DAKOTAMOTORSPORTS

John Force: Over the Top

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

For most people when they hear the name John Force they think of championships as he has 17 Funny Car Championships to his to his credit. The other thing many people say about John Force is he is over the top at times, but you cannot argue with his success. He has built an empire in his John Force Racing that seems to get bigger by the year. John Force keeps it in the family as his daughters Ashley Force Hood, Brittany Force, and Courtney Force have followed in their dad’s footsteps. They have shown to be good race car drivers just like their dad.

John Force has made many people mad along his ascension to the top, but it does not matter to him. Getting wins and being the best he can be in every race has always been his goal. With over 100 victories in races he must be doing something right. Every win adds to John Force’s legacy in the sport. There are not many people who can match what John Force has accomplished in drag racing. Like him or hate the one thing you can say about John Force he is a winner. When he does hang it up, he could very well be the greatest drag racer of all-time.

The Tragedy of Edward Glenn Roberts

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Today’s NASCAR superstars are in the same category as Hollywood celebrities or rock stars. The fans want to know every detail of their public and private life.
One of the first superstars of NASCAR was Edward Glenn (Fireball) Roberts. Strangely enough, he received his nickname from his high school days as a pitcher for his high school team.
If you are new fan in the world of NASCAR, chances are you have never heard of him. Though he never won a Grand National Title, he is in the list of the top fifty drivers and a member of the Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame.
Tragically, his career and life was cut short on May 24, 1964 Charlotte, North Carolina.
Trying to avoid a wreck between Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson, his car hit the outside wall, flipped over, and burst into flames. After suffering second and 3rd degree burns over 80 of his body, he died 36 days later. He was 35 years old.
After Roberts’ death, NASCAR put the mandates into place and today require
All drivers must wear flame retardant coveralls while on track.
The five point safety harness
The special, contoured driver’s seat

A Few Great Pro Stock Motorcycle Racers

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Here are a few notable Stock Motorcycle racers. Eddie Krawiec, he is the current, Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle Drag Racing champion. In 2009, Krawiec had the best season, of any other racer, Krawiec has said publicly that he is working hard, and hopes to capture another stellar season. Andrew Hines, 27, from Villa Park, CA is a three time, National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock Motorcycle champion. Jim Underdahl, 26, of Forest Lake, Minnesota, is the son of an accomplished motorcycle racer, Greg Underdahl. Jim learned a lot from his father, and is working hard to become the best in the sport. He’s married to Kelly Jo. He is a former Minnesota wrestling champion. Jerry Savoie races on the White Alligator racing team, and has been showing some impressive racing results of late, he’s on the way up the ladder. Michael Phillips is a bit older then the average age of drivers out there, at 44, however he can give the younger racers a run for their money. Phillips of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had a career best three wins in 2010. He had a number one qualifying position, at Englishtown. Phillps has said 2011 was a good year too.

Our Top Three – Know these drivers

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If you’ve long had the Direct TV sports packages but you’re new to hot rod racing you’ve got to get in the gamethere’s a lot to learn and the season’s in full swing! Here are a few of the notable drivers you should learn more about to be considered a true fan
John Force – No one has a more illustrious racing history than Force and he’s won an unprecedented 11 Winston championships and 98 international races as well. He may be retired but his legend lives on.
Lee Sheperd – He dominated stock car racing in the 1980s and he changed the face of the sport from the inside out. He had a lot of fans (not in NHRA management) and he gave his life to the sport he loved.
Bill Jenkins – His race record is nothing compared to other greats but no one individual has contributed more to the technology and future of the sport than the man known simply as “Grump”. Jenkins may be gone but his legend lives on.

Hector Arana: Pro Stock Motorcycle

admin — Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Hector Arana Sr. is a twenty year veteran in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). He is in the Pro Stock Motorcycle division and races a Buell motorcycle sponsored by Lucas Oil. Arana’s first win came in 2008 at Norfolk after 18 years in the sport. He followed up that year with an impressive five wins in 2009, including career bests in time (6.777 seconds) and speed (196.10 mph) and he became the 2009 Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion. Hector enjoys other activities such as horseback riding and cycling. He is married to Grace Arana and their son, Hector Arana Jr. is also in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle division.
Hector Arana Jr. is a rookie this year and he is on the same team as his father. He has always known that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father. Junior will be using the same motorcycle that his dad used in 2009 when he won the Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship. Only time will tell if these two can once again taste the success that their family did in the year of ’09. One thing is for sure, they will enjoy every second of racing alongside each other.

The Pedregon Brothers: Cruz and Tony

admin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Cruz and Tony Pedregon have had some fantastic journeys during their career. The brothers have each won the NHRA twice. The brothers enjoy their success in drag racing as teammates. It seems to run in the family. Their father, Frank “Flamin” Pedregon, made a reputation for himself as a great showmen in the quarter mile more than 40 years ago.Their brother Frank, the eldest of the brothers, had a checkerboard career and has since left the sport.

