TAD Champ Demke Testing Retired Car at Vegas Regional for 2015 Title Defense

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photo courtesy of David Smith

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (November 7, 2014) – Upon winning their first major national championship, some teams in drag racing might take it easy for a while and reflect on their accomplishment. 2014 NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster champ Chris Demke and his Peen Rite team wouldn't even consider it. The Jerry Maddern-led team returned from their last race in Reading, PA and almost immediately started preparing one of their old cars for a title defense in 2015. The 2012 Maddern Racing dragster underwent a few updates and will return to the track at the Las Vegas NHRA regional race this weekend.

“We clinched the national championship and locked up the West Region title, so we can start preparing for next year during these next few races. We decided to pull out the car we retired at the end of 2012. That car has been front-halved and re-skinned by Sarmento Race Cars in Sacramento. It's really the same car, but the new skin has an aerodynamic package – a taller windshield and shroud over the roll cage – that we're hoping will help add some mile-per-hour. We'll use these next few races to get that car ready for next year. Either I can drive it or I can go back to the championship car and we can rent the 2012 car to another driver,” hinted Demke.

The popular Californian driver already won both the national and regional titles, so the Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products team is left with two races in 2014 to basically test the refurbished car. Demke clinched the NHRA TAD national championship at the NHRA Nationals last month, where he claimed not only the national title but also event wins from Reading and the delayed Charlotte race. The Lucas Oil Series West Region title was decided when Demke won four of five claimable regional races, including Topeka, the last race he used as a test session.

“We secured the regional title so these points won't help anything except our JEGS Allstars points position so we can race at the Allstars race in Chicago next year. Similar to Topeka, we're treating this weekend as a test and debug session for this car. Even though the car has a proven history, it's been stripped down to the bare tubes and front-halved. We spent the last two weeks putting it back together. With something as complex as these cars, you're always going to have issues that need to be resolved. This test will help us catch any of those issues so we can go into 2015 with a strong car,” Demke declared.

The final Lucas Oil Series regional event of the season, the Shortline Express Markets Gambler Shootout, takes place at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, November 6-9. Top Alcohol qualifying starts with a session on Friday at 3 PM with additional sessions at noon and 4 PM on Saturday. Top Alcohol eliminations kick off at 11 AM Sunday morning.

Maddern Racing is a family-owned and operated NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team based in Southern California. The team's Chris Demke-driven Peen Rite/Operational Solutions/Boost Performance Products blown alcohol dragster is owned by Jerry Maddern and crewed by Adam Rhoades, Kevin Watson, Mike Demke, Greg Rice, and Robert Hadaller. For more information on Chris Demke and Maddern Racing, please visit www.MaddernRacing.com.

Maddern Racing receives support from the following companies: Peen Rite Inc., Operational Solutions Inc., Boost Performance Products, B-G Detection, Afco, LA X-Ray, Jet-Lube, and Morningwood Energy Drink.

Randy Meyer Clinches Central Region Points Lead with Topeka Regional Runner-Up

Courtesy of Randy Meyer Racing

August 25th, 2014 – Smart Chicken and Price Chopper Top Alcohol Dragster Team Randy Meyer Racing had a solid performance at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Central Regional event held at Heartland Park Topeka this past weekend with both of their A/Fuel Dragsters.

Randy Meyer and Chase Copeland took the second and third qualifying spots after two sessions on Friday with a 5.391 E.T. at 265 mph for Chase, and a 5.396 E.T. at 266 mph for Randy. Randy went on to defeat Todd Odom during first round with a 5.518 E.T. at 262 mph to Odom’s 5.711 E.T. at 239 mph, and Chase also won first round against Brandon Pierce with a 5.503 E.T. at 262 mph to Pierce’s 5.582 E.T. at 222 mph.

Paired up against each other for second round, Chase had lane choice over Randy, but immediately smoked the tires after his launch, as Randy pulled his Smart Chicken Price Chopper Dragster ahead for the semi-final win with a 5.358 E.T. at 268 mph. Moving onto the final round, Randy was up against the number one qualifier of the event, Chris Demke. With a slightly better reaction time, Demke was able to pull ahead of Randy for the win with a 5.336 E.T. at 268 mph to Randy’s 5.383 E.T. at 265 mph.

Although Randy didn’t get the hometown win, he was able to clinch his Central Region points lead with his runner-up finish. Chase currently sits fourth in the Central Regional standings, followed by Shayne Lawson.

Randy’s daughters, Megan and Rachel Meyer, also competed at this event with their Super Comp Dragsters. Unfortunately Megan’s transmission broke during first round and she was unable to compete, but Rachel Meyer claimed the semi-final finish on Sunday for the annual National Dragster race.

Randy will finish the Brainerd National eliminations during qualifying at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis this Friday against Duane Shields. Top Alcohol Dragster will get a third qualifying pass on Saturday, and a fourth session on Sunday. The opening round of eliminations will begin Sunday night, and will be concluded on Monday.

Make sure to follow the Randy Meyer Racing Team on Facebook (/RandyMeyerRacing) for the latest news and track updates.

Randy Meyer Racing would like to thank their sponsors for their support and dedication to the team: Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, Price Chopper, 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.

Demke Wins Seattle Regional, Adds Topeka Regional to Schedule

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

TOPEKA, Kan. (August 20) – Top Alcohol Dragster star Chris Demke claimed his third regional event win of the season last weekend when he won the NHRA Lucas Oil Series West Region race at Pacific Raceways. Just weeks removed from reaching the finals at the O'Reilly NHRA Northwest Nationals, also at Seattle, Demke beat two northwest blown alcohol drivers and a fellow SoCal resident to win his third regional event in as many attempts. Now Chris and the Peen Rite team head east for two weeks of Midwest racing in Kansas and Indiana.

