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Drew Skillman Wins NHRA Pro Stock Class at Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Bandimere

Jul 28, 2017

NHRA Pro Stock driver Drew Skillman holding up his trophy at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago, Illinois

Drew Skillman enjoys the spoils of his win during the Route 66 Nationals, two weeks before Bandimere

There was a time when the thought of an NHRA Pro Stock driver winning back-to-back races seemed impossible. Nine different NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series drivers have won races this season in the Pro Stock division. No one has won back-to-back races. Until now.

Drew Skillman won the NHRA Pro Stock event at the 38th annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Colorado, the first of the Western Swing that includes races in Sonoma, California and Seattle, Washington. “Right now we’re the king of the hill,” Skillman said after the races. “We still have Sonoma left, then Seattle. I feel confident going into it.”

Skillman won the Pro Stock event at Route 66 Raceway in Illinois and has five career NHRA wins in the Pro Stock division. When asked if he thought it was impossible to win two races in a row, let alone sweep the Western Swing, Skillman said, “I don’t think it’s impossible at all.” “I definitely think we have the momentum,” he said. “Momentum is huge in this sport. When everyone feels positive, when everyone knows they’re going to kick ass you move forward like you’re going to. We just got to be aggressive right out of the trailer. As long as we do that, we’re here. We can win.”

Robert Hights drove his AAA funny car to a win at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Bandimere

Skillman said the big difference in his team is attitude. The team has the equipment and the crew to succeed. They finally pulled it together in recent weeks. “Attitude in the camp,” Skillman said. “When you get up and your start doing well, it helps everybody around you. We’ve always had the same talent, had the same pieces, we’ve had the same horsepower. We’re finally just utilizing it all in the same way.” Skillman is in seventh place in the NHRA Pro Stock standings. Bo Butner, who Skillman beat in the final round at Bandimere, leads the Pro Stock standings.

Robert Hight had to battle illness on his way to winning his first event of the year. Hight won the NHRA Funny Car event, ending a 34-race race winless streak and giving him at least one win in his 13 seasons in the NHRA Drag Racing Series. “I don’t know if I ate something bad this morning or last night,” Hight said after the races. “I’ve been sick all day. Couldn’t keep anything down. This isn’t the place you want to have that happen up here on the mountain.”

Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Eddie Krawiec too home a Wally for his effort at Bandimere Speedway

On top of feeling sick, Hight’s car had some hiccups. He said luck played a big role in winning at Bandimere. “In the second round and semis, kept dropping cylinders,” Hight said. “We’re lucky to get those wins. It really makes me proud to see our other teams coming in and helping (crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) all working together to get this car in the winner's circle.”

Hight, who won his last event in 2016 at Gainesville, beat Tommy Johnson Jr. in the final at Bandimere. It was the 38th NHRA event win of his career. “You try to block that out, you try to put it behind you and not even think about it,” Hight said, when asked about ending his winless streak. “The TV, the media, they continuously remind you of it, It starts wearing on you a little bit. And you see the other guys winning. What’s really frustrating is our performance is there. We run really good. We qualify well, We just haven’t raced well on Sunday. And haven’t had any luck. Today we got some luck. We needed it.”

Eddie Krawiec won the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle event. It was his second win of the season and the 38th of his career. “This is my favorite track,” Krawiec said. “I love coming to Bandimere. The reason why is there is something special about Denver. I don’t know what it is, it’s the scenery, everything, it’s just such a cool place to come.” Krawiec is second in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle standings. LE Tonglet leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings. He was eliminated in the quarterfinals at Bandimere.

Along with Skillman, Krawiek, Hights, and Brown all took home a coveted Wally from Bandimere

Antron Brown won the Top Fuel class. It was his third career NHRA Top Fuel win at Bandimere. He won the race at Bandimere in 2009, the same year he completed the Western Swing sweep. It was also his third win of the season. He won the events at Las Vegas and Topeka, Kansas. But his win at Bandimere was far from easy. His crew continually made repairs on his car throughout the weekend and during the elimination rounds. “We were patching up every round,” Brown said. “Something was going wrong every time. Changed two different blocks. Didn’t really tear them up. The guys did incredible all day. Had the canopy off, had the whole body off. Fixing this, doing that, doing that.” Brown passed Leah Pritchett for second place in the NHRA Top Fuel standings. He beat Pritchett in the final round at Bandimere. Steve Torrance leads the Top Fuel standings.

The next NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event is the Toyota Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway in California.