The brothers grew up in Southern California and always have shared their passion for drag racing. Cruz was pleased that he had one of the best Funny Cars on the track during the last part of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing series. He is hoping for more success during this season. In the meantime the Armored AutoGroup announced a multi-year sponsorship of Tony’s NHRA Full Throttle Nitro Funny Car which will make him a strong contender this season. Cruz will be racing for Snap-on this season while Snap-on will also co-sponsor his brother. During the 2010 season the Snap-on Funny Car won two times during the closing weeks of the season. The hopes are very high that the Pedregon’s will show well in 2011.

Meet Larry Dixon

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I have been following NHRA hot rod racing for over 25 years and Larry Dixon is one of my favorate hot rod racing drivers. Born in 1966, Larry followed in his father’s foot steps and is now one of the greatest hot rod racing drivers. Larry began as a crewman for Don Prudhomme Racing. He then began his career in 1995 and he was named Rookie of the Year in his first season. I’ve watched Larry race for Don Prudhomme Racing over the years and he has only gotten better. He was the first driver to go under 4.5 seconds. As a avid race fan, I can remember watching Larry win the NHRA POWERade championship for the second consecutive year, a feat that only four other drivers before him had accomplished.

I was sad to see Larry leave Don Prudhomme Racing in 2009 and drive for Al-Anabi Motorsports. I thought the career move might be a mistake. But, last year, Larry was the first driver to go 12-0 in 12 races and also won his third NHRA’s Top Fuel Champion so I guess he proved me wrong. I will continue to watch Dixon and look forward to another great season of NHRA hot rod racing.

A Little About Antron Brown

admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Antron Brown is one of the premiere drag racing drivers in the NHRA, with success all across the nation and in multiple areas. Anton spend a decade as a pro stock motorcycle racer, and was one of the most successful riders out there. He won 16 races in his career, and finished second in the overall points standings twice (2001 and 2006).

He became a drag racer in 2008 and rose straight to the top of the competition, earning the pole position in his very first start. Anton finished his rookie year fifth overall in the NHRA standings, and went on to even bigger things in 2009. He won six races and broke the 1,000-foot speed record on two different tracks, barely missing out on the championship in the Top Fuel category. Antron is the only man to have won races in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle racing. Overall in his racing career, he has won 24 races.

Raise in New Jersey, Antron been a regular around race tracks since he was a toddler. He currently lives in Indiana with his wife Billie Jo and their three children. He competes as part of the Don Schumacher racing team.

Some Auto Trivia

www.dakotamotorsports.com — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

If you like to gather around the water cooler on Monday mornings to bench race with your hot rod buddies, we provide the following bits of trivia that you may find useful to ensure your win. Have fun, and remember to be gentle!

What made the Dodge T-Rex concept truck so unusual was that it had six wheels.
The first Ferrari sports car to top out over 198 miles per hour was the f40.
The first car introduced by Porsche at the time of the manufacturer’s opening was the 356.
Ford employees gave the affectionate nickname “personal car” to the T-bird.
The first Corvette was made in 1953.
Ford reacted to the Corvette with its Thunderbird.
The first names of the Dodge brothers were John and Horace.
The Studebaker was actually responsible for facilitating the Mercedes-Benz before its own demise.
The Isuzu Piazza was the manufacturer’s first and only attempt to sell a saloon car in the United Kingdom.
Bill Mitchell (official illustrator of the Automobile Racing Club of America) joined General Motors in 1935 and designed the Cadillac Series 60 in 1935.
At the time Henry Ford II took over his family business at the age of 28 in 1945 it was losing 10 million per month.
Oldsmobile was the first car to be mass produced.
In 1965, the Chevrolet Impala sold more than one million units in North America, setting a record that still stands today.

It’s more than just racing

www.dakotamotorsports.com — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:55:27 +0000

If you’re planning to go to your first race you better make sure you’re ready to spend some time outside of your seats. As the NHRA points out “unlike a typical three-hour football game or two-hour concert, NHRA Drag Racing is an all-day affair. The best advice for fans might well be the same advice given to the teams you’re coming to watch: Come early, stay late, and be prepared.” Make sure you’re prepared for any eventuality that may pop up by bringing a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a blanket and those ever-important ear plugs. Once at the race, enjoy the time in the stands as you pick your favorite cars, motorcycles or drivers as they make their successive passes, but also plan to spend some time in the pits since that’s another experience altogether from what the stands offer. Here you can “get close and personal” to some pretty frantic action as teams of highly skilled mechanics take care of business and drivers very often sign autographs. If you miss a foray into pit row when you go to the races, you’ve missed a large chunk of excitement and adrenaline. Keep in mind that every drag strip, every pit area, and every race is different and that’s one of the beauties of it you will experience new exhilaration and knowledge with each event you attend.