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The IHRA announced major changes to its Outlaw Nitro Series schedule. Several races have been removed the schedule due to facility issues.View the full article

The Trump Administration gave it to Alaska. Alaska wants to sell it to Canadian and Australian mining companies.View the full article

After a standout qualifying performance at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Alexis DeJoria and the John Force Racing Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team carried that momentum into a semifinal finish on race day at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The fan-favorite driver outpaced Blake Alexander and Chad Green before tire smoke ended her bid for a Wally trophy against Ron Capps. DeJoria was competitive and consistent throughout qualifying, landing her Bandero Café Funny Car in the top three of each session. On Friday, her solid pass of 3.947 seconds at 331.53 mph was the second-lowest elapsed time of the session and earned her two bonus points. She improved on her performance in the next qualifying attempt, making the third-fastest pass of Q2 with a 3.918 at 330.63. As qualifying continued on Saturday, crew chiefs Mike “Zippy” Neff and Jonnie Lindberg powered her to a stellar lap of 3.886 at 330.31 to earn two more bonus points. The final qualifying opportunity delivered more of the same as DeJoria once again made the second-best pass with a strong 3.900 at 334.32. Starting race day from the No. 2 position for the second consecutive event, DeJoria faced No. 15 qualifier Alexander in the first heat of eliminations. Alexander had the early advantage and was outpacing DeJoria through the first 300 feet before he started to smoke the tires. DeJoria sped around him, reaching the stripe in 3.918 seconds at 333.41 mph to advance to the quarterfinals. In the second round of eliminations, DeJoria was eager for redemption as she faced Chad Green, who has defeated DeJoria in two final rounds this season. Green ran into tire smoke at the launch, allowing DeJoria to breeze by him and turn on the win light with another remarkable run of 3.958 at 329.18. “Beating Chad Green was huge,” said DeJoria. “He definitely had it coming. I could not wait to beat him. When that win light came on in our lane, I was like, ‘finally!’” In the semifinals, DeJoria faced three-time world champion Ron Capps. The two seasoned drivers left the starting line within two-thousandths of each other, but DeJoria ran into tire smoke at the hit, ceding the win to Capps. “We made it down the track every time except for that semifinal round,” added DeJoria, whose 2026 record includes two runner-up finishes, a Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win, and now, two semifinal appearances. “We had three-second runs all through qualifying. We racked up 40 points today, and seven bonus points during qualifying, which is excellent. We’ve got a really great car. We all thought this was definitely our weekend. There aren’t any ifs. It’s just a matter of when because (a win is) happening very soon. I’m excited to go to Sonoma. I know they will have some cool weather there. We have a really fast race car; we’re qualifying well, and we are solid. This car can run in any conditions right now, and my team has really got a handle on it. Everyone on this team is kicking ass and we all get along so well; we’re all on the same page. Nobody wants to come up against us because we’ve got an excellent race car and a strong team. We’re just going to keep chipping away at it.” DeJoria and the John Force Racing Bandero Café team will now shift their focus to the West Coast as they prepare for the next stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour, the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 17-19 at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., where DeJoria will start the weekend ranked seventh in the Mission Foods Funny Car standings. The post Alexis DeJoria Builds on Strong Qualifying Outing with Norwalk Semifinal Run first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Instead of standing still, Honda's reorganizing the entire business. HView the full article

Long-form videos show the build and how it's coming together as a real, operating vehicle. But short clips with no context almost look too good to be true.View the full article

Marco Bezzecchi's crash was terrifyingly fast.View the full article

Turns out that even the greatest builders in the world run out of garage space from time to time, and they need to make room.View the full article

A one-make series we go!View the full article

The rest of the world already bought in. Now Kymco wants to see if America finally gets the hype.View the full article

A one-of-a-kind custom motorcycle that combines the iconic styling of the Kawasaki ZRX1200R with the legendary performance of Suzuki’s Hayabusa has surfaced on the auction market. Listed on Bring a Trailer, this 2004 Kawasaki ZRX1200R—dubbed Kawabusa 3—represents the latest evolution of a series of ambitious hybrid builds created by Norm Wilding of Mid-Missouri Motorcycles in Columbia, Missouri. Completed in 2022, the project was showcased at that year’s Handbuilt Motorcycle Show in Austin, Texas, where it highlighted an unconventional approach to […] The post FOR SALE: 2004 Kawasaki ZRX1200R Custom appeared first on Return of the Cafe Racers. View the full article

Jeff Rudolf experienced a horrific crash at the end of the 2025 season at Bradenton. Rudolf has rebuilt his Pro Mod and is back racing.View the full article

