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You are about to see a Harley Sportster turned into a true cafe racer, and it works. Many builders have tried to mix these two styles, but few have achieved the right stance and balance. When you look at this bike, you notice clean lines, strong proportions, and a simple design that feels natural on a platform not built for it. I want you to focus on how careful planning shaped this result. Instead of relying on costly parts or heavy frame […] The post Harley-Davidson Sportster Cafe Racer (Solace Motorcycle) appeared first on Return of the Cafe Racers. View the full article

There is a lot of drag racing going on this weekend, as Spring is here and that means racing, racing, and more racing. We’re excited to share the 2nd annual Blittersdorf’s Automotive Door Car Domination race at MIR, so watch all the action live below. Welcome to the 2nd Annual Blittersdorf’s Automotive Door Car Domination, proudly presented by Sacks & Sons, INC! Get ready for an action-packed weekend of high-horsepower racing at the legendary Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville, MD, happening March 27–29, 2026. Watch some of the nation’s top door car drivers go head-to-head in intense, high-speed battles for ultimate bragging rights! Experience all the excitement as we bring you full event coverage from this can’t-miss weekend, powered by the incredible team at J Brothers Promotions. The post FREE LIVESTREAMING DRAG RACING: DOOR CAR DOMINATION 2026 FROM MARYLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY- SUNDAY appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

MotoAmerica’s Road to MotoGP class opened its 2026 season alongside MotoGP at Circuit of The Americas, and the Australian contingent immediately featured at the front. Sam Drane left Austin with two top-four finishes, Jake Paige claimed a podium and the lap record on debut, and the new campaign began with Gouker and Matsudaira splitting wins in two races decided by a combined 0.419 seconds. The post Drane and Paige shine as MotoAmerica Talent Cup opens at COTA appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Detroit delivered one of the pivotal rounds of the 2026 Supercross season, with Ken Roczen mastering Ford Field’s punishing whoops for his 25th career 450SX win as Eli Tomac reclaimed the points lead, while Cole Davies stormed from 15th to secure a third straight 250SX East Main Event victory. The post Roczen strikes in Detroit – Davies makes it three straight in 250 East appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Here’s our second gallery of photos from the 2026 Toronto Motorama. If you missed the previous photos, click the link below to check those out too. (Photos by Mike Brooks) Continuing with his Toronto Motorama traditions, Mike Brooks has visited the great white north for the Toronto Motorama again this year. We’re used to seeing Brooks visit the Buffalo Motorama, to shoot great photos to share with all you BANGshifters, but this is the second year he’s visited Toronto and we dig it. The indoor car show scene has been off the hook this year, and it seems like the level of cars just keeps getting better and better. In the North East, the cold weather can hang on longer than a lot of the rest of the country, so indoor car shows are sometimes the only way for enthusiasts to get their car fix during the winter and early spring. The Toronto Motorama was awesome and you’ll dig all the photos. We’re starting off with our first gallery below, so check it out and then come back for more over the next couple of days.We approve and appreciate the effort and love that Mike continues to share all his photos with us here at BANGshift. So check out all the photos in his first gallery below, and remember we’ll have more coming this week. Also, we’d love for you to tell us what car is your favorite out of the gallery in the comments section below. We want to hear from you! CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE TORONTO MOTORAMA PHOTOS WE’VE SHARED SO FAR The post More 2026 Toronto Motorama Car Show Photos: Hot Rods, Customs, Muscle Cars, Race Cars, And More! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

The International Hot Rod Association’s Offshore Racing Series kicks off their 2026 season today in St. Petersburg Florida, and features big speed from giant offshore boats and more. You can watch all the Day 2 action LIVE right here thanks to the IHRA YouTube channel livestream. So pull up a chair, get yourself something nice to drink, and check out all the racing action that is going on Saturday and Sunday! Video Description: The The Monster Energy 6th Annual, St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix Presented by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, (March 28–29, 2026) is the season-opening event for the IHRA Offshore Series National Championship, held along the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront. It features high-speed offshore powerboat and personal watercraft (PWC) racing. The post The Monster Energy 6th Annual St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater Day 2 appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

