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Tony Stewart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster team rallied to the first nitro victory for Elite Motorsports Sunday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip. It was Stewart’s third career Top Fuel victoyr and his first at Pomona Dragstrip. After multiple delays due to weather and on-track incidents, Stewart faced-off with Top Fuel rising star Justin Ashley in the finals under the lights at the historic facility. Ashley, known for his stout reaction times, left the starting line first but the R+L Carriers machine chased him down by the 60-foot marker and never trailed. Stewart reached the finish line in 3.683-seconds at 332.51 mph to defeat Ashley’s 3.714 at 328.54. “I literally told Richard Freeman (Elite Motorsports team owner) and Royce Freeman (Richard’s brother) on Friday, ‘I know I’m relatively new to drag racing, but I’ve been racing for 47 years, I’ve been a part of a lot of different programs and worked with a lot of different people. But I promise you, all the ingredients are here to win. I don’t know when it’s going to click and when it’s all going to come together, but all the stuff that you need to be successful is right here.’ I had no idea just 48 hours later that it was going to come together,” Stewart said. “We had a great day and I felt great on the racetrack. I felt great on the lights. They made big adjustments for the final to run a 3.68. [Crew chief] Mike Green’s track record speaks for itself, and so does Joe Barlam. For me to race with those guys and and to race with a different program, it’s definitely a unique and different dynamic than what I’m used to. But it’s awesome to race with Mike Green and Joe and Dustin Davis.” “This is three Top Fuel wins now for me, and the one person I’ve never mentioned in the media and in the interviews is my wife Leah [Pruett]. And if it wasn’t for her and everything that she and Matt [Hagan] (Funny Car driver) taught me. Leah has probably been 95% of it, people don’t realize how integral of a part she’s been in my career in drag racing. I’ve had a 1000 questions and every time there’s an answer, it leads to three more questions. Everything that I’ve done in the sport has been because of her. And to be a part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary, to win with Matt Hagan in the 1000th Funny Car race is huge. This is Leah’s home track. All of this just feels extra special to me,” continued Stewart who won alongside his Tony Stewart Racing Funny Car driven by Matt Hagan. “Leah’s story of telling me that when she was a kid, she’d sneak out of school just to come to the drag races on Friday here at Pomona. When she won here, just to be here for an event and a track that’s so special means everything. Now I’m here sitting holding a ‘Wally’ trophy, in NHRA’s 75th Anniversary, just super special. It’s awesome.” En route to the finals, Stewart and the R+L team took down Will Smith, 2026 Gatornationals winner Josh Hart and former world champion Shawn Langdon. Elite Motorsports continues the 2026 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season with the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway just outside of Charlotte April 24-26. This story was originally published on April 13, 2026. The post Tony Stewart, R+L Carriers Team Get Elite Motorsports’ First Top Fuel Win at NHRA Winternationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

There are tons of historic spots around Southern California that impacted hot rodding, racing, and custom car building over the last 80 years or so, but no matter how many you can think of there are hundreds more. I was going to say dozens, but that just won’t cover it. Not by a lot. Having been fortunate enough to see many of them with David over the years, and having heard the history from so many during my time living there, I can tell you that they are nearly everywhere you look. Los Angeles, and the surrounding areas are a hot bed at a level you just can’t understand without spending a lot of time there. I know you’ve heard me say it before, but this time let’s watch Freiburger cruise around SoCal to see some of his favorite historic hot rod spots in and around Los Angeles. Video Description: In this video, find out about pioneering hot rodders and speed shops, the heyday of tire manufacturing in Los Angeles, winning Indy cars built in SoCal, the history of Vic Edelbrock, and much more! I love then-and-now images and I live for hot rod history, plus I’m a Los Angeles native—so this video mixes all those things together with a driving tour of historic automotive locations in and around Los Angeles! The post Freiburger Takes Us On A DRIVING TOUR of HISTORIC HOT ROD SPOTS Around Los Angeles! Too Many To Count! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

