Megan Meyer Becomes Quickest Female in NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster at Lucas Oil Nationals

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

BRAINERD, MN (August 25, 2016) – NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster standout Megan Meyer added another impressive event performance to her rookie season scorecard last weekend when she qualified number one and reached the semifinals at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. She also became the quickest female in NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competition with a blistering 5.178 elapsed time during eliminations.

Meyer’s Racers Evolved A/Fuel dragster started off qualifying with a 5.539, then stepped up to the number two position with a 5.281 at 275.83 mph on Friday’s second run. With her father, Randy, making the tuning calls, Megan fired off a 5.195 at 276.41 mph to qualify number one for the second time in national event competition.

“Going into Brainerd, we had high hopes that the car would run quick due to the colder weather conditions and the fact that we have a great race car and crew with us. When we made the first qualifying pass, we were all a little bit disappointed because it was very slow and just felt really off going down the track. We made a few tuning adjustments going into the second session, and we were all hoping for a better turnout. When it flew down the track and ran the 5.19, we were all so excited to have ran that quick and reset my career best E.T.! Although we were thrilled to be the number one qualifier, that was not where we wanted to end up because of how the ladder was set up – we were aiming for the number two position,” revealed Meyer, who would have faced national points leader Joey Severance in the second round if she qualified in the second position.

Another 5.19 or even low 5.2-second run would’ve been more than enough to secure the first-round win, but the Randy Meyer Racing team isn’t one to settle for “good enough”. Meyer uncorked a 5.178 at 278 mph for an opening round win over the blown alcohol dragster of Dean Dubbin. The run gave Meyer the title of quickest female in Top Alcohol Dragster, the NHRA’s quickest and fastest Sportsman category. She followed it up with a 5.179 at a faster 279.85 on a bye run into the semifinals.

“When we pulled up to the starting line for the first round of eliminations, I was confident that we would run quick enough to get the win, even though we backed it down some on the tune-up. I was focused on getting the starting line advantage over Dean, and making it from A to B with no problems. I knew the car was flying when it screamed past the lights and I never saw Dean. I did not expect it to pick up and run a 5.17, but I'm ecstatic about it and couldn't be happier for my dad and our team. Our entire operation has proven to be incredibly successful this year, and I think having me in the driver’s seat and my dad making the tune-up adjustments works out perfectly for us. This is a huge accomplishment for our team and our sponsors, and it has always been one of my goals ever since I was a little girl to have a national record,” Meyer said.

Meyer was aiming for a decisive victory over past world champion Duane Shields in the semifinals, but her Racers Evolved dragster went into violent tire shake while Shields went on to record a 5.25 to move on.

“We're still unsure what caused it to shake,” Meyer admitted. “It shook hard early on in the run, and when I lifted off the throttle to calm it down, I didn't pedal it to try and chase down Duane. I was a little shaken up about it, but I was more upset about losing the race because we were doing so well.”

Overall, Meyer was pleased with her Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals debut. She recorded low elapsed time and top speed of the event, added 53 points to her second-place total in the national championship standings, and was able to spend time with local sponsor John Haley #1 Roofer LLC.

“We had a lot of great friends and fans visit us this weekend, and we had a lot of people from John Haley #1 Roofer LLC visit the track this weekend and cheer us on. We're grateful for our friendship and partnership with John Haley and hope everyone had a great time at the Lucas Oil Nationals.”

The next race for Megan Meyer and the Racers Evolved/Meyer Truck Center A/Fuel dragster is this weekend’s NHRA Lucas Oil Series North Central Region race at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

ABOUT MEGAN MEYER
No stranger to a life in the fast lane, Megan Meyer grew up around the sport of drag racing. In 2004, at just 10 years of age, she was given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Junior Dragster, alongside her younger sister, and took over the driving duties with no hesitations. Megan stepped up to the Super Comp class in 2010 after a successful career in the Junior Drag Racing League, earning two track championships. She is now making the transition to Top Alcohol Dragster with her father and veteran driver Randy Meyer as her mentor and driving coach. Follow Megan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meganmeyer.racing), Twitter (www.twitter.com/meyersisters), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/meganmeyer.racing).

ABOUT RANDY MEYER RACING
A highly respected member of the NHRA Drag Racing family, Randy Meyer has had a successful career spanning over 35 years of drag racing as driver, team owner, and crew chief from AHRA Pro-Comp to IHRA Top Fuel and NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster. Focusing on the things that brought the team to existence has been the reason that Randy Meyer Racing has been so successful. In 2002 he handed the driving duties over to Gary Ormsby Jr. to become the first Top Alcohol Dragster to run in the teens with a solid 5.135 ET. The following year, Meyer tuned Alan Bradshaw to become the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion. Randy has returned to the driver’s seat since then, and has earned multiple Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 5 and Central Region points championships. For more information on Randy Meyer Racing, please visit www.RandyMeyerRacing.comand like RMR on Facebook (www.facebook.com/randymeyerracing).

Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing team receive support from the following companies: Meyer Truck Center, Lucas Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, GUNK, John Haley #1 Roofer, Herbalife Nutrition, Team Racepak, Copeland Fabrications, Aeromotive, Goodyear, ARP Bolts, MAHLE/Clevite, Litton Financial, Trinity Performance Wear, and Grinds Coffee Pouches.

Megan Meyer Prepared to Defend RMR's Lucas Oil Nationals Titles

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photos courtesy of Randy Meyer Racing and Alkey Alex Drag Racing Photos

BRAINERD, MN (August 17, 2016) – Powerhouse NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team Randy Meyer Racing enters this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals with intentions of winning the event for the third time in three years with as many different drivers. Team owner, tuner and driver Randy Meyer won it in 2014, former RMR driver Mark Taliaferro won last year, and now Megan Meyer looks to add her name to the history books at Brainerd International Raceway.

“Racing at Brainerd has always been a dream of mine,” Meyer said. “Some of my earliest memories are at BIR with my sister and I riding our scooters and selling t-shirts in the pits. As we got older, we were fortunate enough to bring both of our Junior Dragsters to BIR for a couple of years when they allowed juniors to race during the divisional race. Rachel and I claimed a couple of wins, and it was a really fun time to get to race at the same time as our dad and share the winner’s circle with him. Now, it's my turn to return to the track and try to take down some of the fiercest competition in the Alcohol class. I'm very excited to get back in the seat after claiming another runner-up at our last race in St. Louis,” said Megan, who is second in national points after a win and three runner-up finishes in national event competition and two runner-ups on the regional level.”

Meyer will be back to competing on her own this weekend after racing alongside younger sister Rachel at the last two races, where the Meyer sisters experienced mixed results.

“After the disappointing outing we had at the Topeka regional race, where Rachel and I both lost first round, we were all beating ourselves up pretty bad. We have some of the best dragsters in the nation and for us to go out and lose first round was very upsetting. We made some changes and ran a few test runs at the next race in St. Louis, and our efforts paid off on race day. We walked home with a Semi-Final and Runner-Up finish, and the track record mph of 274,” Meyer recalled.

A final round appearance was a timely confidence booster for Meyer, who will race for the next five weeks at national events in Brainerd, Indianapolis, and Charlotte, as well as LODRS regional events in Bowling Green, KY and Earlville, IA.

