Drag Racing Archives – Page 14 of 25

Erica Enders resets track record in Vegas

October 31, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders reset both ends of the track record in the second qualifying session of the NHRA Toyota Nationals on Friday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, earning her the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot. Enders has the opportunity to clinch the championship in Pro Stock if she can leave Las Vegas with a 151-point lead. She began the race with a 154 point lead, padding that by three based on qualifying points from the first two sessions.

Her 6.559 seconds at 210.28 mph run set track records for elapsed time and speed at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and it was the fastest corrected run in Pro Stock history — taking into account altitude and other factors — at 6.381 seconds at 216.65 mph.

“I’m glad we were able to accomplish it,” Enders said. “Having said that, we’ve got two more important runs tomorrow. We need to scoop up all the qualifying bonus points we possibly can and try to stay on the pole. We need to go into Sunday with our heads down and get to work. We’ve got a lot to accomplish still, and I want to win the race. I want to make it four in a row. I couldn’t be more proud to be their driver; they’re an awesome group of men.”

Las Vegas has been good to Enders, with dominant performances at The Strip over the past two years, sweeping both national events in 2014 and winning here in April. To go along with those two victories, Enders has won the special K&N Horsepower Challenge here the last two years.

“I think we have 18 consecutive round-wins here, and the goal is to get to 22,” Enders said. “Having said that, we go back to taking things one at a time. My guys performed really well here, and my crew chiefs seem to have a good handle on this track and the dry air. Our race car is working. We stumbled onto some stuff in Dallas that we had been working really hard to figure out. As most people watched, they could see our performance change a little bit on Sunday. We certainly translated that to here. I’m excited and cautiously optimistic to be in the position we’re in.”

Enders posted the quickest ET in both qualifying sessions this weekend, but her Q2 pass was the most impressive, netting her the track record in Vegas.

“We made a good run in the first session,” Enders said. “The weather (for Q2) was actually not as good as it was for the first session, so we really just stepped on it. I could not be more proud of my team. Our Elite Performance horsepower is really showing through right when we need it most. Pair that with our excellent teamwork, and my driving has been pretty decent lately. The sky is the limit for us.

Qualifying will continue today at 12:15PM and 3:45PM Pacific Time (UTC-08:00). Eliminations are scheduled to begin at noon on Sunday.

Brittany Force transporter wreckage

October 28, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

The Monster Energy transport hauler of NHRA Top Fuel driver Brittany Force was spotted wrecked on the side of Interstate 70 West in Missouri around mile marker 99 heading towards Kansas City.

Brittany Force transporter wreck — Photo Source: Facebook

Witness accounts of the mangled transporter reported on Facebook that the hauler, traveling westbound on I-70 near Boonville, MO to this weekend’s Toyota NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas, took evasive measures when an east-bound traveling vehicle crossed the median into the path of the 18 wheeler. The Monster Energy transporter, carrying Brittany Force’s Top Fuel Dragster and service equipment for the team, struck the railing and lodged itself beneath the concrete support pilings of an overpass.

Brittany’s team driver and the hauler’s occupants are all reported to be ok.

The tractor was found on its side with extensive damage, but it appears that the contents of the trailer may have weathered better in the scary collision. No other details have been released.

[Source: Dragzine.com]

Brittany Force currently sits in the #4 position in points following the Dallas event. She is 207 points behind leader Antron Brown, but the remaining top 5 contenders are close in points.

Video of Brittany Force Transporter Wreckage

Leah Pritchett in Black Magic Top Fuel

October 23, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

With just two races left in the 2015 season, NHRA drag racing standout Leah Pritchett will have some “Black Magic” ready for the Halloween weekend in Las Vegas.

The 27-year-old California native will enter the 15th Annual NHRA Toyota Nationals at the “The Strip” at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway debuting new Black Magic Top Fuel livery on her Dote Racing dragster on the Halloween weekend (Oct. 30 – Nov. 1).

“This new Black Magic livery is awesome and brings another great paint scheme for the 2015 season,” said Pritchett, runner-up at this year’s Southern Nationals. “Black Magic® car care products are a sister company to Gumout, but it’s a great tie-in with Halloween in Las Vegas. I’m hoping a little Black Magic potion gives us a strong performance at ‘The Strip.’”

