Race Weekend Central

Pace Laps: Stop & Go at Michigan, Kyle Busch is Back, Champions Prevail

2015 Michigan I Cup Justin Allgaier Riding Squeegee Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Sprint Cup Pace Laps: Raining On NASCAR’s Parade… But Not Kurt’s – You’ve got to feel for NASCAR, who was damned if they did and damned if they didn’t Sunday at Michigan. With a forecast that called for “pop-up showers” it was silly to postpone the Sprint Cup race until Monday; the easy decision was to …

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Nitro Shots: What Makes a Fan?

Nhra 2015 Las Vegas Force With Trophy And Car Credit Gary Nastase

(Credit: Gary Nastase)

The NHRA has been running a “Baptism By Nitro” campaign all season, encouraging fans to bring along family and friends who have never been to a race. The thinking is that once they see, hear and feel NHRA action in person they will become fans too, and it’s not a bad plan for the NHRA. …

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Nitro Shots: Drag Racing, Home of the True Gearheads

Nhra 2015 Spencer Massey Car Shot Courtesy Nhra Media

(Photo courtesy NHRA Media)

You can make a pretty good argument for the idea that drag racing fans are the true gearheads of the motorsports world. NASCAR fans absolutely feel manufacturer loyalty; some will even switch long-standing driver loyalties because their guy went from Chevy to Ford. But it’s something different for drag racing fans. Something more than just …

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Ashley Force Hood Named VP of John Force Racing, Inc.

Nhra 2015 Ashley Force Hood Family Courtesy Jfr

(Photo Courtesy: John Force Racing)

In an effort to streamline corporate operations and cut costs, John Force Racing, Inc. CEO John Force announced that Ashley Force Hood would be taking on the role of Vice-President of John Force Racing, Inc. She previously served as President of John Force Entertainment, but the two companies will now be consolidated into a single …

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Nitro Shots: What a Rush!

Zmax Dragway Carolina Nationals Jr Todd 2014 Mike Neff 080

Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch

JR Todd, our featured driver in Nitro Shots this week, celebrated his one year anniversary driving a Top Fuel dragster for Kalitta Motorsports this past weekend, having started with the team at Las Vegas last year. So what does a guy who goes over 300 mph in under four seconds do to celebrate? Something that’s …

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Pace Laps: Youth Prevails, Redemption in Vegas, Controversy & More

Indycar 2015 Nola Simon Pagenaud In Grass Credit Bret Kelley

Photo Credit: Bret Kelley

Xfinity Series: The Future Has Arrived – It only took nine races until Erik Jones drove a Joe Gibbs Racing car into Victory Lane. The soon-to-be 19-year-old outran two Cup Series veterans at Texas, and in doing so, gave JGR its first Xfinity Series win since Matt Kenseth‘s triumph in the season-finale last year. Jones’s victory …

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Nitro Shots: Keeping the Wheels on the Ground

2015 Nhra Larry Dixon Car Shot Credit Nhra Media

Photo Credit: NHRA Media

Drag racer Tina Pierce wrecked Saturday night at an IHRA event. Almost immediately, video circulated on the internet and social media, prompting unfortunate comments from some male readers. Granted, they were not in the majority, but they were disturbing, saying things like “this is why women shouldn’t race” and that she could not drive. Pierce, …

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Nitro Shots: Heroes and Zeroes

Nhra 2015 Drew Skillman Car Shot

Rookie Pro Stock driver Drew Skillman just continues to impress. In his first Pro Stock outing at Pomona two weeks ago, he made it all the way to the finals, defeating teammate and defending world champion Erica Enders-Stevens in the semifinals. He lost to veteran Jason Line that day, but he certainly got everyone’s attention. …

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NHRA 2015 Preview: Top Fuel and Funny Car

Zmax Dragway Carolina Nationals Tony Schumacher 2014 Mike Neff 090

(Photo Credit: Mike Neff, Frontstretch)

Days are getting longer, winter is hopefully winding down, and football season has come to an end. What does all that mean? It means it’s time for racing season! The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series hits the track at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona this weekend for the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, so in …

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Beyond the Cockpit with John and Courtney Force: May the Forces Be With You

Zmax Dragway Carolina Nationals John Force 2014 Mike Neff 064

Credit: Mike Neff

Frontstretch provided live coverage of the NHRA Pep Boys Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C., last month. During the weekend our Toni Montgomery and Mike Neff had the chance to sit down with NHRA Funny Car legend John Force as well as his daughter Courtney Force. Force talked about racing and winning at the …

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NHRA for Everyone: Diversity Done Right

Nhra 2014 4 Wides Brittany Force Intros

(Credit: Mike Neff)

Race cars don’t know what color or sex their drivers are. But the fans in the stands do and the realization over the years across the board has pretty much been this: get a diverse range of drivers on the track, draw a diverse, and larger, base of fans who are interested in seeing those …

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NHRA’s Family Affair

Zmax Dragway Carolina Nationals John And Courtney Force 2014 Mike Neff 006

Father’s racing sons, brothers racing brothers. It’s been done in pretty much every form of racing. Daughter’s racing father’s, sisters racing sisters, and wives racing husbands is a bit more unusual. The fact that all of these things take place on every level of NHRA competition at every event means that the phrase “it’s a …

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