Racers in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series professional, sportsman, and Jr. Dragster categories will have the opportunity to compete for two race wins in one event this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech. Held at Darana Motorsports Park in Benson, N.C., April 16-18, the second of seven races on the 2026 PDRA schedule will see the series complete eliminations from its season-opening KTR Drag Racing Carolina Nationals presented by Pee Dee Fleet on Thursday before rolling into Friday qualifying and Saturday eliminations. The pro classes completed two rounds of eliminations at the Carolina Nationals at Darlington Dragway before numerous delays and cold track temperatures led series officials to postpone the rest of the event to the East Coast Nationals. The two-in-one aspect creates an action-packed schedule for racers and fans attending the race at Darana Motorsports Park, formerly known as GALOT Motorsports Park. “This is a staple track on the PDRA schedule and it’s not the first time we’ve contested two races in one weekend here,” said Tyler Crossnoe, series director, PDRA. “This track has a rich history in this area and it’s become one of the nicest eighth-mile dragstrips in the world. It’s going to be a busy weekend, no doubt. Whether fans are sitting in the stands or tuned in on FloRacing, they’re going to see nonstop racing action from the time they tune in on Thursday until event champions are crowned on Saturday night.” Fans can watch Thursday’s completion of the Carolina Nationals for free on FloRacing 24/7, which is available on Amazon Prime Video, Fubo TV, and YouTube. The FloRacing 24/7 broadcast will begin Thursday at noon ET and will run live through the end of the day. FloRacing subscribers can continue watching the race on Friday and Saturday. In Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by Jerry Bickel Race Cars, reigning world champion and home track hero Marcus Butner will square off against “Mountain Man” Mike Achenbach on one side of the semifinal ladder. Fredy Scriba, the 2024 world champion, will meet up with three-time world champion and Darlington No. 1 qualifier Tommy Franklin in the other matchup. The reigning world champion in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, Ty Tutterow, is also still in Carolina Nationals competition. He was set to face Lyle Barnett, who’s announced he won’t make it to the East Coast Nationals due to a schedule conflict. After his semifinal bye run, Tutterow take on the winner of the other semifinal match between Johnny Camp and multi-time East Coast Nationals winner Melanie Salemi. Liberty’s Gears Pro Street presented by KTR Drag Racing No. 1 qualifier Jerry Morgano will take on young gun Blake Denton in a turbo vs. nitrous semifinal match. Retired NFL superstar Fletcher Cox will face another young gun in the class, Joel Wensley Jr., on the other side of the ladder. Another Darlington low qualifier, J.C. Beattie Jr., remains in competition in PDRA Pro 632 presented by Mark Williams Enterprises. He’ll line up against two-time and reigning world champion Jeff Melnick. The winner of that race will advance to the final round to face Melnick’s teammate, Jeff Pittman, who has a bye to the final. The two most recent world champions in 1320 Fabrication Super Street presented by Brian’s Heating & Cooling, Connor McGee and Dan Whetstine, could face off in the Carolina Nationals final round. McGee, the reigning world champ, will need to defeat championship challenger Austin Vincent, while Whetstine, the 2024 champ, must take down Darlington No. 1 qualifier Matt Schalow. There are multiple rounds of racing left to finish in the PDRA’s sportsman ranks: MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Greenbrier Excavating & Paving Elite Top Dragster presented by American Race Cars, MagnaFuel Top Sportsman, and ATI Performance Products Top Dragster presented by TBM Brakes. The East Coast Nationals will also include Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by Philadelphia Racing Products, giving the area’s bracket racers a stage to compete. The future stars of the sport will compete in the East Coast Nationals in the PDRA’s Jr. Dragster ranks, Pro Jr. Dragster and Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster. Thursday testing will begin at 9 a.m., allowing racers a chance to hit the track before Carolina Nationals eliminations continue. The pro semifinals are scheduled to run at 2 p.m. followed by the finals at 4:45. Top Sportsman and Top Dragster will begin qualifying for the East Coast Nationals at 6 p.m. Pro qualifying sessions are set for Friday at noon, 4 p.m., and 8 p.m. On Saturday, pre-race ceremonies and pro eliminations will kick off at noon. Tickets are available for $20 on Thursday, $25 on Friday, and $30 on Saturday. Discounted Junior and Kids tickets are also available, while kids 5 and under get in free. Purchase tickets at www.PDRA660.com or at the gate. PDRA fans around the world can catch all the action