Everything posted by reporter
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Is Harley's New Low-Cost Beginner Bike What It's Been Missing? Probably
Full details on the LiveWire S4 Honcho are here, and there are two versions: Street and Trail. View the full article
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Minnesota To Host A “No Registration Weekend” For ATVs This June. Join For Free
Go and celebrate Great Outdoors Month by taking advantage of Minnesota's No Registration Weekend and hitting 3,000 miles of trails for free.View the full article
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China Looked At A Sherp And Said, “What If We Added Six More Wheels?”
China’s Wanyuxing Max5D takes the Sherp formula and turns it into a 150-horsepower amphibious 10x10 capable of hauling 31 people.View the full article
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2026 NHRA New England Nationals Photo Gallery: A Weekend At Historic New England Dragway
The New England Nationals never disappoints. Check out our massive photo gallery that captures the feel of this event. View the full article
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Team Z Motorsports Releases Lightweight Door Hinges And Steering Columns For 4th-Gen F-Body Platform
Team Z now offers an aftermarket steering column and door hinges for the 4th Gen F-body. Here's a look at these new products. View the full article
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Beyond The Podium: The Other Stories Of TT 2026
While Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison rightly claimed the headlines at TT 2026, the fortnight produced countless other stories of achievement, recovery, resilience and unfinished business away from the podium. The post Beyond The Podium: The Other Stories Of TT 2026 appeared first on MCNews. View the full article
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Pol Tarrés takes Yamaha Ténéré 700 to new Erzberg big-bike record
Trials legend Pol Tarrés again pushed Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 beyond conventional adventure-bike limits, reaching Checkpoint 19 at the 2026 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo and setting a new big-bike benchmark. The post Pol Tarrés takes Yamaha Ténéré 700 to new Erzberg big-bike record appeared first on MCNews. View the full article
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Desmo goes bush | Ducati reveals Desmo450 EDS enduro machine
Ducati has revealed the Desmo450 EDS, its first modern enduro motorcycle, evolved from the Desmo450 MX and developed for competition, technical terrain and serious off-road riding. The post Desmo goes bush | Ducati reveals Desmo450 EDS enduro machine appeared first on MCNews. View the full article
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Ron Capps, Winningest NHRA Funny Car Driver in Bristol Dragway History, Inducted Into Legends of Thunder Valley
Ron Capps, the winningest NHRA Funny Car driver in Bristol Dragway history, has been named the 2026 honoree for the prestigious Legends of Thunder Valley, historic Bristol Dragway’s Hall of Fame. Capps, 60, will be officially inducted into the Legends of Thunder Valley during pre-race ceremonies for the 25th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 12-14, round No. 9 of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. He becomes only the third driver to be inducted while still an active participant, joining John Force and Tony Schumacher. Capps is the 24th inductee in the Legends of Thunder Valley and joins the exclusive club that also includes Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, NHRA founder Wally Parks, John Force, Don Schumacher, Shirley Muldowney, Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher, Scotty Cannon, and last year’s inductee Del Worsham, to name a few. He will be presented with the customary Legends of Thunder Valley plaque by Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway president and general manager Jerry Caldwell during Sunday’s pre-race ceremonies, which begin at 11 a.m. ET. The accompanying signage showcasing his name in brilliant red will be installed upon the grandstand suite fascia as part of the ceremony. “Ron has put fans on their feet at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals cheering him on for decades and has found a way to Winner’s Circle here on many occasions,” Caldwell said. “Ron has done it all at Bristol, including winning races, earning No. 1 qualifying positions, setting track performance records and he’s done it all with a big smile on his face the whole time. Not only is Ron one of the sport’s greatest champions, but he’s also one of its most dynamic ambassadors and we are thrilled to recognize and induct him today as the 2026 Legend of Thunder Valley honoree.” Capps has earned an incredible eight NHRA Funny Car victories during NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals competition over parts of four decades. The Carlsbad, Calif. driver claimed wins in 2001, 2006, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2025. What’s most impressive, is that he’s won those races with a variety of different team owners and crew chiefs over the years, showing his versatility as a pilot of the challenging 12,000-horsepower short-wheel-base machine where the engine sits in front of the driver and the flip-up body closes down and latches before each 330 mph run down the