The 47th Pepsi Nightfire Nationals, scheduled for August 10-12 is living up to its reputation as the largest nitro race of the year for Boise’s Firebird Raceway. With seventeen Heritage Series nitro funny cars, nine top fuelers and nine AA/Fuel altered pre-entered, the three-day festival of nitro will be contested over the in the hot Idaho sun.

Highlighting the contestants are 2018 Pepsi Ignitor winner Jeff Arend in Don Nelson’s “California Hustler” Firebird, Heritage Series points leader Shawn Bowen driving the Bartone & Lebor Camaro and this year’s dominant car in West Coast nitro funny car racing, Bobby Cottrell driving the “Northwest Hitter” Camaro owned by Bucky Austin and Mike O’Brien. Rookie of the Year contender Billy Morris in drag boat racer Eddie Knox’s “Problem Child” Camaro have recently carded 5.60-second ET’s and last year’s Nightfire’s funny car champ Jason Rupert are also expected. Funny car racers will compete for an eight-car Heritage Field and a consolation “Tater Baker” eight-car field.

A late entry into the field is former Heritage Series Champion Kris Krabill driving for Goodguys owner Marc Meadors in the “Fuel Curve” 1970 Camaro (shown). Krabill recently withdrew from the “Darkside” Challenger nitro funny car he drove at the Good Vibrations March Meet earlier this year.

Top Fuel finds all the leaders in Heritage Series points including last year’s Nightfires winner Jim Murphy, Bowling Green Reunion winner Mendy Fry in the High Speed Motorsports dragster, Adam Sorokin drives the sleek Champion Speed Shop canopied dragster, and 2018 Good Vibrations March Meet champ Pete Wittenberg among others are expected for the eight-car field

Defending Nightfire’s fuel altered champion Bryan Hall leads another tough field with former champion Dan Hix, veteran Jim Holtz, Shawn Callen and Randy Bradford in an eight-car field.

In addition to a full Bracketeer program, nearly a dozen Xtreme Pro Modifieds West entries are expected, with series champion Ed Thornton, Bret Williamson, Jeremy Hanger and Rob Cacioppo leading the field. (Darr Hawthorne photo)   [08/07/18]

The “Miss Elle” jet dragster blasted to a track-record 193.28 mph.

Over 150 race cars and a standing room only crowd of spectators turned out for Thunder on the Prairie, the official grand opening event of the Onawa Racing and Events Complex on Saturday, Aug. 4.

On the schedule were IHRA sportsman classes along with some special features. The Midwest Pro Outlaw category featured a variety of entries including nitro fuel altered, Pro Mods and dragsters that raced off a 4.00 eighth-mile index.

Jared Micetich (shown) took the win in his dragster with a 3.98 ET to stop the “Nitro Madness” fuel altered driven by Roger “Radar” Lechtenburg.Other class winners included Chad Clement (Trophy), Gil Caughlin (Sportsman), Autumn Hansen (Jr. Dragster), Cory Heckenliable (Modified ET), and Brian Wood (Top ET).

This event was produced by Gardner Race Track Consultants, a member of the Motorsports Strategy Group.   [08/07/18]

A couple of photos were in the old Mayo jar high atop the second-story Phlegm Building penthouse porch this morning. Dave Koehler of Koehler Injection just finished a pump for this one-of-a-kind racer. The altered was built by northern Illinois racer Mike Allison using a 1948 steel Crosley station wagon body with a mild steel frame. Way cool! [08/07/18]

The "Mile High" track attracted no nitrous cars to the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod event last year, with many speculating that the nitrous cars wouldn't be able to compete at the high altitude.

This year the Chad Green Motorsports team plan on disproving that theory. The Texas racer, who has taken part in both PDRA and NHRA events, will bring his nitrous-aided Corvette powered by a Musi 903 to Bandimere Speedway on Aug. 10-11.  (Ron Lewis photo) [08/07/18]