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If nostalgia drag racing has a spiritual home, it’s the legendary quarter-mile at Famoso Dragstrip. And on Sunday, the tradition continued as nitro thunder and old-school horsepower crowned champions at the 68th March Meet, one of the most iconic events in drag racing. Leading the nitro charge was Tyler Hilton, who drove his Nostalgia Top Fuel dragster to victory in a family showdown against his uncle Mike Hilton in the final round. Tyler Hilton hammered the throttle and blasted down the Bakersfield strip with a winning run of 5.714 seconds at 265.09 mph, sealing the victory in one of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend. In Nostalgia Funny Car, veteran nitro pilot Mike Peck delivered a blistering performance, defeating Nathan Sitko in the final round with a stout 5.581-second pass at 261.70 mph. The run locked Peck into the March Meet winner’s circle in one of the event’s premier nitro categories. The unpredictable Fuel Altered class added its usual dose of wild excitement as Brandon Seraphine claimed the victory with a 6.144-second run at 206.89 mph on a final-round bye. Beyond the nitro show, eliminations across the nostalgia sportsman ranks delivered plenty of drama on the famed Famoso quarter-mile. Keith Morovich captured the A/Gas title, while Neal Westbrook drove to victory in B/Gas. Brian Smith claimed the C/Gas win and Tim Mulvihill secured the D/Gas victory. In the Nostalgia Eliminator categories, Hans Jacob scored the win in NE1, Eric Warner captured the NE2 title, and Don Mallory drove to the victory in NE3. Additional winners included Jesse Howe in Hot Rod, Wayne Ramay in Pro Comp, Alan Hull in Junior Fuel, and Steve Faller in 7.0 Pro. Each champion celebrated in the famed Famoso Dragstrip winner’s circle, earning the coveted March Meet trophy along with the special NHRA 75th Anniversary Diamond Wally, a fitting reward for conquering one of the most prestigious nostalgia drag racing events in the country. For racers and fans alike, the March Meet remains the heartbeat of nostalgia drag racing, where nitro burns bright and drag racing history continues to be written on the Bakersfield quarter-mile. This story was originally published on March 9, 2026. The post PHOTO GALLERY: Hilton, Peck Headline Nitro-Fueled Winners at Historic 68th March Meet first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Making his debut as both a driver and Funny Car team owner, Buddy Hull and the newly formed Hull Racing team showed resilience and determination during the season-opening AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Competing in a stacked 19-car Funny Car field, Hull qualified in the No. 17 position, placing him ahead of both Todd Lesenko and reigning world champion Austin Prock. For Hull, the weekend marked the culmination of months of preparation and the beginning of a new chapter as the owner of his own nitro Funny Car operation. “We’re building this thing from the ground up,” said Hull. “To come out here with a brand-new team, make multiple passes and come very close to qualifying in a field like this says a lot about the guys around me. I’ve already learned a ton this weekend. It’s only going to make us stronger.” Hull’s race week began early as he joined fans at the Burnyzz FanFest on Wednesday evening to kick off the Gatornationals festivities. On Friday, he also appeared on the NHRA Stage alongside host Hannah Rickards before heading to the staging lanes for qualifying.“The pre-race events are so much fun and give us a chance to meet with fans,” said Hull. “I love interacting with the kids from the NHRA stage. On Friday I was offering them permission slips for their schools. It was cool to see so many young fans at the Gatornationals all weekend. That shows me that the NHRA has a great future.” With limited preparation time, Hull Racing entered the weekend with just one test pass completed before the event. Hull made his first qualifying attempt on Friday, while his second scheduled pass was shut off at the starting line before the run began. The team continued to make progress on Saturday, improving during the third qualifying session before posting their strongest numbers in the final round of qualifying. Hull’s best run of the weekend came during that final qualifying attempt, when the Funny Car posted a 4.213 second pass at 267.22 mph. About 600 feet down track, however, the engine exploded in a dramatic fireball. Hull wrestled with the car and safely guided it to a stop before climbing out under his own power. “First and foremost, I’m thankful to be okay,” said Hull. “When something like that happens at speed, your first job is to keep get the car stopped safely. As a husband, a dad, a business owner and now a team owner, my No. 1 priority is making sure I’m safe and that I don’t put my opponent in danger.” Hull sustained minor burns to his right hand, and credited his safety equipment for helping protect the rest of his body. “I can’t say enough about the gear from Impact,” said Hull. “That equipment did exactly what it’s designed to do. Situations like that remind you how important it is to have the best safety gear possible.” Following the run, Hull was already working with his crew chiefs and team to diagnose the cause of the engine failure and prevent a repeat moving forward. “That’s nitro racing,” said Hull. “We’re already digging into the data and figuring out exactly what happened. The good thing is we learned a lot this weekend. Every pass gives us more information, and with a brand-new team that’s huge.” Hull said the experience of the weekend reinforced his confidence in the group he has assembled around him. “I’ve got a great group of guys surrounding me who believe in what we’re building,” said Hull. “Being a team owner means I’m in control of my own destiny. We’re going to take what we learned here, fix what we need to fix and keep moving forward as a team.” Hull Racing’s Funny Car carried primary sponsorship from FS Performance and Sam Pack Ford during the Gatornationals weekend. “This was our first race as Hull Racing, and there’s a lot to be proud of,” said Hull. “We held our own in a tough field, we gathered valuable data and we proved we belong out here. Now it’s about continuing to improve and building this team one race at a time.” The next race on the schedule is the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs on March 20-22 at Firebird Motorsports Park. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, March 20 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, March 21. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Arizona Nationals visit nhra.com. The post Hull Gains Valuable Experience at First Race of 2026 Season first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

