Racing News: Dayco Sponsors Five Extreme Drift Teams

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Dayco Amps Up North American Motorsports Program by Sponsoring Five Extreme Drift Teams

Dayco is diversifying its motorsports program by sponsoring five of the hottest drift race teams on the circuit today. They include Steele Brothers Racing, Scherzer Racing, WingIt Motorsports, Chad Andersen Motorsports and Messineo Motorsports. In addition to providing the race teams with financial support and high-performance belts, water pumps, tensioners, pulleys and racing balancers during the 2021 season, Dayco’s product and R&D teams are on call for any technical support the crew or drivers may require throughout the season.

Brown, Tasca, Anderson and Pollacheck Earn Historic Lucas Oil NHRA Southern Nationals Wins in Final Race at Atlanta Dragway

Antron Brown became the winningest Top Fuel driver at the historic facility with his fifth victory at the 40th and final Lucas Oil NHRA Southern Nationals. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Scotty Pollacheck (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won in their respective categories at the third race of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season as the NHRA held the last race at the historic track.

Brown defeated three-time reigning world champ Steve Torrence in the final round, going 3.752 seconds at 323.81 mph in his 11,000-hp Matco Tools dragster to beat Torrence’s 3.794 at 323.81. Brown left Atlanta Dragway with seven overall victories, including two that came in Pro Stock Motorcycle, while Sunday’s triumph also gave him 68 carer wins.

Tasca III picked up his second straight victory in Funny Car, with Sunday’s triumph against John Force. He went 4.004 at 326.48 in his 11,000hp Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang in the final round, beating Force’s 4.015 at 321.81, claiming his eighth career victory. Tasca maintained his points lead in the class, cemented himself as a certain championship contender and won for the first time in Atlanta.

Anderson took out Vincent Nobile in the final round in his DENSO Chevrolet Camaro, going 6.568 at 209.04 against Nobile’s 6.598 at 208.78. In an all-Matt Smith Racing final round, Pollacheck claimed the victory over his teammate, as Smith went red by a mere .001, handing the victory to Pollacheck on his DENSO/Strutmaster/Matt Smith Racing EBR.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action May 14–16, with the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

Don Prudhomme Wins Turbo Class at Mexican 1000

Drag-racing legend and Hall of Famer Don “Snake” Prudhomme has added another accolade to his storied career: 2021 Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000 class winner. On his third attempt at the 1,000-mile race across the desert, Prudhomme and his co-pilot Rich Minga took the checkered flag in the Evolution Stock Turbo class driving the MAVTV CanAm Maverick Turbo. Their winning time of 19:49:18 gave them a margin of victory of more than three hours on their closest competitor. The MAVTV team finished 31st overall out of 90 total competitors, 26 of whom did not finish the extreme race.

Carl Casper Named Grand Marshal of 2021 National Hot Rod Reunion

The NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California, has named Carl Casper, producer of his Custom Auto Show in Louisville for more than five decades, the Grand Marshal of the upcoming 18th annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA Insurance, to be held Thursday–Saturday, June 17–19, at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Other honorees include the late Funny Car racer Carol “Bunny” Burkett, Indiana racer and car builder Hal Canode, Hall of Fame Pro Stock racer and racing school owner Roy Hill, Modified Eliminator standout with his six-cylinder Pocket Rocket Chevy II Cotton Perry, and Pennsylvania race car and hot-rod builder Ed Quay. A free Honorees Reception takes place at the National Corvette Museum on Friday night. The Reunion was conceived as a celebration of the “good old days” with participants in all forms of the all-American activity known as hot rodding on hand. For tickets, visit the NHRA Museum website.

USTCC Kicks Off Round One at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) kicked off round one at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a one-day event on April 10. First place in the Super Touring class went to Viktor Czapla in the Wob-cars Audi R8. Mike Sekhon, driving the GT Autol Lunge BMW M3, finished third to Pete Bovenburg in his ARG/Summit Tech BMW M3.

In the Grand Touring class, it was Edgar Lau’s Rose Construction BMW M3 that won the race. Rob Harper, in the AP Racing/BC Forged Chevy Corvette, had the best lap time of the day, but found himself in second place. Driving the Lanza & Smith PLC Lotus Exige, Anthony Lanza took third place.

Gary Sheehan, behind the wheel of the GoGoGear.com/Konig Wheels Hyundai Genesis, took the first-place position in the Touring class. The team of Mark McManus and Ken Kurtz grabbed second with the Netapp.com Lexus IS300. Taking the last podium position with the GoGoGear.com/Konig Wheels Hyundai Genesis was Gordon Pun.

The team of Sean Milburn and Daniel Milburn took the top podium position of the Sportsman class driving the Bay Area Drafting Acura RSX. Brad Austin’s TNI Racing Mazda MX5 crossed the line in second place. Reza Arsham snatched the third place position in the GoGoGear.com/Konig Wheels Honda Civic.

F1 Replaces Canada With Turkish Grand Prix

Formula 1 has confirmed a change to round seven of the 2021 calendar, with the Turkish Grand Prix replacing the Canadian Grand Prix for the weekend of June 11–13. Due to the ongoing international travel restrictions in Canada, it became impossible for Formula 1 to enter the country without a mandatory 14-day quarantine, leading to the change. Turkey returns to the calendar after the first event in Istanbul in nine years last November, in which Lewis Hamilton was crowned world champion for a record-equalling seventh time.

For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.