Everything posted by reporter
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Kawasaki and Bimota to reveal new models at Phillip Island WorldSBK
Kawasaki and bimota at WorldSBK Kawasaki has confirmed it will have an official presence at next week’s World Superbike Championship round at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, with a curated display of Kawasaki and bimota machinery on show throughout the weekend. The Kawasaki stand will feature a blend of flagship performance models and heritage-inspired […] The post Kawasaki and Bimota to reveal new models at Phillip Island WorldSBK appeared first on MCNews. View the full article
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Positions Vacant: TeamMoto Motorcycles
Fuel Your Passion: Why a Career at TeamMoto is More Than Just a Job For most, motorcycles are a weekend escape. But at TeamMoto, they are the heartbeat of a thriving career. As part of Motorcycle Holdings, Australia’s leading motorcycle retail network, TeamMoto is doing more than just selling bikes; they’re building the future of […] The post Positions Vacant: TeamMoto Motorcycles appeared first on MCNews. View the full article
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The Outlier: A Custom Kymco K-Rider 400 from Taiwan
Custom motorcycle builders often get requests for machines that either replicate or, at the very least, draw inspiration from ones that they've built before. But what happens when a customer likes one of your previous projects, and then deviates from the source material with a totally different dono... View the full article
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The Grand Opening of FuelTech Motorsports Park
A 1,000-car caravan marks the grand opening of FuelTech Motorsports Park. This massive festival in Brazil drew 30,000 fans.View the full article
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You'd Best Move Fast If You Want To Get Moto Training At The Nurburgring
Contrary to what you may have heard, you can still ride motorcycles on the Nurburgring's Nordschliefe. But only at specific trainings.View the full article
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U.S. Street Nationals Runner-Up Derek Menholt Carrying Quiet Momentum Into World Series of Pro Mod
Following a standout season in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Series, Derek Menholt rolled into the 2025/2026 Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service at Bradenton Motorsports Park with quiet momentum and a brand-new centrifugally supercharged Corvette. He’s since qualified in the two quickest 32-car Pro Mod fields in history and went to the $75,000 final round at the U.S. Street Nationals, building further momentum going into the Winter Series finale, the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod presented by Red Line Oil, Feb. 26-28. Menholt partnered with Scott Tidwell Racing to run the full 2025 NHRA Pro Mod season, where he finished fifth in the championship points standings thanks to performances that included a runner-up finish at the prestigious U.S. Nationals and his first career win at the Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. “I know there were people wondering how we ended up in the [U.S. Street Nationals] final, or whether we really belonged there. But we’ve been in four Pro Mod final rounds in the last six months,” Menholt pointed out. “I think we had a better year than maybe people give us credit for, especially late in the NHRA season and at the Flying H race. I’m just more comfortable now because of how many runs we’ve made over the last year. Seat time makes a big difference, whether it’s testing or racing, and we’ve had a lot of it.” Menholt debuted his new Pro Line Racing 4.9 Hemi-powered ’19 Corvette at the Winter Series opener, the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks, and qualified No. 30 with a 3.614-second pass before losing to John Doc in the opening round. The Billings, Montana-based driver came back stronger at the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission earlier this month. That started in qualifying, where Menholt jumped to the No. 8 spot with a 3.568, putting him solidly in the first-ever all-3.50-second, 32-car Pro Mod field. Another five drivers ran in the 3.50s and didn’t qualify. “It’s amazing, really, when you think about how many good cars are out there,” Menholt said. “We spent two weeks testing before that race, knowing it was going to be tough. To have 70 cars of that caliber all in one place racing, it’s huge.” Menholt drew PDRA Pro Boost star Melanie Salemi in the opening round and defeated her with a 3.555 to her 3.585. He then drew the driver with the biggest target on his back, Jason Harris. The Snowbirds winner needed to win the U.S. Street Nationals and the WSOPM to collect a $1 million bonus through the Elite Motorsports Million, but Harris shook the tires while Menholt powered to a 3.565. “I wanted to beat [Harris] just as badly as I would’ve wanted to beat anyone else we drew,” Menholt said. “I always kind of