Hagan, Tatum, Glenn and Stoffer Pick Up Wins at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Matt Hagan powered his 11,000-hp Dodge Power Brokers Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT to a run of 3.910 seconds at 330.96 mph to beat Blake Alexander in the final round.
Three-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan gave Tony Stewart Racing its first NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series victory, racing to his first win at the historic and 53rd annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway last Sunday. Tripp Tatum (Top Fuel), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also picked up wins at the third of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
In his second final this season, Hagan powered his 11,000-hp Dodge Power Brokers Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT to a run of 3.910 seconds at 330.96 mph to beat Blake Alexander in the final round.
A day after picking up his first career No. 1 qualifier, Tatum did one better, driving to his first career Top Fuel victory with a standout run of 3.700 at 330.31 in his 11,000-hp Tripp Tatum Racing dragster.
In Pro Stock, Glenn, the reigning NHRA Rookie of the Year, got the best of his KB Racing teammate in the final round, going 6.486 at 210.21 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro to knock off Kyle Koretsky.
Stoffer went 6.700 at 200.77 on her Big St. Charles/Ray Skillman Suzuki to beat Angie Smith in the final round of Pro Stock Motorcycle. To reach the final round for the fourth straight race, dating back to last season, Stoffer made the two quickest runs in Pro Stock Motorcycle history, going 6.682 at 198.70 in the opening round to initially set the record before she topped it with an 6.665 at 200.71 a round later. Stoffer added a 6.721 at 200.08 to reach the final round, with her finals performance giving Stoffer the third-quickest run in class history.
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action April 1–3 with the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
NASCAR Names O’Donnell Chief Operating Officer, Kennedy Returns to Competition Team
NASCAR has announced two key executive leadership moves, promoting Steve O’Donnell to COO and returning Ben Kennedy to the competition team where he will assume a key leadership position as senior vice president, racing development & strategy. As COO, O’Donnell will continue to provide oversight of all NASCAR competition and racing operations, while adding track operations and strategic development to his purview. With these added duties, all NASCAR-owned track properties, track presidents and respective events fall under O’Donnell’s responsibilities.
In returning to NASCAR’s competition team, Kennedy will maintain oversight of the national series schedule development, while assuming immediate oversight of racing operations, track services/transportation/officiating, industry relations and the NASCAR Touring and Weekly Series. He will work with O’Donnell in managing the areas of at-track competition and racing innovation. For more information, visit nascar.com.
DIRTcar Summer Nationals Adds New Race Dates
The 32-race stretch will take place from mid-June to late July for the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals.
Officials have announced changes to the DIRTcar Summer Nationals “Hell Tour” schedule, including four new race dates. The 32-race stretch will take place from mid-June to late July for the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals. New races include Red Hill Raceway (Sumner, Illinois) on Tuesday, June 28. Midwest racing promoter Jeremy Sneed has purchased the 3/8-mile oval and will reopen the facility for racing for the first time since it was closed in 2005.
For the first time since 1997, the Summer Nationals returns to Benton Speedway (Benton, Missouri) on Wednesday, June 29. The tour will also visit Montpelier Motor Speedway (Montpelier, Indiana) on Wednesday, July 13, and then Shadyhill Speedway (Medaryville, Indiana) on Thursday, July 14. Additionally, the Knox County Fair Raceway (Knoxville, Illinois) event, originally slated for Tuesday, July 12, has been moved to Tuesday, July 5. In the meantime, the Fayette County Speedway (Brownstown, Illinois) event was moved from Monday, July 4, to Wednesday, July 6. For the updated schedule, visit here. For more information, visit dirtcar.com.
For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.