“I'm glad that we're going into our 5-week tour on a positive note and a happy race car. Over this year we've collected a lot of important data and have ran some incredible times, but we've also ended up hurting some critical parts in the process. With our rig only going home once or twice in the next 5 weeks, we have to be careful not to do too much damage so we don't run out of parts and products. Thankfully, we have some pretty great companies on board with us that supply us with the necessities of racing, such as Lucas Oil, NGK, Moroso, Boninfante, ARP, Mahle-Clevite, Goodyear and Gunk.”

This weekend, Megan Meyer and the Racers Evolved team will also receive support from John Haley #1 Roofer, a family-owned business based in Brainerd. John Haley #1 Roofer is a Twin Cities leader in residential and commercial roofing, siding, gutters, remodeling, windows and repairs.

“After first partnering with Randy Meyer Racing to advertise my business in 2014, I knew I had to partner with RMR again this year with Megan driving. The Meyer family is always fun to spend time with and they do a great job on the racetrack. I think Megan will be the #1 driver in Top Alcohol Dragster this weekend,” claimed John Haley.

“We are excited to have John Haley #1 Roofer back on board with us for the Lucas Oil Nationals again. We have a great relationship with John Haley, and we will be entertaining him and some of his guests this weekend as we try to bring his company back to the winners circle,” Megan added.

Randy Meyer shared his daughter’s sentiments, adding, “We have a tough field this weekend; even though there is a small car count, they are the quickest and fastest cars in our class. The cold weather conditions will be right for our car to run in the low 20s.

“We would like thank John for his continued support of the Randy Meyer Racing Team, and we hope to get him another Wally this weekend.”

Top Alcohol Dragster competition at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals begins on Friday with two qualifying sessions, followed by a third and final session on Saturday morning. First round of eliminations is scheduled for 2:30 PM on Saturday. Eliminations will continue on Sunday. FOX Sports will air their Lucas Oil Series coverage of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals on Thursday, August 25th, at 10 PM on FS2. Six additional replay dates are currently scheduled for FS1 and FS2.

ABOUT MEGAN MEYER
No stranger to a life in the fast lane, Megan Meyer grew up around the sport of drag racing. In 2004, at just 10 years of age, she was given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Junior Dragster, alongside her younger sister, and took over the driving duties with no hesitations. Megan stepped up to the Super Comp class in 2010 after a successful career in the Junior Drag Racing League, earning two track championships. She is now making the transition to Top Alcohol Dragster with her father and veteran driver Randy Meyer as her mentor and driving coach. Follow Megan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meganmeyer.racing), Twitter (www.twitter.com/meyersisters), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/meganmeyer.racing).

ABOUT RANDY MEYER RACING
A highly respected member of the NHRA Drag Racing family, Randy Meyer has had a successful career spanning over 35 years of drag racing as driver, team owner, and crew chief from AHRA Pro-Comp to IHRA Top Fuel and NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster. Focusing on the things that brought the team to existence has been the reason that Randy Meyer Racing has been so successful. In 2002 he handed the driving duties over to Gary Ormsby Jr. to become the first Top Alcohol Dragster to run in the teens with a solid 5.135 ET. The following year, Meyer tuned Alan Bradshaw to become the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion. Randy has returned to the driver’s seat since then, and has earned multiple Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 5 and Central Region points championships. For more information on Randy Meyer Racing, please visit www.RandyMeyerRacing.com and like RMR on Facebook (www.facebook.com/randymeyerracing).


Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing team receive support from the following companies: Meyer Truck Center, Racers Evolved, John Haley #1 Roofer, Denver Print House, Lucas Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, GUNK, Herbalife Nutrition, Team Racepak, Copeland Fabrications, Aeromotive, Goodyear, ARP Bolts, MAHLE/Clevite, Litton Financial, Trinity Performance Wear, and Grinds Coffee Pouches.

Hometown Runner-Up Finish for Megan Meyer at NHRA Kansas Nationals

 

A fantastic hometown showing for NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster Rookie Megan
Meyer, as she earns another runner up at Heartland Park Topeka for the 28th Annual NHRA Kansas Nationals.

The busy weekend also marked the first time that Megan would be racing alongside her father, veteran TAD racer Randy Meyer in NHRA TAD National competition. The Meyer Racing team would have their hands full sorting two cars, as Randy would struggle in early rounds of qualifying.

“Going into the Kansas Nationals we knew we would have our plate full. This was only the second time we've had both Top Alcohol Dragsters running at the same time this year, and it was a big mountain to climb for our team. The stress was high with the tire shake that we had in my Dad’s car for the first 2 qualifiers which once again, caused a lot of problems. But we faced them head on and fixed the damage and was able to get the car turned around to qualify 5th and win first round.”

In qualifying, Megan Meyer would start off strong, running a 5.287 second E.T. at 268.81 mph - moving her into the No. 2 qualified position at the end of round one. Second round, she would chatter the tires out of the gate, shutting off. But in the final attempt, Megan would grab the top qualifying position for the first time in her career, running a 5.250 at 270.54 mph in the Racer’s Evolved A/Fuel Dragster. Her father, Randy, would take the No. 5 position with his Meyer Racing Dragster, and would be on the same side of the ladder as Megan. Potentially, if both the Meyer dragsters advanced in the first two rounds of eliminations, they would be meeting in the semi-final round for the first time.

Saturday evening, Megan would face the number fourteen qualified Monroe Guest in the opening round of Top Alcohol Dragster eliminations. Guest would immediately smoke the tires, while Megan would run a great looking 5.258 second, 274.83 mph for the win into the second round.

"We kept it very consistent with my car all weekend - same crew, same motor combination that we've been running all year that is proven to win races. We had an outstanding performance on Saturday as we ran a pair of 5.25s and set low ET all weekend. I claimed my first official number 1 qualifier, and I couldn't have done it without my guys.”

Megan would have the competition bye in round 2 for an automatic advance to the semi final round, where she hoped she would face her father Randy, who did advanced over his round one competitor. Megan would begin the session with another strong showing, running a conservative 5.364 at 269.13 mph for her competition bye run. Unfortunately, her father was eliminated in round two by Lee Callaway, whose 5.353 at 267.22 mph run would grant him lane choice over Megan in the semi final round.

In their only previous encounter, Lee Callaway took the win light over Megan Meyer. This time, Callaway would get the starting line advantage over Megan, with a 0.026 reaction, to Megan’s 0.065. But Megan’s Racer’s Evolved dragster was able to reel him back in by 1000 feet, taking the win with a 5.298 at 270.59 mph over his 5.360 at 267.59 mph.

This would place Megan in her fourth final round this season - with two runner-up finishes at the Gatornationals and LODRS Belle Rose regional event; as well as her first win at the Charlotte 4-Wide event. She would face the defending event champion, Joey Severance, for the first time in her career.

Megan would be out of the gate first, but ran a slightly off-paced 5.445 at 263.20 mph. Severance quickly bridged the gap and continued on for the win, running a 5.327 at 270.27 mph. Megan would earn the hometown runner-up at Heartland Park Topeka for the Kansas Nationals.

"Despite the high-stress weekend, we had a great time as a family and team at Heartland Park. The facility looks incredible and hats off to the new owners for all that they did to put on the Kansas Nationals. I enjoyed the displays we did together to promote the race, and I greatly appreciate the recognition I received from the local community.”

Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing team also introduced a new partnership with Denver Print House, a one stop facility specializing in award winning decorated apparel over the weekend. The Denver, CO based organization developed and printed the new Megan Meyer and Randy Meyer Racing team t-shirts in their state of the art production plant. Fans interested in getting one of the colorful new shirts can email shop@randymeyerracing.com with their t-shirt size to order.