Demke qualified at the Seattle regional event in the No. 2 spot with a 5.273 at 273 MPH. He was a few thousandths of a second shy of repeating in the first round against Kim Parker, winning with a 5.278. A quick pedal was necessary to beat local hero Shawn Cowie in a 5.357 to 5.436 semifinal decision. Chris again had to pedal the Peen Rite entry in the final round but opponent Johnny Ahten, who ran 5.22 and 5.20 earlier in the weekend, smoked the tires. Demke took the win with a 5.348 elapsed time.

“Our car ran what I expected it would run during qualifying and the first round of eliminations, but we just missed the tune-up in the semis and final. It shook the tires and I can't say that I was ready for it. The car was running so well in the previous runs so the shake caught me off-guard and I didn't do the best driving job. I was impressed by the car's performance considering my driving during the final two rounds,” Chris said humbly.

The weekend was lucrative on the points front with Demke maintaining a healthy lead over Joey Severance in the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster national points standings. Severance, a noted Northwest-based driver, was racing at a national event in Brainerd, Minn.

“It was a good weekend for the points chase,” Demke concurred. “There was certainly a buzz in the pit when we heard that Joey went out second round at Brainerd. The crew was excited because we knew our run for the championship had gained some momentum.”

Demke and the Peen Rite/Operational Solutions/Boost Performance Products team continue their busy 2014 season this weekend as they add the Topeka regional event to their schedule. Riding along with them will be continued support from a two-year Maddern Racing sponsor.

“I renewed my relationship with associate sponsor Morningwood Energy Drink while we were in Seattle. The CEO came by during the race and gave us some cases to pass out to fans. The forecast for Topeka is calling for 100 degree days so fans are welcome to stop by and sample a Morningwood Energy Drink.

“The Topeka race isn't as important to national points as it is to regional points as we're maxed out with three regional wins towards the national championship. We're going to Topeka hoping that the weather will be similar to what we'll see at Indy, so we're treating this as a test session for the biggest race of the year, the U.S. Nationals. This is our first time racing at the Topeka regional, though we've had some success at the Topeka national event. Even though we're treating it as a test session I'm confident that we have the opportunity to do very well there,” Demke claimed.

The NHRA Lucas Oil Series Central Regional event at Heartland Park Topeka, August 22-23, begins on Friday with TAD qualifying at 5 and 7:30 PM. Eliminations start at 6 PM Saturday evening.

Maddern Racing is a family-owned and operated NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team based in Southern California. The team's Chris Demke-driven Peen Rite/Operational Solutions/Boost Performance Products blown alcohol dragster is owned by Jerry Maddern and crewed by Adam Rhoades, Kevin Watson, Mike Demke, Greg Rice, and Robert Hadaller. For more information on Chris Demke and Maddern Racing, please visit www.MaddernRacing.com.

Maddern Racing receives support from the following companies: Peen Rite Inc., Operational Solutions Inc., Boost Performance Products, B-G Detection, Afco, LA X-Ray, and Morningwood Energy Drink.

Third Final of the Year for Ahten at Seattle Regional

Courtesy of John Rogers
Photo courtesy of Costabile Productions

Kent, WA. – Johnny Ahten’s performance statement at the LODRS Regional speaks volumes. Johnny not only had low ET of the event, but he reset the Pacific Raceways A-Fuel track record. He then parlayed his #1 qualifying performance into the final round, which was his third of the year. See a trend here? Even though Ahten fell to CleanBoost Performance Oil teammate Chris Demke in the final, the numerical threat the Island Renovations / Combust Filters Dragster displayed was more than enough to make it a memorable outing.

“I am very happy with our performance, “said Johnny Ahten. “The Stump Puller was a monster and we ran on the edge the whole time. I am so proud of my guys the way we came back from a first round loss at the Seattle National event. It’s tough to lose, but it’s not so bad when it’s to the team leading the points. This was our third final of the year and Ahten Racing is confident going into the end of the year.”

Ahten’s Seattle Regional adventure began with a test session on Friday. The plan was to run to 1000ft and shut it off. Johnny got a great start, motored down the track, and pulled the chutes early. The scoreboard flashed an expectedly slow 237 mph, but when the 5.22 ET lit up, it made people take notice. Saturday’s first qualifying effort was dashed in a cloud of smoke as the Stump Puller was flexing some muscle. In Q2, a clean start netted a 5.26@269 pass that would hold up for the #1 qualifying spot. In the last qualifying session, the cooler temperatures had the Ahten Racing team looking for glory, but it was not to be as the track was unable to hold the power.

Sunday’s first round of eliminations began with a match-up with Jeff Ashwell. Johnny blasted off the line first and rocketed to a 5.202@269.73 to defeat Ashwell’s 6.022@179.59 effort. The run ended up being low of the event and reset the track record. It was also one of the quickest A-Fuel passes of the season. Second round was a battle with fellow A-Fuel racer Garrett Bateman. Here Johnny’s 5.273@267.85 dispatched a tire-smoking Bateman and it was on to the finals. Laying in wait was Chris Demke. Crew Chief Al Ahten and team partner Howard Katano backed down the tune-up and Bob Ahten, Chuck Costabile, and Kevin Covlell got the car ready. The record setting monster was ready to attack. All was well until one second into the run, when smoke poured from the tires of the Stump Puller. Just a toe over the edge of traction was enough to hand the victory to Demke.

