Those brutal Nitro Harley-Davidson dragbikes are coming back to disrupt the park-like serenity of Martin, Michigan’s US 131 Motorsports Park on June 27-29. The PennGrade1 AMRA series swings off the highway for the Michigan Nitro Nationals, with riders hanging off of their flame-throwing, ground-pounding beasts the FULL quarter mile. This one’s not for the faint of heart or those lacking courage.
Recent Ohio Circle M Ranch Top Fuel winner Jordan Peterson and Louisiana opening round winner Ryan Peery will lead the violent parade down US 131’s 1320, but a full slate of hungry contenders will be after their spoils—starting with their own teammates!
Finland’s Samu Kemppainen makes the long trip to wield one of the Chris Stewart Racing mounts tuned by Michigan Nitro Harley legends Mike and Jack Romine. Samu’s determination against Peterson carried him off the end of the track and completely out of the property last time out, and he will not be deterred in Michigan.
Peery’s teammate Buddy Johnson is still getting his Top Fuel feet back under him, but a winning effort is bound to happen and there’s no better trailer to run out of than Ryan’s.
The powerhouse Jay Turner Racing team would dispute that last statement, but they’re 0-2 so far in ’25. Riders Turner, Chris “Nashville” Smith, John “JT” Toth, and perhaps Randal Andras or Tii Tharpe will all race at 131.
Paul Anderson came from out of nowhere to hit the semis last time out, and he’s shown that he can advance further still with his “Road-Rage” mount.
Will Curtis “No-Bolts” Heisler make another launch into low-earth orbit? You won’t see it if you’re not there.
The Bad Apple Racing team is also a headline-making Nitro Harley powerhouse, but they’re focusing on Nitro Funnybike and Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel at Martin.
That’s good news for Cameron “Flash” Gunter, who might still be waiting to leave the starting line for the Ohio final. Bad Apple’s Tracy Kile will have Gunter set in Tasmanian Devil mode in Michigan and the bike dialed in to “Nuclear.”
But Ohio Funnybike winner Peterson (that’s right, he won twice) can expect to have an even stronger Romine Racing-prepared, Phil Lower-owned bike this weekend. “A modern day Funnybike should drop off the trailer and run 6.6 seconds and 200 mph,” says Jack Romine. “We have made some more changes and we are ready for Martin and see what happens.”
They’ll also face Universal Fleet and Tire’s “Racin’ Ray” Robinson—AKA “The Head Torcher!”
“Bad Apple Mary” Dangrow will have more of Kile’s attention this weekend as he works the tuning knobs to make her bike run even better and more consistent.
Two-time defending champion Sam White and his White Lightning Racing team have struggled to find the hallmark performance and consistency that has defined their effort. White is a determined man and this just might be his weekend—or that of rookie White Lightning rider Darren Brinkman.
Ohio was very nearly THE weekend for another nitro rookie—John Jenkins—who runnered-up to Dangrow in Ohio and will be inspired to place one spot better.
But they’ll all face a full field of the popular carbureted nitro bikes, including Universal Fleet and Tire’s Jason Leeper, Louisiana runner-up Kenneth “Stubby” Hultman, legendary Rocky Jackson, Jim “Bad Influence” Martin, Stewart Racing’s nitro rookie Brian Conley Jr., Walter “Half Again as Tall” Halonski, Al Balice, Louis Sansone and more.
Gasoline classes will heat up the track as well, including Pro Outlaw, Zipper’s Performance Pro Bagger, Thundermax Street Bagger, Zipper’s Performance Modified, Super Gas 9.90, Axtell Cylinders Hot Street, Top Eliminator 9.30 and Baker Drivetrain Eliminator Dial-in, BK Electric Super Pro 10.30, Pro Eliminator 10.90, and Thundermax Street Eliminator 11.50.
The Nitro Harley competitors look forward to seeing the Harley-Davidson drag racing family, riders and fans at beautiful U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan, THIS WEEKEND on June 28-29
The Nitro Harley racers thank Bad Apple Racing, Chris Stewart Racing, DayStar Machine and Cycle Concepts, White Lightning Racing, Universal Fleet and Tire, P and C Johnson Trucking, RP Motorsports, Hawaya Racing, and Johnny Mancuso’s Circle M Ranch.
This story was originally published on June 26, 2025. 