The Factory Stock Showdown season opened at the Gatornationals. Ricky Hord ran through a tough field to pick up the win. View the full article

Reigning NHRA Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde kicked off the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season with a strong showing at the historic AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, advancing to the quarterfinals at Gainesville Raceway. Driving the Head Racing Funny Car for team owner and crew chief Jim Head, Hyde faced a stacked 19-car Funny Car field competing for just 16 spots in Sunday’s elimination rounds. After struggling to find the right combination through the first three qualifying sessions, the team delivered when it mattered most during the fourth and final round, securing Hyde a place in the field. “This team knows how to perform under pressure, and that’s exactly what they did this weekend,” said Hyde. “It’s Florida, so it was a really hot weekend. It took some time for us to hit our stride, but Jim and the guys made it happen. I never have to doubt Jim Head.” Hyde qualified No. 14 and lined up against No. 3 qualifier Paul Lee in the opening round of eliminations. Staging the Funny Car with a 1-0 advantage in prior matchups, Hyde added another win to that record with a strong performance off the starting line. Hyde left the line first and powered the Head Racing machine to the round win, advancing to the quarterfinals. “That was a big round for our team,” said Hyde. “Jim Head and all the guys on this Head Racing Funny Car kept working all weekend. Jim made some great calls and the car went right down the track when we needed it.” In the quarterfinals, Hyde faced No. 11 qualifier Alexis DeJoria. Hyde came into the race with a 2-0 advantage in previous matchups against DeJoria and delivered his best pass of the weekend, running 4.066 seconds at 314.39 mph. Despite the strong run, it wasn’t enough to advance to the semifinals. “Honestly, that was the best run we made all weekend, so it’s something to build on,” said Hyde. “This team kept improving every time we went up there. Jim Head has forgotten more about Funny Cars than most people will ever know, and it’s an honor to drive for him. We’re making progress and that’s what matters this early in the season.” The weekend marked Hyde’s first NHRA event since being named the 2025 NHRA Rookie of the Year, giving fans their first chance to celebrate the milestone with the Canadian driver. Hyde kicked off race week by participating in the Burnyzz FanFest, spending time signing autographs and interacting with fans. Head Racing also debuted a new orange, red and black livery, mixing it up from the all-black livery they ran for most of last season. “It was really cool getting back out there with the fans,” said Hyde. “The support since winning Rookie of the Year has been amazing. The Burnyzz FanFest was packed and it reminded me how passionate NHRA fans are. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on the new paint job for the car. I am happy that this will be our look for most of the year.” During the off-season, Hyde stayed sharp by returning to his Pro Mod roots and competing in the final two events of the Drag Illustrated Winter Series. “Pro Mod racing keeps you on your toes, but it was great to be back out in Bradenton again,” said Hyde. “You can’t keep me out of a race car for too long and I think it helped me coming into Gainesville, getting back into the race weekend mindset.” The 2026 season also includes the strengthening of his relationship with OUTLAW Beer, as they become an associate partner of Spencer Hyde Racing and Jim Head Racing, adding momentum for the team as they begin the 20-race campaign. “We’re really excited to have OUTLAW Beer stepping up with us this season,” said Hyde. “Having partners who believe in what we’re building means a lot. I plan to have a long career in Funny Car, and they are definitely the kind of people I want along for the ride.” The Caine Group has also come on as a sponsor for the team. Jim and Janet Russell were in attendance over the weekend to cheer on Hyde, along with his friends and family from Canada. “Knowing that there’s people in the stands who want to see me succeed gives me such a confidence boost,” said Hyde. “The first race of the year can be nerve racking, getting back into the swing of things. But having your support system there makes all of the difference.” While the team narrowly missed advancing deeper into eliminations, Hyde remains confident the progress made in Gainesville will pay dividends throughout the season. His 2025 accomplishments included a No. 1 qualifier, a Mission #TooFastTooTasty win and two final round appearances, but he’s hungry to get his first Wally in his sophomore season. “This is race one of twenty, and I feel really good about where we’re headed,” said Hyde. “We made some improvements this weekend and if we keep building on that, I truly believe this team is going to go far in 2026.” Hyde and the Head Racing team will be back in competition in two weeks at the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs on March 20-22 at Firebird Motorsports Park. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, March 20 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, March 21. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Arizona Nationals visit nhra.com. The post Hyde Advances to Quarterfinals in First Race Since Rookie of the Year first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