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Matt Coffman Rises to Top-10 Standings in Formula D Through Persistence

Jul 28, 2017

Formula Drift driver Matt Coffman in Montreal, Canada Photo by 9NINE2

Matt Coffman greets the crowd as his name is announced during Opening Ceremonies in Montreal

The Matt Coffman Racing Nissan S13 is one of the oldest chassis on the Formula Drift grid. Coffman, a tall lanky figure with flowing blonde hair, wears a smile as his name is called in front of the Formula Drift Montreal crowd for Top 16 driver introductions. Hearing his name called in front of the capacity crowd in Montreal for the fourth time this season and the eighth time this year was an amazing feeling. Coffman knew that his hard work and dedication over the past five years of drifting is finally culminating in consistent results and the current Top 10 standings in the championship. For a kid growing up in a small town in Oregon, being competitive with the world’s best on a stage like this is something he could have never imagined.

Formula Drift driver Matt Coffman drifting his Nissan S13 in Montreal, Canada Photo by 9NINE2

Matt Coffman qualified 15th at Formula Drift Montreal, and currently sits in 9th overall

Coffman purchased a Nissan S13 back in 2011 and started drifting it at a regional drifting series in Southern Oregon soon after. The following year, Coffman began competing in the Thunderdrift ProAm series based out of Northern California where he honed his tandem skills. In 2013, Coffman competed all over the West Coast, competing in series in Washington, Northern California, and Southern California. Coffman earned his Formula Drift Pro license via his placing in the Golden Gate Drift series, but also found success in select events in both the Evergreen Drift and Top Drift series as well. Coffman’s 2013 ProAm car was a Nissan S13 with an LS7 engine, but a brand new chassis was sourced and built prior to his 2014 Formula Drift Pro debut.

The Coffman Racing Nissan S13 that was debuted back in 2014 is still the same chassis he uses today. Coffman struggled in his rookie season, failing to qualify in his first two events and never making it out of the Top 32 round in four appearances. In 2015, Coffman earned a pair of Top 16 appearances, but also failed to qualify at two events and finished in 30th position out of nearly 40 drivers. Never discouraged, Coffman and his team continued to focus on keeping the car reliable and driving the car as frequently as possible feeling that the results would come with enough seat time.

FD driver Matt Coffman competing against Kristaps Bluss in Montreal, Canada Photo by 9NINE2

Matt Coffman put down a strong lead run against Kristaps Bluss at Formula Drift Montreal

The Montreal round of Formula Drift in 2016 was a major turning point for Coffman and his team as he earned a Top 8 appearance, his first time earning a pair of tandem wins in the same weekend. Just a few weeks later, Coffman earned a top 4 appearance at Evergreen Speedway, which served as validation that Coffman truly could compete with the top drivers in the series. Coffman finished the season 16th in points, and the team carried the strong momentum into the 2017 season.

Matt Coffman narrowly lost to Kristaps Bluss in the Top 16 round at Formula Drift Montreal

In the first four events of 2017, Coffman already had matched the total number of tandem wins in all of 2016. Entering the same Montreal track that served as a breakout event for him last season, Coffman was excited to recreate the success and results. Coffman would qualify 15th and have to face his teammate Alec Hohnadell in the first round of tandem, a less-than-ideal situation for both drivers. When a broken part would require Hohnadell to call his competition timeout, members from both Hohnadell’s team and Coffman’s team would converge in an attempt to fix the car. Hohnadell was unable to repair the damage in time, which would give Coffman the win, but the camaraderie and teamwork from the Coffman Racing team showed that results weren’t the only focus on the weekend.

Formula Drift driver Matt Coffman smiling for the camera in Montreal, Canada Photo by 9NINE2

Despite not always earning the results he wants, Matt Coffman can always be spotted with a smile

While Coffman would fall to Kristaps Bluss in the Round of 16, the team is still very satisfied knowing that they currently sit in 9th place in the championship standings. The Coffman Racing Nissan S13 has performed nearly flawlessly all season long and is a testament that the old adage of “keeping it simple” can prove to be beneficial over the long haul of a full season of racing. Coffman still approaches every weekend of racing as a new chance to prove himself, but still can be spotted with a smile on his face anytime he has his helmet removed.