Johnny Ahten and the team will feed off of their Seattle Regional performance and ride the monster all the way to the finals at Pomona. Ahten Racing’ next outing will be the LODRS Regional race September 5-7 at Mission Raceway in British Colombia, Canada. To stay informed visit: www.facebook.com/JohnnyAhtenRacing

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The Combust Filters Oil By-Pass Filtration System provides 3 Micron filtration, 100% Water Removal, Soot Removal, Extended Engine Life, Pollution Prevention, and Reduced Oil Consumption. By keeping the oil free of moisture contamination and particulates larger than 3 microns, your engine oil will have reduced Oxidation, Nitration, while maintaining required oil viscosity and TBN for proper lubrication. Our system incorporates only the best technology and quality construction for ease of use and installation. Features include an easy to read pressure gauge, 2 sizes of spin-on filters (7” and 12”), a push button oil sample valve, and a custom flow fitting to ensure a continuous proper flow. No internal moving parts to wear out! Visit us at: www.combustfilters.com

Seattle Regional Defending Champ Demke is Back for More

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

KENT, Wash. (August 14) – A recent runner-up finish at the NHRA Northwest Nationals is fresh on the mind of Chris Demke as he returns to Pacific Raceways for this weekend's NHRA Lucas Oil Series West Region race. The Maddern Racing team is equipped with solid data from the national event, and they're eager to improve in this weekend's better predicted conditions. Demke is confident in his Peen Rite Top Alcohol Dragster's ability to make quick, clean runs down the race track, but he's also wary of his competition, especially the nitro-burning racers.

“The weather is possibly going to be cooler. I expect the A/Fuel cars to step up accordingly. I'm sure they've all gained data from the national event, and with that knowledge they'll refine their tune-ups and step it up a bit. But based on our performance at Seattle, I think we have something for them,” claimed Demke, who won this event last year.

This weekend's West Region event is the seventh race in three months for Demke and the Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products team. They've crisscrossed the country from their home base in southern California to the rural race tracks of Ohio and everywhere in between. While the driver and crew has had time at home between those races, the equipment hasn't had the same treatment.

“This race is the end of a long road trip for the car and hauler. The rig hasn't been back to the shop since it left for Topeka back in May. Everything will head back to the Maddern Racing shop after this event for servicing and any necessary repairs before it goes out on its next journey,” stated the crew member-turned-driver.

When looking at their race planner for this weekend, the Peen Rite team was faced with a choice; stay on the west coast at Seattle or venture east again for the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

“The crew had me enter the Brainerd race just in case we wanted to go to there instead. Ultimately we decided to stay at Seattle and use our good tune-up to accumulate some more points,” Demke concluded.

Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying at the Pacific Raceways Lucas Oil Regional presented by The Sports Page begins at noon on Saturday, August 16th and continues at 3:45 and 7 PM. Eliminations start at noon on Sunday.

Maddern Racing is a family-owned and operated NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team based in Southern California. The team's Chris Demke-driven Peen Rite/Operational Solutions/Boost Performance Products blown alcohol dragster is owned by Jerry Maddern and crewed by Adam Rhoades, Kevin Watson, Mike Demke, Greg Rice, and Robert Hadaller. For more information on Chris Demke and Maddern Racing, please visit www.MaddernRacing.com.

Maddern Racing receives support from the following companies: Peen Rite Inc., Operational Solutions Inc., Boost Performance Products, B-G Detection, Afco, and LA X-Ray.

Resurfaced Earlville Track Primed for Lucas Oil Event

Courtesy of Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association

Reid Kuhlman doesn't mess around. When he built Tri-State Raceway, he didn't just put in a concrete launch pad or lay concrete to the 330-foot mark or to half-track or even for the entire quarter-mile – he did it from behind the water box to the last turnoff.

When Kuhlman recently had the surface ground and polished, he started at the 150-foot-mark and went all the way to the finish line. "Diamond grinding leaves longitudinal ridges," he explained. "Those can take a while to fill in with rubber, so after we had the track ground, we had it polished for eight days until everything was perfectly smooth."

Now the groove is wider, longer, flatter, and smoother than it's ever been. "The Top Dragsters have already been in the low 6s at more than 220 mph, the Top Sportsman cars are flying, everybody's computers are showing how smooth the surface is, and everybody's saying they can't feel even a little bump anywhere in either lane," said Kuhlman, who's gearing up for a record-breaking event when Tri-State hosts its Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Central Regional the week after the U.S. Nationals.

"The Alcohol Dragster track record is 5.32, and the Alcohol Funny Car record is 5.62, and we don't expect either one of them to last past that weekend," said Kuhlman, whose facility holds the Division 5 car-count record (more than 600) and once held nearly 20 cars just in Top Alcohol Funny Car. "We pick up a lot of teams that stop here on their way back to the West Coast after Indy and a lot of top cars from all around the country, and we're hoping a bunch of them will be back again this year with all the guys from Division 5 and Division 3."

For some reason, alcohol racing's biggest stars typically don't shine when the Lucas Oil tour hits the tiny town of Earlville, Iowa (population: 800), a half-hour west of Dubuque in the northeast part of the state, where Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois come together. Edwin Schmeeckle, Richard Putz, Dave Heitzman, Gord Gingles, and Sidnei Frigo have scored there in Top Alcohol Dragster, Schmeeckle and Putz more than once. Top Alcohol Funny Car has been dominated by Kirk Williams and Andy Bohl, who each have multiple wins, and the defending event champs are Jared Dreher, who also scored this weekend at St. Louis in Alcohol Dragster, and Williams in Alcohol Funny Car.

In addition to having the surface painstaking polished after it was reground, the 4,000-foot track, now in its 17th year, has his own tire rotator to keep the rubber in top condition. But instead of buying one for more than $50,000, Kuhlman, your typical hardworking, can-do Midwesterner, built his own.

