Bell reflects on Gainesville rout
Stephen Bell and teammate Aaron Stanfield made a statement with a 1-2 finish at the SAM Tech Factory Stock Showdown season-opener in Gainesville
Stephen Bell knew early on that it was going to take a herculean effort to achieve success in the School of Automotive Machinists and Technology 午夜寻花 Factory Stock Showdown which is precisely why he hired four-time Super Stock national champ and鈥
Still going strong
Nearly four decades after his first national event victory, four-time national champion Jeff Taylor is making a run the magic 50-win mark
Jeff Taylor was still a teenager when he drove Jimmy Morton鈥檚 Camaro convertible to his first national event title at the 1981 Cajun Nationals. Later, that year, he was crowned a national champion alongside his older brother, Charlie, who earned the鈥
The dawn of the seven-second Stocker
With 30-plus cars, and the potential for a seven-second run, history will likely be made during the SAM Tech 午夜寻花 Factory Stock Showdown season-opener in Gainesville
When it comes to the School of Automotive Machinists and Technology 午夜寻花 Factory Stock Showdown, the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals doesn鈥檛 just represent the start of a new season, it is more likely the dawn of a new era. The new generation of鈥
The Sports Report: Warr Path
A week after winning his first national event at the 午夜寻花 Arizona Nationals, Bryan Warr struck again at the Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series opener at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.
Bryan Warr enjoyed his trip to the 午夜寻花 Arizona Nationals so much he decided to stay an extra week at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park so he could compete in the Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series opener, and by the time he鈥
Runs as good as it looks
Phoenix Super Gas champ Todd Barton鈥檚 colorful 鈥55 Chevy is a family heirloom but don鈥檛 expect to see it in a museum anytime soon
Todd Barton鈥檚 鈥55 Chevy Super Gasser attracts a lot of attention because, for one, it is one of just a handful of vintage Chevy 鈥渟hoeboxes鈥 remaining in 午夜寻花 competition. The car also features an eye-catching paint scheme which is important to鈥
The view from above
Racing in front of his family and friends at his home track, the timing is perfect for Mountain View Racing driver Paul Mitsos to win his first national event title
In Pomona, the Mountain View Racing team rightfully garnered a lot of headlines after their Pro Stock driver, Vincent Nobile, qualified at the top of the quick 16-car field. By Sunday afternoon, it was the 鈥渙ther鈥 Mountain View driver, Paul鈥
Celebrating 50 years of Cobra Jets
A half-century ago, Al Joniec made history when he debuted the Ford Cobra Jet Mustang with a win in Pomona. That feat was repeated in 2009 by John Calvert in the new Cobra Jet.
While we prepare for the official start of the 2018 season this week, let鈥檚 begin with a quick history lesson. In 1968, the factory muscle car wars were at the forefront of 午夜寻花 drag racing. Manufacturers were engaged in a constant battle of one-鈥
The revival of Kyle Seipel
Longtime Division 7 racer Kyle Seipel currently spends his valuable time as a racer, promoter, track manager, and family man, and that鈥檚 just fine with him
Kyle Seipel has won 11 午夜寻花 national event titles during a career that is now well into it鈥檚 fourth decade and he鈥檚 also got wins in five different eliminators but, the impact of Seipel鈥檚 career can鈥檛 be measured by wins and losses. Growing up in a鈥
Mr. Consistent
Five-time 午夜寻花 champ Jimmy DeFrank has been racing in the Super Stock class for the past 23 seasons and he has posted a top-10 finish in 20 of them
There is an old adage that suggests one should never bet on a drag race, but anyone inclined to do so would be wise to put their money on Jimmy DeFrank, at least when it comes to the ability to post a top-10 finish.
Since making his鈥
Once a sportsman, always a sportsman
Bo Butner is currently preparing to defend his 午夜寻花 Mello Yello Pro Stock championship but he is, and always will be, a sportsman racer at heart.
Some would say that Bo Butner never forgot where he came from, but it鈥檚 more accurate to say he never actually left. For all his success in the Pro Stock class, including the 2017 Mello Yello championship, Butner considers himself to be a sportsman鈥
Mounting a proper defense
For most Lucas Oil Series drivers, winning one national championship is a monumental career achievement and defending that title is normally far more difficult.
