There are bigger opportunities as racers can gain entry to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering by winning the main event in one of the aforementioned classes in conjunction with entering at least two other IHRA races (an IHRA-member track Summit SuperSeries team race or Sportsman Spectacular) before the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. Current IHRA membership is required. 

It is a return to the historic Ohio track for the IHRA Sportsman Spectacular. Keith Gerlach (Top), Bobby Gill (Mod), AJ Buchanan (Sportsman), Rick Poole (Motorcycle) and Madi Clark (Junior Dragster) earned victories at Dragway 42 in 2023.

Drivers in the Top ET class will compete for a $5,000 winner’s purse and $1,000 for runner-up. The payout is based on 100 entries first round with a $100 entry fee. 

The Mod (No Box) class pays $3,000-to-win and $500 for runner-up. It is based on 80 entries first round with a $75 entry fee. Payouts for Sportsman and Bike / Sled are $500 to win based on 20 first-round entries. 

There are 7.90, 8.90 and 11.90 Junior Dragster classes. There will be a runoff of the winners to determine the overall champion and who earns the trip to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals.

Gates open at 7:30 a.m. with time trials at 9 a.m. and eliminations to follow. Spectator tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12 and those 5-under admitted free.

Click here to check out the Dragway 42 Facebook page to check out this and other upcoming events. 

Be sure to enjoy all the benefits of being an IHRA member. Click here to visit our membership or call 85.JOIN.IHRA where our friendly IHRA membership coordinator Heather Roth can help make the process quick and easy.

He continues to do work on the Eastern North Carolina facility with a new timing system installed Friday. The property, located just 10 minutes off Interstate 95, sits on 75 acres with parking and camping. They allow some camping through the week outside of the races. 

There are concrete barriers, restrooms, showers and concessions. Oxendine has installed new concrete bleachers on the right side of the track and new LED lights. There are plans to have a game room for the kids with video games and pool tables.

The track surface gets rave reviews from the racers, and the drag strip easily drains as it sits 42 inches above sea level.

“We’ve got one of the smoothest track surfaces in the country,” Oxendine said. “I know every track owner says that, but we have tons of racers who tell us that. We put a lot of work into it. We had a layout of how to build the track as far as the thickness of the concrete, the design, all the way down to the dirt.” 

With the great reputation and convenient location, the track has drawn racers as far away as Canada to the No Prep events.

Dragway officials describe the facility as family-friendly track that loves to see our racers and fans come together and have a great time at the track. Competitors at 710 Dragway will now have the opportunity to participate in the IHRA Summit SuperSeries, the most prestigious national championship in bracket racing.

“We just brought bracket racing back, but it’s exciting how IHRA has expanded its overall program,” Oxendine said. “We probably will be doing from 12-15 bracket races this season.”

Outside of racing, they host 3-4 concerts per year. Click here for the 710 Dragway Facebook page. Welcome to all the racers who can now take full advantage of the IHRA membership benefits by clicking here for the membership center or making a call to our membership coordinator Heather Roth at 85-JOIN-IHRA.

Race winners in the Box, No Box, Sportsman and Junior Dragster classes, who are IHRA members, are now eligible to compete for even bigger prizes at the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering if they enter at least two other IHRA races (an IHRA-member track Summit SuperSeries team race or Sportsman Spectacular) before the 2024 IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. 

Fulcher had an incredible .002 start to defeat Gary Benton in the ADP Carbs Super Pro (Box) final. Fulcher then posted a 5.962 second pass at 120 mph on a 5.94 dial-in. Benton, who had a good .024 reaction time, finished in 6.03 seconds at 113.46 mph on a 6.00 dial-in.

(Box Winner — Isaac Fulcher)

(Box Runner-Up — Gary Benton)

Minton posted a winning effort of 6.068 seconds at 108.02 mph on a 6.04 dial-in in the BTE No Box class. Runner-up David Broy was a little closer to his 6.04 dial-in with a 6.069-second pass at 113.46 mph, but Minton had the .034 to .050 advantage at the tree.

(No Box Winner — Justin Minton)

Eaton was spot on in the Hoosier Tire / Rupert Carbs Sportsman final with a 7.468-second pass at 89.59 mph on a 7.46 dial-in. He also won the holeshot .036 to .109 over his final-round opponent Larry Hall. Hall went down the drag strip in 11.040 seconds against a 10.91 dial-in.

(Sportsman Winner — Chad Eaton)

Chandler took the Mohler Maintenance Junior Dragster final with a 7.936-second run at 81.68 mph. Both drivers triggered red lights, but Connor Bledsoe ended up runner-up after being just -.001 too quick at the start.

(Junior Dragster Winner — Kasey Chandler)

(Junior Dragster Runner-Up — Connor Bledsoe)

There was a special Teen Street race which Grooms won when final-round opponent Tyler Cromer fouled at the start. Grooms went ahead for a 10.094-second pass at 70.49 mph. Cromer posted a run of 9.394 seconds at 74.37 mph.

