Backstretch Motorsports

MOHNTON, Pa. – Top Fuel points leader Tony Schumacher raced to the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot Friday at the 24th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Cruz Pedregon, Jason Line and Matt Smith also were No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 17th of 24 events on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

[read more...]

Local favorite Johnson, Pedregon and Smith also earn victories at Brainerd International Raceway

BRAINERD, Minn. — Tony Schumacher raced to his fourth consecutive victory and ninth of the season Sunday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, and moved within two of all-time Top Fuel wins leader Joe Amato’s longstanding record of 52 victories.

Tony Pedregon, Kurt Johnson and Matt Smith also earned victories in their respective categories at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event, the 16th of 18 events in the Countdown to 10, NHRA’s regular season. The Countdown to 1, NHRA’s six-race championship playoffs, begins Sept. 11-14 at zMax Dragway at Concord, near Charlotte, N.C

[read more...]

Ashley Force, Greg Anderson and Matt Smith also claim No. 1 qualifying positions at Brainerd International Raceway

BRAINERD, Minn. — Tony Schumacher will attempt to win his fourth consecutive race and ninth overall Sunday from the No. 1 qualifying position at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.

[read more...]

BRAINERD, Minn. – Ashley Force raced to the Funny Car qualifying lead Friday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.

She covered the Brainerd International Raceway dragstrip in 4.110 seconds at 299.40 mph in her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang as she goes for her second straight No. 1 qualifying position of the season and works to improve on her fourth place points position in the Countdown to the Championship with only three races remaining in the regular season. The Countdown to 1, NHRA’s playoffs, begin with the NHRA Carolinas Nationals, Sept. 11-14 at zMax Dragway at Concord near Charlotte, N.C.

[read more...]

BRAINERD, Minn. – When the NHRA POWERade Series Countdown to the Championship was first announced in 2006, the motorsports world was forced to change its way of thinking about the world’s fastest motorsport.

Suddenly, teams that would never have challenged for world championship titles were possible contenders, and the previously solid leads larger, structured teams had stood on for years became a little shifty. In an instant, the hopes of some of the most elite racers in the world depended on something as fragile as a bubble – and bubbles burst.

[read more...]

Brown, Edwards and Rivas round out provisional No. 1 qualifiers

SONOMA – NHRA sophomore sensation Ashley Force powered her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car at the FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway on Friday.

The other provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 15th of 18 regular season races (24 total) in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series were Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Chris Rivas (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

[read more...]

SONOMA, Calif. – There aren’t many synonyms for the word “dominant” that haven’t already been used to describe Tony Schumacher. Perhaps none exist.

Schumacher, the 38-year-old son of team owner and drag racing pioneer Don Schumacher, took only three years to prove himself as a professional driver after his Top Fuel debut in Indianapolis, the oldest and most storied stop on the NHRA POWERade Series tour, in 1996.

[read more...]

KENT, Wash. – After a shaky first half of the season that included six DNQs, Tony Bartone (shown left) raced to his first NHRA POWERade Series victory Sunday at the 21st annual Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals after more than six years of professional racing.

Bartone defeated veteran driver Ron Capps, also looking to break out of a winless streak that dates back to Richmond 2007, in the final round. Bartone powered his Canidae Pet Foods Chevy Monte Carlo to a 4.454-second pass at 238.17 mph to get the long-awaited win, while Capps posted a 4.708 at 227.46 in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T.

[read more...]

KENT, Wash. – Tony Schumacher has been in the final round in Seattle every year since 2004. Out of four consecutive final rounds here, he’s won three. He looked primed to add a fifth after qualifying No. 1 Saturday at the 21st annual Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals, piloting his U.S. Army dragster to a 3.802-second pass at 316.90 mph in prime conditions Friday for his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 51st of his career.

Robert Hight (shown left) and Dave Connolly also will lead their respective categories into Sunday’s eliminations on the power of the No. 1 qualifiers they earned during prime weather conditions of the first day of qualifying, on Friday.

[read more...]

Springfield, IL — Tim Wilkerson is in the midst of a dream season. By anybody’s standards. The fact that his is a one car team winning against the likes of John Force Racing, Don Schumacher Racing and the unlimited budgets of those giants is downright inspirational.

The Levi, Ray and Shoup Chevrolet Impala SS driver is leading the NHRA Funny Car points with 4 event wins and round by round, leading the way for the independents of the sport. And as an independent driver/owner/crew chief that means giving a fit to the large, well-funded multi-car teams is pretty enjoyable.

[read more...]