"Denver Print House also is a great match for my team since I am a freelance designer. We are working together with Racers Evolved to help bring great design and artwork to the Sportsman classes."

Fox Sports will air their Lucas Oil Series coverage from the NHRA Kansas Nationals on FS2 at 9 PM ET on Thursday, May 26. Re-air dates are scheduled for May 28th at 9:00 AM (FS1) and June 9th at 9 PM (FS2).

Megan Meyer to Debut Racers Evolved A/Fuel Dragster at NHRA Gatornationals

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

Second generation A/Fuel Dragster pilot Megan Meyer will begin her 2016 NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster campaign this weekend at the NHRA east coast opener, the 47th Annual NHRA Gatornationals, March 18-20. Meyer will compete in a nitro-injected dragster owned and tuned by her father, 2007 and 2015 Gatornationals event champion Randy Meyer.

“I feel a little extra pressure and a little extra confidence,” Megan said. “We’re confident because we won it last year, but this is a new car and a new driver. This is my first national event so I’m a little nervous about that. It’s a bigger stage than a regional event. We had some great results with this car at Pomona, so I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

Gainesville Raceway is a special place for Megan, not just because of her father’s history, but because of her own as well. It’s where she earned her Super Comp and Top Alcohol Dragster licenses, but she’s never actually competed at the historic track.

“I participated in Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School with my Super Comp dragster when I was 16 years old, and it was a great learning experience to transition from junior dragster to Super Comp. Two years later I was back on the track getting my feet wet with our Top Alcohol Dragster. I remember that day very well because a few of the Top Fuel teams stayed to test, and I felt very privileged to be able to run behind them for the very first time. This experience helped put everything into perspective as to where I could take myself in this sport. I grew better as a driver each time we returned to Gainesville, and last year I made a huge stepping stone of running a 5.29 ET pass and had the help of Dave Hirata to sign off on my TAD licensing pass. So it is very fitting to have my first NHRA National race at the Gatornationals.”

The Gatornationals will be Meyer’s first of 18 events scheduled for her true “rookie” season. One of the aspects she’s most looking forward to is the opportunity to compete on a national level with drivers who she either grew up with, or grew up watching as Randy raced A/Fuel dragsters since before the 22-year old was born.

“There’s going to be lots of tough competition this weekend. I’m thrilled to be able to say that I’m ‘one of the guys’ now. I’m excited to be able to race against Mia (Tedesco). She won the Gainesville regional last weekend. We’ve grown to be really good friends over the last few years because we both come from a bracket racing background,” noted Meyer, who raced to the final round at her Top Alcohol Dragster debut in regional competition last summer.

This is also a debut weekend for Meyer’s primary sponsor, Racers Evolved, an apparel company with designs for racers, by racers. The drag racing and motocross-themed line of apparel includes a “Megan Meyer Signature Series” designed to match the car. In addition to gradually unveiling the Racers Evolved A/Fuel dragster on their Facebook page this week, the company also launched their website.

“The main designs that we’re promoting should all be available to browse. All of the designs will also be available for viewing on my new Augmented Reality hero cards. It’s still very new technology, so there’s a section on the hero card that explains how to use it. We’ll have some giveaways and coupons on the Augmented Reality portion of the card, so it will be interactive for the fans. We’re actually doing a buy one, get one half-off offer if I win the race this weekend. If you’re not at the race this weekend, you can check out the designs at RacersEvolved.com.”

Megan Meyer and the Racers Evolved A/Fuel dragster will take to the Gainesville Raceway quarter-mile for Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying sessions at 10:45 AM and 2:30 PM on Friday, March 18. A third and final qualifying session is scheduled for Saturday at 10:15 AM, followed by first round of eliminations at 5:45 PM. Eliminations continue on Sunday afternoon. FOX Sports will air Lucas Oil Series coverage from the NHRA Gatornationals at 9 PM ET on Thursday, March 24, with four scheduled re-air dates in the following weeks.

ABOUT MEGAN MEYER
No stranger to a life in the fast lane, Megan Meyer grew up around the sport of drag racing. In 2004, at just 10 years of age, she was given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Junior Dragster, alongside her younger sister, and took over the driving duties with no hesitations. Megan stepped up to the Super Comp class in 2010 after a successful career in the Junior Drag Racing League, earning two track championships. She is now making the transition to Top Alcohol Dragster with her father and veteran driver Randy Meyer as her mentor and driving coach. Follow Megan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meganmeyer.racing), Twitter (www.twitter.com/meyersisters), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/meganmeyer.racing).


ABOUT RANDY MEYER RACING
A highly respected member of the NHRA Drag Racing family, Randy Meyer has had a successful career spanning over 35 years of drag racing as driver, team owner, and crew chief from AHRA Pro-Comp to IHRA Top Fuel and NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster. Focusing on the things that brought the team to existence has been the reason that Randy Meyer Racing has been so successful. In 2002 he handed the driving duties over to Gary Ormsby Jr. to become the first Top Alcohol Dragster to run in the teens with a solid 5.135 ET. The following year, Meyer tuned Alan Bradshaw to become the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion. Randy has returned to the driver’s seat since then, and has earned multiple Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 5 and Central Region points championships. For more information on Randy Meyer Racing, please visit www.RandyMeyerRacing.com and like RMR on Facebook (www.facebook.com/randymeyerracing).

Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing team receive support from the following companies: Lucas Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, GUNK, ARP, Clevite, Taylor Cable, Meyer Truck Center, Herbalife24, Team Racepak, and Copeland Race Cars.

Towlot.com Joins Randy Meyer Racing for Topeka Regional Race

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

TOPEKA, Kans. (August 14, 2015) – The two-car A/Fuel Dragster team of Randy Meyer Racing (RMR) has announced a new partnership with Towlot.com. The major associate sponsorship will begin this weekend as RMR competes at the NHRA Lucas Oil Series Central Region event at the team's home track, Heartland Park Topeka.

Towlot.com is an online auction where anyone can buy affordable used cars. When tow companies impound cars that aren't claimed, those cars will eventually be sold at auction. Towlot.com hosts those auctions for tow companies nationwide. The bi-weekly online auctions are open to the public and have no buyer fees or reserves.

“We are proud to welcome Towlot.com to the RMR team this weekend. It is a great opportunity to join with Meyer Truck Center and the towing industry. We are very excited for this opportunity and the future of Randy Meyer Racing and Meyer Truck Center,” said Megan Meyer, the new driver of RMR's second nitro-injected A/Fuel dragster.

Both of the team's A/Fuel cars will be competing this weekend, as well as the RMR Super Comp dragster, driven by Rachel Meyer. Megan is coming off of an impressive runner-up finish at her Top Alcohol Dragster debut race in St. Louis last weekend. Randy is gearing up for the late-season points chase, where he currently sits fifth in NHRA national points.


ABOUT MEGAN MEYER
No stranger to a life in the fast lane, Megan Meyer grew up around the sport of drag racing. In 2004, at just 10 years of age, she was given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Junior Dragster, alongside her younger sister, and took over the driving duties with no hesitations. Megan stepped up to the Super Comp class in 2010 after a successful career in the Junior Drag Racing League, earning two track championships.*She is now making the transition to Top Alcohol Dragster with her father and veteran driver Randy Meyer as her mentor and driving coach. Follow Megan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meganmeyer.racing), Twitter (www.twitter.com/meyersisters), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/meganmeyer.racing).