Black Magic Top Fuel Dragster livery

Gumout has been the primary sponsor for the Dote Racing team this season, with Leah Pritchett at the controls, and Black Magic® car care products are among the automotive directory of ITW Global Brands which also manufactures and distributes Gumout and Rain-X brands. Black Magic’s variety of car products include tire, wheel, interior and exterior care.

Leah Pritchett, the Dote Racing team led by crew chief Doug Kuch and tuner Rob Flynn, and the new Black Magic Top Fuel Dragster return to “The Strip” for the first time since last year’s impressive semi-finals finish (losing to event winner Spencer Massey) and qualifying in the fifth position for the 16-driver Top Fuel ladder. The team opted out of the first 2015 Vegas event in April.

“The Strip” has always been lucky for Pritchett, having earned multiple wins as a youngster in the Junior Dragsters and an NHRA Pro Modified national event win in 2011. Most recently, Leah competed in her first road racing event at nearby Pahrump, Nev., (the Spring Mountain Motorsports Resort) in the Formula Ford category.

“I have been coming to Nevada to race since “The Strip” was first opened back in late 1990s,” said Pritchett, who also gives advice to young female racers trying to follow in her footsteps in the Junior Dragsters. “I was winning races there as a teenager and then won in the ProMods (2011) too. Wow, I would love to win my first Top Fuel national event at Las Vegas too.”

Pritchett’s various Top Fuel liveries have proven popular with the drag racing fans this year, earning her “Best Appearing Car” with the Bristol debut of her flashy, all-gold Gumout livery. She also debuted the “Lady in Red” red chrome scheme in Indianapolis for the US Nationals and was another “fan favorite.”

“Now we think this new Black Magic livery will be another favorite for the NHRA fans at Las Vegas,” Leah said. “We have taken a little of the red chrome and the black paint to form an outstanding look for the Dote Racing dragster. Since our strong showing last year at ‘The Strip,’ I think we’ll can have a great weekend with the new Black Magic machine. With Halloween coming up, maybe we get that special potion and I can be the ‘Black Magic Woman’ who takes that NHRA ‘Wally’ trophy in victory lane Sunday.”

Pritchett and the rest of the Top Fuel racers will begin action at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway “Strip” with qualifying set for 1 p.m. PDT on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. Qualifications are scheduled Friday (Oct. 30 – 1 and 4:30 p.m.) and Saturday (Oct. 31 – 1 and 4:30 p.m.) with final eliminations set for Sunday (Nov. 1) at 11 am PDT.

Eighth historic win for Enders

October 19, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders shattered yet another record on Sunday, taking the victory at the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas, TX. She bested Angelle Sampey’s 2001 7-race record of the most wins for a female in one season, beating her nearest two rivals in the Mello Yello points to power to a massive 154-point advantage with just two races left. The eighth historic win for Enders marked an NHRA-leading feat for the season, and first victory of her career in Dallas.

“I am so glad we were able to get this eighth win here in my home state,” said Enders, who grew up in the Houston suburbs. “You know, I have been talking about a cowboy hat for months, just waiting to come here and win a cowboy hat, so I’m excited to be able to get that done in front of all of our friends and family. It’s just a huge blessing.”

A cowboy hat is the traditional winner’s gift at the Texas Motorplex, a complex owned by former Funny Car driver Billy Meyer. This year, the winner’s also got a belt buckle to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the event.

The stage was set early for a decisive race, as the top three contenders in the Pro Stock championship chase were paired early, ensuring a shake up in the standings. Though Enders carried a good cushion into round one, a win here would really help distance her from the competition. After qualifying 4th with a 6.480, Erica would face Vieri Gaines in Round 1, taking the win with a career-best 6.467 second E.T. at 214.25 mph. This feat tied as the 8th fastest pass in the history of Pro Stock.

This set up a big match up with bitter rival Chris McGaha, who is third in the points. McGaha had defeated second-ranked Greg Anderson in his opening race. Behind the scenes, this match-up was steeped in conflict and, for both teams, was personal.

“Those first two rounds were very significant,” Enders said. “First round, we watched (McGaha) beat Greg right in front of us and then we crushed his ET by .400s to earn lane choice in our race against him. We didn’t want to give him anything. There is a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t know about and (McGaha’s) team has been running their mouths. I said from the beginning we’ll let the scoreboard do the talking.”