see myself as an underdog, so every round I’m just going up there trying to win. My focus is always on having a good light and running a clean race. I don’t take any round lightly.” In the tricky third round, Menholt pedaled his way to a 3.774 to finish ahead of John Doc, avenging his first-round loss to Doc at the Snowbirds. He then recorded low E.T. of the semifinals, a 3.588, to stop rookie Peter Norton and his 3.604. Menholt met up with fellow NHRA Pro Mod driver Stevie “Fast” Jackson in the final round with $75,000 on the line. Jackson’s screw-blown Motion Raceworks “Shadow 3.0” ’68 Camaro lost reverse after the burnout, so the Killin’ Time Racing crew had to push the car back to the starting line. When the tree dropped, Menholt left .006 seconds too soon, turning on the red light and awarding the win to Jackson. Both drivers ran their cars to the finish line, though, with Jackson posting a 3.566 to Menholt’s 3.570. “I saw the red light come on before I left the starting line,” Menholt said. “When Stevie didn’t back up, I didn’t think he was playing games, but there’s always that split second where you wonder – is he going to leave or not? I didn’t want to assume I didn’t need to be good on the tree just because he might have had an issue. My mindset was still to go for it. I knew he’d be good on the tree and his car would be fast. “When I saw the time slip, I was actually relieved that he was .011 on the tree and ran as well as he did,” Menholt added. “If he’d been slow or late, I probably would’ve beaten myself up.” The World Series of Pro Mod is now squarely in Menholt’s crosshairs. He’s no stranger to the event, as he competed in all three editions at Bandimere Speedway in Denver. Driving his turbocharged Top Sportsman Camaro, he won the race-your-way-in Wild Card Shootout at the original $100,000-to-win race in 2017, suffered a crash in 2018, and drove his daughter’s Top Dragster in 2019 just to be a part of the race. “Before 2017, we were running the car in Top Sportsman, and I always joke that I should probably give [Wes Buck] credit for a lot of bad life choices since that day,” Menholt said. “But Pro Mod had always been something we wanted to do, and at the time we were aiming toward NHRA Pro Mod. Everything we’ve done since 2017 has really been based around getting into Pro Mod racing.” He’s going into this year’s WSOPM with the best shot he’s had at winning the winner-take-all prize, which is now up to $150,000. He’s also in the running for the Winter Series championship, as his runner-up at the U.S. Street Nationals moved him up to sixth in the standings. “Just getting those rounds of eliminations in gives us a lot of confidence,” Menholt said. “We’re going into the World Series to win – it’s not like we’re just hoping to qualify. Qualifying alone is an accomplishment, but we believe we’re a car that can compete and contend.” The post U.S. Street Nationals Runner-Up Derek Menholt Carrying Quiet Momentum Into World Series of Pro Mod first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article
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These Three Old Snowmobilers Are Doing Another 1,500-Mile Trip
After making headlines a few years ago with their cross-Canada snowmobile trip, three old snowmobiling friends are doing it again. This time on Arctic Cats over 1,500 miles. View the full article
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These New Adventure Motorcycle and Dirtbike Boots Look Seriously Capable, And Waterproof
Leatt's new 8.5 ADV HydraDri motorcycle boot looks to be one of the contenders for best all-around, do-everything off-road motorcycle boot. Doesn't hurt it looks sick, too. View the full article
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Someone Just Bought Hunter Thompson's Old Dirt Bike, Peyote Wasn't Included
Gonzo journalist and prominent motorcyclist Hunter Thompson is a hero in many spaces, and his personal Husqvarna dirt bike just was sold for a bunch of money. Drugs, however, were not included. View the full article
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Every Motorcycle In This New Museum Actually Won Something
The FIM Racing Motorcycle Museum brings real world championship machines under one roof, all for the world to see. View the full article
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Not Deja Vu, There's A New Ducati Streetfighter and Panigale V4 Rear Brake Recall
If you own a 2025 or 2026 Ducati Panigale V4 or Streetfighter V4, it may not have sufficient heat protection for the rear brake hose.View the full article
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Indian Motorcycle Will Not Build an Entry-Level Bike, Says New CEO
In a press question and answer session, Indian Motorcycle's new CEO, Mike Kennedy, responded to whether or not the company is looking into an entry-level bike. He said no and threw water on EVs, too. View the full article
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Sheet Metal Cut and Butt: Check Out These Simple Techniques, Tips, And Tricks For Do It Yourself Rust Repair.
