With the dawn of a new season upon us, we offer our picks to win the Full Throttle and Get Screened America Pro Mod titles this season. There’s nothing scientific behind our choices, but simply our thoughts on which racers have what it takes to get the job done in 2012.
Andrew Wolf Associate Editor
Andrew has been involved in motorsports from a very young age. Over the years, he has photographed several major auto racing events, sports, news journalism, portraiture, and everything in between. After working with the PowerTV staff for some time on a freelance basis, Andrew joined the team in 2010.
DRAGZINE’s Picks: The 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Champions
Posted by
Andrew Wolf
on 02/03/12
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Recently, the good folks at AFCO Racing Products and Dynatech invited us to tour their manufacturing facilities to get a behind-the-scenes look at – and share with our readers – something that most will never get to see.
George Bryce, the decorated crew chief, team owner, and founder of Star Racing has never been one to hold in his thoughts, and a recent posting on his Facebook page regarding what it’ll take to get him back in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category doesn’t hold much back.
Back in December, former ADRL Pro Extreme champion Frankie Taylor dropped a bombshell, announcing his impending experimentation with turbos. The racer known as the Mad Man has already been at it testing down in Houston, and the jaws are already beginning to open.
John Medlen, who is best known as one of John Force’s right hand men in his trio of championship-winning tuners during the 1990′s and 2000′s, confirmed on Tuesday that he will return to John Force Racing in the new capacity of Director of Technology and Safety after being released from Roger Burgess’ R2B2 team.
Scott Birdsall, the chief fabricator behind Chuckles Garage in Santa Rose, Calif. set off in 2009 to construct a period-perfect Gasser from the ground-up, beginning with a 1962 Ford Falcon that would adhere as much as possible to the 1965 NHRA rulebook.
McLeod Clutches, a part of the high performance industry for more than 40 years running, has taken to the web with a series of videos on their McLeodTV video portal, outlining a number of different areas of clutch technology and clutch maintenance to customers.
The beautiful piece that you see before you belongs to east coast-based Pro Modified racers Tommy and Roger Franklin and was built by Garrett Livingston and crew at Garrett Race Cars in Marble Hill, Mo. The gorgeous new machine features the latest tricks and power from a nitrous-huffing 864-inch big block.
Although already well-documented in the racing community, ProCharger last week officially unveiled their new F-1X supercharger, which has been specifically designed and developed for the competitive X275 category.
In a recent interview at the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Series banquet, three-time NMCA Pro Street champ Vinny Budano indicated his intentions to once again contest the NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Series in 2012, creating what should be a heck of a title challenge in the series’ preeminent category.
Reigning ADRL Pro Extreme champion Jason Hamstra and team owner and chassis builder Andy McCoy recently dropped a bombshell on the series by announcing their intentions to sit out their 2012 title defense campaign, citing McCoy’s need to focus his time and efforts on his thriving business.
Melanie Troxel, the fan favorite drive that’s been behind the controls of almost everything in the sport with wheels on it, confirmed via her Facebook page on Friday that effective immediately, team owner Roger Burgess has ceased operations of the Funny Car portion of R2B2 Racing.
Moving On Up: Chuck DeMory Jr. Taking ProCharger Combo To Pro Street
Posted by
Andrew Wolf
on 01/27/12
The second generation racer Chuck DeMory Jr., whose competed in the Nostalgia Pro Street category for the last two seasons with his stunningly gorgeous ’68 Mustang, is set to make the transition up the proverbial ladder to the Pro Street category this season with a new ProCharger F3 combination.
Mike Moran’s trailblazing Chevy Monte Carlo that became the first turbo doorslammer in the fives in 2009 has been rebuilt following a heavy crash in 2010 and has been placed for on Racing Junk. For the right price, someone out there is going to own a piece of drag racing history.
Moser Engineering offers a wide array of options on their Built-to-Order Stamped Housing and Axle Packages, which is built the way you want it in just two business. Yeah, two days.
Earlier this week, the Hot Rod team gave the public a sneak peak at the 2012 Drag Week schedule, which will once again bring the finest street machines in America and from around the globe together right in the heart of the nation.
As confirmed by class founder John Sears on Tuesday, X275 competitor Barry Mitchell uncorked a killer 4.78 during what’s believed to have been a new tire test at the Bradenton Motorsports Park driving his immaculately-constructed Racecraft Inc. Fox Body Mustang.
Our good friends at Ferrea Racing Components recently shared their newest Hollow Stem valves ad for 2012 on their company Facebook page, which features a complete listing of the specifications and design attributes of this style of high performance valve.
Traxxas Sponsorship Agreement Brings Back TF, FC Shootout Programs
Posted by
Andrew Wolf
on 01/25/12
As part of a new sponsorship agreement between the NHRA and Traxxas, both of the specialty bonus programs highlighted by a $100,000 shootout for Top Fuel and Funny Car competitors will return after a brief hiatus from the schedule.
The American Drag Racing League today unveiled additional details regarding their all-new SuperCar Showdown category, which series officials indicate will be open to as many s 60 different sports cars and muscle cars from around the world.
Whether you’re a hardcore drag racer or simply a died-in-the-wool Blue Oval enthusiast, Holcomb Motorsports is one of the industry’s leading sources of performance parts and accessories for Mustangs and other performance vehicle from Ford, along with general aftermarket components for race cars of all makes.