In the windswept coastal town of Husum, Germany, often called the "Grey City by the Sea", the air is thick with salt and heritage. It is here that Holger Breuer of HB-Custom operates, a builder who has spent years proving he is anything but a one-trick pony. We’ve seen him tackle everything from ral... View the full article

The turbocharged Coyote 10 Chevy C10 chases a 4-second eighth-mile with over 1,500 horsepower using some minor upgrades.View the full article

NHRA Rookie of the Year contender Maddi Gordon made her presence known Sunday at the NHRA Gatornationals when she raced to a semifinal finish at Gainesville Raceway. Gordon piloted her Carlyle Tools Top Fuel dragster out of the Ron Capps Motorsports camp to round wins over two of the most accomplished drivers in class history before tire smoke ended her run at the opening race of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. She leaves Gainesville ranked fourth in the points standings. Gordon was the first Top Fuel driver to hit the track in Friday qualifying. Just a couple hours after announcing a multi-year major associate partnership with Monster Energy, Gordon posted a 3.861-second pass at 319.29 mph to take the provisional No. 11 position. She stepped up to a 3.793 E.T. at 321.35 mph in the Friday night session and ended the day in the No. 15 spot. On Saturday, Gordon encountered tire smoke on her third qualifying attempt but came back with a consistent 3.797 E.T. at 328.06 mph in the final qualifying session. It was the quickest pass of the round, netting Gordon three bonus points. She solidified the No. 15 slot going into race day and became the 591st driver and the 23rd woman to qualify for an NHRA Top Fuel field. In her first-ever Top Fuel competition round, Gordon lined up against No. 2 qualifier and former world champion Shawn Langdon, who was recently named to NHRA’s Top 75 Drivers list. Crew chief Rob Flynn guided Gordon to her quickest pass of the event, a 3.762 E.T. at 334.48 mph, to get past a tire-smoking Langdon. The competition didn’t get any easier for Gordon, as she went on to face the winningest driver in the history of the class, eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher, when Top Fuel returned to the starting line for the quarterfinals. Gordon powered to a 3.783 E.T. at 331.53 mph to defeat Schumacher and his 3.863 E.T. That sent Gordon to the semifinals and earned her a spot in the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the season, which will take place during Saturday qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals. The semifinals brought another battle of youth versus experience as Gordon faced her third “Top 75” driver, two-time and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta. Gordon started hazing the tires early and had to lift off the throttle as Kalitta advanced with his quickest pass of the day. “That was just a really, really good weekend,” said Gordon, who became the 100th woman to win an NHRA national event when she drove her family’s Top Alcohol Funny Car to victory at the 2024 NHRA Northwest Nationals. “Of course, we all want to win the race, but I couldn’t have asked for much more in my debut. It was so cool to line up against Shawn in the first round. Rob was confident that the car would get down the track. When I heard (Langdon) blow the tires off in the other lane, I seriously spoke out loud, ‘That wasn’t me! We’re still going!’ Seeing that first win light was insane. I actually started to lose my voice after that one. It’s just been an amazing weekend.” Gordon’s rookie campaign will continue at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, March 20-22, at Firebird Motorsports Park near Phoenix. The post Statement-Making Top Fuel Debut Sends Maddi Gordon to Gatornationals Semifinals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Polaris' Xpedition is one of the brand's best side-by-side models, and CFMoto wants a piece of that pie with this latest patent from the Chinese company. View the full article

After nearly five months away from the driver’s seat, Jasmine Salinas returned to competition this weekend at the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Driving the Valley Services/Scrappers Racing Top Fuel dragster, Salinas posted her best run of the weekend during Friday’s second qualifying session to secure her place among 19 drivers vying for a spot in the 16-car Sunday show. She was hoping for a repeat performance of her 2022 Gainesville outing, which saw her earn her first national event Wally trophy while competing in the Top Alcohol Dragster category, but an early loss of traction ended the second-generation racer’s day after the first round of eliminations. Salinas and the Scrappers Racing team, now armed with the addition of veteran crew chief Todd Okuhara, opened the weekend with a clean run of 3.866 seconds at 326.24 mph. They followed that up with an even quicker 3.791-second pass at 329.67 mph under the lights in Q2, giving the team two strong data points as they worked to dial in their new combination. Saturday’s hot and humid conditions proved tricky, and the team encountered tire smoke in both attempts, ultimately settling into the No. 14 position on the Top Fuel elimination ladder. Matched up against Leah Pruett in Sunday’s opening round, Salinas’ car lost traction shortly after she stood on the throttle, forcing her to lift early while Pruett made a clean pass in the opposite lane to advance. Despite the early exit, the weekend provided valuable track time for the Scrappers Racing team as they begin building momentum for the 2026 season. “We came into this race knowing we’d be behind compared to a lot of the other teams that had pre-season test sessions,” said Salinas, who competed on an abbreviated six-race schedule in 2025. “It’s not an ideal situation to have to utilize qualifying sessions to get your car and tune-up dialed in. Pulling the car out and making two good hits right out of the box Friday night was a great start. We’ve learned what we need to adjust on the car. “It was an overall great return to the track for this Scrappers Top Fuel team. I’m looking forward to getting more seat time this season and turning on those win lights that I know will be coming soon. While everyone else heads out to the West Coast, we’ll be staying back and doing some testing to fine tune the car and get it locked in.” Salinas and the Valley Services/Scrappers Racing team will return to the team’s headquarters in Brownsburg, Ind., where they’ll prepare for their next scheduled event, the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, April 24–26. The post Jasmine Salinas Returns to Competition at NHRA Gatornationals Season Opener first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Big news from Triumph, as the company unveils the new Triple Trophy prize bikes and announces 100% non-fossil fuel testing this year. View the full article

