The Sports Report: Night moves
Under the lights on Saturday night, NHRA’s best sportsman racers chased Gainesville glory at the 50th annual Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals.
It might not have been exactly what the event planners had in mind, but when sportsman eliminations for the 50th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals were moved to Saturday evening, it made for an electric atmosphere, especially for those who…
The Sports Report: Rising from the ashes
A year after his team suffered a devastating trailer fire, Cody Lane returned to claim an emotional Stock win in Phoenix.
Regular readers of The Sports Report will no doubt remember a year ago when the Hancock & Lane team was nearly put out of business before their season had started. Heading from their home in Seattle to Pomona for the traditional season-…
The Sports Report: Late, but worth the wait
Led by Scott McClay, Ryan McClanahan, and Kevin Wright, NHRA’s Lucas Oil Series stars shine in rain-delayed Pomona opener.
A year after watching his father, Brian, claim the national championship in Stock, Ryan McClanahan joined the fun by winning his eighth-career national event title in Pomona. McClanahan drove his eight-second Cobalt to the win…
Forrest's last gift
Longtime NHRA Super Stock racer Forrest Pierdolla passed away recently, and he was a hot rodder until the very end.
On Tuesday, Nov. 27, longtime NHRA Super Stock racer Forrest Pierdolla lost his long battle with cancer. The NHRA class racing community is a close-knit group, especially in the South Central Division where the Texas-based Pierdolla was one of…
The Sports Report: Rampy joins the century club
David Rampy became just the fourth driver to win 100 NHRA national events when he drove to the Comp title in Pomon
For all the drama and excitement generated during the season-ending Auto Club 91°µÍř Finals in Pomona there was one achievement that stands out above the rest because there is a good chance that it may not be duplicated for quite some time. Comp…
The Sports Report: The long road to victory
Chris Stephenson’s season-long journey pays off with his first Stock Eliminator win at the NHRA Toyota Nationals.
“No journey is too long when one finds what he seeks.” – Old Chinese proverb.
After winning his first national event at the NHRA Toyota Nationals, Division 3 Stock racer Chris Stephenson can relate to that bit of ancient Chinese wisdom.…
The Sports Report: What's the point?
Breaking down the Lucas Oil Series sportsman championship battles leading into the final three weeks of the 2018 season.
For NHRA’s Lucas Oil Series sportsman drivers, this is crunch time. There are just four races left in the 2018 season including a pair of divisional events in Nobile, Okla., and Las Vegas and the two Mello Yello series national events in Las Vegas…
The Sports Report: A bet on Proctor is no gamble
Following his second win of the season, Ronnie Proctor has an excellent chance to win the national championship in Top Sportsman presented by Racing RVs.com.
A year ago, Ronnie Proctor was one of those guys who raced hard and hoped that his drive and determination would one-day allow him to hoist an NHRA Wally trophy. Proctor checked that item off his to-do list earlier this year with a win in…
The Sports Report: One single point
Following his win at the AAA Texas 91°µÍř Fall Nationals in Dallas, Brian McClanahan leads the Lucas Oil Drag racing Series Stock championship battle by a single point.
Needing nothing less than a victory to wrest the point lead from reigning Stock Eliminator national champ Justin Lamb, Brian McClanahan delivered the goods with a well-timed victory in the Lone Star State. Lamb, who is seeking an unprecedented feat…
Clutch performer
Tim Nicholson’s unique approach to Super Gas racing yields big results with a victory at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals
For most, the recipe for success in the Super Gas class is fairly straightforward. Take a tube-chassis race car, preferably a roadster, a big block engine with enough horsepower to run over 165-mph, and add a throttle stop, trans-brake, timer, delay…
The Sports Report: Pressure. What pressure?
In the midst of a heated battle for what could be his second Lucas Oil Series Super Stock national championship Anthony Bertozzi picked up career win No. 20 in Reading.
It remains to be seen whether Anthony Bertozzi can hang on to win the NHRA Super Stock national championship but even if his bid for a second title falls short, he’s going to remember the 2018 season as one of his best. Bertozzi defeated Epping…
Indy's new hometown hero
At the age of 21, Jr. Drag Racing League grad Devin Isenhower has already won a Division 3 championship and now he’s the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals Super Gas champion.
On Sunday, Sept. 2, Devin Isenhower posted the following on his Facebook page: “It’s getting brutal out here. Made it through with the roadster to be into the semis! Bowed out by .004 in the dragster after a great race. Racing on a Monday at the…
The Sports Report: Line goes back-to-back in Brainerd
After a heads-up, no breakout final round, Ben Line claimed his second-straight Stock Eliminator victory at his home event, the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes and when it comes to events at Brainerd Int’l Raceway, there also seems to be a similar number of racers from the Line family. Most NHRA fans are very familiar with Pro Stock champion Jason Line, but…
The Sports Report: Fifth time is a charm
After four-straight runner-up finishes at his home event, the CatSpot NHRA Northwest Nationals, Ryan Warter finally cashed in with his first national event victory
It took a little longer than he had hoped, but Ryan Warter finally joined the ranks of NHRA event champions when he defeated Randi Lyn Shipp in the final round of the CatSpot NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle. Warter won the all-Pontiac final…
The Sports Report: Home built hot rod
Ken Ratzloff earned the Top Sportsman title at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals behind the wheel of his home built ’53 Studebaker
The Top Sportsman presented by Racing RVs.com class is not for the faint of heart. Featuring a bracket racing format among the quickest 32 full-bodied cars in the field, the class has become a home for professionally-built race cars that more…
The Sports Report: Seems like an eternity
Drew Skillman wasn’t able to defend his Pro Stock title at the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals, but after a lengthy wait on the starting line, he made the most of the trip with a win in Stock Eliminator.
