McBride sets TF Motorcycle record of 255.20 mph

At the Man Cup event held at Rockingham Dragway, Larry “Spiderman” McBride extended his Man Cup point lead by besting motorcycle legend and No. 1 qualifier Sam Wills of Edmond, OK, in the Top Fuel final. En route to victory, the flamboyant McBride coaxed his bike across the quarter mile finish line at a fastest ever bike speed of 255.20 mph in the semifinals.

 

See all the results at here.  (Tom McCarthy photo)  [09/29/17]

Door cars rule Thursday at Fall Fling

Joe Gary got the Thursday win.

 

With an increase in the purse for Racepak Thursday, quite a few “new” racers showed up at Bristol Dragway for the 2017 version of the Sparco Fall Fling presented by Optima Batteries.

 

Three hundred eighty-three cars made the first-round call for the $20,000-to-win race. Due to the number of racers, co-promoters Peter Biondo and Kyle Seipel made the decision to limit time trials to new entries only, followed immediately by eliminations. Thursday’s elimination action took the better part of ten hours to complete and in addition to the main event also marked the Biondo Racing Products Door Car Shootout. From the 130 door car entries, 32 were randomly selected to compete in a $10,000-to-win door car only affair.

 

In the round of eight, Joe Gary and his Camaro took out perennial winner Kenny Underwood, while World Footbrake Challenge $20,000 winner Nick Hastings defeated Shannon Woodring and Corey Manuel took the bye run with his dragster. All three drivers had previous bye runs, so by virtue of his better reaction time in the previous round, the semifinal round bye fell to Hastings, who is no stranger to Bristol and big money races, moving him into the final round. Nasty Nick and his Mustang were going to another final round at Bristol, while Gary took the best of Manuel to make it an all-door car final.

 

Both racers are more than capable of turning on win lights but it was Hastings who turned on the red-light by -.021, giving Gary his first ‘Fling win. “This is just unreal,” is all the champ could say.

Jeremy York

 

Still left to go at the end of the night was the Biondo Racing Products Door Car Shootout. The two finalists were Vinny DiMino and Jeremy York. Only five-thousandths of a second separated them off the starting line but it was all York at the finish line for a 0.008 victory.   [09/29/17]

IHRA Australia moves to 1,000 feet for Top Fuel dragsters

Australia’s professional drag racing series, 400 Thunder, has confirmed that Top Fuel dragsters will race to 1,000 feet beginning with the AC Delco East Coast Thunder event to be held at Sydney Dragway Nov. 3-4.

 

"Top Fuel drag racing in Australia has been outstanding over the past 400 Thunder season, however the performances have heightened safety concerns for both tracks

and competitors. We have been working with our principles sanctioning organisation IHRA in reviewing the safety aspects relating to Top Fuel," stated Tony Wedlock, Australian Professional Drag Racing (APDR) Chairman.

 

The Managing Director of sanctioning organization IHRA Australia Maurice Allen stated, "With speeds regularly exceeding 530 kilometres per hour (329 mph) we are facing the limits of the venues with regards to the braking areas and also with vehicle components. The reduction of the racing distance will now afford the driver an additional 100 metres of braking area."

 

The newly appointed 400 Thunder General Manager, Kevin Predergast, added, "Top Fuel drag racing delivers one of the world's most awesome motorsport experiences. We believe that with Top Fuel racing over the shorter distance, the bracket will continue to provide great racing for Australian drag racing fans and will remain the most spectacular form of racing on the planet."

 

This change is only for Top Fuel; all other classes will still race to the quarter mile.  [09/29/17]

DENSO adds money for Mexico earthquake relief

The DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF), the philanthropic arm of automotive technology, systems and components leader, DENSO, will donate $50,000 to the Mexican Red Cross in response to the latest devastating earthquake near Mexico City. DNAF has now donated $200,000 in 2017 to disaster relief efforts in Mexico and the U.S. Gulf Coast following a string of earthquakes and hurricanes across the region.

 

In addition to the foundation’s donations, DENSO associates, family and friends are encouraged to join the cause and donate to disaster relief efforts by visiting: www.redcross.org/donate/cm/denso-emp.

 

“Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this catastrophe,” said Doug Patton, DNAF president and executive vice president of Engineering at DENSO International America. “We’ll continue to join with communities across North America to provide assistance.”

 

DENSO operates at 30 consolidated companies and affiliates across North America, including several inland locations across Texas and Mexico.  [09/29/17]

Oberhofer and other teams ‘go pink’ in October

Jim Oberhofer, Vice President of Operations, Kalitta Motorsports, has been nominated as a representative for the Real Men Wear Pink Campaign of Detroit that is put on by the American Cancer Society, an organization that has been committed to fighting cancer since 1913 through raising public awareness about this deadly disease.

 

The Real Men Wear Pink campaign was founded with the goal of getting men more involved in the fight against breast cancer – the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women behind lung cancer. Through their social media networks, all of the Real Men involved in the campaign will be tasked with the goal of fundraising a minimum of $2,500 for the American Cancer Society to go towards research, prevention, and other methods of support for those who are battling breast cancer.

 

As a Real Men Wear Pink representative, Jim O will be committed to wearing some form of the color pink throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. To make a donation on behalf of Jim O go to http://bit.ly/2xjAiNm.

 

"I'm honored to have been nominated to be one of the 25 great men chosen as part of the Real Men Wear Pink Campaign of Detroit," says Oberhofer. "I hope that through all of the great channels we have in NHRA Drag Racing, we can raise enough money to meet our goals and help in the fight against breast cancer and other forms of cancer."

 

Many NHRA teams will also be in pink throughout the month in support of this cause including Team JEGS.

 

Six-time world champion drag racer Jeg Coughlin Jr., three-time world champion drag racer Troy Coughlin, two-time Division 3 drag racing champion Mike Coughlin, Division 3 drag racing champion Troy Coughlin Jr., rookie sportsman drag racer Paige Coughlin, NASCAR Truck Series rookie Cody Coughlin and Junior Dragster racer Clay Coughlin will all be clad in pink for the entire month, with high hopes of getting maximum TV exposure to help the Coughlin family's longstanding "Racing For Cancer Research" cause.

 

Among many other donations made through their JEGS Foundation, the Coughlin family made a single $10 million gift to The Ohio State University Foundation for cancer treatment and research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus, Ohio.  [09/29/17]

VOLUME XIX,  NUMBER 9 - SEPTEMBER  2017

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