Nhra Insider Podcast

On this three-wide episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster dropped on Charlott Four-Wide Nationals week, host Brian Lohnes is joined by Tony Pedregon, Kevin McKennna, and Matt Hagan.    Pedregon and McKenna join first to look back on an epic Pomona race day and then look forward at the names and news makers that will be attacking this four wide format at Charlotte for the only time this season. The discussion ranges from paid drivers looking like professionals, the return of Pro Stock Motorcycles, another potential KB runway Pro Stock season, and more.    Matt Hagan joins the show next for a rollicking conversation that looks over not only his Pomona win, but the strength of his established team that is already in a championship form. Hagan covers lots of ground here, has interesting takes, and delivers on his larger-than-life personality.    A big show leading into a big two race stretch for the NHRA! 

On this episode of the NHRA Insider powered by Speedmaster Pomona winners Greg Anderson and Mike Green join host Brian Lohnes to talk about their weekends, their early seasons, and a whole lot more.    The Lucas Oil Winternationals were historic in its denotation of the 1,000th Funny Car race, challenging in its weather and track conditions, and ultimately epic in its ending. Both of these guys were able to navigate all of it in their respective roles. Anderson as a driver and tuner, Green as the Crew Chief for Tony Stewart in Top Fuel. Both guys break down the weekend, the season, and their awesome respective stories that saw them to the winner's circle in Pomona.  

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster Kevin McKenna and Tony Pedregon join the show to talk about the lessons learned over the first two races and how the game will totally change in Pomona.   With temperatures expected to be more than 40 degrees cooler than Phoenix, this will be the fastest, highest performing race of the early 2026 season so far. In this episode of NHRA Insiders, the guys break down who is in the best position to take advantage of the horsepower that will be available. The panel talks about the early season surprises for some teams and those that need to really establish themselves at the Lucas Oil Winternationals.    Everyone has been chomping at the bit for this race, and by the time you are done listening to this show, you'll have your own predictions to make regarding who's favored to win and just how quick everyone will have to go.   Hot takes and great insight from the crew abound. 

On this jam packed episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, three big guests join host Brian Lohnes to talk all things NHRA.   First up is Richard Freeman. Richard talks all about the new Elite Top Fuel Team, their early success, the evolution of the program, and how it will grow in the future. He also talks about major transformative changes to Pro Stock in 2027 with a new look, new rules, and more.    Chase Van Sant is the second guest. Chase talks about his outlook for 2026, the work his team has done to get faster, the increase in participation by Trick Tools, and how it is all coming together to make a more competitive campaign this year.    Finally, National Dragster Editorial Director Phil Burgess joins to talk about the early stories of 2026, the 75th NHRA season, 55 years of rear engine Top Fuel winners, the major stories for the Lucas OIl Winternationals, and a whole lot more.    This is a banger of a show!

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, winning Funny Car Crew Chief Dean "Guido" Antonelli and runner-up Top Fuel Crew Chief Neal Strausbaugh talk about navigating the heat of Phoenix and collecting win lights along the way. The show opens with an in-depth race monologue by host Brian Lohnes.   Antonelli's path to the winner's circle was tumultuous, having a solid running car explode during a second-round victory which kicked off an amazing thrash to get it prepared for the semi-finals. Their recovery, performance, and precision in that round propelled them to a final round success for the ages. Get the inside story of this incredible win from the man who led the effort.    Neal Strausbaugh weaved his Top Fuel tune up to a near victory at the Arizona Nationals. Get his perspective on the event, the track, the challenges, and how the TSR and Elite Top Fuel teams are working with and learning from each other in 2026.    The inside stories of the hottest race in years on this episode

On this episode of the NHRA Insider powered by Speedmaster, Matt Hartford joins the show to talk about his hard-fought Pro Stock victory in Gainesville, Tony Pedregon and Kevin McKenna join to recap the Gatornationals, and a whole lot more.    Pedregon and McKenna open the show with a freewheeling discussion about all the big stories that came out of the Gators both on and off the track. The dramatic wins, the dramatic DNQs, the energized crowd, and what it all seems to mean for the season to come. The guys talk about how teams will deal with the challenging conditions of a red-hot Phoenix weekend on the horizon and many other topics. A truly rollicking chat.    Matt Hartford's win at the Gators was a long time coming. After making four final rounds in the 2025 season and winning none of them, he won the first final he appeared in to start 2026. Matt talks about the team's approach, their strategy, and how sometimes letting it all hang out is the best way to do business in Pro Stock. Hartford is candid, inter