Rapidly dropping track temperatures led Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series officials to postpone the completion of Saturday eliminations at the season-opening KTR Drag Racing PDRA Carolina Nationals presented by Pee Dee Fleet at Darlington Dragway. The series completed two round of eliminations in the professional classes and was wrapping up the second round of sportsman eliminations when the decision was made to postpone the rest of the race to the Summit Racing Equipment PDRA East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech, April 16-18, at Darana Motorsports Park in Dunn, North Carolina. “This event is now secure due to extended downtime and cold temperatures,” said Tyler Crossnoe, series director, PDRA. “We have lost the racing surface and do not feel it is a smart move to continue in the essence of safety.” The unseasonably cool temperatures that led to the postponement also presented record-setting conditions earlier in the day while the sun was out. In WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, No. 1 qualifier Randy Weatherford backed up his E.T. record attempt from Friday night in Saturday’s opening round of eliminations, though he lost the round due to a red light. In the second round, Johnny Camp took the record by one thousandth of a second with his 3.542-second pass at 213.88 mph in his ProCharged “Hells Bells” ’69 Camaro tuned by Brandon Stroud. Camp is set to face Melanie Salemi in the semifinals, while reigning world champion Ty Tutterow will take on Lyle Barnett in the other semifinal pairing. The Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by Jerry Bickel Race Cars semifinals will feature the three most recent world champions. Three-time world champ and No. 1 qualifier Tommy Franklin will meet 2024 world champion Fredy Scriba and reigning world champion Marcus Butner will line up next to “Mountain Man” Mike Achenbach. Jerry Morgano, the No. 1 qualifier in Liberty’s Gears Pro Street presented by KTR Drag Racing, kept his qualifying performance going in eliminations, as he is set to face Blake Denton in the semis after taking out E.T. record holder Richard Reagan in the second round. Super Bowl champion Fletcher Cox will meet second-generation driver Joel Wensley Jr. on the other side of the ladder. Two-time and reigning PDRA Pro 632 presented by Mark Williams Enterprises world champion Jeff Melnick will square off against No. 1 qualifier J.C. Beattie Jr. in the semis, while Melnick’s teammate, Jeff Pittman, will get a bye to the final round. The semifinals in 1320 Fabrication Super Street presented by Brian’s Heating & Cooling will see No. 1 qualifier Matt Schalow taking on 2024 world champion Dan Whetstine and reigning world champion Connor McGee facing fellow young gun Austin Vincent. In the sportsman classes, MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines completed two rounds, Greenbrier Excavating & Paving Elite Top Dragster presented by American Race Cars completed one round, and MagnaFuel Top Sportsman and ATI Performance Products Top Dragster presented by TBM Brakes finished three rounds. Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by Philadelphia Racing Products did not start eliminations and entry fees will be refunded. Pro Jr. Dragster ran one round of eliminations, while Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster did not start eliminations. The Carolina Nationals will be completed at Darana Motorsports Park during the East Coast Nationals on Thursday, weather permitting. This story was originally published on March 28, 2026. The post PDRA Carolina Nationals Postponed Due to Cold Temperatures; Race to Conclude at East Coast Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

MotoGP 2026 Round Three – COTA – Saturday Saturday at COTA was defined as much by the stewards as it was by the stopwatch, with grid penalties in qualifying for Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini, an eight-second tyre-pressure sanction that stripped Pedro Acosta of a Sprint podium, and a Sunday long-lap penalty for Marc Marquez […] The post Martin wins chaotic COTA Sprint as penalties reshape Saturday appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Nicolo Bulega remained unbeaten in the 2026 WorldSBK season at Portimao, while Valentin Debise claimed a first WorldSSP win for ZXMOTO, Maria Herrera opened WorldWCR with a dominant victory and Antonio Torres won the first-ever World Sportbike rac The post Bulega perfect as Debise, Herrera and Torres star at Portimao on Saturday appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

In the far east of Germany, Zwickau sits, a city where the air has smelled of two-stroke premix and industrial ambition for over a century. Known as the ‘City of Automobiles,’ it’s the birthplace of Audi and the infamous Trabant. But for those who grew up in the rural stretches of the former GDR, th... View the full article

