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Do you have what it takes to win the $10K Drag Shootout? Here's your chance to apply and be a part of the ultimate drag racing show.View the full article

The Green family is ready for some nitro at the Southern Nationals. The father and son duo both have their eyes on the Funny Car Wally.View the full article

John Deere just offered $99 million and amendments to its repair policy to settle a right-to-repair lawsuit, but won't admit any wrongdoing, possibly due to a secondary ongoing lawsuit.View the full article

TSR is showing off new paint at the Southern Nationals. Here's a look at how the team is preparing for this new event at SGMP. View the full article

A lot of people adore the adorable Suzuki Samurai for its pint-sized off-road prowess. But what if you stick a different Suzuki engine into it? What happens when you stick a Suzuki Hayabusa engine into a Samurai?View the full article

As the NHRA celebrates its 75th anniversary this season, fans can expect to see plenty of familiar and even nostalgic elements – the return of legends, the celebration of the people and moments that made NHRA history, and even official uniforms that harken back to the “glory days” of the sport. But the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour will also see some new scenery as an unprecedented four new venues join the national event tour. It’s the first time a new track has joined the lineup since the inaugural New England Nationals at Epping, New Hampshire’s New England Dragway in 2013. And excluding the formative years of the NHRA professional series, it’s the first time four new venues join the tour in one season. Two of these new tracks are owned and operated by longtime track operators with extensive experience outside of hosting NHRA national events, while the other two are led by comparatively green owners. In the days leading into the 2026 season, Drag Illustrated spoke with these new NHRA national event track owners to get their perspectives on all the things that come with hosting an NHRA national event for the first time. Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from a roundtable interview that originally appeared in DI #199, the Interview Issue, in March/April 2026. Stay tuned for interviews from Maryland International Raceway’s Royce Miller, U.S. 131 Motorsports Park’s Jason Peterson, and Rockingham Dragway’s Dan VanHorn. Raul Torres is the first of these four owners on the schedule, as his South Georgia Motorsports Park will host the NHRA Southern Nationals May 1-3. Located in Adel, Georgia, SGMP isn’t new to NHRA sanctioning and was actually slated to hold the now-scrapped Peach State NHRA Showcase of Speed event last fall. Torres and wife Jennifer purchased the facility from Ozzy and Maria Moya in 2023. SGMP is known primarily as the home of Donald Long’s iconic radial races, Lights Out in February and No Mercy in October. A Division 2 double divisional at SGMP was also scheduled for early April. How long has hosting an NHRA national event been on your wish list? Raul Torres: From the very get-go. I set my goals and my expectations very high in anything I’ve ever done. Just getting three quarters of the way into some of our goals would be extremely successful. But this one was like the epitome of all my goals. I think we host one of, if not the, most successful and popular small-tire radial series in the country with the Radial Outlaws and No Mercy and Lights Out. We have a huge race in the no-time world with Michael Hill’s Year End Finale. So I wanted two big races, which is a no-prep race, which I’m still working on, and an NHRA national event. With the NHRA national event being the biggest race in the country, that was my ultimate goal. To think we’re shy of three years of ownership and achieving that goal within those three years, I would’ve never believed that were the case back in March of 2023 when we were in conversations with Ozzy and Maria about buying the property and the business. What are the opportunities that come with hosting one? What are the challenges? RT: The challenges are the infrastructure of the property. It’s 22 years old. Their goal may or may not have been a national event when it was built. There are things that I would do differently as far as the ingress and egress of the property. The tower and the lack of buildings are our other biggest challenges. It’s a bare-bones facility right now, so we’ve had to make numerous improvements in order to host a national event. The opportunities are endless. Once you get a national event, that opens the doors to these national accounts and bigger companies because we would get a lot of exposure, and in turn, they would get a lot of exposure. Just being on national television for four hours in May, that in itself is a huge value to the property and the name. That is a big opportunity. The government, both local and state, have started to work with us, and it’s been a challenge at times to reach out to some of these elected officials and get them to work with us. We were bringing good revenue to the local economy, but now the whole state is benefiting from it. Now North Florida’s benefiting from it because people are flying into Tallahassee and they’re flying into Jacksonville. Now we can reach out to our neighboring state and they’d be willing to work with us because we’re bringing local economic benefits to them as well. What have you done already to prepare and what’s left to do? RT: There’s been five major improvement projects. Our biggest task at hand was raising the wall 6,600 feet. We had to raise it 10 to 12 inches of height for the Top Fuel and Funny Cars. That in itself was a couple months’ worth of work and it’s very expensive. With material costs going through the roof everywhere you turn, whether it’s aluminum or concrete or metal, everything’s not what it was 10-15 years ago. It’s building the mold, pouring concrete day after day after day, and it’s an outdoor project, so you have the weather and the cold to work with. Aside from that, we had to move the scoreboards away from the race surface. Our scoreboards on both sides were up against the wall. Well, they needed moved at least 25 feet, and it’s just not picking up a sign and moving it over. We’ve got the entire timing system that’s connected to those scoreboards. With Compulink and these computer systems, they’re just microscopic wires. They’re little telephone wires basically, and there’s dozens of them for every last connection. We’re on eggshells for four weeks while these scoreboards were disconnected, moved over 25 feet, and reconnected. Fortunately, that was one of the first tasks we took on, and we’re back up and running, and we’ve had real flawless events knowing that our timing system is 100 percent. Our first turnoff was an opening in the wall for racers that run eighth mile. Considering these nitro guys go 300-plus mph, NHRA requires that it’s a complete wall all the way down to the finish line, which is 4,400 feet of concrete wall. We had to put a metal gate where it’s available for first responders to come out into an accident scene, but it’s closed while we’re racing and there isn’t an angle where a car could impact it head-on. We had to bring in over 2,000 new bleachers, which we’re completing here in the next month or so. That’s our final phase, and then we had to redo our top end containment. We’re adding walls to the side of our sand traps and then putting tires in a top end containment on the top end after the walls at our sand traps. What do you hope this event accomplishes for your track, your fans, racers, community? RT: Aside from the economic impact that makes a huge difference to our local economy in Adel, Cecil, and Valdosta, we’ve sold just in Lowndes County alone over 750 rooms. The fact that we’re able to give back to our community by bringing these guests in from all over the world, but then also bring this type of excitement to our local fan base and bring this type of race to their backyard, you can’t put a dollar amount on it. It’s extremely gratifying to hear the conversations or hear our fans calling me on a daily basis asking for tickets and their excitement about their race coming. Just the joy that we’re able to bring to these families that have never been able to go to either Gainesville or Atlanta when it held the Southern Nationals, that in itself is the biggest benefit I take from all this – bringing so much joy to our local fan base and racers here at South Georgia. This story was originally published on May 1, 2026. The post SGMP’s Raul Torres Talks Preparation Ahead of NHRA Southern Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Bushwakka's new and updated rooftop tents are the stuff we dream of adding to our side-by-sides. One even has a skylight for dark-sky perfection. If only they'd come to the United States. View the full article