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, Joe Serena and Rob Flynn join host Brian Lohnes to talk about their experiences at the Amalie Oil Gatornationals. Serena and Dean Marinis tuned Chad Green to a second straight win in Gainesville and Rob Flynn oversaw the semi-final finish of Maddi Gordon much to the delight of the crowd.    The conversation with Serena is enlightening and interesting, a window into what goes into the building, training, and drilling of a new team to start a new season. He talks about the decisions and execution that carried the team to victory, his own growth in drag racing, and more. A fascinating chat.    Rob Flynn is the crew chief for the Carlyle Tools Top Fuel Dragster with additional support from Monster Energy. Flynn talks about how Gordon has come a long way in a short time in a Top Fuel car, how he has approached this season with a new driver and how that approach changed with her skillset, and his front row seat to Maddi Mania which exploded onto th

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, Kevin McKenna of National Dragster and Tony Pedregon of the NHRAonFOX join host Brian Lohnes to talk all things Gatornationals and beyond in 2026.    This conversation covers a wide array of subjects, people, rumors, speculation, and more leading into the first race of the 2026 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series schedule.    The personnel, driver, equipment, and sponsor changes we'll see are gone over, broken down, and evaluated.  The variables that no one can predict are approached, and beyond that, the guys all lend their considerable insights into what will be a Gatornationals unlike any we have seen in many, many years.    Race one of 2026 promises to be a contest for the ages, attended by legends that span the history of the NHRA. Let this episode get you fired up for it!

On this high-speed episode of the NHRA Insider podcast powered by Speedmaster, Shawn Langdon talks about his historic week of testing at Gainesville Raceway and Jordan Vandergriff talks about a breakout rookie week earning his stripes as a Funny Car driver. For Langdon, Gainesville was not a test session but a continuation of a global drag racing journey he'd been on since November. Langdon ran 3.621, which is the unofficial quickest of all time, and then the next day went 345.62, the unofficial fastest of all time. He breaks down these runs, his globe-trotting odyssey, and more in this insightful interview. Vandergriff has massive shoes to fill at John Force Racing. He knows it, the world knows it. He had an amazing week, gaining a Funny Car license, running 3.80s, and putting the world on notice that he can do the job. Vandergriff tells all about his new status as a Funny Car driver, his new crew chiefs, and his new crew in this chat. This and some more testing and cool news on the show!

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast Powered by Speedmaster, NHRA Pro Mod legend Von Smith and the March Meet's Blake Bowser join host Brian Lohnes to tell stories, recount history, and explore all that's coming at the 2026 March Meet at historic Famoso Drag Strip in Bakersfield. 2010 NHRA Pro Mod champion Von Smith is the first guest on the show and he talks about his incredible career, transitioning from Funny Car to Pro Mod, winning championships, being among the first to race internationally more than a decade ago, and the kind of inside racer stories we love. Learn about the health battles he overcame, his memorable 2010 season title, and how the world of five second 250mph door slammer racing has evolved and how he himself helped evolve it.  Blake Bowser is the second guest on the show. A man with multiple generations of history at Famoso Drag Strip, he now oversees the operation of the famed Good Vibrations March Meet and the California Hot Rod Reunion. Get the inside scoop on what's happen

On this episode of the NHRA Insider powered by Speedmaster, Josh Hart and Mike Knudsen join host Brian Lohnes to talk about the off-season, preparing for 2026, what they are looking forward to, and how this next season will show off the evolution of their respective careers.    Josh Hart goes into depth about his experience so far at John Force Racing, his new sponsorship with Speedmaster, and how the team is working to craft the most precisely tailored Top Fuel dragster he has ever piloted. He talks about the shift in pressure from being an owner/driver to a dedicated driver, what David Grubnic and John Collins are doing and how fired up he is for Gainesville.    Mike Knudsen heads into the 2026 season with something virtually no other Funny Car Crew Chief has, the same team. The growth they showed in 2025 along with the stability they bring into 2026 means that the car which finished second last season is expected to challenge for a title once again. Mike talks approach, new tracks, how the tuners will navi

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster Maddi Gordon joins host Brian Lohnes to talk about the final preparations for her Top Fuel debut in 2026, moving into the role of being a professional full-time driver, her goals for this career evolution, and a whole lot more.    Add into that the huge Prock family news, massive facility upgrades being made across the sport, especially at Bristol Dragway, and a whole lot more and you have a quick and quick moving episode of the Insider.     Maddi's move to the Top Fuel world has been very public in its announcements and gradual forward moving steps but now the time has come to truly  prepare for the season. Lean about outlook, process, and all the behind the scenes work happening in the Ron Capps Motorsports race shop. It's a great conversation with Top Fuel's newest driver.  

