AHDRA

AHDRA Opens Motorcycle Drag Racing Season at North Florida

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event: AMA/AHDRA Don “DJ” Johnson Spring Nationals when: March 17-19, 2023 where: North Florida Motorplex, Fountain, USA The AMA/AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing series opened the 2023 season with the Don “DJ” Johnson Spring Nationals presented by MTC Engineering at Fountain, Florida’s eighth mile North Florida Motorplex. While all gasoline classes ran to completion, Top Fuel and Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel will finish at the next event in Rockingham after a series of shutdown area incidents were a cause of concern for AHDRA’s Bill Rowe. The deciding moment was when “Jimmy Mac” McMillan ran off the end of the track in his Top Fuel semi, skipped completely over the sand trap and into the woods when his throttle stuck partially open and his chute failed to deploy. McMillan suffered two broken vertebrae and two broken ribs in the accident. Waiting at the ready line was 2021 champ Ryan Peery for a bye to the final. Peery had his own shutdown drama in the first round of qualifying when his front tire exploded as soon as he touched the brake. His chute also didn’t deploy and Ryan dug deep into the sand. Peery will face current champ Tracy Kile—who thundered away to an advantage that he held to the stripe for a 4.25 to 4.38 win against McMillan—when the final is run at The Rock. The Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel final will also run at Rockingham, with champion Sam White facing “Bad Apple Mary” Dangrow. White’s 4.61 against Jason Leeper gave him lane choice against Mary, who ran 4.91 while beating her teammate Walter Halonski. Nitro Funnybike was able to run to completion, as champion Michael Balch never had an opponent that could fire the bike and stage. “It was a good weekend for me and a good weekend for the […]

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Kile Leads AHDRA Winners at Fabulous North Florida

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event: AHDRA Coca-Cola Southeastern Thunder Nationals when: October 21-23, 2022 where: North Florida Motorplex, Fountain, FL, USA North Florida Motorplex is an all-concrete, drag racing gem set in the Panhandle’s sandy plains. The Kurt Johnson/Total Venue Concepts-ground eighth mile is baby’s bottom smooth, with a shutdown area smoother than many race tracks. Open air party decks sit atop grandstands on both sides of the track. For AHDRA’s Coca-Cola Southeastern Thunder Nationals, local Coca-Cola guests and executives were able to marvel at their first view of flame-throwing Top Fuel Harleys. In between rounds and passes, they were able to keep up with college football while enjoying shade, a cool breeze, a BBQ buffet, beers and Coke products. A sportsman’s paradise. The mix of this fine, refurbished facility and AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing made for a great weekend on October 21-23, and no one took better advantage of what the weekend had to offer than Top Fuel racer Tracy Kile. “Loved everything about the track,” said Kile. “It’s set up to have fun and run well. It’s really awesome when you go to a place that welcomes racers with open arms.” Follow the Events that matter – get up to speed every week – just join the fun by Subscribing to Bikernet Blog’s Free Weekly Newsletter. Click & Go!!! Kile took the Top Fuel final against Cecil County Nitro Funnybike winner Armon Furr, who blew up his big motor early in the weekend. Kile’s main challenge at North Florida was racing without the feedback he’s gotten used to from his dashboard. “My dash quit working,” said Kile. “I thought that I had two good ones with me and neither one of them worked. Once you get used to that shit, it’s hard. I was flying blind, so that’s probably why it

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Great AHDRA Weekend at Cecil County

