Racing Fan Radio & Media Group

02/09/2025

JUSTIN ASHLEY AND S**G TOYOTA WIN NHRA U.S. NATIONALS

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 01, 2025)
– Justin Ashley and the S**G Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster team rallied to a dominate victory Sunday at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. It is Ashley’s first win at the ‘Big Go’, third of the 2025 season and 18th of his career. He wins the regular season finale 18 years after his father Mike Ashley won the prestigious event in Funny Car.

“I think I'm still processing everything. I've dreamed about this moment over and over and over again, and then to actually live it right now right here is truly special. you know, when you win Indy it’s just something that nobody can take away from you. The fact that my father won here 18 years ago and to have him here now and to win this event in Top Fuel, it really is special,” Ashley said. “It's just different than any other race. I tried to do my best all day to just treat it as another race, because that probably is really the only thing you can do and not get caught up in the moment, but now, to step back, and to actually get that victory, you realize how truly incredible it actually is.”

Facing motorsports legend and regular season Top Fuel champion Tony Stewart in his sixth final of the season, Ashley, known for his exceptional skill on the Christmas tree, had a .027-second reaction time with a 3.839-second pass at 326.16 mph to defeat Stewart’s 3.815 pass at 321.88 and a .053 reaction time.

“I thought it was possible to win here like my father did, I mean anything's possible, but to actually do it and to actually accomplish it. It is almost beyond words,” Ashley said. “As you start to go throughout the day; round one, round two, then all of a sudden you get to round three, and you think, well, maybe this is actually a possibility. Then you’re in the finals and only 1000 feet away from actually accomplishing history. Certainly thought it was possible, but to have actually done it, it’s on another level.”

Before getting to the finals, Ashley qualified No. 12 off a 3.757-second pass at 333.41 mph that earned him a first-round matchup against reigning and four-time world champion Antron Brown. Ashley combined a .036-second reaction time with a 3.721-second pass at 328.46 mph to take down Brown’s 3.706 at 333.66 and .062 reaction time. The win set Ashley up to race against former world champion Doug Kalitta in the quarterfinals.

Ashley and the S**G Toyota left the starting line first but started to lose traction. Ashley had to pedal his way to a 4.087-second pass at 293.15 mph, luckily Kalitta lost traction early and couldn’t get his dragster hooked back up coasting to a 4.486 at 234.61. The pedal job earned Ashley a semifinal race against underdog favorite Tripp Tatum.

Ashley would once again leave the starting line first for a clean 3.808-second pass at 327.74 mph. Tatum wouldn’t be so luckily, driving into tire smoke almost immediately ending his day with an 8.317 pass at 86.04.

“It’s no secret, we've struggled a little bit the last few races, but we made some pretty drastic changes to the car. I approach each and every race the same way with the expectation to win, and it's easy to do that when you have the kind of team that we do with Mike and Tommy and Dustin and the guys,” said Ashley referencing a first round loss in Brainerd, Minnesota that came after back-to-back quarterfinal exits. “I always have confidence in the guys, but it certainly meant a full field challenge today having to go through Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta, Tripp Tatum, and then Tony Stewart, we've all heard of that guy, he’s supposed to be a pretty good driver. So, it's really cool.”

Ashley and the S**G Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster team end the regular season fourth in the Top Fuel points standings.

Daniel Wilkerson and the S**G Power Equipment Ford Mustang entered race day from the No. 8 qualifying spot thanks to a 3.909-second pass at 326.40 mph. Wilkerson matched with veteran race Paul Lee in the first round. Wilkerson left the starting line first but a 3.934 pass at 330.96 mph wasn’t enough to get the win over Lee’s 3.912 at 321.42.

“I’m pretty bummed. We definitely had the car to beat Saturday through qualifying, but we weren’t racing Saturday,” Wilkerson said. “So, we will take what we learned from today and drag it over to Reading, Pennsylvania to hopefully whoop everybody’s butt there and contend for the championship. It’s the start of the Countdown and the right time for us to start making some moves. Have to thank all of S**G, the dealers, employees and this whole team. It was a long weekend and I’m excited that Justin came out of it with the win.”