"Our tire rotator is a little different than the other ones out there," said Kuhlman, who used to own a company that built 200,000-pound rock crushers. "The slicks aren't all in a row on this one. It's a two-axle machine and the tires are staggered. With the slicks offset like that, you can stay out of the groove you just did when you're coming back in the opposite direction, and it has its own air compressor right on it. All the tires are hooked up to a regulator and kept at the exact right pressure at all times.

"The right lane used to have a little bump just past half-track, and the left lane had one that was a little bigger, but the left was always the preferred lane," Kuhlman said. "This was never a one-lane track or anything – there's nothing worse than that – but now the whole track is smooth as glass. Running a race track is like running anything else – you're either in or you're out – so we just stepped up and said, 'OK, let's do it. Let's go all out.' Nothing in this business is cheap, so what's it going to be? In the past, people would come here and say that they had better 60-foot times than they just had at Indy, and now all the bumps are gone. This should be our best race ever – now this place really has some teeth."

Demke Pads Points Lead with Columbus Regional Win

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

HEBRON, Ohio (July 22) – NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster national points leader Chris Demke added a second regional event win to his 2014 scorecard last weekend when he won the Buckeye Fuel Wars race. Racing at National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Demke qualified No. 1 and scored the win to extend his points lead to almost one hundred points over Joey Severance. The win was the third in a stretch of races that included four events spread out between Montana and Ohio.

Demke put the Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products dragster in the top spot during Friday's opening qualifying session, running 5.358 at 270 MPH. Saturday rain showers forced the cancellation of one session, leaving teams with a final evening session. Few teams improved and the few that did improve didn't run better than 5.358, so the Maddern Racing team elected to skip the run.

Through eliminations Demke would face three Midwest-based nitro-injected A/Fuel dragsters. The first was Tripp Tatum, who qualified No. 8 with a 5.45. The race was close with Chris finishing first, 5.404 to Tripp's 5.424.

The Jerry Maddern-led team anticipated a challenge in the semifinals, as five-time national champion Bill Reichert would be their opponent.

“You can never take that guy lightly,” Demke said of Reichert. “He's a multi-time champion and he's probably beaten me more times than I've beaten him. That round was going to have huge implications for the points chase so we knew we had to step it up in order to have any shot at beating Bill. We went a little over the curve and it shook the tires. I had to do a little pedal job, so the monkey earned his banana.”

Repeating his first round elapsed time, Chris's footwork was enough to beat Reichert's 5.51. Another challenge followed in the final round. Finalist Dave Hirata had ripped off a 5.26 in the first round and a competitive 5.38 in the semifinals. Most of the challenge, however, took place in the pits, as the California team was left to tune for the finals with data from their previous race in Ohio.

“The tire shake from the semifinals damaged the data recorder. We didn't have any data to tune from, but that's where our experience at Norwalk paid dividends in that what happened at Norwalk told us what the car wanted under those track conditions and atmospheric conditions. We put in a tune-up that mimicked what we used for the semifinals at Norwalk and sure enough it worked,” Demke claimed.

Chris left the starting line first and led for the length of the National Trail quarter-mile, running his quickest ET of the weekend, 5.355/269 MPH to defeat Hirata's 5.376. The North Central Region win, added to recent wins at the Billings regional event and Chicago national event, gives him a lead of almost one hundred points in the NHRA LODRS national points standings.

“To have gone on this crazy trip, with a last minute schedule change – not going to Woodburn and instead going to Columbus – to win three of the four races is just an astounding task. My hat's off to my guys because they put in a Herculean effort. It's still hard to believe that we pulled off what we did,” Demke stated.

On a final note, Chris Demke expressed his thanks to local friend of the team Tim Bucher, who stepped in to assist the 'wounded' team.

“My tuner, Adam Rhoades, slipped and fell and put a big gash in his knee on Sunday morning. We had to drive him off to the hospital to get stitches and it wasn't clear at that time if he would make it back for eliminations. While he did make it back, he was unable to perform his usual task of servicing the clutch. Tim saw all of this on Facebook and came to the track on Sunday to help the team. We rotated (crew member) Kevin Watson to clutch and Tim came in and did bottom end with Hamburger Mike (Chris's brother). He filled in like a champ, and his presence was key to our victory. Having a guy like that to step in and integrate into the crew as easily as he did was huge.”

Maddern Racing is a family-owned and operated NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team based in Southern California. The team's Chris Demke-driven Peen Rite/Operational Solutions/Boost Performance Products blown alcohol dragster is owned by Jerry Maddern and crewed by Adam Rhoades, Kevin Watson, Mike Demke, Greg Rice, and Robert Hadaller. For more information on Chris Demke and Maddern Racing, please visit www.MaddernRacing.com.

Maddern Racing receives support from the following companies: Peen Rite Inc., Operational Solutions Inc., Boost Performance Products, B-G Detection, Afco, and LA X-Ray.

Strong Woodburn Outing for Ahten

Courtesy of John Rogers
Photo courtesy of Costabile Productions

Woodburn, Ore. – A strong 5.370/261.24 qualifying effort garnered Johnny Ahten the number two qualifying position at last weekend’s NHRA West Regional race at Woodburn Dragstrip. That was the good news. The not so good news was the first round red light. On the other hand, the 5.33/267.37 Johnny posted after a .005 foul showed the power of the Stump Puller and Ahten Racing’s tune-up.

“After the burnout I went to stage, and I had trouble holding it in the lights. I yanked on the brake handle but it just wouldn't hold," said Ahten. "In retrospect, I could have of dragged the brakes harder during the burnout. My Dad and the crew gave me a great racecar and it stinks I went red. It was on a run too. I carried the wheels for 1.8 seconds and picked them up two more times in route to that 5.33 run. The weather was crazy all weekend. The rain with thunder and lightning was really something. Joey Severance and the people at Woodburn Dragstrip really worked their tails off and gave us a great racing surface. This was my first time racing here and I was really impressed," acknowledged Ahten.