dragstrip. In addition to recently making the move to become his own team owner, Capps previously drove for a pair of the sport’s legends: Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Don Schumacher. Both Prudhomme and Schumacher are already members of the Legends of Thunder Valley. His roster of all-star crew chiefs over the years have included Ed McCulloch, Rahn Tobler, John Medlen and Dean Antonelli. In addition to his Bristol victories, Capps has also earned a Bristol runner-up finish to Matt Hagan in 2015 and a No. 1 Qualifying Award at Bristol in 2016. Capps also holds the Bristol Dragway track ET record at 3.884 seconds, set in June of 2016. In his career, Capps is a three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion and has scored 79 career Funny Car victories. He has career-best performances of 3.821 seconds (2024 Pomona, California) and 339.28 mph (2019 Reading, Pa.). With two victories this season, coming at Phoenix and Charlotte, Capps is the current Funny Car points leader in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Guests are invited to come out and celebrate with Capps, June 12-14 at Thunder Valley. He will be featured in several autograph sessions, including Saturday night’s popular Fan Fest in the Pits. Qualifying for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals begins Friday, June 12 at 6 p.m. This story was originally published on June 9, 2026. The post Ron Capps, Winningest NHRA Funny Car Driver in Bristol Dragway History, Inducted Into Legends of Thunder Valley first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article
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NHRA’s 75th Anniversary Season Heads to Bristol for 25th Thunder Valley Celebration
This year marks 25 years of incredible NHRA action at scenic Bristol Dragway, as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series celebrates its 75th anniversary in style at the highly-anticipated 25th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Bristol Dragway has enjoyed an incredible history of thrilling NHRA drag racing action, and with a picturesque backdrop, along with the rumble of 340-mph, 12,000-horsepower nitro machines in Thunder Valley, it remains a must-see, destination event for any fan. This year promises to be one of the biggest yet, with three days of unbelievable racing and a celebration of NHRA’s 75 years. From two days of qualifying on Friday – including a spectacular nitro session under the lights – final qualifying, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and a special autograph session to end the day on Saturday, and eliminations on Sunday, it will be a jam-packed weekend full of incredible action. The weekend’s race, which is the ninth of 20 during the 2026 NHRA season, will also feature a host of 75th anniversary items, including: An appearance from NHRA fan-favorite Top Fuel driver Clay Millican as well as NHRA legend Darrell Gwynn. Millican’s memorable 2017 Bristol win will also be celebrated as the race’s historic moment. Millican will be featured on the unique commemorative ticket for the race. Fans can scan the onsite signs at the track to purchase the commemorative ticket, which will be distinctive to each event. On Sunday, a free, limited-edition NHRA pennant will be given to the first 4,000 fans in attendance. In 2025, Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won in Bristol. This season’s Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations starting at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 14. This year’s Top Fuel field has been dominated by 2013 world champion Shawn Langdon, who has four wins this season, including three in a row. Langdon also made the fastest past in NHRA history in April with a blast of 345.00-mph. Others to watch include reigning world champ Doug Kalitta, racing legend Tony Stewart, Antron Brown, the returning Leah Pruett, Josh Hart, Clay Millican and rookie standout Maddi Gordon Funny Car veteran Ron Capps nabbed his eighth Bristol win last season, making him the winningest driver in NHRA history at Thunder Valley. This year, Capps has two wins and the points lead in the loaded category, which also features the likes of J.R. Todd, four-time champ Matt Hagan, Chad Green, who has two wins in 2026, past Bristol winner Alexis DeJoria and Funny Car newcomer Jordan Vandergriff. Six-time world champion Greg Anderson made more Pro Stock history last season in Bristol when he secured his 1,000th round win en route to the win over KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn, who is the points leader and reigning world champ. Aaron Stanfield, Erica Enders, Matt Hartford and Greg Stanfield will be on the hunt for Thunder Valley wins as well. Since joining the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in 2021, the Pro Stock Motorcycle class has not had a repeat winner at Thunder Valley. Could 2026 be the year it happens? Richard Gadson, the reigning world champ and current points leader, hopes so, but will be challenged by Maryland winner Angie Smith, six-time champ Angie Smith, Matt Smith, John Hall, Jianna Evaristo and Steve Johnson. The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports and Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown. After final qualifying on Saturday, fans will also be treated to a special autograph session at the Bristol Dragway Welcome Tent in the midway. Bristol race fans