Dave Richards and the BleuBird Turf Ford Mustang machine did not get the chance to flex their muscle during Monday eliminations at The Big Go. Richards, who had a promising test session ahead of the Labor Day weekend event, was unable to break into the 16-car field. His best run through five qualifying sessions was a 4.698-second pass at 208.65 mph after a 4.055-second run at 290.19 mph was thrown out because the BlueBird Turf Funny Car clipped a timing block on the centerline towards the end of the track.

“Man, I had really high expectations for this weekend, I think we all did, after testing and figuring things out, we thought this BlueBird machine was going to be right there with the rest of them,” Richards said. “We will keep our heads up and keep working hard. We're going to test tomorrow and come back ready to go in Reading, Pennsylvania. We couldn’t do this without all the support from S**G, the dealers and employees, we love having them out here, we wish we could have put on a better show for them, but I enjoyed watching with them from the pit box and being on the starting line for Justin’s win.”

01/09/2025

Chase Briscoe dominated the opening race of the NASCAR playoffs, taking the checkered flag in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

29/08/2025

Michael Jordan looks forward to 'going down with the fire' if this goes to trial in December

29/08/2025

BECKMAN TO BRING BRUTE FORCE TO THE LINE FOR CORNWELL QUALITY TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS

BROWNSBURG, IND. (Aug. 28, 2025)

– The iconic blue Brute Force paint scheme that announced to the world in the mid-1970s that John Force had arrived on the NHRA drag racing scene will adorn the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS Funny Car which Jack Beckman will compete in during the Aug. 27-Sept. 1 Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Beckman, a two-time U.S. Nationals Funny Car winner (2015, 2020) who enters the final race of the 2025 NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series regular season second in the point standings to John Force Racing teammate Austin Prock, somehow visualized the Brute Force car paint scheme before the start of the season though he didn’t realize it at the time.

“This blue paint scheme is where you got the Brute Force lettering and the iron gauntlet insignia and it really ties in well with the PEAK SQUAD colors,” said Beckman, the U.S. Nationals Funny Car Champion in 2015 and 2020. “This is the one thar really made the big statement that ‘I’m John Force and I’m going to be racing nitro funny cars.’

“Ironically, the paint scheme design on the helmet I’ve been wearing all year is a tribute to John. The helmet looks like it was painted to match the Brute Force car but, when I had it painted, I didn’t know we would be doing the tribute car. It was then great for the Peak SQUAD to have a hand in the planning. It’s just very iconic and cool that the car I chose to emulate on my helmet is the one that was later chosen to be the car paint scheme tribute to John.”

The Brute Force paint scheme is incorporated into the season-long look of the PEAK SQUAD that has taken Beckman this season to two victories (Pomona and Chicago), one runner-up (Virginia) and four No. 1 Qualifier positions (Gainesville, Chicago, Virginia, Brainerd).

“Running a tribute car like this is something that John and I have discussed for years, and the timing is now right as we head into NHRA’s 75th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of John’s ‘Brute Force’ Funny Cars” said Brian Bohlander of Old World Industries. “The fans have been asking for this particular car for years, and the perfect place to run it at the biggest race of the year, the U.S. Nationals. Jack and our PEAK SQUAD have been involved with us in planning this for several months so we can’t wait for Friday night for the fans to finally see the car in action.”

Force, the 16-time NHRA Funny Car Champion and five-time U.S. Nationals winner (1993, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2019), couldn’t be prouder to see the Brute Force paint scheme back on the track in Beckman’s very capable hands.

“I’m very honored and proud to have the Brute Force paint scheme back out on the track and I have to thank Brian Bohlander with PEAK who came up with the idea,” said Force. “It’s one of the original Brute Force designs that I raced with in Australia and then in the NHRA for years. It's got the big fist on the side with the lightning bolts … I think it's pretty awesome.”