"Our first qualifying pass was a planned check-out run that netted 5.502/252.80. That put us #4 and we were ready for more. Our second qualifying pass was later in the day on a 136° track. The Island Renovations / Combust Filters dragster motored right down there to a 5.370/261.24. That launched us up to the #2 spot. In the third round of qualifying no one really stepped up so the decision was made to sit it out to save on parts. Our first round opponent was CleanBoost Oil teammate Garrett Bateman. It would have been a great race if I could have held it in the lights. Now it's on to the next race. We have a bad hot rod and I owe it all to my guys. The power of the Stump Puller will thunder again on August 1st in Seattle for the national event," concluded Ahten. Keep in touch with Ahten Racing at: www.facebook.com/JohnnyAhtenRacing

Island Renovations understands the complexity of Hawaii's homes and their customers’ needs. Whether you are looking to build, remodel, or replace your existing windows and doors, Island Renovations is there to provide outstanding service and products to give your home added value with the satisfaction and peace of mind from a company that puts their customers first. Visit us: www.islandrenovations.net

The Combust Filters Oil By-Pass Filtration System provides 3 Micron filtration, 100% Water Removal, Soot Removal, Extended Engine Life, Pollution Prevention, and Reduced Oil Consumption. By keeping the oil free of moisture contamination and particulates larger than 3 microns, your engine oil will have reduced Oxidation, Nitration, while maintaining required oil viscosity and TBN for proper lubrication. Our system incorporates only the best technology and quality construction for ease of use and installation. Features include an easy to read pressure gauge, 2 sizes of spin-on filters (7” and 12”), a push button oil sample valve, and a custom flow fitting to ensure a continuous proper flow. No internal moving parts to wear out! Visit us at: www.combustfilters.com

Lawson wins RMR Matchup in Final Round at Tulsa

Courtesy of Randy Meyer Racing

June 24th 2014 – Randy Meyer Racing’s Top Alcohol Dragster drivers, Shayne Lawson and Chase Copeland, dominated the field at this weekend’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event held at Tulsa Raceway Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 20-22.

With 14 dragsters in the field, Shayne Lawson piloted Randy Meyer’s Smart Chicken injected nitro machine all the way to the top with a 5.28 E.T. at 269 MPH for the first qualifying session, and clenched his number one position with a quicker and faster 5.24 E.T. at over 270 MPH during the second qualifying session, also setting a new career-best time for Shayne.

The RMR Team’s other A/Fuel driver, Chase Copeland, was able to tune and drive the Rezner Race Trailers and Belzona Industrial Solutions Dragster to claim the 7th position with a 5.51 E.T. at 254 MPH and 5.41 E.T. at 264 MPH during qualifying.

Paired up against the 8th qualifier, Shayne defeated Gord Gingles for the first round of eliminations with a 5.30 E.T. at 269 MPH, and went onto beat Mark Taliaferro with a 5.31 E.T. at 271 MPH in second round. Chase won his first round matchup against the #2 qualifier, James Thompson, with a 5.45 E.T. at 266 MPH and defeated David Brounkowski in the semi-final round with a 5.47 E.T. at 265 MPH, pairing him up against Shayne for the third and final round of eliminations.

With both RMR A/Fuel Dragsters against each other in the final round for the first time, the teams did their best to make it a fair race. Shayne secured the team’s third win of the year and his second victory with the Randy Meyer Racing Team with a 5.28 E.T. at 272 MPH to Chase’s quickest pass of the event, a 5.39 E.T. at 265 MPH.

“It was an astonishing experience to have both cars race against each other in the final round, it’s a dream come true,” said Randy. “All the hard work that everyone involved with the Randy Meyer Racing Team has put in to the cars is paying off and we look forward to enjoying more success. It was a very rewarding weekend for the teams, and it was a dream to someday have both cars run each other in the final, I didn’t expect it to come this soon.”

“It was also exciting to see Chase improve with the performance of our other car, after getting off to a less than expected start. Chase and Clay have put many hours working outside of the race track with the car, and they are learning every step of the way.“

Shayne adds “It was pretty awesome winning two races in a row and on top of that, knowing that I have the opportunity to drive one of the best A/Fuel cars in the country. I would like to give a special thanks to Randy for the opportunity he has given me and his great crew guys, as well as Smart Chicken and Reasor’s for the great support.”

The next race for the Randy Meyer Racing Team will be this upcoming weekend at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois for the NHRA Mello Yello event. This race is also home of the Jegs AllStars race, which Randy will be racing his Top Alcohol Dragster to represent the Central Region.

Randy Meyer Racing would like to thank their sponsors for their support and dedication to the team: Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, Reasor’s, 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.

Make sure to follow the Randy Meyer Racing Team on Facebook (/RandyMeyerRacing) for the latest news and track updates.

Whiteley Reaches 3rd Final of 2014 and 3rd in a Row at Tulsa

Courtesy of YNot Racing

Defending event champ Annie Whiteley, who had never lost a round at Tulsa Raceway Park in her Top Alcohol Funny Car career, dropped a close final to fellow championship contender Dale Brand, 5.61 to 5.62. Whiteley, who wheeled the YNot Racing/J&A Service Mustang to victory at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series regional here in both 2012 and 2013, ran quicker than anyone had to that point, but Brand outran her by a scant hundredth of a second with low e.t. of the meet, 5.61. Both hit the finish line at 255 mph.

"Dale's always good on the lights," Whiteley said. "He got ahead early, and we stayed pretty much the same distance apart all the way to the finish line."

