Author Archive: Darr Hawthorne
Jason Rupert Repeats With 3rd IHRA Funny Car Championship At Northern Nationals
(Photos by Big Bob Snyder – Words by Darr Hawthorne and IHRA Communications) Mother Nature once again came into play at the IHRA Northern Nationals in Martin, Michigan and prevented teams from...
Great Air And Fast Friday Qualifying At Protect The Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals
(Photos by Mike Burghardt – Words and video courtesy of NHRA Communications) Reigning Funny Car world champion Del Worsham sprinted to the provisional top qualifier in record setting fashion...
Leah Pritchett Delivers With Papa John’s Pizza Sponsorship
(Photos by Mike Burghardt) Top Fuel racer Leah Pritchett received an extra-large boost this weekend when Papa John’s International Inc. announced it will sponsor her Don Schumacher Racing Top...
Bowen, Litton, Turner Take IHRA Mopar Rocky Mountain Nationals – Wild Photo Sequence Inside
(Photos by Big Bob Snyder – Words by IHRA Communications and Darr Hawthorne) Shawn Bowen, driving his “Violator” nitro funny car captured the AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car title at...
Sunday Eliminations Begin At IHRA Mopar Rocky Mountain Nationals Edmonton!
(Photos by Big Bob Snyder – Words courtesy of IHRA Communications) With just two points races remaining in the 2016 IHRA Drag Racing season, Jason Rupert increased his points lead with...
Jason Rupert Sets IHRA Nitro Funny Car Track Record 5.5536!
(Photos by Big Bob Snyder) At Castrol Raceway during the the IHRA Mopar Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports, Jason Rupert’s “Rolling Thunder” ’69...
What I Do In My Spare Time – Hot Chicks And Nitro Funny Cars!
(Words by Darr Hawthorne – Photos by Darr Hawthorne and Jesse Benson) – In addition to contributing to BangShift.com, one of the occasional jobs I’ve got is providing “picture...
Eagle Field Runway Drags – Hot Rods, Gassers, Dragsters And Throwback Flag Starts!
(Photos by Jamie Shores-Fraijo) – There’s a growing bunch of hot rodders and drag racers that are flying well under the radar of the sanctioning bodies and throngs of spectators who attend...
Classic Funny Car And Gasser Action At Annual Pace Performance Funny Car Nationals!
(Words by Dennis Salzwimmer – Photos by ‘Big’ Bob Snyder) Memorial Day weekend the 9th Annual Pace Performance Funny Car Nationals and Nostalgia Classic to Quaker City...
Funnies and Fuel Altereds at Barona Drags – Worsham, Densham, & Lee in May 28th Epic Nitro Battle!
When Mello Yello nitro drag racers get some time off for the Memorial Day weekend, the last weekend off the NHRA circuit from now till July, instead of taking a break Del Worsham, Gary Densham...
46th Annual Antique Nationals Fires Up At Auto Club Fontana Drags!
(Words and photos by Darr Hawthorne) – The Antique Nationals began decades ago; it was an event specifically to celebrate 4-cylinder powered hot rods at a time when the memory of those...
Firebird Raceway’s 46th NAPA Ignitor Features Top Heritage Series Nitro Funny Cars!
(Words by Darr Hawthorne – Photos by Mike Burghardt, Jeff Burghardt and Darr Hawthorne) Its back to the strip again for the oldest major event in the Pacific Northwest, the 46th edition of the...
Good News! Leah Pritchett Returns For Four-Wide Nationals In Lagana Top Fueler!
Leah Pritchett will continue to compete in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series driving the Nitro Ninja Top Fuel Dragster owned by the Lagana family at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals this coming...
