2018 Tucson Dragway by Les Mayhew

2018 UNFC Tucson Dragway by Les Mayhew

Les Mayhew of NitroAmerica is Back!  It's been a year since we could sit behind a screen and feel that you're down on the track!  Les takes us out to Tucson Dragway and films the 2018 UNFC. (United Nitro Funny Cars)

From Tucson Dragway:  Tucson Dragway is committed to making sure that the community has a place to race and enjoy great shows like the Tucson Dragway Reunion, Fall Fuel Extravaganza, The Super Chevy Show and Roadkill Zip-Tie Drags!  They are happy to host great Drag Racing Schools like Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School and The Pure Speed Drag Racing Experience.  The track has been trying to get a wide variety of races for 2018 and are happy to welcome Street Outlaw Boddie's 1/8th Mile No Time Racing Association, Mike Murrilo's Big Bracket Race and The DigNight Street Style Race! (end Tucson)

Wow, that's some lineup with hands on experience!  All right let's kick this off and as usual burp that Jerrycan of 101octane (unless you have Nitro?) in the room and burn a cut piece of radiator-hose in the ashtray because now your standing next to Les on the track!

 

2015 Famoso Raceway March Meet

NitroAmerica 2015 March Meet The Movie

This is all about to kick off again, Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet March 3-6, 2016.  In the mean time the best producer of putting us down on the track, Les Mayhew of Nitro America.  Les has put together a movie of the March Meet from last year of just the most extraordinary filming known in racing.  We get to go in the field and meet the teams talk to the builders and tuners, drivers and witness the power of the launch shredding clutch dust, tire buckle, wheel shake, Nitro spit out of the pipes and the pounding sound that makes this event one of the most fierce competition events of the year!  If you are ever in the area around McFarland CA. in the beginning of March I envy you, Mate, for this event is getting bigger all the time and teams are gunning for a win like the Indy 500 or Daytona.

Before the movie, I would like you to meet someone.

Thanks for putting us down on the track Les, you Sir are the best in your field.

Ok Mate, here we go, burn a piece of radiator hose in the ashtray and burp that Jerry Can of high octane in the room for that's the only element missing from Les's films! 

Auto Club Famoso Raceway

NitroAmerica 

The Northwest National Open Series

2015 NHRA National Open Mission NitroAmerica

The Northwest National Open Series returns again in 2015 with stops across the division in Washington, Montana, Alberta, and British Columbia. Eleven different classes including Top Comp, Stock/SS Combo, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Super Pro, Pro ET, Sportsman, Bike/Sled, Junior Lightning, and Junior Thunder will compete for year-end championship honors including a year-end Championship Wally and 2016 Series Entry Card.

Les was at the event so get some ear protection and let's go down on the track!

NHRA Northwest Division

NitroAmerica

 

Top Fuel Dragster Heritage

NitroAmerica 2015 Slingshot

The engine of a Top Fuel dragster generates around 150 dB of sound at full throttle, enough to cause physical pain or even permanent damage.  A sound that intense is not just heard, but also felt as pounding vibrations all over one's body and Les Mayhew is going to help with that!  

The engine used to power a Top Fuel drag racing car follows the basic layout found in the second generation Chrysler Hemi 426 "Elephant Engine" made from 1964-71.  Although the Top Fuel engine is built exclusively of specialist parts, it retains the basic configuration with two valves per cylinder activated by pushrods from a centrally-placed camshaft.  The engine has hemispherical combustion chambers, a 90 degree V-angle; 4.8 in. bore pitch.  The configuration is identical to the overhead valve, single camshaft-in-block "Hemi" V-8 engine which became available for sale to the public in selected Chrysler Corporation (Chrysler brand) automotive products in 1950 (model year 1951).  The block is machined from a piece of forged aluminum.  It has press-fitted, ductile iron liners.  There are no water passages in the block, which adds considerable strength and stiffness.

The engine is cooled by the incoming air/fuel mixture.  Like the original Hemi, the racing cylinder block has a deep skirt for strength.  There are five main bearing caps, which are fastened with aircraft-standard-rated steel studs, with additional reinforcing main studs and side bolts.  Here's a couple suppliers of these custom blocks.

Dart

BME

NHRA regulations limit the composition of the fuel to a maximum of 90% nitromethane (Since 2008); the remainder is largely methanol.  However, this mixture is not mandatory, and less nitromethane may be used if desired.

Front engine Top Fuel Dragster the Heritage style of racing and still running!

All American Fuel Dragster 

 NitroAmerica

 

2014 March Meet Famoso Raceway

2014 March Meet Famoso Raceway by NitroAmerica

Nothing kicks off the 4th like Nitro running the quarter mile.  NitroAmerica takes us out to Southern California at Auto Club Famoso in Bakersfield.  Once again Les Mayhew puts us on the track for the entire event!  One of the top shows in drag racing for Nitroholics. 

Thanks, Les, yet another epic vid.  I'll say it again, no one but no one films drag racing like you do!  Your work puts us down on the track!

