Nhra Insider Podcast

Justin Ashley and JR Todd join the NHRA's Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast. They talk about their personal experiences at what was a dramatic running of the NHRA Lucas Oil Winternationals in Pomona, California. Intense heat, a race track that was over 140-degrees, and the mental chess of late regular-season competition all added up to some of the wildest drag racing of the last several seasons. Justin Ashley made the top fuel final but was unable to participate when he was overcome by the heat while strapped into his car. Making one of the hardest decisions of his racing career, he elected to get out of his dragster and Leah Pruett had a solo for the win. We talk about not only that moment but the quality race car that carried him through eliminations as well as his own personal performance. Nitro funny car runner-up JR Todd had a successful weekend with the DHL Toyota Camry team and in so many ways, kept pace with an amazingly tight nitro funny car field. Todd talks about not only rac

Ron Capps and Sonoma Super Comp Winner Marko Perivolaris join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast. Capps talks about having a fast and consistent nitro funny car, having racked up multiple semi-final finishes in a row on the Camping World Tour. He also talks about the adjustment of having a car that often qualifies atop the field and how his team continues to pour their hearts and souls into turning on their first final round win light of the season. Marko Perivolaris had an incredible and incredibly emotional race day at Sonoma where he was dominant on the starting line and driving a car that was practically glued to the 8.9 second index of super comp. He was racing with his heart set on delivering a win for his late mother and his recently passed friend Kyle Seipel. He did both of those things working in lockstep with his dad and sister. His story of the day and the win is amazing and uplifting. Enjoy!

Joey Haas and Alex Miladonivch join host Brian Lohnes for this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast. The two independent racers are competing with more guts than wallet and they talk about the advantages and disadvantages of both scenarios. Haas had an amazing weekend in Denver, landing in the final round and winning the hearts of drag racing fans across America. Alex has been building his own cars in a garage located in So Cal for years and his brother builds his engines four blocks away. So many sit on the internet and say that "it cannot be done" anymore. These are two men of action who are doing things and eschewing excuses along the way.

Alex Laughlin joins host Brian Lohnes to talk about the stunning news that he will be racing top fuel at Denver this weekend as part of the Dodge SRT Mile High Nationals. The move came in a pinch when sponsor requirements needed to be met and Laughlin was without his traditional pro modified car. Hooking up with Scott Palmer at the last minute and achieving his top fuel license at a small Kansas Drag Strip, it has been a whirlwind and one that he's happy to be on. With Palmer concentrating on tuning and Laughlin concentrating on driving, the car is definitely going to be a factor. Having had experience through the sportsman ranks, having won races in pro stock, and having gone 250mph in pro mod, this will be a momentous moment in his career. Lohnes talks about all things Denver and the other big news of the NHRA week as well!

Mike Neff and Travis Shumake join host Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast. Two men who are at very different points of their drag racing career share stories of their lives, the way they approach the sport, and how their efforts are going to succeed in 2021. Mike Neff is currently leading the points as a crew chief in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series funny car division and it has come through years of study and hard work. His career is nearly 30 years in NHRA drag racing and it has been 30 years of learning, success, and dedication. Neff talks about who he learned from, what the Tasca team is doing well this year and his passion for desert racing! Travis Shumake has made major drag racing headlines over the last month with the announcement that he is looking to follow in his father's footsteps as a professional-level funny car driver. His dad Tripp is still well known and loved by so many fans on the tour and even fellow drivers. Travis has an unyielding passion to break into th

This episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast features interviews with Mark Ingersoll who serves as crew chief for Erica Enders' car in the NHRA Camping World pro stock category and ace sportsman racer Johnny Labbous Jr. who has been racking up national event wins and is chasing another world championship. Ingersoll talks of the challenges the team has been working through this season and the attack they took at Norwalk which lead them to a victory over Greg Anderson who had a very strong race car. The talk turns to tech, Ingersoll's decorated history in the sport, and a whole lot more. John Labbous Jr has been on one heck of a streak lately. A Super Gas win in Epping followed by a Super Comp win in Norwalk has rekindled Labbous in many ways and he talks about it here. He also talks about the difficulties of racing for a living, how tight the competition is, and how "doing homework" is one of the hidden strategic points of bracket racing premier racers like him focus on. Great stuff from inside the world of drag r

Guests Mike McIntire Jr and National Dragster Senior Editor Kevin McKenna join host Brian Lohnes on the NHRA Insider podcast this week to talk all things on the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio this weekend. McIntire is a local funny car hero having grown up in the sport with his dad racing alcohol cars and eventually graduating to nostalgia nitro funny car and then the Camping World series. This is a true drag racing love story as told by the guy who has lived it. The car has been a consistent qualifier and they had their best weekend ever at Charlotte this year. Regular guys cannot run funny cars anymore, right? Wrong. The second guest on this show is NHRA National Dragster Sr. Editor Kevin McKenna. The conversation ranges from pro stock motorcycle to the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and to a remembrance of Kyle Seipel, the amazing NHRA racer, track manager, and a guy who changed the face of bracket racing history. Another wide-ranging drag racing discussion!

