Compiled By SEMA Editors
 J.R. Todd powered his DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car to victory for the second time in a row last Monday at the 64th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. |
Todd, McMillen, Gray and Tonglet Victorious at Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
J.R. Todd powered his DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car to victory for the second time in a row last Monday at the 64th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. Terry McMillen (Top Fuel), Tanner Gray (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also victorious at the 18th event of 24 on the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Todd raced to a 4.062-second pass at 311.70 mph to defeat Matt Hagan’s pass of 4.141 at 300.60 in his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Hellcat SRT in the final round. With the win Todd moves to fifth in points heading into the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. McMillen powered past Doug Kalitta with a 4.037 pass at 300.66 in his AMALIE Motor Oil Xtermigator dragster to better Kalitta’s 4.067 at 303.57 in his Mac Tools dragster. McMillen secured the No. 7 spot heading into the Countdown to the Championship. In Pro Stock, Gray ran a 6.641 pass at 208.42 in his Gray Motorsports/Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s 6.639 at 206.80 in his JEGS.com/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro on a holeshot. He secured the No. 1 seed leading into the Countdown to the Championship during the semifinals when veteran Greg Anderson lost in the quarterfinals. Tonglet rode to the Pro Stock Motorcycle win with his 6.864 pass at 197.10 on his Nitro Fish Racing Suzuki to defeat four-time world champion Eddie Krawiec and his Mello Yello Vance & Hines Harley Davidson’s 6.884 pass at 197.02. The 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season continues September 13–16, at Maple Grove Raceway with the 34th annual Dodge NHRA Nationals and the kickoff to the Countdown to the Championship.
 John Reed’s record-breaking late-model HEMI Challenger. |
John Reed Resets The IRS Late Model HEMI Record
John Reed posted an 8.23 E.T. pass at 160.84 mph in his Vortech Supercharged Dodge Challenger at Cecil County Dragway, breaking the current world record during the license pass after letting off at 1,000 ft. He initially became the first late-model IRS Hemi Challenger to break the eight-second barrier in 2015 at the Modern Street Hemi Shootout, with an 8.85 E.T. at 158 mph.
 Royal Purple presented the “Slickest Pass” awards to Patricio O’Ward, Calvin Ming and Sting Ray Robb at the September 3 Road to Indy awards banquet. |
Royal Purple Awards Mazda Road to Indy Drivers Patricio O’Ward, Calvin Ming and Sting Ray Robb $5,000 Each
Royal Purple has awarded one driver in each of the three Mazda Road to Indy Series with the Royal Purple “Slickest Pass” award, which included a $5,000 check to aid each driver in reaching their goal of racing in the Verizon IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500. Royal Purple presented the awards to Patricio O’Ward, Calvin Ming and Sting Ray Robb at the September 3 Road to Indy awards banquet. Robb received the “Slickest Pass” for the Pro Mazda Series while Ming received the bonus check in the USF2000 Series. O’Ward was the winner in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires as a result of a vote held on Royal Purple’s social media channels.
 Tii Tharpe |
Tii Tharpe Takes Top Fuel Harley Title
Tii Tharpe is the champion of the NHRA Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels Top Fuel Harley Drag Racing Series after clinching the win over the Labor Day weekend at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis—a new event for the Harley series this year. Tharpe defeated Doug Vancil after the two entered the finale separated by less than a round’s worth of points.
MAHLE Acquires Italian Thermostat Specialist
In August, the MAHLE Group acquired all the shares in the former joint venture Behr Thermot-tronik Italia S.p.A. (BTTI), which has been renamed MAHLE Behr Grugliasco S.p.A. with immediate effect. The former shareholders, MAHLE Behr Kornwestheim GmbH and Valtri S.p.A., jointly agreed to this step in order to pursue the long-term, future-oriented focus and successful ongoing development of BTTI. The employment contracts of current employees are expected to remain unchanged, and no physical relocations are planned.
For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) eNewsletter.