The 2014 March Meet welcomed drag racing fans from all 4 corners of the Earth with beautiful Southern California sunshine at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California. By Saturday the faithful were over 6 deep at the fence. With nitro burning machines roaring down the quarter mile, there was no other place a nitro fan would want to be.

“This place is unbelievable," 16 time NHRA Funny Car Champ John Force proclaimed over the tracks PA system. "I couldn't find a parking space.” He then added, “This is bigger than a national event”. With 25 Funny Cars, 16 Top Fuel Dragsters and 8 Fuel Altereds, the 2014 March Meet was a Nitroholic’s dream and for the drivers who compete here, it's equivalent to Indy 500.

Now we're smokin!  

Famoso Raceway 

NitroAmerica

 

North Star Dragway

NitroAmerica North Star Dragway

Ya know I was going through the clips for the NHRA and man I'll tell ya, I want to see and hear the cars run! (too commercial)   Not listen to someone telling me how hard they work and letting me know of all their sponsors.  When NHRA introduced the Pro Mods two years ago they did a fantastic job of the promo and races, now I see the winner circle girl smiling and some driver babbling.  For real man, NHRA should take a look at what NitroAmerica is doing for drag racing, ya think?  Let's go down to Texas and once again Les gives you more, your on the track!

North Star Dragway is so proud to bring back old school heads up racing, Pro Mods vs Fuel Altered and other such venues.  NSD takes great pride in providing fun, family-friendly events that entertain the entire family and will keep them talking long after they leave. From the quickest outlaw door slammers to the wildest fire breathing fuel altereds in the country, NSD brings you the best choices of drag racing entertainment in North Texas.  These events on average bring in more than 150 racers and over 1,000 fans to the track each weekend. 

The 2013 Pro Mod vs. Fuel Altered Showdown, North Star Dragway, Denton, TX, July 5th & 6th, 2013.  Click on time to skip ahead, now how cool is that NitroAmerica gives ya the time on this vid to advance through the film.  Bottom line, Les Mayhew is thinking about you and the man is all American as you'll see in the credits of this film.  Thanks, Les, for it is more.

 0:00 Intro
 0:41 Intro Pt. II 
2:04 Driver Profiles 
6:44 Qualifying Session 1 
18:32 Qualifying Session 2 
26:20 Round 1 
36:30 Round 2 
42:26 Final Round 
45:29 Winner's Circle 
46:04 Credits 

North Star Dragway

NitroAmerica

 

FireBird Raceway- Ignitor Super Stock

NitroAmerica FireBird Raceway Ignitor Super Stock

FIREBIRD RACEWAY- NAPA AUTO PARTS IGNITOR OPENER presented by Dan Wiebold Ford-NHRA Division 6 Lucas Oil Drag Race Series (April 26-28)

 The longest running professional drag race in the northwest is the NAPA Auto Parts Ignitor presented by Dan Wiebold Ford. Dating back to `71, Firebird has hosted the first NHRA Division 6 Lucas Oil Drag Race Series event of the season, which features national and divisional points and records. Over 400 competitors are anticipated for a purse of better than $160,000, including cash and contingency. In addition, the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series will make a key point’s stop for AA/Nitro Funny Cars on Saturday and Sunday.

In this vid from NitroAmerica, your gonna watch and hear the Super Stocks, Sweet!  The track is located in Eagle, Idaho off Hwy 16. 

FireBird Raceway

NitroAmerica

 

Auto Club Famoso Raceway

Auto Club Famoso Raceway NitroAmerica

I don't know is it just me or does NitroAmerica put you on the track, in your face rubber.  But there was something missing, so I went out to the garage brought in a Jerrycan of Can-Am, burped it.  Filled part of a bowl with old spent oil and cut a piece of radiator hose and burned it in the ash tray.  Ah, now I smell the track!  Bakersfield, CA. at Famoso also the fabled March Meet, which helped put Bakersfield on the map. “Everything changed in 1959 after the first March Meet. The whole image of drag racing changed. There were so many people at Famoso, people and cars for days.”

Now if you can't get out to CA. we can thank NitroAmerica for bringing the show to your monitor so sit back, burn some hose in the ash tray turn up the volume and ride the 1/4 mile at Famoso Raceway!

NitroAmerica

 

NitroAmerica

NitroAmerica On Tour Spring 2013

Yet another great vid by Les Mayhew aka NitroAmerica and who better to explain his own vid then the man himself. This is Les touring around at some tracks! From landing and off the plane to the gates at Firebird International Raceway and others, wait for it, a classic in drag racing film.  (Damn this good)

"WARNING: DO NOT TURN VOLUME UP DURING THE BEGINNING OF VIDEO. DON'T WATCH IF YOU ARE OPPOSED TO MUSIC IN MY CLIPS". 

Races included: IHRA NitroJam - Southwest International Raceway, Tucson, AZ 

Last Drag Race - Firebird International Raceway, Chandler, AZ 

DragRacingOnline.com AA/FC Challenge Race #1 - Texas Raceway, Kennedale, 

TX Saturday Nite Nitro - Sacramento Raceway, Sacramento, CA NAPA Auto 

Parts Night of Fire & Thunder - Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, CA 

NitroAmerica

Outlaw Fuel Altered Association's

NitroAmerica Outlaw Fuel Altered Assoc.

