​With the call to the lanes over the PA system from co-promoter Peter Biondo and the roar of the engines, the first day of the K&N Spring Fling Million presented by Optima Batteries began.

For the fifth straight year at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the first day of the event began with a free Yukon Gear & Axle-sponsored free Test & Tune session, in addition to the Poulsen Trailer Shootout where an exclusive 32-car field will race with the winner walking away with a brand new 24-foot Poulsen trailer. Runner-up receives an entry into the 2018 version of the Spring Fling Million Dollar Race, and the two semifinalists each receive a three-day entry into the 2018 Spring Fling event.

On January 1 of this year, people began sending in an entry to be a part of the Poulsen Trailer Shootout. A week before the event, all the names were placed in a hat and 32 lucky names were drawn along with eight alternates. Each of the entrants were given two time runs on Tuesday afternoon followed immediately by eliminations.

If Samuel Peterson was to write a paper on “what I did during spring break” it likely would be rejected by his teacher as total fabrication.

After all, what 15-year-old conducts tire tests for a major racing tire manufacturer? Or wins drag races in three different events in two different states driving two different cars? Or wins 17 rounds of racing in a single day?

Nevertheless, that’s exactly what the third generation racer did during a “spring tour” that took him and his family to the Carolinas where, in a five-week period, he won twice at Rockingham Dragway and once at Darlington International Dragway.

 
In the final results at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, South Central Division, Nitro on the Bayou at No Problem Raceway Megan Meyer, Olathe, Kan., and Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., took home the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively. 
 
Meyer was the runner up at this event in 2016, and came out strong this weekend as the number one qualifier who worked her way through the field and earned her second divisional win, and second win of the year.  She had the starting line advantage and ran the quickest and fastest pass of the weekend for the final round win in 5.234 seconds at 279.67 mph.  This victory was over Jackie Fricke, Flemington, N.J., who had a runner up lap of 5.307 seconds at 271.35 mph.

 
Fans were in attendance as the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division hit the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past weekend. Joey Severance and John Lombardo Jr. celebrated with their teams in the winner’s circle following their final round wins.
 
Severance, Woodburn, Ore., defeated Buddy Domingue and Garret Bateman in rounds 1 and 2 to meet Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., in the final round of Top Alcohol Dragster. Severance came off the line first with a great start, mounting a big lead leaving Demke little chance to chase him down. Severance registered a victory run of 5.290 seconds, 273.55 mph; moving one step closer to defending his Lucas Oil National Championship. Demke came in at 5.452 seconds, 269.67 mph.

After a promising two-race campaign in 2016, Top Alcohol Dragster rookie Kirk Wolf has committed to running a full schedule of races in 2017. He will again get behind the wheel of the Booher Racing blown alcohol dragster for three national events and the full NHRA Lucas Oil Series North Central Region schedule, beginning with the North Central Region season opener in Indianapolis, April 28-30.
 
“I’m excited about running a full season this year,” said Wolf, who’s driven in Top Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Fuel. “We’re starting the year off with a lot of new parts and spares, so we’re definitely prepared and ready to go. Brandon (Booher) has been working hard on improving his program for this season, so I’m looking forward to seeing the results of that hard work when we hit the track in Indy.”

John Labbous raced to his second win in as many weeks and his third of the season this weekend at GALOT Motorsports Park and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, while Clayton Roberts took the win in the  Southeast Division Stott’s Ford Top Sportsman class.  
 
Labbous, White House, Tenn., drove his ’63 Corvette to the Super Gas win over division champion Steven Furr, Harrisburg, N.C., at 8.557 seconds, 146.53 and a .013 package to Furr’s 8.583, 140.78.  Labbous opened the season with a win in Super Comp at Orlando Speed World Dragway and won last week in Super Gas at the Lucas Oil Series event at South Georgia Motorsports Park.
 

It’s been anticipated by many for one year and it’s finally here; The K&N Spring Fling Million presented by Optima Batteries.
 
The rigs will begin entering The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in expectation of what will be a very financially rewarding week. Beginning with a Free Test & Tune session sponsored by Yukon Gear & Axle on Tuesday, racers from all over the country will descend upon the track which last year saw Jeff Verdi win the main event, The Million, with his door car from Virginia.

David Rampy scored the elusive double-up at this weekend’s NHRA Southeast Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at South Georgia Motorsports Park taking home the trophy in both Comp Eliminator and Super Stock.
 
The veteran racer from Piedmont, Ala., worked his way through eliminations and lined up with Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., in Super Stock for his first of two final rounds.  Rampy took the early lead which proved to be the difference as he collected his fifth win in Super Stock on a hole shot running 10.152 seconds at 123.68 mph to Dennis’ 10.808, 124.45.
 
Rampy would then face off with Randy Daniels, Grantsboro, N.C., in Comp Eliminator with his familiar ’32 roadster.  Rampy again left first and crossed the finish line in 7.379 at 152.93 to secure the Double-Up and his 35th divisional win in Comp.

Life for NHRA Competition Eliminator racer Mathew Leonard is all about setting personal goals and achieving them. Like many racers in the sport, Leonard was also introduced to drag racing at a very young age.
 
“I’ve been in drag racing my whole life,” Leonard said. “My father was one of the early pioneers of drag racing in Australia and we raced all across Australia when I was growing up. Since I was about ten or eleven, I’ve been at my family’s speed shop which is one of the oldest gas stations still operating in the world.”

In the late 1990’s, Leonard made his way to the United States to help fellow Adelaide, Australia racer Robert Schwab in Top Alcohol Funny Car in 1996 and returned in 1999 when Schwab made the jump to NHRA Nitro Funny Car. After his experience with Schwab’s team, he was invited to go on the NHRA tour as a crew member with Kalitta Motorsports.

Will Hatcher's A/Dragster Automatic is at the top of the food chain as far as Comp Eliminator classifications are concerned. Even Hatcher, a diehard Division 5 NHRA drag racer, will admit the food supply has been dwindling over the last five years in Competition Eliminator.

Hatcher, along with a strong support system with the members of the Sportsman Racing Advisory Council are determined to save the harvest with an aggressive push to rebuild the ranks of the longtime sportsman racing division where drivers compete on a handicap system and no breakout.