Whiteley and Brand were locked together in qualifying, too, earning the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively, with matching 5.62s at 257 mph side by side in the final pair of last-shot qualifying. Whiteley was slightly quicker, 5.620 to 5.628, and Brand slightly faster, 257.38 mph to 257.14.

In the opening round, Whiteley got the best of an all-female matchup with No. 6 qualifier Nancy Matter, who was back in competition for the first time in more than five years. She clicked it a hair early and still won comfortably, 5.69, 249 to Matter's shutoff 7.78 at 120 mph.

"The car drove toward the centerline and wouldn't come back," Whiteley said. "One tire was spinning and the other was still in the groove, and I couldn't get it back in the center of the lane no matter what I did. I don't know how close I got to the centerline, but it was close – I was actually afraid I might have crossed it."

Whiteley followed with a strong 5.68 on a semifinal single earned by being the No. 1 qualifier in a short field, but Brand gained the upper hand for the final with a slightly quicker 5.65 in his semifinal win over third-ranked Shane Westerfield. In the final, Brand was four-thousandths of a second quicker to the 60-foot mark, two-thousandths and 0.34 mph faster at half-track, and 12-thousandths quicker at the 1,000-foot mark, and for the second time six days Whiteley came out on the wrong end of a classic final. Last week in Denver, she was nipped by Clint Thompson, 5.78 to 5.78.

Next up for the YNot/J&A Service team is the Route 66 Nationals in Chicago, where last year Whiteley earned her first national event title, followed by the Summit Racing Nationals a week later in Norwalk, Ohio.

Demke is Back in Billings for NHRA Regional's Return to Yellowstone

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

BILLINGS, Mont. (June 19) – As the NHRA West Region series returns to Yellowstone Dragstrip this weekend, June 20-22, Chris Demke and the Maddern Racing Top Alcohol Dragster team will receive another chance to take home a Wally from the Montana track. The NHRA Northwest Division Lucas Oil Regionals will also provide Demke with valuable seat time before next weekend's Jegs Allstars race.

Yellowstone Dragstrip has played an important part in the history of California-based Maddern Racing. Demke won the divisional race ten years ago, followed by another big win, as Chris explains.

“We raced at this track in 2004 with me driving and 2005 with Mike Austin driving; we won it both times. I won it when it was the inaugural divisional race in 2004. I crashed at Sonoma in July of 2005, the team put a new car together in a matter of five or six weeks, and we went out and won this race with Mike driving. We have good memories at this track.”

Demke and the Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products team, along with the rest of the Top Alcohol Dragster competitors, will need to reacclimate themselves with the all-concrete racetrack and its conditions, as several years have passed since the LODRS Top Alcohol teams have competed at Yellowstone.

“The two biggest factors to consider will be track prep and density altitude,” Demke noted. “It's a high altitude track; I'm expecting density altitudes in the 6,000-6,500 foot range, so we'll have to tune the car accordingly.”

Demke, who is currently tied for fourth place in NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster national points, sees this race as an opportunity for needed seat time before competing in the prestigious Jegs Allstars race at the Route 66 Nationals in Chicago, June 27-29.

“It will be good to make a few laps in the car on the weekend before the Allstars race. I only made three runs at Topeka because of the rain-shortened qualifying, so I don't have a lot of recent seat time. The seat time that I'll receive this weekend will really help me get back into the groove before we head to Chicago for the Allstars.”

Chris Demke and the Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products Top Alcohol Dragster will make three qualifying runs on Saturday at 3, 5, and 7 PM local time. Eliminations begin at noon on Sunday.

Maddern Racing is a family-owned and operated NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team based in Southern California. The team's Chris Demke-driven Peen Rite/Operational Solutions/Boost Performance Products blown alcohol dragster is owned by Jerry Maddern and crewed by Adam Rhoades, Kevin Watson, Mike Demke, Greg Rice, and Robert Hadaller. For more information on Chris Demke and Maddern Racing, please visit www.MaddernRacing.com.

Maddern Racing receives support from the following companies: Peen Rite Inc., Operational Solutions Inc., Boost Performance Products, B-G Detection, Afco, and LA X-Ray.

Hunter Returning to Yellowstone Dragstrip for "Home" Race

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

BILLINGS, Mont. (June 19) – Synoil Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Greg Hunter will be back in the seat of his Geoff Goodwin-owned funny car this weekend after over two months away from the track. Hunter is competing at the NHRA regional series' return to Acton, Montana's Yellowstone Dragstrip. This is the team's first event since racing to the SummitRacing.com semifinals in March.

“It's been a tough time off because we were running well. We felt that we could've done better but we were still happy with how we did. Obviously everybody is excited and anxious to get back on track,” Hunter claimed.

Yellowstone Dragstrip recently returned to NHRA sanctioning after several years away from the regional circuit, so the track is fairly new to many of the Top Alcohol competitors. Hunter and the Synoil team, however, are very familiar with the Montana facility.

“While this will be my first time driving the Synoil car at this track, both myself and the team have experience at this track. They went to the finals at this race several years ago, so they have good data here. I've raced on this track a lot as well since it's so close to home. I feel like it's almost a home track for me,” added Hunter, a Wyoming resident.

In addition to local friends, Greg Hunter and the Synoil Racing team will host local customers of the team's primary sponsors, Synoil Energy Services and ExactAir Compliance Systems.

“We're really looking forward to this race. We have a lot of friends who are coming to hang out and watch the races. This is a big area for our businesses, so we're hosting customers as well.”

Top Alcohol qualifying sessions are scheduled for Saturday at 3, 5, and 7 PM local time at the NHRA Northwest Division Lucas Oil Regional race at Yellowstone Dragstrip, June 20-22. Eliminations begin at noon on Sunday.