live on the official event live stream through www.FloRacing.com. This story was originally published on April 13, 2026. The post PDRA Rolling Into North Carolina For Two-For-One Weekend at East Coast Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Matt Hagan and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car team capped off the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip with Hagan’s 56th career victory, not only taking home an NHRA 75th Anniversary Wally but the 1,000th NHRA Funny Car event trophy. Hagan took down three-time Funny Car world champion and most recent NHRA event winner Ron Capps in the final round. Hagan handled the JHG Dodge Hellcat to a 3.876-second pass at 330.39 mph to defeat Capps’ 3.893 at 334.32. It is Hagan’s eighth overall victory at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip, fourth at the NHRA Winternationals. “I’m trying to catch Capps on overall wins [Ron Capps has 78 career victories]. But he has 20 years of racing on me,” Hagan said. “One thing about Ron is he’s just a great driver. He took me under his wing when I was first out here,and we got into all kinds of trouble together too. So, when we race each other, even back in the DSR days, we really throw it down, especially in the final round. Pomona Dragstrip has shown me so much love over the years. It’s a magical place, because champions are crowned hereat the end of the year. There’s just so many great memories made here. It felt like the championship, because the lights were on just like the World Finals in the fall. When you pull up to the starting your adrenaline’s going, and you’re trying to control your breathing. I was too pumped up in the final, and I almost double stepped the car up there off the line. “It was just our day. I was telling [team owner] Tony [Stewart] that sometimes you wake up and you’re just like, ‘All right, today’s good. Like, I can tie my shoes today. It’s going to be a good day.’ But to win with Bossman (Tony won in Top Fuel) and double up is special and Leah [Pruett] was No. 1 qualifier and we won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday. Plus having the JHGfolks here, the only thing we didn’t leave with was the change under the bleachers. So, it’s been a great weekend,” Hagan continued. “History was made here with the 1,000thFunny Car race. That is super, super special. And I’m just very, very blessed to be a part of that. It just hasn’t really set in yet. To drive for Tony, be a teammate to Leah, to have this group of people. We’ve surrounded ourselves with great people from the media folks down to the guy that puts the oil in the car. We’ve been blessed to have an elite group of folks here. It’s a family within a family. I’m proud to be a part of it and we’re gonna hopefully do a lot more of this in the future.” Hagan started the day as the No. 4 qualifier defeating 2025 Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde and en route to the finals also picked off Jason Rupert and JR Todd. In Top Fuel, Leah Pruett and the Rinnai Tankless Water Heater team earned a bye first round with their No. 1 qualifying position and had a solid 3.703-second pass at 334.73 mph with a .064 reaction time that came up short on a holeshot by .0222-seconds to Justin Ashley’s .025 reaction time and 3.720 pass at 336.07. “Overall, a phenomenal weekend. Starting with the very first day. Having a provisional No. 1 spot, and I think the entire paddock was thinking that won’t hold, everybody should go quicker and move around that,” Pruett said. “Everyone had the same challenges throughout the weekend. And for that 3.72 to hold, really maximized the value of what this Pomona race was. Not only did we get the points that go with being No. 1 qualifier, but you get that bye run in the first round and then the opportunity to dial in the car. We took every opportunity there. Pushed hard. And it was a little too much, and that’s okay. We were able to properly prepare for our second round against Justin Ashley who keeps doing what they do. “This entire Top Fuel field is insane. Cars are running within a couple hundredths of each other,” Pruett continued. “In eliminations, drivers are just diving those reaction times down, and it would be incorrect for me to say that it hasn’t taken me a couple races to get to where I’m at. And that’s okay. I knew that I wasn’t gonna give up. We had a lot of momentum in Phoenix. We continued that momentum here and just because we didn’t get past the second round does not mean that momentum has stopped in any way. Actually, I feel like, coming out of E2, on all fronts, pushes us right to where we want to be for Charlotte in a few weeks.” Tony Stewart Racing continues the 2026 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season with the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway just outside of Charlotte April 24-26. The post Matt Hagan Wins NHRA’s 1,000th Funny Car Race; Leah Pruett Advances to Quarterfinals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

