This past weekend’s ADRL Independence Drags in Topeka, Kan., had a rather intense fireworks show but for the rain-delayed event the action was not in the sky but on the track instead.

Jeff Helmkamp was one of the many thousands of race fans who flocked to Heartland Park- Topeka to take in the Independence Day weekend’s schedule of doorslammer racing. Of those thousands, it was Helmkamp who stood out among the crowd.

Helmkamp is an avid photographer and while many race fans would give their right arm to shoot from the starting line, he prefers the grandstands as his studio of choice.

Stratford, Ontario-based Top Dragster wins delayed event at TMP’s Cayuga Dragway
 
“You know it’s been a while since I won a race.”
 
But Scott Wildgust won in fine fashion on the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park, winning the postponed Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts finals.
 
With the final rounds postponed at the Grand Bend Motorplex last week, the last races of round two in the six-race series were held at Cayuga. When the racing was postponed at Grand Bend, the Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, and overall event champion had yet to be decided.

Peter Gallen’s second run against Phil Burkart was the charm Saturday night at Maple Grove Raceway.
 
Racing in the Poverty Stricken, a 1974 Vega, Gallen made the most of another chance against Burkart’s ’74 Mustang to win the Nostalgia Funny Car class in the Geezers Reunion at The Grove Reunion presented by Yuengling.
 
As the name of the event suggests, the evening was full of “back in the day” cars and drivers as The Grove celebrated the pioneers of drag racing. The two-day event featured everything from a car show to a cacklefest. There was plenty of action on the track, too, including the NAPA Auto Parts Cavalcade of Funny Cars feature show.

Darrin Grubb worked his way through a 40-car field to win the third round in the 2010 Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts at the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park Saturday.
 
Driving the Grubb Racing 2004 Chevy Cavalier Top Sportsman car out of Pine River, Ontario, Grubb won the championship round over Top Dragster driver Sam Christian of Kenmore, New York.
 
With a .007-second reaction time, Grubb ran a 7.260, 185.51 winning pass over Christian, who posted a 7.254, 180.21 clocking after his .054-second reaction time.

Darrell Gwynn was in the middle of one of the biggest sporting events in the history of Reading and Berks County.
 
On a September evening in 1990 over 12,000 fans jammed into FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Reading Phillies, to watch racers from the NHRA and NASCAR take part in a charity softball game.
 
Gwynn, who was an up-and-coming Top Fuel driver in the NHRA, was tragically injured during an exhibition race in England months before. He ended up paralyzed and confined to a wheel chair.

We’ve uncovered another one of the popular 1970 drag racing documentaries, this one titled Wheels of Fire.

This documentary, according to the youtube.com channel was written and directed by Douglas Kent Hall. Wheels of Fire focuses on the lives of five major drag racers of the era: Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Shirley Muldowney, Richard Tharp and Billy Meyer.

This hour long movie was produced by Texas race promoter Buddy Boren.

Persistant rain throughout the early afternoon on Saturday, resulted in the ADRL’s Hardee’s Independence Drags IV in Topeka, Kan., being postponed.

Kenny Nowling, the ADRL president and CEO, made the announcement to postpone the race at 5:45 pm Central Time.

The plan is to complete the Topeka event at St. Louis. The ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags are Aug. 6-7 at Gateway International Raceway.

Veteran Billy Glidden had a tough Saturday morning in the fourth and final round of qualifying of the Extreme 10.5 class at Heartland Park.

Glidden, the son of legendary NHRA Pro Stock racer Bob Glidden, was in the left lane for his run. When his 2010 Ford Mustang took off, it drifted slightly to the left and then jerked back to the right, where it cut right in front of Dan Saitz, who was making a pass in the right lane. Saitz was able to maneuver around the back of Glidden's Ford.

Glidden, however, was still in trouble.

All the venues on the American Drag Racing League schedule offer up  different track conditions.

Some obviously are better than others.

After Friday’s three rounds of qualifying at the ADRL’s Hardee’s Independence Drags IV in Topeka, Kan., Shannon Jenkins was less than pleased with the conditions at Heartland Park.

Jenkins came into Saturday’s last round of qualifying second on the Pro Nitrous ladder at 3.921 seconds, 191.73 mph.

Frankie Taylor saved his best run of the day for last under the cooling temperatures of Friday night during the ADRL Independence Drags in Topeka, Ks.

Taylor roared his way to a 3.701-second time at 202.58 mph to vault to the top of the Pro Extreme qualifying ladder.