Nhra Insider Podcast

Brian Lohnes and Tony Pedregon welcome a pair of crew chiefs on this episode of the NHRA Insider LIVE from Worldwide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.  Rob Flynn will talk about the factors that led him to tune a 300mph eighth mile run at zMax Dragway just one week ago. He’ll also answer questions about the Scrappers top fuel season and 2024. Andrew Hines has tuned Gaige Herrera to a historic first season. The number one qualifiers and victories have come in hot and heavy. Can they win a title? The conversation will be interesting and revealing. All this and all the good stuff you want to know inside the world of NHRA drag racing!

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast, host Brian Lohnes is joined by NHRAonFOX analyst Tony Pedregon to talk about the first two races of the 2023 NHRA Coundown To The Championship and preview the upcoming third race at Worldwide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, this weekend. The NHRA Midwest Nationals will mark the halfway point in the playoffs and will present the clearest picture yet about who can actually hoist a championship trophy at the end of the year.    The guys get into everything from the lanes at Charlotte to the chances that some teams have to employ strategy to win, to the racers who are in "must-win" situations to keep their hopes alive this week. Can and will Matt Hartford maintain his slim Pro Stock lead? Can Tasca actually continue to stand in the ring with Hight, Hagan, and Capps? Will Doug Kalitta actually win three races in a row? Will Gaige Herrera be thwarted by more Matt Smith moves?    All this and more on this show!

The NHRA is at zMax Dragway for the second race of the Countdown To The Championship and that means hosts Brian Lohnes and Tony Pedregon are sitting down with some of the drivers who made big headlines at Maple Grove where the playoff series of drag racing began. Matt Hartford and Doug Kalitta will be the featured guests along with plenty of news and analysis to go along with the interviews.    Matt Hartford took the win and the pro stock points lead in Pennsylvania after a challenging couple day of qualifying. Defying the odds and driving one of the best races of his career, it was the first time he and his team had ever won back to back coming off of their US Nationals triumph. In the fast conditions of Charlotte, his job will be to stave off the competition again.    Doug Kalitta won a rock'em sock'em top fuel category in Pennsylvania to rocket up the points chart, lock down his 50th career victory, and reassert Kalitta Motorsports as a legitimate championship threat once more. After a wild tire explosion

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast, host Brian Lohnes is joined by his right hand man in the broadcast booth, Tony Pedregon and the two look critically at the upcoming NHRA Countdown to the Championship. Starting with this weekend's race at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania, they systematically go through the cars and drivers who are leading the conversation, who are potentially falling behind, and lastly, those that can spoil the party for the front runners.    There's plenty of depth and insight here as the pair looks back over the season to observe trends, find out what lessons racers learned, and how those can be applied in this final dash for glory at the end of the season. Sit down, settle in, and prepare yourself for the Pep Boys Nationals. These guys will get you up to speed quicker than a top fuel dragster!

On this post US Nationals NHRA Insider podcast, Brian Lohnes speaks with Top Fuel Winner Antron Brown and Erica Enders who enters the Countdown To The Championship third in the pro stock points. Lohnes gives a post-race monologue and then dives right into the conversations with two multi-time champions.   For Antron Brown, Indy was a study in perseverance. Qualifying, which was hard scrabble for the team led them to a 15th spot on race day and they ran with it, defeating some of the sport's hottest talent to win a second straight US Nationals. He gives the inside scoop on this race and his championship hopes for the remaining races.    Erica Enders was fired up at the US Nationals. The five-time Pro Stock world champion had high emotions during top-end interviews and over the course of a long race, shared her honest feelings on the air. The conversation here ranges from the early season struggles her team had to starting the Countdown third, just 32 points out of first. The pair talk about her history in the

The NHRA Insider LIVE! is back! Hosts Brian Lohnes and Tony Pedregon will lay out the 2023 Dodge Power Brokers US Nationals as they have unfolded so far and welcome guests Antron Brown, Angelle Sampey, and the legendary Don “The Snake” Prudhomme.  The show will be live from Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and feature an audience inside the track’s Top Eliminator Club.  From early qualifying, the Pep Boys All-Star Funny Car Call Out, and more, these guys will cover a lot of ground and get you inside the world’s greatest drag race! Watch on Facebook, YouTube, and NHRA.tv LIVE!

This week's NHRA Insider is a relatively quick one as host Brian Lohnes goes monologue style, looking forward to the 2023 Dodge Power Brokers NHRA US Nationals which are set to kick off in the coming days. As there is a planned NHRA Insider LIVE coming on Saturday at Indy, consider this a warm-up act for the event and what listeners can expect to see during the week.    Lohnes shares some of the major storylines coming into the race, from the new programs that have been announced, racers jumping in different classes, the debut of Factory X, driver development programs, and more; this show is 100% an appetizer before the main course hits the table. Remember to keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming NHRA Insider LIVE on Saturday from the US Nationals.    Jump in, listen up, and get yourself primed for a week of drag racing unlike anything else that this planet has to offer! This is US Nationals Week!