Moto News Weekly Wrap June 30, 2026 What’s New: Midwinter replaces McGillivray for ISDE AMA Pro MX reignites at RedBud following Summer break Tom Vialle a WSX British GP wildcard! Ken Roczen confirmed for AUSX Auckland Jo Shimoda set for 450 debut at AUSX FIM Flat Track World Championship – Round Three U21 Speedway World […] The post Moto News | GNCC | Flat Track | Speedway | MX | SX appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Seven months ago, no driver in Pro Modified history had ever competed for a million dollars. Since that time, Jason Harris has not only achieved that opportunity – he’s done it twice. His first chance came in December after winning the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks, the first race of the 2025/26 Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service. The Elite Motorsports Million offered $1 million to any driver that could win all three events of the Winter Series. Unfortunately, Harris suffered a second-round defeat to Derek Menholt at the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission in January, ending his initial quest for the huge payday. Although dejected at the time, Harris knew the odds were against him from the start. “I think we all looked at the Million when it first came out and thought it’s not feasible, but then I think when you actually get in the seat where you think you can do it, then it is feasible,” Harris reflected after the loss. “It’s not like I lost it by a thousandth. I lost it by a lot of rounds. I had to go 10 more rounds to be perfect. Is it impossible? No, but it’s a very, very hard task.” Harris admitted at the time that he felt a lot of pressure on himself, which may be why he’s the most well-positioned driver to go after it again. He’s no stranger to feeling pressure – with two PDRA Pro Nitrous world championships, back-to-back PDRA Pro Boost world championships, and the aforementioned Snowbirds victory, he’s been the hunted for much of his career. His recent victory at the inaugural IHRA Triple Crown event in Hebron, Ohio offers Harris a unique shot at redemption, and this time he has prior experience on his side. The final two Triple Crown events will be contested as part of a doubleheader weekend, September 10-13, at Darana – Maple Grove Raceway. If Harris wins both races, he’ll get $1 million. “I’m probably the one person they didn’t want to see win this because I’ve probably got the best chance at the million,” Harris said after his win in Ohio. “I’ve already had a chance at a million one time this year and it didn’t work out, but this is a dream come true. At Snowbirds, I thought it was unattainable until I won the first one, and then I put too much pressure on myself. This time I’m just gonna go out, have fun, and win races.” When looking at whether winning the Triple Crown is a realistic possibility, there’s a variety of factors to consider: the car, the driver, and the competition. All three variables will play a crucial role in either a seven-figure payday, or another heartbreaking loss. First let’s take a look at the car: the Harts Charger-equipped, “Party Time” ’69 Camaro tuned by ProLine Racing’s Brandon Stroud. Harris has found success everywhere in it this season – the DI Winter Series, PDRA, and especially IHRA. In the five IHRA events so far this year (Pro Mod Mania, Triple Crown, and three national events), Harris has four No. 1 qualifiers, two event wins, and two runner-up finishes. His round record is an incredible 20-3 in 2026 IHRA competition. In the one event he didn’t qualify No. 1, he still qualified third, only seven-thousandths of a second from the top spot. His worst performance in eliminations was a semifinal finish at Pro Mod Mania in Milan, Michigan. Not only does Harris routinely have the quickest car on the property, he also has the most consistent, rarely needing to abort a run due to tire shake or parts failure. Other drivers have taken notice, including 2025 World Series of Pro Mod champion Steve King. “He is the most dominant car and driver in Pro Modified since Scotty Cannon in years past,” says King, who also co-hosts the Boost & Bullsh*t podcast with Harris. “Not only is the car running low e.t. of every session, it is also the most consistent car and driver in the field. He is the one car that every racer would pick to be the one to win the million.” Now let’s look at Harris himself. According to “Stat Guy” Chris LeCloux, nobody is better than Harris when it comes to gaining a starting line advantage. LeCloux took the average of the top seven reaction times in eliminations for every driver that has competed in the IHRA this year, and Harris sits atop the list with a .014 average, followed closely by Jacob McNeal and Kye Kelley, who both average an .015 RT. In the final three rounds of competition at the inaugural Triple Crown, Harris went .012, .015, and .019 on the tree. When you pair that with the above-mentioned performance of his car, it’s a nearly unbeatable combination. “I don’t see myself as the baddest man in Pro Mod – I just feel like I’ve been that guy this year,” says Harris. “I’ve got a great car, a great crew, and I drive okay sometimes. Everything adds up. If Brandon Stroud is on and I’m on, we’re unstoppable with the combination we’ve got.” However, as good as he’s been, Harris isn’t perfect. Despite running a nearly identical elapsed time as Melanie Salemi (Harris 3.5992, Salemi 3.5982) in the semifinals at Pro Mod Mania, his -.0142 red light ended his chance immediately. At the two IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series events Harris hasn’t won, he’s suffered the exact opposite issue: uncharacteristically late reaction times. At the season opener in Benson, N.C, Harris was .093 on the tree and lost the final round on a holeshot to 2025/26 DI Winter Series points champion Peter Norton after Norton went .026, allowing his 3.567 to stay ahead of the quicker 3.545 run from Harris. At Virginia Motorsports Park earlier in the season, Harris was even later in the final round (.133 reaction time), giving Tony Wilson the victory. Those examples are clearly the exception, not the rule – even with those hiccups, Harris has been superior overall to every other driver this year. But in the hunt for $1 million, it only takes one hiccup to derail the entire plan. Harris understands that, and has adjusted accordingly. “We just have to do the same thing we’ve been doing,” Harris says. “Race the racetrack, race the guy next to you, and don’t make mistakes. I made some mistakes earlier in the year that cost me some wins, but I learned from those. That’s all you can do as a driver is learn from every little mistake.” And finally, the competition. When I first began looking into this, it appeared to me that winning the IHRA Triple Crown should be less difficult than winning the Elite Million at the DI Winter Series. Notice I didn’t say easy; there’s nothing easy about any of this. Simply less difficult. My reasoning is two-fold. First is simply the quantity of top-tier competitors. When Harris won the Snowbirds, there were 80 Pro Mods on the qualifying sheet. Subsequently, the U.S. Street Nationals featured 70 cars, while the WSOPM had 64. That means at the very least, half the field was going home before eliminations even began. By comparison, the first IHRA