by Jessica Hatcher, Bobby Bennett; Photos by Roger Richards, Mike & Jeff Burghardt, Chris Haverly Tue, 2023-09-05 13:14
Written by Bobby Bennett; Photos by Norman Blake, Dave Wallace and Steve Collison Sat, 2023-08-26 20:03
There's nothing more prestigious than winning Top Fuel at the NHRA U.S. Nationals, and that's exactly what inspired a group of sportsman racers to use the first round of eliminations as a protest platform. No sportsman division had dared to stand up to the seemingly invincible sanctioning body, not to mention during their flagship national event. There's always a first time for everything, however, and in 1981 a group of disgruntled sportsman racers took the NHRA to task in front of their paying customers.
This makeshift group of sportsman racers had been rumor fodder in the pits for a few months prior to the event, yet when they confronted the sanctioning body the issue was always sidestepped. On Labor Day weekend in 1981 they took the unprecedented step of airing their concerns before one of the largest crowds of the year. After all, they had nothing to lose.
by Bobby Bennett Jr. Tue, 2023-08-22 12:23
Comp Eliminator rookie Charles Myers is set to introduce rock band Godsmack’s charity, The Scars Foundation, to NHRA drag racing at the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. The foundation aims to raise awareness about mental health issues in motorsports.
“It’s super important to me that we were able to partner with somebody like The Scars Foundation because, at the end of the day, racers, crew members, fans all have that same experience,” Myers said. “We go through extreme highs and extreme lows in drag racing. Things happen in a matter of seconds, and it’s important that we have those tools to learn how to cope with these things and to make us all better. Drag racing is both physical and mental, and sometimes I think the mental game is a bigger part of it than most realize. This is important to me because I’ve taken a big step back from racing to take care of my mental health, and I think mental health in racing is something that really needs to be addressed.”