot of nitro power, smell and noise. Champion Sam White started his title defense with a win in Louisiana, but he’ll have to face the Bad Apple home team of “Bad Ass Mary” Dangrow and Frank Shaffroth, along with Jim “Bad Influence” Martin, 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. Charley Douglass, Tim Grindle and more are expected to launch their no-bar bikes to mind-blowing performances.
Baggers are industry and fan favorites, and AMRA has two classes of them: Zipper’s Performance Pro Bagger and Thundermax Street Bagger. Come see these big grocery-getters in action!
Axtell Cylinders Hot Street, Pro Modified, and Zippers Performance Modified feature gasoline, heads-up, out-the backdoor, competition, led by big-timers like Billy Doherty, John Price, Kimberly “K-Charm” Deshields, Nate Carnahan, Jason Crisp 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 Gary Douglass, Ken Strauss, David Doremus, Brad Croneberger, Donnie Huffman, Cody Hayworth, Heather Jendruch, Brad Reiss Jr, Chris Martin, Terry Mason, Charlie Ange, Perry Paugh, John Shotts, Chris Phipps, Larry Stevens, Loren Potter, Crank Lanktree 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 to Cecil County Dragway.
AMRA thanks PennGrade1 oil, Zipper’s Performance, Hawaya Racing, Axtell Cylinders, BK Electric, Johnny Mancuso’s Circle M Ranch, Dove Fuels and Thunder Max.
This story was originally published on April 23, 2024. 