can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce each driver and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. Fans are also invited to congratulate the winners at the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday. As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and vendors create an exciting atmosphere. NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5 and 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, June 12, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, June 13 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Eliminations will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 14. Television coverage includes qualifying action at 8 p.m. ET on Friday and 2 p.m. on Sunday on FS1, leading into eliminations at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. To purchase tickets to the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, fans can visit NHRA.com/tickets. For more information on NHRA, please visit NHRA.com. This story was originally published on June 9, 2026. The post NHRA’s 75th Anniversary Season Heads to Bristol for 25th Thunder Valley Celebration first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article
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Team Next Joins Horsepower Wars $10K Drag Shootout Season Four
The first team for season four of the $10K Drag Shootout has been selected. The Preston brothers and Team Next will join the show.View the full article
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Bristol Dragway Honors Ron Capps as 2026 Legend of Thunder Valley
Ron Capps is being honored by Bristol Dragway. Capps has been selected a Legends of Thunder Valley honoree for 2026.View the full article
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Elite Motorsports Names Aaron Stanfield Driver Of ProFlow Pumping Solutions Pro Mod
Aaron Stanfield is adding another line to his racing resume. Stanfield will drive the Elite Motorsports Pro Mod for the rest of 2026.View the full article
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Don’t Miss These Show Specials at Overland Expo PNW
Overland Expo PNW 2026 is just around the corner, bringing with it an exciting opportunity to score exclusive show-only deals. Taking place June 26–28 in Redmond, Oregon, the event will draw thousands of overlanders ready to explore the latest vehicles, gear, and camping innovations. Many exhibitors will be offering special pricing, bundled packages, and limited-time promotions available only during the event. It’s the perfect chance to upgrade your setup, discover new equipment, and connect with the community while experiencing everything Overland Expo PNW 2026 has to offer. Check out the list below for a preview of some of the exclusive discounts and promotions you can expect throughout the weekend. CompanyBoothShow SpecialAdventure Hammock SystemsH7015% off all Adventure Hammock Systems Products!APEX by SeaviewH9APEX by Seaview Show Special: Cable Seals from $20CampspotterA42550% off Campspotter Pro!Carbon OffroadC11Carbon Offroad is offering 10% off its entire range for the Overland Expo PNW!Coastline VansA517$1,000 Off your Cosy Road Van Deposit!DAYLODGE GearB121Overland Expo PNW Exclusive DealsDryFoxCoH1Buy 3 Camp Towels, Get 4th FreeEberspaecher Climate Control SystemsA320Overland Expo PNW Exclusive DealsGOSO CookwareH11Special PNW PricingGuild OutfittersG200Overland Garage SaleHiatus CampersF302$1,000 Off! Window Bundle DiscountOtzi VansC3$10,000 Otzi Vans Build Credit GiveawayPACKFIREH14Show Special for PACKFIRE Foldable Fire Pits!PawkymoF706Overland Expo PNW Exclusive DealsRedRunner Designs Sway Bar LinksH15Get up to 20% OFF day of specials at Overland Expo PNW!Red Winches / SAREK / SafeXtractB214Overland Expo PNW Exclusive DealsRHINO USAA106RHINO USA Show Special KitsRhino-Rack / MAXTRAX / RockyMountsA43020% Off Everything!Rigid Gear, LLCA422Overland Expo PNW Exclusive DealsSandy VansA211$5,000 Off Your Custom Sandy Van BuildSPOT, LLCF501Activate a SPOT Gen4, a SPOT Trace, and/or a SPOT X on a qualifying contract service plan and receive a FREE device.Tail Gater Tire TableA612Overland Expo PNW Exclusive DealsTranscool 12 Volt Portable Air CoolerA347Overland Expo PNW Exclusive DealsUCOA33720% off Regular PriceVMACS, IncF405Adventure Ready: $100 Off for the Overland ExpoXventure TrailersB406Orders placed before 7/10/26 will be eligible for discounts up to $5,000. Come camp, explore, shop, and learn with us in Redmond, Oregon, in just a few weeks. Whether you’re planning your next build, stocking up on essentials, or checking out the latest gear hitting the market, Overland Expo PNW is the place to see it all in person and take advantage of show specials. BUY TICKETS View the full article
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Top Fuel Rookie Maddi Gordon Gains More Experience at NHRA New England Nationals