In a sport were wins and losses are often determined by thousandths of a second, seven seconds is an eternity. Yet, that’s how long Drew Skillman had to sit on the starting line behind the wheel of his Cobra Jet Mustang in the Stock final before he…
The Sports Report: A winning strategy
Using a never-give-up mentality, Super Stock racer Anthony Bongiovanni captured his first national event title at the NHRA New England Nationalsin Epping.
As the founder and CEO of Micro Strategies, New Jersey-based businessman Anthony Bongiovanni has made a nice living out of identifying and solving complex problems. A decade ago, Bongiovanni decided to go drag racing and applied some of the same…
The Sports Report: The dynamic duo strikes again
Sportsman racing icons Dan Fletcher and David Rampy share the spotlight again with wins at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk.
It’s often been said that it’s impossible to make a living as a sportsman drag racer but apparently, no one ever told Dan Fletcher and David Rampy. Risk-takers who elected to tackle the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing…
The Sports Report: An almost perfect Father’s Day
Ed Longhany and his son, Ed Jr., enjoyed a Father’s Day celebration they won’t soon forget after they both reached the final round of the Fitzgerald USA NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol.
Ed Longhany Jr. earned his first-ever NHRA national event victory when he stopped perennial championship contender Joe Santangelo in the Stock final at the Fitzgerald USA NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol. As excited as Longhany was to…
The Sports Report: Winning is contagious
One week after breaking a four-year winless drought in Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin Jr. scored again by winning the Super Comp title at the NHRA Virginia Nationals.
Reigning Mello Yello world champ Bo Butner isn’t the only NHRA pro that maintains close ties to his sportsman racing roots. Five-time Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. also has an impressive sportsman racing resumé that includes the 1992 Super…
The Sports Report: The highs and lows of Koy Collier
Two weeks after his father, Steve, was injured in an on-track accident in Topeka, Koy Collier went to Chicago and nearly doubled-up at the JEGS Route 66 NHRA Nationals.
To suggest that the last three weeks have been some of the most stressful, and worrisome, but ultimately rewarding times of young Koy Collier’s life would be a huge understatement. Collier is a member of one of drag racing’s most successful families…
The Sports Report: Can't keep Mans down
It took seven years, but Super Stock racer Michael Mans fnally made his return to a national event winner’s circle with a convincing win in Topeka
A lot has happened in Michael Mans’ life since 2011 and most of it has been good. Mans has gotten married and started a family, but until this weekend’s Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties, the one thing that hadn’t happened was an…
The Sports Report: Helms still winning while in new role at Don Schumacher Racing
Four-time world champ Kevin Helms has made the transition to his new role as a crew chief at Don Schumacher Racing, but he's still as competitive as ever with an Atlanta victory.
A lot has changed for Kevin Helms since he won his fourth NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Stock championship in 2015. After spending more than a decade working with the Teuton family on their Houma, La.-based Southland Dodge team, Helms moved from…
The Sports Report: Feels like the first time
Retired U.S. Army veteran Don O’Neal fulfills his 20-year quest to win an NHRA national event title with a Top Sportsman win in Charlotte
Three years ago, Don O’Neal bounced his then-new Chevy Monte Carlo Top Sportsman car off the retaining wall at Lucas Oil Raceway Indianapolis. The car was damaged but repairable and O’Neal emerged unhurt. A lesser racer might have second-guessed his…
The Sports Report: A near miss and a father-son final
Brenda Grubbs just missed a chance to become NHRA’s first female double winner, and the Collier family scored big at the NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway
So far, there have been 24 drivers to double-up at an NHRA national event but surprisingly, none of them have been females. Mia Tedecso, Michelle Furr, Lauren Freer, and Brina Splingaire have come close, but that is one of the few barriers in NHRA…
The Sports Report: With a little help from our friends
With the support of the racing community, Division 6 racers Jeff and Cody Lane were able to quickly return to action following a devastating trailer fire
Jeff and Cody Lane’s 2018 season was almost over before it began. En route from their home in Washington to Pomona for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, the Hancock & Lane team encountered every racer’s worst nightmare; a trailer…
The Sports Report: Joe Mozeris knows Comp Eliminator, and a recap of the Sportsman action in Vegas
Nearly two decades after making his debut in the Comp Eliminator class, Joe Mozeris finally claimed his first national event victory in Las Vegas
Five years ago, Joe Mozeris got to celebrate in the winner’s circle at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after his daughter, Kayla, claimed the Stock Eliminator title at the spring NHRA event. As rewarding as that experience was, Mozeris…
The Sports Report: Bucky Hess and the one that didn't get away
Separated for almost four decades, Super Stock racer Bucky Hess is reunited with his prized Hemi-powered '70 Challenger
Most NHRA fans know Super Stock racer Bucky Hess for his success in Mopar Hemi Challenge events and for his string of show quality SS/AH ’68 Plymouth Barracuda factory race cars. Hess has always been a fan of the Mopar brand, dating back to the late…
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 91°µÍř Factory Stock Showdown which is precisely why he hired four-time Super Stock national champ and…
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’s 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…