I rode Royal Enfield's Classic 650, which comes in three lovely colorways, and here are my first impressions on what this bike is like to ride.View the full article

The International Hot Rod Association’s Offshore Racing Series kicks off their 2026 season today in St. Petersburg Florida, and features big speed from giant offshore boats and more. You can watch all the action LIVE right here thanks to the IHRA YouTube channel livestream. So pull up a chair, get yourself something nice to drink, and check out all the racing action that is going on Saturday and Sunday! Video Description: The The Monster Energy 6th Annual, St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix Presented by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, (March 28–29, 2026) is the season-opening event for the IHRA Offshore Series National Championship, held along the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront. It features high-speed offshore powerboat and personal watercraft (PWC) racing. The post The Monster Energy 6th Annual St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater Day 1 appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

There is a lot of drag racing going on this weekend, as Spring is here and that means racing, racing, and more racing. We’re excited to share the 2nd annual Blittersdorf’s Automotive Door Car Domination race at MIR, so watch all the action live below. Welcome to the 2nd Annual Blittersdorf’s Automotive Door Car Domination, proudly presented by Sacks & Sons, INC! Get ready for an action-packed weekend of high-horsepower racing at the legendary Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville, MD, happening March 27–29, 2026. Watch some of the nation’s top door car drivers go head-to-head in intense, high-speed battles for ultimate bragging rights! Experience all the excitement as we bring you full event coverage from this can’t-miss weekend, powered by the incredible team at J Brothers Promotions. The post FREE LIVESTREAMING DRAG RACING: DOOR CAR DOMINATION 2026 FROM MARYLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

They promised 32 car fields for their first two events of the 2026 season, and it’s time to watch! If you love Funny Cars, and who doesn’t, then check out this great racing action LIVE from Tulsa Raceway Park. They are bringing all the eliminations from Race 1 so don’t miss a thing right here. And let us know which Funny Car is your favorite in the comments below. The post Funny Car Chaos Eliminations LIVESTREAM | Saturday | Tulsa Raceway Park 2026 | Race 1 appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

It’s time for some Pro Pulling Series action from the IHRA Mac Trailer Winter Nationals in Kentucky, and if you love dirt flinging pulling action then this is the livestream for you this weekend. We’re bringing you all the action right here from the IHRA’s crack production team. Check out all the action live and let us know what you think! The post FREE Tractor Pulling Livestream From The IHRA Pro Pulling Mac Trailer Winter Nationals In Kentucky appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

If you want to see some fun road racing action this weekend, look no further than Sonoma Raceway, aka Sears Point, in Northern California. Located just north of the San Francisco Bay, this race track is beautiful, historic, and challenging. Oh and did I mention fun? I first raced around the track at Sears Point more than 35 years ago and many things have changed out there since. I’ve had the pleasure of racing there in more recent years, I have announced events there, and have some great memories at this place. If you get the chance to go there for an event, you absolutely should. But today Sonoma Raceway is all about the TC America race happening this weekend. Check out the livestreams, and replays, below and let us know what you think. The first livestream player is at the bottom of the page, with the newest scheduled event of the day up top. Scroll down to see what’s live now and enjoy! The post FREE ROAD RACING LIVESTREAM | Race 1 | Sonoma Raceway | TC America powered by Skip Barber 2026, Plus McLaren Racing, GT4, And More! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

ASBK 2026 Round Two – SMSP – SW-Motech Superbike Josh Waters came into the second Australian Superbike encounter at Sydney Motorsport Park with renewed momentum after delivering a champion’s response in Saturday’s opening bout. The defending champion converted Friday-night pole into victory in the 13-lap first race, holding firm under pressure from Cru Halliday and […] The post Voight dominates final ASBK bout at SMSP as Waters wins the round appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Today is a great day to be a drag racing fan as we’ve got a bunch of races being livestreamed this weekend, from all over the country. While the BANGshift crew is out in Tucson Arizona for the West Coast Bracket Races Southwest Showdown, there are races happening all across the country as far as Florida! So if you dig some No Prep action, like this from Orlando Speed World, you are in luck! Check it all out below. The post LIVE- Orlando Speed World No Prep Drag Racing- 100+ Cars | Sinister Performance x TRC appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