Triple Crown race fielded 31 cars. Pro Mod Mania had 25. Fewer cars means fewer teams that can potentially beat you. Second, and perhaps more importantly, is that IHRA features a standard qualifying ladder, while the DI Winter Series uses a chip-draw format for every round. By virtue of his four No. 1 qualifying positions (as well as his No. 3 spot), Harris has the advantage of receiving a more favorable draw throughout eliminations. In fact, according to LeCloux, four out of the five bye runs Harris has received in eliminations this season was by virtue of him being the top qualifier, including the first round of the Triple Crown. In contrast, when Harris qualified No. 1 at the Snowbirds, he still drew Pro Mod legend Mark Micke, who had qualified No. 1 at all three Winter Series events the previous year. It didn’t get any easier after that, as Harris immediately drew No. 2 qualifier Jimmy Taylor in the second round. At the Triple Crown, that matchup wouldn’t be possible until the finals. But while there are clear advantages this time around in his quest for a million dollars, there are still a ton of elite drivers that can knock Harris out of contention – and with (likely) 10 rounds of competition still to go, it only has to happen once. Here’s just a small sample of some of the competition Harris had to outlast in Hebron, and will likely be gunning for him again in September at Maple Grove: DI Winter Series points champion Peter Norton; 2026 U.S. Street Nationals winner and two-time NHRA Pro Mod world champion “Stevie Fast” Jackson; 2026 Shakedown at M’Town winner Paul Gargus, driving the same Scott Tidwell Racing Camaro that earned Aaron Stanfield a 2026 WSOPM championship; 2025 WSOPM champion Steve King; 2024 Snowbirds winner Kye Kelley; 2021 Snowbirds winner and 2026 Pro Mod Mania runner-up Melanie Salemi; as well as a slew of rising young stars like Triple Crown runner-up Jacob McNeal, Kallee Tally, Paige Coughlin, and Mike Decker III. Oh, and let’s not forget Travis Harvey, the $125,000 IHRA Pro Mod Mania winner who missed the first Triple Crown race due to prior obligations with his Carolina N/T series. Harvey is one of just a handful of drivers who can match Harris pound-for-pound with his driving skills, which he proved over the weekend at the PDRA North vs. South Shootout, defeating Harris on a holeshot in the Pro Boost semifinals en route to an event win. Am I rooting for Harris to take home the $1 million? Yes. Do I believe he has a legitimate shot at it? Absolutely. He was correct when he said he’s the one driver who probably has the best shot at it. He has the skills, the car, and the experience to put it all together. He may only have to win 8-9 rounds instead of 10 if he earns more bye runs. But…as great as all that sounds, do I think it’s likely? No. And that’s not a knock on Harris at all. I’ve followed this sport for more than 40 years, and all too often I’ve seen the smallest thing lay waste to the best-laid plans – whether it’s a red light, tire shake, a 20-cent part failure, or simply a hero run by another driver. But if Harris can navigate through all that, he will go down as the only driver in Pro Mod history to ever do it, further cementing his legendary status in the sport. And as for finishing the year out as a millionaire? Harris is pretty blunt about that. “I hope I do. I need it bad. I’m gonna try to keep this thing rolling while I can because you never know when it might stop.” The post Op-Ed: Can Jason Harris Become Pro Mod’s Million Dollar Man? first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) today announced revisions to its remaining 2026 drag racing schedule as the organization continues making significant investments in its facilities and implementing key initiatives designed to strengthen the future of the series. While IHRA fully intended to return to Darana Dragway – Milan, Michigan, Empire Dragway, Darana-Heartland Motorsports Park, and Atlanta Dragway during the 2026 season, the organization has made the difficult decision to remove those events from the current schedule. Over the past several months, IHRA has worked closely with local cities, counties, states, and contractors to complete substantial improvements and upgrades at multiple facilities. As these projects progressed, it became clear that the remaining timeline would not allow the organization to deliver the level of quality, professionalism, safety, and fan experience that IHRA expects from its events. Rather than continue delaying decisions or opening facilities that do not meet those standards, IHRA believes it is important to be transparent with its racers, teams, sponsors, and fans. “We understand many people will be disappointed by this decision, and quite honestly, so are we,” said Dustin Farthing, President of the IHRA. “Our goal must be to build facilities and create experiences that our racers, fans, and communities can be proud of. Working with cities, counties, and contractors on projects of this scale takes time, and we were optimistic about what could be accomplished within our original timeframe. “At the end of the day, the IHRA has a standard that we intend to uphold. Opening a facility that isn’t ready or doesn’t meet our expectations doesn’t benefit our racers, fans, or partners. Rather than continue pushing timelines back, we felt it was important to make a clear decision and continue the work necessary to ensure these facilities open at the level everyone deserves.” In addition to facility improvements, IHRA continues to invest heavily in the future of the organization. These efforts include a fully integrated website, an upgraded ticketing platform, enhanced fan engagement tools, improved operational systems, and several behind-the-scenes initiatives designed to elevate the experience for racers, teams, sponsors, and fans alike. The remainder of the 2026 drag racing season will feature three events: August 13–15: Dragway 42 – West Salem, Ohio (IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series) September 10–13: Darana Raceway at Maple Grove Park – Mohnton, Pennsylvania (IHRA Triple Crown x2) October 8–10: Darana Motorsports Park – Benson, North Carolina (IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series Finals) IHRA appreciates the patience, understanding, and continued support of its racers, teams, sponsors, and fans throughout this transition. The organization remains focused on completing improvements, strengthening operations, and ensuring future events and facilities meet the standards the IHRA community expects and deserves. Fans and racers who have already purchased tickets or paid entry fees for affected events will automatically receive a full refund. Refund processing will begin over the next week, and no action is required unless contacted directly by IHRA. “As President of the IHRA, my responsibility is to do what is best for the long-term success of our organization, our facilities, and the racers, teams, sponsors, and fans who support us,” added Farthing. “Every decision we make will be guided by our commitment to creating first-class experiences that everyone involved can be proud of.” This story was originally published on June 29, 2026. The post IHRA Announces Revised 2026 Drag Racing Schedule first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