If you aren’t a regular watcher of metal shaping and sheet metal fabrication videos, you might not know that one of the common sheet metal replacement techniques is called the cut and butt method which is a very straight forward way of replacing sheetmetal for patch panels and such. It creates a clean, full penetration, butt weld that allows for excellent metal finishing results. In this particular video, Fitzee shows the method on a windshield surround. Fitzee may not have invented cut and butt, I don’t know, but he’s the first person I saw using it and spreading the word far and wide. Regardless, his promotion of this method has really impacted how people replace bad sheet metal. Check it out. Video Description: Using simple tools to do rust repairs above the window on this 40s chevy truck cab. how to simplify overhead rust repair that will need two or three spots repaired. The post Sheet Metal Cut and Butt: Check Out These Simple Techniques, Tips, And Tricks For Do It Yourself Rust Repair. appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article
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Stanceworks Real Ferrari F40 Project Part 10: Does an 800HP V12 Fit in an F40? Let’s find out.
The F40 is getting an engine! But remember, this is just the process for figuring out if the engine will even fit. This car originally came with a V8, and that means there are several cylinders worth of space that this new engine is going to take up. Ever heard the term 10 lbs of crap in a 5 lb bag? Yeah, it might kinda be like that. Let’s see. I have worked on a Ferrari F40 pretty extensively. I know that sounds weird coming from me, but the truth is that I’ve done some stuff to a Ferrari F40, and the Ferrari F40 engine, that most people have not. That’s a story for another day, but because of my experience with one particular Ferrari F40, I find this new project makes me smile. The Stanceworks crew is going to do something to this one that only they would, and in a way that only they can get away with. There will be some feelings hurt over this one. There will be people that are mad. And there will be people that lose their f’ing minds. But it’s just a car, and nothing is permanent when it comes to cars. CLICK HERE IF YOU MISSED ANY OF THE PREVIOUS VIDEOS The post Stanceworks Real Ferrari F40 Project Part 10: Does an 800HP V12 Fit in an F40? Let’s find out. appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article
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Tony Angelo Traded and Sold His Way into an EPIC ’60’s Oldsmobile LOWRIDER! But What Did He Have To Give Up?
Sometimes a trade is even better than just making a straight buy. When two parties agree that what they both have is a fair trade, and that they would like to own the other’s item, that’s a pretty cool way to get a new hot rod, project, or race car. In the video below, Tony does some selling, swapping, and trading to get himself something really special. Check it out. Video Description: Sometimes you just NEED another car! This week on Stay Tuned, Tony Angelo and the dudes scoop up a fresh project, in trade for Tony’s Harley Dyna and the cash from the Stude project. Wrapped in INSANE panel paint and on air, this ’62 Olds Lowrider is an absolute masterpiece! The post Tony Angelo Traded and Sold His Way into an EPIC ’60’s Oldsmobile LOWRIDER! But What Did He Have To Give Up? appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article
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Oiling System Tech: Does An Oil Filter Bypass at COLD START? And Does It Matter One Way Or The Other?