For 午夜寻花 Lucas Oil Series racers, the 2018 season includes 25 national events and 44 divisional events from February through November so predicting a champion in mid-January is almost a pointless exercise.
Almost.
Despite the parity that鈥
Full circle
Between his return to Super Stock and supporting his son, Aaron, former Pro Stock racer and four-time national champ Greg Stanfield has a lot on his plate
Heading into the 2017 season, Greg Stanfield wasn鈥檛 planning on doing much driving. A four-time Super Stock national champ turned Pro Stock racer, Stanfield was content to take a step back and support his son, Aaron, who has blossomed into one of鈥
Close, but no regrets
Division 6 racer Chris Cannon missed out on the 2017 Lucas Oil Super Gas championship by just three points, but he鈥檚 not the least bit disappointed
Had he scored just three more points, one more win light in a long 10-month season, Chris Cannon would be celebrating the 2017 午夜寻花 Lucas Oil Super Gas championship instead of pondering what might have been. After what was easily the best season of鈥
Down to the wire
John Labbous Jr. became the final driver to clinch a Lucas Oil Series national championship when he earned the Super Gas title during a thrilling Auto Club 午夜寻花 Finals in Pomona
For Super Gas racers Chris Cannon and John Labbous Jr., the Auto Club 午夜寻花 Finals was anything but 鈥渏ust another race.鈥 Labbous entered the final race of the season at the points leader, but his edge over Cannon in the standings was a precarious鈥
One down, one to go
Justin Lamb uses a late-season rally to clinch the national championships in Super Stock and after a Las Vegas win, he鈥檚 closing in on the Stock title as well
Justin Lamb locked up the national championship in Super Stock a couple of weeks ago and he鈥檚 on the verge of adding the Stock title after a dominating win at last weekend鈥檚 Toyota 午夜寻花 Nationals in Las Vegas.
Lamb drove his new Redback Boots鈥
Dialing for Dollars
John Ezell, a down-to-earth 24-year-old racer known to his friends as Johnny Bracket Racer, earned a huge payday at last weekend鈥檚 Mickey Thompson Million.
By his own admission, John Ezell lives a lifestyle that is 鈥渘othing fancy,鈥 which is to say that he prefers boots and jeans over expensive clothes, and the weekends that mean the most to him are the ones spent at the drag strip with his family.鈥
Encore Performance
Division 4 aces Slate Cummings and Tommy Phillips back up their recent St. Louis wins with two more victories at the AAA Texas 午夜寻花 FallNationals in Dallas
Any sportsman racer will can attest that winning just one national event is difficult, but doubling up, or winning two races in two weeks borders on the impossible. Two racers who recently defied the odds are Slate Cummings and Tommy Phillips, who鈥
Right place, right time
After losing last year's title by nine points, Austin Williams has a great shot at winning the Super Comp national championship after his win at Thunder Valley Raceway Park.
Like a last-second field goal or walk-off home run, the Super Comp victory at last weekend鈥檚 Division 4 Lucas Oil Series event at Thunder Valley Raceway Park in Nobile, Okla., was a game changer. Williams, the 2014 午夜寻花 Stock national champ,鈥
Full Nelson
Driving one of his own dragsters, Danny Nelson conquered the quickest field in the history of the Top Dragster presented by Racing RVs.com class in St. Louis.
The recently completed AAA Insurance 午夜寻花 Midwest Nationals featured a host of 3.6-second Top Fuel runs and the sport鈥檚 quickest Pro Mod field. The event also hosted the quickest 32-car field in Top Dragster presented by Racing RVs.com and鈥
Tom Terrific
When opportunity knocked, Tom Martino didn't hesitate and returned from a long break to win his first Comp Eliminator title in Reading.