Powersports folks live and die by towing and payload capacity, which means most EV trucks are out of the picture. Scout Motors' new range extender truck was hopefully going to be different, but its CEO just squashed that hope.View the full article

New riders often make the mistake of avoiding the front brake, but it’s actually the safest and most effective way to stop.View the full article

It's been a long and rough road for Damon Motorcycles, the startup EV company that promised a 200-horsepower, 200-mph, 200-mile range EV superbike. And now, the board, CEO, and CFO have quit. View the full article

The riding gear brand REV'IT! is working to remove PFAS from its products without sacrificing waterproof protection.View the full article

Triumph updated the Trident 660 heavily for 2026, and I got the chance to review it on Spain's sun-kissed streets. This bike is both hard to recommend and hard not to.View the full article

Fasteners play a critical role in high-performance engines. Here's a look at what makes a high quality fastener work. View the full article

2026 MXGP World Championship Round One – YPF MXGP of Argentina Bariloche The 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship is underway, with the season opening at the new Bariloche MX Race Track for the YPF MXGP of Argentina on Sunday, March 8. Overnight work was kept to a minimum to retain a technical edge, while heavy […] The post Jeffrey Herlings goes 1-1 at MXGP season opener appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

The 2026 NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series got off to a dramatic start with No. 2 qualifier Ricky Hord, from Orlando, Fla., winning for the third time in his career. Hord outran veteran driver and 2025 Bristol winner David Janac in a close Chevrolet COPO Camaro versus Ford Mustang Cobra Jet final round. The Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown category provided thrilling action throughout the day as Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks battled for the Gatornationals title. The win for Hord was extra special considering he closed out the 2025 season with a win in St. Louis. “It hasn’t quite sunk in that we just won the Gatornationals,” said Hord. “After winning St. Louis at the end of the year, we took the motor out, sent it back the Stanfields [their engine program]. We put the car up on the jacks and turned the lights off. Last week, we took it off the jacks, put the motor in it and brought it back here. Our goal was to try and make the same kind of passes and go rounds. We are just going out there every run trying to be consistent, chip away at every pass and just do my best to drive off the starting line.” In the final, Hord was first off the starting line with a reaction time advantage of .047 seconds to .052 seconds and he never trailed in the drag race. At the finish line stripe, Hord’s Camaro tripped the lights at 7.735 seconds, 178.28 mph in front of Janac’s 7.792 second run at 180.69 mph. Hord’s final pass was his quickest of eliminations and made the driver 3-0 in Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown final rounds. In the opening round, Hord took the win with his clutch pedal jumping off the starting line first and defeating rookie second generation driver Kyle Pawuk, son of two-time world champion Mark Pawuk, with a slower elapsed time. Hord was able to react quicker off the starting line and take the win with a 7.752 second elapsed time. It was a close race as Pawuk was closing at the finish line and simply ran out of racetrack to catch Hord. “We started building good momentum this weekend,” said Hord. “I felt really good in the car all weekend. I was happy to see Kyle come out and race. He deserved that win, but I was a little quicker on the tree. We’re so excited. We’re ready for the next race. We’re gonna just go back to the drawing board, make sure the car is all happy. Go back there and just make the small things better. We just want to make good A to B passes.” Hord took out another second-generation driver in the quarterfinals trailering Matt Hartman, son of championship contender Lee with a quicker 7.741 second pass at 177.25 mph. Hartman was first off the line but Hord’s COPO Camaro had too much horsepower and chased him down for the win. In the last round before the final round match up with Janac, Hord faced a brand-new opponent Richard Brierie in the semifinals. Hord was exceptional on the starting line with his best reaction time of the day, a nearly perfect .019 second jump and he never trailed in the race. “I believe that parity is very important in this class, and seeing all three manufacturers helps potentially bring more cars out. We had 16 cars here, which is a good turnout, but we can always have more,” added Hord. No. 1 qualifier Jonathan Allegrucci captured the Flexjet Factory Stock Bounty with his first round win over 2025 world champion Mark Pawuk. The $1,000 bounty will now shift to Gatornationals winner Hord for the next national event, the Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway outside of Charlotte, N.C., April 24-26. The post Ricky Hord Wins Historic Gatornationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Alexis DeJoria kicked off a new chapter with John Force Racing in impressive fashion, racing to the final round at the 57th annual NHRA Gatornationals Sunday afternoon to open the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season at Gainesville Raceway. Driving the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car in her first race with the legendary team, DeJoria charged through eliminations to reach her 17th career final round, ultimately leaving Florida ranked No. 2 in the Funny Car points standings and firmly establishing herself as an early-season contender. DeJoria went into the Gatornationals with serious momentum following