Matt Smith and JR Todd join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast to talk about their respective weekends in Bristol, Tennessee at the Thunder Valley Nationals and to chat about the last two races of the season. Both men are in a strong championship position with Smith leading the Pro Stock Motorcycle category into Las Vegas and Todd launching himself into third place on the strength of his Bristol race day.    For Matt Smith, the conversation revolves around consistency, not beating himself, and letting the world know that Angie will be back on her motorcycle to defend her win last year at what was the season-closing event. He talks about buying a Suzuki, building a Suzuki, and having his options open for 2021 as to what he plans on riding. Interesting stuff!   JR Todd talks about coming away from a Bristol Sunday one round short of a win but far stronger in points and confidence. After struggling in qualifying, Todd and his DHL Toyota Camry crew mowed down the likes of John Force, Matt Hagan, and Ron Capps in eliminations before drawing the short straw against Alexis DeJoria in the final round. An interesting conversation with a reenergized former champion!

NHRA Insider Podcast

3.39 Coming Up On The Long Side of Short

Greg Anderson and Ron Capps join NHRA Insider Podcast host Brian Lohnes to talk about their success at Texas, their championship hopes, and in the case of Capps an interesting upcoming weekend at Bristol Dragway.    Greg Anderson made history at Dallas last weekend, winning his 98th career pro stock racing and supplanting Warren Johnson as the all-time leader in class history. It has been an amazing year for Anderson so far but he knows that there's no time to lift off the throttle with the likes of Erica Enders hot on his heels for the pro stock championship. Anderson talks about his season, his career, and where his inner drive to win comes from.    Ron Capps ruled the funny car roost in Texas and now trails Matt Hagan by a small 33 points headed into the last three races of the season. This is a fun conversation that touches on many different points from the Dallas win, a championship mentality, and the potential pitfalls to avoid this weekend in Bristol.    Pair all this up with some Insider news from an explosive week of NHRA breaking reveals and things are going to get really interesting, really quick!

3.38 A Pair of Hot Shoes

This week pro stock racer Dallas Glenn and pro stock motorcycle racer Angelle Sampey join host Brian Lohnes on the NHRA Insider podcast. The two competitors are in the midst of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship and they each have a fighting chance of getting the job done.    In the case of Dallas Glenn, the rookie has been nothing short of sensational in his first season behind the wheel of the tightest class in NHRA. He discusses his personal growth this season, the reasons for his success, and how he can take on the last handful of races to try and make a dent in the points to contend for a championship. He provides great insight into KB Racing's all-out competition strategy and how he always seems to elevate his performance in the final rounds of events he competes in.    Angelle Sampey won Charlotte in this most emotional way anyone can remember. It was a race day filled with extreme emotions and she recounts them all. The conversation with Angelle ranges through her approach to competition, her team, the mistakes she has made in her career, and how she's grown from them, as well as the things she will do to attempt to win a 4th championship in the unforgiving landscape of NHRA pro stock motorcycle.    Add in a Dallas preview, a Stampede of Speed layout, rumors, and pit scuttlebutt and you have one full show!  

3.37 In The Hunt

Tony Pedregon and Josh Hart join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider. Lohnes and Pedregon go over who has risen and who has fallen over the last four races, who can get their program righted, and who is in big trouble as the countdown continues. They talk some silly season stuff and layout what needs to be done for certain teams to lock down a title or at least get back in the fight.    Josh Hart joins to talk about racing four events in a row, winning Charlotte, and working not only with his sponsors but with his team and all of the moving parts associated with it. This is an enlightening conversation with a man who is determined to make himself a force to be reckoned with in top fuel drag racing.    Two radically different chats here and one fun show.

3.36 The Truth is the Same in Both Directions

Alexis DeJoria and Clay Millican join Brian Lohnes on the NHRA Insider podcast this week to talk about their strong seasons and what it will take to move from being good cars to great cars. Both teams and drivers have made finals in 2021 but neither has closed the deal on the 4th win light of a Sunday afternoon. Alexis and Clay share great insights into their teams and how the pieces all come together a certain way on those weekends when the round wins stack up. Lohnes talks about Charlotte, what to look for in St Louis and some of the insider stories that you love to hear on this show.

