Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Antron Brown piloted his dragster to the Top Fuel victory last Sunday at the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. |
Brown, Hight and Skillman Notch Victories at NHRA Northwest Nationals
Antron Brown piloted his dragster to the Top Fuel victory last Sunday at the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Drew Skillman (Pro Stock) were also victorious in their respective categories at the 16th of 24 events in the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Brown took down Terry McMillen with a 3.776-second pass at 326.48 mph in his Matco Tools dragster during the final round. He earned his fourth victory of the season and second in three events. With the victory, he takes over the Top Fuel points lead. Hight secured his second Funny Car victory of the season after a 3.890 pass at 328.62 in his Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SS to defeat Tommy Johnson Jr., securing his second victory of the Western swing. In Pro Stock, Skillman took the victory after driving to a 6.604 at 209.33 in his Ray Skillman Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Erica Enders who ran a 6.609 at 209.49 in her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in the final round. After qualifying second, Skillman earned his third victory of the season and third in the past four events. Skillman moves up to fifth in the standings with the victory, as he is now tied for a category-best three victories on the season with points leader Bo Butner and Tanner Gray. The 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season continues with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, August 17–20.
 The Permatex/Follow A Dream (FAD) Top Alcohol Funny Car team captured its second straight win of the season last weekend at Atco (New Jersey) Dragway. |
Permatex/Follow A Dream TA/FC Team Earns Second Win of Season at Atco Dragway
The Permatex/Follow A Dream (FAD) Top Alcohol Funny Car team captured its second straight win of the season last weekend at Atco (New Jersey) Dragway. With this win, the team opened up an even wider lead in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (LODRS) East Region, sitting No. 1 with a 160-point edge over the next two closest drivers. In addition, FAD driver Phil Burkart moved up to fifth place in the LODRS national points standings. The team will go for its third straight win in another LODRS event August 18–19, at Cecil County, Maryland, before the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, August 30–September 4).
Irwindale Event Center Announces Final Date of Operation
Team 211 Entertainment CEO Jim Cohan has announced that, according to the owners of the Irwindale Event Center property in Irwindale, California, January 31, 2018, will be the center’s last day of operation.
 Alton Clements, driving his ’89 Vortech V-30 94B Supercharged Fox Body, earned his place in the finals against Tony Hobson. |
Another Vortech Win at the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing
Alton Clements currently sits with a comfortable points lead in the NMRA Renegade class going into the Super Bowl. Clements, driving his ’89 Vortech V-30 94B Supercharged Fox Body, earned his place in the finals against Tony Hobson. Clements drove right around Hobson on the big end, turning in a 7.51 at 183.37 mph to Hobson’s 7.68 at 182.60 mph. Clements met Dart Pro Stock racer Kevin Lawrence in the ninth pair down in the Super Bowl, where he scored the point for NMRA and a Super Bowl ring for his efforts.
 Toyota Motorsport’s GmbH (TMG) 86 Cup Car will make its North American debut in the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) racing series at Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele, Utah, August 11–13. |
Toyota to Field Entry in Pirelli World Challenge
Toyota Motorsport’s GmbH (TMG) 86 Cup Car will make its North American debut in the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) racing series at Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele, Utah, August 11–13. Entered in the TCA class, the 86 Cup Car will battle in the PWC’s doubleheader race weekend, and is scheduled to compete only in the two Utah PWC events, taking place outside Salt Lake City. The TMG 86 Cup Car will be driven by veteran road racer Craig Stanton, a former GRANDAM Rolex Sports Car Series GT and Continental Tire GS class champion, and fielded by the Dan Gardner Spec (DGSpec) Racing team. The TMG 86 Cup car is a production Toyota 86 prepared by TMG for racing competition. The TMG 86 Cup Car features a stock 86 engine and transmission and TMG upgrades to the vehicle’s suspension, brakes and engine tuning, among other changes that include safety equipment for racing. The PWC Utah event will mark the debut entry by a TMG 86 Cup Car in a North American competition. The TMG 86 Cup Car is only scheduled to compete in both PWC events at Utah Motorsports Campus.
 (L-R): Nexen Tire drivers Alec Hohnadell, Fredric Aasbo, Jhonnattan Castro and Ken Gushi sign autographs at Formula Drift. Photo credit: Nexen Tire USA |
Nexen Tire Driver Fredric Aasbo Podium Finisher at Formula Drift
Driver Fredric Aasbo drove his Nexen Tire N'Fera SUR4G shod Toyota to his third podium of the season, finishing second and delivering another points boost to Nexen Tire in the Formula Drift Tire Cup. Aasbo is currently second in the championship points with two stops remaining on the calendar. He is the most winning driver in the series, with a record 10 victories, and drives for the veteran Papadakis Racing squad. Nexen returned to Formula Drift this season for the second year as a major series partner. Next, the Formula Drift championship travels to Fort Worth, Texas, September 8–9, before wrapping up the year with the California season-ender at Irwindale Speedway, October 13–14.
IMSA, VP Racing Fuels Commit to Long-Term Extension of Partnership
Via a long-term partnership extension confirmed this week by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and VP Racing Fuels, the company will continue to fuel IMSA race cars for the foreseeable future. As the Official Fuel Provider of IMSA, VP will fuel every IMSA-sanctioned series based in the United States, including the WeatherTech Championship, IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, IMSA Prototype Challenge Presented by Mazda and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama. VP Racing Fuels has included IMSA-specific branding in selected consumer products sold at major retailers over the past several years. Those efforts will be expanded, and IMSA also will receive increased exposure through VP’s growing list of gas stations and quick-lube locations. As part of the extended partnership, VP also will continue to provide the VP Racing Fuels Front-Runner Awards for competitors in both the WeatherTech Championship and Continental Tire Challenge. The award uses a point system to recognize the car that leads the most laps in its class in each race, with the leading point-getters earning fuel credits in presentations at midseason and year-end.