Ford Performance has been named the title sponsor of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series fall race in Las Vegas. The 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals will take place Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

SCAG Racing announced that RCN Capital will serve as a major associate sponsor on Justin Ashley’s SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster for the NHRA Carolina Nationals, set for Sept. 20-22 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte.

“We are excited to partner with Justin Ashley, which provides a great opportunity to expand our reach and enhance brand awareness,” said Jeffrey Tesch, CEO of RCN Capital. “We look forward to his success during the 2024 NHRA season.”

One of Top Alcohol Dragster’s brightest stars will take the plunge into Top Fuel later this month. 

Scrappers Racing announced it will field a second Top Fuel car at the NHRA Midwest Nationals, with Julie Nataas making her Top Fuel debut. Nataas, the reigning NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster world champion, will join fellow Top Fuel driver Jasmine Salinas and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Jianna Evaristo at the event later this month at World Wide Technology Raceway.

“We’ve had plans for a second team, but things changed with my dad stepping out of the driver’s seat,” Salinas said. “Julie’s licensing with Scrappers and her sponsors made St. Louis the perfect opportunity to trial a two-car team as my dad continues to heal.”

​Competition Plus’ Water-Cooler Topics From The NHRA Reading Nationals in Reading, Pa. 

No matter the season, Top Fuel competitors can never sleep on Antron Brown.

Brown, a three-time NHRA world champion in 2012 and 2015-16, proved that once again Sunday.

Brown bested the competition to win the Pep Boys Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania, the first race in the six-race Countdown to the Championship. In the finals, Brown clocked a 3.798-second elapsed time at 327.27 mph to edge Shawn Langdon’s 3.803, 332.02 mph at Maple Grove Raceway.

It’s safe to say nitro Funny Car driver Austin Prock has been on a heater all season.

And he certainly didn’t cool down this weekend.

Prock, driving the Cornwell Tools Camaro for John Force Racing, won his sixth race of the season Sunday at the Pep Boys Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania. Prock clocked a 3.896-second elapsed time at 332.51 mph to defeat his teammate Jack Beckman’s 3.951, 330.88 mph lap at Maple Grove Raceway.

For the first time in over a year, dating back to the Norwalk Nationals last summer, Hector Arana Jr returned to the winner circle after winning over the last Vance and Hines rider, Richard Gadson, in the Pep Boys Nationals final round at Reading. The victory also marked Arana Jr's first of the season despite being close at Richmond and Sonoma over the summer months. 

Arana Jr. took out Jianna Evaristo, Angie Smith, and the 2023 Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion and No. 1 qualifier of this event, Gaige Herrera, to make it to the finals before winning against the rookie Gadson. Even though he did his part on the rider, Arana Jr. credited his team and his dad, Hector Arana Sr, for getting the victory. 

If the Funny Car field hasn't realized it yet, they have been hustled by a so-called rookie intent on winning every accolade in the class, including a series championship.

Austin Prock, in the Mission Foods Countdown to the Championship opener, secured his sixth victory this season, stopping teammate Jack Beckman in the final round of the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. 

Joining them in the winner's circle was past champion Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock), and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Prock recorded a 3.896-second pass at 332.51 mph in his Chevrolet Camaro SS, beating Beckman's 3.951 at 330.88. The victory gives Prock a 10th career win and strengthens his points lead by 86, a little over four rounds, over Bob Tasca III with five races remaining.