Últimas noticias

Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea Denofa tandem at the Hyperfest event at VIR

Gittin Jr. and Denofa are both veterans of the HyperFest experience. Gittin Jr. has attended every Hyperfest event since 2003, while this year was a return to the event for Denofa who missed the past few seasons but attended many times when the event was held at Summit Point International Raceway. “If any place is the epitome of automotive culture, this is it. Hyperfest is a relaxed event full of fun-seekers like me. There are so many activities to choose from, and it’s great to see everyone bringing their rides out and just enjoying the culture,” said Gittin Jr.

Chelsea Denofa leads a drift train which includes Vaughn Gittin Jr at Hyperfest

Vaughn Gittin Jr. gave several ridealongs to spectators at VIR during Hyperfest

Chelsea Denofa drifts in front of the crowd during Hyperfest event at VIR

The Autozone Ford Mustang RTR drift car burned several sets of tires at Hyperfest

Nicky Hayden was once a K&N-sponsored flat track racer

Nicky was bicycling in Rimini, Italy, when he was in a collision with a car. He was 35.

Nicky, “The Kentucky Kid,” was one of greatest modern American motorcycle racers. He was the last American to win the MotoGP World Championship (2006), which is the pinnacle of motorcycle road racing. More recently, Nicky was competing for Honda on the World Superbike circuit.

The outpouring of sympathy from the motorcycling world has had a common theme. Everyone from fellow racing champions like Valentino Rossi, to the fans who interacted with Nicky in the paddock have echoed that he was a genuine and kind individual, as well as an amazing ambassador to the sport he loved.

Hayden was one of the most decorated American motorcycle racers (Photo: Red Bull Honda)

“Nicky my brother, our story wasn’t suppose to end like this. You were world champ for a reason. I’ve never met someone with the desire for racing bikes like you.

“I remember growing up we shared a room and you studying notes you took from the previous race and we were 12-13 years old, I’ll never forget the Monday morning after you won the World Championship, you woke me up to go running. That’s what separated you from the rest and made you a legend. I could go on.

“You made everyone here better, cause when you wasn’t here, we were riding or cycling to close the gap for when we road with you again,. You pushed me to my best, but more importantly I’ll remember what kind of brother you were. You were legend of a racer and a brother.

The touching photo that Roger Hayden mentioned in his tribute to his brother

“Don’t worry I got the nieces handled. No boyfriends till they’re in college and I’ll teach the nephews what it takes to be a champion in whatever they decide.

“This picture is special to me, because after some bad luck and it looked like your world title was over, I grabbed you like this and told you it was still your year, and that was the first thing you did to me when I saw you at the podium. Tell me it back.

“Even during this incredibly difficult time I still have my faith, I believe if god will bring you to it, he will bring you through it. Till we ride again I love you.”

Antron Brown (left), Ron Capps (center), and Tanner Gray celebrate their victories in Topeka

Capps defeated his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan in the final round with a 3.924-second pass at 321.42 mph. Hagan was the No. 1 qualifier in Funny Car at Topeka. Capps is the first driver since Robert Hight in 2012 to win four NHRA Funny Car events in a row.

“I’m just the luckiest dude in the world,” Capps said after the races on Sunday. “I had nothing to do with it I just stepped on the gas at the right time and held the car together in the right lane. We’ve won a championship for a reason and we’ve won four in a row together for a reason. Everyone just gels together.”

Capps won events at Royal Purple Raceway in Texas, Max Dragway in North Carolina, and Atlanta Dragway in Georgia before winning at Topeka. Capps, the reigning NHRA Funny Car champion, knocked out Cruz Pedregon, Courtney Force, and Hight before facing Hagan in the final. Hagan set a national record with a 3.802-second pass at 338.85 mph in qualifying on Saturday. He eliminated Jack Wyatt, J.R. Todd, and Jack Beckman before losing to Capps in the final.

