Once upon a time there were facilities a third the quality and size of stunning Route 66 Raceway in Joliet that were slam-packed with race fans who couldn’t get enough straight-line action. It was roughly the 10-year period from the early 60s through the early 70s, and the place was “Chicagoland,” an area that roughly encompassed not only the Windy City itself, but the surrounding environs. From northern Indiana on the south, all the way to Cordova in the distant southwest, to Rockford directly west on I-90, and even into Wisconsin north of the city, this was the region that locals knew as Chicagoland.

Few know the HEMI Challenge better than Herb McCandless. Even fewer have more experience with the Chrysler Hemi combination than the Sox & Martin.

Mike McCandless, the youngest of his three sons, grew up in a household where this popular car combination is revered. He learned early how Sox & Martin, as well as the

This understanding is why when Dodge opted out of the Hemi Challenge sponsorship in 2024, McCandless knew he needed to do something. He knew it would be the perfect opportunity to bring together three of the more synonymous names in Chrysler drag racing history.

Don Schumacher will be forever remembered as a drag racing legend. During the upcoming NHRA Route 66 Nationals, May 17-19, he will be honored during a trackside Celebration of Life ceremony

Schumacher privately battled lung cancer before succumbing to illness-related complications on Wednesday, December 20, 2023.
 
The Route 66 Nationals outside of Chicago, Ill., provides the perfect backdrop as Schumacher is a native of the Chicago area. 

Chicago's Zizzo Racing will roll into the Route 66 NHRA Nationals, May 17-19, featuring a new associate sponsor, Master Truck & Trailer (MTT). The Waukegan, Illinois-based team's enduring bond with owner Tony Zizzo and driver TJ Zizzo supplements major sponsorship on the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster.

"My dad has known John Pinkley at MTT for years, and the opportunity to add their company to our race team is a perfect arrangement," said TJ Zizzo, driver of the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster. "On a serious note, the quality of products MTT is providing to their customers is amazing, and we want to highlight their company at the track and across the country."

If Pro Street icon Annette Summer's last five weeks could have been any more of a whirlwind, it would have been an F5 tornado. 

Summer, the first lady of Pro Street racing back in the 1990s, in a span of five weeks has resurrected her old "pink" Camaro and took delivery of a drag racing relic. 

Summer is racing Brian Havlik's Fastest Street Car Shootout at Tri-State Raceway in Earlville, Iowa. This is a reunion of sorts of the cars that raced in the early years of the NMCA.

The Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association (NEOPMA) season opener at Maryland International Raceway saw a fierce battle between father-son duo Mike Decker Jr. and Mike “Hollywood” Decker III. Decker III clinched his first Pro Modified win by defeating his father in a showdown marked by exceptional performances throughout the event.

Decker Jr. and Decker III claimed the top two qualifying spots in their respective screw-blown Camaros, setting the stage for a thrilling competition. With Decker III’s victory over formidable opponents like Derek Ward, the family rivalry reached new heights in a series of intense matchups that culminated in a significant win for Decker III.

Reflecting on his triumph, Decker III expressed gratitude for his team and mentor, Todd Tutterow, who played a pivotal role in their success at the event. 

When you have won as much as Bo Butner has and done so in as many divisions, rarely does a first time look like a first time. But on Sunday, at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway, Butner did something new - he won a Mountain Motor Pro Stock race. And it looked like business as usual. 

Butner also joined Jeg Coughlin Jr. as one of two drivers to have won in seven different categories. He now has 31 career national event victories. 

Competition Plus’ Water-Cooler Topics From The NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, NC.

Justin Ashley has harbored a love-hate relationship with four-wide drag racing.

He loves to race them, but he’s hated the results.

However, all of that changed Sunday when the Top Fuel phenom secured his inaugural victory in a race of that type at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals hosted at zMAX Dragway. The triumph marked a milestone in Ashley’s career, finally aligning his enjoyment of the format with a well-deserved taste of success.