NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Fans in the Mile-High City of Denver will get to see drag racing’s finest July 22-24 as the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series begins the famed Western Swing with the 37th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at scenic Bandimere Speedway. At the same time, a nationwide audience also will be watching the event, as Sunday's finals will be showcased live on the FOX national broadcast network. It is the first time in NHRA history that NHRA racing will air live on a national television network. 
 
The Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals is the traditional starting point for the exciting but daunting Western Swing, which features three races in three weekends in the western region of the U.S. Drivers and teams will have to be on top of their games at fan-favorite Bandimere Speedway during a crucial stretch of the season with only five races to go until the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship gets under way.
 
The best in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle will continue their quest for championship points and illuminated win lights this year at Bandimere Speedway. Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Larry Morgan (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are the defending winners of the 14th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
 
The Western Swing, made up of national events at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, and Pacific Raceways in Seattle, has always been one of the most challenging parts of the season for Mello Yello Series competitors, with teams having to develop tune-ups for three extremely different weather conditions at each venue. Starting at the fan-favorite dragstrip in the beautiful foothills just west of downtown Denver sets the tone for three very exciting races.
 
At an elevation of more than 5,800 feet, the Bandimere Speedway altitude affects everything from engine tune-ups to aerodynamics. Crews must adapt their setups to power-making combinations and battle the lack of downforce to tackle the unique racing environment that the mighty Rocky Mountains present.
 

In Top Fuel, Torrence raced past eight-time world champ Tony Schumacher in the Denver final round last year to claim his first win of the season. Torrence will have a good shot at defending his event title, having already raced to two victories in four final rounds this year. Torrence, benefiting from the tuning skills of Richard Hogan, Bobby Lagana, and consultant Alan Johnson, is having the best season of his career in his Capco Contractors/Torrence Racing dragster. The Texan has claimed six No. 1 qualifiers and is third in points. He is one win from matching his career high of three wins in a season, which came in 2012, and is in a good position to enter the Countdown with a real shot at winning the championship.
 
The Kalitta Motorsports team always looks forward to returning to Bandimere Speedway and has had plenty of success there throughout the years. J.R Todd, driver of the SealMaster dragster, won the event two years ago to claim his only victory of the 2014 season and the first Kalitta Motorsports win there in five years. Owner Connie Kalitta has two wins at the track, and his son, the late Scott Kalitta, had three. Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, also claimed a victory there in 2010. Doug raced to three consecutive victories in his Mac Tools dragster earlier this season and will be eager to make his way back into the winner’s circle in Denver.
 
The 2016 winner of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals also will be looking to become the sixth driver in Top Fuel to sweep the three events of the Western Swing, one of the hardest feats in sports. Joe Amato (1991), Cory McClenathan (1997), Larry Dixon (2003), Schumacher (2008), and current points leader Antron Brown (2009) are the only Top Fuel drivers who have claimed the coveted trifecta of Denver, Sonoma, and Seattle wins in the same season, and a slew of contenders, including Bristol winner Shawn Langdon, two-time 2016 winner Brittany Force, Aussie Richie Crampton, and Clay Millican will be looking to add their names to the history books.

Jack Beckman

 
In Funny Car, Beckman claimed his third Denver victory last year by outlasting John Force in the final round. Beckman raced on to the best season of his career, tallying seven wins in 2015. The driver of the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T finished second in points and holds that position now after his win in Chicago.

 

The only Funny Car driver with more victories at Bandimere Speedway than Beckman is 16-time world champion Force, and Bandimere Speedway has been a favorite of the entire John Force Racing stable of Funny Cars. Three JFR drivers have combined for 11 victories at the picturesque dragstrip. Force, the winningest driver in NHRA history and the only Funny Car driver to ever sweep the Western Swing, has six wins in Denver, most recently in 2011. He raced to a runner-up finish in Denver last year and did the same earlier this season in Phoenix. Teammate Robert Hight, who raced to victory at the Gatornationals, has three victories at Bandimere Speedway, including one in 2014. Two-time world champ Tony Pedregon, now an analyst for the Mello Yello Series on FOX and FOX Sports 1, may not be a member of the JFR team anymore, but he won the event in 1998 and 1999 for the team.
 
The Funny Car field is more competitive than ever, and drivers such as four-time 2016 winner Ron Capps, two-time world champ Matt Hagan, Houston winner Courtney Force, Las Vegas winner Alexis DeJoria, Tim Wilkerson, Bristol winner Tommy Johnson Jr., and reigning world champ Del Worsham will be looking to showcase record-setting performances en route to the winner’s circle.

 

The Pro Stock race at Bandimere Speedway in 2015 featured a major upset as Morgan sprinted past then back-to-back-to-back Denver winner Allen Johnson in the final round. In one of the most exciting Pro Stock races of the year, the competitors battled in an intense 1-minute, 45-second staging duel before Morgan turned on the win light.
 
Johnson, nicknamed the “King of the Mountain,” has raced to the final round in Denver every year for the past nine seasons. He is a six-time winner there and will hope to make his 10th straight final-round appearance this year in a redesigned Pro Stock class, which features fuel-injected engines, flat hoods, 10,500-rpm rev limiters, and shortened wheelie-bars.
 
The new era of Pro Stock has so far been dominated by Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro teammates Jason Line and Greg Anderson. Line has won seven races in 11 final-round appearances, and Anderson, the only Pro Stock driver to sweep the Swing, has won six events in 10 final rounds. Line and Anderson are first and second in points, but both say they can feel the competition creeping up on them. Drivers such as Bo Butner, who has three runner-up finishes this year; Johnson, who raced his Marathon Dodge Dart to a runner-up finish in Epping; two-time and defending world champ Erica Enders; 2015 top rookie Drew Skillman; veteran racer and New Mexico native Shane Gray; and Vincent Nobile are nipping at the Summit team’s heels.

Eddie Krawiec

 
Pro Stock Motorcycle will hit the track at Bandimere Speedway for its seventh race of the 2016 season. Last year, Krawiec raced to his first victory of the season on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. Krawiec, the points leader, has raced to two wins already this year and has one runner-up finish.

 

Reigning world champ and four-time Denver winner Andrew Hines is second after his recent win in Chicago while three-time world champ Angelle Sampey, who won her first race since 2007 recently in Englishtown, is in third, ahead of  Louisiana alligator farmer Jerry Savoie and his White Alligator Racing Suzuki, which has two runner-up finishes. Others to watch in the two-wheel class include 2015 event runner-up Hector Arana Jr., Scotty Pollacheck, LE Tonglet, Karen Stoffer, and veteran racers Matt Smith, Steve Johnson, Hector Arana Sr., and Chip Ellis.
 
The Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, where the future stars of the sport earn their racing stripes.
 
As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand how the highly skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.
 
As part of NHRA’s ongoing celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Funny Car class, one legendary Funny Car driver will be honored during the pre-race ceremony.
 
Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.
 
Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 22, and the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday, July 23, at 4 and 6:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, July 24.
 
To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-664-UWIN (8946) or 303-697-6001 or log on to www.bandimere.com. Kids 12 and younger will be admitted free in general-admission areas with a paid adult.