(Words by Jim McIlvaine, Photos by Kaleb Kelley) The 2026 season of OPTIMA’s Ultimate Street Car series officially kicked off at G2 Motorsports Park in Anna, Texas. When the grid lined up, the field included the defending OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) champion, Austin Barnes, five of the regular season class champions from 2025 and five of the top-10 OUSCI finishers from last season. What do they all know about G2 Motorsports, that compelled them all to make sure they started their season there? Twelve Ultimate Street Car seasons have shown early season events and those that are not sold out tend to offer more points to competitors, than the later season events that are run at the most popular tracks, like Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, Road America and this season, Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Many of those top contenders will also find their way to those events, but only their best two events will count toward their season-long point totals. The very best cars in the series may be able to post point totals over 490 (500 is a perfect score), no matter where and when they run, but for the rest of the field, many find these “under the radar” events are the key to securing enough points to make it to Las Vegas for the SEMA Show and OUSCI, as well as locking up class points championships. Chris Smith’s ’70 Camaro followed that strategy last year and had two big weekends at the season opener at Sebring and the Pittsburgh International Race Complex event tucked in between Laguna Seca and Road America on the schedule. OUSCI champion, Austin Barnes also came out of the gates strong last season, posting huge numbers at the first two events at Sebring and NOLA and then spent the rest of the season watching everyone else pursue him in vain. The path was much tougher in 2025 for the Geaux Moto GTC Class Champion, Austin Keys, but illustrates the difference these tracks can make. Keys posted a 359 in his ’98 Miata at Laguna Seca, but did 72 points better (431) at Thunderhill, later in the season. Keys was not alone in that regard in the GTC Class. Three GTC cars competed at both Laguna Seca and Thunderhill. Thunderhill had eight fewer entries and those three GTC cars scored on average, 46.3 points better at Thunderhill. A similar trend developed in the GT Class. Four GT cars finished the events at Road America and Barber Motorsports Park. All four scored more points at Barber, which had five fewer entries than Road America and the average point difference between the two tracks, across all four cars was 22.5 points. Knowing these trends, which events in 2026 look to hold similar potential for those pursuing points for invitations and championships? From a numbers standpoint, NOLA Motorsports has the most potential, as it is the next event and has the smallest field as of this writing. Beyond that, Willow Springs and Barber would be in the next tier, followed by Road America and Laguna Seca. Which event will be the hardest to accumulate points (besides the OUSCI?). Without a doubt, the sold-out event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October, where 108 vehicles are currently signed up. See the top finishers from G2 Motorsports Park below, as well as a massive photo gallery and be sure to check out www.DriveOPTIMA.com for more information on the series and how you can compete in your street car! Top Ten Overall 1. Dave Schotz 2022 Chevrolet Camaro GT 496 points 2. Chris Smith 1970 Chevrolet Camaro GTV 487 points 3. Dayton de la Houssaye 2017 Mazda MX-5 GTC 474 points 4. Brandon Hurst 2022 Tesla Model S GTS 472 points 5. Tony Prutch 2021 Chevrolet Corvette GTS 468 points 6. Jason Smith 1987 Chevrolet Camaro GTV 467 points 7. David Carroll 1974 Chevrolet Blazer GTT 463 points 8. Stephen Lucas 2000 Chevrolet Corvette GTS 461 points 9. Sean Aldinger 1969 Chevrolet Camaro GTV 450 points 10. Troy de la Houssaye 2009 Mazda MX-5 GTC 449 points 2026 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Schedule March 13-15th G2 Motorsports Park April 10-12th NOLA Motorsports Park May 29-31st Willow Springs Raceway August 28-30th Road America September 25-27th Barber Motorsports Park October 2-4th Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca October 9-11th Indianapolis Motor Speedway (sold out) October 13-November 6th OUSCI Nevada First Timer Award- James Maertz 1984 Chevrolet Corvette Anderson Composites Competitor’s Choice Award- Kevin Kessler’s 1979 Pontiac Trans Am Operational Speed Supply Surgical Strike Award- Brandon Hurst 2022 Tesla Model S The post Drive Optima Coverage: Ultimate Street Car Season Begins With Racing In Texas! Here’s Why Running Early In The Season Matters! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