The top eight NHRA Funny Car drivers will compete in the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout. John Force Racing teammates Austin Prock and Beckman are the top two seeds, based on their positions in the point standings. Selections for the opening round will be made Saturday, Aug. 30, with the first round taking place at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 31. The driver who makes the quickest winning run in the opening round gets to select their semifinal opponent, with that round taking place at 2:15 p.m. The final round is at 4 p.m. and a special broadcast of the Callout takes place at 5 p.m. ET on FS1 on Sunday.

Beckman will also participate in this week’s Mission Foods NHRA Challenge after earning the No. 1 qualifying position for the Aug. 17 Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway.

Qualifying for the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals will feature one round at 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 29, two rounds at 12:30 and 3:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 30 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 12 and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 1.

Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations at 12 p.m. on FS1 on Monday, shifting to FOX at 2 p.m.

26/08/2025

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ALEX LAUGHLIN TO ACCRUE POINTS FOR
BUDDY HULL AND JIM DUNN RACING AT U.S. NATIONALS

LONG BEACH, CA (August 26, 2025) --- The grandest stage in drag racing, the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, August 27-September, is set for a full-throttle weekend for Buddy Hull and Jim Dunn Racing.

While Hull continues to recover from a left-hand injury suffered at the DENSO Sonoma Nationals, the Blaze Exhaust Probes Funny Car will be piloted by a driver who knows how to win at Indy: Alex Laughlin. Laughlin, the 2019 U.S. Nationals champion in Pro Stock, returns to Jim Dunn Racing for the first time since his 2023 campaign, where he finished tenth in Funny Car points and posted a semifinal finish at the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. Laughlin will earn points on Hull’s behalf under the medical portion of the driver replacement policy.


“I'm just kind of the lucky guy that has the golden ticket with the license and the relationship with Jim Dunn Racing to be able to do this to help out,” said Laughlin, who will also be racing a Pro Mod during the U.S. Nationals. “It is kind of the right place right time situation I'm happy to help. I'm excited to be back to the U.S. Nationals and I'm thankful to be able to get the call from Jim Dunn Racing. I'm just piloting the Funny Car from A to B for the weekend while Buddy is getting better. I appreciate the Dunns and Buddy giving me this opportunity.”

The car will carry Blaze Exhaust Probes as the primary sponsor for the third time this season and will feature Lescure Mechanical Services, a family-based company, prominently on the rear wing. Lescure, a long-time Jim Dunn Racing marketing partner, will be highlighted alongside Lincoln Welders, who came on board for the U.S. Nationals thanks to Laughlin’s support.

“This is the U.S. Nationals, the biggest race of the year, and I’m thrilled that we’ve got Alex back in the seat representing our team and partners,” said Hull. “He’s already proven he can win Indy, and with Blaze Exhaust Probes, Lescure, and Lincoln Welders on board, we’ve got a lot to be excited about. I may not be driving this weekend, but believe me, I’ll be bringing the same energy to everything I do. Indy is all about the fans, the competition, and the tradition, and I can’t wait to be part of all of it.”

(from left) Jon Dunn, Alex Laughlin and Buddy Hull got together last year at the PRI Show in Indianapolis,
photo credit Jim Dunn Racing

Even without his firesuit on, Hull will keep plenty busy throughout the weekend, with a fan-focused schedule that includes:
Thursday, August 28 at 7 p.m.: Autographs at Cruz Pedregon’s Open House and Car Show.
Friday, August 29 at 3 p.m.: Leading New Fan Orientation on the NHRA Stage with Hannah Rickards.
Saturday, August 30 at 12:20 p.m.: Cheering on his one-year-old son, Maverick, in the equally adorable and competitive Baby Walker Nationals.

“This race is bigger than just one driver or one run down the track,” said Hull. “I get to meet fans at Cruz’s open house, welcome brand-new fans to the NHRA family and then watch my son race in the Baby Walker Nationals. That’s still a full weekend! Honestly, I think I might be just as busy as Alex. This is going to be an Indy I’ll never forget.”