ABOUT RANDY MEYER RACING
A highly respected member of the NHRA Drag Racing family, Randy Meyer has had a successful career spanning over 35 years of drag racing as driver, team owner, and crew chief from AHRA Pro-Comp to IHRA Top Fuel and NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster. Focusing on the things that brought the team to existence has been the reason that Randy Meyer Racing has been so successful.*In 2002 he handed the driving duties over to Gary Ormsby Jr. to become the first Top Alcohol Dragster to run in the teens with a solid 5.135 ET. The following year, Meyer tuned Alan Bradshaw to become the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion. Randy has returned to the driver’s seat since then, and has earned multiple Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 5 and Central Region points championships. For more information on Randy Meyer Racing, please visit www.RandyMeyerRacing.com and like RMR on Facebook (www.facebook.com/randymeyerracing).

Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing team receive support from the following companies: Meyer Truck Center, Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, NGK Spark Plugs, GUNK, Herbalife Nutrition, Team Racepak, Copeland Fabrications, Aeromotive, Goodyear, ARP Bolts, MAHLE/Clevite, JEGS, and Aeroquip.

A/Fuel Rookie Megan Meyer Races to Runner-Up Finish at St. Louis

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

ST. LOUIS (August 10, 2015) – A/Fuel rookie Megan Meyer had high expectations for her Top Alcohol Dragster competition debut at the All-American Hot Rod Showdown NHRA regional event at Gateway Motorsports Park. The second-generation driver qualified safely in the eight-car field and raced to a runner-up finish, competing against and beating some of the toughest cars in the North Central region.

Driving a car built by Chase Copeland and prepared by her father, Randy, Meyer started the weekend with a promising test session on Thursday. The Meyer Truck Center/Smart Chicken team, led by longtime Randy Meyer Racing crew chief Ted Lake, moved on to qualifying on Friday, narrowly avoiding a first-round race with the team car.

“With 11 cars entered for the race, I was a little concerned with how we would qualify since we were stacked up against some of the best Top Alcohol racers. When we smoked the tires during the first session, I was bummed but I knew my crew could turn the car around, and they did for the second session where we ran a quick 5.43. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to run my dad for the first round of eliminations, which we were paired up until he laid down the second-quickest pass of the night with his 5.33. Luckily, I didn’t have to run him as I sat in the sixth spot and he was moved up to second, and I had to face the third qualifier, Robin Samsel, for first round,” Megan said.

Megan won her match-up with Samsel with a 5.443 et at 261 mph. She left on Marty Thacker in the semifinals and ran 5.486 to get revenge on the defending North Central Region champion, who defeated Randy in the first round. Meyer left the starting line just two thousandths of a second behind Brandon Booher in the final round, but was unable to drive around the blown car in a 5.418-to-5.496 decision.

Meyer left a strong impression on the St. Louis fans and competitors, and more importantly gained valuable experience in her nitro-injected dragster.

“Although I have made quite a few passes with the A/Fueler, this weekend was the first time I had ever had another TAD car in the other lane. The thing that I was most concerned about this past weekend was getting in the groove of how to race the different types of Top Alcohol Dragsters that are in the field, and I had the chance to compete against all three in my first race. Fortunately, I have been around this sport for my entire life, and I’m well aware of all the sights, sounds, and smells that come with TAD racing, and I didn’t have any problems at all facing the injected cars, blown cars, and Brandon’s torque converter car. These racers are like family to me, they even watched me grow up and work my way up through the NHRA classes, and I couldn’t be happier to race against them,” Meyer offered.

Megan's younger sister, Rachel, also had a successful weekend. In addition to doing the clutch on Randy's car and helping with Megan's, Rachel managed to reach the third round in her Super Comp dragster.

 Meyer was grateful for all of the support she received over the weekend, adding, “I had a great time at the track getting to meet new fans and having their support in addition to the support from racers. This weekend could not have been possible without the support from our team sponsors, and our hard-working crew guys who were able to stay up late and beat the heat to take our car to the final round.”

Next up for Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing drivers is the NHRA Lucas Oil Series Central Region event at RMR's home track, Heartland Park Topeka, August 13-15.

“I am so pumped to be racing at my home track in Topeka next weekend! It is going to be a blast with friends and family there to cheer on my dad and I, as well as Rachel in the Super Comp class. We are very excited for the upcoming race and hope to have all Randy Meyer Racing dragsters in the finals. We have some of the quickest A/Fuel cars in the region, and I’m positive we will be able to have the outcome we predict.”

ABOUT MEGAN MEYER
No stranger to a life in the fast lane, Megan Meyer grew up around the sport of drag racing. In 2004, at just 10 years of age, she was given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Junior Dragster, alongside her younger sister, and took over the driving duties with no hesitations. Megan stepped up to the Super Comp class in 2010 after a successful career in the Junior Drag Racing League, earning two track championships.*She is now making the transition to Top Alcohol Dragster with her father and veteran driver Randy Meyer as her mentor and driving coach. Follow Megan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meganmeyer.racing), Twitter (www.twitter.com/meyersisters), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/meganmeyer.racing).

ABOUT RANDY MEYER RACING
A highly respected member of the NHRA Drag Racing family, Randy Meyer has had a successful career spanning over 35 years of drag racing as driver, team owner, and crew chief from AHRA Pro-Comp to IHRA Top Fuel and NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster. Focusing on the things that brought the team to existence has been the reason that Randy Meyer Racing has been so successful.*In 2002 he handed the driving duties over to Gary Ormsby Jr. to become the first Top Alcohol Dragster to run in the teens with a solid 5.135 ET. The following year, Meyer tuned Alan Bradshaw to become the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion. Randy has returned to the driver’s seat since then, and has earned multiple Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 5 and Central Region points championships. For more information on Randy Meyer Racing, please visit www.RandyMeyerRacing.com and like RMR on Facebook (www.facebook.com/randymeyerracing).

Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing team receive support from the following companies: Meyer Truck Center, Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, NGK Spark Plugs, GUNK, Herbalife Nutrition, Team Racepak, Copeland Fabrications, Aeromotive, Goodyear, ARP Bolts, MAHLE/Clevite, JEGS, and Aeroquip.

Top Alcohol Dragster Rookie Megan Meyer Making A/Fuel Debut at St. Louis Regional

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

ST. LOUIS (August 6, 2015) – After three years of class-specific training, Megan Meyer is finally set to make her NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster competition debut at the St. Louis regional race this weekend. The 22-year-old college student has grown up in the sport and is now following in the footsteps of her father, veteran A/Fuel driver/tuner/owner Randy Meyer. Considering her experience and the world championship-caliber crew behind her, Meyer is poised to make a positive impression on the class.

“Although I am very stoked for my debut in Top Alcohol Dragster, I am also confident I will do well at my first race. It’s not my first time in the car, or in a race. I’ve been drag racing for over 10 years with a Junior Dragster and Super Comp car, and for the past three years I have been training for my first A/Fuel race. I am not scared or nervous of lining up against the defending drivers. I have grown up around everyone who races in the field and I know them all very well. I admire them, and I hope they respect me in return because I am not going to go easy on these guys. I plan to be just as competitive. I may be a rookie in Top Alcohol, but I am a veteran at drag racing,” Meyer noted.