If there is one engine configuration that is the darling of the custom scene, it is the BMW air-cooled flat-twin. For over a century, the "Boxer" has been the backbone of Bavarian motorcycling, prized for its low center of gravity, ease of maintenance, and those iconic cylinders jutting out into the... View the full article

Bubba Stanton put three runs on the board in eliminations at Virginia Motorsports Park that looked like they came off a bracket car: 3.514, 3.515, 3.501. The last one was not only the quickest Outlaw Pro Mod pass of the weekend, but also in IHRA Outlaw Pro Mod history, and delivered the Potts Camp, Mississippi, veteran his first Ironman trophy of the 2026 season at the second stop on the IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series tour. “I’m very happy with the car,” said Stanton, who defeated Hank Stubbs in the final round. “The car has been flawless all weekend. This is the second race out with it, and it took me a little bit to get it worked out, but now we’ve got the car worked out, it just wants more.” The car is a new Quarter-Max Racing-built fifth-generation Camaro with a screw-blown Hemi, unveiled at PRI late last year and still being dialed in on race weekends. Two races in, it’s already in the winner’s circle. Stanton qualified third in the 14-car field with a 3.531 at 217.98, then survived a wild opening round – he went red but advanced when Chevy Reeves broke – before settling into the kind of consistency that has defined his career. He drove past Frankie Taylor with a 3.514 in the second round, then edged Randy Weatherford with a 3.515 in the semifinals before uncorking the 3.501 at 219.08 in the final. Stubbs, who had been solid all weekend from the No. 5 qualifying spot, went red by nearly a quarter-second in the final, ending his bid to become the first repeat Outlaw Pro Mod winner this season. Stanton instead became the fifth different winner in five races in the category. “We’re just going to keep getting after it,” Stanton said. “You just can’t take chances in the finals. You’ve got to do what you think you can do and get down the racetrack. We’re here to win, not to set records.” But when you’re running 3.514, 3.515, and 3.501 in consecutive rounds, both tend to happen at the same time. For a two-time Pro Extreme world champion – 2006 in the ADRL and 2014 in the PDRA – Stanton’s weekend was a reminder that the Mississippi native hasn’t lost a step, even as the competition around him continues to grow. The IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series heads to Capital City Motorsports Park in Montgomery, Alabama, May 7-9 for the third event of the 2026 season. The post Bubba Stanton Sets IHRA Outlaw Pro Mod ET Record, Rolls to Win at Virginia Motorsports Park first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Six-time Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson has emphasized again and again that he loves racing at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Sunday night at the 66th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, he drove that point home as he defeated KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn in a down-to-the-wire nailbiter to earn his 17th victory at the esteemed facility. “I didn’t expect anything less for that round,” said Anderson. “The kid is absolutely out of control. He is a handful, and to try to beat him these days is so tough. But I felt good all day. I knew I had the racecar if I just did my job, and I did my job. I love this dragstrip. I just love this place.” After securing the 142nd No. 1 qualifier award of his career on Saturday evening, Anderson steamed into raceday with NHRA’s 75th anniversary Diamond Wally in his direct line of vision. Methodic, steady, and incredibly fast, Anderson – who already owns the track record for elapsed time with a 6.476-second jaunt used to win the final here last year – clicked off a 6.496, 6.487, and 6.495 in respective defeats of Kenny Delco, Matt Latino, and Greg Stanfield to earn his berth in a monumental 193rd final round in an already illustrious career. In the other lane, as has been the case many, many times over the past few seasons, Anderson found KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn. The reigning world champ and 2021 Rookie of the Year had been threatening all day, cutting the kinds of lights that earned him the moniker “Double-Oh Dallas,” but Anderson was unperturbed and cut his own best light of the weekend in their match, an .018 next to Glenn’s crisp .003. The HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro had just enough HP to eclipse Glenn’s efforts and surge over the finish line first, 6.505, 209.88 to 6.526, 208.94. The margin of victory was by a miniscule six-thousandths of a second. “The KB Titan team, top to bottom, was impressive all weekend, but that meant it was going to be really hard for me to find a way to win on Sunday,” said Anderson, who was strong at the hit with reaction times of .028, .031, and .038 leading into the final. “We had to be perfect, we had to be error free, and my HendrickCars.com Chevrolet was flawless. “Everybody in the Pro Stock class knows Dallas Glenn is riding a wave right now, and I love the kid – it’s a blast to race him, and I’m so damn happy he’s on my team. There’s no telling how many wins this kid is going to have; he’s going to be a threat for the most amount of race-wins someday. It’s incredible to see, and I’m just trying to hold him off as long as I can. Today was a hard-fought win, and we can all be proud. I’m proud of everybody on this race team, and I’m even a little proud of myself right now. This is pretty darn cool.” The victory was Anderson’s 17th at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, tying him with John Force for the most Pomona wins, and his eighth at the Winternationals, which tied him with Bob Glidden. While the weekend had been full of sunshine, come Sunday, wet weather returned to Pomona. That, coupled with a lengthy Top Fuel oil down in the first round, stretched day into night, and the final round was run under the lights. Anderson, the most winning driver in the history of the class, kept his composure all day long as he battled for and ultimately won the 113th victory of his career. “It was definitely a long day; you just had to find a way to stay in the moment,” said Anderson. “I came to the racetrack today with a lot of confidence because I knew I was going to have a great hot rod. It was great all weekend, and it loves this racetrack, it absolutely loves it.” The next event on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour is a home game for Anderson and the Mooresville, N.C.-based KB Titan Racing team: The NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, April 23-26. The post Greg Anderson Drives HendrickCars.com Camaro to Victory at NHRA Winternationals for 113th Win of Career first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