Oil, no oil, clean oil, dirty oil. It seems to me that those are the options when and engine starts and I guess I’m a fan of having oil flowing, clean OR dirty, rather than having no oil flow at all. What about you? Video Description: Does a cold start really force your oil filter into bypass? A lot of people believe freezing temperatures and thick oil automatically open the oil filter bypass valve—but is that actually true? In this video, we test a frozen oil filter at below-freezing temperatures and walk through what really happens during a cold engine start. If you’ve ever worried about unfiltered oil during cold starts, this test clears up the myth with real data and engineering logic. The post Oiling System Tech: Does An Oil Filter Bypass at COLD START? And Does It Matter One Way Or The Other? appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article
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FORGOTTEN BIG BLOCK BRONCO! Will This Fire Damaged Locked Up Ford RUN AGAIN For Derek?
How do so many cool cars and trucks get forgotten and left to return back to the earth? It always makes me wonder, and then I look at the pile of cars and trucks I have sitting around at the shop and wonder no more. I’ve got enough projects for 5 regular people, or 3 hardcore car junkies. Derek at Vice Grip Garage has enough for 30 or more. In the video below he’s back at it, this time with this awesome big block powered Bronco. It’s been damaged in a fire, which never does a vehicle any good, so I’m sure there are going to be some entertaining repairs required to keep this thing rolling down the road. Video Description: Rescuing a fire-damaged 1978 Ford Bronco! I flew to Florida to save this legendary rig after years of neglect, only to find a seized engine and evidence of a engine compartment fire.. Watch the full transformation as a guy fights to unstick the motor and get this classic back on the road. The post FORGOTTEN BIG BLOCK BRONCO! Will This Fire Damaged Locked Up Ford RUN AGAIN For Derek? appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article
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Try Honda’s Best-Selling LAMS models at HART St Ives – February 21
Try Honda’s best-selling LAMS models HART St Ives – February 21 Riders looking to sample some of Honda’s most popular learner-approved machines will have the chance to do so later this month, with Honda Australia Rider Training hosting a dedicated LAMS Test Ride Day at HART St Ives on Saturday, February 21. The event gives […] The post Try Honda’s Best-Selling LAMS models at HART St Ives – February 21 appeared first on MCNews. View the full article
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MotoSchool introduce YZF-R9 fleet and YamaFest Ride Day
MotoSchool R-Experience now powered by the YZF-R9 Yamaha Motor Australia and MotoSchool are taking their partnership to the next level, confirming an expanded collaboration through to 2026, including the introduction of a fully kitted Yamaha YZF-R9 hire fleet and an exclusive Yamaha customer experience day scheduled for March. Building on the success of the 2025 […] The post MotoSchool introduce YZF-R9 fleet and YamaFest Ride Day appeared first on MCNews. View the full article
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Applications open for 2026 FIM MotoMini Australia
FIM MotoMini Australia Applications are now open for the 2026 season of FIM MotoMini Australia, Australia’s premier MotoMini championship and the country’s officially recognised entry point into the global Road to MotoGP development pathway. Run under the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme MotoMini framework and aligned with Dorna Sports, MotoMini Australia mirrors the same development model […] The post Applications open for 2026 FIM MotoMini Australia appeared first on MCNews. View the full article
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Explore some of the best of Europe and North America with Ducati
2026 Ducati Expedition Masters From Italy’s iconic roads to the extreme landscapes of Iceland, and on to the vastness of North America, dates for the 2026 Expedition Masters calendar and registration information are now available. Expedition Masters is an exclusive fully supported travel programme created for the most adventurous motorcyclists, offering the opportunity to explore […] The post Explore some of the best of Europe and North America with Ducati appeared first on MCNews. View the full article
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OP-ED: Chasing Speed and the Moment NHRA Finally Bet on its People