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K&N-Sponsored Bradley Morris Wins His First Pro 2 Race at Utah Motorsports Campus

Jul 27, 2017

K&N Filters Pro 4 driven by Bradley Morris going through the rhythm section

In Bradley Morris’s rookie season in Pro 2, he was able to show everyone he was there to be out front by winning his first Pro 2 race. In addition to winning his first race, he also put on a show for the fans at the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Utah race. Bradley did almost everything that a fan comes to an off-road race to see all in one weekend, which included some great racing, some door-to-door banging, a few crashes, and tearing apart the truck. Of course, all of this action made a lot of work for the team when the truck was off of the track.

Bradley Morris Flying over 150 ft in his Pro 4 over the table top in Utah

It started during practice in the Pro 4, where Bradley was trying out some different lines during the final session where he was trying an inside line. When he entered the corner sliding sideways, he found himself just an inch or two too far in and clipped the end of the K rail with the inside tire while it was turned inwards, spinning Bradley up the turn to a sudden stop. This ended up tearing apart the front left suspension and pivot mounts. The team was able to get it all fixed for the next day’s race with a long night and morning. Bradley would start in the rear for the race because of missing qualifying with the team making sure everything was correct for tech. With the start of the race Bradley would start to battle and try to move forward, but about half way through the race another racer would over rotate and stop sideways in front of Bradley. Bradley had no choice other than going to the inside, between the truck and the wall, to avoid hitting him in the door. Unfortunately, there was not enough room and in the collision, it ended up tearing apart the passenger side front suspension. This was the opposite side from what the team had just repaired the day before.

Putting some space between Bradley Morris K&N Pro 2 and second place

The team was able to get the second side fixed for the next day for Bradley. The Kicker Audio, Fallen Patriots Pro 4 battled through the trucks and stayed out of major trouble. But can’t say that about some of the other trucks. Half-way through the race a few trucks got together in front of Bradley, where one truck ended up on top of another with several trucks in a row smashed together behind it. Bradley was one of the trucks slammed together, and not having any damage he was able to continue. Bradley would battle in the top five for the remainder of the race and would end up finishing the race in fourth place.

Sliding the K&N Filters Pro 2 into the lead coming out of turn two

In the K&N Filters Pro 2 Bradley had qualified fifth, but with an inversion of six he would start the race on the front row. With such a great starting position, the team was hoping for big things. At the start of the race Bradley would find himself in second at the end of the first lap. Bradley got a little loose in the whoops, and upon entering the last corner he tried to save it but over rotated and stopped sideways in the turn where the driver behind him was able to get most of the way stopped only hitting him lightly to lift up the tires. Then the rest of the drivers smashed into that truck behind Bradley to lift Bradley just enough to make him roll over onto the roof. The safety crew would get Bradley back on all four Maxxis Tires and was ready to start going. Now starting in the back of the group, Bradley was ready to start moving his fast truck towards the front. Bradley would work his way back up to battle for fifth place around mid-race. He would battle two and three wide all around the track when after battling almost an entire lap three wide, Bradley would be on the inside of the turn. While trying to stay out of the truck next to him, Bradley caught the K rail and drove up it while turning and it sent the truck into a full barrel roll. The crowd erupted in cheers when Bradley would land on all four and not hesitate to push the gas pedal to the floor just to catch up to the trucks to continue his battle. At the end of the race, Bradley would finish with a top five finish in fifth place even with two roll overs.

Bradley Morris taking the checkered flag in his K&N Filters Pro 2 for the win

With another great inversion for Pro 2, Bradley was starting on the front row for Sunday’s race. The green flag waived and Bradley battled Rodrigo Ampudia door to door down the front stretch and through turn one. Coming out of turn two Bradley got in front of him and over the big jump. Bradley would start to stretch out his lead to over 6 truck lengths, but with a caution, that lead was gone. With the restart, Bradley would battle with Brian Deegan and Brian was trying everything to get past Bradley. Bradley was driving a great race and Brian couldn’t stay up with him for long and Bradley would stretch out his lead once again. Another caution came out which everyone else was happy about, but it didn’t really help them out. Bradley had great restarts throughout the race, and with several cautions, this was very important. Bradley would stretch out a gap between him and rest of the trucks after every caution, all the way to the checkered flag for his first Pro 2 win. Bradley said, “This is something I have dreamed of since I was a little kid, my team and I have worked very hard for this. Being able to win against the top drivers in my rookie year is the best feeling while having to work for the win with all the cautions with the previous champions right behind me. I can’t thank the people who have been with me through all my injuries and allowed me the opportunity to continue racing, along with my sponsors K&N Filters, Maxxis Tires, and Kicker Audio who have been with me and given me the best truck possible.”