On this episode, Antron Brown's Crew Chief Brian Corradi, pro mod's Jason Lee and Eric Gustafson all join host Brian Lohnes for a conversation about how they set about winning their respective categories at Brainerd, Minnesota. The weekend was a challenge for everyone and there were some interesting bumps in the road for each team to endure and overcome. They talk about 'em all here.    Corradi joins the conversation at the helm of a very hot top fuel team. Maturing through the season, the AB Motorsports group has peaked at the seeming right time. Like last year, a late regular season win places them in perfect position for the Dodge Power Brokers US Nationals and potential Countdown Success. This is a great discussion about the approach his team has, how they operate, and what it will take to earn another championship.   Jason Lee won FuelTech Pro Mod at Brainerd and his car owner and fellow driver Eric Gustafson joins the chat about the weekend, the state of the pro mod class, rules parity, how hard the mac

For the first time ever, the NHRA Insider podcast hits the road! The pits of Brainerd International Raceway will serve as the backdrop for host Brian Lohnes, co-host Tony Pedregon and guests Erica Enders and Justin Ashley. Dealing the same deep cuts, hot takes, and snappy opinions NHRA Insider fans have gotten for the last three years, Lohnes and Pedregon will chat with the racers, get you up to speed on this second to last race of the regular season, and bring you deep inside the NHRA world like only they can.    There's breaking news in Pro Stock, exciting moves being made in the nitro classes, and some late season drama on tap that only Brainerd can bring. 

On this quick turnaround episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast, host Brian Lohnes is joined by Tony Pedregon to talk about the pure madness of the Topeka weekend and what can be expected out of the teams competing at the Lucas Oil Nationals this weekend.    The two delve into the results of Topeka and talk about the rise of Erica Enders in the points and in her personal performance, how the Justin Ashley team looks eerily similar to Steve Torrence in his prime, and why Bob Tasca's 3.885 final round blast in funny car may be one of the greatest runs of the year.    There's lots of talk about how people are approaching this near end of the regular season, the language used by struggling teams who perhaps claim to be "testing", and lastly how true championship contenders are going to rapidly accelerate away from the pretenders at this time of the year.    A spicy chat about the current competition! 

In this bonus edition of the NHRA Insider, host Brian Lohnes talks with Ron Capps on the day before he is set to compete in the SRX stock car series on the dirt of Eldora Speedway in Ohio. This is a huge moment not only for Capps but for the NHRA community as he will become the first representative to appear in a series where NASCAR, IndyCar, WorldofOutlaws, and other racers mix it up.   Capps talks about the nerves, his dirt racing experience, his goals for the event, and how he plans on approaching a field of racers who have spent their lives turning left and right. As you'll find out, Capps is confident but not cocky and plans on absorbing as much knowledge as he possibly can before leading the field into turn one, heat one, live on TV.    A fun chat with the NHRA Funny Car champ!

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast Tony Pedregon and Jim Epler join host Brian Lohnes to talk about the upcoming Menard's NHRA Nationals presented by Pet Armor. Lohnes and Pedregon put a fine point on the western swing and break down, by class, where people are coming into this home stretch of the regular season, culminating at the Dodge Power Brokers US Nationals.    The discussion on the western swing centers not just on the races and teams themselves but on the true look we got at their individual performances over the three week stretch. Did some teams show themselves in championship form already? Can they carry it through for nine races? Did some teams seem to have a break of some kind? It's all open for discussion and boy do they have at it.    Jim Epler joins the show as the second guest. The man who broke the 300mph barrier for funny cars at Topeka and who is now an executive with Phillips Connect shares his memories, his passion for drag racing, and what it means to return to the scene of an

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast host Brian Lohnes is joined by Jon Oberhofer and Todd Smith, the winning funny car crew chiefs from the Denso Sonoma Nationals as well as rookie Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Chase Van Sant.   In the case of Oberhofer and Smith, the conversation centers around the long and systematic rebuilding process of their tune-up and race car after the disaster weekend they had in Pomona with a crash followed by a horrible explosion. It is a fascinating thing to hear about their approach, the arduous work, and ultimately when the results began to come to them. On top of that, the pair talk about the workings of their team, personnel, their approach on race days, and the challenges of Sonoma 2023 with odd weather, a massive oil down, a right lane no one wanted, and what it was like to deliver Kalitta Motorsports a win, their first in a long while.    Chase Van Sant is one of the young riders in Pro Stock Motorcycle forging his name into the ranks of many established players. Van S

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Seattle Top Fuel winner Steve Torrence and Funny Car runner up JR Todd join host Brian Lohnes to talk about the race, the Western Swing, and all the fun that comes with the intense competition of professional drag racing.    JR Todd is on the show first and he talks about how his DHL team has managed to make three semi-finals and a final round over the course of the last five races. This forward march has changed the team's fortunes after they hit a lull following a disastrous Winternationals. With Sonoma looming this weekend, a race they have won before, the team may be poised for that big breakout weekend we have all been waiting to see. Todd talks about the whole Kalittla organization seemingly gaining steam at the same time.    Steve Torrence, fresh off his Seattle win talks about a multitude of topics including the Mission 2Fast2Tasty Challenge, which he won, the difficulty of eliminations, and the whole attitude and perseverance of his CAPCO Contractors team. Torrence