After battling through a challenging qualifying effort, four-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown and the AB Motorsports team found their stride when it mattered most, racing to a runner-up finish Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. The event carried extra significance for Brown and the Matco Tools team. Norwalk serves as a homecoming race with longtime partners Matco Tools and Summit Racing Equipment, headquartered nearby. Earlier in race week, Brown visited both company headquarters to spend time with employees before returning to the racetrack. The weekend also held special meaning for crew chief Brian Corradi, an Ohio native and owner of Master Pizza and Corradi’s Scoops Ice Cream Shop in the Cleveland area. Qualifying proved difficult as Friday and Saturday’s cooler conditions gave way to significantly warmer temperatures on race day. Brown opened qualifying with a solid 3.843-second pass at 329.02 mph before improving to a 3.828 at 329.50 mph during the second session. Despite the quicker elapsed time, Brown slipped to the No. 8 provisional position heading into Saturday. The first round of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge brought a semifinal rematch with Doug Kalitta from Bristol, but Brown encountered problems immediately after the hit and coasted to an 8.045-second run at 75.79 mph. The NHRA Top 75 driver rebounded in the final qualifying session with his quickest run of the weekend, a 3.825 at 310.48 mph. Although the run wasn’t enough to improve his position, he entered eliminations from the No. 14 qualifying spot. Facing one of the toughest opening-round matchups of the day against Leah Pruett, Brown delivered exactly what his team needed. He left first off the starting line and never trailed, posting a 3.763-second run to Pruett’s 3.781 to advance and earn lane choice. Brown continued his charge in the second round against Tony Schumacher. Once again, he was first off the line, and when Schumacher encountered trouble down track, Brown powered to a 3.806-second pass at 329.34 mph to move into the semifinals. The semifinal round tested both drivers as Brown and Clay Millican each battled traction issues shortly after launch. Brown expertly pedaled his Matco Tools Eagle Experience Top Fuel dragster and regained momentum first, advancing to his third final round appearance of the season. In the championship round, Brown squared off against Maddi Gordon. Brown once again won the starting-line battle, but Gordon drove around him before the 300-foot mark to claim the victory with a 3.786-second pass. Brown crossed the finish line in 3.840 seconds to secure the runner-up finish. “To rebound after qualifying, where we had some struggles, and then to come out on race day and throw up a 3.76 on the first lap, and with that really tough first-round matchup against Leah, that was an unbelievable job by our team,” Brown said. “You’ve got to give credit where credit’s due. Maddi came up in that final, and they swung, and they hit a grand slam out of the park right there. We came up there, and we were a little cautious. We wanted to make sure we went down the racetrack. But all in all, it was a great day for our Matco Tools team. We just really wanted to put it in the winner’s circle for Summit and Matco. This was their hometown track. We fell a little short, but at the end of the day, it was a great, great points day.” Brown and the Matco Tools team head west for the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge, July 17-19, at Sonoma Raceway. This story was originally published on June 29, 2026. The post Antron Brown Charges to Final Round at Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

