InsideTopAlcohol

JOLIET, Ill. (May 31, 2017) – After being selected as one of 25 finalists in Champion Spark Plugs’ ‘Search for a Champion’ contest, Marina Anderson will begin her 2017 season with the final passes required to earn her NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster license. Anderson and her family-owned A/Fuel dragster anticipate a multi-race schedule with the NHRA and ADRL series. The Illinois team will be working with Premium Motorsports Products (PMP) to accommodate its parts supply needs and to provide supplementary technical support.



Anderson, 24, was one of only two drag racers to be named a finalist in the 2017 Search for a Champion contest, put on by Champion Spark Plugs since 2012. Anderson’s story of fabricating and driving her nitromethane-injected A/Fuel dragster captured the attention of thousands of voters over the multiple voting periods required to reach the “Finalist” status.

“It was definitely rewarding to be named a finalist because there were over a thousand entries,” Anderson said. “It was an honor to know that I was in the top 25 of the thousand on-the-track entries. It’s been a really big honor to be a part of it and to have people, some that I didn’t even know, telling me that they voted for me. It’s been a humbling experience.”

Anderson and her dragster, built at Competition Fabrications, will head to Route 66 Raceway this weekend for the Burndown at Sundown NHRA North Central Region race, June 2-4. Though she isn’t entering the race, Anderson will use the opportunity to make her final licensing runs. Once she has her Top Alcohol Dragster license, the Anderson Family Dragster team plan to attend the ADRL race in Martin (Michigan) and an NHRA regional event in Earlville, IA, while additional race dates are tentatively planned.

“This season is special to us because this will be the first time we get to bring the car to races. We’re really getting somewhere and all of...

JOLIET, Ill. (June 2) -- Chicago is definitely Mia Tedesco's kind of town.

The reigning world champion in drag racing's Super Gas category blew through the Windy City last year and swept up both the Division 3 and the national event trophies in her CARS Vehicle Service Contracts /VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier.

At this weekend's Burndown at Sundown D3 race, Tedesco hopes to simply add to her perfect 14-0 record from 2016.

"We didn't drop a single round last year so if we can ride that momentum this weekend, we'll be really happy," Tedesco said. "Matching what we did last year is no small task. We know what it took and we know how hard it will be to repeat, but we're certainly going to try.

"I just feel so blessed to be back racing here with my teammate and crew chief Jason Lynch and our crew guy Jason Oteri. Jason's coming off a big win last weekend in Top Sportsman so we definitely feel like we have everything in place to win again."

Tedesco, the only female champion in Super Gas history, will have two chances to score a victory this weekend. In addition to her Super Gas entry, she'll be racing her CARS Vehicle Service Contracts/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster.

"We're going rounds at every race but I haven't won yet this year," Tedesco said. "We're trying our best and sooner or later it will all fall into place. It's tough racing at this level. We're considered amateurs in the sportsman categories but there are a lot of professional amateurs running out here.

"Every round is so tough and when you have to win seven to get the trophy, like you do in Super Gas most of the time, you have to be pretty much perfect plus have...

Less than 2 weeks out from the prestigious 50th anniversary Winternationals, 19 times Australian Champion Gary Phillips is preparing both of his 3500+ horsepower Lucas Oils vehicles to tackle oversubscribed fields in both Pro Alcohol and Pro Slammer.

“It’s just great to see so many cars turn up for this historic event. There are 16 cars entered for Pro Alcohol, and I’m anticipating a bump spot in the high 5.40s to low 5.50s. There are also 17 Pro Slammers fighting for a spot in the 8 car field, and I don’t doubt there will be a record bump spot in that field as well - probably with an elapsed time around the 5.88 mark”,said Gary.


As the Winternationals most successful racer in Australian history with 13 wins to his credit, Gary has been reflecting on some of those achievements, dating back to his first win at Surfers Paradise in 1978.

“I’ve been very fortunate to win the Winternationals 13 times, and it doesn’t matter what class I’ve run in, they’ve all meant a lot. It is without a doubt, the biggest race of our whole year, and everyone strives to win the coveted Winternationals Gold Christmas tree trophy”.

Gary has won the Winternationals at both tracks where the event has been held (5 times at Surfers Paradise International Raceway & 8 times at Willowbank Raceway). He has taken home the trophy once in Modified Eliminator (1978), 6 times in Competition Eliminator (1982, 83, 84, 85, 88 and 1990), as well as 6 times in the Top & Pro Alcohol classes (1995, 98, 2000, 03, 04 and most recently in 2016).

“The 1988 Winternationals probably stands out the most, as it was the first year it was held at its new permanent home at Willowbank. To have event wins in 3 different classes is great, but I’m really hoping I can add Pro Slammer, and another Pro Alcohol one to that list this year, especially since there is only ever one 50th anniversary event”.

“This event (which is held on June 9-11) really caps off a big...