(Teen Street Winner — Jessie Grooms)

The IHRA Sportsman Spectacular presented by Moser Engineering is scheduled to return May 11 at Gleason Raceway Park.

Race winners, who are IHRA members, are now eligible to compete for even bigger prizes at the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering if they enter at least two other IHRA races (an IHRA-member track Summit SuperSeries team race or Sportsman Spectacular) before the 2024 IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. 

Russell drove his Chevrolet Nova to the $1,500 winner in the Top ET (Box) class as final-round opponent Keith Taylor left early. It allowed Russell to take a pass of 6.746 seconds at 78.52 mph. Taylor went down the drag strip in 6.415 seconds at 99.15 mph.

(Box Winner — Vernon Russell Jr.)

(Box Runner-Up — Keith Taylor)

Brock parked his fire-engine red Chevy S-10 in the winner’s circle for No Box with a package that included a 6.691-second pass at 90.13 mph on a 6.61 dial-in. Runner-up Curly DeLee, the previous owner of Dorchester Dragway, went 8.453 seconds at 83.76 mph on an 8.40 dial-in. Brock won the holeshot with a .029 to .071 advantage at the tree.

(No Box Winner — Aaron Brock)

(No Box Runner-Up — Curly DeLee)

Sansenbaugher had an eventful day, making it to the third round of No Box eliminations in his brown Mopar and then driving on to the Sportsman victory. He put together a winning package of 7.913 seconds at 81.62 mph against a 7.91 dial-in with a .017 start. Runner-up Andy Chavis went 7.673 seconds at 90.07 seconds on a 7.67 dial-in with a .080 reaction time.

(Sportsman Winner — Evan Sansenbaugher)

(Sportsman Runner-Up — Andy Chavis)

Pruett continues to build his reputation as one of the best Junior racers around with an elapsed time of 7.193 seconds and 74.91 mph on a 7.19 dial-in. He also got a big advantage of .112 to .207 at the start over second-place Jaxon Romanstine. The numbers for Romanstine showed an 8.097-second run at 77.98 mph with an 8.05 dial-in.

(Junior Dragster Winner — Kaden Pruett)

(Junior Dragster Runner-Up — Jaxon Romanstine)

Jeff Mcalhany (Box), Patrick McCabe (No Box) and Dalton Farman (Sportsman) were prize winners in the Moser Money Round.

Congratulations to all the IHRA Sportsman Spectacular winners at South Carolina Motorplex. Another big race is coming up in the Palmetto State next Saturday as the legendary Darlington Dragway hosts the IHRA Hot Rod Classic.

When asked about her racing heroes, Berlett points to some of the top-performing women of recent years. She likes two-time NHRA World Champion Brittany Force and fellow Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett. There’s the Motorcycle legend Angelle Sampey and six-time NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Erica Enders.

Her favorite subject in school is science and asked about her favorite part of racing, she gives the obvious answer of winning, of course. She also loves the time spent with family. Her mom and dad are her biggest supporters, while Alexa loves helping her dad with his dragster.

She has aspirations of competing at the highest level, hoping to one day being in a Top Fuel dragster and racing for wins.

Join us in celebrating Alexa and the other great Junior Dragster racers across North America who are the future of our sport. The IHRA has many great tracks for them to compete at. Click here for a listing of current IHRA tracks with more tracks to be announced soon.

These racers can gain entry to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering by winning an exclusive Sportsman Spectacular main event in conjunction with entering at least two other IHRA races (an IHRA-member track Summit SuperSeries team race or Sportsman Spectacular) before the 2024 IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. Current IHRA membership is required.

Payouts have been announced with Sunoco Race Fuels, Triple JJJ Truck Repair and Team RFC “Racers for Christ” joining Moser Engineering in support of this event.

The Box and No Box racers are competing for a $1,200 winner’s purse and $300 to the runner-up. There’s a $50 entry fee. The Sportsman class offers $500 to the winner with a $30 entry. There’s also a $30 entry for the Motorcycle class with 80 percent payback of entry fees.

Junior Dragsters will race for a $200 winner’s purse with a $25 entry fee. There’s also a Teen Street race for ages 13-17 with $50 to the winner and a free entry. There’s also going to be a Ladies Only Class with free entry. It’s a celebration of the ladies on Mother’s Day weekend.

Gates open at 11 a.m. and time trials begin at noon. It’s only a $10 spectator admission with kids 12-under admitted free.

Click here for the Gleason Raceway Park Facebook page. Make sure you take advantage of all the benefits of becoming an IHRA member. Click here to visit the IHRA membership center. You may also call 85.JOIN.IHRA where our membership coordinator Heather Roth will help get you on track.