With Laughlin chasing performance on the track and Hull leading the charge with fans, Jim Dunn Racing and the Blaze Exhaust Probes Funny Car are geared up to make a lasting impact at the U.S. Nationals. Throughout this season Jim Dunn Racing has been celebrating 75 years of success. Their passion for the sport and the unwavering love the fans have been on display across the country. The team’s success at the U.S. Nationals is highlighted by the team’s win at the Big Bud Shootout win in 1997 and the 1999 U.S. Nationals win with Frank Pedregon.

Laughlin and the Jim Dunn Racing team will have one qualifying run on Friday, August 29 and then two more qualifying runs on Saturday and Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The 16 Funny Cars with the quickest elapsed times after five rounds of qualifying will compete on race day on Monday, September 1 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Fans can watch the race on FS1 and FOX. For tickets or more information on the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals visit

NHRA - Mission Foods Drag Racing Series

21/08/2025

H.A. "Humpy" Wheele helped usher NASCAR’s presence onto the national stage in the 1970s with imaginative, often over-the-top pre-race shows.

21/08/2025

Despite the announcement being made recently, Wilkes County racing fans have been preparing for this announcement for quite a while.

16/08/2025

Dover hosting the All-Star Race would clear a spot for North Wilkesboro Speedway to land a Cup points race, which it hasn't done since 1996.

16/08/2025

BROWN, PROCK & ANDERSON CLAIM FRIDAY’S AMERICAN REBEL LIGHT “BATTLE FOR THE REBEL AXE” AT LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 15, 2025) – Reigning Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown made the quickest run on Friday at Brainerd International Raceway, taking the provisional No. 1 position and winning the night’s special American Rebel Light Friday Night “Battle for the Rebel Axe” at the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.

Austin Prock (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 13th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Brown went 3.742-seconds at 334.90 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster, holding off a strong field to claim the $4,000 bonus and sit atop the “Throne of the North” made from cases of American Rebel Light. Brown also won the Rebel Axe trophy, a cigar box electric guitar custom-built in the shape of a 12-pack of American Rebel Light.

It was an ideal start for Brown, who has six career wins across Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle at Brainerd, as the four-time champ looks to qualify No. 1 for the first time since the season-opener in Gainesville, a race he also won this year.

“It felt good. The track was a bit tricky. We didn’t get the clutch right on first run, but that run definitely made up for it,” Brown said. “We got to do what we wanted to do, which was run the race track. The car was straight, stayed nimble and felt good. It sets us up good for tomorrow.

“We’ve got a little hole to dig out of in the points to get where we want, so I’m super pumped and happy for that run. I don’t often drink beer, but when I do it will be American Rebel Light.”

Clay Millican finished Friday just off the pace, taking second with a 3.746 at 330.72 and Shawn Langdon, the current points leader, is third after a run of 3.753 at 334.82.

In Funny Car, points leader and reigning world champion Austin Prock enjoyed another big Friday night, taking the American Rebel Light “Battle for the Rebel Axe” on Friday night with a run of 3.893 at 331.45 in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS.

Prock stood tall on the “Throne of the North,” also picking up the guitar and the $4,000 bonus, marking another impressive accomplishment during his 2025 season. The star has a chance to clinch the regular-season championship this weekend in Brainerd and Prock, who won the most recent race in Sonoma, is now on track to pick up his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season.

“You know, when American Rebel Light is part of a race, we seem to do well in this Cornwell Tools Camaro. We seem to run pretty well, so it was cool to collect the cash, and the guitar. It's a good way to start the weekend here in Brainerd,” Prock said. “On both runs today, my steering wheel was pretty far to the left, so it had my hands full a little bit there. I wanted to be prepared for that, and definitely felt a little loose down there, but it still ran 331 mph, so it couldn't have been slipping too badly.

“To win these races and win these championships, we've got to be able to go down all conditions of racetracks. So, we have a pretty good notebook right now.”