Capps increased his lead in the NHRA Funny Car standings over Hagan to 119 points after eight events.

Tanner Gray getting his tires hot and sticky on his way to the W at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas

“The competition has been so tight that you have to run these cars on edge every lap,” said Brown, who won the 63rd event of his NHRA career. “We kept our head down and stayed poised. We went out there and raced our hearts out. It feels really good to win here at Topeka. I’ve been wanting to win here for so long.”

Brown knocked out Kebin Kinsley, Shawn Langdon, and Leah Pritchett in the elimination rounds before facing Torrence in the final. Torrence beat Mike Salinas, Brittany Force, and Clay Millican in the elimination rounds. Brittany Force set the national speed record at 333.96 mph in eliminations. Torrence went to the final round for the fourth time this season.

Pritchett leads the NHRA Top Fuel standings after eight events. She has a 30-point lead over Torrence. Brown is third in the NHRA Top Fuel standings, 41 points behind Pritchett.

Rookie Tanner Gray won the NHRA Pro Stock title at Topeka. He beat Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the final round. Gray won his second event of the season. Coughlin lost when he red lit on the start in the final race.

Leah Pritchett (far lane) battles Tony Schumacher at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas

Bo Butner, who was the top qualifier and lost to Gray in the semifinals, leads the NHRA Pro Stock standings by 24 point over Greg Anderson. Gray is third, 60 points behind Butner.

The next race in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season is the fifth annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway.

Chris Eggleston celebrates after winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Orange Show Speedway

Eggleston won the pole and his second K&N Pro Series West race of the season in the Sunrise Ford 150 presented by Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse. He won the K&N Pro Series West season opener in Tucson. He also won the K&N Pro Series West race at The Orange Show Speedway in 2016.

“I felt like tires played more of a factor than last year,” Eggleston said. “Todd was really good on the short runs. Our car was really good on the long runs.”

Eggleston led the first seven laps of the race. Michael Self passed Eggleston for the lead to two laps before rookie Derek Kraus, Eggleston’s teammate at Bill McAnally Racing, moved out front for 11 laps. Gilliland moved out front on lap 21 and held the lead for 41 laps before Eggleston finally regained the lead.

Chris Eggleston led the final 22 laps of the K&N Pro Series West race at Orange Show Speedway

Eggleston, Gilliland and Self battled for the lead on the quarter-mile track until lap 128. Eggleston took the lead from rookie Sheldon Creed and held it for the last 22 laps.

“We were able to battle back really hard,” Eggleston said. “We got the lead back and were able to fight and hold onto the position after that.”

Creed held on for second place in his first K&N Pro Series West start. Todd Souza was third. Gilliland, the leader in the K&N Pro Series West standings and the reigning K&N Pro Series West champion, was sixth, the last driver on the lead lap. He was collected in a crash on lap 121 and recovered to finish in the top 10.

Chris Eggleston won the pole and the K&N Pro Series West race at Orange Show Speedway

Eggleston, the 2015 K&N Pro Series West champion, cut Gilliland's lead in the standings to 11 points after six races. Kraus is third in the standings with 56 points behind Gilliland.

The next K&N Pro Series West race is at Colorado National Speedway.

Matt Coffman qualified 16th at Road Atlanta with a score of 80 points

Coming off of a disappointing Orlando round where the team was unable to run their Top 32 battle due to damage from practice, several repairs were made between rounds to ensure the car was 100% for the weekend. After a shakedown run in practice, the new power steering rack was showing signs of weakness under the strain of competition driving and was replaced. The rest of the weekend resulted in no other mechanical issues, a testament to the preparation and hard work of the entire Coffman Racing team.

Matt Coffman currently sits 14th in the Formula Drift Championship standings, a career best standing

Matt Coffman was introduced in front of the packed Road Atlanta crowd

Matt Coffman was eliminated by top qualifier Vaughn Gittin Jr. in the Top 16