Greg Hunter and Geoff Goodwin's Synoil Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team have joined forces for the 2014 season. With primary support from Synoil Enery Services and ExactAir Compliance Systems, Hunter will run a full schedule of NHRA Mello Yello Series national events and LODRS regional events. Synoil Racing receives additional support from Northgate Industries Ltg., Ron Hodgson Chevrolet-GMC-Buick, Southgate Buick, Twister Piling Inc., Proform Concrete Services Inc., Prowling Contracting, Pumps & Pressure Inc., Waylon's Transport, Hampton's Oilfield Services, Landale Signs, MD Truck Repair, and Castrol.

Like Synoil Racing on Facebook – www.facebook.com/synoilracing.

Meyer Qualifies Number One at Power in the Park

Courtesy of Randy Meyer Racing

Randy Meyer Racing recently competed in the Power in the Park event on April 4-5th at Virginia Motorsports Park for the first NHRA Northeast Regional event of the year.

At the end of the day on Friday, team-owner and driver, Randy Meyer, sat 5th in the Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying ranks with a 5.70 e.t. at 268 mph. However, with the second session pushed to Saturday, he was able to improve his tune-up and push the car to run a quick 5.25 e.t. at 273 mph, earning the number one spot in qualifying.

Meyer continued his streak of being untouchable in the opening round of eliminations, as he was able to improve his time and ran low e.t. of the race with a 5.23 e.t. at 275 mph against John Finke’s 5.34 e.t. at 270 mph.

For the second round, Meyer was up against Jackie Fricke, the number 4 qualifier. Meyer was not unable to get around Fricke as he had to quick-pedal the car to stay in the run, running a 5.36 e.t. at 271 mph to Fricke’s 5.32 e.t. at 267 mph.

“It felt great,” said Meyer as he commented on how the car is back to being one of the quickest in the field. “The car has improved greatly since our last outing at the GatorNationals in Gainesville. We plan on being the quickest again at Charlotte, and get the win.”

The Randy Meyer Racing Team will compete next in Charlotte, North Carolina at zMAX Dragway this weekend for the 4-Wide Nationals. "Like" us on Facebook, (/RandyMeyerRacing) for the latest track updates.

The Randy Meyer Racing Team would like to thank their 2014 partners: Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, NGK Spark Plugs, Quik-Latch Products, Boninfante, Taylor Cable, Motor Medic, Belzona Industrial Solutions, Rezner trailers, ARP, MAHLE Clevite, Hedman Hedders, and Moroso.

Ahten Looking to Stay Hot at Vegas Regional

Courtesy of John Rogers
Photo courtesy of Troy Case

Las Vegas, NV. - Johnny Ahten and the Ahten Racing Team are currently in Las Vegas, but not to hit the casinos and slot machines. The Island Renovations / Combust Filters Team are there for the LODRS Regional Spring race at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. There are certain similarities between Drag Racing and gambling. The odds are considered and a wager is made on the tune-up. Smoking the tires at the hit and rolling snake eyes do feel eerily similar. The jubilation of a big jackpot windfall is greeted with high-fives and shouts of joy. Hot streaks can be quite the ride, and Johnny Ahten is on one of his own. Out of the last six races they have attended, Johnny and the Stump Puller have been to three final rounds. It may not be worthy of a complimentary luxury suite or the cover of National Dragster, but it sure feels good.

“I am super excited to be back at the track,” said Ahten. “I can’t wait to see what the car will do. The Ahten Racing Team and our tune-up have progressed since we were here in the fall. We learned a few things at the Phoenix Regional and hope to continue going rounds. We will have to compensate for altitude and the increased temperatures,” added Ahten.

The formidable and sometimes tricky Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is always a challenge. Crew Chief Al Ahten, along with Johnny and Howard Katano are ready to pull the handle and start the flywheel spinning. Crewmembers Bob Ahten, Kevin Colvell and Chuck Costabile will make sure the Stump Puller is ready for action. It will be up to them to keep Johnny from cooling off, because the usual suspects of heavy hitters are all looking to cash in. To stay informed visit: www.facebook.com/JohnnyAhtenRacing

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2014 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional Schedule Released

Courtesy of NHRA Communications

Glendora, Calif. - The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series returns for the 13th season with premier events taking place across the country in all seven NHRA divisions. The 2014 schedule will feature 42 divisional events with a minimum of five in each of the seven divisions. There will also be 26 regional events featuring the 250-mph Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car classes.

The 2014 season will see a return to Orlando Speed World Dragway in Orlando, Fla., Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis and Thunder Road Raceway Park in Gilliam, La. The 2014 season will begin in Orlando Feb. 7-9, and concludes in Las Vegas, Nov. 6-9.

The ultra-competitive series will feature three sportsman-focused national events during the season, the JEGS SPORTSNational events during the course of the racing season. The JEGS Cajun SPORTSNationals will be held at No Problem Raceway, March 21-23; JEGS Northern SPORTSNationals returns to National Trail Raceway, Nov. 9-21; and the JEGS Pacific SPORTSNationals, Oct. 3-5 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Regional, divisional and national championship points as well as a purse of more than $500,000 in seven categories will be up for grabs during the course of the racing season.

"Racers and teams competing in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series are such an integral part of our sport," said Morgan Lucas of Lucas Oil Products. "We will never lose sight of the fact they helped build Lucas Oil into the worldwide brand it has become. These people are like family to us and we're honored to continue our support."

Bonus programs available to competitors in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series include the $100,000 JEGS Allstars, and the NHRA Perfectly Strange Performance Award, in which a total of $45,000 is on the table for racers too grab during the season. Individual divisions may also have additional bonus programs available to racers.

