Harrell runs Harrell Engine & Dyno in Mooresville, North Carolina, and the Real Good at Doin’ Stuff!!! YouTube channel. His shop has put tune-ups on Cleetus McFarland’s twin-turbo “Mullet,” Mike Finnegan’s “Blasphemi,” and a long list of high-horsepower drag-and-drive programs that survive the kind of abuse Sick Week and Drag Week throw at them. He also tunes customer cars in Radial Outlaws, which means his read on the rule book isn’t disinterested. Rule changes hit his work, too.

The video is titled, “Let’s have a good rant about Snot Rocket rules!! Should racing be ‘fair’???”

Spoiler: he doesn’t think it should.

“These rules have nothing to do with fairness,” Harrell said. “Nothing. The rules are put in place to establish parity.”

That’s the thesis, and the entire 30 minutes is a methodical defense of it. Harrell isn’t arguing that the Limited Drag Radial (LDR) rules committee handled the latest controversy perfectly. He’s arguing that the people most upset about the latest controversy have the wrong frame entirely.

LDR was launched in 2016 by Tyler Crossnoe and Jason “Pooch” Rueckert with an economic theory baked into the rule book. These are not cheap cars. Top-tier LDR programs are $300,000-plus operations, some closer to half a million. But the purses are modest by heads-up standards, often around $7,500 to win. That structure is intentional. The founders’ theory was that keeping prize money low would keep the class off the radar of the well-funded teams that typically take over heads-up categories once the purses get attractive. The goal was to keep the class sustainable longer and avoid the boom-and-bust cycle that eats classes alive.

Performance was always going to evolve. That’s the nature of heads-up drag racing. Pro Mod was running 4.10’s in the eighth-mile and dipping into the low-6’s in the quarter-mile in the mid-2000’s. Today the same class is in the 3.50’s in the eighth, and the NHRA Pro Mod cars – the only place the class still runs the quarter regularly – are going 5.60’s. LDR running mid-3.80’s and quicker in 2026 isn’t a failure of the class. It’s how every class moves.

The drift Harrell is pointing at is different. It’s technological, not chronological. The class was designed to evolve through tuning, chassis work, and the kind of incremental gains that fit a working-man’s budget. It wasn’t designed to evolve through pro-level concessions like lockup transmissions on forced-induction combos. That’s what classes starting with the word “Pro” exist for: Pro 275, Pro Mod, Radial vs. The World. Bringing pro-level tech into LDR is the move that invites pro-level teams, which is the exact outcome Crossnoe and Rueckert wrote the rule book to delay.

His starting point is the lockup transmission. Lasala’s “Snot Rocket” Mustang ran a lockup before the recent rule change banned them three races into the season – a change Lasala called “a death sentence for any LDR program trying to run in the 3.80’s” in his exit statement. Harrell’s read on the lockup question is that it never should have been allowed in the class in the first place.

“At the genesis of LDR, there were several things that were just deal breakers,” Harrell said. “One of these was big-buck lockup transmissions. They were a no-starter on forced-induction combos from the beginning of the class. That was one of the centerpieces of the class. You want to do this? Go run Pro275, RvW. There’s other classes where you can run that.”

In Harrell’s telling, the recent rule change wasn’t a deviation from the class. It was a correction back to it. The technology drifted in. The rule book pushed it back out. And the people calling the change destabilizing are working from a baseline that was already off-spec.

The harder argument, and the one where Harrell departs most sharply from the Lasala piece, is about how rule-making is supposed to work. Lasala’s frame, in his exit statement, was that the damage wasn’t the rule itself but the precedent: a sanctioning body changing a fundamental piece of the class mid-season. Harrell agrees the precedent is the problem, but he locates the precedent further upstream. Concessions, in his telling, are the precedent that broke the system.

“If you keep handing things out because somebody can’t compete, you’re not making the class fair,” said Harrell. “You’re rebuilding the class around the team that’s struggling. That’s not a rule book. That’s a customer service department.”

It’s the bottom-up versus top-down rule-making argument that has been quietly running through every parity conversation in radial racing for half a decade. Harrell is squarely on the top-down side: establish a baseline, write the rule book around it, and let the field find its way to the baseline. Don’t move the baseline because part of the field can’t reach it.

He also isn’t blind to the casualties. In one of the more striking moments of the video, Harrell named Rob Goss as a racer he believes has been hit too hard by recent rule changes.

“If anybody got hit a little too hard, it’s probably Rob Goss,” Harrell said. “He got crushed with the rule book.”