From Outlaw Fuel Altered:

 Celebrating their 17th season! 

 The Painless Performance Outlaw Fuel Altered Association is a group of blown alcohol and nitro burning fuel altereds leading the nostalgia movement in the southwest. The association has members from across the nation and includes many former AA/FA and AA/FC drivers from the defining years of drag racing. They put on the best show of heads-up, Chicago style nostalgia drag racing anywhere in the country! 

April 6th, 2013, North Star Dragway.
The long awaited first event of the nine race season brought some new looks to the pits and the return of some old faces. John Broussard and Raymond Dawson showed off their new look machines while Doyle Smith debuted his "Chemical Reaction" nitro burner with Clint Brown behind the wheel and Joe Farris' entered his first OFAA event in the "Grease Monkey" entry from Arkansas. 

As the two top performers of the night fired their engines for the final time, a favorite was hard to pick. Jones, two-time defending series Champion was up against the most consistently quick car of the night in Trussell. In fine fashion, the cars thundered off the line with Jones taking a slight advantage. Trussell's car was belching flames to the tip of the rear wing and they were side by side as they went down the track. At the stripe, Jones took the win light with a 3.87 at 185 mph to Trussell's 3.99 at 181 mph and the Kelley & Jones "Texas Tremor" team clinched the victory at the season opener. 

 Outlaw Fuel Altered Assoc.

 NitroAmerica

Raceway Bakersfield California

Auto Club Famoso:

Half a century ago, Bakersfield was a sleepy oil town best known as the last stop before climbing the “Grapevine” road to Los Angeles. Things changed rapidly when local country singer Buck Owens rose to fame in the late 1950s. At the same time, drag racers from around the country began pouring into Famoso for quarter-mile runs. The March Meet originally called the U.S. Fuel and Gas Championships, was spearheaded by the Smokers, a local race club. The Smokers, who began racing at Famoso in 1951, became skeptical of reported times and speeds set in the east by “Big Daddy” Don Garlits. So they invited him to Bakersfield to compete. In March 1959 he did just that. The result was the March Meet, often called the “Woodstock of drag racing.” Although Garlits lost in the first round and Art Chrisman became Top Eliminator, Garlits went on to become the most celebrated drag racer in history and #1 on the NHRA’s Top 50 list. Garlits’ appearance at Famoso spread the fame of the track, March Meet and Bakersfield far and wide.

 The March Meet and Famoso Raceway created an entire generation of both racers and racing fans and marked Bakersfield as a Mecca for the sport. The Mears family began to race at Famoso, as did Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen, Cruz and Tony Pedregon and many, many others. NASCAR’s Kevin Harvick launched his racing career in Bakersfield.

In its hay day, the March Meet was the race on the NHRA schedule, where legendary racers such as Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, “TV Tommy” Ivo, Shirley Muldowney and Connie Kalitta clashed. Many of today’s stars like John Force and Ron Capps competed in the March Meet. Force – this year’s Grand Marshal – won the March Meet in 1984.

 Today the March Meet is racing’s top nostalgia event and is the first stop on the NHRA’s Hot Rod Heritage Series. It’s still, in Blake Bowser’s words, “…the largest single event in Bakersfield. It helped put Bakersfield on the map. Bakersfield is Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and the March Meet.”

 John and Blake Bowser, the father and son tag team who run the Kern County Racing Association, are also the operators of historic Auto Club Famoso Raceway and producers of one of the most famous drag race events of all-time, the March Meet.

 John Bowser: I moved to Bakersfield from Camden, N.J., in 1952, just a few months before the big 7.5 earthquake which wiped out most of the town. My mother owned a grocery store which was destroyed by the quake. That was a nice ‘welcome to California’ thing for us. When we got here, I thought the West was made up of cowboys and Indians.

 I got into drag racing when I was going to Bakersfield High School in 1958-59. Bakersfield was a big motorhead city back then and still is. We used to go to Southern California to see drag racing at Irwindale, Lions and San Fernando. They were ‘lunch money’ trips – we’d save up our lunch money from the school, pool it together and go racing. I first went to Famoso in 1959. There was some drag racing at Gardner Field and Taft before Famoso was built, but Famoso changed everything. Back in the fifties, Bakersfield was like American Graffiti—lots of cars and kids hanging out. Racing was fun: you’d drive your race car to the event, race it and drive it home.

Today the March Meet is racing’s top nostalgia event and is the first stop on the NHRA’s Hot Rod Heritage Series. It’s still, in Blake Bowser’s words, “…the largest single event in Bakersfield. It helped put Bakersfield on the map. Bakersfield is Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and the March Meet.”

"Special note out to NitoAmerica, with the cooperation of the teams and tracks you get to experience great HD camera views of all angels with choice sound! To say the least,  NitroAmerica brings the race in your face!"    

Auto Club Famoso

NitroAmerica