Maddi Gordon experienced another first in her Top Fuel rookie campaign Sunday at the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway, where the Ron Capps Motorsports driver had to pedal her Carlyle Tools dragster for the first time in competition during a second-round loss to Leah Pruett. Competing in the eighth of 20 races on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule, Gordon continued to gain critical race-day experience while maintaining her No. 6 position in the Top Fuel points standings. Gordon went into New England Nationals qualifying with increased OKUMA branding on her Carlyle Tools dragster as part of a six-race collaboration with the newly announced official CNC machining partner of Ron Capps Motorsports. She lost traction early in her first qualifying attempt before going straight down the groove with a 3.808-second pass at 330.55 mph in the second session to move up four spots to ninth. A smooth 3.828 E.T. at 332.75 mph followed in the third session. Gordon closed out qualifying in the No. 10 spot after coasting to the finish line in the final session. In the first round of eliminations on Sunday morning, Gordon paired up with 2025 regular season champion Tony Stewart. Crew chiefs Rob Flynn and Troy Fasching sent Gordon on a weekend-best 3.753-second blast at 337.50 mph to defeat a tire-smoking Stewart. It was the second-quickest pass of the round, giving Gordon lane choice for her second-round match with Leah Pruett. Gordon stepped up on the starting line to lead the race out of the gate. Both drivers drove into tire smoke, and though Gordon pedaled the throttle, Pruett recovered quicker and took the win. “That first-round run was amazing – we’ve been looking for that mid-3.70 for multiple races, so that was huge,” Gordon said. “Second round against Leah, I had a great reaction time, so I’m super happy about that. But it was my first-ever time pedaling the car and I waited a little bit too long to pedal it. Didn’t blow it up, so that was great. But these next couple of days I will go back and watch NHRA.tv 100 times, visualize it, look at what the graphs tells us, and I think I’ll come back in Bristol and be a better driver. I always want to do perfect, so when I don’t do perfect, I get bummed at myself. When I used to snow ski, I would always come back the following year and be a 10-times better skier because I’d watch videos over and over, and visualize myself in those situations. And that’s exactly what I’ll do this week. But there’s a positive in everything. I had a good light and we’ll head into next weekend with a good-running race car.” Gordon won’t have to wait long to get back into her Carlyle Tools Top Fuel dragster, as the NHRA Mission Foods Series season continues June 12-14 at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn. The post Top Fuel Rookie Maddi Gordon Gains More Experience at NHRA New England Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article
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Harley's Moving Engine Production To The US. Switches After Years of Offshoring
Thailand won't be producing the Pan America or Nightster's Revolution Max engines anymore, as Harley goes domestic.View the full article
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Spencer Hyde Pushes Forward in Second Race of Three-Race Stretch
At a race where there is strong Canadian support, the only full-time Canadian Funny Car driver, Spencer Hyde, made a strong attempt at taking home a Diamond Wally at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto. Hyde, the driver of the Head Contractors and Engineers Funny Car, entered race day at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire from the No. 13 spot in an extremely competitive Funny Car field. “This was the second race in a quick three-in-a-row stretch to really kick off the summer,” said Hyde. “We’re now in the thick of the regular season, so I’m just trying to keep doing well enough to maintain a positive position within the Countdown.”Three out of the four qualifying passes Hyde made during qualifying were solid, with his best pass happening during the second round of qualifying on Friday, a 4.001 second, 319.75 mph run. This was enough for him to be paired against J.R. Todd in the first round of eliminations. Despite Hyde being first off of the starting line, Todd, the 2018 NHRA Funny Car World Champion, was able to get around him when the Jim Head-tuned Nitro Funny Car smoked the tires. “Unfortunately, the car didn’t go very far, and smoked the tires right away,” said Hyde. “Jim [Head] said we were shooting for a 3.90, and if the car had done what we were hoping, then we could have given J.R. a much better race. On to the next.” One of the unique challenges that all of the teams had to deal with this weekend was the immense amount of pollen in the air and on the track. That did not stop the fans from showing up in droves, with Saturday announced as a sell-out crowd. “I love coming here,” said Hyde. “This track has a real old-school feel, and the fans are always so great. Montreal isn’t far from here, so the Canadian fans also make themselves known, which is awesome.” Now that Epping is in his rearview mirror, the 2025 NHRA Rookie of the Year is looking ahead to the next race on the schedule in Bristol, Tennessee. “I feel like pretty confident heading into Bristol, just because we seem to have a hot track tune up figured out,” said Hyde. “We did really well in Phoenix, and I expect conditions to be pretty similar in Thunder Valley. We’re hoping to get a win for Hyde Construction, OUTLAW Light Beer and the Caine Group.” Hyde and the Head Contractors and Engineers Funny Car will be back in competition next week at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on June 12-14 at Bristol Dragway. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, June 12 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, June 13. For tickets or more information on the Thunder Valley Nationals visit www.nhra.com. The post Spencer Hyde Pushes Forward in Second Race of Three-Race Stretch first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article
