Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Speed Ring 2017, held at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, featured more than 50 racers, 40 manufacturers and thousands in attendance. |
The Speed Ring 2017 Breaks Records
Speed Ring 2017, held three weeks ago at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan—located just miles from Motovicity Distribution’s headquarters—featured more than 50 racers, 40 manufacturers and thousands in attendance over the two-day spectacle. Through this time-attack and touge-style-based competition, Motovicity’s goal is to bring their customers, racers, partnering manufacturers and the media together. Motovicity has set out to expand on its Speed Ring event for 2018 by adding more entertainment, vendors, sponsorship options, awards and upping the purse for individual and overall winners.
ProMedia Launches RacePagesDigital.com
ProMedia Events & Publishing has announced the launch of Race Pages Digital, a new destination for racing and automotive enthusiasts. Race Pages Digital joins Fastest Street Car magazine and existing event websites in providing coverage of ProMedia’s grassroots racing series, the NMCA Muscle Car Nationals and NMRA Ford Nationals. The new webzine will reach beyond those two race circuits to deliver daily coverage of sanctioned, outlaw, and no-prep drag racing from all over, as well as the latest in all-domestic street performance and the Mustang segment.
 Piotr Wiecek in the Worthhouse/Falken Tire Nissan 240 took home his first Formula DRIFT victory and clinched Rookie of the Year honors. |
Formula DRIFT Round 8: O’Reilly Auto Parts “Title Fight” Results
Formula DRIFT Black Magic Pro Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras returned to Irwindale Speedway for Round 8: O’Reilly Auto Parts “Title Fight,” where Piotr Wiecek in the Worthhouse/Falken Tire Nissan 240 took home his first Formula DRIFT victory and clinched Rookie of the Year honors. His teammate James Deane in the Worthouse/Falken Tire Nissan 240 clinched his first Formula DRIFT Championship. Deane’s season included four event victories and a third-place finish at the Round 8 finale to secure the championship. His sponsor Falken Tire swept the podium and won the Tire Manufacturer championship for the second consecutive time. Toyota won its fourth consecutive Manufacturer championship. In the Top 4, Daijiro Yoshihara in the Falken Tire/Turn 14 Distribution Subaru BRZ defeated Vaughn Gittin Jr. in the Monster Energy/Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR. Deane’s win over Aurimas Bakchis put him into the Finals. Yoshihara and Wiecek had a close battle, but Wiecek took his first Formula DRIFT victory and secured his Rookie of the Year honors.
 Robert Hight raced to a 3.877-second pass at 332.34 mph in his AAA of Texas Chevrolet Camaro SS to defeat reigning world champion and category points leader Ron Capps’ 3.927 pass at 329.18 in his Napa Auto Parts Dodge R/T in the Funny Car final. |
Hight, B. Force, Line and Krawiec Victorious at AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals
Robert Hight powered to the Funny Car victory last Sunday at the 32nd annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also earned victories in their respective categories at the fourth of six playoff events during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. Hight raced to a 3.877-second pass at 332.34 mph in his AAA of Texas Chevrolet Camaro SS to defeat reigning world champion and category points leader Ron Capps’ 3.927 pass at 329.18 in his Napa Auto Parts Dodge R/T in the Funny Car final. Hight remains second in the points standings with Capps in first by 24 points. Force piloted her Monster Energy dragster to a Texas Motorplex elapsed-time record of 3.681 at 326.87 to defeat Shawn Langdon and his Global Electronic Technology dragster’s 3.693 pass at 326.56 in the Top Fuel finals. The victory moves her into second in the points standings. Defending Pro Stock world champion Line found himself in the winner’s circle for the second time this season after running a 6.548 pass at 211.20 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro to take down Drew Skillman, who lost on a red-light start. Greg Anderson maintains the points lead by 15 points over Bo Butner, who is trailed by Line. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Krawiec rode his Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a 9.336 pass at 92.62, which was enough due to a red-light start from defending world champion Jerry Savoie. The win puts Krawiec 107 points ahead of LE Tonglet, who remains in second. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, October 26–29, with the 17th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals.
 Chad Kemenah won his sixth 2017 All-Star Circuit of Champions Championship last weekend at Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio. |
Chad Kemenah Wins the 2017 All-Star Circuit of Champions Championship
Champion Oil has announced that Chad Kemenah won his sixth 2017 All-Star Circuit of Champions Championship last weekend at Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio. Kemenah is now even with Dale Blaney as a six-time Arctic Cat All Star Champion—the most in Series history. Kemenah captured three victories during his 2017 Arctic Cat All-Star campaign, earning 37 top-10 feature finishes in 48 main-event starts.