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event: AHDRA Mid-Atlantic Nitro Showdown presented by Zipper’s Performance Products when: October 7-9, 2022 where: Cecil County Dragway, Rising Sun, Maryland, USA In the minds or racers and spectators alike, Maryland’s Cecil County Dragway is establishing itself as THE premier stop on the AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing circuit. Its smooth and expertly glued and rotated track holds Top Fuel torque and power. Its rural setting on curvy rolling roads is a perfect ride for motorcyclists from the Northeast urban centers. Add in three days of beautiful weather and you have a perfect event. Top Fuel Last year’s Cecil County Top Fuel winner Tracy Kile faced his Bad Apple Racing teammate “Jimmy Mac” McMillan in this year’s final, Number one qualifier Kile was slow off the starting line with a .192 to McMillan’s sharp .028 but was catching up quickly before the bike threw a rod right through a piston at about 1000 feet. His 6.488 at only 176 mph shows how much momentum he lost versus McMillan’s winning 6.485 at 219. “What an incredible weekend,” said McMillin. “Started at the bottom of the list with everything upside down to taking the win. We got to have an all-Bad Apple final, back-to-back wins, and maintained our points lead. Finally got to meet face to face with all of our Bad Apple friends and family that we spend so much time with on social. It was a perfect storm and we were lucky enough to ride it.” Interesting that Floridian McMilllan should use the “Perfect Storm” analogy so shortly after Hurricane Ian swept through his state. “After a week of clearing fallen trees and resurrecting fencing from hurricane Ian, we were flat out exhausted and decided to skip Fridays test session—a decision that would bite us during qualifying. “Saturday during warm-up, we see

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Nitro Top Fuel Harley Party Returns to Cecil County

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event: AHDRA Mid-Atlantic Nitro Showdown presented by Zipper’s Performance Products when: October 7-9, 2022 where: Cecil County Dragway, Rising Sun, Maryland, USA Anyone who attended last year’s AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing series stop at Cecil County Dragway knows that this is one explosive motorsports event. Nothing beats the violent thrust of a big Top Fuel nitro V-Twin engine, and this is the time and place to see these incredible motorcycles, the burly men who ride them, and the biker lifestyle that surrounds them. Last year’s winner Tracy Kile and his Bad Apple Racing teammates Dr. Jimmy “Mack” McMillan and Frank “Brother” Capone headline a field that includes 2020 AHDRA champ Rich Vreeland, NHRA record holder Bob Malloy, Billy “Jack” Jackson, country gentleman Ziggy Schwartz and more. Veteran racer Larry “Grey Ghost” Stanley will be honored at this event for his dedication to Nitro Harley racing. Hawaya Racing Nitro Funnybike champion Michael Balch will be taking on all comers in the high gear-only class, while the Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel carbureted class will see it’s usual slew of competitors. Milan winner Phil Lower, Rocky Jackson, Jim Martin, and Sam White are just some of the racers expected to attend, and Bad Apple’s Mary Dangrow will make her nitro debut. Gasoline can be just as exciting as nitro, especially when burned in no-bar, street tire bikes. Charging Charley Douglass took the Milan Dragway GMS Racing Engines Xtreme Outlaw win in an all-turbo final, and expect that kind of action again at Cecil County. If we’re lucky, the seldom seen nitrous badass Mike Motto will make this one. Super popular Baggers are expected in force, including Jason Broski and his all-motor Horsepower Inc. Pro Outlaw Bagger Milan winner, and Super Stock and V-Twin Powersports Hot Rod Baggers Pro classes MTC Pro Comp

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Kile Leads Milan Dragway AHDRA Winners

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event: AHDRA Southern Michigan Bike Fest when: July 29-31, 2022 where: Milan Dragway, Michigan, USA AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing provided the mid summer thunder with the Southern Michigan Bike Fest at reborn Milan Dragway on July 29-31, and Bad Apple Racing’s Tracy Kile thundered the longest. Top Fuel winner Kile wasn’t the fastest dog all weekend but kept the candles lit across the line each and every pass—most importantly in the final. “Our motor was hurt all weekend,” said Kile. “I was the only guy that went down the track all six passes, and it probably was because I was a little underpowered. 6.60 And .70 was really as quick as that bike was going to run all weekend.” Kile’s performance problem was a lack of good sealing rings that has plagued the class and it’s enormous pistons. “You know, we’re all struggling with this ring issue. It just ain’t sealing up good. When you come back from a pass, it’s got a bunch of nitro in the oil. You put two quarts in to race, you come back and you take four quarts out. You know that’s just slowing you down.” Still, Kile’s consistency qualified him number one with a 6.69 at 206 mph. Defending Top Fuel Champion Ryan Peery found good power and bite on raceday, though, and put down a couple .40s to establish himself as the performance leader. But when Peery and Kile met in the final, Ryan’s performance lasted only about 330 feet. “The bike dropped a hole first,” reported Peery. “Then idling down the track, the motor stopped completely. The motor cases bearing keeper backed out and locked the motor up. A burnt hole in a valve either caused the initial problem or was a result of the motor suddenly stopping. Good thing