Megan will drive a 2015 Chase Copeland-built A/Fuel dragster that has been prepared by the Randy Meyer Racing crew. Her father's longtime crew member, Ted Lake, will serve as crew chief on the car. Randy, who is currently fifth in NHRA Lucas Oil Series national points, will tune his own car as well as Megan's.

“Even though this car is brand-new from Copeland Fabrications, and has around 20-30 runs total, it’s already been driven by four different drivers, including myself. I am very comfortable in the car and I trust the entire Randy Meyer Racing crew. At the last race in Chicago, the car laid down a 5.28 elapsed time at 267 mph with Bill Litton driving. I have broke into the 5.20’s before, and I’m excited to set a new career best with this new car!”

Megan is more than just a driver, so she has been working alongside the RMR crew to prepare the car and herself for the debut weekend. Meyer worked in the shop to help catch up from back-to-back races in Norwalk and Chicago, and spent time in the office as the team's marketing and communications director.

“Leading up to this weekend has been a roller-coaster of events. Dad and I worked together with help from crew guys Brandon and Kevin to get both cars refreshed. We also worked on the spare motors, and changed some parts around to hopefully have a better tune-up and make some of the quickest runs out there. We’ve also been fixing the little things here and there to get everything in place.

“And of course, I get my daily workout sessions in. I focus more on heavy lifting to help build muscles in my shoulders, arms, and legs to help me be a better pilot for the injected-nitro machine, and I always immediately use my post-workout Herbalife 24 Rebuild Strength to recover quickly. I want to do everything I can to prepare myself to be the best driver possible,” added Meyer, a Kansas native.

Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying at the St. Louis NHRA Lucas Oil Series regional event, August 7-8, will take place on Friday with sessions at 6 and 9 PM. Eliminations at the Gateway Motorsports Park event will begin at 6 PM on Saturday night.

 ABOUT MEGAN MEYER
No stranger to a life in the fast lane, Megan Meyer grew up around the sport of drag racing. In 2004, at just 10 years of age, she was given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Junior Dragster, alongside her younger sister, and took over the driving duties with no hesitations. Megan stepped up to the Super Comp class in 2010 after a successful career in the Junior Drag Racing League, earning two track championships.*She is now making the transition to Top Alcohol Dragster with her father and veteran driver Randy Meyer as her mentor and driving coach. Follow Megan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meganmeyer.racing), Twitter (www.twitter.com/meyersisters), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/meganmeyer.racing).

ABOUT RANDY MEYER RACING
A highly respected member of the NHRA Drag Racing family, Randy Meyer has had a successful career spanning over 35 years of drag racing as driver, team owner, and crew chief from AHRA Pro-Comp to IHRA Top Fuel and NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster. Focusing on the things that brought the team to existence has been the reason that Randy Meyer Racing has been so successful.*In 2002 he handed the driving duties over to Gary Ormsby Jr. to become the first Top Alcohol Dragster to run in the teens with a solid 5.135 ET. The following year, Meyer tuned Alan Bradshaw to become the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion. Randy has returned to the driver’s seat since then, and has earned multiple Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 5 and Central Region points championships. For more information on Randy Meyer Racing, please visit www.RandyMeyerRacing.com and like RMR on Facebook (www.facebook.com/randymeyerracing).

Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing team receive support from the following companies: Meyer Truck Center, Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, NGK Spark Plugs, GUNK, Herbalife Nutrition, Team Racepak, Copeland Fabrications, Aeromotive, Goodyear, ARP Bolts, MAHLE/Clevite, JEGS, and Aeroquip.

Lawson Powers New RMR A/Fuel Dragster to Semis

Courtesy of Randy Meyer Racing

 

June 19, 2015 – Shayne Lawson was the first to compete in the Randy Meyer Racing Team’s brand new Top Alcohol Dragster, and piloted the Smart Chicken, Reasor’s dragster to the semi-finals at Tulsa Raceway Park for the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Central Regional event.

Built by Copeland Race Cars and Fabrication, the new A/Fuel Dragster was tested on Wednesday and Thursday of last week for the first time, and powered to the quarter-mile finish line in 5.41 seconds.

“It handles like a Cadillac,” said Shayne. “Chase built an outstanding race car.”

Shayne drove a best time of 5.51 seconds at 261 mph during qualifying to claim the 8th position out of 14 cars, while Randy Meyer piloted his Top Alcohol Dragster to claim the 2nd qualifying spot with a 5.36 ET at 269 mph.

With high temperatures close to 100°F, tuning the injected nitro cars were tricky, but Randy Meyer was able to tune the Smart Chicken, Reasor’s dragster to run a 5.43 ET at 257 mph for the first round win over the number one qualifier. Unfortunately, Randy had trouble with his car, and smoked the tires to lose round one of eliminations.

Moving onto second round, Shayne was up against Michael Manners. Shayne had a handle on the A/Fuel car and got off the starting line first, but soon had trouble as the tires went up in smoke and Shayne had to let off the throttle to abort the run.

“Randy Meyer and his team did an excellent job of putting the new car together and making me as comfortable as possible in it. I couldn’t ask for a better car or crew and owner. Thanks to Smart Chicken and Reasor’s for the support,” said Shayne.

“We are very proud of the results we saw this weekend from the new car,” said Randy Meyer. “We were hoping for a Randy Meyer Racing all final round like last year, but we will take what we got. The hot and rainy conditions were hard to tune around, but we were able to make the best of it to get to the semi-finals. We see promising results, and hope the momentum continues this year for Shayne and the new car from Copeland’s.”

Thank you to Smart Chicken, Reasor’s grocery store, and Meyer Truck Center for helping us this weekend.

We would like to thank our other Randy Meyer Racing partners: Lucas Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, GUNK, Quik-Latch Products, Boninfante, Taylor Cable, ARP, MAHLE Clevite, Hedman Hedders, Moroso, Good Year Tires.

Follow RMR at www.randymeyerracing.com and www.facebook.com/RandyMeyerRacing

 

Meyer Celebrates Third Consecutive Spring Nationals Victory

Courtesy of Randy Meyer Racing

April 27, 2015 – The Randy Meyer Racing Team took home the win this weekend in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway for the third year in a row.

Randy Meyer, Top Alcohol Dragster driver and team owner based out of Spring Hill, Kansas, claimed the victory after defeating David Brounkowski, who red light in the final round and automatically giving the win to Randy.

On Friday and Saturday, Randy qualified his A/Fuel Dragster with a best run of 5.378 ET at 271 mph to claim the fifth position, out of 16. All elimination rounds were held on Sunday, which gave Randy the chance to make experienced tuning adjustments to have the quickest times on Sunday, making him unbeatable.

“We didn’t do as good as I wanted to in qualifying,” Randy said. “I changed some things on the motor before first round, and we were very happy with the results.”

Randy got his first taste of success with a 5.294 ET at 271 mph to defeat Aaron Tatum in round one of eliminations. As the only dragster to run in the 5.20s, Randy had lane choice in second round over competitor and veteran Jim Whiteley, and his 5.279 ET at 271 mph took out Whiteley’s 5.359 at 267 mph.

Randy continued to knock down the competition, and defeated Lee Callaway with a 5.264 ET at 272 mph in the semi-finals, laying down the quickest, and third fastest, Top Alcohol Dragster pass of the weekend.

