SCHUMACHER AND JOHNSON TAKE PART IN DUAL BURNOUTS AT CHARLOTTE: Seven-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher and five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson took part in dual burnouts at Charlotte Motor Speedway this week. Charlotte Motor Speedway is the only complex in the world to host both NHRA Countdown to the Championship and Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup events. Schumacher in his 8,000-hp U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster and Johnson in his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet roared down the pit road side by side for the season ticket holders in attendance.
LANGDON, HIGHT, EDWARDS, HALL RACE TO VICTORY AT THE CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE U.S. NATIONALS: Shawn Langdon raced to his first Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals win in Top Fuel and joined Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) as winners. Langdon swept the weekend and pocketed more than $200,000 as he also won the Traxxas Nitro Shootout in Top Fuel as well.
CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE U.S. NATIONALS RETURNS TO LUCAS OIL RACEWAY AT INDIANAPOLIS: The Chevrolet Performance U.S Nationals returns to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianpolis. Qualifying for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series began Wednesday with the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series taking to the track begining Friday. Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) Mike Neff (Funny Car), Dave Connolly (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were the winners of the event in 2012. Schumacher will attempt to record his 10th career win at the event, which would make him the all-time winningest driver in the history of the event.
CAPPS REBOUNDS FOR FUNNY CAR VICTORY: Ron Capps and his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger team rebounded from the dissapointment of not qualifiying for the event in Seattle to win the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway (BIR). With the win, Capps, who narrowly defeated his teammate Matt Hagan, moves to second in the points and earned a berth in the Countdown to the Championship.
MINNESOTA NATIVES LOOK FOR SUCCESS AT LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS; LUCAS AND CAPPS ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THEIR CHAMPIONSHIPS: Greg Anderson and Jason Line, natives of Duluth, Minnesota, will be racing in front of numerous family and friends during the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, August 15–18. Anderson has three wins at the track and is looking for continued improvement for he and Line.
LUCAS RACES TO FIRST WIN OF 2013; HAGAN AND NOBILE SCORE AT LAST RACE OF WESTERN SWING: Morgan Lucas powered to his first Top Fuel win of the season in his third final-round appearance of the year when he defeated David Grubnic at the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries. This was the second consecutive final-round appearance for Lucas and his first win since the 2012 Brainerd, Minnesota, event.
CAPPS SECURES FOURTH WIN AT SONOMA RACEWAY; LANGDON, NOBILE AND ARANA JR. TAKE HOME NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS VICTORIES: Behind the wheel of his NAPA Dodge Charger Funny Car, Ron Capps continued his mastery of Sonoma Raceway when he defeated John Force for his fourth win in wine country. The win moved him to second in Funny Car points just behind his teammate Matt Hagan.
JOHNSON WINS FOURTH PRO STOCK RACE OF SEASON; MASSEY, C. PEDREGON AND GANN WIN AT MOPAR MILE-HIGH NATIONALS: Defending Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson continued his mastery of Bandimere Speedway during the Mopar Mile-High Nationals with his fifth win at the track and his fourth win of the 2013 season. Johnson started eliminations last Sunday as the No. 1 qualifier for the fifth time at the track and parlayed it into the win.
MOPAR CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY AS TITLE SPONSOR OF MOPAR MILE-HIGH NHRA NATIONALS: NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series fans will be able to take part in the celebration of the partnership between Mopar and Bandimere Speedway during the upcoming event this weekend. To honor the 25-year partnership, four-time NHRA world champion (3 Top Fuel, 1 Funny Car) Gary Scelzi will serve as the grand marshal and Don Schumacher will be the honorary starter of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. Scelzi has one career win at Bandimere Speedway in Funny Car in 2006.
ALBALOOSHI WINS FIRST TOP FUEL RACE OF THE YEAR; J. GRAY, EDWARDS, SMITH WIN IN NORWALK: The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals ended a stretch of four consecutive races and Khalid alBalooshi (Top Fuel), Johnny Gray (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) took home wins on Sunday. It was the first win of the season for alBalooshi, the fourth of the year for Gray and Edwards and for Smith it was his first win since Englishtown of 2011. Visit NHRA.com for more.