NHRA Sportsman Racing Updates!

Welcome to the NHRA Sportsman Roundup, your one-stop-shop for the latest in the world of sportsman racing – including programs like the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Summit Racing Series and more!

Each month we will bring you the latest sportsman-centric content from NHRA, from news stories and video features to announcements on contingency additions and the latest from our Racer Advantage program!

  Sportsman Racer of the Month: Keith Mayers

  Eight First-Time Winners Crowned as JDRL Eastern Conference Finals Celebrate 25th Anniversary in Bristol

  With Summit ET Finals On Deck, NHRA Extends New License/Transfer Program

  Holy Cal! 81-Year-Old Wins Stock in Seattle

  Vetter’s First National Nearly Historic in Sonoma

  Severance, Gordon Top Seattle LODRS Winners 

  A Champion’s Take: Alvie Merrill Dishes on Winning a World Championship

  Fletcher Headlines Winners at JEGS SPORTSnationals

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WILD DIVISION 1 DOUBLE AT NUMIDIA SEES NEW WINNERS

The Division 1 trip to Numidia, Pennsylvania’s beautiful drag strip delivered great racing action and some fun final rounds over its four days of racing action. In the opening race, Paul Stalba made an emphatic statement that he has arrived on the scene in Stock Eliminator. The son of national event winning husband and wife duo Karen and Tom, the younger Stalba chopped down the tree all event before dropping a perfect reaction time in a heads-up B/SA final with D1 stalwart Bubba Linke. Both cars ran more than 1.1-seconds under the index, with Stalba using his starting line advantage to hang on.

Speaking of generational racers, Kelly Kundratic joined her fiance, John Ausherman, as a first-time divisional winner in 2025. Kundratic took home the Wally in race one of Super Comp when Davy Markle turned it red. Kundratic’s father, Jeff, finished fourth in the world one year ago. Ausherman won the Baby Gators in TAD.

In Comp, Joe Carnasciale catapulted himself into the national championship conversation with a pair of final round appearances. In race one, a -.016 red light saw the win go by default to Glen Treadwell. Carnasciale used the defeat as motivation in race two, taking down Santo Volpe in the final to win. Carnasciale finds himself third in the Lucas Oil championship standings, just 18 points behind Taylor Chomiski.

South Central Division Summit ET Finals

Texas Motorplex – August 15-17, 2025

The first Summit ET Finals of the season is upon us. Teams from across NHRA’s South Central Division 4 will converge on the Texas Motorplex, in the midst of its historic 40th season, to compete for the right to join the best bracket racers in the world at the NHRA Nevada Nationals in Las Vegas later this year. The winning drivers in Sportsman, Pro, Super Pro and ET Motorcycle will earn the right to represent the ‘Good Guys’ and attempt to join the likes of 2024 Pro champion Alvie Merrill as Summit World Champions from Division 4.

The ET Finals at the Texas Motorplex are loaded with incentives for racers from new NHRA Member Tracks to compete and flex their muscle. On top of sportsman appreciation dinner, on-track events throughout the week will see increased purses, and racers can go toe-to-toe with the best on property in a practice tree challenge. Plus, the champions on Sunday will earn the right to compete for history in Las Vegas with the debut of the first Summit World Finals Team Championship, and the bonus money that comes with it.