This carbon-fiber flat track machine, built by Picasso, was created in Switzerland to race in the Flat Track World Championship, but now there's a street-legal model.View the full article

For enthusiasts of heritage performance with modern reliability, this 2017 BMW R nineT Racer—now offered on Bring a Trailer—represents a compelling, low-mileage example of BMW Motorrad’s factory-built café racer vision. Showing just 1,200 miles, the bike captures the spirit of 1970s endurance racing while delivering contemporary engineering precision. BMW conceived the R nineT Racer as a turnkey homage to icons like the BMW R90S, translating classic motorsport aesthetics into a road-ready package. This example is finished in Light White with […] The post FOR SALE: 2017 BMW R nineT Racer appeared first on Return of the Cafe Racers. View the full article

A 1965 MV Agusta 500 GP with ties to Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini just crossed the block at Bonhams for serious money. View the full article

The unveiling of the Harley-Davidson RMCR (Revolution Max Café Racer) at the 2026 Mama Tried Motorcycle Show in Milwaukee marks a pivotal moment for “The Motor Company.” It isn’t just a bike; it is a strategic maneuver designed to reclaim a segment Harley once famously lost. The Technical Profile: Heritage Meets High Performance The RMCR is built on the liquid-cooled Revolution Max 1250 platform. This engine, which also powers the Pan America 1250, serves as a stressed member of the […] The post Harley-Davidson Targets European Rivals with New Concept Debut appeared first on Return of the Cafe Racers. View the full article

The Ski-Doo Snow PASS program returns to fund trail maintenance, access, and local clubs across North America. View the full article

Few modern motorcycles capture the spirit of bespoke craftsmanship quite like this 2020 CCM Spitfire Bobber. Hand-built in Bolton by CCM Motorcycles, this limited-production machine represents a rare intersection of artisanal engineering and contemporary performance. This particular example—number 246 of just 500 units—embodies the exclusivity that has made the Spitfire range a standout in the custom-inspired segment. At its core lies a 600cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine, delivering approximately 55bhp through a six-speed manual gearbox and chain final drive. While modest […] The post Bike of the Day: 2020 CCM Spitfire Bobber appeared first on Return of the Cafe Racers. View the full article