 The VP Racing Fuels NMCA West Drag Racing Series championship season concluded with the completion of the 6th Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA West Coast World Finals at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, California, last weekend. |
Race Wrap—6th Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA West Coast World Finals
The VP Racing Fuels NMCA West Drag Racing Series championship season concluded with the completion of the 6th Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA West Coast World Finals at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, California, October 13–15. NMCA West championships were on the line, as racers pulled out all of the stops while battling major winds that caused many of the classes to be run at the eighth-mile race distance.
ProCharger Outlaw Street: Tom Marshall took the win and the trip to the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle with a hole-shot victory over Lafayette Williams, 5.121 to 5.119.
Lucas Oil Ultra Street: Mike Silva drove to victory with a 5.32 over Dan Dagata’s 5.88 effort.
ARP Outlaw 8.5: At the stripe, it was Tim Orello for the win with a 5.53 over Tim Schmackpfeffer’s slowing 8.63 run.
Lucas Oil NA 10.5: Ryan Bell ran a close race against Ross Wilson, and took home the Victor trophy with a 5.218-to-5.258 winning effort.
Meziere Top Sportsman: Joe Stannard made it back-to-back wins for the Trans Am driver as he defeated number-one qualifier Raul Perez in the final round.
Champion Cooling Systems Pro Comp: Michael Boner went 6.303 on a 6.30 dial in to Zach Meziere’s losing 5.735 on a 5.70 bid.
FSC Open Comp: Paul Geis’ ’52 pickup took the victory over Kevin Stokesberry’s ’71 Chevelle, running 11.084 on its 11.07 dial-in compared to the Chevelle’s 9.559 on a 9.49.
TBT Racing Products Street Comp: Mike Sayle was quick on the tree with a .002 light compared to Jan Vanderpool’s .097 effort, and that allowed his 10.885 on a 10.78 to defeat Vanderpool’s 12.750 on a 12.66 dial-in.
Edelbrock Super Quick: In the final round, David Butler went way red (-.178) and gave away the prize to Bob Earleywine.
Calvert Racing Quick Street: Pedro Valadez, driving an ’87 Camaro with a stroked small-block, took the reaction-time advantage over Bill Batey, and secured the win with a 10.397 on a 10.37 dial-in, while Batey had posted a losing 10.220 on a 10.21.
Mustang Madness: Driving the family’s Cobra Jet Mustang, Brent Calvert pushed Ron Mihld out at the top end for the win, running 8.635 on an 8.60 dial-in while Mihld went 12.269 on a 12.29.
Classic Performance Products Nostalgia Street Car: Mike Nordahl’s small-block-powered ’64 Nova prevailed over Dan Geis’ big-block-powered ’64 Nova, thanks to a reaction-time advantage, and a 10.534 performance against a 10.50 index compared to Geis’ 11.029 on an 11.00.
Gear Vendors True Street: Dan Olson had the field fully covered and his closest rival, Dan Geis, by nearly a second. Olson averaged 9.198 seconds over three runs for the overall win, while Geis was runner-up with a 10.031 effort. Michael Webb has strung along several 10-second wins now in his ’12 Mustang GT with another one here in the finals; Nick Cuaresma collected another True Street win in the 11-second category with an 11.072 average; Steve McQueen took home the 12-second win with his E55 AMG Mercedes with a 12.165 average; Ted Borles won the 13-second division with a 13.404 and Tyson McPherson, who grabbed the 13-second win at the last event, was awarded the 14-second plaque with a 14.206 effort.
FSC Top Dragster Shootout: Cecil Wiles Jr. squared off against Heather Elliot in the final round, where Wiles Jr. grabbed the reaction-time advantage and took the win, running 5.118 on his 5.05 dial in to Elliot’s 5.309 effort on a 5.03 bid.
Edelbrock Bracket Showdown: on Saturday, Will Mangrum took the Super Pro win, Jack Swanson grabbed the Pro award, and Jeff Jones grabbed the trophy in Sportsman. Sunday’s winners were Greg Hicks in Super Pro, Joe Henchey in Pro, and CW Hoefer in Sportsman.
For a complete list of drag-racing results, visit the NMCA West website.