Courtesy of ClutchandChrome.com

Bikers can add another name to the list of female riders to invite on the next road trip with the latest magazine appearance from NHRA Pro Stock Motorcyclist, Peggy Llewellyn.

Interested riders can look for Llewellyn in Heart & Soul magazine, hitting the magazine racks for August and September.  She shares her workout regimen, which helps keep her fit and fast on the quarter mile track. 

“A feature in Heart & Soul magazine is such an honor for me and the sport of NHRA drag racing,” says a flattered Llewellyn.  “I love to share my fitness routine, which allows me to stay in shape in order to handle the bike, which is like a missile going down the track at 190 mph in 6 seconds!”  Read More

Courtesy of Go2Geiger.com

BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, Germany — American drag racing superstar Melanie Troxel will return to the Europe for the second time this season to race in the FIA Nitrolympx, which takes place Aug. 13-15 at Germany’s famous Hockenheimring.

Troxel will be piloting the same ‘67 Camaro she drove to the quickest and fastest run on European soil when she zoomed down the quarter-mile in 5.937 seconds at 242.42 mph (390.13 kph) on May 30 at Santa Pod Raceway in England. The Roger Burgess-owned racecar has since improved those marks to 5.911 seconds at 245.78 mph (395.52 kph) with Hasselby, Sweden’s Micke Gullqvist behind the wheel when he drove it to the title of the FHRA Nitro Nationals earlier this month at the Alastaro Circuit in Finland. Read More

Courtesy of USAToday

After my accident in Seattle with the loss of the tire on my A-Fuel Dragster, I started getting constant headaches and my mom felt it best to at least get it checked out. I went into emergency and got a CT scan where they told me I had a concussion, which was likely to be the cause of my headaches.

They have since gotten better, and I expected to race again soon but I’m starting to get the feeling and have overheard discussions from my dad that he may park my car because of its age. But because my dad is evaluating where we are going in the future, he says he just needs “think time.”

It will be a week or two before my dragster gets to Murf McKinney’s chassis shop, and then we’ll get an idea of what took place with the chassis. He said it’s not just the amount of runs on it, but after eight years of traveling on a trailer, a car takes a lot of stress. Maybe this time off will give me an opportunity to focus on a potential transition into the Fuel Funny Car. Some of it even started this weekend in Sonoma, Calif.

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Editor’s note: NHRA driver Courtney Force will document her summer on the drag-racing circuit in an online diary for USA TODAY:This week was an exciting week because I had the opportunity with my sisters Brittany and Ashley to be a part of an awards ceremony for a local elementary school in Orange County. This was especially great because it wasn’t just any awards ceremony … it was racecar-themed!

STANDINGS: Updated NHRA points

We were asked to be a part of the students’ special day since we’re drivers within the drag racing community. They asked us to help pass out the awards to the students who had succeeded in the reading competitions throughout the year. These reading competitions had been themed to racing with the various reading groups being their “pit crews.” The gym was decorated according to theme and packed with kids. Read More

Editor’s note: NHRA driver Courtney Force will document her summer on the drag-racing circuit in an online diary for USA TODAY:It’s been almost a year since my last USA TODAY journal entry and a lot has happened! Let me catch everyone up, just in case you missed it.

STANDINGS: Updated NHRA points

I ended my season in the NHRA A-Fuel Dragster category with my first National event win in Seattle, Wash.; I won a People’s Choice Award as a Ford Fiesta Agent; my brother-in-law Robert Hight won the Full Throttle Championship in the NHRA’s Funny Car class; my sister Ashley Force Hood was runner-up for the Championship; and my dad, John Force, is currently No. 1 in points this season in Funny Car … and he’s still driving our family crazy!

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Courtesy of AshleyForce.com

NORWALK, OH — 14-time Funny Car champion John Force almost missed qualifying for the 4th annual Summit Equipment NHRA Nationals but almost 24 hours after grabbing the last qualifying spot he was one of only two Funny Cars still standing at the Norwalk track. Force upset daughter and No. 1 qualifier Ashley Force Hood in the first round and then blasted past Paul Lee and Robert Hight before he was upended by fellow Ford driver Tim Wilkerson in the final.

“I came all the way from the cellar, the 16th spot, but Mike Neff, (Austin) Coil and Bernie (Fedderly) they have done a great job with this Mustang to put us up in the points lead. I guess what bothers me is when you take out Ashley who was low and she had a shot at winning. Then I got lucky against Robert when he had a problem with the Tree,” said Force.

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Courtsey of www.Tennessean.com

In a sport that continues to grow, auto racing also has seen an increase in female drivers. But the sport has yet to see a woman break into the top-tier NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on a regular basis.

While Danica Patrick, perhaps the most well-known of the female drivers, has run in three Nationwide Series this year — at Daytona, Fontana, Calif., and Las Vegas — most women are making their mark in the IndyCar Series and the National Hot Rod Association. That could be about to change. Read More

CONCORD, NC — After a nearly 24 hour rain delay it only took 4.036 seconds for John Force to win the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord. Severe storms and rain forced the postponement of the final round of the historic event to Monday but that did not dampen the enthusiasm for Force as he hoisted the Wally trophy in the winner’s circle.

“I’d like to personally thank Bruton Smith and his son Marcus because they took money in this economy and they spent it. He deserves that reward. For me to be able to win this first race is big. The hardest part was racing Ron Capps. He is always tough. He is killer on that tree. Racing (Matt) Hagan now that John Medlen is over there will put the fear in you, too and through all of that racing my own daughter. That is the hardest thing. I have to be honest she told me that when she pulls up beside me she doesn’t leave anything on the table. I had to get that attitude,” said Force in the media center.

“Her mother was proud. I joke about her mom beating me up but she even said to me not bad for an old guy. Your daughter was right out the window. I am just really proud of Ashley because she is learning the game and I know the pressure. My old knees were knocking and I have been doing this for 33 years.”

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Driver Melanie Troxel and the R2B2 Dodge Charger Funny Car are in a frustrating spot coming out of the inaugural NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway.

During Sunday’s eliminations, Troxel had her best reaction time of the season (.084 seconds) and the car ran a 4.129-second pass at 305.49 mph — the team’s second best elapsed time of the season. But despite car and driver doing everything right, it still wasn’t enough to advance to the second round.

“We can’t be overly disappointed but we wanted to win that round,” Troxel said. “We need to improve a little if we’re going to be competitive out there.”

Out of Troxel’s foursome, Ron Capps, who ran a 4.032 at 313.80 mph, and Gainesville winner Tim Wilkerson, who went 4.079 at 299.40 mph, were the two drivers to advance.

Even after bowing out earlier than they had hoped, Troxel said her Roger Burgess-owned team remains hopeful and spirits are high in the pit. They are at the point where they are dissecting their laps tying to find a fraction of a second here or there to be able to make passes in the range of a 4.09 seconds or quicker.

“We’re making progress, so we’re not going to beat ourselves up too much right now,” Troxel said. “We’re still a nickel away from really being in the hunt. As a team we’re going to have to knuckle down and find that little bit of performance that’s holding us back.”

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New colors, new sponsorship, new partnership, new race track

Under the colors of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Hillary Will, driving KB Racing’s Top Fuel dragster, will give the car its inaugural appearance at this weekend’s NHRA event at Charlotte, NC.

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