a promising test session at Gainesville that saw her record an unofficial career-best speed of 337.24 mph. She faced traction issues in Friday’s two qualifying sessions, but she bounced back on Saturday with a 4.060 E.T. at 324.83 mph, the third-quickest pass of the third qualifying session, to move up to the No. 10 spot and earn one bonus point. Tuned by former Funny Car drivers Mike Neff and Jonnie Lindberg, DeJoria followed that up with a 4.093 E.T. at 312.64 mph in the final qualifying session, ultimately locking in the No. 11 spot on the Sunday eliminations ladder. Racing on International Women’s Day, the first round of eliminations was a wild one for DeJoria and opponent Cruz Pedregon, who got out of the groove and struck one of the timing blocks, disqualifying his run. DeJoria pedaled her way to a 4.545 E.T. at just under 300 mph. She then lined up against 2025 NHRA Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde in the quarterfinals, where DeJoria left the starting line a tick ahead of Hyde and charged to a 4.040-second pass at 324.59 mph to win a side-by-side race over Hyde and his 4.066 E.T. With that round win, DeJoria locked in a spot in the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the season at the upcoming NHRA Arizona Nationals. The unpredictability of Funny Car continued in the semifinals with past world champion J.R. Todd going red against DeJoria, handing her the win light. DeJoria was ready for a race, though, as she matched her pass from the last round with a 4.040 E.T. at 325.45 mph to advance. In the final, DeJoria and Chad Green charged off the starting line together before DeJoria lost traction and her opponent was able to drive away with the win. “I’m so proud of this team. I’m so proud of myself,” DeJoria said. “It’s been almost two years since I’ve been to a final. I’m locked and loaded right now. I have the confidence back. Everything has come together full circle. I’m so proud to be racing under the John Force Racing banner. Everybody works together really well. It’s like a big family. Everyone is a big team here and the camaraderie is unmatched. I absolutely adore John Force. He came up to me just ahead of the finals and he said ‘this one’s from the heart,’ and he put his fist to his chest, and it took everything in me to keep it together. I’ve won races before, I’ve been to finals before, but it’s been a really long time so this was a big one. I had my dad out here today and that was really special. I’m beyond excited. Even though we didn’t get the hardware, it’s OK because this is the first of many, and we are far from over.” DeJoria and her John Force Racing Bandero Café Funny Car team will next head to the NHRA Arizona Nationals, March 20–22, at Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz. The Phoenix-area facility holds special significance for DeJoria, as it was the site of her first career NHRA victory in 2014 and where she captured the inaugural Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in 2023. The post Alexis DeJoria Opens JFR Era with NHRA Gatornationals Final-Round Appearance first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Defending NHRA Gatornationals Funny Car Champion Chad Green made it two in a row Sunday with an impressive performance in his CGM Bond-Coat Ford Mustang at Gainesville Raceway in the season opener for the 75th anniversary of the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series. Green, the Midland, Tex., businessman when he isn’t driving his nitro-burning Funny Car, was an upset winner last March in the Gatornationals, but the veteran racer was a top contender after his stellar 3.926 qualifying run on Friday night. And the popular driver continued that performance through the final round victory over Alexis DeJoria with the quickest time of eliminations at 3.959. Green opened his winning ways Sunday with a first-round victory over veteran Terry Haddock, 4.022 to 6.650 followed by a “holeshot” win over four-time World Champion Matt Hagan, 3.975 to Hagan’s quicker 3.967. In the semifinals, Chad clocked a 3.980 to defeat Jordan Vandergriff’s 4.068, and then a 3.959 at 329.91 miles per hour to DeJoria’s 5.003. “It was one of those great days of racing when I never saw another car next to me when I left the starting line,” said Green. “I knew Hagan would be tough in the second round and I cut a good (starting line) light to win on a holeshot. That was a big one. Then the crew gave me a great car for the semi’s and the finals. We had a good testing session a few weeks ago and the crew guys learned a lot about this track. This weekend, though, the track was tricky with hot and humid conditions as well as some rain delays. So, they knew what to do at the right time and that puts us back in the winner’s circle. “It’s so hard to win any race. But to win the Gatornationals back-to-back is very special. It’s a legendary race on the NHRA national schedule. I thought how nice it would be to win one of those ‘Diamond Wally’ trophies in the 75th year. And now we did right out of the box in the first race. I knew we had the potential to win but we struggled in the heat on Saturday. And our guys studied the conditions and we had a hot rod today. The best deal about racing this weekend is I get to race with my son, Hunter.” Hunter Green made his first Funny Car appearance at the NHRA Gatornationals in the CGM Bond-Coat Dodge//SRT Hellcat this weekend after being one of the top “rookies” in the pro divisions in 2025. After qualifying tenth at 4.048 on Friday, H. Green had a tough matchup with Daniel Wilkerson in the first round. Hunter’s car lost a cylinder off the starting line and couldn’t beat Wilkerson’s 4.027 to his 4.263 seconds. “It was a great weekend with my dad winning the Gatornationals and I learned more about our Funny Car too,” said H. Green. “I have a lot more confidence and knowledge