On this super-sized, three-guest episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast Powered by Speedmaster, National Dragster's Kevin McKenna, Bluebird Turf Top Fuel driver Will Smith, and Funny Car stalwart Buddy Hull join the show to talk 2026 in all forms and fashions.    McKenna and host Brian Lohnes dive into a range of 2026 season topics, break down some of the recent news, speculate on some of the happenings still in the wings, and explore the radical door slammer fun to come in both Congruity HR Pro Mod and the new Right Trailers Outlaw Street series presented by Xpel. A great chat with lots of insight.    Smith is living a dream. Recently named the driver of the new addition to the Scag Power Equipment factory team, he will be competing full time in Top  Fuel. Smith shares his story, his outlook, and his awesome persona here. A real-deal drag racer speaks from the heart.    Hull made big news a few weeks back, announcing that he would be fielding his own Funny Car operation in 2026. Get the inside scoop on who is t

On this 2026 kick off episode of the NHRA Insider powered by Speedmaster, Phil Burgess, Editorial Director for the NHRA and NHRAonFox's Tony Pedregon come on to talk about the off-season craziness, rumors, a new mystery dragster on the way to Top Fuel, 75th Anniversary content and celebrations, and more with Brian Lohnes.   In the first half of the show Pedregon and Lohnes dive into the wildness of the off-season, the personnel changes, who won, who lost, and who is in a better position than they were last year. They talk about the off season work, the importance of adapting to new tracks, and how some new crew chief pairings are perhaps a little strange but potentially great.    International Drag Racing Hall of Fame member and NHRA Editorial Director Phil Burgess joins the show as the second guest. He and Lohnes visit some of the same off season content and then they dive into the incredible array of 75th Anniversary content Phil and his people have been working on and are releasing.    This season is going

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, host Brian Lohnes is joined by Jordan Vandergriff who was revealed to be the new driver of the Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet for the 2026 season at John Force Racing.    Vandergriff talks about gaining the shot, the challenges ahead, how he is preparing, and the natural rivalry he'll share with Austin Prock when the season dawns at Gainesville. The conversation is open, honest, and full of the kind of insights only a professional driver on the doorstep of living a dream can share.    Lohnes talks PRI, the recent announcement of a new NHRA National event at US 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan, breaking news and more. This one's got something for everyone. 

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, Tony Pedregon joins Brian Lohnes to talk about the chaos of crew chiefs in the NHRA nitro ranks right now, fresh news about a Top Fuel team, landing places for the experienced leaders currently standing as free agents, and a whole lot more.    Why did this happen, how did this happen, and how all these moves will reshape the nitro landscape in 2026. This is an interesting episode that takes you to ground zero where all the news is radiating out of and helps to perhaps sort some of the craziness out.

On this in-depth episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, Richard Gadson and Dallas Glenn join host Brian Lohnes to talk about their first championships in the world of NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing. The two hardcore racers take you deep into their championship seasons, talk about behind the scenes moments you've never heard them talk about, analyze their approaches, their successes, failures, and the moments that brought them the sport's ultimate glory.    For Richard Gadson, it was a season of intense conversations, learning, and ultimately self-realization that he was not only capable of winning a title but deserving of it as well. Gadson takes us into an intense meeting with Terry Vance after a loss in Chicago that changed his mentality and ultimately set him on a path to the pages of drag racing history forever.  His breakdown of the semi-final in Las Vegas against Gaige Herrera, his discussion of the team dynamic when Brayden Davis came on for the Countdown, and more are revelatory. 

This is the show you wanted and so it's the show you're going to get. On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, Kevin McKenna joins Brian Lohnes for a comprehensive dive into one of the biggest NHRA stories in years; the departure of the Prock family from John Force Racing. They look at it from all sides, squash some rumors, examine others, consider the future for all involved and a whole lot more.    A story of this size will have ripple effects for months and maybe longer so that keeps the conversation interesting and engaging. Where are they going? Why are they going there? Who will fill the Prock seat? Who will tune the car? This and so, so much more are discussed and pondered.    There's more than just the Prock story as well. Loads of other hirings, firings, and 2026 moves are either revealed or hinted at. Every second of this one is worth the listen. 

On this monologue episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, Brian Lohnes takes you through his manic experience at the In-N-Out Burger Finals in Pomona.  From a breakdown of the weekend as only an Insider can to the logistics and thought process behind how the race was ended and why, this is a must listen for any fan looking for the real story from a guy who was there.    Lohnes also systematically breaks down why the race was cancelled and not moved or rescheduled with insight that goes far deeper than what has been reported. There's some breaking crew chief news, some team speculation, a breakdown of the champions, awards night, and more.    This is an interesting, candid, and insightful breakdown of a weekend that will forever live in the  lore of NHRA drag racing for reasons both awesome and crummy.  

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, Tony Pedregon joins host Brian Lohnes to talk all about the events of the last couple of weeks in the world of NHRA drag racing, big news, and the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals.    Lohnes kicks off the show with a monologue getting you up to speed on all the different sportsman and professional championship scenarios, recaps some of the big news from the SEMA show, and more. Tony Pedregon joins to talk about the implications of Las Vegas, who was a mover and who was not as well as how that race will impact the scenarios at Pomona.    The guys break down all four classes and the title races, talk about some of the rumors floating about, and give their takes on the potential champions, how they'll win, and why.    All this and more on the NHRA Insider, Pomona Finals edition!