Terry Haddock and Scott Woodruff of Jegs join host Brian Lohnes on this wide-ranging episode of the NHRA Insider. Haddock tells the story of his incredible weekend at Epping where he appeared in a first career semi-final round. Haddock's story is one of grinding hard work and the relentless pursuit of drag racing success despite all the odds being stacked against him. He is truly a regular guy funny car hero and he talks about running his operation on a small budget with limited help and making his way in the world of NHRA Camping World Drag Racing. Scott "Woody" Woodruff of Jegs is the Director of Media and Motorsports, meaning that if you see the Jegs logo on a car, at an event, or being worn by someone, he likely had an influence on that decision. In a discussion that ranges from the business of motorsports to the inside baseball of working with a sanctioning body like the NHRA, Scott gives great insight into an element of racing that the general public usually doesn't spend a lot of time talking about. Tw

Tony Pedregon joins Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider to talk about what's happened five races into the season, who's succeeding, who's falling behind, and who needs to really turn their season around at Epping, New Hampshire. The TascaParts.com NHRA New England Nationals are on tap for the weekend and cool conditions indicate that this could really a race for the highest performing cars to take control. Matt Hagan has won three straight at Epping and his tuner Dickie Venebles will be ready, willing, and able to make it four if he matches his tune-up to the track. Opinions shared, predictions made, performances discussed. Give it a listen!

On this episode of the NHRA Insider, No-Prep racer Joey Baroni and track operator Mike Natoli join host Brian Lohnes to discuss drag racing, winning the first no-prep Wally ever given, and operating an old school, community-based drag strip. Baroni is the first guest on the show and he talks about racing "Swamp Thing" a Nova station wagon designed to run down drag strips and any other surface with no prep. Packing a massive nitrous engine and loads of horsepower, the art of no-prep racing and power management are discussed as well as what it means to Baroni to hold the first-ever NHRA Speed for All Wally for winning a no-prep event. Mike Natoli the operator of South Mountain Raceway in Pennsylvania is the second guest on the show and he's the guy who organized the no-prep event that Baroni won. Natoli has loved drag racing his whole life and operates his facility in a traditional manner as part of the community. A man with huge personality, vision, and the will to make a drag strip work out of love and dedica

Ron Capps and Jeffrey Barker join host Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast to discuss their 2019 season, their take on driving, rules, and how the rest of the Camping World and E3 Spark Plugs seasons will shake out. The conversation with Capps is wide-ranging and rollicking as the season's successes and failures (thus far) are gone over, some of the finer points of nitro funny car driving are discussed, upcoming events are gone over, and New England Dragway is broken down as the next location on the Camping World tour. Jeffrey Barker, a two-time NHRA Vortech Superchargers Top Sportsman world champion has been flexing his muscles in a nitrous fed Toyota Camry pro mod in 2021. Currently sitting sixth in points but only a couple of rounds outside the top three, Barker is poised to make a difference in the championship hunt over the course of this season. We talk about rules, nitrous, success, family, and how it all fits together in Barker's world.

Steve Johnson and Dallas Glenn join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast to talk about their respective wins at Charlotte and the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. For Steve Johnson it had been seven years since he last tasted victory on the NHRA championship trail and this one was sweet. Working as an independent with a new engine combination, he had been frustrated by early season failures and mistakes but the motorcycle's performance was starting to show itself at events like Las Vegas and Atlanta. In Charlotte the dam broke and Johnson roared to victory in convincing fashion. Dallas Glenn has been waiting for the moment to compete in pro stock for his whole life and he is not squandering it. Having proven himself as a premier leaver in the class, Glenn captured his first pro stock win in Charlotte in his fourth pro stock start. Quietly confident and an expert on every inch of the machinery he is racing, Glenn gives insight into one of the most memorable moments in his burgeoning career

Racers Krista Baldwin and Joey Gladstone join host Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast to talk about their seasons, their reasons for competing in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing, and their hard work and struggles to succeed. Baldwin, a third-generation top fuel racer talks about her first race, which was the 2021 Gatornationals, and what she took from the experience while preparing to compete at the NGK Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. She talks about her road to top fuel, her family, and the people she had met and who have supported her along the way. Joey Gladstone talks about the incredible race weekend he had at Atlanta Dragway when he rode a motorcycle while recovering from injuries sustained during a 200mph testing crash just weeks before. This is a story of grit, guts, determination, and the will to win. Both of these are hardcore racers and both are budding stars in the world of NHRA Camping World Drag Racing.