with these cars after my first year. These nitro cars are a handful to drive, and I feel I am gaining more experience with each run. Our two-car team is working together very well, and having the team win at the first race is so awesome. We want to continue the success with both cars.” Chad Green and CGM teammate Blake Alexander will be in the Funny Car lineup in the upcoming FMP Factory Motor Parts Arizona Nationals on March 20-22. Action is scheduled on Friday, March 20, with qualifying rounds at 2:30 and 5 p.m. PDT. Saturday’s (March 21) qualifying will take place at 11:30 a.m. and 2:3 p.m. PDT, with final eliminations on Sunday, March 22, at 11 a.m. PDT. Fox Sports 1 will telecast Sunday’s eliminations at 6:30 p.m. EDT. The post Chad Green Scores Second Straight NHRA Gatornationals Funny Car Win first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Josh Hart and Alexis DeJoria are both newcomers to the 24-time NHRA Championship winning John Force Racing organization but both made incredibly strong statements at Sunday’s 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season-opening Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, with Hart earning the Top Fuel title and DeJoria finishing runner-up in Funny Car. Hart and the Burnyzz / Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster team, led by crew chiefs Dave Grubnic and John Collins, defeated two-time and defending Top Fuel Champion Doug Kalitta in the final round, running 3.733 seconds at 337.83 mph to Kalitta’s 3.877 seconds at 319.60 mph. It was the Florida transplant’s second Gatornationals victory, and third overall in six final-round appearances. Hart’s previous victories came at the 2021 Gatornationals in his Top Fuel debut and the 2021 fall race at zMax Dragway when he defeated Brittany Force. DeJoria and her Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS Funny Car, led by crew chiefs Mike Neff and Jonni Lindberg, left the starting line strong but lost traction at 300 feet and slowed to a run of 5.003 seconds at 167.59 mph while Chad Green streaked across the finish line at 3.959 seconds at 329.91 mph. It was DeJoria’s 17th career Funny Car final-round appearance. Jordan Vandergriff, making both his John Force Racing and Funny Car debut in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS, qualified eighth and reached the semifinals before bowing out to Green. Jack Beckman, starting his second full season with JFR in the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny, qualified ninth and lost to teammate Vandergriff in the first round. Hart, who earned his career first Top Fuel No. 1 Qualifier spot Saturday, marched to the final round by defeating Dan Mercier in Rd. 1 (3.751 seconds at 335.65 mph to 5.107 at 143.08) a red-lighting Tripp Tatum in Rd. 2 (3.845 at 334.57) and pedaling in the semifinals against Antron Brown (4.488 at 289.51 to 4.552 at 246.93). “It was truly a week or weekend at Burnyzz, you know,” said Hart. “We had a Burnyzz on the side of the car. We had Burnyzz signage in the lane that I just won in. We had Burnyzz on the scoreboards, and we had Fanfest at Burnyzz earlier in the week and it all was just awesome. The last time I won the Gatornationals, it was a storybook. I think we just beat it, and we crushed every record that I have had in my career all in the first weekend with John Force Racing. Those John Force Racing guys are absolutely awesome. They are the most professional team I’ve ever been a part of and communication is second to none. I just want to say thank you to John Force and Brittany Force for even considering me, let alone picking me, to take that seat. “We crushed all of our first quarter priority goals in one weekend,” said Hart about working with crew chief Dave Grubnic. “So that must have been his mentality coming into it. This week has been just absolutely epic. The fans’ energy here at home, I can’t put that into words. I mean, they kept me going, I was tired. I’m beat and I know my guys are beat, too, but all the fans are cheering when you do the warm ups. I mean, I forgot what that felt like. “Getting this win at home, to kick off this new team, is even more special because of the partnership with Speedmaster. I’ve already started calling the car Speedmaster and the partnership is only going to get better with some big announcements coming soon.” DeJoria earned her way to the final round by defeating two-time NHRA Funny Car Champion Cruz Pedregon in a pedal-fest upset win in Rd. 1 (4.545 seconds at 298.40 to 4.898 162.78), running 4.040 at 324.59 to Spencer Hyde’s 4.066 at 314.39 in Rd. 2 and a -0.099-second red-light victory in the semifinals against J.R. Todd, with DeJoria again running 4.040 seconds at 325.45 mph to Todd’s 4.202 at 326.79. “I’m so thrilled to be able to go to the final with this new Bandero team in the first race of the year with John Force Racing,” said DeJoria. “Oh, man, this is just incredible. We worked really hard today. It was hot and the conditions were rough. I had to pedal it in the first round against Cruz and the competition was tough all day. But we really did a good job today, and these guys worked really hard, and I’m so proud of them. This is gonna be the first of many. We’re leaving here second in the points and I am just thrilled. Every round was so important, and even though we did not get the hardware today, we still made it to the final round and I just know this is setting the tone for the rest of the season.” Vandergriff advanced the Cornwell Tools Chevy to the semifinals but put out a cylinder early in the run and bowed to Green with a run of 4.068 seconds at 300.40 mph to Green’s 3.980 at 324.83 mph. The Funny Car rookie defeated JFR teammate Jack Beckman in Rd. 1, running 3.970 seconds at 327.35 mph to Beckman’s 3.987 at 326.87 in PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car. “A semfinal