Although Randy’s dragster slowed down to a 5.327 at 271 mph in the final round, his destiny was already set as he was declared the Houston Spring Nationals Champion, for the third year in a row, once he left the starting line.

“It was nice to be able to come back to Houston and come away with the win year after year after year,” says Randy. “There were some very tough competitors that we raced this weekend, but our car ran great and our crew worked very hard to make it all happen. After red lighting in Charlotte, and losing in Dallas last weekend, this win this weekend helped build our momentum back up to keep going rounds. I want to thank all of our sponsors for supporting us and standing behind us.“

You can watch Randy make his way to the winner’s circle on ESPN2 at 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET on May 3rd.

Now third in points for the NHRA Lucas Oil National Championship, this was Randy’s second win of the 2015 season, out of four races, and gives all the credit to his dedicated crew and family. The next stop for the Randy Meyer Racing Team is May 22-24 at their hometown track, Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, KS, for the NHRA Kansas Nationals.

The Randy Meyer Racing Team would like to thank 2015 partners and sponsors: Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, NGK Spark Plugs, GUNK, Quik-Latch Products, Boninfante, Taylor Cable, ARP, MAHLE Clevite, Aeromotive Fuel Systems, Hedman Hedders, Moroso.

Follow us:

Facebook (/RandyMeyerRacing, /MeganMeyer.Racing)

Twitter (@MeyerSisters)

YouTube (Randy Meyer Racing)

Meyer Defeats Reigning TAD Champion for Gatornationals Victory

Courtesy of Randy Meyer Racing
TAN photos

March 18th, 2015 - Kansas-based Top Alcohol Dragster team Randy Meyer Racing traveled south to Gainesville, Florida for the 46th annual NHRA Gatornationals as their first stop on their 2015 tour. With no prior testing before the event, the team had an exceptional weekend to dominate the field and take home the Wally.

Driver and tuner, Randy Meyer, laid down a 5.35 ET at 267 mph for the first qualifying session on Friday at Auto-Plus Raceway in Gainesville, Florida, as his very first pass down the quarter-mile track for the beginning of the year. He followed it up with a 5.29 ET at 271 mph during the second qualifying run, and an improved 5.28 ET at 274 mph for the third and final qualifier, placing him fourth in the 16-car field.

 First round eliminations saw Randy overthrow 13th qualifier, Paul Fishburn, with a 5.32 ET at 271 mph Sunday morning, followed by a 5.31 ET at 275 mph to defeat Rich McPhillips in the second round.

A semi-final victory over Jackie Fricke with a 5.30 ET at 275 by Randy placed him in the final round against reigning Top Alcohol Dragster champion Chris Demke. The two launched off the starting line with similar reaction times, and were together down the track until Randy pulled away, and took the event win with an aggressive 5.21 ET at 277 mph to Demke’s 5.33 ET at 276 mph.

“There was an edge and we took it,” said Randy. “We put it all on the line and it paid off. After a long hard winter it was great to be able to see the sunshine, and get off to a good start for the year.“

“The car ran good and the crew did a great job. I am very proud of my family and my team. It was a bonus in the finals to beat Demke, they have a great car and that’s why they carry the number 1. We are all looking forward to a great outing at our next race in Charlotte.”

After a victorious weekend, the team wasn’t done racing as Randy’s oldest daughter, Megan Meyer, hopped in the driver’s seat of the A/Fuel Dragster to complete her Top Alcohol Dragster license. With a half-track pass, a 1000-foot pass of 5.36 ET at 231 mph, and a quarter-mile pass of 5.29 ET at 264 mph, she was able to successfully get approved to license with NHRA.

“It is a dream come true,” said Megan. “I was so thrilled to know that I was earning my license after we were done testing. I have been waiting for this moment all my life and it is finally here. I cannot wait to continue training this year, and compete full-time next year.”

“I would like to give a huge thank you to my parents and sister for their support and believing in me, and my uncle Rich and the Lindberg Brothers Team for helping us with the car on Monday, as well as Dave Hirata for signing off on the passes. I am very grateful for those who have been there for me throughout the years from when I first started training at Gainesville two years ago. We have an amazing team made up of family members and close friends who know how to make our hotrod one of the best in the field.”

You can find Randy in the winner’s circle on ESPN2 at 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM ET on March 28th.

The next stop for the Randy Meyer Racing Team is March 27-29 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, NC for the 4-Wide Nationals.

The Randy Meyer Racing Team would like to thank its other partners on board for the 2015 season: Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, NGK Spark Plugs, GUNK, Quik-Latch Products, Boninfante, Taylor Cable, ARP, Aeromotive Fuel Systems, MAHLE Clevite, Hedman Hedders, Moroso, and Aeroquip.

Follow us on Facebook (/RandyMeyerRacing, /MeganMeyer.Racing), Twitter (@MeyerSisters), and YouTube (Randy Meyer Racing)

Crowning the 2014 Champions

TAN Original Content
Photos courtesy of David Smith


TAD National Champion - Chris Demke
Three times a runner-up in the last four seasons, Chris Demke was determined to lock down his first NHRA Lucas Oil Series National Championship with team owner Jerry Maddern and the Peen Rite team. A "rollercoaster season" as the California driver described it, started with a powerful win at the season-opening Winternationals at Pomona then fell into a rough patch with early losses and hurt parts. The team regrouped and returned with a vengeance in late spring, picking up a win at the Billings regional. Regional wins at Columbus, Topeka, and Seattle followed, as well as victories at the Route 66 Nationals and 60th U.S. Nationals. Demke's highlight of the year was a rare three-win weekend at the NHRA Nationals in Reading, PA, where Maddern Racing locked up the national championship on Friday, the delayed Carolina Nationals event win on Saturday, and the actual event title on Sunday. Another notable 2014 accomplishment - Demke clocked the fastest blown alcohol speed at Reading, 277.94 MPH.

TAFC National Champion - Steve Harker
All eyes were on the Top Alcohol Funny Car class in 2014, watching to see who would replace 17-time champ Frank Manzo as the class champion at the end of the year. Australian Steve Harker filled the role fittingly, running a season that rivaled the dominating ways of "The Ace". Harker displayed deadly consistency, starting with consecutive wins at the Norwalk national and St. Louis and Bowling Green regionals. He fell in the second round at the U.S. Nationals, but won his next five national events - Charlotte, Dallas, Reading, Las Vegas, and Pomona. As if those wins weren't impressive enough, Harker ran seven 5.4s during late-season eliminations, including a 5.429 in the Reading final. The first non-North American driver to win an NHRA national championship, Harker also swept the potential three-win weekend at Maple Grove.

TAD East Region Champion - Jackie Fricke
Driving the JC Auto Glass/Accelerated Travel A/Fuel dragster, Jackie scored a runner-up at Virginia and regional event wins at Lebanon Valley and Epping to clinch her first TAD regional championship. Fricke's pedalfest win in the Epping final gave her the tie-breaker win over Rich McPhillips, who finished the season with an equal amount of points.

TAFC East Region Champion - Mickey Ferro
The Ryco driver bowed out in the second round of his first four regional events before winning Epping and claiming runner-up at Atco. Ferro clinched the championship by just one point over rookie Matt Gill.

TAD North Central Region Champion - Marty Thacker
While the now four-time regional/divisional champion didn't reach the winner's circle in 2014, Thacker consistently reached the final round, doing so at the Norwalk, Chicago, St. Louis, and Bowling Green regional races.