German Police just conducted large-scale raids on the Hells Angels, which involved 1,200 officers and 50 premises, resulting in $3 million seized.View the full article

Chip Foose needs no introduction, but if you don’t recognize Seth Hammond’s name then just look up Bonneville Records and you’ll find him. Seth is a hard core racer, hot rodder, and collector so it’s no wonder that he and Chip are friends. Check out this fun video from Barona, a dragstrip down near San Diego, because this place looks like the set of Lost in Space from the 1960s. It’s a fun little race track that we’ve had some fun at and that still puts on great events. Check it out. Video Description: This past weekend I had the chance to get out of the shop and spend some time doing something at Barona Dragstrip! My good friend Seth Hammond and I headed down to RPM Barona Drags, and it turned out to be an amazing day. With Seth behind the wheel racing, and me pushing him around in the Depot Hack, we really had a great team. The racing started out great with Seth winning the first round. Elimination round after elimination round he kept winning, and eventually we took home first place! I want to give a big thank you to RPM Barona Drags for having us at the event, and a big thanks to Seth Hammond for joining me on this awesome day! I have some more drag racing events lined up for later this year, so let me know if you guys want to see more of this. Maybe I’ll even get behind the wheel and race myself! #chipfoose #foose #foosedesign #rpmbaronadrags #dragracing The post Chip Foose And Seth Hammond Win At Barona’s RPM Drags In An Epic Vintage Hot Rod appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

Drag and Drive trailers are one of the more talked about aspects of drag and drive races, and for good reason. Being organized and having the tools and parts you need can be the difference between finishing or not, and winning or losing your class. There are a bunch of ways to do a drag and drive trailer effectively, but some folks have different preferences. I’ve seen a bunch of different drag and drive trailer variations, and the possibilities are endless. In the video below, our friend Bill Armstrong is going to let us in on the secrets to his drag and drive trailer. Bill has done a bunch of drag and drives over the years, in his 8 second stick shift Ford Fairlane. This is one mean machine but it takes more work than a lot of combos, so Bill knows what being organized means. Check out the video and let us know what you think and if you have other suggestions or questions. The post Bill Armstrong, Mr. Bangshift Billy Himself, Is Sharing All His Drag & Drive Trailer Secrets! Check Out How He Does It! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

A new twist on drag-and-drive is coming to Summit Motorsports Park. Here's what you can expect at the Turn & Burn event.View the full article

ASBK 2026 Round Three – The Bend Josh Waters set the Friday benchmark at The Bend as the third round of the 2026 ASBK Championship got underway in fine conditions at the South Australian venue. The defending champion topped FP1, FP2 and FP3 to finish the opening day ahead of Cru Halliday and Mike Jones, […] The post Illustrated brief from Friday’s ASBK action at The Bend – Times – Image Gallery appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

The 2027 KTM SX motocross range covers everything from the 50 SX junior machine through to the 450 SX-F, with two-strokes, four-strokes and mini racers all included. The post From little rippers to big hitters: 2027 KTM SX range explained appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Honda Australia has lifted warranty coverage on eligible on-road motorcycles from two years to up to six years, with no kilometre limit, provided scheduled servicing is completed through the authorised Honda dealer network. The post Honda raises the bar with six-year motorcycle warranty appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Wayne checks out Ducati’s incoming 2026 line-up at Joe Rascal Ducati in Port Melbourne, including the Panigale V4 R, Diavel V4 RS, DesertX, Hypermotard V2 SP, Multistrada V4 Rally and Monster V2. The post Ducati’s 2026 heavy hitters shown in Melbourne appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