K&N Filters-sponsored Bradley Morris standing on top of the podium for his first win in Pro 2

This season has been a great start to working out the kinks and bugs of a new Pro 2. The season has begun to turn around with the last three races finishing top five and with a third place podium finish in Mexico, and a fifth and the win in Utah. With these finishes Bradley is now leading the Rookie of the Year points for the Pro 2 class and fifth overall. Watch for Bradley to find his groove and stay upfront to battle with the other top drivers and to keep moving up the points standings. The team is heading to Wheatland, Missouri to the Lucas Oil Speedway which is a new track that has some new elements being introduced to the off-road race courses, which includes an over-under jump that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Stay tuned to watch how things progress throughout the season and what other amazing things Bradley will bring to the track.

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Drew Skillman Wins NHRA Pro Stock at Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Jul 27, 2017

Dew Skillman at Route 66 Raceway after winning the Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Drew Skillman won Pro Stock at the Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N

NHRA Pro Stock driver Drew Skillman joined the club. He is the ninth NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series driver to win a Pro Stock event. He won the Pro Stock portion of the races at the 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N Filters at Route 66 Raceway. “We’ve struggled all year,” Skillman said. “Had a lot better car than I’ve been driving. Finally put everything together and just got my head right.”

Steve Torrence won in Top Fuel, Ron Capps won in Funny Car, and LE Tonglet won in Pro Stock Motorcycle at the Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N Filters. Skillman became the ninth different driver in Pro Stock to win in 13 events this season. Skillman won his first event of the season, defeating two-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders in the final. It was Skillman’s fourth career NHRA victory. “Pro Stock’s so close right now,” Skillman said after the races. “That’s how it used to be. That’s how it should be. We’re all in the group now. Some cars just pick up for no reason. We’ve been pretty steady. We finally got what we deserved.”

Drew Skillman doing a burnout before a race at the Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Drew Skillman defeated Erica Enders to come away with the win at the Route 66 Nationals

Skillman qualified third and defeated Shane Tucker, Tanner Gray, and Bo Butner, the leader in the Pro Stock standings, on his way to the final. Enders reached the final for the third time this season, beating Chris McGaha, Greg Anderson, and Jason Line in the elimination rounds.

Skillman is in eighth place in the Pro Stock standings after winning at Route 66 Raceway. Enders is sixth after her runner-up performance.

It was an emotional weekend at Route 66 Raceway because of the passing of Terry Chandler. She was a longtime supporter of NHRA drag racing and funded a two-car Funny Car team. One of the cars, which carries the Make-A-Wish Foundation driven by Tommy Johnson Jr., reached the final in Funny Car at Route 66 Raceway.

Ron Capps Victory Race

Ron Capps beat Johnson in the final. Capps said afterward he was in a no-lose situation. He would have been happy for Chandler and her team if Johnson won the final race. “You already knew she was loved,” Capps said. “But people that had never met her before wanted to give their respects. Then to be lined up with one of her cars, it was a strange race. I never did see TJ. We knew it was going to be a good race.” Capps won his sixth NHRA Funny Car event of the year, a career high. He reached the final for the third time in the past four races, winning two of those events. But Route 66 Raceway had its challenges. Capps had to battle windy conditions and a poor qualifying effort to win races at Route 66 Raceway.

“This weekend was just a bizarre weekend for us,” Capps said. “We didn’t qualify in the top half. And that was because we couldn’t keep the car in a groove Friday night and then the second run on Saturday. We saw a lot of people having problems, dragsters as well. It’s not an easy track to drive. It demands a lot out of you. There’s a lot of crosswind. A side wind will blow you over 10 or 15 feet.”

Capps has a 200-point lead over Matt Hagan in second, and Jack Beckman is third in the Funny Car standings.

LE Tonglet Pro Stock Motorcycle

Torrence won his fifth NHRA Top Fuel event of the season. He beat his nemesis and top rival Antron Brown in the final. The rivalry favors Brown over their careers, but Torrence has been finishing on top lately. There was a time Torrence said he had a “mental block” when facing Brown on the drag strip. “I sent him a photo of a voodoo doll and asked him if he had one with my face on it,” Torrence joked after the races. Torrence won his 13th career NHRA Top Fuel event and his third in the past four events. But Torrence sang Brown’s praises after the race at Route 66 Raceway. “That guy’s the best,” Torrence said. “I put him at the pinnacle of our sport. He’s got the all-around package. If I was going to say I am trying to emulate anybody, it would be Antron Brown. The guy’s always on his game.” Torrence leads the Top Fuel standings by 101 points over Leah Pritchett, who reached the quarterfinals at Route 66 Raceway. Brown is in third place, 103 points behind Torrence.