Supersport under lights delivered again at Sydney Motorsport Park, with Jake Farnsworth holding off Tom Edwards and Hayden Nelson emerging from a fierce battle for third. The post Farnsworth fends off determined charge from Edwards to win second SS bout at SMP appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Josh Waters turned Friday-night pole into victory in the opening Australian Superbike race at Sydney Motorsport Park, fending off Cru Halliday and Jonathan Nahlous after a tense 13-lap battle under lights. The post Waters holds off Halliday and Nahlous in tense SMP Superbike opener appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Pro Modified veteran Randy Weatherford fired off a 3.543-second pass at 212.26 mph, the first leg of a new E.T. national record, Friday night at the KTR Drag Racing PDRA Carolina Nationals presented by Pee Dee Fleet at Darlington Dragway. The performance in the third and final qualifying session also gave Weatherford the No. 1 qualifier position in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive at the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series season opener. Tommy Franklin (Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by Jerry Bickel Race Cars), Jerry Morgano (Liberty’s Gears Pro Street presented by KTR Drag Racing), J.C. Beattie Jr. (PDRA Pro 632 presented by Mark Williams Enterprises), and Matt Schalow (1320 Fabrication Super Street presented by Brian’s Heating & Cooling) also earned No. 1 qualifier awards in the pro classes. In the sportsman ranks, No. 1 qualifier awards went to Jamie Fowler in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Josh Duggins in Greenbrier Excavating & Paving Elite Top Dragster presented by American Race Cars, Aaron Glaser in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman, and Taylor Davis in ATI Performance Products Top Dragster presented by TBM Brakes. The rising stars of the PDRA continued to show out in the Jr. Dragster classes, which completed two qualifying sessions with a third set for Saturday morning. Ten drivers in Pro Jr. Dragster hit the 7.90 index, with Adeline Porcho topping that list with a 7.901 in her Afton, Tennessee-based ’20 Halfscale dragster. Over in Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster, where reaction times set the qualifying order, Bunker Hill, West Virginia’s Connor Boyd is the provisional No. 1 qualifier with a .010 reaction time. In addition to various No. 1 qualifier bonuses, all the No. 1 qualifiers were awarded custom baseball bats through a newly expanded program with Victus Sports and Kasper Performance Edge. PRO BOOST Though Carolina Nationals qualifying didn’t benefit from the cool conditions typical of the season opener, Randy Weatherford and team proved that the Pro Boost E.T. record isn’t safe this weekend. Under the lights at Darlington Dragway, Weatherford in his Harts Charger-boosted WS Construction ’69 Camaro dipped below the current record, 3.555, with his 3.543 at 212.26 to highlight the final qualifying session. “It’s very rewarding. Now, if I can come away with a victory here, it will really be rewarding,” Weatherford said. “The car’s been running pretty good. I’ve got that new 4.9 AJ motor in it from Pro Line. The car I’ve got right now has been flawless. It’s won and it should have won a couple more races, but we had some issues go wrong. But to come out here and do what we did, it just speaks highly of my team and the people behind me and my employees that work hard for me and give me the opportunity to come out here and play this big ball game here. This is what we come for – it’s the trophies, not the money.” Weatherford will need to run a 3.578 or quicker to back up the record during Saturday eliminations, but the Virginia native is more focused on chasing the race win. “I think the record will take care of itself,” Weatherford said. “I think the temp tomorrow is going to be 60 degrees. We run .54 all day when it was 75 degrees here. The record will follow.” Jason Harris, who boasts pairs of world championships in both Pro Boost and Pro Nitrous, ran just one thousandth off the record, a 3.556 at 211.27, in his Harts Charger-boosted “Party Time” ’69 Camaro to qualify second. Lyle Barnett in Tommy Youmans’ Harts Charger-equipped Wright Mowers “Clean Title” ’18 Camaro qualified third with a 3.561 at 212.46. PRO NITROUS Three-time Pro Nitrous world champion Tommy Franklin was the quickest of the 20 drivers who