(Words and Photos by Joe Grippo) Arguably the biggest bombshell news story that came out of last year’s PRI show was the legendary Pennsylvania drag strip Maple Grove Raceway being acquired by the newly reinvigorated IHRA sanctioning body. The seismic ripples were felt throughout the drag racing world, but none more than in my neck of the woods. Maple Grove Raceway is my home track, I have been going there since I was child, watching my dad Joe Sr. racing his Mach 1. I was finally able to race at the Grove myself for the first time in 1987, during the High School Challenge in my own Mach 1. For 2026 Grippo Racing is celebrating 30 years of participating in the Grove’s bracket ET Series. We live a mere 20 minutes away, so it really is our home away from home. The off season brought many questions and of course internet fueled rumors of doom and gloom. I’m here to say all is well at Maple Grove Raceway, or as it has been rebranded Darana Raceway Maple Grove Park. Although Mother Nature hampered the start of the season washing away two of our ET Series races and pushing the IHRA Triple Crown National Event to September, a full schedule of events is underway. This past weekend over 300 of some of the toughest bracket racers in the country filed through the gates for the official kickoff of the E.T. Series, all vying for the sizable payouts and IHRA points. Top, Mod, Sportsman, Teen Challenge, Jr Dragsters, Motorcycles and 8.50 Index were contested. General Manager Shane Sweigart and his staff put on efficiently run weekend of racing. Keeping the staging lanes full and moving the program along while always keeping the racing surface consistent and pretty much perfect. Even squeezing in a buyback round each day and a separate Gamblers race on Saturday night. Really the only negative was my driving, turning it red for early exits both days. So, check out the gallery full of Darana Raceway Maple Grove’s local racers and their gorgeous rides. And if you have never tried it yourself, get out and try your hand at bracket racing. You can be competitive in anything, just cut a light and run the number. There are classes from beginners to seasoned veterans. At least hit up a Test & Tune or grudge day, give it shot, you won’t regret it. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DRAGSTRIP! Darana Raceway Maple Grove Park Grippo’s YouTube Channel Additional photos by James Woodard: 3.61 Media The post A Weekend At The Drags with Joe Grippo: Racing, Photos, And Fun From Darana Raceway Park Maple Grove in Pennsylvania. appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