3.35 Going from Good to Great

Steve Johnson and Edmund Richardson join host Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast. Johnson after a stunning triumph at the Countdown Opening event at Maple Grove Raceway and Richardson after a larger-than-life reentry into NHRA sportsman racing with victories in consecutive weeks at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and the Dodge SRT US Nationals.    Steve Johnson is introspective and analytical about not only his win in Maple Grove but the arc of his career in NHRA drag racing. It is a career that thus far has not yielded a championship but this year he is sitting on the best equipment he has ever had and feels as though he is a legitimate contender. The results back this assertion up. Johnson talks about his mistakes, his growth, and how he has taken the points lead in pro stock motorcycle.    Edmund Richardson is one of the greatest sportsman drag racers ever. After some time away from the sport he has back. His confidence high and his attitude highly positive. The man is having fun and plans to race for championships on the divisional and national level. The man who has done it all has goals and we're all going to get to watch him try and make them happen.    Two great chats on this episode of the Insider!

3.34 The Iron Men

Erica Enders and Cruz Pedregon join host Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast. The conversations are wide-ranging and cover not only the success of both drivers on the track but also the pressures and hidden work that's done away from the track to win on Sunday. Cruz Pedregon is entering the 2021 NHRA Countdown to the Championship with the best car and team he has had in years. The conversation carries through many elements of the 2021 season like how the team has gelled, how Cruz has adapted himself to serving as a dedicated owner and driver, and how he sees driving a nitro funny car as an "old school" competitor. Fun, honest stuff here! Erica Enders scooped up her second US Nationals win in a row last weekend and is riding a strong wave of performance into the countdown. Her race day on Sunday was not "typical Erica" but it was strong enough to earn her another US Nationals win in her third straight final round at the event. Again, the conversation goes into great depths on the mental side of competition and what's ahead in the Countdown!

3.33 Counting Down to Championship Success

Tony Pedregon joins Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider and the two talk about the biggest drag race in the world and the biggest event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season. The Dodge SRT NHRA US Nationals conversation ranges from the racing surface itself to a class by class breakdown of who is coming into the end of the regular season with bells on and who is needing to drastically improve their program to fight for a title. Drivers who are sleepers and those who seem to be destined for victory are analyzed and broken down. A big show about the Big GO and it's WAY in-depth!

3.32 Big Questions and Big Answers at the Big Go

Blake Alexander and Aaron Stanfield join host Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast. Alexander, who races with Jim Head in the nitro funny car category has seen positive successes over the last several races with increasing numbers of round wins and even a semi-final appearance under his belt. He talks about the road to getting their race car back, the work they have put in, and how the team will approach the rest of the season, especially as they appear a virtual lock to make the NHRA Countdown in the 10th position. An enlightening conversation about nitro racing. The second guest is the winningest pro stock driver on the 2021 season so far, Aaron Stanfield. With three victories and four final-round appearances under his belt in 2021, the sky appears to be the limit for the 2020 Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown champion. Stanfield talks winning, his insane three class schedule at the Dodge SRT US Nationals, how he will approach a championship run, and the work he puts in between races at the family race engine shop. A smart, driven, young man, Stanfield is a second generation racer who has applied the lessons his father has taught him with great skill. Two interesting chats this week!

3.31 Young and Hungry Racers

NHRA Chief Starter Brad Hardy and multi-time funny car world champion Matt Hagan join Brian Lohnes on the NHRA Insider Podcast. The conversations are both very different. Starting with Hardy, he discusses his role in the epic staging battle waged between Bruno Massel and Mason McGaha last week in Topeka, Kansas. He talks about the process, the communication, the inside information about what was happening, and ultimately his decision to DQ both competitors when they refused to stage on his orders. It is the first time we have ever heard a starter talk about this stuff in-depth! The second conversation is with Matt Hagan. He talks about the tightness of the funny car points chase, the quality of the cars, the approach he and his team are on, and yes, we delve into the recent starting line controversies which have carried the discussion week to week. A fun, informal, and informational chat with a guy who is more than capable of collecting another world championship.