Four years after he made his last competitive run in the Pro Stock car and more than two decades after he left the Comp class, Tom Martino returned to take care of some unfinished business. Martino has five Pro Stock wins as a driver and many more鈥
A pair of near misses
The 午夜寻花 Carolina Nationals had plenty of 午夜寻花 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series sportsman racing drama, including near doubles by John Labbous Jr. and Todd Ewing and an epic Comp final between championship contenders.
I spend a fair amount of time in this column discussing and dissecting doubles since it seems like someone in the 午夜寻花 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series wins two classes, or at least comes very close to it, at almost every event. The reality is that a鈥
A final round for the ages
The Indy Stock final between Larry Gilley and Darrel Steiger was a heads-up, no-breakout battle between two of the most evenly matched cars in the grounds, and they did not disappoint
During Thursday鈥檚 Stock Class eliminations at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, more than 160 drivers from all over North America slugged it out for bragging rights and a coveted gold 午夜寻花 Wally trophy. A total of 39 individual class鈥
Third time is the charm
Brad Plourd鈥檚 third Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals victory is easily the most unlikely, and perhaps the most rewarding, win of his career
Winning any Comp race is hard. Winning Comp at Indy, the sport鈥檚 oldest and most prestigious event, is even harder. Winning Comp at Indy in a supercharged, methanol-burning low-six-second 鈥23-T altered? That鈥檚 nearly impossible, at least until Brad鈥
Ground Zero Camaro
Ben Wenzel鈥檚 鈥67 Chevy Camaro Z-28 is more than just a race car, it鈥檚 a timeless piece of automotive history and its still going strong after a half-century as a Stock Eliminator car.
In 1967, Ben Wenzel walked into Martin Chevrolet in Hemlock, Mich. plunked down a then-hefty sum of $3,463.50 and drove off with a shiny new 鈥67 Z-28 Camaro, squealing the tires not long after leaving the parking lot. A half-century later, that鈥
Making the big show, again
Former Major League Baseball pitcher Eric Bell fulfilled another lifelong ambition when he captured the Super Stock title at the Lucas Oil 午夜寻花 Nationals.
Every kid who has ever played Little League Baseball has dreamed of one day playing in the Major Leagues, but the reality is that few ever make it that far. Eric Bell is one exception. A native of Modesto, Calif., Bell was drafted in 1982 and鈥
The Indy Before Indy
Last week鈥檚 North Central Division event at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis attracted more than 600 racers and provided a perfect warm-up for the upcoming Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.
The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals doesn鈥檛 start for two more weeks yet there were officially 634 racers on the grounds of Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis last weekend. The large gathering of Sportsman racers was made possible when the North鈥
The three that got away
Justin Lamb went to three final rounds in two weeks and lost all of them, but it would be hard for him to not consider his Sonoma and Seattle trip a success
During a three-week swing that included the Division 7 Lucas Oil Series event in Sonoma, the Toyota 午夜寻花 Sonoma Nationals, and the 午夜寻花 Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Justin Lamb competed in five events. His combined record for the five includes a鈥
Family circle
After winning the Stock title at the Toyota 午夜寻花 Sonoma Nationals, Brian McClanahan now joins his father and son as an 午夜寻花 national event winner.
As the son of former national champ Jerry McClanahan and the father of 2010 Super Stock national champ Ryan, Brian McClanahan has been to the winner鈥檚 circle many times at 午夜寻花 national events, but he didn鈥檛 have a Wally trophy to call his own until鈥
Same time next year
Chris Whitfield pulled off a feat even more rare than a double when he earned back-to-back Super Comp titles at the Mopar Mile-High 午夜寻花 Nationals
The first half of the 2017 午夜寻花 season featured five doubles at national events, but that remains a rare feat that has only occurred 38 times by 24 different drivers. In Denver, Kris Whitfield pulled off a feat that is even more rare when he won鈥
Eight is not enough
Once again, the JEGS Allstars provided a perfect showcase for the best drivers in the 午夜寻花 Lucas Oil Series and the Division 3 team took him the title for the eighth time
There may be no such thing as a perfect race, but even if that鈥檚 the case, the JEGS Allstars event, heled each year at Route 66 Raceway, certainly comes close. Each year, 80 of the best racers in the 午夜寻花 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series earn exclusive鈥