Compiled by SEMA Editors
his first victory at Brainerd International Raceway by defeating
fellow HEMI-powered driver Cruz Pedregon.
Hagan Wins All-Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car Final at Brainerd International Raceway
It was an all-Dodge final at the 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals with Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) pilot Matt Hagan powering the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to his first victory at Brainerd International Raceway by defeating fellow HEMI-powered driver Cruz Pedregon. It was Hagan’s 38th career Wally trophy and his second win of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Series season. After qualifying No. 4 on the eliminations ladder, Hagan put together a string of consistent runs and round wins over Dale Creasy Jr., Paul Lee and Bob Tasca III to advance to his 69th career final round. That paired him with No. 2 qualifier Pedregon and his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for their first final round showdown in more than 10 years. Hagan’s quick 0.051-second reaction time gave the DSR Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat an early lead from which he never looked back on his way to a 3.923 second elapsed time run at 327.98 mph to defeat Pedregon’s 0.106-second light and solid 3.935 sec./324.83 mph pass and capture his second win in five national events. The last race of the regular season will be the 68th edition of the NHRA’s cornerstone event and world’s biggest drag-racing competition—the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
IndyCar to Return to Iowa for 2022 Doubleheader
After a one-year hiatus, the NTT IndyCar Series will return to Iowa Speedway in 2022 as part of a doubleheader event set for July 23–24. The series will return as part of a wide-ranging partnership with Hy-Vee—a grocery chain based in the Midwest. The NTT IndyCar Series was among the first to race on the D-shaped layout when it made its debut in Newton, Iowa, in 2007. A fan favorite for fans and drivers, IndyCar has held 15 races at the track known as “The Fastest Short Track on the Planet” since it opened in 2006. The Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 will take place Saturday, July 23, and the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 will occur Sunday, July 24. Officials say the entire 2022 Series calendar will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit indycar.com.
Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020.
Albon Celebrates First DTM Career Win With Nürburgring Masterclass
Thai driver Alex Albon celebrated the first DTM win of his career in his #23 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 in last Sunday’s race eight at the Nürburgring circuit to move up to fourth overall in the title race. He crossed the line after 38 laps with a lead of 4.6 seconds to record his first DTM series career victory and third 2021 trip to the podium following third-place finishes at Zolder and Monza. The points awarded for pole position and the race eight win see Albon move up now to fourth spot in the 2021 drivers’ standings with 82 points. After eight races, Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse has scored 162 points and is in second place in the team standings with the next DTM stop from September 3–5, at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Formula 1 Cancels 2021 Japanese Grand Prix
The Japanese Grand Prix will not take place in 2021, Formula 1 has announced. Race organizers have cited “ongoing complexities” related to the pandemic. The event—which was set to be part of a tripleheader with the Russian GP and the Turkish GP—was also canceled in 2020.
A statement from Formula 1 read: “Following ongoing discussions with the promoter and authorities in Japan, the decision has been taken by the Japanese government to cancel the race this season due to ongoing complexities of the pandemic in the country.”
Formula 1 is now working on the details of the revised calendar and will announce the final details in the coming weeks. For more information, visit formula1.com.
Pacific Innovation Center and Pacific Motorsports Park.
Rendering courtesy of Pacific Raceways
Pacific Raceways Breaks Ground on New Innovation Center
Pacific Raceways—the multi-purpose motorsports facility in Kent, Washington—has broken ground on the new Pacific Innovation Center and Pacific Motorsports Park, part of a $200 million expansion. The expansion will total 200,000 sq. ft. and be used as a garage/shop, business, innovation center and retail space. Racers, retailers, enthusiasts and technology-development companies will be able to utilize prototype manufacturing, storage and workspace steps away from the track. The groundbreaking ceremony at Pacific Raceways was attended by more than 100 notable guests, including elected officials, representatives, sponsors and fans. For more information, visit the Pacific Raceways website.
NHRA Set to Return to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in 2022
NHRA has teamed up with Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park and the Gila River Indian Community to announce the return of the NHRA Arizona Nationals, slated for February 25–27, 2022. The NHRA Arizona Nationals traditionally serves as the second event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series tour. The facility has seen record-breaking performances and is a fan-favorite of the circuit. Updates for 2022 include free event parking with the purchase of an NHRA Arizona Nationals ticket. Ticket renewals for 2020 ticket holders will begin in September, with new ticket sales opening in October. NHRA officials plan to announce the full 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule in the upcoming weeks. For more information, visit nhra.com.
For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.