Antron Brown and Bob Tasca III join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast. The two Atlanta winners talk about their respective victories at the final NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway. For Bob Tasca III, his second race win in a row stands as an affirmation that his team is not only championship caliber, but built for the long haul of the 2021 Camping World NHRA season. Antron Brown talks about the hard path he took to victory on Sunday in Atlanta, how his team rose to the occasion each round, and how facing down Steve Torrence in a legitimate top fuel duel to close the weekend was a massive confidence builder for their operation. All this and additional commentary and breaking news from Lohnes sprinkled in!

David Grubnic and Eddie Krawiec join Brian Lohnes on the NHRA Insider podcast to talk about life, drag racing, and getting back into the sport that they love in 2021. Grubic, who serves as the crew chief on Brittany Force's top fuel dragster has come out of the gate swinging in 2021 and it's been fun to watch. He talks about being away and what it means to come back after being away for nearly a full year. Eddie Krawiec was at the track when he called into the show, having completed a successful test day with teammate Andrew Hines. The V-twin-powered motorcycles with their EBR bodies showed promise at the test session and the two are excited to be on the drag strip for the rest of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Eddie and Andrew talk success, pressure, a three motorcycle team, and more!

Shawn Langdon and Tony Pedregon join the NHRA Insider podcast this week for a wide-ranging discussion about drag racing, the upcoming Denso Spark Plugs 4-Wide Nationals, and other storylines in the sport. The discussion with Langdon centers around the difficulties, attraction, and culture of big money bracket racing, an arena he competes infrequently outside of NHRA top fuel. This is an enlightening discussion on a large swath of bracket racing many people are undereducated on. Tony Pedregon joins the show to preview the upcoming race weekend in Las Vegas. The discussion is about who looks strong, who's debuting at the event, who needs to step it up and the proclivities of 4-wide drag racing. Lots of great insider info here, opinion, and more!

Andrew Hines and Elon Werner join host Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast. Werner, the Vice-President of Sports Publicity for the Tony Fay Agency of Texas has long been a presence inside NHRA drag racing, garnering teams like John Force Racing headlines over the years. He talks about the modern world of PR, how things have changed over his 30 years in the sport, and what he is doing to work with people like Kalitta Racing, Justin Ashely, and more each week. The second guest on the show is Andrew Hines who tells the amazing tale of the new Vance and Hines four-valve cylinder head, developing new motorcycles for Cory Reed and Joey Gladstone, testing before Gainesville, and breaking the 200mph barrier with Angelle during the race. Truly an awesome story of applied technology in the sport of NHRA Camping World Drag Racing.

On this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast, Greg Anderson and Dean Antonelli, lovingly known as Guido join Brian Lohnes on the show to talk about their early-season successes and careers. Guido and Jon Medlen are the crew chiefs overseeing the Ron Capps-driven NAPA Dodge out of the Don Schumacher camp and Greg Anderson was the Gainesville winner with a crushing performance that put the class on notice. Antonelli shares some amazing insights on not only his career but on the weekly pressures and life of a crew chief and his crew. The talk about the service time between rounds is really amazing and you'll work up a sweat just listening. Greg Anderson talks Gainesville success, searching for a primary sponsor, chasing the magical 100 career win mark, watching Dallas Glenn make his first start, and the importance of Jason Line's transitioned role at KB Racing to the organization. Two veterans with stories and great insight into the sport.

Gatornationals winning crew chief Todd Smith and Gatornationals winning pro stock motorcycle racer Matt Smith both join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider. The discussion with Todd centers around the race weekend and the off-season preparation that went into getting the car ready for battle at Gainesville. Sharing the insight gleaned from a long and distinguished career, Todd Smith takes us inside the decisions and leadership that are making the DHL Toyota Camry a front runner in the earliest parts of the 2021 season. A fascinating look behind the scenes with a crew chief who knows the game. Matt Smith won the Gatornationals and became the first rider in history to make four straight 200mph passes to do it. He talks about the race weekend, the performance of the rival Suzuki motorcycles, and how he dealt with the loss of his brakes in qualifying, a situation that would have put lesser riders in a much more harrowing position. Hear the champ talk about the racing program, his attack in 2021 and h

Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals funny car winner JR Todd and top fuel winning crew chief Ron Douglas join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider. Todd talks about the off-season and his road to victory in Gainesville, a welcome change from the frustrations of a 2020 season that saw no wins for his DHL Toyota Camry. Todd talks about the electricity of the crowd, the champagne bath at the end, and how this could be a very special season in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing. The second guest is crew chief Ron Douglas who tuned Josh Hart to a dramatic victory in Gainesville. Douglas talks about the weekend, talks about his career, the things he has learned along the way, and the special group of people who lay their hands on the race car to make it go down the track each time. This is a great perspective from a crew chief who shows up to win, weekend after weekend.