Some prominent graduates of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series who have gone on to successful careers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series include Brandon Bernstein, Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, Courtney Force, Alexis DeJoria, and Jeg Coughlin.

2014 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional Schedule

East Region

April 4-6           Virginia Motorsports Park                Petersburg, Va.

May 23-25           Maple Grove Raceway                      Reading, Pa.

June 13-15          Lebanon Valley Dragway                   West Lebanon, N.Y.

July 18-20          New England Dragway                      Epping, N.H.

Aug. 1-3            Atco Raceway                             Atco, N.J.

Oct. 10-12          Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville         Gainesville, Fla.

North Central Region

April 25-27         Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis        Brownsburg, Ind.

May 16-18           Summit Motorsports Park                  Norwalk, Ohio

June 6-8            Route 66 Raceway                         Joliet, Ill.

July 18-20          National Trail Raceway                   Columbus, Ohio

Aug. 8-9            Gateway Motorsports Park                 St. Louis

Aug. 22-24          Beech Bend Raceway Park                  Bowling Green, Ky.

Central Region

March 7-9           Royal Purple Raceway                     Baytown, Texas

June 20-22          Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park          Tulsa, Okla.

June 13-15          Bandimere Speedway                       Denver

July 25-26          Cordova Dragway Park                     Cordova, Ill.

Aug. 22-23          Heartland Park Topeka                    Topeka, Kan.

Sept. 5-7           Tri-State Raceway                        Earlville, Iowa

West Region

Feb. 28-Mar. 2      Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park         Chandler, Ariz.

March 21-23         The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway    Las Vegas

June 6-8            Mission Raceway                          Mission, B.C.

June 20-22          TBA                                      TBA

July 11-13          Woodburn Dragstrip                       Woodburn, Ore.

Aug. 15-17          Pacific Raceways                         Kent, Wash.

Nov. 6-9            The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway    Las Vegas

Sanford Runs Career Best At Vegas Regional, Looks Ahead to Pomona

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photo courtesy of Tim Marshall

POMONA, Calif. (November 7) – A/Fuel Dragster rookie Ashley Sanford just barely missed qualifying for one of the quickest TAD fields in Lucas Oil Series history last weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sanford’s Gelish Soak-Off Gel Nail Polish entry came just five thousandths of a second from qualifying at the Las Vegas Gambler Showdown Division 7 Finale.

After suffering a DNQ at the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip the week before, Gelish Nail Polish and the team decided to bring in legendary Top Alcohol Dragster driver and tuner Tom Conway for the regional race. Conway provided critical information to the team, whose experience prior to this season was limited to sand drag racing.

“It was really great to have Tom join our team for this race. The crew had a lot of their questions answered. The improvements Tom made definitely showed on our two passes, with my career-best speed on the first and best E.T. on the second. We’re very thankful that we had the opportunity to have him out there with us. He really helped us step up our game and get ready for Pomona.”

“We’re very happy with how this weekend went. We have a great, hard-working crew – Troy, Dave, Ed, Mike, Jeff, Dean, Torrey, and Tanner. We won dozens of races and three championships together racing on the sand, but we needed a little extra guidance in our transition to asphalt drag racing. Tom answered our questions and shortened our learning curve,” added Shane Sanford, team owner.

Ashley two-stepped the throttle on her first pass, but the Gelish/Lucas Oil A/Fueler still managed a 5.57 at 264 MPH run. That gave the team optimism heading into the final qualifying session. Tom Conway used the data from the first run to tune Sanford to a career-best 5.426, good enough to move her from fourteenth to seventh at the time. The run was ultimately bumped out of the field to ninth.

“It was definitely a roller coaster feeling,” Sanford claimed. “You’re optimistic heading in to the last run, then you’re on top of the world when it makes it in, and then back to the disappointment of not qualifying. I would like to have qualified, but I can’t not be happy about running career-best numbers. It was a bittersweet moment. This weekend was all about learning and having fun, and we accomplished both,”

The weekend’s results were a welcomed surprise for the team, who originally planned to use the race as a test session for the upcoming Pomona race. The plan worked, as they’ve proven that the Gelish/Lucas Oil A/Fuel Dragster is capable of qualifying in national event sixteen-car fields.

“Our performance at Las Vegas was definitely a confidence booster. It’s a relief for the whole team to know that we have a car that can run times that should qualify at Pomona. As long as we keep up what we started at Vegas we’re all confident that we’ll get in the show next weekend.”

Ashley Sanford and her Gelish/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster team won’t need to wait long to continue their progress. Their next race, the Auto Club Finals, Nov. 7-10, is at Sanford’s home track, Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif.

“I’m very excited to race at my home track, especially now after our promising runs at Las Vegas. A lot of our friends, family, and sponsors will be joining us this weekend. Having their support will give our team extra incentive to perform well,” said the Fullerton, Calif. native.

Frederosa’s Team Extreme is a family-owned A/Fuel Dragster team competing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. 19 year old Ashley Sanford drives the team’s Gelish Soak-Off Gel Polish dragster, tuned by Troy Schweers and Dave McWilliams. Frederosa’s Team Extreme crew – Ed, Mike, Jeff, Dean, Torrey, and Tanner formerly worked on the team’s pair of high-powered sand dragsters. The team receives support from Lucas Oil, America’s Best Value Inns, Lexington Hotels, Roscoe’s Famous Deli, Heroes Bar & Grill, The D Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, and the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino.

For more information on Ashley Sanford and the Gelish/Lucas Oil team, please visit www.ashleysanforddragracing.com. Follow her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AshleySanfordDragRacing) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/ashleyracergirl).