finish was not the way we wanted to end the weekend for our Cornwell Quality Tools team but, overall, it was a fantastic weekend,” said Vandergriff. “This opportunity with John Force Racing was a dream of mine for years now, and I never thought it would be here, and the fact that it is here with John is still unbelievable. If you would have told me coming into this race that I would have made the semifinals, I think I would have taken it. It’s a great start for this team led by Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker, and this almost entirely new group of guys. We’ve shown what we can do, what we’re capable of, and we’re definitely going to improve on that headed to Phoenix.” The first-round matchup between Vandergriff and Beckman meant that only one of the John Force Racing entries would advance to the second round and, unfortunately for Beckman, it was his PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car that did not turn on the finish line win light.“I’m disappointed to lose, for sure, because there’s no upside to losing,” said the 2012 NHRA Funny Car World Champion. “I don’t care if it’s a teammate in the other lane. We came here to win the race. We just got behind it in qualifying, and we threw down a must-get-down-the-track run on Q4, that moved us clear up to eighth but the conditions weren’t gonna allow us to get into the top half. But that put us against the Cornwell team with Jordan without lane choice. I don’t think that mattered. Jordan left on me, and their car was a thousandth quicker than ours. I think, given all the adversity the PEAK SQUAD had in qualifying, they did a tremendous job calling their shot for first round. It’s frustrating to have the third quickest run of the (first) round and not have a win light to show for it. On the upside, I’ve got three John Force Racing team cars to root for for the remainder of the race.” This story was originally published on March 8, 2026. The post Hart Wins, DeJoria Runner-Up in JFR Debut first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Toni Bou X-Trial 2026 Champion Round Eight Repsol Honda HRC rider Toni Bou has earnt his 20th X-Trial World Championship, winning round eight at Chalon-sur-Saône, France over the weekend, and landing himself an unassailable lead with two rounds remaining. With seven wins from eight rounds, taking his career total to 98 victories in the discipline, the […] The post Toni Bou wins yet another championship crown appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Derek Menholt knocked off Lyle Barnett in the final round on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway in the opening race of JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports. The event was the first of 11 races in the series and was powered by FuelTech as part of this weekend’s Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, kicking off NHRA Pro Mod’s 25th season. Menholt, who qualified ninth, went 5.690-seconds at 251.02 mph in his ’69 Camaro as runner-up Lyle Barnett went red in the championship round. It’s the second career victory for Menholt and his first at Gainesville Raceway, as the Pro Mod veteran opened the season in style. Menholt, who has now won two of the last three races, beat Mike Thielen, Chip King and reigning world champion J.R. Gray to reach the final round. Barnett left early by .003, handing Menholt the victory and the first NHRA 75th anniversary diamond Wally of 2026 for the class. “It’s an amazing deal,” Menholt said. “I was worried the whole time about Lyle. He’s a great driver and it’s a good feeling to get this one. This is one we’ve been wanting. It’s a good race car.” To get to the final round, Barnett knocked off Mason Wright, Kevin Rivenbark and former world champion Mike Castellana. The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports returns to action March 20-22 with the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix. The post Derek Menholt Gets NHRA Pro Mod Series Win in Gainesville to Open 2026 first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Ocala’s Josh Hart won in his debut with John Force Racing on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway, taking down reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta in the final round of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Chad Green (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won in front of a capacity crowd at the first of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. It also marks the start of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. Hart, who set the track speed record on Friday, went 3.733-seconds at 337.83 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Burnyzz/Speedmaster dragster to knock off Kalitta, who slowed to a 3.877 at 319.60. It marks the third career win for Hart and first in nearly five years. Since then, it had been a grind for Hart, who won in his Top Fuel debut in 2021 at Gainesville Raceway. Now with John Force Racing, Hart is off and running. He qualified No. 1 for the first time in his career on Saturday and then dispatched of Dan Mercier, Tripp Tatum and four-time champ Antron Brown to reach the final round. Hart quickly tracked down Kalitta and made a strong impression that he will be a championship threat in the loaded category in 2026. “I’m so grateful for everybody,” Hart said. “I got the crap kicked out of me for four years and I’m having a hard time believing this is happening. I have so many people to thank and there was so much energy from these fans today. John Force, thank you for picking me. “It was just awesome. It was a storybook. We crushed every record that I have had in my career, all in the first weekend with John Force Racing. Those guys are absolutely awesome. The most professional team I’ve ever been a part of and communication is second to none. I just want to say