TAFC North Central Region Champion - Steve Harker

Speed City photo

TAD Central Region Champion - Randy Meyer
Meyer had his hands full this season, between racing his own car, tuning it to two national event wins with driver Shayne Lawson, and fielding a second Randy Meyer Racing entry with Chase Copeland driving. Meyer runnered-up at the Topeka event and won the Earlville regional, resetting the track record in the process. The accomplished driver/tuner/owner also fared well in national competition, winning the Spring Nationals at Houston and the Lucas Oil Nationals completed at the U.S. Nationals for a third place finish in national points.

Megan Meyer photo

TAFC Central Regional Champion - Dale Brand
A favorite to win the national championship for most of the season, Brand locked up the Central Region title with an impressive lead of over 100 points. The former IHRA Alcohol Funny Car standout won three of his five regional events, taking runner-up at the other two. Dale finished No. 2 in national standings with one win, a runner-up and five semifinal appearances.

TAN photo

TAD West Region Champion - Chris Demke

TAFC West Region Champion - Jay Payne
The PEAK-sponsored driver was victorious at the Houston and Billings regional events, also adding a runner-up at Phoenix. On the national level, Payne debuted the second Camaro TAFC body at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals with a win and finished the season third in points.

Meyer Reviews 2014 Season, 5th Lucas Oil Series Central Region Championship

Courtesy of Randy Meyer Racing

Randy Meyer (RMR photo)

Dec. 3rd, 2014 - The Randy Meyer Racing Team had an eventful season this year with driver Chase Copeland joining the team to pilot their new second A/Fuel Dragster in the Top Alcohol Dragster class to claim first and second in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (LODRS) Central Region points championship.

Randy Meyer, Shayne Lawson, and Chase teamed up and defeated many tough players in NHRA’s Top Alcohol Dragster ranks, to earn the Randy Meyer Racing Team’s fifth LODRS Central Region championship. The team also earned their seventh NHRA National points series top 10 finish, and the Best Appearing Crew award at their second race of the year in Gainesville, Florida with their Smart Chicken team uniforms. The team now has a total of 13 national event wins, and 20 LODRS event wins.

Randy, who finished third in the nation, won national event races in Houston, Texas for the NHRA Spring Nationals, Brainerd, Minnesota for the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals, and a runner-up finish at the NHRA Carolina Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also was winner of the Jegs AllStars race in Joliet, Illinois, and won the LODRS race at Earlville, Iowa and runner-up at the Central Regional event at his home track in Topeka, Kansas.

Shayne had his share of the victory lane this year, as he won his first NHRA National event at the Kansas Nationals in Topeka, Kansas and the Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas. Shayne also won the LODRS race at Tulsa, Oklahoma, and set a new personal record as he ran his quickest pass in a Top Alcohol Dragster at 5.25 seconds. Shayne finished 25th in the nation, and 8th in the Central Region.

Chase took on the driving duties, as well as co-crew-chief and co-tuner duties, for the team’s new 2006 Hadman Injected Nitromethane dragster. With struggles along the way, he was able to pilot the car to earn a very close second place in the Central Region behind Randy, and 12th in the nation, with a semifinal finish at the Central Regional race in Topeka, Kansas and runner-up finishes at the LODRS races in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Noble, Oklahoma.

Randy’s two daughters, Megan and Rachel Meyer, who currently compete in the Super Comp class of NHRA, took strides towards their own Top Alcohol Dragster licenses this year. With testing provided at their home track, Heartland Park Topeka, the girls trained to get comfortable with the cars. This year marked Rachel’s first time in an A/Fueler, as she piloted the second dragster, and was able to confidently make the first steps to becoming a licensed NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster driver.

Megan, piloting Randy’s dragster, completed her first full quarter-mile pass this year with a competitive 5.35 elapsed time at 265 mph. She plans to continue training next year, and will earn her license to take on the possibility of competing in her first Top Alcohol Dragster race as she graduates from college at Pittsburg State University, before taking over the drivers seat for a full-time position beginning in 2016. She is currently looking for potential marketing partners to help her chase her dreams and become the next second generation driver in the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster ranks.

With successes also comes failures and hard times, but Randy will not let the low times get him down. He confidently completed his 35th year of drag racing while building a massively competitive team. Earning the LODRS Central Region Championship, setting track records, and becoming nominated for the 2014 Pro Sportsman Driver and Mechanic of the year are the icing on the cake for him as he travels with his family and dedicated team to each NHRA race, while gaining incredibly supportive and enduring partners along the way.

“2014 was a very good year for the whole Randy Meyer Racing Team, we had a great team effort with adding a second A/Fuel car and new crew members,” said Randy. “It was challenging and rewarding to run both cars and win rounds with the different drivers. I look forward to a great year in 2015 where we can start where we left off. I want to thank all of our sponsors and partners that helped us out this year, as well as all of our crew guys, without them this would not be possible.”

Chase Copeland (RMR photo)

“It was also very exciting and worthwhile to see Megan make her first full pass at Topeka, and to help guide and watch Rachel making her first steps in the other car. The girls are working together well with helping each other become better and more comfortable in the cars, and I know they will have a bright future in the field,” Randy added.

For pictures and videos of the team’s season, visit our Facebook page and find us on YouTube.

 

The RMR Team would like to thank all of their 2014 sponsors and partners:

Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, NGK Spark Plugs, MOTOR MEDIC, Quik-Latch Products, Copeland Race Cars, Boninfante, Taylor Cable, Belzona Industrial Solutions, Rezner trailers, ARP, MAHLE Clevite, Hedman Hedders, Moroso, Aeroquip, JEGS, Jiffy-Tite, Price Chopper, Reasor's, Schnucks, Brookshire's, John Haley #1 Roofer LLC, and Aeromotive Fuel Systems

Demke Locks Up TAD Title, Battle Now is for 2nd Place

Courtesy of Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Photo courtesy of David Smith

Like 2014 Top Alcohol Funny Car world champ Steve Harker, Top Alcohol Dragster champion Chris Demke was a multi-time championship runner-up who finally won it all with an unbelievable second-half run. Like Harker, he swept Charlotte and Reading in one unforgettable weekend, walking away with three Wallys and turning the 2014 points race into a race for second place.

Demke, who finished second to Bill Reichert in the 2010 standings and to nemesis Jim Whiteley in 2012 and 2013, won a career-high nine races in 2014 – five national events and four regionals. He began the season with a barrage of 5.20s in a Winternationals rout, was gone by the second round at the next five in a row, then raced just once in a three-month span from March to June as rival Joey Severance took control of the class.

Everything changed June 22 at the West regional at Yellowstone Dragstrip in Acton, Mont., when Demke outran Severance, who had lane choice, in the final. Over the next 11 races, Demke's Adam Rhoades-tuned dragster reached nine finals, won eight (including the big one, the U.S. Nationals), and went four-for-four in regional competition, scoring at Acton, Columbus, Seattle, and Topeka to win the West Region championship in a landslide. He won 35 of 38 rounds aboard Jerry Maddern's Peen Rite dragster and his overall season win-loss record was 43-8 after the Reading double, which included the quickest run of his career (5.217) and the fastest run of any blown-alcohol driver's career (277.94 mph).

Severance, son of '70s Pro Comp great Joe Severance, enjoyed an otherwise outstanding season, winning two regional events in three finals and two national events in three finals, including one over Demke at Seattle that seemed crucial at the time. He took the early season lead and was the midseason title favorite after scoring back to back to back at the Phoenix regional, Las Vegas regional, and Las Vegas national.