Vdub's financial situation isn't good. That could lead to selling things.View the full article

(Photos by Charles Wickam) Billed as the biggest Father’s Day event in Pueblo, the Father’s Day Car Show at the Pueblo Christian Center is in it’s 8th year and fills up fast on show day. Lucky for us, our Colorado BANGshifter Charles Wickam was on site to snap some photos of all the cool rides to share with all of you. And were there some cool rides! This show has an amazing variety, with everything from traditional hot rods, muscles cars, classic trucks, customs, and even lowriders on had, right next to cool motorcycles as well. This is a great family show and given how car centric the community is in Pueblo, it’s no surprise to us that there was such a good crowd and selection. Check out the first gallery of photos below and we’ll have more coming tomorrow! The post Pueblo’s Biggest Father’s Day Event Is The Father’s Day Car Show! We’ve Got Photos Right Here! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

In the landscape of American motorcycling, Erik Buell stands as the ultimate out...View the full article

The 2026 PDRA season reached its halfway point at MDIR. Here's a recap of all the action from the PDRA North vs South Shootout. View the full article

Aaron Stanfield and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / Janac Brothers Racing team rallied to victory Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. After a lethal display on the starting line through the weekend, including a sharp .001 reaction time in the second round, Stanfield took the victory in the final round on a holeshot, cutting a near-perfect .002 reaction time to hold off a hard-charging Matt Hartford. Stanfield’s 6.626-second elapsed time at 208.75 mph was just enough to defeat Hartford’s quicker 6.597 at 207.98 mph by a thin margin of victory of .0064 seconds. It was Stanfield’s 16th career Pro Stock victory, overall 35th NHRA national event win, and his second victory of the 2026 season. “I definitely knew I was going to have to be pretty good on the tree. Matt’s been driving good here and he’s had a bad race car. I knew I would have to grab some on the tree, and the old hot rod did just enough to pull the win off,” Stanfield said. “Every time Matt and I race, it’s a good race. I’ll be honest though, it’s no secret that it doesn’t matter who I line up against, once I put the helmet on, I’m trying to rip your head off. It feels great as a driver whenever you’re able to do your job and pull off a holeshot win like that. “Sometimes I guess I just wake up on the right side of the bed, and I felt really focused this morning, and I did feel like I was going to have a decent driving day,” Stanfield continued. “The combination of having a clutch linkage in that perfect spot where the fuel is perfect, it puts me in a spot where I can drive good. I try to go up there and do the same thing every time, even in qualifying. I try to be as consistent as I can be.” Stanfield balanced a massive workload over the weekend, pulling double duty behind the wheel of the JHG / Melling / Janac Brothers’ Pro Stock Car and the ProFlow Pumping Solutions / Modern Racing / Elite Motorsports Pro Modified car. He also, through the family business, Stanfield Racing Engines, tuned Factory Stock Showdown entries. “I told (teammate) Erica [Enders] before we ran first round, I said, ‘We’re lucky I don’t put my helmet on backwards.’ But it’s definitely a balancing act and it would not happen without a lot of great people around me in every aspect of racing I’m involved in,” Stanfield explained. “Surround yourself with great people, and that is for sure what I’ve done. And I eat, sleep, and breathe drag racing. So that definitely helped.” Stanfield’s win is a massive boost for Elite Motorsports as they continue their battle to close the gap on the competition. “I know it means the world to all the guys and gals on the Elite team, and, you know, that’s probably the biggest motivation I have is to go out there and do the absolute best I can do, because I know the sacrifice, I know how hard they work,” Stanfield said. “I want to lay it all on the line and do my absolute best for them. We still have a little ways to go. But this team, after every race, they hurry up and get back home and they’re on the dyno trying to find some more power. We’ll be back on top; it’s just a matter of time.” The Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series 2026 schedule takes a two-week break before hitting the West Coast for the Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway July 17-19, race one of the two-race Western Swing. The post Aaron Stanfield Picks Up Second Win of the Season in Norwalk first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

Doors that shut and wheels that turn might not sound super exciting, but they require fabrication and time in order to be right and that’s what we dig. This project has been fun to follow, and we can’t wait to see it out on the rocks having fun too. Shannon is back at the fab work on the FJ40, and man this thing is really coming along. In this installment we are sharing two videos that cover making the doors fit, fixing steering issues, and more. There is a lot of fabrication going on in this project, so we hope it inspires you to get out there and start cutting and welding something on your ride this week. Shannon and Jess are moving right along on the FJ40 and things just keep getting better. If you like a Landcruiser, you’ll dig this one. But if restored to factory is your jam, this one might not be quite up your alley. We dig them all, so we are in. If you missed this FJ40 project that Shannon Campbell is working on, we’ve got a link below, but if you are back for the next installment in this build series you are in luck as well. I think this is going to be a fun project, because I love FJ40s, but if you have any ideas of building a custom chassis for your FJ or Jeep, you should check this one out. CLICK HERE IF YOU MISSED ANY OF THE UPDATES ON THIS FJ40 PROJECT SO FAR The post FJ40 Land Cruiser Custom Fabrication: Making Fiberglass Doors Actually Fit, And Making The Steering Work Properly! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