MotoGP Rule Updates May 1, 2026 MotoGP wildcard appearances will disappear from the premier class from 2027, while 2026 wildcard riders have been ruled out from using the incoming 850 cc machinery ahead of the category’s next technical reset. The Grand Prix Commission has confirmed a series of regulation changes for the FIM Grand Prix […] The post MotoGP wildcards axed from 2027 as 850 cc transition rules tighten appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Elite Motorsports heads to a new stop on the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series schedule this weekend. The 41st running of the NHRA Southern Nationals marks NHRA’s historic first visit to South Georgia Motorsports Park and the first of the four new facilities added to the 2026 NHRA season. Driving one of the JEGS hot rods, Jeg Coughlin Jr. has some experience at the facility that sits just outside of Valdosta, Georgia. “Being back in Georgia for the Southern Nationals is very exciting. SGMP was an amazing facility my last time there in 2011 and I have enjoyed reading and watching the improvements over the past year or so,” said Jeg Jr. who was named one of NHRA’s top 75 drivers. “We have a great fan base, and this event will surely not disappoint.” Jeg Jr. has had previous success in Georgia winning the Southern Nationals, previously contested at Atlanta Dragway, in 2000, 2010 and 2014. Currently sitting ninth in points after a No. 11 qualifying position and first quad exit at the 4-Wide Nationals just four days ago, Jeg Jr. will be hoping to tally another win at the 41st Southern Nationals. “Coming off some mechanical issues from Charlotte, the JEGS boys were happy about this quick turnaround. This back-to-back event couldn’t get here quick enough,” said Jeg Jr. who is competing for his 70th Pro Stock victory. “We look to unload and make some great runs to start things off right in qualifying.” Pro Stock rising star Aaron Stanfield also has some experience making passes down South Georgia Motorsports Park and is looking forward to seeing how the facility has prepared for its first NHRA national event. “I’ve tested a few times at South Georgia Motorsports Park, and it was a great facility even a handful years ago. So, I’m really looking forward to seeing all the new upgrades,” said Stanfield who drives the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / Janac Brothers Racing machine. “Adding this track to the schedule is exciting, especially bringing NHRA racing to new fans who may not have had the chance to attend before. Expanding to new locations like this is great for the sport of drag racing and can only help grow the fan base.” Stanfield is currently eighth in the points standings coming off a second quad exit and quarterfinal points at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in North Carolina last weekend. He’s competing for his first win at the Southern Nationals and first of the season. Joining Jeg Jr. and Stanfield under the Elite Motorsports umbrella this weekend are six-time world champion Erica Enders, Pro Stock veteran Greg Stanfield, Troy Coughlin Jr. driving the second JEGS Pro Stock car, motorsports icon Tony Stewart in the R+L Carries Top Fuel dragster as well as Mason Wright in Pro Mod. Competition at the NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park is scheduled to begin with four rounds of qualifying Friday at 2 and 4:30 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 and 3 p.m. The threat of weather may change those times. Eliminations are scheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air on FS1 Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. The post Jeg Coughlin Jr. Brings Prior Southern Nationals Success to South Georgia Motorsports Park first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Tony Stewart Racing will take on a new race track on the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series schedule. The NHRA Southern Nationals, previously contested at Atlanta Dragway, returns to the NHRA national event schedule at South Georgia Motorsports Park, just outside of Valdosta, Georgia. Leah Pruett’s Top Fuel dragster will show off the America Rebel Beer livery for the first time in 2026. The 12-time national event winner is coming off a final quad appearance at the NHRA 4-Wide nationals where she earned semi-final points and moved from fifth to third in the Top Fuel points standings, just 76 back from the lead. “I would say sitting third in points is a decent representation of our competitive status, especially with me coming off a two-year hiatus,” Pruett said. “We’ve captured two No. 2 qualifiers, a No. 3 qualifying position and earned the No. 1 spot in Pomona, California,” Pruett said. “I give the team a solid A in performance and effort, with me a solid B. We’ve accomplished this strong momentum together; however, I know there’s been opportunity left on my side of the table. I am trending overall in the right direction and look forward to improvement each race. Our first win of the season is coming soon.” While South Georgia Motorsports Park is new to the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series, Pruett has some experience at the track. “South Georgia Motorsports Park was the first place I ever went over 300 mph. The year was 2008, and I completed my Nitro Funny Car license in Jerry Toliver’s Rockstar car. I remember it like it was yesterday,” Pruett said. “In the left lane ripping though there, the car rattling at past half-track – it was the 5-disc clutch locking up – then steering hard right to stay off the wall. “I wasn’t sure what all had happened, because my brain was still at the starting line when I turned off the track. That’s how ‘new’ my processing speed was relative to going 308 mph for the first time,” Pruett continued. “A right-side cylinder went out and tried to push me to the wall, but I was able to react and square it back up. Wild memorable ride for sure. “Since then, I have tested there many times. Including a couple test sessions when the Dodge // SRT Demon was being developed, as well dialing in different Dodge Factory Stock Showdown cars in the last decade.” Pruett also found success at the previous iteration of the Southern Nationals, winning at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia in 2018 and was runner-up in 2015. Like his Top Fuel teammate, Matt Hagan whose Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car