Enders was 12-2 in career meetings against McGaha entering the second round. With both teams on edge, the two began their burnouts and staging. McGaha entered the beams first, bypassing common courtesy staging and “double bulbing” Enders. But it didn’t seem to rattle the reigning Pro Stock World Champion, who cut an impressive 0.008 reaction at the tree, en route to a new career-quickest E.T of 6.467 seconds at 214.25 mph.

“There’s no need to argue with ignorant people, so when I went up there and he double-bulbed me, I said ‘bring it on, I don’t care,’ and I was able to drill him with a .008-second reaction time and then totally out-run him. I think we sent a big message. I definitely wanted to beat him, and my guys wanted to beat him even more so that was a nice deal for us.”

From there, Enders went on to take the wins against Drew Skillman and Jonathon Gray for the historic victory and the big edge in the NHRA Pro Stock points standings.

“We just have such great team chemistry and great horsepower so I’m a happy girl,” Enders said. “(ESPN top-end reporter) Gary Gerould said in our interview, that we have an eight-round lead with only eight rounds of racing left, and that’s really cool, but I don’t care. I want all the points that we can get. We go into every race wanting to win more than anything in the world and we do our best to step up to the plate. You know, I talk about my guys all of the time but I’ll put my money on them every single Sunday, every single round of qualifying, because they are the best. They bring it and I bring it and together I think the sky is the limit for us.”

Dina Parise IHRA Pro Mod Champ

October 10, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Dina Parise is the new 2015 IHRA Crower Pro Mod World Champion

IHRA Pro Mod competitor Dina Parise sealed up the 2015 IHRA Crower Pro Mod World Championship at the final race of the season, the IHRA World Finals in Memphis, TN. The popular Nitro Jam standout debuted her Cadillac CTSV Pro Mod named ‘Stella’ at the season opener, encountering new car bugs for the first half of the Crower Pro Mod season. After struggling with dialing in the new car and getting comfortable behind the wheel, Dina was able to push through the difficult times and secured the points lead going into the final race. Once there, it was a battle between her and Bill Lutz, but the former figure skating pro would end up sealing up the championship during eliminations.

Congratulations to Dina Parise and team on their new championship!

Enders on Jay Leno’s Garage

October 7, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders and Jay Leno — Story/Photos via NHRA.com

Look for reigning Mello Yello Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders and Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman on the premier episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, Wednesday night at 10 p.m. Eastern on CNBC. Enders will be showing the talk-show host/comedian and car enthusiast the ropes on how to drive a drag racing car.

“It will be a great way to introduce the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series to a new audience,” Enders said. “That was a great experience and a neat opportunity. I grew up watching Jay Leno and always enjoyed him throughout my life, so it was cool to be able to work with him. He shares the same passion for automobiles that we do, and that was pretty evident.”

Leno has a well-known private collection of automobiles, and Enders and Freeman will get the tour of his prized collection when NHRA returns to California for the season-finale in November.

Jay Leno’s Garage began as a YouTube series about cars and motorcycles with a one-hour special airing on CNBC last year, but its popularity has spurned a primetime weekly show that begins this Wednesday.

Enders and Freeman joined Leno after her Bristol win to film the show at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, Calif. They used the Super Comp car of Division 7 racer Eddie Fischle, along with the support of Frank Hawley.

Enders and Leno cruised around in a new Chevrolet Camaro SS, and the two chatted about their respective careers to begin the show.

“It was fun to be able to drive him around in the Camaro,” Enders said. “We talked a little bit about his life and a little bit about my career. Then we spent the rest of the day teaching him to drive, so it was a neat deal.”

Enders is the perfect choice for driving coach, as she recently set an NHRA record by winning three consecutive final rounds on holeshots.

“It was a neat chance to be able to teach him how to drive a Super Comp car with Frank Hawley,” Enders said. “I ended up getting to make a pass in my buddy Eddie Fischle’s car, and he supplied us the cars for us to teach Jay to drive.”

Leno wanted to make more passes in the car at the end of the day, clearly enjoying his lessons behind the wheel.

“That goes to show how much he enjoyed it,” Enders said.

How do you think Jay will fair behind the wheel of a Super Comp car? Comment below!

Event: CarChix Ladies Only Drag Race

October 6, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

CarChix.com is hosting their final Ladies Only Drag Race of the year this Saturday, October 10th at Sikeston Raceway.

