Compiled by SEMA Editors
 J.R. Todd went 3.972 seconds at 319.90 mph in his 10,000hp DHL Toyota Camry to defeat Tim Wilkerson’s 4.196 at 249.95 in the final round. |
Todd, Torrence, Nobile and H. Arana Jr. Victorious at Dodge NHRA Nationals
J.R. Todd moved into the Funny Car points lead with his second straight victory of 2018 last Sunday at the 34th Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners in their respective categories at the first of six playoff events during the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. Todd went 3.972 seconds at 319.90 mph in his 10,000hp DHL Toyota Camry to defeat Tim Wilkerson’s 4.196 at 249.95 in the final round. Todd now has a 23-point lead on defending world champion Robert Hight. In Top Fuel, Torrence maintained his points lead after going 3.819 at 325.45 to beat Tony Schumacher’s 4.196 at 234.82 and pick up his sixth victory in 2018 and 22nd of his career in his 10,000hp Capco Contractors dragster. Pro Stock’s Nobile grabbed his third victory of the season and 13th in his career in his Mountain View Tire Chevrolet Camaro after going 6.586 at 210.01 in the final round to defeat Drew Skillman’s 6.580 at 211.53. Nobile moved to second in the points standings. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Arana Jr. earned a victory with a run of 6.842 at 197.74 on his Lucas Oil Racing TV EBR in his final-round matchup against No. 1 qualifier Matt Smith, who slowed to a 7.306 at 145.88. Arana Jr. jumped to second in points. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues September 21–23, with the second race in the Countdown to the Championship—the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois.
 James Deane and Piotr Wiecek go head to head in the final race of the Forumla Drift Auto Cup in Texas. | |
Piotr Wiecek Takes First 2018 Win and Toyota Clinches the Auto Cup at Formula Drift Texas
Qualifying first and third respectively for the Texas round of the Formula DRIFT Black Magic Pro Championship, teammates James Deane and Piotr Wiecek faced each other in the FD finals. With a bye round in the Top 32, Deane narrowly beat Kenshiro Gushi in the GPP Toyota Racing/Falken Tire Toyota 86 in the Sweet 16. He then faced Daijiro Yoshihara in the Turn 14 Distribution/Falken Tire Subaru BRZ in the Great 8. Yoshihara had previously competed against Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Falken Tires/Maxxoil/Drifz Wheels Nissan S14 in the Sweet 16. The pair were inseparable, resulting in the judges requesting “One More Time.” The win went to Yoshihara, but he subsequently fell to Deane, who faced his arch-rival, Fredric Aasbo, in the Final Four. Despite two close runs, the judges gave the decision to Deane, who would face Wiecek in the Final. In the Final Four, Wiecek defeated Chelsea Denofa in the BC Racing/Nitto Tire/Ford Performance Mustang RTR. Deane’s Nissan S14 shut down in the first corner of the second run and gifted the win to Wiecek.
 Travis Pastrana will compete in the inaugural NRX event against a host of top competitors. |
Yokohama Named the Official Tire for the Nitro Rallycross at the Nitro World Games
Yokohama’s ADVAN A054 is the official tire for Nitro Rallycross (NRX), a new event at the third annual Nitro World Games, September 22–23, at Utah Motorsports Campus near Salt Lake City. NRX utilizes an all-new track layout that will feature some of the world’s best drivers battling for the top spot on a challenging, purpose-built track. Nitro Circus co-founder and action sports superstar Travis Pastrana will compete in the inaugural NRX event against a host of top competitors. Yokohama is an official sponsor of the Nitro World Games action sports competition, as well as a marketing partner of Nitro Circus. Yokohama is the exclusive tire of the 2018 Nitro Circus You Got This arena tour in the United States.
Champion Racing Oil Sponsors National Open at Williams Grove Speedway
The Champion Racing Oil National Open at Williams Grove Speedway for sprint cars sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Craftsman Series is paying out more than $50,000 to the winner, October 26–27.
 The Firepunk Diesel team celebrates their third consecutive win at the 2018 Ultimate Callout Challenge in Indianapolis. |
Hot Shot’s Secret Adds Full Firepunk Diesel Drag Racing Team to Roster
Lubrication Specialties Inc., manufacturer of Hot Shot’s Secret Adrenaline Racing Oil and high-performance fuel and oil additives, has announced sponsorship of the full Firepunk Diesel Race Team. The team is one of the top race teams in diesel drag-racing competition, including the NHRDA Hot Shot’s Secret Diesel Drag Racing Series and the Outlaw Diesel Super Series. Prior to August, Hot Shot’s Secret sponsored Lavon Miller of Firepunk Diesel, widely known for his three consecutive wins in the Ultimate Callout Challenge. Now, in addition to sponsoring Miller, Hot Shot’s Secret is sponsoring the entire Firepunk Diesel Race Team. Three of the team members won their classes at a recent Outlaw Diesel Super Series event, the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza, in E.T. Bracket and 7.70 Index (Landon Miller), 5.9 Index (Rick Fox) and Pro Mod (Larson Miller). Other racers sponsored by Hot Shot’s Secret who won include Art Maupin (6.70 Index) and Wade Moody (Pro Dragster).
NMRA, NMCA Release 2019 Events Schedules
The NMRA and NMCA have released their 2019 event schedules. The only major changes for NMRA were the addition of Gateway Motorsports Park in May, and the Ford Motorsport Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway has been moved to the end of the June. The other four locations and dates are consistent with the NMRA’s regular schedule. The NMCA Muscle Car Nationals saw the addition of Memphis International Raceway in the opening weekend of May with a consistent location/date for the other five events.
View the NMRA 2019 event schedule.
View the NMCA 2019 event schedule.
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