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SCAG Racing Faces Early Exit in Epping at NHRA New England Nationals
SCAG Racing wrapped up the NHRA New England Nationals with a tough outing as all four cars ran into early trouble in Sunday’s eliminations. After a solid effort in qualifying, the team couldn’t quite turn it into round wins, but will regroup quickly with Bristol up next. Justin Ashley qualified No. 8 in Top Fuel after posting a 3.780-second pass at 309.77 mph. Ashley lined up against No. 9 qualifier Clay Millican in the opening round of eliminations. Both drivers encountered tire smoke and were forced to pedal their cars, but Ashley was unable to recover as his SCAG Power Equipment dragster got out of the groove and crossed the center line. Millican advanced with a 4.441-second run at 265.06 mph, while Ashley recorded a 5.068 at 156.99 mph. “Throughout the course of a 20-race season, there are going to be ups and downs,” Ashley said. “That’s the nature of the sport. The key is to stay even-keeled rather than ride the emotional roller coaster, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. We are going to start winning soon. When you surround yourself with good people, good things happen, and everything will come together. I love our guys and I love this team. Thank you to everyone at SCAG Power Equipment, KPM, and all the great Northeast fans. We are grateful for your support.” Dave Richards qualified No. 9 in his Bluebird Turf Funny Car with a 3.974-second pass at 331.53 mph. Richards was slated to face No. 8 qualifier Chad Green in the opening round of eliminations, but the team encountered a mechanical issue at the starting line and was unable to get the car fired. As a result, Green advanced by default and went on to post a 3.951-second run at 319.07 mph. “Not how we wanted first round to go today,” said Richards. “We made a decent run in qualifying and showed some potential, but we just made a mistake and weren’t where we needed to be for eliminations. Sometimes these things happen in drag racing. We’ll figure out what went wrong, reset, and move on to Bristol. I’ve got a great group of guys behind me and really appreciate all the support from SCAG Power Equipment and our partners. We’ll be ready to bounce back.” Daniel Wilkerson qualified No. 11 in his SCAG Power Equipment Ford Funny Car with a 3.988-second pass at 320.20 mph. Matched up against No. 6 qualifier Ron Capps in the opening round of eliminations, Wilkerson’s SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang lost traction immediately off the starting line and smoked the tires. Capps drove to a 3.948-second run at 324.05 mph, defeating Wilkerson’s 8.349-second pass at 119.34 mph. “Well, today sucked,” Wilkerson said. “But when I got my firesuit off and walked outside our pit, there was a huge group of fans waiting for autographs and pictures. That kind of puts things in perspective. I’ve got a great group of guys in the pits and excellent support from SCAG Power Equipment, Summit Racing Equipment, and Ford Racing. We’ll get our heads out of the clouds and bring it to them in Bristol.” Will Smith and the Bluebird Turf Top Fuel team qualified No. 13 with a 3.848-second pass at 326.48 mph. Smith faced No. 4 qualifier Doug Kalitta in the first round of eliminations. Smith lost traction early in the run and smoked the tires, slowing to a 6.911-second pass at 88.56 mph. Kalitta advanced with a 3.747-second run at 333.16 mph. “Obviously, not the result we were looking for as we smoked the tires in the opening round today,” Smith said. “The good news is that our BlueBird Turf team continues to make progress. We’ve won rounds the last couple of races, and we’re building a stronger foundation every time we roll up to the starting line. Sometimes the scoreboard doesn’t show all the work that’s happening behind the scenes, but I’m proud of the effort from everyone on our team. We had a great group of dealers, customers, and guests here with us this weekend, and we appreciate all of their support. We’re going to take what we learned, keep working, and get ready for Bristol next week. The momentum we’ve been building is still there, and I’m confident we’ll turn it into bigger results in Bristol.” The SCAG Power Equipment and Bluebird Turf teams will regroup and focus their efforts on next weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee, where the first three-race swing of the 2026 season will conclude. The post SCAG Racing Faces Early Exit in Epping at NHRA New England Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article
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This Might Be the Most Functional Multi-Tool Ever. It Even Glows In the Dark
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Yamaha Unveils All Of the Brand's Updated ATV Models, And You're Going to Want to See Them
Doubling down on the idea that the ATV market is getting its second, er, third wind, Yamaha releases a full line of four-wheeled machines for 2027.View the full article
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Rocky Mountain Race Week 2026 Day Two Video | Great Bend, KS to Kearney, NE | Kearney Raceway Park
