Team Press Releases

[coverattach=1]CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 17, 2010) - Now that the cobwebs are gone after completing the season-opening event of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in Pomona, Calif., last Sunday, Cory McClenathan and the FRAM Top Fuel Dragster team look towards winning at the NHRA Arizona Nationals this weekend. McClenathan and the FRAM team are more than encouraged by their semifinal finish after qualifying No. 1 in Pomona. They're hungry for that first victory of the year and, if it comes at Firebird Int'l Raceway this weekend, it will mark McClenathan's third at this event, following his triumphs in 1994 and 1998. "I think every single race we go to we have the opportunity to win that race," said McClenathan, who was...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 16) -- Past success in drag racing doesn't earn you anything at the next event on the schedule. There simply are no provisionals to be had on the quarter mile. Even so, FireIce Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Jay Payne knows he can lean heavily on his past experiences -- which include two world titles, 11 divisional crowns, and a stunning 103 race victories -- when the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series returns to Gainesville Raceway this weekend for the second Division 2 race of the year. "We won a round in Pomona with a totally new transmission and clutch combination, which was an okay start, but I'm a little mad at myself because I played it safe and we didn't go further," said Payne, referring to last Sunday's...

[coverattach=1]DENVER, N.C., February 16, 2020: Johnny Gray has signed an agreement with TBC Retail Group as the major sponsor of the SKI Racing, Inc., two-car Gray Motorsports Pro Stock team. TBC Retail Group, headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla. operates more than 1250 automotive service centers in 40 states. United under Service Central™ the brand, name of the automotive services offered exclusively at Tire Kingdom, NTB-National Tire and Battery, Merchant’s Tire and Auto, and Big O Tires, their trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks. Their nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states...

[coverattach=1]NORWALK, Ohio (February 16, 2010) – What a way to start the year. No driver had a more impressive weekend at the Nitro Jam season opener at Palm Beach International Raceway last month than Pro Fuel driver Bill Evans. Based out of Hialeah, Fla., a small town a little over an hour south of the West Palm Beach track, Evans came into the event as the clear favorite in the brand new class after multiple victories on that very same track at exhibition races over the past few years. And he didn’t disappoint. With a good knowledge of the surface and a very fast dragster Evans dominated the weekend with finals victories over Jeff Hamelink and Michael Manners to claim the first two victories in the Pro Fuel...

HOUSTON, Texas (February 16, 2010) – After nearly a three-year hiatus from drag racing, racer Jonathan Johnson returns in 2010 with backing from long-time sponsor Bar’s Leaks and the company’s Rear Main Seal Repair product line. Johnson and his wife, Katie, have teamed with former USAC Midget car owner Corky Wheeler to form Johnson & Wheeler Racing under Johnson’s current JKJ Motorsports banner. After finalizing their plans, the team promptly prepared the new car and equipment, and thus, have launched their new web site, which can be found at JKJ Motorsports | Welcome!, as well as their new Facebook fan page. “JKJ Motorsports has always had the ability to keep our marketing and design in-house,” states Katie Johnson. “Even when...

[coverattach=1]Pomona, Calif. – There are several certainties in life for NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster competitor Johnny Ahten. First is his dedication to family and friends, second is devotion to his job as a fire-fighting specialist in Los Angeles County. Finally is the fact, the Lucas Oil / Island Renovations A/Fuel Dragster team learns from their mistakes. After qualifying in the 3rd position for the 50th Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals contested this past weekend in Pomona, Calif., the Ahten Racing team began their quest to capture the team’s first NHRA National Event ‘Wally’ in the first round versus number 14 qualifier, Mike Austin. Ahten left the starting line with a stellar 0.019 second reaction time, nearly four...

PHOENIX (Feb. 15) -- Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas had an interesting problem on his hands at last weekend's season-opening drag race in Pomona, Calif. -- his 8,000-horsepower GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster was making too much horsepower. Imagine that. After two great passes in qualifying, a 3.823 at a career-high 316.90 mph and a 3.830 at 309.91 mph, Lucas was poised to challenge for the title of the historic Winternationals. But his Gecko-adorned rail got a little too chippy on raceday and he ended up spinning his tires at mid-track during an opening round tilt against Troy Buff, ultimately putting him on the sidelines earlier than expected. "The car is an animal," Lucas said as he prepped for this weekend's 26th annual...

Bradenton FL - Duane Shields likely surprised some loyal fans and even a few competitors by not competing at the 50th Anniversary NHRA Winternationals. Shields was still in the driver seat though, just not in California. Instead, the Nevada based racer was in Bradenton Florida for the first Divisional event of the year. “We certainly wanted to be a part of the Winternationals but racing in Florida almost assured us a spot in the Jegs All Star race (to be held later this season in Chicago) and we have a divisional race scheduled in Gainesville next weekend. This way we don’t have two races in a row on opposite sides of the country” Shields said. The down side to racing in Florida was the cold track conditions that lasted most of the...

POMONA, Sunday: Ever since Shane Gray was a little boy, he loved Pro Stock cars. And even though his well-known dad, Johnny Gray has driven everything from Sprint Cars to Funny Cars, Gray could only see Pro Stock for himself. And today that dream came true as he made his first Pro Stock start at the 50th annual NHRA Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. “I need to thank my mother and dad for putting me in this position,” expressed Gray, “and my very competitive, loving, caring wife for being right here and pushing me. She’s as competitive or more than I am, so it takes a combination of both of us to keep me whipped up into shape.” Gray was in great shape for his first appearance in the...