It’s a notable concession in a piece otherwise built around defending LDR’s methodology. It raises the obvious follow-up question, which is what the racer Harrell named would say about all of this if asked directly. Goss has spent the last 24 months absorbing weight penalties without publicly complaining and hasn’t said much on the record about any of it. 

What Harrell’s video does is fill a hole that has been sitting open since Lasala posted his exit statement. There was a class-voice argument waiting to be made – that LDR’s rule book is doing what rule books are supposed to do, that fairness is the wrong frame, that concessions are the precedent racers should worry about and not the latest single rule. Harrell didn’t go in on “Snot Rocket” or Lasala. He went in on the methodology, and he made the methodology argument out loud on his own channel.

Lasala’s piece said the damage was the precedent of a mid-season change. Harrell’s piece says the damage was the methodology that got the class to the point where a mid-season change felt necessary. Two different angles reaching the same diagnosis: the class moved away from itself.

This story was originally published on April 28, 2026.

The post Pete Harrell on Limited Drag Radial Controversy: “These Rules Have Nothing to Do With Fairness” first appeared on Drag Illustrated.

NEOPMA founder and president John Mazzorana announced his retirement at the end of the 2024 season, capping off 32 years of leadership with the group. Though it originally appeared that Mazzorana’s retirement meant the end of the series, four-time NEOPMA champion Andy Jensen stepped in to carry the group into 2025. But participation in the brief schedule didn’t warrant a 2026 season, and the 2025 season finale at MIR’s Superchargers Showdown was set to be the curtain call. Mother Nature had other ideas: the weekend was rained out and the Last Blast was moved to this weekend’s Door Wars. 

Jensen and MIR track owner Royce Miller came together to make the race happen, both as entertainment for the fans at MIR and as a tribute to Mazzorana and the volunteer NEOPMA team. Pro Mod teams will compete for $8,000 to win plus several thousand more in round money and bonuses. 

It’s a bittersweet time for Mazzorana, who grew up in a poor section of Brooklyn, built a successful career in the banking industry, and led NEOPMA through three decades. 

“First of all, I’m excited about seeing my colleagues, my friends, and my brothers and sisters in the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mods,” said Mazzorana, who will turn 85 on July 4th. “It’s been a privilege for me to work with these people because they’re professional, they’re fun-loving, they’re very nice people in general, and they give from the heart. I told my wife, Faith, whenever I have an issue or a problem and I need help, I never call my banking friends. I call my car friends. We’re more down-to-earth and interdependent on each other. I appreciate that and being part of a program that lasted 30 years. It was my privilege and an honor to work with all these people that have come and gone over the years.”

Mazzorana has reflected on the club’s history over the last year or so, finding numerous points of pride. Dozens of drivers have competed in NEOPMA events over the years, from world champions and record holders to weekend warriors looking for a place to compete on a high level close to home. Participants found a competitive environment, but also one that fostered camaraderie and a sense of community. 

“We’ve had people join, step away, and come back, and I thought that was a wonderful thing,” Mazzorana said. “We’ve had some pretty big names race with us and we’ve had a lot of fun. For a small club, we were actually as fast as some of the national events and series. Dean Marinis in Harry Pappas’ car broke the nitrous world record (a 5.57 in 2019) at one of our races. We held the blower record for years. We were small but powerful, and that was fun.

“We were a band of brothers and sisters, in that racing was obviously the main thing that brought us together, but at night we would get together and it would not be uncommon for us to party into the wee hours of the night,” Mazzorana continued. “We went out of our way to make sure that the racers were treated well. We always made sure the tracks were safe. We literally walked away from tracks that refused to prep the track properly. I wouldn’t put my people in harm’s way. Safety should be the first and most important concern.”

Mazzorana is always quick to share credit with everyone else that made NEOPMA possible: racers, sponsors, track operators, and of course, the small but dedicated group of officials that, like Mazzorana, donated their time and effort to keep Pro Mod racing alive and well in the Northeast. 

“It wasn’t just me; it was a collective effort,” Mazzorana said. “We’ve had people who helped out in the club for years, and they became part of the core team of people that helped me manage the club. I’m appreciative that Royce and Andy and all the people who are putting this race on recognize that.”

Mazzorana notes that while he would’ve liked to see NEOPMA continue on for years to come, he’s excited about the current state of Pro Mod racing and drag racing as a whole. He attended the Drag Illustrated Winter Series races over the winter and plans to visit more events this season. But for now, he’s looking forward to one “last blast” with his NEOPMA family. 