Severance's championship hopes were dashed by two disastrous DNQs – one at Norwalk, a race Demke skipped, and another at the Topeka regional that Demke eventually won. His focus now turns to locking down second place and fighting off a determined group of challengers led by Kansas veteran Randy Meyer, the top-ranked A/Fuel driver of 2014.

Meyer's team has excelled with three different drivers at the controls this year. Meyer himself has won three times in five finals, including twice at the national level – Houston and Brainerd. In four starts in Meyer's car, Shayne Lawson won three of them, including two national events (Topeka and Dallas) and the Tulsa regional, where he topped teammate Chase Copeland in an all-Randy Meyer Racing final.

Fourth-ranked Rich McPhillips is on pace to tie his highest finish ever in the national standings and a lock for his third Top 10 in a row. The Gatornationals and U.S. Nationals runner-up scored twice on the regional level (at his home tracks, Maple Grove and Atco) and narrowly missed a second East Region championship in three years when he came out on the wrong end of a tiebreaker with Jackie Fricke.

If Reichert hangs onto fifth place, and he probably will, it'll be his 11th Top 5 in a row, unprecedented in Top Alcohol Dragster history. The retiring five-time national champ didn't claim a national event win for the first time in a decade but did rack up a pair of North Central regional victories (Indy and Chicago) and winds up his distinguished career tied with Rick Santos (1997-2001) for the most championships in class history.

2011 national champ Duane Shields emerged victorious three times this year – all in Gainesville, despite the fact that that track hosts only two races, the Gatornationals and an East Regional. He won the rain-delayed Houston regional that was completed at Gainesville, swept that weekend by doubling up at the Gatornationals, and completed his points-earning season earlier this month with a win at the regularly scheduled Gainesville regional. Seventh in the standings with no more races to claim, he'll finish in the Top 10 for the eighth time in nine years.

Fricke, currently ranked number 7, truly had a breakout year in 2014. Runner-up at the East Region opener in Richmond, she drove Joe Cantrell's Tom Conway-tuned A/Fueler to her first NHRA title at the Lebanon Valley regional and scored again at the very next East Region race, at New England Dragway, to open a sizable lead in the East standings that she never relinquished. The many-time IHRA Super Comp national event winner also earned her first semifinal finish in national competition at the 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.

Without attracting much attention, transplanted Englishman and former World Finals winner Michael Manners quietly holds down eighth place. For him, it's been all or nothing all year. Manners opened his 2014 campaign with seven first-round losses in a row and nine in the first 10 races, but went all the way to the final at the other two, finishing second to Demke at the Route 66 Nationals in Chicago and winning two weeks ago at Noble, Okla.

Mike Strasburg and Mark Taliaferro are still in the Top 10 despite running just seven races this year and being sidelined for months. In an odd twist, neither will compete again in the cars that carried them to Top 10 status. Strasburg, who now is Top Alcohol Funny Car star Annie Whiteley's crew chief, hasn't competed since earning his first national event win at Norwalk in Jim Whiteley's 2013 championship car that has since been sold. Taliaferro, who reached three finals in seven starts with crew chief Norm Grimes, has been out of action since a violent crash in the second round of the Northwest Nationals in Seattle.

Canadian Jeff Veale, rookie Mia Tedesco, and veteran Shawn Cowie sit just outside the current Top 10. Veale, 11th in the standings, completed the finest season of his nine-year driving career in 2014, running in excess of 280 mph numerous times, winning his first NHRA title at Richmond, and becoming the last driver ever to race his friend, Reichert. Tedesco, a heavy hitter in the Super classes completing her first year in an A/Fueler, collected her first alcohol win at the Bowling Green regional at the wheel of Dave Hirata's car and backed it up a week later with a strong semifinal showing at the U.S. Nationals. Cowie, always at his best at Las Vegas, where he's earned three of his career four national event victories, will crack the Top 10 if he qualifies at either Las Vegas or Pomona and will overtake Strasburg for ninth place if he wins a round at either one.

Randy Meyer Earns Brainerd National Win at U.S. Nationals

Courtesy of Randy Meyer Racing

 September 2nd, 2014 – On August 14th – 17th, the 33rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals was held at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota. Unfortunately, the race was canceled due to a tremendous amount of rain, and eliminations rounds for sportsman racers were completed at different races.

For Top Alcohol Dragster, the semi-final and final round of eliminations were to be held at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis during qualifying on Labor Day weekend. Randy Meyer, who qualified his Injected-Nitro machine in the second spot with a 5.33 E.T. pass at 269 mph, faced Dean Dubbin, the 13th qualifier, for the opening round of eliminations. Randy spun the tires on the launch, causing a slow start, but he quickly recovered the run and crossed the finish line first with a 5.41 E.T. at 265 mph.

With a not-so-full field, Randy got a free pass in the second and quarterfinal round, and ran an unopposed 5.30 E.T. at 269 mph. After this pass, however, rain interrupted the race and caused another delay. The race for Top Alcohol Dragster was postponed after the showers, and declared to be finished at the U.S. Nationals.

While in Indy, Randy faced Duane Shields for the semi-finals of the Lucas Oil Nationals, and got the round win with a 5.32 E.T. at 270 mph, but did not earn lane-choice over Tripp Tatum for the finals. Wrapping up the final round of eliminations from Brainerd during the third qualifying session of the U.S. Nationals, Randy Meyer was off the starting line first, and never looked back as he ran the quickest time of qualifying, earning the number one spot, and the Lucas Oil Brainerd National event win with a 5.27 E.T. at 271 mph.

This win was the Randy Meyer Racing Team’s fifth win of the season, and Randy’s second NHRA National event win of the year.

“We were eager for this win from Brainerd,” said Randy. “We have had a great turn-around from our struggling performance earlier this summer, and we have one of the best race cars and crews out there. I am very proud of my team, they deserve it.”

Supporting Randy Meyer Racing for this race was John Haley #1 Roofer, LLC based out of the Twin Cities metro area in Minnesota, who provides residential and commercial roofing, siding, gutters, remodeling, windows, repair needs, snow and ice removal, and more (click here to learn more).

“Investing in the Randy Meyer Racing Team was a good decision for me,“ claimed John Haley, owner of John Haley #1 Roofer, LLC. “I had a lot of race cars to pick from to advertise for me during the Brainerd race, and Randy was my first choice. He has all the qualities of what it takes to be #1. He is friendly, caring, helpful to other racers in distress, and respectful of others below him on the ladder of life. He is very serious in his efforts to do the best he can to win races. I have much respect for Randy and his team, and we would like to put our name on his car again next year for the Brainerd race.”

The television schedule for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals event has not been released yet. We will announce the date on our Facebook Page: (/RandyMeyerRacing).

Randy Meyer Racing would like to thank their sponsors for their support and dedication to the team: Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, John Haley #1 Roofer, LLC, Aeromotive Fuel Systems, NGK Spark Plugs, MOTOR MEDIC, Quik-Latch Products, Boninfante, Taylor Cable, Aeroquip Performance, Belzona Industrial Solutions, Rezner trailers, ARP, Copeland Race Cars, MAHLE Clevite, Hedman Hedders, and Moroso.

For more information on the Randy Meyer Racing Team, please visit: www.randymeyerracing.com

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RandyMeyerRacing