thank you to John Force and Brittany Force for even considering me, let alone picking me to take that seat, and I’ll get more comfortable, and we’ll win more races.” In Funny Car, Green continued his dominant performance at Gainesville Raceway, making it back-to-back victories at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals thanks to a run of 3.959 at 329.91 in his 12,000-horsepower Bond-Coat, Inc. Ford Mustang against Alexis DeJoria in the final round. Green has three career victories and remarkably two of them have come at Gainesville Raceway, as he’s now posted eight straight round wins at one of the biggest races on the NHRA tour. On Sunday, that included round wins against Terry Haddock, four-time world champ Matt Hagan and John Force Racing’s Jordan Vandergriff, who was making his first career start in the Funny Car ranks. That set up a matchup with another JFR driver, as DeJoria advanced to the final in her debut with her new team. But she ran into trouble early and Green put together another solid performance to claim the victory and take the points lead at the first race in NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. “Last year was actually so special to win the Gatornationals for the first time, and during the last couple of months here I’ve been thinking how awesome it’d be to win the race again,” Green said. “It’s so hard to win any race, especially for somebody like me. It all came together, and it’s so great to go back-to-back. I was also thinking, how nice it would be to win a Diamond Wally. To get it done on the first race, that’s just really awesome. “It makes it so much easier as a driver when you’re not thinking about what this car is going to do. We qualified well, but that first round is always so nerve-racking to me. After we got past that, I really felt very confident in the car all day, and as each run went by, the car just made it down the track and that definitely helps you as a driver.” DeJoria advanced to the final round for the first time in two years and 17th time in her career thanks to round wins against Cruz Pedregon, 2025 NHRA Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde and J.R. Todd. Pro Stock’s Matt Hartford had his own winless streak snapped on Sunday as well, picking up his first victory since 2023 by going 6.530 at 210.41 in his Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro to hold off six-time world champion Greg Anderson. It’s the first win for Hartford in 40 races and after coming close multiple times in 2025, Hartford was more than ready to break through in Gainesville to open the 75th anniversary season. The victory is his first at the Gatornationals and the ninth in his career, getting past Kenny Delco, Aaron Stanfield and reigning world champion Dallas Glenn earlier in the day. Hartford took down an impressive lineup just to reach the final round and then finished the job against Anderson, showcasing what he hopes will be a banner 2026 campaign. “We were sitting having dinner the other night, and we were saying we need to get one of these Diamond Wallys and not one of them – we need to stack them up, and the best way to do that is to start with the first one,” Hartford said. “To get the first one in Pro Stock is incredible. “This is going to be the most grueling Pro Stock season that I think you guys in the media have ever seen. The caliber of the drivers who are out there right now are over the top. It’s just so competitive from all the camps right now. You make one mistake, you’re not qualifying.” Anderson reached the finals for the 192nd time in his career thanks to round wins against Deric Kramer, his son, Cody, who was making his Pro Stock debut, and longtime rival Erica Enders. Reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ Richard Gadson had a resounding start to his championship defense season, getting his first Gatornationals victory after taking down John Hall in the championship round with a 6.753 at 200.05 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki. That the win came on his birthday made it that much sweeter, as Gadson claimed his fifth career victory, displaying the kind of consistency that led to his breakout season a year ago. He was presented with his championship jacket and ring during pre-race introductions and it seemed to spur him along, taking down Geno Scali, Chase Van Sant and Clayton Howey. In the finals, Gadson led wire-to-wire thanks to an .018 reaction time, getting his first diamond Wally of the season. “I’d say this is a pretty resounding statement to open the season,” Gadson said. “You know, I like to say it was a long winter. I kind of still felt like I had something to prove. “Matt Hines [team member] told me before we left the shop. He said, ‘Don’t race like you’re the world champion. Race the same way that got you the championship. Don’t let up.’ So, that was what I did and it worked out for me this weekend.” Hall reached the finals for the eighth time in his career thanks to Brayden Davis, Gaige Herrera and Steve Johnson. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action March 20-22 with the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix. This story was originally published on March 8, 2026. The post Hart, Green, Hartford, and Gadson Open 75th Anniversary Season with Wins at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

2026 Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship Rounds 1 & 2 – Roma, QLD The 2026 Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship presented by MXstore got underway in Roma, Queensland over the weekend, with the opening double round quickly turning into a tale of two very different days. Saturday’s racing ran in hot, humid conditions on a demanding course, […] The post Rain stops play in Roma but day one shaped the 2026 AusEnduro form guide appeared first on MCNews. View the full article