In just her 10th career NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event, Rookie of the Year candidate Maddi Gordon became the eighth woman in NHRA history to win in Top Fuel Sunday afternoon at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. Gordon’s triumph in her Carlyle Tools Top Fuel dragster completed the first double-up victory for the Ron Capps Motorsports organization, as team owner Ron Capps drove his NAPA Auto Care Funny Car to the win just moments earlier. Adding yet another highlight to the weekend was the fact that Gordon was able to share the winner’s circle with her father, three-time Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion Doug Gordon, who also powered to victory in Norwalk. Gordon moved up three spots to fourth in the Top Fuel points standings, while Capps leaves with the Funny Car points lead for the seventh time through the first 10 races of the 20-race season. Gordon’s standout weekend started in qualifying, where she threw down the third-quickest pass of the second session on Friday with her 3.793-second run at 335.40 mph. That performance moved her up to the provisional No. 3 spot and came with one bonus point. In the third session, she set a new track speed record, 339.79 mph, on her 3.760-second pass. Gordon then recorded her quickest pass of the weekend, a 3.734 E.T., to lock in the No. 5 position. Capps also stood out in qualifying, beginning with a 3.999 E.T. followed by a 3.894-second blast in the second session to earn three bonus points and place him in the provisional No. 1 spot to end the day. Capps and crew chief Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli kept the momentum going in the third session, which was also the first round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. Capps charged to a 3.891 E.T. to defeat Daniel Wilkerson and earn another bonus point for making the third-quickest pass of the session. He then laid down a consistent 3.901 in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge final to finish runner-up to Austin Prock, picking up another bonus point in the process. On race day, Gordon kicked things off with a 3.854 pass at 325.14 mph to get past a tire-smoking Spencer Massey. Crew chiefs Rob Flynn and Troy Fasching stepped up to face 2025 regular season champion Tony Stewart in the second round, where Gordon recorded a 3.788-second run while Stewart smoked the tires. She then met up with points leader Shawn Langdon for a rematch of her first-ever round of competition in Top Fuel in the semifinals. Both drivers lost traction, but it was Gordon who recovered, pedaling her way to her first career final round. Capps’ march through eliminations began with a first-round victory over Bobby Bode before clocking low E.T. of the second round to defeat J.R. Todd’s tire-smoking attempt. Capps was off his usual pace in the semifinals with a 4.051, but it was enough to get the win over Alexis DeJoria, who lost traction early. In the final round, Capps left the starting line three thousandths of a second ahead of Jack Beckman and extended the lead down track to score the win with a 3.969 E.T. at 328.54 mph versus his opponent’s 4.011. The win was Capps’ 80th of his career, second at Norwalk, 12th as a team owner, and made him the first Funny Car driver to win three diamond Wally trophies in 2026. With the pressure on to join Capps and her father in the Norwalk winner’s circle, Gordon and the Carlyle Tools team held strong in the Top Fuel final against four-time world champion Antron Brown. Gordon raced to her quickest pass of the day, a 3.786 at 333.16 mph, to hold off Brown and his 3.840-second effort. “I was in my mom’s belly at the drag races and went to my first race at eight days old,” exclaimed an ecstatic Gordon as she took in the moment after jumping out of her car at the top end of the race track. “Never in my life did I think I would be driving a Top Fuel dragster, but it’s this guy right here, Ronald Capps! He made what felt like the impossible become a reality. Our team works so hard; weekends, holidays, birthdays. Thank you to their families for letting them come out and drag race. This is everything right here. Blood, sweat, and literal tears go into this. “When my parents first told me that Ron had approached them about me driving for him, they said just be grateful for the opportunity because we don’t have the money that it takes to drive one of these cars. But for Ron, that wasn’t what it was about,” Gordon added. “He told us he didn’t have the funding (for a second car) yet, but he was going to find it. And that’s exactly what he did. Carlyle Tools and NAPA Auto Parts believed in me before I even hit the gas pedal and that type of loyalty will stick with me forever. This is the best day of my life!” The pair of wins was just as surreal for Capps, who was a part of many double-up victories for iconic team owners Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Don Schumacher while competing as a hired driver for decades. Now, the fifth-year driver/team owner has a double-up of his own just 10 races into Ron Capps Motorsports’ tenure as a two-car operation. “When her dad won, I thought there’s no way all three of us would win. And then when I won, I thought, oh man, the odds are going to go down now,” said Capps, a longtime friend of the Gordon family. “And she’s running my buddy, AB, who helped me a lot when I became a team owner. It was a great tool war for those two teams up there, but we got the win and Joe Sabo (Sr. Manager of Product, Carlyle Tools) is very smiley, and I’m very happy about that. What an unbelievable day. “We’ve got two cars that run as one,” added Capps, who was also announced as part of the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 on Sunday. “I’m a small business owner, who never even thought I’d run a business. This helps immensely for paying bills, but we’ve got great partners who help support us, so a huge thank you to all of them.” For Gordon, the dream-come-true victory was made even more special by the fact that she was surrounded by family and able to share the full-circle moment with her father and their family-run Top Alcohol Funny Car team, where she got her start working as a crew member. In 2024, she took over the driving duties of the Gordon Family Racing entry before getting called up to compete in the professional Top Fuel ranks in 2026. By scoring a Gordon family double-up on Sunday, Doug and Maddi joined just four other father-daughter pairings to win at the same event. “I can hardly think right now, I’m just so happy,” said Gordon, who became the 100th woman to win an NHRA national event when she earned her first TAFC win in 2024. “My family being here means so much; they’re what got me here. They taught me everything I know, and without them believing in me when I was driving the Alcohol Funny Car, I would’ve never gotten this opportunity. Because I blew some stuff up in that car. I made mistakes, I cost us money, I cost us more work in the shop, and I ate myself up over it, but they stuck with me and stuck by my side and believed in me and Ron Capps has done the same thing. I’m just so grateful; this truly is the best day of my life.” Gordon and Capps will have nearly three weeks to soak up their wins as the NHRA Mission Foods Series tour heads to Sonoma Raceway next, a home facility for the two Central California natives, for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 17-19. This story was originally published on June 29, 2026. The post Dream Weekend For First-Time Top Fuel Winner Maddi Gordon as Ron Capps Motorsports Scores First-Ever Double-Up at Norwalk first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article