On this monologue-style episode of the NHRA Insider podcast, host Brian Lohnes takes you through all the news and storylines from Denver and looks forward to this weekend's Northwest Nationals at historic Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington.    The last Mile High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway will be marked by three things. A weekend sellout, seemingly impossible track records, and dramatic victories across the Camping World Drag Racing Series classes. There were moments of sheer frustration, of amazing success, and of shocking upsets. The inside story? Lohnes is here to bring you that.    The second half of the show is relating what we saw last weekend to what we may see this weekend in Washington State. There's plenty to wonder about, like whether Gaige Herrera can sweep the swing, whether the success of Clay Millican follows him back to sea level, and whether Matt Hagan is busting out to make a run for his fourth title.    All that and more on this episode!

On this episode of the NHRA Insider, the discussion turns to the lingering effects of Norwalk and the upcoming Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver. The race will be a big one as it will be a national event send-off for the venerable Bandimere Speedway, and it will, as it always does, provide the ultimate test of racer and machine with its substantial physical altitude that's always pumped up with summer temperatures and sunshine. This podcast ranges from an analysis of the wins of Blake Alexander and Matt Hartford to a class-by-class breakdown of what fans and followers of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series may see happen on the mountain in Morrison, Colo. There's insider information from behind the scenes of every class, some hot takes, and at this point in the season, a look at which teams really need to get a handle on a precarious situation as the year winds ever closer to the NHRA U.S. Nationals and the Countdown to the Championship points reset.

On this episode of the NHRA Insider, Blake Alexander, Lauren Freer, and Brittany Force join host Brian Lohnes to talk about awesome success at Norwalk, making history as an NHRA drag racer, and the potential to win the first-ever Driver of the Year ESPY for an NHRA competitor.    Two-time NHRA Top Fuel winner Blake Alexander had a manic weekend in Ohio. Abject disappointment on Friday night gave way to perhaps the most satisfying and emotionally charged victory of his career on Sunday afternoon. It was his first win since 2018 and Jim Head's first since 1997 when he was a driver himself. The road to this win was very long and hard, and Blake tells the story.    Lauren Freer became the 30th person in NHRA history and the first woman to ever win two classes at the same national event. Her career arc has taken her from Junior Dragster into the deepest end of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series talent pool. Her victory was spread over two days, one a very long Saturday and the second a very short Sunday. The behind-

Tony Pedregon and Todd Veney join host Brian Lohnes for this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast. The three guys talk about many of the interesting elements that Bristol brought to the table and how the results there may have an influence on what happens in Ohio. From Gaige Herrera turning on a red light in the final against Steve Johnson to Erica Enders hole-shotting herself to a win over the pro stock field, it was a weekend that just didn't quit.    In the nitro categories the guys discuss Ron Capps' victory as well as his legacy as a racer, how many wins he has left in him, and why we should never lose sight of him and a championship. The go into depth on Chad Green's success in 2023, why it has stood up, and what the future holds for that team. Lastly the top fuel discussion centers around Justin Ashley and the command performance he and his team managed to complete in Tennessee. Sweeping the whole race, placing themselves in a huge points position, and making themselves the undisputed championship favor

It's a crew chief-heavy episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast this week. Bristol-winning crew chiefs Mike Green, Tommy DeLago, and Dean Antonelli join host Brian Lohnes to talk about the ins and outs of succeeding at Thunder Valley, the unique pressures of two races in one weekend, and the systematic approach that they took to earn their respective victories.    Mike Green and Tommy DeLago had a dream weekend, sweeping every available contest in Bristol. They won the rain-delayed New England Nationals and the Thunder Valley Nationals while also capturing the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. It was an amazing effort and one that has some truly cool backstories that they share.    Dean Antonelli and the entire Ron Capps Motorsports team had to rebound from a first-round loss in the New England Nationals to race again on Sunday for the Thunder Valley Nationals crown which they got. Antonelli talks about how they altered their clutch program, hung together as a group, and worked hard on a challenging Sunday to

On this short and sweet episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast, host Brian Lohnes delivers a monologue on the race that never was, the New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire. The event was a testament to the heartiness of the New England region fans who battle searing temperatures on Friday and then rainy, frigid temperatures for the rest of the weekend, all the way until nothing more could be done on Monday afternoon.    Lohnes talks about the event, the people, and the implications of what's coming in Bristol this weekend. An insanely short turn for the teams, the people of the NHRA, and a Tennessee weekend that will be absolutely packed to the gills with qualifying and racing action from end to end.    Learn how the NHRA will pull off effectively two national events over the course of three days this week, where and when you can watch, and why you should be buying a ticket to see a colossus of a race happen at Bristol Dragway. There will be PLENTY to talk about after this one!