Nitromater

Jan. 8, 2020

Hanna set to debut new reality show “Top Alkahaulin’”

DEER PARK, Texas – After spending a year promoting the NHRA Top Alcohol classes on social media, InsideTopAlcohol’s Will Hanna is launching a new project – Top Alkahaulin’. The show will feature the stars of the Top Alcohol categories by following two teams through a race weekend. Episode 1 will debut this Thursday at 7 p.m. CST on YouTube and Facebook Watch.

Episode 1 was shot at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis and followed 2019 Top Alcohol Dragster Champion Megan Meyer and 2017 Top Alcohol Funny Car Champion Shane Westerfield through their weekend. Both racers were locked in tight points battles for the Championship going into the biggest race of the year.

“I have always thought the Top Alcohol classes have some great personalities,” said Hanna. “What I’ve seen this year promoting the classes on InsideTopAlcohol’s social media pages is fans love these...

For Immediate Release
TEAM CAPCO’S SEASON TO REMEMBER
Steve Torrence Makes More History During Second Straight Title Run

KILGORE, Texas – Steve Torrence fell just short in his bid to become the first driver in NHRA Top Fuel drag racing history to win 30 races in 30 months, but the 36-year-old cancer survivor’s 2019 season added some significant achievements to his growing competitive portfolio.

Not only did he hoist the trophy after a second consecutive Mello Yello championship, joining an elite group of seven other Top Fuel drivers who have prevailed in back-to-back campaigns, he also became just the seventh driver, regardless of category, to win as many as 60 rounds of racing in a single season.

His 60-15 record over the course of the 24-race 2019 campaign made him just the third Top Fuel driver with 60-plus round wins in a season after Tony Schumacher, who reached that number in both 2004 and 2008, and Kenny Bernstein, who went 61-16 in 2001.

From April 30, 2017...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mason grows the family and trophy case, New Super Gas World Champion

(11-20-19) Alvaton, Ky – The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Season of 2019 is coming to close for racers from coast to coast. One racer from Richmond, KY enjoyed 2019 as much as anyone person could, picking up a World Championship in a car his father raced and becoming a father himself, Jeremy Mason, the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series 2019 Super Gas Champion.

“Driving a car that my father raced and being able to win a World Championship as well as Divisional Championship, well can it get any cooler than that,” smiled Jeremy Mason, driver. “However, having a newborn healthy baby girl is pretty awesome as well,” continued Mason. “We put together a really solid run-up to the divisional at Bowling Green, just needed my National record to improve and we were able to accomplish just that, ” said Mason.

Jeremy Mason drove the family-owned 1966 Chevy II that has been in the family for over 28...

For Immediate Release

TORRENCE LOSES BATTLE; WINS WAR
Capco Contractors Driver Claims Second Consecutive Mello Yello Top Fuel Title

POMONA, Calif. – Steve Torrence managed to regain his composure after an incident with rival Cameron Ferre and, thanks to a pressure-packed, all-or-nothing victory over Brittany Force in the second round of Sunday’s 55th annual Auto Club Finals, became just the eighth driver in NHRA history to win back-to-back Mello Yello Top Fuel championships.

After using an .026 of a second starting line advantage and a 3.749 second track time to beat Force and, for all intents, secure the title, Torrence admittedly lost focus against semifinal opponent Richie Crampton.

Knowing that the only way he could still lose the championship was if he was assessed a points penalty for crossing the centerline or hitting the outside barrier, the 36-time tour winner had an uncharacteristic .183 reaction time that he was unable to overcome despite a slightly quicker...

NHRA® Team Report
NHRA Finals - Pomona
Pre-Race Report

Cruz Pedregon and team are motivated by a quarterfinal showing and two 300+ mile per hour runs to prove the same consistency in the upcoming final NHRA race of 2019. "Overall I believe we've been plagued by mechanical issues in the piston department. Chasing scuffing problems for more than half of the races made us feel like we had an anchor around our ankle. These issues meant we weren't really able to show what our car is capable of," says Cruz. "We resolved that in the last few races, but later found a problem in the clutch area where the surface of the disks weren't as they should be and that hampered our motor situation.

"Together with Nick (Casertano), Jay (Ryskey) and the rest of the team, we have really worked our tails off to bring our car back to the high-performing quality it should be. We plan on showing in Pomona that we can finish strong and are heading in the right direction for the 2020 season…ahead...

Torrence Eyes Second Straight Title
BUT MELLO YELLO CHAMP UNDER SEIGE AT AUTO CLUB FINALS

POMONA, Calif. – Through the polarized lenses of his new Freebyrds model BEX sunglasses, Steve Torrence can see clearly the path to the Top Fuel championship that would make him just the eighth driver in NHRA history to win back-to-back titles in drag racing’s signature category.

For the 36-year-old Texan, it simply is a matter of turning on four win-lights this week at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in a Capco Contractors dragster in which he has won nine times this year and in which he has appeared in more than half the final rounds contested over the last three seasons (36 of 71)..

“There are lots of different scenarios (that could send him back to the podium as Mello Yello Champion),” said the 36-time pro tour winner, “but if we just go out and win the race, everything else will take care of itself.”

The race in question is the 55th annual Auto Club Finals, the wrap-up to the NHRA’s...

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (November 6, 2019) - NHRA Drag Racer Alexis DeJoria is one of three inductees selected to be enshrined into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame on November 9th, 2019 in Rosemont, Ill.

DeJoria, a seven-time NHRA national event winner, will join an elite group of Italian-American athletes when she is recognized as a member of The Hall’s Class of 2019. Joining DeJoria will be NFL star Glen Carano and the late Ralph ‘Babe’ Serpico. DeJoria will also share the stage with auto racing legend Mario Andretti as he is presented with The Hall’s first Lifetime Achievement Award.

“This is an incredible honor to be recognized as an Italian-American athlete in the sport of NHRA Drag Racing,” said DeJoria, whose heritage includes Italian and Greek roots. “When I learned I had been selected, I felt instant pride thinking back to when my...

TORRENCE ADDS NEW PARTNER
BEX Sunglasses Will Provide Clarity as World Champion Looks Ahead


LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Reigning NHRA World Champion Steve Torrence announced Wednesday a marketing partnership with Las Vegas-based BEX Sunglasses, LLC, which will begin with next week’s 55th annual Auto Club of Southern California Finals at Pomona, Calif., and extend through the 2020 season.

Established in 2009, BEX is one of the world’s leading product design and eyewear brands. Chosen by customers for its superior comfort and affordability, it is considered the professional standard in lightweight eyewear. BEX Sunglasses are engineered to stay comfortably on the face, complementing any active lifestyle.

“We’re very excited to be associated with Steve and the Capco Contractors race team,” said Jason Adams, founder and president of BEX Sunglasses. “Steve pursues the kind of active lifestyle for which we created our product line. So, whether he’s riding, roping or racing...

Reigning Champion Moves on to Auto Club Finals with Narrow Point Lead

LAS VEGAS, Nevada. – Steve Torrence will roll his Capco Contractors dragster to the starting line two weeks hence knowing that despite a runner-up finish in Sunday’s 19th annual Dodge Nationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he still controls his own destiny in his bid to become only the eighth driver in NHRA history to win back-to-back Top Fuel Championships.

In a battle between the two most recent Mello Yello champions, Brittany Force got the better of Sunday’s final round, laying down the quickest run of eliminations to relegate Torrence to the runner-up position for the fifth time in a dominating season in which he has won a category-best nine races.

It was just the second win of the year for Force, who will move on to the season-ending Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif. in virtually the same position she occupied when she won the championship in 2017.

That year, she left Vegas 20...