In May of last year, we first highlighted the early phases of Pennsylvanian Joe Copson’s downright incredible Outlaw 10.5 Camaro build underway at the Michigan area Gilsbach Racecraft facility, and since that time, great strides have been made in bringing the project to a completion.
Project 666 Gets Stealth’ed With Aeromotive’s New 6-Gallon Fuel Cell
Posted by
Andrew Wolf
on 01/23/12
With our mission to turn our Project 666 Fox body into a hardcore racing machine, our latest update involves the replacement of our OE-style Aeromotive fuel tank with the new six-gallon Stealth fuel cell armed with an internally-mounted A1000 fuel pump in the trunk of our nine-second Pony.
Expanded Race & Performance Expo Returns To Chicagoland Feb. 25-26
Posted by
Andrew Wolf
on 01/23/12
On February 25-26, the Race & Performance Expo returns to St. Charles, Ill. – this year expanded to encompass two buildings at the beautiful Pheasant Run Resort to include the new Circle Track Expo.
Among those planning to debut the sleek new Camaro’s this season includes LSX Drag Radial competitor and 2011 LSX Shootout series champion Mike Meeks, who’s trading up his eye-catching F-body Trans Am for a brand new 2012 Camaro for battle in the growing number of LS-specific events.
VP Racing Fuels Implements Three New NHRA-Approved Formulas For 2012
Posted by
Andrew Wolf
on 01/21/12
This week, VP Racing Fuels announced that it has reformulated three of its NHRA-approved racing fuels – those being C11, C23, and C25. As of January 20, each of these three new formulas will be available from VP Racing Fuels for dyno and track testing in 5-gallon pails and in drums of 15 and 54-gallons.
Flashback Friday: Johnny West’s Wild Ride At The ’90 NHRA Summernats
Posted by
Andrew Wolf
on 01/20/12
In 1990, which doesn’t seem like that long ago until you break out your mental calculator and do the math, former Funny Car driver and current crew chief to the stars Johnny West rode out one of the most horrifying crashes in drag racing history. And he lived to talk about it.
While testing in Bradenton, Fla. on Thursday, Richie Stevens, subbing for Allen Johnson, piloted the J&J Racing Mopar Dodge Avenger to an unofficial Pro Stock record of 6.466 seconds, just under the official national record of 6.477.
Built be Steve Morris Engines, this 526 cubic inch monster utilizes Holley’s popular EFI system, an F3-139 ProCharger, B1 cylinder heads, and other high-end parts to attain a staggering 2,100 horepower on the engine dyno at just over 7,300 RPM.
Pro Slammers Series Opens Door For Pro Modified Racing On West Coast
Posted by
Andrew Wolf
on 01/19/12
The Pro Slammers series, or PSDCA if you can remember all of those letters, was recently announced, delivering yet another exciting series to the state of California once known as the hotbed of drag racing. The new series will boast eight events at the tree different tracks for Pro Modified competitors.
Rickie Jones, the 24-year old son of esteemed chassis builder Rick Jones and an already tough and accomplished racer in his own right, could be pulling some double duty behind the wheel this season, hinting at a possible part-time schedule in Pro Stock in addition to his ADRL Pro Nitrous effort.
Lensman Scott Gearhart was at Bradenton Motorsports Park on Tuesday afternoon taking in some Pro Stock testing and sent over a collection of photos. Among those testing early this week include Erica Enders, Richie Stevens, Vincent Nobile, Shane Gray, Mike Castellana, and others.
The NHRA Technical Department this week approved the 2012 Camaro SS body design for use in NHRA Pro Stock competition, thus delivering a new body to the category to replace the aging Chevrolet Cobalt and the now extinct Pontiac GXP.
Moser Engineering Introduces Lucrative New NHRA Sportsman Shootouts
Posted by
Andrew Wolf
on 01/17/12
Our good friends at Moser Engineering, who have long been one of the biggest supporters an cheerleaders of sportsman drag racing, are offering not one, but two new shootout programs to their loyal customers in the NHRA sportsman ranks for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Longtime class racer Jeff Teuton, who helped to conceive the ADRL’s new heads-up eliminator for late model factory muscle cars, recently alluded to some of the preliminary rules for the new category that will make its debut in Houston in March, answering some of the questions of those interested racers and fans.
On Saturday, May 19, the Texas Motorplex will officially launch the inaugural event in the newly-announced Mega Mopar Action Series, which will host four national events in its inaugural season, including Dallas, Denver, Colo., Reading, Pa., and Dinwiddie, Va.
Drag racing mega-team owner Don Schumacher and Aaron’s announced today the extension of their partnership through the 2012 season, with primary sponsorship of 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car champion Matt Hagan’s Dodge Charter R/T and Antron Brown’s Top Fueler at 17 total NHRA national events.
The Peterson Fluid Systems Facebook fan page includes all kinds of photos and information about their products, including this this brief behind-the-scenes look inside their facility in Colorado.
Everyone loves receiving great deals on parts, and this week, Spohn Performance has the deals. That is, if you happen to be the owner of a 1965-1974 Ford Galaxie. If not, your day is coming, because each and every day of the week, savings are offered on a different product from their extensive catalog.
In the midst of one of the greatest eras of high-performance passenger cars, the American Drag Racing League on Friday unveiled a completely new category of drag racing which will feature the world’s most powerful production automobiles in head-to-head competition.