There is the IHRA Hot Rod Classic at Darlington Dragway the following week before four straight weekends of races. Gleason Raceway Park hosts the Sportsman Spectacular on May 11, followed by Kil-Kare Raceway on May 18.

Another doubleheader weekend takes place May 25 with races at Dragway 42 and Music City Raceway. The stretch concludes with June 1 races at Humboldt County Dragway.

What does all this mean for the racers?

It’s more opportunities than ever before to qualify for the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering. In addition, racers will compete for prestigious IHRA Ironman trophies and the very popular oversized championship checks. IHRA members will also be in the running for limited-edition Sportsman Spectacular commemorative medals.

Racers can gain entry to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering by winning the main event in the Box, No Box, Sportsman and Junior Dragster classes in conjunction with entering at least two other IHRA races (an IHRA-member track Summit SuperSeries team race or Sportsman Spectacular) before the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. 

Current IHRA membership is required, and each event is tailored to the host track’s racing programs.

Make sure you’re ready to take advantage of all the benefits of competing in these events, like being eligible for contingency bonuses as an IHRA member. Click here to visit our membership or call 85.JOIN.IHRA where IHRA membership coordinator Heather Roth will help make the process smooth and easy.

They started the races hoping to attract the HAMB organization, which was running an annual race at Mo-Kan Dragway in Missouri. That didn’t transpire, so Phillips booked a 1964 and earlier race at the former military base. Now, it has expanded where they’re running different classes of race cars.

“We’re doing bracket racing now and we have four categories — Gasser (’66 and earlier), Mean Street, Open Comp and Junior Dragsters,” Phillips said. “We have two big events per year which are a celebration of drag racing. We will be changing the Mean Street to Sportsman and the Open Comp to Modified.”

They also feature five classes of heads-up racing.

Eagle Field was constructed in 1942, just months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Joe Davis owns the property and some of the non-racing events include fly-ins. Phillips got to know about the property through his employer moving equipment from Eagle Field for a fly-in at the Fresno airport.

Phillips later met with Davis and started the Eagle Field Drags. The track features concrete walls and there are restrooms and showers on property. There is plenty of room for recreational vehicles, while the Lions Club and a local Mexican restaurant serve as food vendors. For those staying the weekend, music and dancing are offered on Saturday nights.

Now, the addition of IHRA sanction gives racers a chance to take advantage of membership benefits.

“I’m proud to be an IHRA member and start that on the West Coast,” Phillips said. “It gives us some clout and support.”

Phillips looks forward to working with other West Coast tracks and putting together a shootout near the end of the year. One of the neat events is a celebration of old-school drag racing, an evening where they use a flagman at the start.

It’s a part of Eagle Field’s mission to help fans and racers relive the glory days of drag racing. The main event on Friday pays tribute to former Fremont Dragway starter Eves Tall-Chief, who died in 2020.

“We call it ‘Flag Start Friday’ and do it for fun to remember Chief,” Phillips said. “It’s fun and exciting, but otherwise, we race with the tree.” 

Click here to check out the Eagle Field Facebook page and learn more about this facility. To become an IHRA member, click here to visit our membership or call 85.JOIN.IHRA where our friendly IHRA membership coordinator Heather Roth can take you through the process of getting you on track.

Other terrific opportunities await as racers can gain entry to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering by winning the main event in the Box, No Box, Sportsman and Junior Dragster classes in conjunction with entering at least two other IHRA races (an IHRA-member track Summit SuperSeries team race or Sportsman Spectacular) before the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. Current IHRA membership is required. 

Trailer Ranch LLC will sponsor as an event sponsor at South Carolina Motorplex with a $1,500-to-win and $80 entry fee for the Top (Box) race. The Mod (No Box) class features a $1,000 winner’s purse and $60 to enter. Sportsman (Street) and Junior Dragster classes offer $300 to the winner with a $40 entry fee.  

Spectator tickets are $20 with kids 12-under admitted free.There is a test-and-tune Friday night before Saturday’s main event. It’s a jam-packed weekend as Sunday features a full day of IHRA Summit SuperSeries points races. Click here to check out the South Carolina Motorplex Facebook page.

Beacon Dragway offers a $1,500-to-win top prize and $60 entry fee in the APD Carbs Super Pro (Box) class for Saturday. There is a $1,300 winner’s purse and $50 entry fee in the BTE No Box class. Both the Hoosier Tire / Rupert Carbs Sportsman and the Mohler Maintenance Junior Dragster classes feature $600-to-win with a $30 entry fee. 

Spectator tickets are $10 each with kids 12-under admitted free. Click here to check out the Beacon Dragway Facebook page with IHRA Summit SuperSeries points races the next couple of Saturdays, followed by the IHRA Sportsman Spectacular

Be sure to take advantage of the weekend and enjoy all the benefits of being an IHRA member. Click here to visit our membership or call 85.JOIN.IHRA where our friendly IHRA membership coordinator Heather Roth can take you through the process of getting you on track.