“My wishes for everybody for this weekend is that they have a safe race, and going forward, that they have safety, and that they continue to make drag racing a fun experience for them and their families,” Mazzorana said.

NEOPMA teams can test on Friday before qualifying starts with sessions at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. A final third qualifying session is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. The club will provide a free pizza luncheon for all teams at 3:30 p.m. Eliminations will start at 6 p.m. and will continue through the evening until a winner is crowned. 

The winner will walk away with a guaranteed $8,000 plus a “big ass trophy” and a trailer check. Round money is also up for grabs: $3,500 to runner-up, $2,000 for semis, $1,250 for quarterfinals, and $1,000 for first-round exits. Additionally, there’s a $1,000 “Last N2O Car Standing” Bonus by Powermist Fuels and Xtreme Racing Engines, a $500 Low Qualifier Bonus from NY BOOM Truck, a $500 “Fastest 1st Round Loser” Bonus from ATI Performance Products, and a $500 Best Appearing Car Bonus from Nick Rabe and The Wax Shop.

 Jensen thanked the event’s sponsors for their contributions: Mark Micke at M & M Transmission, ATI Performance Products, Maxima Racing Oil, Brodix Inc., World Products Blocks and Heads, Xtreme Racing Engines, Nick Rabe & The Wax Shop Racing Team, Penske Racing Shocks, Dave Hance and NY BOOM!, PowerMist Fuels, MBE Cylinder Heads & Induction Systems, and Turn 2 RC Radio Systems. 

Door Wars will also feature Warriors Outlaw, Southern Outlaw Top Sportsman, and the 1320 Fabrication ET Series classes: Super Pro, Pro ET, Sportsman, and Jr. Dragster.

For more info, visit https://goracemir.com/schedule/calendar/2026/26-05/26-05-01.htm

This story was originally published on April 28, 2026.

The post NEOPMA’s ‘Last Blast’ Headlines MIR’s Door Wars This Weekend first appeared on Drag Illustrated.

The post Spencer Hyde Makes Early Exit in Charlotte first appeared on Drag Illustrated.

Beckman’s John Force Racing teammates Jordan Vandergriff (Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car) and Alexis DeJoria (Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car) were second-round finishers and Top Fuel teammate Josh Hart (HendrickCars.com Dragster) bowed out in the first round of the lone three-round, 4-wide competition on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule.

The 2012 NHRA Funny Car World Champion spun the tires early and finished third in his second-round matchup with Matt Hagan, Vandergriff and Dave Richards but Richards’ car made contact with the retaining wall before crossing the finish line, forcing his disqualification and moving the HendrickCars.com team to the final round against Hagan, Ron Capps, and J.R. Todd.

Beckman had his best reaction time of the event (0.058) and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car ran 3.917 seconds at 329.50 mph but it wasn’t enough to get around Capps’ 3.905-second run at 334.90 mph. The runner-up finish is the team’s best showing in the season’s first four races and advanced them from 10th to eighth in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Funny Car point standings.

“It was an eventful race day for John Force’s Funny Cars and it was really cool to get HendrickCars.com into our first final round of the year,” said Beckman. “We had a heck of a run: we had a great car, then we struggled. We found our car, then we struggled again but we were right where we needed to be in the final round. So, we’ll take a runner-up finish, we’ll take the points to go with that and we’ll move up in the standings some. That means when we unload five days from now, we know we have a car we can leave with the trophy there so we’re getting closer.”

Vandergriff was the quickest in his round one quad, with the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car running 3.874 seconds at 326.63 mph to advance to the second round. The 4-Wide Nationals #2Fast2Tasty Challenge winner lined up against Hagan, Beckman and Richards but smoked the tires almost immediately, slowing to a run of 9.698 seconds at 72.35 mph. The team maintained fifth place in the point standings.

“That was definitely not what we were looking for there in the second round,” said Vandergriff. “It was maybe a little too much, a little too less, whatever it was. It’s a little disheartening when it shakes a little liked that. I checked all three lanes and was like, ’Okay, I might as well stay out of this one.’ But overall, it was a great weekend. Getting my first Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty win in a quad that included J.R. Todd, Matt Hagan, and Ron Capps was really huge for this Cornwell Quality Tools team. We have some momentum and we’re going to carry it into South Georgia next weekend.”

DeJoria was the second quickest in her round one quad, with the Bandero Chevrolet SS Funny Car running 3.962 seconds at 324.36 mph. In her round two matchup against Capps, Todd and Chad Green, she ran 3.980 seconds, but crossed the finish line at just 296.89 mph. The teamed moved up one spot, to sixth, in the point standings.