will feature the Shelor Motor Mile livery for the first time this season, has also made passes down South Georgia Motorsports Park. “I’m excited to head into South Georgia Motorsport Park here in Valdosta. Georgia, the peach state, it’s going be good. Excited to see some new fans, excited to be back on this racetrack. I ran Pro Mod here and one of my first test sessions with Don Schumacher Racing. Gary Scelzi crawled out of his car and retired, and I crawled in his and was just lucky to even fit. We made some laps back there in the day with Tommy Delago and I kind of cut my teeth there for NHRA, so it’s got some history for me. I’m excited to be there. I’m excited to see what’s new.” Hagan, the four-time NHRA Funny Car Champion and one of NHRA’s top 75 drivers of all-time, sits second in points, just 48 back, after driving his Dodge//SRT Hellcat to victory in NHRA’s 1000th Funny Car event at the Winternationals in California earlier this month. He’s coming off a final quad appearance at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals just four days ago. “You know we have had a great start to the season. Confidence level is huge. Any time that you can start the season this good – get a win under your belt, go some rounds every weekend – it always builds confidence, but I think the biggest thing is the consistency. [Crew chief] Mike Knudson is not going to the guy who is only going to do well at a certain race or a certain time of the year. What I really, really like about him as far as his tuning abilities, he’s a little conservative on some things, but the consistency across the board. I don’t think we’re going to run into any weather conditions where he’s not going to have some sort of plan. Across the board, his knowledge and tuning ability is so diverse, he can adapt to whatever is thrown at him. Crew chiefs Mike and Phil [Shuler] and [car chief] Alex [Conaway] have a great baseline. These guys behind the scenes are what have kept us ahead all these years. They have a handle on what they want in different conditions and they can adapt. They put in the work, and it shows on track.” A win this weekend would be Hagan’s 57th in Funny Car. One of those victories came at the Southern Nationals contested at Atlanta Dragway back in 2016. He also finished runner-up in 2013 and 2018. The Southern Nationals was last contested in 2021. Competition at the NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park is scheduled to begin with four rounds of qualifying Friday at 11:15 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 and 3 p.m. The threat of weather may change those times. Eliminations are scheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air on FS1 Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. The post Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan Ready to Take On South Georgia Motorsports Park first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Dystany Spurlock will take another historic step in her groundbreaking 2026 season when she becomes the first Black woman to compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on May 8 at Watkins Glen International. Spurlock is set to take the green flag in the Bully Hill Vineyards 176 at The Glen, piloting the No. 69 Foxxtecca Toyota for MBM Motorsports and Garage 66. Her upcoming debut marks a major milestone in Spurlock’s budding career, as well as for American motorsports. Since its inaugural season in 1995, NASCAR’s Truck Series – one of the sanctioning body’s three national touring divisions alongside the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Cup Series – has never featured a Black female driver. Spurlock’s breakthrough represents continued progress in expanding representation at stock car racing’s highest levels. “I’m excited for Watkins Glen,” Spurlock said. “It’s been a while since I’ve raced on a road course, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there. Having the opportunity to compete in ARCA and make my debut in the Truck Series is going to be a lot of fun. I’m focused on learning as much as I can in both the car and the truck, and hopefully we can keep this top-10 momentum going!” Last month, Spurlock made headlines at Kansas Speedway by becoming the first Black woman to compete in the national ARCA Menards Series. She surpassed expectations with a thrilling 10th-place finish, even after being bumped in the closing laps. The controversial rear-bumper strike sent her car sideways, but she quickly recovered, drawing widespread praise for her control and composure and earning her the Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race. As part of her weekend at The Glen, Spurlock will take on the added challenge of a doubleheader. She’s scheduled to make her second national ARCA Menards Series start in the General Tire 100, where she’ll drive the No. 66 Foxxtecca Ford for MBM. Balancing two events in a single day at one of North America’s most demanding road courses will test Spurlock and her team’s versatility and stamina. The 2.45-mile circuit at the southern tip of Seneca Lake is known for its high-speed straightaways and technical corners, including the Esses, the sweeping Carousel in Turn 5, and the signature Bus Stop chicane, where races are often won or lost – or ended at the wall. While Spurlock, 34, has quickly become a can’t-miss talent in stock cars, her path to this moment has been two decades in the making. She began in motorcycle drag racing, where the Richmond, Virginia, native soon established herself as a standout in the 4.60 index class, setting records and taking home class victories. In 2024, she made history as the first woman to win the DME Racing Real Street class in the XDA Motorcycle Drag Racing Series with a 7.32 ET run at 178 mph. A year later, she debuted in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle, becoming just the second Black woman to compete in the category. She plans to follow that up by racing in two of the NHRA’s premier events later this season: the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Sept. 4-7, and theTexas NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas on Oct. 16-18, both with Arana Racing. This story was originally published on April 30, 2026. The post Motorcycle Drag Racer Dystany Spurlock to Make NASCAR Truck Series Debut in Historic Doubleheader at Watkins Glen first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article