Booher Earns St. Louis Wally for Newborn Daughter

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

ST. LOUIS (August 11, 2015) – An average stop on the NHRA Lucas Oil Series regional tour turned into a significant occasion for Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Brandon Booher this weekend. Racing at the All-American Hot Rod Showdown at Gateway Motorsports Park, Booher picked up his first event win of 2015 when he defeated A/Fuel rookie Megan Meyer in the final round. It was also Booher's first win since he and wife, Shannon, welcomed their daughter, Adelynn, into the world on July 31st.

“It was great to be back and to get that first win as a dad was pretty special. At the start of the season, before she was born, I promised Adelynn I would get her a Wally. I was hoping I would get it a little sooner, but it's nice that she's actually here to enjoy it. This one will be special,” Booher said of the traditional trophy awarded to NHRA event winners.

Booher qualified fifth in the strong eight-car field with a 5.409 elapsed time. He used a .021 reaction time and 5.427 et to defeat Tripp Tatum and his Anthony Dicero-tuned A/Fueler in the first round, lining up a semifinal match-up with “Miss Mia” Tedesco. Tedesco currently leads the North Central Region points, while Booher is closing in at second. Booher was ready with another quick reaction time and consistent 5.424 lap, easily taking the win over Tedesco's tire-smoking run.

“The second round was the most important one of the year so far. If she went on to win that round and win the event, I think that would've been the championship decided. We killed two birds with one stone there, being able to take her out of the race while also gaining more points.”

The race didn't get any easier from there, as the AB Construction/Goodson Tools team had to face TA/D rookie Megan Meyer in the final round. Meyer, the 22-year-old daughter of world championship tuner/owner/driver Randy Meyer, was strong all day, cutting quick lights and defeating class veterans Robin Samsel and Marty Thacker to reach the final.

“You have to look at it like you're racing her dad, or even a quicker-reacting version of her dad. Randy is one of the best there is at tuning an A/Fuel car and Megan is no doubt proving herself as a driver. I saw two of her lights. One of them was an .02 in testing and she was .05 against me in the final, so she's going to be a handful for a lot of people as she continues to develop as a driver and attend more events.”

The two drivers left the starting line with just two thousandths of a second between them, but Booher picked up enough steam to power to a 5.418-to-5.496 victory.

Booher, who works as a tuning consultant for NHRA Pro Mod and PDRA Pro Extreme/Pro Boost teams, was quick to thank his family and crew for their part in the success.

“I want to thank my dad, Aaron, brother, Brian, and crew member Pete Brady for their hard work this weekend, as well as my wife and daughter for allowing me to go racing. Special thanks also to my mom, Rhonda, and Shannon's mom, Laurie, for lending a hand with Adelynn while I'm away. They make it possible. That's the most important thing to me right now, and it takes a lot help from a lot of people.”

Brandon Booher also offered appreciation for Goodson Tools & Supplies and MVM Motorsports Products, the team's product support partners.

“A lot of the car's consistency goes back to reducing the variables. If the car reacts the same way on every launch because the wheelie bar isn't flexing, you're taking out that variable. We put the MVM carbon fiber wheelie bar on the car at Norwalk, eliminated that variable and we're now able to focus on the finer areas of the tune-up. Props to Mike and Frank Valerio for making such a great product and allowing my job to be a little easier,” Booher said.

Next up for Brandon Booher and the AB Construction/Goodson Tools Top Alcohol Dragster team is the NHRA North Central Region finale at Kentucky's Beech Bend Raceway Park, August 28-30. The biggest race of the year, the 61st Annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Sept. 2-7, will follow.

ABOUT BOOHER RACING
Booher Racing is a father-son NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team led by owner/crew chief Aaron Booher and his son, driver/tuner Brandon Booher. The AB Construction team holds the title of quickest and fastest torque converter-equipped vehicle in the world. The 2013 NHRA North Central TAD Regional championship-winning Booher Racing team receives support from Goodson Tools, MVM Motorsports Products, Spitzer Enterprises, and Torque MGMT.

Follow Booher Racing on Facebook (www.facebook.com/booherracing), Twitter (www.twitter.com/booherracing), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/booherracing).

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.

Second-Gen Racer Megan Meyer Set to Make TA/D Debut at St. Louis Regional

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photos courtesy of Randy Meyer Racing

 

SPRING HILL, Kans. (July 15, 2015) – The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and its Top Alcohol Dragster class will see the next generation of Randy Meyer Racing next month when Megan Meyer makes her TA/D competition debut at the St. Louis regional event. The 22-year-old daughter of world championship car owner and tuner Randy Meyer will compete alongside her seasoned father twice this year in preparation for a full season in 2016.

“I am thrilled to say the least about this dream come true. I have always wanted to be the next NHRA second-generation driver, and I plan to keep drag racing for a very long time. My father has set some high goals for me with his success over the years, and I will follow in his footsteps and set my own records in the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks,” Megan said.

Meyer was originally scheduled to make her debut next season, but promising test session results and the right opportunities have allowed for a debut at Gateway Motorsports Park, August 7-8.

“My dad and I came to an agreement that I wouldn’t start racing Top Alcohol Dragster until I graduate from college at Pittsburg State University, and although I won’t finish my degree in Graphic Design Management with a minor in Digital and Web Design until December this year, I plan to compete in my first Top Alcohol Dragster race at the Lucas Oil Series regional races at St. Louis and at my home track in Topeka, KS in August. I am grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to test my dad’s A/Fuel Dragster for a few years now; it has helped me get my foot in the door and really get comfortable with the car since it is a big transition from Super Comp to Top Alcohol Dragster.”

Meyer enters the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster ranks with a considerable amount of experience for her age. She started racing in NHRA's Junior Dragster League before stepping up to 175 mph Super Comp dragsters. Megan was then presented with the opportunity to start testing in Randy's nitro-burning A/Fueler during Monday testing at the 2013 Gatornationals. She earned her license earlier this year and has since gained seat time at post-race test sessions, most recently after the Norwalk race.

“We decided to test out our new A/Fuel Dragster built by Chase Copeland and Copeland Race Cars and Fabrication on Monday after the NHRA Summit Nationals so I can have some more seat time before my first race. It was a great opportunity for me to learn more about driving the A-Fueler, and I got the taste of smoking the tires for the first time. It was quite different, but I had a handle on the car and we were able to make a full pass of 5.43 ET at 260 mph by the end of the day,” Megan noted.

Megan was sure to offer appreciation for her supporters who helped in her journey to the sport's quickest and fastest Sportsman category.

“I would like to thank the companies who have partnered with the Randy Meyer Racing team over the years: Lucas Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Gunk, Taylor Cable, Aeromotive, Quik-Latch, Boninfante, ARP Bolts, Goodyear, Weld Wheels, Aeroquip, Clevite, JEGS, and Simpson. A special thank-you to Herbalife for providing me with top-notch supplements to maintain optimum health and nutrition, to Smart Chicken for high quality, fresh chicken, and to all the family and friends who have helped us put together a strong team organization to support racing two A/Fuel Dragsters.”

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).