The best story coming out of the Pro Mod final at the second stop on the 2026 IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series tour at Virginia Motorsports Park wasn’t the win light. It was who was standing on both sides of it. Tony Wilson, driving Ed Burnley’s Harts Charger-equipped “Iron Man” ‘69 Camaro, put together his best weekend of driving in the class to take home the Pro Mod Ironman trophy and $50,000. His tuner? Jason Harris. His final-round opponent? Also Jason Harris. Wilson nailed a .012 reaction time in the final and ran 3.586 at 209.04 mph to seal it. Harris, who had been solid in the 3.50’s all weekend from the No. 3 qualifying spot in his “Party Time” ‘69 Camaro – a tribute to the late Harold Denton, the beloved Pro Stock legend who passed away in 2024 – had trouble on the starting line when his fuel pressure sensor went haywire and the RPMs wouldn’t come up. He went .133 on the tree and the car never had a chance to do what it had done all day, slowing to a 3.661 at 173.74. But the way Harris handled it afterward said everything about the relationship between these two teams. “I don’t know what happened to mine,” Harris said after walking up to Wilson in the winner’s circle. “It’s like when I hit it, it wouldn’t come up. The fuel pressure sensor was going crazy. But that’s okay. He deserved it. They worked hard. You should have seen their pits. Their pits were destroyed. Stuff everywhere. They had a lot of problems, but the better car won today. That’s the way it goes.” Wilson, from Kannapolis, North Carolina, qualified eighth in the 21-car field with a 3.594 and proceeded to kill the tree all weekend long, posting reaction times of .008 and .012 in the later rounds while running consistent 3.58’s. He became the eighth consecutive first-time winner in IHRA Pro Mod and the 65th different winner in the history of the class. “This is awesome,” Wilson said. “I can’t thank Ed Burnley enough. And Jason. Jason gave us a heck of a car. I can’t thank him enough.” The arrangement is unique even by outlaw racing’s standards. Harris tunes Wilson’s Burnley-owned Camaro – both Harts Charger centrifugal supercharger cars backed by Pro Line Racing Engines – and then lines up against him in the finals on race day. Wilson was asked how much trust that takes. “It’s a lot of trust in Jason,” Wilson said. “It’s a lot of trust in my dad and the guys we got working on the car. I don’t have to do a whole lot, really; just help them with maintenance during the rounds. But I really get to focus on driving this race car. And that was my deal with Ed. I didn’t want to tune. I wanted Jason for that because I wanted to be able to have the opportunity to just drive a race car.” That deal is paying off. Wilson, a noted wheelman and veteran of PDRA Pro Nitrous competition, also won a Pro Nitrous Ironman last year, giving him two Ironman trophies in two different classes. Burnley, based out of Pasadena, Maryland, now has a winner’s trophy headed home. “This is for Mr. Ed,” Wilson said. As for Harris, who could have been bitter about losing a final round to the car he tuned? He wasn’t. He walked over, praised the effort, and said his piece. “Party time is still going to be party time,” Harris said. “It’s all right. He deserved it.” The IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series heads to Capital City Motorsports Park in Montgomery, Alabama, May 7-9 for the third event of the 2026 season. The post Tony Wilson Wins IHRA Pro Mod at Virginia Motorsports Park, Takes Out Jason Harris in Final first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Ron Capps and the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car team delivered a standout performance Sunday at the NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, racing to the final round of the milestone 1,000th NHRA Funny Car event before a narrow loss to Matt Hagan. After qualifying No. 2, Capps ran a series of passes in the 3.80-second range, including low E.T. of the event, on the way to his 159th career final round. With the runner-up finish, Capps is now tied for the Funny Car points lead with Hagan following race three of the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Funny Car’s first qualifying session on Friday was a challenging one for Capps and his fellow competitors, but with Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli turning the knobs, he charged to a 4.007-second pass at 314.17 mph in the second session. That was the third-quickest performance of the round, rewarding Capps with one championship bonus point and the provisional No. 3 position. By reaching the semifinals at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, which he ultimately won, Capps earned a spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge during Saturday qualifying. Capps left the line first against Paul Lee, but he started to lose traction and backed off the throttle. He then rebounded to a 3.919 E.T. at 330.88 mph in the final session to grab two more bonus points and climb up to the No. 2 position in the final qualifying order. In the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Capps left the starting line ahead of young gun Dylan Winefsky, and though he lost traction, pedaled, dropped cylinders, and shut off early, he crossed the finish line first with a 4.977 E.T. Capps came back stronger in the quarterfinals, where he fired off low E.T. of the round, a 3.884-second pass at 332.34 mph, to defeat Alexis DeJoria. Capps and Antonelli lowered the boom yet again in the semifinals with a 3.863 E.T. at 330.31 mph – low E.T. of the event – to hold off rookie Jordan Vandergriff and his 3.889 E.T. Following a quick turnaround to race under the lights in the 1,000th NHRA Funny Car final round, Capps lined up next to fellow multi-time world champion Matt Hagan for the 85th time in eliminations. The NAPA Auto Care machine moved off the starting line first, but Hagan pulled ahead at the finish line, with Capps recording a 3.893 E.T. at 334.32 mph to Hagan’s winning 3.876 E.T. “You really couldn’t ask for a better final in a lot of different ways,” Capps said. “It was really mano a mano with both teams – ‘Stretch’ (Mike Knudsen, Hagan’s crew chief) and Guido and then Matt and me. I get up for racing Matt. He was a teammate of mine for a long time and I know how good he is. To me, that’s like a ‘Snake’ and ‘Jungle Jim’ race back in the day. You’ve got a great car, you get up there and you throw down, then you add the fact that it’s Pomona on a late Sunday night under the lights and the 1,000th win in Funny Car is on the line. There’s so many cool things about it. I’m bummed it didn’t go our way, but at the same time, we have a good hot rod, and we moved up in points. I’m just so proud of Guido and the guys.” Capps will look to solidify the points lead at the next stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Series schedule, the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, April 24-26, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina. The post Ron Capps Runner-Up in Historic 1,000th NHRA Funny Car Race, Ties for Points Lead at Winternationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

The IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series made its first stop at Virginia Motorsports Park. Here's a recap of who won an Ironman at VMP.View the full article

The Off-Road Business Association is an advocacy organization that represents motorized off-road businesses. ORBA’s member businesses represent the full spectrum of entities that support the overlanding, powersports, racing, four-wheel drive, and motorcycle disciplines of off-roading, including OEM and aftermarket manufacturers, retail and e-commerce businesses, installer shops, local and national clubs, professional and grassroots racing organizations, trade shows, and industry professional organizations. Membership in ORBA is open to off-road businesses, including vehicle and parts manufacturers, retailers and e-commerce sellers, racing organizations, clubs, event companies, hospitality, and advocacy groups. Under the ORBA structure, these organizations are united by a shared mission to support the prosperity and growth of the off-road industry. When it comes to the business of off-road, it’s as simple as this: no trails, no sales. READ MORE: The Social Side of Overland Expo West 2026 ORBA has an established track record of advocating for the businesses whose parts and components make off-road recreation possible, along with the millions of enthusiasts who seek to explore our nation’s outdoor spaces using their off-road vehicles. Through this work, ORBA also elevates the voice of off-road enthusiasts nationwide and ensures their access to public lands is always protected and that our industry’s story is known and understood in Washington, D.C., and state capitals around the country. In 2025, ORBA became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), giving the organization access to foundational support from the premier organization advocating for the automotive aftermarket industry and the millions of automotive enthusiasts across the U.S. After a March 2026 relaunch, ORBA, now powered by SEMA, reemerged with an expanded advocacy strategy, enhanced research capabilities, and a renewed commitment to coalition-based action to protect the future of the overland and off-road industries, with renewed engagement with the enthusiast community that drives the industry through their passion and investment. Lifelong off-road enthusiast and motorsports media journalist Sean Holman will lead ORBA as the new executive director. Laura Butcher, a name synonymous with motorsports and land-use advocacy, has joined ORBA as its legislative director. SEMA’s SVP of Public and Government Affairs, Karen Bailey-Chapman, a true off-road enthusiast, rounds out the team as the organization’s strategic director. With a focus on the off-road industry as a whole, including trucks and SUVs, along with powersports and dirt bikes, ORBA’s core mission – to serve as the off-road business community’s leading advocate on issues affecting access, recreation, and responsible land use – remains unchanged. The new leadership brings a more rigorous, data-driven approach that includes regional economic impact reports, consumer research, and deeper collaboration across the outdoor recreation ecosystem, as they face the off-road community’s continued challenges, including closures of public lands and other damaging regulatory and legislative actions. As ORBA enters this new chapter, the organization remains focused on advancing its mission through strong advocacy, collaboration, and responsible stewardship of public lands. By combining SEMA’s government affairs expertise and storytelling capabilities, and the reach of the enthusiast-driven SEMA Action grassroots network, ORBA will support and strengthen the work of nonprofit partners operating at the local, state, and regional levels. These organizations bring critical on-the-ground expertise that is essential to ensuring a strong and sustainable future for the off-road community. The goal in these efforts is to shape federal, state, and local government policy to ensure the vitality of motorized outdoor recreation in the U.S. and access to public lands, while serving as an invaluable resource for advocates who seek to strengthen and preserve the off-road community. LEARN MORE View the full article

This is one Sonoma you don't want to sleep on. AJ Dean claims his truck "Death Row" is the quickest truck in the world. View the full article

Maddi Gordon, the driver of the Carlyle Tools Top Fuel dragster, continued gaining positive momentum in her rookie season at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals today in Pomona, Calif. The talented Ron Capps Motorsports standout recorded a new career-best speed and elapsed time attempting to defeat Justin Ashley in the opening round of NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competition. Although Gordon didn’t get the win light, it was a milestone event in front of a hometown crowd for the California native. In addition to recording new personal bests and winning the first round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, Gordon, the 100th woman in NHRA history to win a national event, had the honor of hosting NHRA Drag Racing legend Shirley Shahan, who captured victory No. 1 for women. “I met Shirley at the Winternationals last year and she’s such a wonderful lady,” said Gordon. “I’ve been reading her book and learning more about her. It’s funny because she seems like this sweet lady who would be baking cookies for her grandkids but in reality, she’s bad to the bone! It was really cool to have her out here. She’s like drag racing royalty so the fact that she was hanging out with us, wearing green, was a big honor.” While Gordon lost traction and had to shut off early in the first Friday session, the Carlyle team quickly found their groove and came back with a stellar pass of 3.819 seconds at 326.56 mph. On Saturday, Gordon pulled double duty in qualifying, competing in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, wherein the semifinalists from the previous race get a chance at redemption. In the first round of competition for the race-within-a-race, Gordon got the starting line advantage over former world champion Shawn Langdon. She held on to that lead, crossing the finish line in 3.831 seconds at 317.34 mph. In the process, Gordon earned one bonus point for making the third-quickest pass of the session. “We’re two to one against Shawn Langdon now,” remarked Gordon. “That’s really exciting. He’s mentored me a lot, so it’s a big deal to run against him. He’s one of the best out there. That was really cool.” In her first Mission #2Fast2Tasty final, which also served as the last qualifying opportunity for drivers, Gordon faced Doug Kalitta. As the two rolled up to the starting line, a real-time fan poll showed that approximately 75% of fans expected Gordon to defeat the Top Fuel veteran. The pair put on a show as they both made their quickest passes of the weekend, but ultimately, Kalitta turned on the win light. Gordon’s 3.798 at 327.98 landed her in the No. 8 spot on the competition ladder. After morning showers delayed the start of eliminations Sunday, Gordon and Ashley were the first pair on the track. In the Top Fuel Marquee Matchup, Ashley got the starting line advantage, and while Gordon made a blistering pass of 3.744 at 334.15, it was not enough for Ashley’s 3.714 at 332.43. “We all hate to lose,” said Gordon. “But Rob (Flynn, crew chief) said we can’t hang our heads about how we did today. I had my career-best E.T. and mile per hour, but not my career-best reaction time. As a driver, that’s what I look at because that’s what I want to provide for the team. It was really cool going down the track after all the rain. Rob and Troy (Fasching, crew chief) got it right down Broadway. We made our best run yet in conditions we’ve never had. It shows just how good this team is and how well we can adapt to different conditions. Losing sucks, but running a career-best mile per hour and E.T. definitely does NOT suck!” The weekend ended on a high note for Gordon and her family when her father, Doug Gordon, raced to victory in the Top Alcohol Funny Car category. Gordon will continue her Rookie of the Year campaign in two weeks when the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series travels to Charlotte for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Raceway. The post Maddi Gordon Clocks Career-Best Run at NHRA Winternationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Regular 3D printing (or additive manufacturing, if you're nasty) is becoming more affordable, but guess what? So is metal 3D printing.View the full article

