After a two-year hiatus from NHRA funny car racing, Alexis DeJoria is back in competition at the 60th annual Winternationals this weekend. The 2014 U.S. Nationals winner is making her return to the track and seeking her first win at the historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Dejoria, Robert Hight and Erica Enders met at a sparsely attended pre-race press conference.

Dejoria is back with what she calls her family, “With Del Worsham and Nicky Boninfante, yeah, they’re family… They’ve all won championships.” While NHRA today emphasizes diversity with women participating in drag racing, DeJoria pointed to the women she followed growing up, “Yeah, pioneers like Shirley Muldowney, Shelly Anderson (Payne) and Bunny Burkett were all badass For years there have been some really strong female presences out here. Being a woman has never really been an issue, at the end of the day we all want to be the best driver.” (Darr Hawthorne photo)   [02/07/20]

Former Editor-Publisher of sister publication MoparMax magazine, Richard Kratz--who is also founder and CEO of Liquid Glow car care products--is going to make a major announcement on Facebook Live from the Terry McMillen Racing pit at Auto Club Raceway Pomona during opening day of the NHRA Winternationals on Friday, February 7. Checkout www.facebook.com/liquidglow.net for more details and to see the live announcement.  [02/07/20]

2019 Good Vibrations UNFC Series Champ Bobby Cottrell drove the Austin & O’Brien Northwest Hitter Camaro to a win over Jim Maroney in Jim Broome’s Speed Sport Dodge.

Entering its fourth year of competition, United Nitro Funny Cars board Chairman Bucky Austin has announced the following Good Vibrations UNFC schedule for 2020;

The season opener is scheduled at Tucson Dragway May 8-9, the week after the Heritage Series Ignitor at Boise’s Firebird Raceway. Tucson will also mark the return of real nitro fuel altereds to the show along with CIFCA funny cars.

Next,two dates at popular Spokane County Raceway, Craig Smith has just re-opened the track where UNFC teams have had some awesome races over the past three years; June 19-20 for UNFC funny cars with the UNFC Nitro Summer Nationals and Jet Car Finals on August 21-22.  Smith is adding a 5.90 Index Class with real nitro fuel altereds, rear engine top fuel dragsters and run what you brung nitro cars in a Chicago-style format.

UNFC teams return to Pacific Raceways in Seattle on June 26-27. Then a Friday, single day, Chicago-style event with the GoodGuys Pacific Northwest Nationals on July 24th at Pacific Raceways.

The season will finish at the UNFC Southwest Nitro Shootout at Tucson Dragway September 18-19 to crown the Champions.  [02/07/20]

Spotted as it was being unloaded from the transporter, the sleek new Champion Speed Shop top fuel dragster driven by veteran Adam Sorokin. Owner Bobby McLennan and his norther California crew just finished the car that’ll be raced in exhibition this weekend at the 60th Winternationals and then head to paint for the season opening Good Vibrations March Meet, March 5-8 at historic Famoso Raceway.

NHRA Heritage Series nitro funny cars and top fuel dragsters will make runs on Friday and Saturday of the event and the event has attracted an awesome contingent of vintage Pro Stockers that’ll also be making runs over the weekend.   [02/07/20]

In a salute to young drag racers, Kevin Stith, founder of Stith Printing Inc, Hot Rods by Stith, LLC and Legends of Nitro, announced today the formation of an annual sponsorship program to help support two Junior Dragster racers who have shown leadership qualities on and off the racetrack.

Stith Printing, Inc. will be awarding two eligible Junior Dragster teams with $1500 towards artwork design, t-shirts, sweatshirts and crew shirts. This opportunity can help families with young racers take their racing operation and visibility to the next level and look just like the pros.

Kevin Stith announced, “I’ve been a fan of Junior Drag Racers since the class began and now I’m in a position to help out a pair of upcoming grassroots racers.  It’s our chance to give something back to the future of our sport". Stith added, “We have all seen so many young racers who have moved up from Juniors to the NHRA Heritage Series and the NHRA Mello Yello Series. The Junior Dragster racers are the future of our sport.”

After 42 years in the business, Stith Printing, Inc. is a world leader in providing professional design, apparel, screen printing and embroidery for the hot rod and racing community.  Located in Carson City, Nevada, Stith Printing provides high quality graphic solutions for the entire racing world and the racing aftermarket.  To view all apparel products, check out StithPrinting.com.

For more information regarding the new Stith Printing Junior Dragster apparel program, contact Juniors@StithPrinting.com.  [02/07/20]

The Daily Mail Australia reports that drag racer Wayne Newby lost control at a roundabout in a suburban street in Sydney and drove into oncoming traffic.

A champion drag racer who took a spoonful of speed in his morning coffee to cope with 60-hour working weeks had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. The experienced driver, who won the 400 Thunder Australian Professional Drag Racing Series, hit a street sign as he careered onto the wrong side of the road. Wayne Frederick Newby lost control at a roundabout in a suburban street in Sydney's west and drove into oncoming traffic.

Newby, 44, pleaded guilty at Fairfield Local Court to charges of negligent driving and dangerous driving under the influence of drugs.

His lawyer told the had been adding a teaspoon of speed to his morning coffee as he tried to battle through grueling 60-hour-weeks as a heavy vehicle driver.

"He’s said it’s been particularly difficult to be abstinent from this drug," his lawyer said. "He didn’t understand that this drug was methamphetamine."

Carrying on driving towards oncoming traffic in his Holden Crewman, he eventually crashed into a Toyota Rav4.Wayne Newby pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. No one was hurt during the incident, which took place on Chifley Street in Smithfield in July 2019.

Blood and urine tests revealed he had methylamphetamine, also known as speed, and alprazolam in his system at the time of the crash.

The court fined the driver $1,400 and suspended his license for 12 months.    [02/07/20]

On Jan. 6, South Korean carmaker Hyundai unveiled its electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxi concept and a plan to invest $1.5 billion in UAM over the next five years. On Jan. 15, U.S. startup Joby Aviation revealed its production prototype and a $394 million investment by automaker Toyota, which will also provide its manufacturing expertise to the eVTOL developer.

For Uber, which ignited the eVTOL market in 2016 with its vision for the Elevate urban aerial ride-sharing service, the announcements are a major boost. Performance and noise figures from flight tests of Joby’s all-electric aircraft show the vehicle capabilities required to begin limited commercial service in 2023 can be met with available battery technology. And involvement of two of the world’s largest carmakers holds promise that urban air taxi operations can be scaled to large volumes beginning in 2025.

A demonstrator flew in 2012; Joby began flight-testing the S4 in 2017 and applied for FAA certification late in 2018. The 2.1 version now flying (pictured) “is near to the vehicle we want to operate,” says Sciarra. The piloted five-seater has a cruise speed of 200 mph and a range of up to 150 mi. on a single battery charge. “We are not assuming any improvement in cells from what we are using now,” he says.

Spotted as it was being unloaded from the transporter, the sleek new Champion Speed Shop top fuel dragster driven by veteran Adam Sorokin. Owner Bobby McLennan and his norther California crew just finished the car that’ll be raced in exhibition this weekend at the 60th Winternationals and then head to paint for the season opening Good Vibrations March Meet, March 5-8 at historic Famoso Raceway.

NHRA Heritage Series nitro funny cars and top fuel dragsters will make runs on Friday and Saturday of the event and the event has attracted an awesome contingent of vintage Pro Stockers that’ll also be making runs over the weekend.  [02/07/20]