For as long as I’ve had a front-row seat to this sport – for as long as I’ve watched drag racing try to claw its way into the modern attention economy with one hand tied behind its back – I’ve been saying the same thing like a broken record: we don’t have a racing problem. We have a storytelling problem. And that’s why this new VICE Sports-produced NHRA docuseries, Chasing Speed, matters. Not because it’s “cool.” Not because it has slick camera work and cinematic pacing (it does). Not because it’s a nice little victory lap heading into NHRA’s 75th anniversary (it is). It matters because it represents a philosophical shift – one that NHRA should’ve made a long, long time ago – from treating drag racing like a mechanical exhibition to treating it like what it really is: a violent, beautiful, human drama played out at 330-plus miles per hour. Here’s the truth nobody can outrun: the cars will bring you out once. The speed. The sound. The way it rattles your ribcage and makes you laugh like a kid the first time you feel a nitro car hit you in the chest. The sensory overload – the smells, the chaos, the spectacle, the competition – it’s intoxicating. Drag racing is still the most primal motorsport on Earth. But if we’re being honest, the cars aren’t what bring people back over and over again. People come back for people. They come back because they saw a driver they connected with. A tuner who looks like a mad scientist and talks like a street poet. A family operation thrashing under a pop-up tent like their whole world depends on the next round. A champion who’s somehow still insecure, still chasing, still haunted by the idea that it can all disappear in one blink. That’s the gateway drug. That’s what turns a casual viewer into a real fan – the kind of fan who buys tickets, wears the merch, watches the live stream, argues in group chats, and plans their weekends around your schedule. And drag racing, historically, has been hesitant – sometimes stubbornly so – to fully embrace that. NHRA’s own DNA tells you why. Wally Parks didn’t build NHRA to create celebrities. He built it to create order. He used Hot Rod magazine as the megaphone, he tried to “create order from chaos,” he wanted safety, standards, legitimacy – and the organization he founded absolutely succeeded at that. But somewhere along the way, that mission hardened into a worldview. A belief system. And one of the most famous expressions of that belief was essentially: the cars are the stars. I understand where that came from. In the early days, the innovation was the hook. The machinery was the magic. The engineering arms race was the story. But in the context of mass culture – in the context of growing a sport into something that can compete for mindshare – that mindset is a ceiling. Maybe even a deathknell. Because NASCAR didn’t take that fork in the road. NASCAR sold characters. Outlaws. Rebels. Moonshiners. Feuds. Heroes. Villains. It sold the people first and let the machines be the amplifier. Drag racing, too often, sold horsepower first and hoped the people would matter later. And guess what? The people who broke through anyway – the biggest icons this sport has ever produced – didn’t wait for permission. They didn’t wait for the sanctioning body to “introduce” them to America. They built their own gravity. “Big Daddy” Don Garlits. Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney. Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. John Force. They created storylines around themselves. They understood, intuitively, what modern sports media now treats like gospel: if the audience knows you, they care. If they care, they watch. If they watch, they buy. If they buy, the whole ecosystem rises. That’s why Chasing Speed feels like a landmark. Because it’s NHRA finally playing the game on the right level. The premise is simple: six episodes, VICE Sports production, NHRA partnership, built around the 2025 season, positioned as a high-stakes inside look at the culture, the danger, and the personalities that make the whole thing go. And crucially: it’s not shot like a press release. It’s shot like a real docuseries. It looks like something you could recommend to a normal sports fan – not just a card-carrying drag racing lifer. That’s the difference between “content” and “conversion.” If you want to understand why this matters, look at the modern blueprint. The UFC was not always the UFC. There was a moment – a real moment – where they needed a cultural bridge. Something that would turn violence in a cage into a product people could emotionally invest in. And they found it in reality TV. ESPN has reported that by 2004 the Fertittas had put more than $40 million into the UFC, and the company still needed a breakthrough; “The Ultimate Fighter” was the swing. And once people started knowing the