History was made at the 2026 NHRA Winternationals. Matt Hagan, Tony Stewart, and Greg Anderson all brought home a Wally. View the full article

Scott Palmer knew he needed to find something. The second stop on the 2026 IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series tour brought an eight-car Top Fuel field to Virginia Motorsports Park, and Gary Pritchett had been the quickest car all weekend, earning the No. 1 qualifying position at 3.033 seconds and 287.78 mph behind the wheel of the Foley Lewis Racing, United Garage Door Company Top Fuel dragster. Pritchett had already proven he could close the deal by winning the season opener at Galot Motorsports Park. Palmer and his crew went to work. And when asked where he found the extra, Palmer didn’t overthink it. “Darren Mayer blower,” he said. “That’s it. That simple.” Palmer credited adjustments to the blower and the clutch setup from Chris Nachtmann at CNC Performance Engineering – known around the pits as “Cupcake” – as the difference in the final round. “Those are the two things I made adjustments on and it won us the race,” Palmer said. The adjustments worked. Palmer ran 3.075 at 270.54 mph in the final to collect $50,000 and the coveted Ironman trophy, making him the first repeat Top Fuel winner in seven IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series races dating back to the 2025 season. Pritchett had the better reaction time, an .062 to Palmer’s .072, and was pulling away at the 330-foot mark. But the car went away in the back half of the run, slowing to a 3.183 at 208.78, and Palmer’s PBR-sponsored dragster drove around him and through the lights. The loss stings for Pritchett, who entered the weekend as the points leader and was looking to become the first driver to go back-to-back in IHRA Top Fuel since Dale Cox Jr. in 2009. Palmer, though, wasn’t about to apologize. He and Pritchett are close, and that made the final feel more like a family affair than a grudge match. “We raced Gary Pritchett, who’s like family to us,” Palmer said. “One of us was going to win. I wanted Lee Callaway to win, but I messed his car up, so he may fire me from tuning my own car.” Palmer owns two Top Fuel dragsters, with Callaway behind the wheel of his second car. He’d actually beaten Callaway in the semifinals after the car went away early in the run, which adds a layer to that “I messed his car up” crack. Before that, Palmer dispatched Chuck Loftin in the opening round when Loftin went red. After every win, Palmer calls his mom. This one was no different. “She was pretty proud,” he said. “She told me my burnout was weak.” As for the celebration? Palmer made no attempt to sugarcoat it. “It’ll be ugly about daylight. I can tell you that right now,” said Palmer. “There’ll be some wounded soldiers laying around. I promise you that. But we just have a good time. Overall, it was a great weekend for us.” The IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series heads to Capital City Motorsports Park in Montgomery, Alabama, May 7-9 for the third event of the 2026 season. The post Scott Palmer Finds “A Little Bit More,” Wins IHRA Top Fuel Final at Virginia Motorsports Park first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

A routine occurrence in backcountry skiing or snowboarding is to take a snowmobile up, then send it down sans rider. But things can go wrong, as one skier found out after nearly being run over by one. View the full article

India’s GST structure makes the 350s cheaper, but the 390s still deliver higher performance and more premium features. View the full article

Here’s gallery #2 from Mike Brooks coverage of the Run to the Sun car show in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. If you missed gallery #1, use the link below to check them out too. (Photos by Mike Brooks) The Run to the Sun car show in Myrtle Beach South Carolina celebrated it’s 37th anniversary this year and as usual had a sellout crowd. This show sells out every year, and features some awesome Pre-1990 muscle cars, hot rods, street machines, and trucks. It’s a special event, that’s for sure, and when the weather is great like this year it is hard to beat. Longtime contributor Mike Brooks was on hand and snapping photos to share with all you BANGshifters, and you can check them all out below. One of the things we like about this show is the variety of cars and trucks. Lifted, lowered, customs, classics, it’s all here. Check them out. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTOS WE ALREADY POSTED FROM THE RUN TO THE SUN The post Run to the Sun 2026 Car Show Photos: The 37th Annual Run to the Sun Car Show Featured Custom Cars, Trucks, Hot Rods, Muscle Cars, And More! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

Designed for off-road and adventure riders, 6D’s new MAX Goggle is a fresh take on an old design. But are they the gamechangers they purport to be?View the full article

