Just Wondering ... Can we finally put to rest the old theory that the mainstream press (who only knows or seems to care about NASCAR and Formula 1) would pay more attention if the winner of a drag race got a massive payday like $500,000 or a million dollars?

Several bracket racing tournaments in 2019 have paid a guaranteed winner’s share of $500,000 -- one of which was won by 18-year-old Gage Burch in a Chevy S-10 pickup he rented.

There was not one word about any of these races or the winners in any mainstream media that the Agent could find including the last of its breed, AutoWeek ... crickets as they say in the business. There are some of these ET tournaments coming up that are going to guarantee a $1,000,000 payday. Wonder if those races or their winners will get more fans and media interested? – Jeff Burk (jeffburk@dragracingonline.com)   [08/15/19]

Known for several years by the nickname “Nitro Kitty,” racer Mendy Fry told DRO Nostalgia Editor Brian Losness on our Facebook coverage after she repeated her 2018 win at this year’s Nightfire Nationals at Boise’s Firebird Raceway that since she reached the Big Five-Oh she should change the moniker to “Nitro Cougar.”

See coverage from the event here.

The nostalgia dragsters will be in Spokane, WA, Aug. 16-17 for the Nitro Summer Nationals.  (Brian Losness photo)  [08/15/19]

Evan Kowalski and John Ross were the Southern California Pro Gas Assoc., winners at Auto Club Dragway Aug. 10-11, while Jimmy Galante and Kenny Snow took home the Super Street Association trophies as the series concluded its 7th and 8th races of the 10-race series.

Evan Kowalski (far lane) got the Saturday win over Mike Blodgett Jr.

The wins for Kowalski and Ross were their first of the season at Fontana.  Kowalski got to the final of the Saturday event by running two perfect 9.900 times in eliminations, beating Mel LeForbes in round one, and Dave Meziere in the quarterfinals with 9.900 scores.  He stopped Sunday’s winner Ross in the semifinal and then stopped Matt Blodgett in the final with a superior .008 reaction time as both racers ran 9.905 times.  B&B Electric sponsored the race.

John Ross won the Pro Gas championship two years ago, and he hopes his late-season charge will give him a shot at this year’s title.  After a semifinal loss in the Saturday race, Ross defeated Mike Blogett Jr., Gary Hesselbrock, and Mike Lang before getting a bye in the semifinal of Sunday’s race.

In the final, Ross (near lane) benefitted from Travis Balough’s -.003 red-light, and took the win with a 9.916, 163.77 mph pass with his ’63 Corvette.

Greg Martin continues to lead the series points battle with Pete Bothe, Blodgett Jr, Mike Lang, Gary Mignacca, Steve Parsons, and Ross with legitimate shots at the title.  

Able Wire EDM sponsored the weekend Super Street series races, where Jimmy Galante (far lane) won his first race of the season driving his RaceTrans.com ’67 Nova to a final round win over Brooke Snow’s Mustang.

Galante defeated Brian Kelly in the semifinal while Snow got a bye into the final.

In the second series race of the weekend, Kenny Snow (near lane), whose wife Brooke was the runner-up the previous day, went to the final with his ’69 Chevelle and defeated points leader Kevin Houmard, as Houmard was .002 too quick and broke-out.  Snow got the win with a 10.906, 138.70 mph pass.

In the semifinals, Snow defeated Daniel McClelland, while Houmard beat Michael Boner.

The series finale for the Pro Gas and Super Street series will take place on September 14-15 at Auto Club Dragway and will include the series’ annual “shootout” races.  (Mindy Crandall photos)  [08/15/19]

The Pro Stocks will be racing this weekend at Brainerd, MN, and Bo Butner will be taking part in his 100th NHRA national event in the class. Butner leads the points going into the race.  (Dave Stoltz photo)  [08/15/19]

Doug Kalitta’s Top Fuel dragster will have a different look this week at Brainerd as Minnesota-based LaBounty (part of the Stanley Black & Decker family of tools) will headline the team.

“LaBounty has always stood for high performance and partnering with Team Kalitta to showcase the brand on their Top Fuel dragster is a great opportunity for our end users to see the brand in a high-performance environment,” said Doug Redpath, President of STANLEY Infrastructure and LaBounty.

Kalitta has two Top Fuel wins at the track (2003 and 2006), the most of any active Top Fuel racer. He was runner-up there in 2000 and 2014.

“When you come to Brainerd you know it is going to be a fun weekend,” said Kalitta. “We have great fans that come down from Canada and this part of the country has a lot of passion for drag racing.” [08/15/19]

We now have the complete results from the Northern Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI, on Aug. 9-10.

Kalitta has two Top Fuel wins at the track (2003 and 2006), the most of any active Top Fuel racer. He was runner-up there in 2000 and 2014.

Three days shy of his 34th birthday, Dom Lagana collaborated with older brother Bobby Jr. and drove the underdog “Nitro Ninja” dragster both the Top Fuel quickest time (4.567 seconds) and the fastest speed (334.32 mph) of the event on the quarter mile.

Lagana defeated Pat Dakin in the first round of competition while Larry Dixon defeated Clay Millican. In round two Dixon defeated Dakin and Millican defeated Lagana.

NOSTALGIA TOP FUEL: Jim Young, Salem, Ohio, .257, 5.942, 231.60 mph, def. Shawn Bowen, Goodrich, MI, .127, 6.835, 121.95 mph (crashed).

FUEL ALTERED: Gary Kraus, Hamburg, NY, .095, 5.413, 275.90 mph, def. Troy Martin, Pierceton, IN, .205, 26.758, 31.61 mph.

NOSTALGIA NITRO FUNNY CAR: John Lawson, Joliet, IL, .142, 5.647, 250.42 mph, def. Shawn Bowen, Goodrich, MI, .143, 5.838, 200.62 mph.

JET DRAGSTERS: Elaine Larsen, West Melbourne, FL, .034, 5.757, 269.30 mph, def. Dewayne Hill, Melbourne, FL, .203, 5.819, 174.06 mph.

TOP ET: Bill Swain, Ionia, .007, 4.607 on a 4.580, 141.82 mph, def. Monte Morey, Augusta, foul.

MODIFIED: Donnie Hagar, Clark Lake, .015, 9.912 on a 9.950, 134.73 mph, def. Mark Howard, Hamilton, foul.

STREET: Donnie Hagar, Clark Lake, .015, 13.755 on a 13.690, 99.14 mph, def. Mitchell Smith, Belmont, foul.  (photo courtesy US 131 Motorsports Park) [08/15/19]