An added feature of the Goodguys Northwest Nationals Drags at Pacific Raceways on July 26 will highlight the fourth round of the Good Vibrations United Nitro Funny Cars Championship Series. Series points leader Bobby Cottrell driving the “Northwest Hitter” Camaro (shown) leads Ryan Hodgson who is currently in second place 2½ rounds behind Cottrell. With Hodgson’s Edmonton win two weeks ago the team will sit out the Seattle Chicago-style UNFC event.

Billy Morris, who sits third in points and is readying for the back-to-back NHRA Heritage 48th Nightfire Nationals at Boise and Spokane events, will also skip the UNFC Seattle event.

A shake-up in points will be assured with both Tim Boychuk and Jim Maroney waiting to fill the void. The Friday evening race holds two rounds of racing with the two quickest winning drivers meeting in the 10 p.m. final for the money.

The final race of the Good Vibrations United Nitro Funny Cars Championship Series will now be held on Sept.6-7 at Tucson Dragway for the UNFC Nitro Shootout.  (Darr Hawthorne photo) [07/25/19]

Racing for the first time in NHRA Pro Stock, Steve Matusek qualified fifth with a 6.956 at 197.65 mph in the Elite Motorsports Ford Mustang during last weekend’s Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver. And despite a first-round loss to three-time world champion Jason Line, Matusek was encouraged by the experience.

It was just Matusek’s second time in the car after getting his Pro Stock license during a test session at Tulsa the week before. The head of Aeromotive, Inc. has been competing in Pro Mod for several years.

“We’re not just here to satisfy something on our bucket list. We didn’t just show up to try it out. We’re here to make some noise,” Matusek said. “It started off to be a dream weekend and though it didn’t end that way, I really wouldn’t change one thing.”

With first-time trips to Sonoma Raceway and Pacific Raceways in Seattle, Matusek is eager to see what he can accomplish to finish the Western Swing.  (Ron Lewis photo)   [07/25/19]

Last year Brian Hurst parked his late father’s dragster into the winner’s circle on Saturday afternoon. His father was Fred Hurst, who drove the wild candy apple painted A/GAS cars throughout the early 1970s and ’80s, was wrenching on the dragster in between rounds along with Tim Farrell, who was a crew chief for top tier Top Fuel teams back in the early ‘80s and the son of former NHRA Division 3 director Keith Farrell.  (Alex Owens or Gene Idol photo)

Events five and six of the seven-race JEGS Super Quick Series will take place July 26 and 27 at Kil-Kare Raceway in Xenia, OH.

Qualifying points earned at each of the seven JEGS Super Quick Series events leading up to the Firecracker Performance Quick Shootout will determine the eight-car field contested at the Fall Classic NHRA National Open at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, IN, from October 12-13.

Currently, the top seven drivers are Jay Oakley, Darren Douglass, Christopher Mullins, George Atchison, Dean McIlvain, Scott Carman and Jeremiah Hall. Drivers Josh Luedke and James Shown are tied for the eighth and final spot in the shootout.

The top five in JEGS Super Quick points after the four races are Jay Oakley, James Monroe, Dylan Winters, Tony Atchison and Mike Eggleston.   [07/25/19]

Race No. 4 of the Victory Nostalgia Super Stock series took place July 20 during Cedar Falls Raceway's Night of Fire. Once again, Mother Nature played a factor in the racing. The CFR track crew did a stellar job preparing the track after oppressive heat, wind and multiple rain showers through the day.

The Victory cars battled for four rounds but were unable to get the finals in before the 1 a.m. curfew. Finalists Clay Kossuth (shown) and Russ Berens split the large Victory purse and the important championship points.

The Victory NSS group will hold their fifth race of the season at the World Series of Drag Racing at the end of August.

Victory NSS points leaders: Tom Hoffman (190), Dennis Spurgeon (177), Dalton Bruemmer (165), Jim Hagenhoff (164), Clay Kossuth (160).  (Dennis Mothershed photo)   [07/25/19]

Greg “Jake” Jacobsmeyer took his AllStar Dodge/Hotshots Dodge Challenger Funny Car to the win at the Cedar Falls, IA, Night of Fire, setting Low ET and Top Speed of the event along the way.

Hot temperatures followed by rain on Saturday, July 20, made for tricky track conditions that were a challenge to the teams. Jacobsmeyer’s qualifying run of 6.41 seconds at 237.30 mph put him on top of the field with a sure pass into the Chicago-style final.

He faced Nancy Matter in the Guardian for Heroes Foundation Trans Am and, although both cars lost traction, Jake was able to recover and take the win, setting Low ET with a 6.10 and Top Speed of 241.54 mph.   [07/25/19]

John Troxel's “Brutus” will join 18-plus Funny Cars at the Funny Car Chaos race this Friday and Saturday at Central Illinois Raceway in Havana, IL. The Brutus crew has been working hard to fine tune the big Hemi and hope to improve the semifinal finish they had at the MoKan Chaos event.

Chris "The Flying Butcher" Schneider will once again take the reins of the Mustang and is very excited with the progress of the team. Great weather is forecast along with a big line up of attractions in addition to the Funny Cars.  (Dennis Mothershed photo)   [07/25/19]