Four-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan won the 1,000th Funny Car race in NHRA history on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, defeating three-time world champion Ron Capps in the final round to close out the 66th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. Tony Stewart (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) also won the third of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Hagan went 3.876-seconds at 330.39 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat, holding off Capps’ 3.893 at 334.32 in an epic side-by-side final round, capturing the milestone race in what was a thrilling matchup of the two winningest active drivers in the class. Hagan, who defeated Spencer Hyde, Jason Rupert and J.R. Todd earlier in the day and also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, drove to his first win of the season and the 56th in his standout career to cap off what was a flawless weekend. This one will certainly mean a great deal for Hagan, as he captured a historic victory and also shared the winner’s circle with his boss, Tony Stewart. “I was telling Tony that sometimes you just wake up and you know today’s going to good, and it was great. To win with the boss man to double up, and, you know, Leah [Pruett] was No. 1 qualifier, and winning the 1,000th Funny Car and the [Mission] #2Fast2Tasty yesterday …. the only thing we didn’t leave with was the change under the bleachers,” Hagan said. “This race track has shown me so much love over the years. Racing Capps, man, it was like back in the day throwing it down, because we always used to throw down, so it just kind of felt natural. It’s a magical place because champions are crowned here and tonight reminded me of the championship deals, because, you know, the lights were on and I’ve won a won a couple times under the lights here, and you know, it just felt right.” Capps, who won the most recent race in Phoenix, reached the finals for the second straight race and the 159th time in his career with wins against Dylan Winefsky, Alexis DeJoria and Jordan Vandergriff. Hagan and Capps are also tied for the points lead after three races. Racing legend Tony Stewart delivered the first Top Fuel win for Elite Motorsports, going a weekend-best 3.683 at 332.51 in his 12,000-horsepower R&L Carriers dragster to knock off Justin Ashley in the championship round. It’s the first career win at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip for Stewart and his third career victory in his NHRA career, and this one will certainly be meaningful. He picked up wins as both a driver and team owner on Sunday, as he drove to victories in eliminations against Will Smith, Gainesville winner Josh Hart and Shawn Langdon. It set up a marquee matchup against Ashley, who posted three straight reaction times of .025 leading to the final. Stewart was .047 in the championship round and quickly tracked down Ashley on his standout run, getting the win a year after finishing as the Winternationals runner-up, this time during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. “I’ve been [in NHRA] for five years now and following Leah around and being a part of it, but it doesn’t take long to realize how special Pomona is in drag racing, and how much it means to everybody,” Stewart said. “To be able to come here, and especially on an anniversary or for NHRA, you couldn’t ask for a better scenario for me. The only thing that would have made it better is if we met Leah in the finals. But for Matt to win is the 1,000th Funny Car win here, and to be here on NHRA 75th anniversary, and win here at the Winternationals, that is huge. “I literally told [team owner] Richard Freeman and Royce Freeman on Friday, and individually, ‘Listen. I know I’m relatively new to drag racing, but I’ve been racing for 47 years. I’ve been a part of a lot of different programs and worked with a lot of different people and I promise you that all the ingredients are here. You can see it. I’ve been a part of enough programs to know when it’s right and I don’t know when it’s going to click and come together, but I’m telling you all the stuff that you need to be successful is right here right now.’ I had no idea in 48 hours that it was going to come together.” Ashley advanced to the final round for the first time this season and the 33rd in his career thanks to round wins against Maddi Gordon, No. 1 qualifier Leah Pruett and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, who leaves Pomona as the points leader. In Pro Stock, six-time world champion Greg Anderson continued to rule the class at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip, as he won for a record-tying 17th time at the historic facility, holding off KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn in the final round with a run of 6.505 at 209.88 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It is the 113th career win for Anderson, who qualified No. 1 and ran the quickest in every round of eliminations. He dipped into the 6.40s in the first three rounds en route to wins against Kenny Delco, Matt Latino and Greg Stanfield. That set up a third straight final round against Glenn at Pomona dating back to the 2024 In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals and Anderson stayed perfect in that regard, chasing down Glenn at the finish line. Glenn was .003 on the starting line, but Anderson was a solid .018 and tied John Force for the most wins in NHRA history at the legendary track. He’s also now won the Winternationals eight times, which ties him with Bob Glidden for the most in Pro Stock history, as the veteran continues to perform at an extremely high level. “I came to the racetrack today with a lot of confidence. I felt good. I knew I was going to have a great hot rod. It’s been great all weekend,” Anderson said. “It just absolutely loves this racetrack. It’s a blast to drive this car. We had a great weekend as a team; from top to bottom, the KB Titan team was very, very impressive, but that meant it was going to be really hard for me to find a way to win on Sunday, but we did it. “When you race Dallas, you’ve got to be perfect and I really didn’t make any big errors today, and the car was flawless. It really doesn’t matter how much you win by as long as that win light comes on, especially against Dallas because he’s riding the wave right now. He’s got confidence. I’m so damn happy he’s on my race team and I don’t have to hate the kid, I love the kid, and it’s a blast to race him, and it’s an honor.” Glenn stayed in the points lead in advancing to his second straight final round and 23rd in his career after defeating Gainesville winner Matt Hartford, Eric Latino and teammate Dave Connolly. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action April 24-26 with the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. The post Hagan Wins 1,000th NHRA Funny Car Race; Stewart and Anderson Also Get Victories at Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

KTM launched its new 450 RC in China, and it looks like it could top the class in terms of specs. But it's unlikely to make its way to the US.View the full article

Aprilia’s RS 457 GP Replica gets MotoGP styling and track-ready upgrades, making it an even more capable lightweight platform. View the full article

Sometimes, it's all down to how a bike makes you feel when you ride it, and the Triumph Tracker 400 feels pretty amazing in the saddle. Here's how our first ride review went.View the full article

Hafizh Syahrin stamped his authority on the opening round of the 2026 Asia Road Racing Championship at Sepang, topping practice and sweeping both ASB1000 races as the Malaysian laid down an early marker in the premier class. The post Syahrin stamps authority on Sepang ARRC opener as Epis fights back appeared first on MCNews. View the full article