“The Bandero Chevy ran a little slower than we than we wanted to in the second round,” said DeJoria. “It didn’t drop a cylinder, but it was pushing me down track and I was getting really close to the center line. Luckily, it was at the very end of the run. I was giving the wheel input and it was just not reacting so, right before I thought I was going to cross the center line, I lifted and luckily missed it. In the end, it wouldn’t have mattered because we ran a 3.98. We’re doing good and just need to touch up on some areas to get going a little quicker. The performance is consistent. We’re getting down the racetrack. Now we just need to get to the finish line a little quicker.”

Hart was the low qualifier in his quad for the first round of eliminations, lining up against Tony Stewart, Billy Torrance and Tony Schumacher. The cars had performed their burnouts and were about to stage when a light rain at the top end forced NHRA to halt the proceedings. When racing resumed, the HendrickCars.com dragster ran 3.753 seconds at 333.16 mph, but it wasn’t enough against either Stewart’s, 3.727-second posting or Torrence’s 3.731-second run. Schumacher was unable to repair a mechanical issue that occurred as the cars were initially being shut off for the rain so he did not compete in the first round of eliminations.

“There are a lot of emotions on the starting line without all the extra chaos in that first round,” said Hart. “We’re running four wide, then we’re running three wide, then we’re running four wide again. I’m usually a lot better at focusing on what I have to do and usually we have a really, really strong car in those conditions but this time the combination, or lack thereof, in that realm put us out. I’m very disappointed for everyone involved with the HendrickCars.com program this weekend but I know that the John Force Racing group will get everything going again. I’ll refocus over the next couple of days and be ready when we get to Georgia next week.”

The fifth of 20 races of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the May 1-3 NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, Ga.

The post Jack Beckman Finishes Runner-Up at NHRA 4-Wide Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.

Located in Leicester, New York, Empire Dragway has long been a staple in the Northeast racing community, known for its rich history, passionate fan base, and competitive racing environment. Under IHRA ownership, the facility will undergo strategic enhancements focused on racer experience, fan engagement, and long-term operational sustainability. 

“This is exactly the kind of facility we want to invest in,” said Darryl Cuttell, Owner of IHRA. “Empire Dragway has a strong foundation and a loyal racing community. Our goal is to build on that momentum. We will be bringing more opportunities for racers, bigger events for fans, and ensuring this track continues to thrive for years to come.” 

“Empire Dragway has meant so much to me and to this community over the years,” said Jerry Scaccia. “I’m proud of what we’ve built here, and I truly believe IHRA is the right group to take it to the next level. Their vision for the future of the sport and commitment to racers gives me full confidence that Empire is in great hands.” 

Already established as a stop on our national schedule, Empire Dragway will host the Outlaw Nitro Series and Small Tire BRATZ Series on July 23–25, 2026. Under IHRA ownership, that momentum will continue to build with expanded programming, enhanced amenities, and greater opportunities for racers and fans alike. 

Fans and racers can expect upgrades to infrastructure, enhanced safety measures, and a renewed focus on delivering a top-tier race day experience. We will work closely with local organizations, teams, and the racing community to ensure a seamless transition and continued success of the venue.

This story was originally published on April 28, 2026.

The post IHRA Acquires Empire Dragway, Expanding National Footprint in the Northeast first appeared on Drag Illustrated.

This story was originally published on April 28, 2026.

The post Buddy Hull Thrills Behind the Wheel of World Record Mustang first appeared on Drag Illustrated.

The post Alexis DeJoria Qualifies No. 5, Secures Quarterfinal Finish at NHRA 4-Wide Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.

Salinas will be back on track May 22 in Reading, Pa. for the IHRA Triple Crown.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle competition, Salinas’ sister, Jianna Evaristo, advanced into round two after taking her bike straight down the groove in 6.788 seconds at 199.37 mph to win her quad. She then posted another good pass of 6.825 seconds, but it wasn’t enough to score a spot in the final round.

The post Strong Qualifying Effort Highlights Jasmine Salinas’ NHRA Return at Charlotte 4-Wide Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.

This story was originally published on April 27, 2026.

The post HendrickCars.com Campaigner Greg Anderson Comes One Win Light Shy of a Charlotte Sweep first appeared on Drag Illustrated.

This story was originally published on April 27, 2026.

The post Ron Capps Extends Funny Car Points Lead with Second Win in Four Races at NHRA 4-Wide Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.