Open to all levels of women- from beginner to Pro, the Ladies Only Drag Racing is divided into two 1/8th mile bracket race classes: Street (7.40 & Slower) and Pro (7.39 & Quicker). All cars must pass NHRA tech inspection, and no electronics are permitted (must be covered).

Ladies wanting to compete in the event pay the $15 gate fee (for entrance into the track) and an additional $30 Ladies Only Drag Race registration (at the CarChix tent prior to the start of the race).

Prizes including a cash prizes paid out to 1st and 2nd place racers in each class, and Coach purses to the winners in each class are up for grabs. A PINK VP Racing Fuel Jug will be raffled off to one lucky Car Chix Ladies Only Drag Race entrant, and trophies/awards will be given for Hottest Ride, Best Burnout, Fastest MPH, and Best Reaction Time.

The event is sponsored by JEGS, and all entrants receive a free JEGS Baseball Cap and decal set (while supplies last – first come, first serve).

Ladies Only Drag Race Details

Gates open at: 12pm
Car Chix Driver’s Meeting at PINK Car Chix Booth: 1pm

Open Time Runs Start at: 3 – 4pm
Qualifying Starts at: 4pm
2 Rounds of Qualifying, Eliminations to follow

Spectator Gate Fee: $15.00
Kids Ages12 & Under: FREE

More information is available online at Ladies Only Drag Race Facebook Event or Carchix.com Event Page

Haley James 2015 Coyote Modified Champ

October 5, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

NMRA Rookie Sensation, Haley James, landed her third win of the 2015 season at the 17th Annual Nitto Tires NMRA All-Ford World Finals. The first-year driver has appeared in all six Coyote Modified finals of 2015, dominating the competition all season long. With half the class victories to her name, there was no questioning Haley James Coyote Modified Champ in 2015.

Fairy tale Rookie Season for Haley James

Haley James began her fairy tale season stepping into a brand new Coyote Modified (CM) Hellion Turbo prepared fox body coupe. Her prior racing experience limited to just a year in the junior dragster ranks when she was twelve and some time behind the wheel of her turbocharged fox-bodied Mustang on the street, the busy high school senior attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School to earn her NHRA Competition License so she’d be ready for the season opening event. Haley’s first time in the car came just a day shy of her Bradenton debut, where she wasted no time setting low E.T. of the event en route to a runner-up finish in her first ever drag racing competition at the National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA) Spring Break Shootout event in Bradenton, FL.

Her first career win would come at just her second event, the 7th Annual Borla Exhaust All Star Nationals held at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA, where she raced into the Aerospace Winner’s Circle for the first time against NMRA veteran Johnny Lightning Wiker.

During the 15th Annual SCT NMRA Ford Nationals in Budd’s Creek, Maryland, Haley again made it to the final round of Coyote Modified competition, this time against Ronnie Reynolds. Though she had the performance advantage over Reynolds, who was campaigning his wife’s street car for the event, an error at the tree cost her the race. A staging battle on the starting line would rattle James, and she wound up leaving before the tree activated.

Between races, Haley would return home for her graduation commencement ceremony from Albuquerque, NM’s El Dorado High School. And as summer racing action heated up, the new graduate would really hit her stride as she transitioned into college studies at the University of New Mexico.

Her second career win would come at the 12th Annual McLeod NMRA Super Nationals event at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. She again faced familiar foe Johnny Lightning Wiker in the final, where she improved her record against the multi-class champion racer when a broken throttle cable caused him to shut off early. She would leave the event leading in points.

Haley James final Bowling Green — Photo: Brandon Reed

Haley James would continue the hot streak into the 10th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL. She would battle it out again with Johnny Lightning in their fourth final round meeting of the season, taking her third career victory, and scoring a Super Bowl ring for her part in the NMRA’s victory over the NMCA.

That all lead up to the final race of the season, the 17th Annual Nitto Tires NMRA All-Ford World Finals at Beechbend Raceway in Bowling Green, KY. Another rain soaked event, that didn’t meet its conclusion until Monday morning, where it would be an all-too familiar final between class rivals Johnny Lightning and young Haley James. This time, the weather and lack of passes would mean that Haley’s dad, Dwayne James wouldn’t have much data on the tune for the final round in the colder, damp weather. Unfortunately, James would smoke the tires, giving her competitor Wiker the last win of the season.

