The weekend saw the completion of the FIA and FIM-E European drag racing championships at Santa Pod Raceway, England, with the 2018 edition of the Euro Finals.

The queen of European drag racing, Finland's Anita Makela reigned supreme over the FIA Top Fuel Dragster field, confirming her third class championship by making a qualifying pass, converting a subsequent effort into a low qualifying 3.8706 and a new European ET record, and then blasting through the raceday field solidly in the 3-second zone, hitting a 312.44 mph terminal speed and then defeating second generation racer Jndia Erbacher to take the event win. (Ivan Sansom photo)

Other champions crowned on four wheels included Jimmy Alund (FIA Pro Mod), Bengt Ljungdahl (FIA Pro Stock) and Dennis Habermann (FIA Top Methanol), all of whom also took the Euro Finals winner trophies.

On two wheels, Marcus Christiansen continued his superb streak of form in FIM-E Super Twin, low ET , low qualifier and the event win to take his first championship to add to his Nordic title secured a couple of weeks ago.  (Ivan Sansom photo)

The remaining FIM-E dragbike champions included Fil Papafilippou (FIM-E Top Fuel Bike), Maurice Bertrand (FIM-E Pro Stock Bike), Rick Stubbins (FIM-E Super Street Bike) and Meggie Talbot (FIM-E Junior Drag Bike Cup), while the class event winners were Steve Woollatt, Martin Newbury, Mogens Lund and Liam Holgate respectively.   [09/11/18]

Jim Hagenhoff and his Hemi-powered Plymouth come into the Victory NSS finals with a slight points lead, but several racers are close behind, looking to bump him out. (Dennis Mothershed photo)

More than 40 Victory Nostalgia Super Stock racers will be on hand at Gateway Motorsports Park for the Monster Muscle Car Weekend this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14 and 15. The 2018 series champion will be crowned.

Victory NSS series director Chris Schneider also will be driving John Troxel's “Brutus” F/C at Gateway, hoping to make some low 7-second passes. (Don Eckert photo)  [09/11/18]

Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Jerry Savoie has put together a strong team for his White Alligator Racing and at 59 he has won several NHRA national events and was the 2016 PSM champion. Now WAR is a two-bike team, with LE Tonglet on the second bike.

LE Tonglet won the Pro Stock Motorcycle class at this year’s U.S. Nationals.  (Tim Hailey photos)

Savoie has assembled an organization with top quality crew personnel tuner Tim Kulungian and Rick Elmore, Steve Zelem, Freddie Camarena, and Chris Parker. In fact, veteran PSM racer Camarena hopped on board for Indy to replace Parker through the Countdown as Chris moves out of racing to a different career.

“I‘m gettin’ to that age now where I might just step back a little bit. I don’t want to get out completely—maybe make five or six races,” the Louisiana alligator farmer said. “But I’d like to keep Tim and the team running. The truck and the team will be out there—absolutely, whether I’m out there on a full season or not. We’re tryin’ to set up now what goes on next year. We’ve got some things coming down the pike that I think are pretty impressive.

“So, we’re looking for another rider to put on my bike. It takes a good rider, but we have a proven product. I think we can get somebody that it takes to compete and win races.”   [09/11/18]

Leah Pritchett (far lane) and Mark Pawuk finished one-two in Factory Stock at Indy.  (Chris Haverly photo)

There may not be many Dodges in Pro Stock, but the brand has been kicking butt in the Factory Stock class. So…it must be time for an adjustment to the rules. The NHRA has added 50 lbs. to the Drag Pak cars making their minimum weight 3,575 lbs. while the minimum weight for all Chevrolet COPO Camaros and Ford Cobra Jets is 3,525 lbs.   [09/11/18]

The NMRA and NMCA schedules for next season are not quite finalized, but parent company ProMedia has announced that the Ford Motorsport Nationals will be moving back to June 27-30, 2019, at Maple Grove Raceway.

That event will become the fourth stop on the six-event NMRA tour with a new venue replacing the SuperNationals in Norwalk, OH, that previously was the third stop. The former May date at Maple Grove has featured weather problems for the past three years.

Bill Bader Jr., who owns the Norwalk track and whose Energize management company runs Maple Grove, said, ”I’m confident that with blue sky and sunshine we will be able to finally realize the event’s true potential.”

The NMRA Ford Nationals and Maple Grove Raceway also signed a three-year contract extension.   [09/11/18]

Custom Automotive Network, formerly known as Performance Warehouse Association, has named Adrian Murray of Painless Performance Products as 2018 Person of the Year. The prestigious award is voted on by CAN membership and recognizes someone who has made a significant contribution for the benefit of the custom automotive distribution system. The award was presented by Custom Automotive Network's President, Tracie Nunez, at the 45th annual CAN Connect Conference on Sunday, Sept. 9, in Frisco, TX.

Murray joined Painless in 1998 as Vice President of Sales and has been President and CEO since 2004.  During that period of time Painless has been recognized as Manufacturer of the Year by CAN’s predecessor the Performance Warehouse Association in 2002, 2010 and 2011.   [09/11/18]