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AHDRA Nitro Harleys Coming to Milan Dragway

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AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing is bringing their big-time nitro Harley show to reborn Milan Dragway on July 29-31. event: AHDRA Southern Michigan Bike Fest when: July 29-31, 2022 where: Milan Dragway, Michigan, USA The Southern Michigan Bike Fest will see Top Fuel Harleys, Nitro Funnybikes, Pro Fuel, all the gas classes, and even the return of Jr. Dragbikes! Everything a motorcycle lover would want to see, hear and smell will be thundering down Milan’s quarter mile. Feeling racy? You too can thunder your own American-made motorcycle at Milan during the Bike Fest! It’s been a minute since AHDRA’s weeper-shortened, season-opening Don “DJ” Johnson Nitro Spring Nationals sponsored by MTC and Gainesville Harley-Davidson, and Top Fuel Champion Ryan Peery will be anxious to notch a win and defend his title. 2020 champ Rich Vreeland will seek to regain his title-winning form, and will be joined by “Billy Jack” Jackson, Robert “Ziggy” Stewart, Bad Apple Racing’s Tracy Kile and Dr. Jimmy “Mac” McMillin, and more. Hawaya Racing Nitro Funnybike champion Michael Balch loves making winning laps on his mean machine. Chris Smith loves doing the same on Peery’s always stout “Big Nasty.” But Smith fractured his thumb in Bowling Green and won’t be racing at Milan. Balch will still have Sam White and Rocky Jackson to deal with, amongst others. White and Jackson also have Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel carbureted nitro mounts to ride, along with Jim Martin, Jason Leeper and a growing horde of others. Leeper also is the defending 11.50 index champ. He and his son Jordan race multiple gasoline classes, which form the backbone of AHDRA. Pingel Modified, GMS Racing Engines Xtreme Outlaw, V-Twin Powersports Hot Rod Bagger, Super Stock Bagger, Horsepower Inc. Pro Outlaw Bagger, MTC Pro Comp Outlaw, Vreeland’s Harley-Davidson Super Gas 9.90, Super Pro 10.30,

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AHDRA to Remember “Nitro Santa” with Gainesville Opener

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event: AHDRA Don “D.J.” Johnson Nitro Spring Nationals sponsored by MTC and Gainesville Harley-Davidson when: April 1-3, 2022 where: Gainesville Raceway, Florida, USA Only a legend like the late Don “D.J.” Johnson could bring out the Top Fuel Harley-Davidson community like what is expected at the AHDRA season opener at Gainesville Raceway. Named in honor of the man known worldwide as the “Nitro Santa,” the inaugural Don “D.J.” Johnson Nitro Spring Nationals sponsored by MTC and Gainesville Harley-Davidson will be a historic event in nitro Harley drag racing. So defending AHDRA Top Fuel champion Ryan Peery will have his hands full at this event, and the whole year as well. The thundering, flaming, nitro Top Fuel bikes are expected to flock to AHDRA races this season like never before. And when memorializing the legend that was D.J. headlines the event, you can expect racers from all over the world to come pay high-peed homage. That includes Japanese H-D dealer Tak Shigematsu—famous for his record-breaking kamikaze attacks down the quarter mile aboard D.J.’s supercharged monster. Two-time NHRA champs Randal Andras and Tii Tharpe will be there, both riding alongside their team boss Jay Turner—a multi-time, multi-sanction champion himself. 2020 AHDRA champ Rich Vreeland will be in the house, along with Bad Apple Racing’s Tracy Kile and Dr. Jimmy “Mac” McMillan. Tim Kerrigan will have some help from legendary builder/tuner/rider Mike Romine to put his and teammate Frank Velasco’s beautiful bikes in the winners circle. Chris Smith, Billy Jackson, and Dean Communal will be back on track, and Rebel Glover will again be on Jake Stordeur’s Knucklehead Racing bike. So while Peery will have to be on top of his game, he proved what he can do by winning both the AHDRA and AMRA championships last year and damn near winning the