We’ve shared some live track testing going on at Maryland International Raceway where PDRA’s top teams were on hand to see what kind of improvements they can make as they got ready for this past weekend’s PDRA North vs South Shootout at MIR. Once the racing weekend started the official PDRA livestream took over, but if you didn’t pay for the pay per view to watch, you can still catch all the qualifying action right here thanks to NCProModer and Straight Line Media who were both on hand and have videos for you to check out below! The post PDRA Drag Racing Video: Pro Nitrous and Pro Boost Round 1 North vs South Shootout Qualifying from Maryland International Raceway appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

At Summit Motorsports Park second generation drag racer Taylor Dietsch won for the first time in 2026 and captured his third Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series national event win. Dietsch took out the points leader Jonathan Allegrucci in an all-Ford Mustang Cobra Jet final and ended his three-race win streak in the process. The win also moved the young Dietsch to 11th in points, just six points out of the Top Ten. “It’s just been a perfect day,” said Dietsch. “We couldn’t have asked for a better race day. Every round we raced was a good race. We were looking at incremental times after the third round. We thought we saw an opportunity and we went for it.” Winners at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals are presented with one-of-a-kind ice cream scoops by track owner Bill Bader. The scoops are some of the most coveted trophies in drag racing. “I don’t know how to describe it, but I’ve wanted one of these ice cream scoops for quite a while,” said Dietsch. “Even before I started racing Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown cars. I’ve come to Norwalk with my dad. It was always a great weekend, but we’re really excited to finally get one of these scoops.” In the final round Dietsch took a slight starting line advantage leaving first with a .031 second reaction time in front of Allegrucci’s .038 second start. Dietsch kept his factory stock Mustang hooked up all the way down the track with a winning time of 7.711 seconds at 178.10 mph as Allegrucci overpowered the track and slowed to 10.836 seconds at 85.11 mph. Allegrucci will leave Norwalk with the points lead.In the semifinals Allegrucci defeated No. 1 qualifier Jason Dietsch to stop the possibility of an all-Dietsch final round. Dietsch had been dominating the event with quick times but it was Allegrucci outpacing Dietsch 7.723 seconds to 7.734 seconds. Prior to Allegrucci’s win the younger Dietsch had trailered Alex Anderson with a winning time of 7.727 seconds to 7.845 seconds. “It was great to win another one,” said Dietsch. “It’s great. I made it around him now. He’s only got two wins in Flexjet and now I have three. We were both in the semis and we were hoping to make it an all-Dietsch final but we weren’t quite there.” Heading to the historic U.S. Nationals, Taylor Dietsch will have the $1,000 Flexjet bounty on his back. The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series will be back in action at Lucas Oil Raceway Park outside Indianapolis, Ind., September 2-7, 2026. This story was originally published on June 29, 2026. The post Taylor Dietsch Races to First Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Win of 2026 in Norwalk first appeared on Drag Illustrated. View the full article