The Winners Circle LE Tonglet, Drew Skillman, Ron Capps, Steve Torrence

Tonglet won for the fourth time in six NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle events. He defeated Hector Arana Jr. in the final round. Tonglet has reached the finals four times and is undefeated he does. “We knew we would be good, just not this early in the year,” Tonglet said. “We had three test sessions before Gainesville. That’s really where it all paid off.”

Tonglet leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings. Eddie Krawiec, who reached the semifinals, is second in the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings, followed by Arana in third. “It’s a lot more serious,” Tonglet said. “Qualifying you have one goal and that’s to make a perfect run, be low ET. On Sunday, the one goal is just to get win lights. It’s a different mindset and you got to stay calm and stay focused on what’s going on.”

The next NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event is at Bandimere Speedway in Colorado.

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NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Driver Harrison Burton Wins at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

Jul 26, 2017

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Harrison Burton at Thompson Speedway

Harrison Burton wins the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut

It looks like NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Harrison Burton isn’t going to let that little speed bump at Berlin Raceway get in his way. Burton won the Busch North Throwback 100 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Connecticut and padded his lead in the East Series standings.

Burton, who finished in sixth place at Berlin Raceway in Michigan a week earlier, battled Todd Gilliland to the checkered flag at Thompson Speedway.

“It was awesome. I was pretty focused,” Burton said. “I didn’t really think about having fun. But it was fun. Looking back at it, we would kind of make a run in the middle and it wouldn’t work and I’d fall back had to slowly chip away at the 16 (Gilliland). And it finally felt right.

“I kind of just drove it in and it stuck pretty well. Got to his door and from there it was just side by side for a few laps. That was really fun. It was pretty intense. I don’t think I breathed through it.”

Gilliland, the reigning K&N Pro Series West champion, won the East Series race at Berlin Raceway. Gilliland is second in the K&N Pro Series East standings.

He wrecked in practice before the race and his team had to repair the car. Gilliland said repairing the car took a lot of work, but it paid off in the race.

“I wrecked in practice on Friday. I was having a lot of fun before that,” Gilliland said. “To rebuild our car, it was tough on our whole team. I really hate it for them. It ended up being a lot of fun in the race. I hope I get to come back here.”

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Harrison Burton in winners circle at Thompson Speedway

Harrison Burton has won three of the past four NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races

Burton has won three of the past four K&N Pro Series East races. He took the lead from Gilliland on lap 75 and led the final 26 laps of the Busch North Throwback 100.

“The battle was huge there,” Gilliland said. “I knew it was going to be for the win. I went too hard before that just to try and stay in front of the 12 (Burton). That’s how it works in these K&N races. Once you get out front you really have to try and stay out there. I was trying everything I could. We were right on the edge all night. We ended up being a little too free there at the end there.”

K&N Pro Series rookie Chase Purdy won the pole and led the first 16 laps of the race. Gilliland took the lead from Purdy on lap 17 and was out front for a race-high 58 laps.

The K&N Pro Series East brought NASCAR back to Thompson Speedway for the first time since 2009. The track was a regular stop for the old NASCAR Busch Series. Burton joined an impressive list of race winners at Thompson Speedway. NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series drivers Martin Truex Jr. and Trevor Bayne, former Cup Series driver Ricky Craven and NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Mike Stefanik have won races at Thompson Speedway. Joey Kourafas, who won the inaugural Busch North Series championship in 1987, presented Burton the trophy for winning the race at Thompson Speedway.

“The Burtons, we’re kind of like a team,” Burton said. “Everyone roots for each other even if we're racing each other It’s cool that we’re kind of branching out a little bit and trying some new race tracks. It’s cool to add the Burton name to someplace else.”

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Harrison Burton after winning at Thompson Speedway

Harrison Burton led final 26 laps of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Thompson Speedway

After eight races, Burton has a 22-point lead over Gilliland in the K&N Pro Series East standings. Purdy, who ended up in seventh place at Thompson Speedway, is third in the K&N Pro Series East standings.

Ronnie Bassett Jr. was third in the K&N Pro Series East race at Thompson Speedway. Rookie Doug Coby was fourth, followed by Dillon Bassett in fifth.

“We managed our tires,” Ronnie Bassett said. “The two leaders got out front for a pretty good distance. We managed our rear tires in case we had a late-race restart. We would have a little bit to maybe battle with them.”

The next K&N Pro Series East race is at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

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