#1 in Coyote Modified Points

Despite the runner-up finish, Haley had scored enough points to earn the top spot for the 2015 Coyote Modified class championship. She becomes the youngest Coyote Modified Class Champion in NMRA history, and carries the honor of wearing the No. 1 on her window as the class champion into 2016- All as a rookie to heads-up drag racing. The young driver has proven quite a talented protege of the Hellion B-Team, and if this rookie season is any indication, she’s just getting warmed up to a long, successful drag racing career.

Congratulations, 2015 NMRA Coyote Modified Champion, Haley James!

Melissa Urist goes straight for the record book

October 4, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Longtime NMRA standout crewmember, Melissa Urist, recently made the jump from wrenching on her husband, John Urist’s, Street Outlaw record-holder, to wheelin’ her very own beautiful, competition orange turbocharged 2015 Mustang GT street car during the Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Ky.

“I’ve been around this series for a very, very long time but always as a supporter, crew member, pep talker and helper. My husband, John and his business partner, Dwayne James, gave an opportunity to me I just couldn’t pass up. I jumped on it the moment it was presented and haven’t looked back since,” Urist said.

Record Timeslip — The record-setting timeslip still shows plenty of room for improvement.

Melissa Urist goes straight for the record book

The event marks the first-ever drag race for the rookie driver, who after some licensing test-session passes, clocked an impressive 9.508 second E.T. at 133.86 mph in street-trim. Not only was this an impressive first race for the rookie driver, but it was good enough to unofficially lay claim to the title of fastest turbocharged 2015 Mustang street car on the planet!

The pass, which Urist said had her lifting early around the 1,000 ft. mark, shows that there is still plenty of potential in the ride, and she is eager to push the car further this weekend.

Rain Soaked Bowling Green

Like so many other racing events this weekend, the Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals are contending with cold rainy weather that have not allowed for qualifying thus far in most classes. Melissa is set to compete in the Turbo Coyote Shootout class.

“I want to go out there and lay down some sick numbers. Who wouldn’t want to win their first race ever?” she said. “Honestly though, there’s a lot of seasoned racers in the class I intend on running. My hope is to go out there, make fast, consistent runs and show what my street car is capable of doing on the track,” she concluded. (from StangTV.com)

Racing is scheduled to resume today at 8:30AM, with heads-up qualifying to follow the index classes.

Brittany Force lands No. 1 in Soggy PA

October 4, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Despite the wet and cold conditions that have plagued the 31st Annual NHRA Keystone Nationals this weekend in Reading, Pennsylvania, Brittany Force lands No. 1 qualifying position, the first of the 2015 season and fourth of her young career. The third year pro moved from 4th to 3rd in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship point standings, going around Larry Dixon by four points on the strength of her three qualifying bonus points and the points allocated for the No. 1 qualifier.

Brittany Force lands No. 1 Qualifying Position

Force’s run was the strongest of a session that saw most of the Top Fuel dragsters struggle with the cold conditions. With a short field in Top Fuel of only fourteen race cars, Brittany Force will face No. 14 qualifier Dave Connolly in the first round. The winner of that 1st round pairing will receive a bye into the semi-finals.

“It is definitely tough going into tomorrow with only one run under our belt. It is not just our team but everyone out here. Everyone will battle that. Like Robert said we would like to have more runs but these are the conditions we all had to work with. We put down an awesome run in this Monster Top Fuel dragster,” said Force, who has raced to three semi-final finishes in the last four races. “We drove right through the shake zone and put an awesome number up on the scoreboard. We set a new career best record which we broke from our time and speed here last year. We like Reading and we went all the way to the final last year. We are hoping to take it all the way this weekend.”

The Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster launched hard off the starting line and flew right down the middle of the lane, running a 3.725-second pass at 331.53 mph. It was the smoothest run of the session and at the top end Force knew she had made a solid pass.

“I could tell that run was a good one because it just felt fast. Sometimes you know it is on a killer run. That run it just felt fast and clean. I knew it was a good one but my radio came unhooked so I was trying to talk with my guys to see what it ran,” said Force. “I didn’t know what it ran until I hoped out at the top end. Everyone was cheering when we rolled up so I knew it was something good.”

Brittany Force is 2-1 against Dave Connolly with her two wins coming in first round match-ups this season. Most recently Force dropped a semi-final race to Connolly last weekend in St. Louis. She hopes to vindicate that loss, by taking the win against Connolly to put her in the semifinal.