Coming off an NHRA tour victory two weeks ago in Las Vegas, the 49-year-old veteran Jay Turner is back home this week trying to add a victory in the ADRL Spring Drags at Rockingham Dragway to a lengthy resume that includes, among other things, five IHRA world championships (1999, 2000, 2012, 2015 and 2016).

In addition to the debut of the Top Fuel Harleys with the series, the two-day ADRL season opener this Friday and Saturday, April 7-8, will feature Pro Modifieds racing at both the eighth-mile and quarter-mile distances, Pro Alcohol Funny Cars and dragster, Outlaw Pro Stocks, Extreme Pro Motorcycles, Top Sportsmen, Top Dragsters, Top Bracket cars and two classes of Jr. Dragsters.

While free tickets are available online at www.adrltour.com or at www.rockinghamdragway.com there is a $20 fee to park a vehicle, regardless of the number of occupants, in Rockingham’s main lot. (Tim Marshall photo) [04/05/17]

Michigan’s Milan Dragway will open on Saturday, April 8. With temperatures forecast in the 60’s, it’s time to shake off the cobwebs and get ready for 2017 season. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and laps start at noon. [04/05/17]

Former Pro Stock and Pro Mod driver Richie Stevens Jr., husband of Erica Enders-Stevens, will return to the driver’s seat, at least for one race. He will fill in for Pro Stock driver Deric Kramer at the NHRA Springnationals in Houston on Apr. 21-23. After that? (file photo by Ron Lewis) [04/05/17]

Accomplished Australian Pro Stock Champion, Lee Bektash dominated the 2017 ANDRA Grand Finals at Adelaide International Raceway over the weekend. Filing away another very successful weekend, Lee and his Mopar Team came away with a laundry list of achievements.

Bektash was Top Qualifier; set new ANDRA 1,000-foot National E.T. and MPH records; was the Grand Final event winner; and won the ANDRA National Series Championship for the second time in Pro Stock.

His crew are now busy preparing the Dodge Avenger for the long trip North to Willowbank, Ipswich. The momentum and performance that Co-Crew Chief Paul Drady garnered last weekend will be needed when the Lee Bektash Racing team take on the best Pro Stock cars and drivers in the country including local hero and NHRA Pro Stock racer Shane Tucker driving Jason Hedges' DECOGLAZE car, and multi-time National Champion Aaron Tremayne, alongside his brother Tyronne running for the two-car Tremaniac team.

Bektash will compete in the last three rounds of the IHRA 400 Thunder Series, defending his Championship from last year’s inaugural Series victory. The series will race April 14 at Willowbank Raceway, May 5-6 at Sydney Dragway, and finish June 8-11 back at Willowbank. (photo courtesy Australian Drag Racing Promotions) [04/05/17]

Aeromotive is the title sponsor to the Aeromotive Super Shootout, run in conjunction with the NHRA West Central Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events. Racers in Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street pay a $20 entry cost for the opportunity to compete in the Shootout, held the day before final eliminations. The eight racers that run closest to their respective 8.90, 9.90, and 10.90 indexes that paid to enter the Shootout compete in the three-round eliminator for their share of the $1000 per-class per-event purse.

Aeromotive, a leading manufacturer of fuel systems, is also continuing support of the West Central Division’s ‘Aeromotive Stealth Jet Dryer’ and presenting rights to the Jerry Haas Top Sportsman series, contested at all 2017 West Central Division LODRS events. [04/05/17]

Firematic will award $200 to the racer with the best .00X reaction time in a winning elimination round throughout eliminations at each NHRA Northeast Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. The tiebreaker would be who did it first. Single runs do not count. If no racer accomplishes this during the event, the $200 will roll over to the next event accumulating until won and then reset to $200. If the criteria are not met for the award at any of the 7 LODRS events, the total $1400 will go to the driver who had the best winning reaction time of the year at the Northeast Division Awards Banquet.

A $1,000 bonus award drawing will be held at the Northeast Division banquet for any Comp Eliminator racer recording a .000 reaction time in a winning elimination round.

Decals will be provided by Firematic. All racers must run decal to be eligible for awards.  [04/05/17]

The NHRA Northeast Division announced that Accelerated Travel will present the No. 1 Qualifier in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car with $100 at each NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional event in The Northeast Division for the 2017 season.

In order to qualify for the award, racers will be required to have Accelerated Travel decals on their race vehicle for the duration of the event. Decals will be available through Jackie Fricke and at the D-1 Tech Trailer. [04/05/17]