fighters – living with them, hearing them talk, watching them crack under pressure – the sport became human. The fights weren’t just fights anymore. They were chapters. Formula 1 had its version too. Drive to Survive didn’t teach America the rulebook. It taught America the personalities. It made team principals into characters. It turned paddock politics into drama. It made people pick sides. Nielsen has measured U.S. fan growth and a halo effect from the series, and ESPN’s own published viewership arc shows F1 climbing from roughly 554,000 average viewers per race in 2018 to about 1.3 million in 2025. That’s not an accident. That’s storytelling. So when I watch Chasing Speed, what I see isn’t just a good show. What I see is drag racing finally stepping into the same arena as every other sport that has figured out the new economy. Because this is the era we’re in now: highlights are everywhere. The on-track product is not enough by itself. The behind-the-scenes product is the multiplier. And it doesn’t stop at docuseries. If NHRA keeps walking down this road – if they start thinking like a modern league – the next step isn’t just “make Season 2.” The next step is to build the whole ecosystem around the stories. Reality/docuseries is the top of the funnel: it creates awareness and emotional buy-in. Then you expand the surface area. Toys. The Monster Jam / Hot Wheels lesson is that you don’t just sell an event – you sell an identity that kids can hold in their hands. You create the next generation of fans before they ever have a reason to care about points standings. Video games. The “stick and ball” sports understand this. They don’t just have fans – they have players. They have kids who learn the athletes’ names because they used them in a game for 300 hours. That’s not a small thing. That’s how you build lifetime familiarity. And I know what somebody’s going to say: “Yeah, but drag racing is different.” No it isn’t. Not in the ways that matter. Drag racing has everything the modern audience responds to: danger, speed, spectacle, characters, money, pressure, ego, family legacy, rivalry, innovation, heartbreak. It has villains and heroes. It has underdogs and dynasties. It has the kind of blue-collar, high-skill, high-risk authenticity that most mainstream sports wish they still had. What it’s lacked – from an institutional standpoint – is the commitment to packaging the people as the product. That’s why I’m giving NHRA real credit here. Not performative credit. Not “good job, guys” credit. I mean legitimate, strategic credit. Because Chasing Speed is a step in the right direction that’s so obvious it almost hurts. It’s NHRA recognizing that the next phase of growth doesn’t come from shaving another tenth or adding another contingency program – it comes from building stars, building familiarity, and building narrative. And I’ll say this too: the drivers and teams who participated in this deserve flowers. It’s not easy to let cameras into your world. It’s not easy to be vulnerable in a sport that has trained people to be tough and private. The best docuseries don’t work because the cameras are good. They work because the subjects are brave enough to be real. That’s how you get new fans. That’s how you get people to care who wins before they even fully understand why. So if you’re NHRA – if you’re serious about using this moment – the mandate is simple: don’t treat Chasing Speed like a side project. Treat it like the foundation of the next era. Clip it. Promote it like your future depends on it. Put it in front of people who don’t already watch. Build the stars. Build the tuners. Build the crew chiefs. Build the storylines you can carry all season long. Let the audience fall in love with the humans. Because the cars will make them look. But the people will make them stay. And for the first time in a long time, it feels like NHRA is finally acting like they know that. This story was originally published on February 9, 2026. The post OP-ED: Chasing Speed and the Moment NHRA Finally Bet on its People first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article
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Spirit of 94: A Bold Honda NX650 Dominator Supermoto from Poland
The 90s were a wild time for motorcycle graphics—and if you need proof, the Honda NX650 Dominator has it in spades. Throughout its tenure, it wore everything from traditional Honda red to vibrant swathes of turquoise, purple, and pink. Seeing a custom Dominator that harks back to that radical era is... View the full article
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Sick Week Day 5 Video: The FINAL DAY of Racing Decides EVERYTHING – Hearts Broken And Winners Crowned!