Jack Beckman, who returned to the Funny Car ranks a year ago in Brainerd, is currently second with a 3.907. Ron Capps, whose seven BIR wins leads all active drivers, is third after his run of 3.920 at 330.39.

Duluth native Greg Anderson enjoyed a strong ending to his night in Pro Stock, taking the top spot on Friday night with a run of 6.614 at 204.76 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. The standout pass handed Anderson the $2,000 bonus in the American Rebel Light “Battle for Rebel Axe” and plenty of momentum for the rest of the weekend.

Should that hold, the reigning world champion would earn his fifth No. 1 spot of the season as he seeks another victory at the track where he grew up racing.

“It felt really nice and like before the run, I told all my guys, ‘We made a nice run on the first run, and I think we can go quicker on the second’. I told them I want that guitar. I want those cases of beer. Any time that anybody puts up a special bounty like that, it means the world to a guy like me. I love that,” Anderson said. “

“They made the right calls on the car and we made a beautiful run. It felt perfectly in low gear. That's all I could ask for. This has been a great night. Right now, I feel like I won the race. This track is different from anyplace we race, but it’s a great surface. That’s why you saw so many good runs in the second session. Guys know what they can throw at it, and it’s probably going to get quicker tomorrow.”

Points leader Dallas Glenn, who has won the past two years in Brainerd, is in second, just behind Anderson with a run of 6.616 at 204.79, while Erica Enders is third after going 6.623 at 205.82 during what she hopes is a big turnaround weekend.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.

***

BRAINERD, Minn. -- Friday's results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, 13th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Antron Brown, 3.742 seconds, 334.90 mph; 2. Clay Millican, 3.746, 330.96; 3. Shawn Langdon, 3.753, 334.82; 4. Doug Kalitta, 3.758, 329.75; 5. Brittany Force, 3.766, 332.10; 6. Tony Stewart, 3.799, 326.40; 7. Jordan Vandergriff, 3.800, 328.30; 8. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.877, 311.41; 9. Kyle Satenstein, 3.882, 301.20; 10. Will Smith, 4.144, 229.98; 11. Billy Torrence, 5.074, 142.78; 12. Josh Hart, 5.408, 127.49; 13. Justin Ashley, 6.589, 91.13.

Funny Car -- 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.893, 331.45; 2. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.907, 323.66; 3. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.920, 330.39; 4. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.930, 332.43; 5. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.934, 324.75; 6. Alexis DeJoria, Dodge Charger, 3.942, 330.23; 7. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.942, 302.62; 8. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.944, 329.67; 9. Hunter Green, Charger, 3.946, 314.09; 10. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.947, 325.22; 11. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.960, 317.42; 12. Chad Green,
Mustang, 3.962, 312.21; 13. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.113, 245.00; 14. Jim Campbell, Charger, 5.060, 152.68; 15. Dave Richards, Mustang, 6.011, 116.41; 16. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 6.264, 109.30.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.614, 206.86; 2. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.616, 206.23; 3. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.623, 206.01; 4. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.624, 206.73; 5. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.628, 207.21; 6. David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.634, 205.16; 7. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.641, 204.94; 8. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.642, 204.98; 9. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.643, 205.13; 10. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.659, 205.72; 11.
Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.665, 205.76; 12. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.675, 206.51; 13. Chris Vang, Camaro, 6.680, 205.16; 14. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.688, 204.76; 15. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.690, 204.60; 16. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.695, 203.89.
Not Qualified: 17. Kenny Delco, 6.748, 203.71; 18. Joseph Wilczek, 7.187, 196.50.

11/08/2025

Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) has announced that Matt Hagan has signed a multi-year extension to continue driving the Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. A native of Christiansburg, Virginia, Hagan is a four-time NHRA Funny Car champion (2011, 2014, 2020 and 2023)....

10/08/2025

Sportsman racer Robbie Brewer passed away on Saturday following a medical emergency that led to a crash at Bowman Gray Stadium.

10/08/2025

Zilisch landed hard on the ground during the fall, but later said everything was OK beyond the broken bone