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Peery Win Streak Continues at AHDRA

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AHDRA motorcycle drag racing race coverage report by Tim Hailey with photos by Mike Davis. event: AHDRA Southern Nationals when: September 17-18, 2021 where: South Carolina Motorplex, Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA From the U.S. Nationals in Indy to AHDRA’s Southern Nationals in Orangeburg, Ryan Peery is enjoying a streak like few other racers ever. Heat and humidity, cool and dry, quarter mile or South Carolina Motorplex’s eighth—Peery has mastered them all in 2021 as he wins Top Fuel Harley races one after another in multiple sanctions, including AHDRA, NHRA, and just last weekend at AMRA. Peery could be headed to multiple Top Fuel Harley championships this year, including the AHDRA all-American motorcycle drag racing series. His final round win against Dr. Jimmy “Mack” McMillan at Orangeburg on September 17-18 might have sealed the deal. Qualifying number one, Peery had the bye while running consistent 4.20’s all weekend, while McMillan had to face Bad Apple Racing’s Tracy Kile—the winner of AHDRA’s Cecil County event. “Jimmy ran some personal bests and took out Tracy,” said Peery. “He and I paired up for the final, and it looked like he was lined up a little crooked and he crossed center. Jimmy is doing a great job though. He will turn into a tough competitor with a little more seat time.” Local second generation star Armon Furr won Hawaya Racing Nitro Funnybike, beating points leader Michael Balch in the final. “I appreciate everyone that came out and participated in the event,” Furr said first off. “I hope we can try it again, maybe this time earlier in the year. If we are going to have a race in South Carolina, this is the best track even though it is eighth mile. “Not really much to tell about my performance because I didn’t really do

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AHDRA Nitro Lighting Up Sturgis

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AHDRA motorcycle drag racing series pre-race report event: AHDRA Sturgis Nitro Nationals when: August 8-10, 2021 where: Sturgis Dragway, Sturgis, South Dakota, USA AHDRA all-American motorcycle drag racing will entertain fans and enrich racers right in the heart of the world’s biggest motorcycle rally—Sturgis—with the AHDRA Sturgis Nitro Nationals on August 8-10. The eighth mile Sturgis Dragway will thunder with the sounds and smells of nitro and gasoline Harleys and Indians in the perfect setting for having good times and setting quick times. Tony Ruggiero, Mike Bahnmaeir, Michael Balch, Rocky Jackson, Sam White and Jim Martin will be among those pounding nitro with big feakin’ pistons, spitting flames and taking names as they seek to collect AHDRA plaques and winners’ stickers. Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel pilot Martin and Vreeland’s Harley-Davidson 6.35 racer Joe Glaze will be among those seeking bonuses for winning two years (or more) in a row. Glaze, J.J. Stringer, and Crosby Blair prefer to light their fires with gasoline and will be joining many, many other racers doing the same. The cross-country touring 187 Custom Cycles team of builder Patrick Lynch and riders Victor Gotay and Crystal Lynch will race their badass Baggers in Law Tigers Pro Bagger and T-Man Performance Bagger Eliminator. Other classes include Top Fuel Harley, Hawaya Racing Nitro Funnybike, GMS Racing Pro Open, Zippers Performance Pro Modified, Pingel Modified, Horsepower Incorporated Hot Street, Mad Monkey Motorsports Eliminator, Universal Fleet & Tire 7.00 index,5.95 index, 6.60 index, 7.35 index, and Trophy. AHDRA is proud to be partnered with Donna and Wayne Pingel, slated to be inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame. Congratulations Donna and Wayne, we hope to see you at the dragstrip! So come out to the AHDRA drag races and have some good, dirty fun! Stay sober and have

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AHDRA Racing Opens at the Closing of Atlanta Dragway

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The AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing series gave Atlanta Dragway a flaming, thundering, nitro Harley send-off, as the AHDRA opened its 2021 campaign at the soon-to-be-razed Commerce, Georgia speed facility on April 17-18. Click Here to Read all the action that happened and the results on Bikernet. Join the Cantina for exclusive content – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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