Cold, rain, miles, mayhem, and carnage. All of these things made the 2026 edition of Sick Week a bit more of a challenge than some folks were prepared for. There are a lot of racers who didn’t finish the race after all the weather and carnage, but the overwhelming sentiment was that this was a fun week. Unfortunately, driving in the rain sucks but, not as badly as it sucks to show up to the race track and have rain. Everyone was excited to get some racing in on Day 4, but all week matters and some of these racers are going to need to finish strong. Who will survive Day 5 to get the win? CLICK HERE IF YOU MISSED ANY OF THE SICK WEEK VIDEO COVERAGE Video Description: The final day brought everyone back to Gainesville, and on paper it’s simple — break the beams and you’re officially done with Sick Week. But in reality, Day 5 is about much more than just finishing. With averages on the line, racers were still pushing to protect their position or improve it, knowing one last pass could change everything. After a full week of racing and driving, this is where the results are locked in and the winners are decided. The post Sick Week Day 5 Video: The FINAL DAY of Racing Decides EVERYTHING – Hearts Broken And Winners Crowned! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article
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Tommy Youmans Earns First Limited Drag Radial Victory at U.S. Street Nationals
Tommy Youmans earned his first career Limited Drag Radial victory and first major event win of any kind at the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission, delivering a strong and consistent performance in one of radial racing’s most competitive categories at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Driving his steel-bodied 1970 Pontiac GTO, Youmans put together a steady weekend and battled through a demanding elimination ladder that included wins over No. 1 qualifier Jamie Stanton and Snowbird Outlaw Nationals winner Brian Weddle. He saved his best pass for the final round, running a 3.860 at 196.30 mph to defeat veteran Justin Martin. The performance capped a weekend that had been building for several seasons, as Youmans and his team continue to refine their unique Pontiac-powered combination. “It was awesome. It was really special,” Youmans said of his win. “You go out there with a Hemi and race, you’re expected to perform. But you go out there with a one-off combination, a Pontiac motor, and run as good as we do, it’s very fulfilling.” Youmans is quick to note that his car is the real deal. Coming in at just under 3,000 lbs., it features a steel roof, quarters, rockers, and A-pillars. The power comes from a 500-cubic-inch billet Pontiac engine built by Kauffman Racing Equipment, maintaining stock bore spacing and true Pontiac dimensions. The combination includes billet Kauffman cylinder heads, twin 88mm Hart’s turbos, an M&M three-speed transmission and converter, and a Merillat Racing rear end. Youmans, who has been racing for two decades, transitioned from Pro275 – which he says his car was grossly overweight for – to Limited Drag Radial a few years ago. While he has collected some wins at local events, the U.S. Street Nationals marked both his first major event victory and first win in LDR, an achievement he’s especially proud of. “I truly believe that Limited Drag Radial is probably the most competitive class in radial racing right now,” said Youmans. “It’s competitive with all different forms of power adders – from the nitrous and roots cars to the screw and ProCharger cars. We’re really fortunate that our car works so well. Ever since we’ve gotten a handle on it the last year or so, it’s been pretty consistent making passes. It was running 3.90’s (in Bradenton) like it was printing tickets – until we needed it to go faster.” Much of that progress Youmans credits to his tuner and friend Lee White, whose ability to read track conditions and manage the car’s power played a major role in the team’s consistency, particularly during the daytime elimination rounds. “Lee White is probably my single biggest advantage over my competitors,” Youmans said. “When he first started working with me and I told him what I wanted him to help me with, he was like, ‘I don’t know nothing about turbos.’ He’s learned and taken it under his wing – and he likes the Pontiac motor because it’s different. He’s learned how to run the motor and the car, and we’ve all gotten better. We have a really good family-oriented team.” The U.S. Street Nationals also served as the 2026 season opener for the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series, giving Youmans an early points advantage. After finishing sixth in the standings last year, he believes the team is now capable of competing for both wins and a championship. “It means everything,” Youmans said. “We finished sixth last year, which was a big improvement from where we were before. We’re going up and getting more competitive now. This has been a passion of mine ever since I built this car. Everybody said, ‘You’re gonna do what with a Pontiac motor?’ For Kauffman to build a motor of that caliber – and I own three of them now – they’ve really come on board with it. “We’re looking forward to going to Lights Out, trying to improve and compete for the win,” added Youmans. “The Pontiac enthusiasts out there are just overwhelmed – they are good people, and they are hardcore Pontiac people. I’ve had numerous people message me to tell me congrats and keep up the good work. And we intend to. We want to run for a championship and win some more races. We think we can.” The post Tommy Youmans Earns First Limited Drag Radial Victory at U.S. Street Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article