attempted to qualify for the 16-car field at the season opener. Driving his Musi-powered “Jungle Rat 3.0” ’69 Camaro, Franklin was solidly in the field in fourth going into the final qualifying session. Franklin and tuner Jeff Pierce turned it up for Q3, where Franklin rolled to a 3.634 at 208.24. “There’s a great group of cars. We had 20 cars fighting for 16 spots in Pro Nitrous, which is just badass,” said Franklin, who thanked Pat Musi Racing Engines, Jerry Bickel Race Cars, and Red Line Oil. “Thank you to all those racers that came out and put on a heck of a show tonight. My team just put one together. We had some issues – just first-race issues – testing on Wednesday and we got through that, came out here and made a good lap. I say it all the time – these are the best racers in the world. I say that about every class here at the PDRA. So to come out here and go No. 1 qualifier, just to run up front, period, takes a lot.” “Mountain Man” Mike Achenbach qualified second in his Fulton-powered, Brandon Switzer-tuned ’20 Camaro when he fired off a 3.651 at 207.76. Reigning world champion Marcus Butner and tuner Jay Cox threw down a 3.661 at 207.66 to sit No. 3 in the Musi-powered Butner Motorsports “Heartbreaker” ’69 Camaro. PRO STREET For the first time since 2023, Outlaw 10.5 veteran Jerry Morgano charged to the No. 1 qualifying spot in Pro Street. After struggling to get down the track in the first qualifying session, Morgano posted a 3.960 in the second session to enter final qualifying as the provisional low qualifier. He finally locked in the position with a 3.949 at 203.90 behind the wheel of his turbocharged, small-block-powered “Copperhead” ’02 Mustang. “This is a big deal,” said Morgano, who thanked DiSomma Racing Engines, Bullseye Turbos, and Atomizer Racing Injectors. “We worked our tails off over the offseason, testing and then racing at the Snowbirds, U.S. Street, and World Series. We had a really good showing. We were either super high or super low there. Things went well, and they didn’t, but we just kept plugging away. I’ve got a lot of really good people behind me and it kind of catapulted us into the beginning of the year. My goal coming into this race, I wanted to do my damnedest to try and qualify No. 1. I knew it would be tough. There’s a lot of really fast guys in our class. When we get to run when the sun’s down, anybody can take the No. 1 spot. Luckily it was me today, but really the goal is just to keep plugging away, hit as many as we can, and hope for the best for the season.” Morgano’s future son-in-law, Joel Wensley Jr., qualified second on the strength of a 3.968 at 194.97 in his ProCharged ’14 Camaro. Ron Green, who led the pack after the first qualifying session, stepped up to a 3.972 at 200.53 in his screw-blown “Game Changer” ’00 Firebird but slid to third. PRO 632 Half of the drivers in Pro 632 dipped into the 4.10s, but J.C. Beattie Jr. separated himself from that pack with a 4.127 at 172.55 in his nitrous-assisted ATI Performance ’18 Camaro. That pass in the final qualifying session was enough to give Beattie his first career No. 1 qualifier award. “It’s been a long time coming for us,” Beattie said. “We’ve tried for three years now. We started with N/A [naturally aspirated]. We waited almost two years on a motor, which is well worth the wait now. We stuck it in the car for Bristol last year and came out swinging. Had very few passes on the car and really learned a lot. Made a bunch of mistakes, but Reher-Morrison and Brad [Morgan] put together a really good piece. I’ve got an awesome tuner and the car was a bracket car with a .14 to a .17 and then we turned it up for the final qualifier. It took it. I knew as soon as it got past 60 feet, I think I was already pretty excited, and I saw the .12 pop up. I was like, ‘All right, we got it.’” Jeff Pittman, now in his second season in the class, went to the No. 2 spot in his Barry Allen-powered Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales ’68 Chevelle with a 4.159 at 171.23. Michigan’s Doug Nicholl returned from a one-year hiatus and picked up where he left off, as he qualified third with a 4.161 at 168.86 in his Musi-powered ’68 Camaro. SUPER STREET Last season, the young guns led the way all year in Super Street. That trend continued Friday as a trio of young wheelmen topped the qualifying order after three sessions. Virginia Beach’s Matt Schalow drove his nitrous-assisted, Knieriem-powered ’69 Camaro to a 4.608 at 158.34 to take the No. 1 qualifier spot for the first time in his career. Schalow, who’s been a part of the class since the beginning, brought out the car midway through last season after a crash at the second race of the season sidelined his previous car. “It’s almost like a relief more than anything,” Schalow said of qualifying No. 1. “We’ve been battling this car since we bought it. We’ve not even had this car a year, and with the struggles that we went through last year, to finally have that reward and a No. 1 qualifier, it’s big to us. Obviously, the job’s not done. We’ve still got a long day tomorrow and we want to pick up the victory. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, so we’re going to keep on working on it. We’ve still got some stuff we need to figure out, but for the most part it’s coming along real nicely now.” Defending world champion Connor McGee, based out of Pelion, South Carolina, qualified No. 2 in his Fulton-powered ’90 Mustang with a 4.621 at 155.49. Championship runner-up Austin Vincent, who converted his nitrous-fed Vincent Performance ’88 Mustang to EFI over the winter, went to the third spot with his 4.646 at 137.83. TOP SPORTSMAN South Carolina’s own Jamie Fowler, who earned his first career Elite Top Sportsman win at this event in 2023, scored the No. 1 qualifier award. He laid down a 3.740 at 199.29 in his nitrous-fed, Fulton-powered Pee Dee Fleet ’69 Camaro to hold off 2024 world champion Glenn Butcher, who delivered a 3.760 at 202.16 in his nitrous-fed, Albert-powered Butcher & Son Demolition ’69 Camaro to qualify second. Engine builder Scott Duggins ended up third in his ProCharged PAR Racing Engines ’63 Corvette with a 3.783 at 194.72. In Top Sportsman 32, Aaron Glaser held off two of the most recent world champions, Jeff Talvacchio and Joe Roubicek, to qualify No. 1 with a 4.185 at 172.74 in his nitrous-assisted ’69 Camaro. TOP DRAGSTER Inman, South Carolina-based Elite Top Dragster competitor Josh Duggins claimed the No. 1 qualifier position in his ProCharged PAR Racing Engines ’14 Maddox dragster when he posted a 3.725 at 202.61 in the final session. Two-time world champion Steve Furr led the way going into Q3 and ended up second in his ProCharged ’13 American dragster with a 3.731 at 200.09. Brian Anderson wasn’t far behind with a 3.734 at 196.51 in his ProCharged ’23 Race Tech dragster in third. A long list of Top Dragster drivers attempted to qualify, and the ones that weren’t quick enough for the 16-car Elite field will compete in Top Dragster 48. Taylor Davis of Staley, North Carolina, took the top spot there with a 4.063 at 179.00. The KTR Drag Racing PDRA Carolina Nationals presented by Pee Dee Fleet at Darlington Dragway will wrap up Saturday starting at 9 a.m. with Jr. Dragster final qualifying. Sportsman eliminations will follow. Pre-race ceremonies and pro eliminations will kick off at 12:15 p.m. Saturday general admission tickets are available for $30. 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 March 28, 2026. The post Weatherford, Franklin, Morgano, Beattie and Schalow Begin 2026 PDRA Season as Carolina Nationals No. 1 Qualifiers first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Jake Farnsworth turned pole position into a crushing ASBK Supersport Race 1 victory at Sydney Motorsport Park, clearing out early as late drama for Tom Toparis reshaped the podium fight behind him. The post Farnsworth in a class of his own in opening ASBK Supersport bout at SMSP appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Aprilia has revealed a 30-unit, track-only X 250TH at Austin, built around the RSV4 1100 Factory platform and headlined by MotoGP-style carbon-carbon brakes, 240 horsepower and a stars-and-stripes livery marking 250 years since the United States Declaration of Independence. The post Aprilia unveils X 250TH with MotoGP carbon brakes for US anniversary appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

MotoGP 2026 Round Three – COTA – Friday Across all three classes, Friday at COTA left a familiar impression: the circuit remains physically demanding, technically unforgiving and capable of producing sharp swings in form. Marquez overcame pain and an early crash to head MotoGP, Alonso laid down the clearest marker of the day in Moto2, […] The post Recapping the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 Friday action from COTA – Quotes/Images appeared first on MCNews. View the full article