Here’s the Rocky Mountain Race Week 2026 Day Two video and boy is it a fun one. We’re talking on the road, on the track and more! It’s go time for Rocky Mountain Race Week 2026 and we’ve been live each race day afternoon and into the night so you can follow all the great racing action. But while we’re streaming, the crew at High Speed Media are catching the behind the scenes stories, the thrashing, the joy and the tears to share with all of us. They also catch killer on road action, amazing fixes, and fun stops, so we love their highlight videos. We started LIVE at SRCA Dragstrip in Great Bend Kansas on Saturday, then headed to Kearney Nebraska Sunday, and today we are going to enjoy an amazing but tough drive to Pueblo Motorsports Park, where we will race Tuesday and Wednesday, with a Rocky Mountain cruise in between, and then Thursday is a true test to see who’s junk will make it all the way back to Great Bend for the big money and bragging rights! It’s time for Rocky Mountain Race Week folks, and that means 5 days of drag and drive action going on LIVE right here at BANGshift.com. We’ll be bringing you the action from all 5 days of racing, PLUS on road streaming action as well throughout the week. Racing starts each day around 3pm Central and will go until the last car makes a pass around 10 pm each night. If you aren’t subscribed already, please do that now, and ring the bell so you’ll be notified when we go live from various checkpoints and trailer burnout spots on the route! And if you want to know what those routes are, just visit the / rockymountainraceweek page to see them all! CLICK HERE TO WATCH ALL THE ACTION LIVE AND FREE! The post Rocky Mountain Race Week 2026 Day Two Video | Great Bend, KS to Kearney, NE | Kearney Raceway Park appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article
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Alexis DeJoria Leaves Epping With Renewed Sense of Confidence
While she was just inches short of advancing to the semifinals on race day at the NHRA New England Nationals, it was abundantly clear that Alexis DeJoria and the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team have found their rhythm, and with the Bristol, Tenn. event just days away, DeJoria appears to be on the brink of her first win with her new John Force Racing team. Led by crew chiefs Mike Neff and Jonnie Lindberg, DeJoria and the Bandero Café team made three clean and quick passes out of four during qualifying. A 3.929-second at 312.42 mph run on Friday night placed them on the provisional pole to earn the event’s No. 1 Clawifier Award, which came with a lobster dinner for the team. DeJoria maintained her top-seeded position throughout Saturday’s first session, and clocked a 3.934 E.T. in Q4, which held up to be the third-quickest pass of the round, but her JFR teammates outpaced her Q2 pass in that final session to place her third heading into Sunday’s eliminations. In what was named Funny Car’s Marquee Matchup, DeJoria had the starting line advantage over No. 14 qualifier Cruz Pedregon and drove her 12,000-horsepower machine straight down the groove in 3.998 seconds for the win while Pedregon had problems in the opposite lane. In the quarterfinals, DeJoria faced points leader Ron Capps and used her .056 reaction time to score the early lead over the multi-time world champ. The Bandero Café Chevy was ahead of Capps nearly the entire way down the track until Capps was able to edge past just before the finish line beams and pull ahead for the close win, defeating DeJoria by just one thousandth of a second. “I think sometimes it’s just about getting the right opportunity to be confident and flourish,” said DeJoria, a two-time finalist through the first eight events. “Unfortunately, I can’t say that we got the Wally this weekend, but there are some really good takeaways. We were the No. 1 qualifier on Friday, got some good points, and earned a lobster dinner, which we’ll enjoy as a team when we’re all together in Indy. We got bumped out of the No. 1 spot on Saturday by Jack and Jordan, but if anyone’s going to do it, it might as well be my teammates, especially since we all work off each other. I was proud to cheer both cars on during the semis and now it’ll be an all-JFR final. “I had consistent lights all weekend, I think my worst was an .085, but it just feels like everything is coming together. I was on a mission to win this race. My East Coast family is all here, we haven’t won a race in a long time, and there are just so many things about this track that I love, so I thought man, it was definitely our time today. But we gave it our all, we made it down the track in both lanes, and thank God Bristol is coming up soon. Honestly, it can’t come soon enough. I just feel really good about everything and where our program is headed, and I’m already looking forward to coming back here next year.” DeJoria, a part-time resident of Rhode Island, leaves her East Coast home facility ranked seventh in the Funny Car standings. Up next for the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS team is the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, the site of DeJoria’s last Funny Car event win (2021) and career-first final in 2012. Qualifying gets underway on Friday, June 12 at 6 p.m. ET. The post Alexis DeJoria Leaves Epping With Renewed Sense of Confidence first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article
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The $5,000 LS Swap Challenge: Is a Budget LS swap Still Possible? We’ll Find Out, as Hagerty is Building the Ultimate Sleeper Barn Find!