3.30 Between the Lanes and Between the Ears

Josh Hart and Tony Pedregon join host Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast. Hart talks about the hurdles of getting back on track full time in 2021 and how he has been working hard to make sure his team is championship caliber when he returns. Hart is chasing Rookie of the Year honors and is relentless in his pursuit of building a team worthy of his own expectations. This is an interesting conversation. Tony Pedregon breaks down the results of the NHRA Western Swing both good and bad for the premier teams in the sport. A discussion is had about the John Force - Matt Hagan tension at Pomona and what it could mean for the men going forward. Lohnes and Pedregon then look forward to Topeka and discuss the track and who should be bringing the high hard one at the Menard's Nationals presented by Pet Armor.

3.29 the Josh and Tony Show

Justin Ashley and JR Todd join the NHRA's Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast. They talk about their personal experiences at what was a dramatic running of the NHRA Lucas Oil Winternationals in Pomona, California. Intense heat, a race track that was over 140-degrees, and the mental chess of late regular-season competition all added up to some of the wildest drag racing of the last several seasons. Justin Ashley made the top fuel final but was unable to participate when he was overcome by the heat while strapped into his car. Making one of the hardest decisions of his racing career, he elected to get out of his dragster and Leah Pruett had a solo for the win. We talk about not only that moment but the quality race car that carried him through eliminations as well as his own personal performance. Nitro funny car runner-up JR Todd had a successful weekend with the DHL Toyota Camry team and in so many ways, kept pace with an amazingly tight nitro funny car field. Todd talks about not only racing in the heat but also the addition of his new visor cam, the upcoming challenges in Topeka, Kansas, and why this boiling weekend in Pomona may have helped his team set a championship course for the rest of the year. Great conversations with two of the premier competitors in drag racing today!

3.28 Of Pressure Cookers and Frying Pans

Ron Capps and Sonoma Super Comp Winner Marko Perivolaris join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast. Capps talks about having a fast and consistent nitro funny car, having racked up multiple semi-final finishes in a row on the Camping World Tour. He also talks about the adjustment of having a car that often qualifies atop the field and how his team continues to pour their hearts and souls into turning on their first final round win light of the season. Marko Perivolaris had an incredible and incredibly emotional race day at Sonoma where he was dominant on the starting line and driving a car that was practically glued to the 8.9 second index of super comp. He was racing with his heart set on delivering a win for his late mother and his recently passed friend Kyle Seipel. He did both of those things working in lockstep with his dad and sister. His story of the day and the win is amazing and uplifting. Enjoy!

3.27 Racing From The Head and Racing From The Heart

Joey Haas and Alex Miladonivch join host Brian Lohnes for this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast. The two independent racers are competing with more guts than wallet and they talk about the advantages and disadvantages of both scenarios. Haas had an amazing weekend in Denver, landing in the final round and winning the hearts of drag racing fans across America. Alex has been building his own cars in a garage located in So Cal for years and his brother builds his engines four blocks away. So many sit on the internet and say that "it cannot be done" anymore. These are two men of action who are doing things and eschewing excuses along the way.

3.26 Independently Stealthy

Alex Laughlin joins host Brian Lohnes to talk about the stunning news that he will be racing top fuel at Denver this weekend as part of the Dodge SRT Mile High Nationals. The move came in a pinch when sponsor requirements needed to be met and Laughlin was without his traditional pro modified car. Hooking up with Scott Palmer at the last minute and achieving his top fuel license at a small Kansas Drag Strip, it has been a whirlwind and one that he's happy to be on. With Palmer concentrating on tuning and Laughlin concentrating on driving, the car is definitely going to be a factor. Having had experience through the sportsman ranks, having won races in pro stock, and having gone 250mph in pro mod, this will be a momentous moment in his career. Lohnes talks about all things Denver and the other big news of the NHRA week as well!

3.25 Hey New Guy!

the NHRA Insider Podcast is an inside look at the world of the NHRA and all things drag racing. Hosted by Brian Lohnes.

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NHRA Insider Podcast

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