The $250 LS engine. It sparked a movement that has out paced even the experts biggest expectations, and has created an entire group of new companies in the automotive aftermarket. On top of that, it has given a completely new vision to some of the industries biggest and most well known companies. But like anything else, with popularity comes price increases and the $250 LS engine has become impossible to find in many areas of the country. With all that said, it is still tough to find a better horsepower per dollar and so the popularity of the junkyard donor LS project continues to climb. But regardless of the price of the LS engine itself, there are still a lot of parts that need to go with it and sometimes those can be the ones that break the budget on an LS swap. And there are also some of the late converts to the LS and LT platform who still can’t wrap their head around the fact that a 150,000 miles LS engine doesn’t need to be torn apart and rebuilt before your swap if it was running fine in the donor. Some of them still think you need to spend $2,000 having a basic rebuild done and nothing could be further from the truth. So with all that said, can someone find a donor, and through careful parts buying and deals, figure out how to do an LS swap on a muscle car for $5,000 or less? We’re about to find out. Video Description: This is our 1972 Chevy Nova that we found rotting in the ground. After digging the earth out of it, you guys saw us do our best to build an awesome muscle car of only 5,000 dollars. We wanted more, however. So, this time we’re raising our budget another 5k. We’re going to put an LS in this barn find Nova and then we’re going to take it to LS Fest to see just how good of a burnout it can do. This is our $5K LS swap challenge! The post The $5,000 LS Swap Challenge: Is a Budget LS swap Still Possible? We’ll Find Out, as Hagerty is Building the Ultimate Sleeper Barn Find! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article
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This V4-Powered Cruiser Motorcycle Has An Automatic. Purists Are Frothing At The Mouth
QJ Motor's V4-powered cruiser will soon feature an automatic transmission, and purists are surely going to lose their minds. View the full article
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Touring Car Icons Reunited for the Heritage Touring Cup Round 1 at the Spa Classic by Peter Auto Le Mans Classic
Every spring, the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit becomes what they call “a living theater of automotive history.”Classic cars, classic engines, and some of the finest historic and vintage car racing you’ll find anywhere. I just wish I could have been there last month to experience it first hand. Thankfully there is awesome video to share so we can live it at least a little, from the comfort of our own living rooms. And this one should be watched on the big tv, not your phone, so grab a drink and a snack and check out this great racing action. From the Spa Classic website: “From May 22 to 24, 2026, the engines of a bygone era will once again roar through the Eau Rouge valley for the 14th edition of Spa-Classic, one of the must-see events on the European historic racing calendar. In 2025, the event attracted more than 25,000 spectators, nearly 400 competing cars, and more than 800 club cars, confirming its status as a major event of the season. Since its creation in 2011, Spa-Classic has established itself as a benchmark weekend for historic motorsport enthusiasts. In 2026, the vehicles of the Le Mans Classic Series by Peter Auto will head to the Belgian Ardennes, with a dozen grids bringing together the great eras of motor racing. New series will make their debut at the event: HTC 2 and GT3 Revival Series. On the legendary 7-kilometer track, nicknamed “the Ardennes toboggan,” these machines will find a playground worthy of their caliber. Eau Rouge, Raidillon, and Les Combes remain passages that thrill purists and enhance the driving experience.” The post Touring Car Icons Reunited for the Heritage Touring Cup Round 1 at the Spa Classic by Peter Auto Le Mans Classic appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article