Listen to this article Both the Kalitta and Coughlin clans are among the family dynasties in NHRA, with Connie Kalitta, nephew Doug and late son Scott on their side of the fence; Jeg, his sons John, Troy, Mike and Jeg Jr, along with Troy Coughlin, Jr., on the other. Now Troy Coughlin Jr. will join Kalitta Motorsports to drive the team’s third Top Fuel dragster, alongside Doug Kalitta and J.R. Todd. Coughlin Jr., who drove in NHRA’s J&A Pro Mod series in 2015 and earned that category’s Rookie of the Year award, has spent the 2016 season racing NHRA’s Division 3’s Super Comp Lucas Oil Sportsman category and currently holds the points lead. Coughlin Jr., 26, has also successfully raced in NHRA’s Jr Dragsters, Super Gas (2013 champ Division 3), and Top Dragster classes. A two-time U.S. Nationals winner, he started the process to gain his nitro license in November of 2015 and made three runs in Shawn Langdon’s Don Schumacher Racing dragster at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports … [Read more...] about Troy Coughlin Jr. signs with Kalitta team for 2017
Team working ground rules
Pedercini Kawasaki team reveals 2023 World Superbike plans
Listen to this article Pedercini was notably absent from last year's 2023 entry list reveal, despite having previously announced its intention to be on the grid as part of a new tie-up with Vinales Racing . Now the Italian squad has confirmed that Vinales, the cousin of MotoGP star Maverick, will be its sole rider for the upcoming campaign, starting with this year's third round of the season at Assen. Vinales, 29, made a single appearance for Pedercini last year at Estoril after losing his full-time ride at the Motoxracing Yamaha team. “I am happy to confirm Isaac will return to the team with us for the 2023 season," said team owner Lucio Pedercini. "We already worked together in Estoril last year, so we know each other a little. "We are working hard behind the scenes and I am confident that the new look team will be able to perform well – in any case we will do our best." Vinales made his WSBK debut in 2021 riding for the Orelac Kawasaki squad, finishing 17th in … [Read more...] about Pedercini Kawasaki team reveals 2023 World Superbike plans
Hines gunning for sixth Pro Stock Motorcycle title
Listen to this article It’s also the youngest of the professional categories and, while Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock each race 24 times during a season the runs from February through much of November, Pro Stock Motorcycle (PSM) has 16 races, starting at the third contest of the year, the Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla. in March of each year. That doesn’t mean PSM is any less competitive than its three brethren, nor does it mean there’s less combativeness between competitors, all thinking the other guy gets a better break. No, PSM is a tense and terse battleground - and for the Countdown to the Championship, it races at the same six venues allocated to the other pro classes. The players in Pro Stock Motorcycle There are four primary motorcycle manufacturers vested in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class: the long-lived Suzuki’s TL1000 and GSXR; Erik Buell’s XB12R, Victory’s Gunner and the Harley-Davidson V-Rod. Only two of these manufacturer’s motorcycles are … [Read more...] about Hines gunning for sixth Pro Stock Motorcycle title
Elite seeks rapid and radical performance boost
Listen to this article The team’s two-time and reigning Pro Stock champion Erica Enders-Stevens had far and away the car to beat for the past couple of seasons and that’s all changed this year. Elite switched from Chevrolet to Dodge cars and engines for the 2016 season. Then part-time teammate from 2015, five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., came onboard full-time. And then the NHRA changed the rules… Instead of using the Mopar engine from 2015, Elite – along with every other team in the Pro Stock category – was forced to change from carbureted to fuel injected engines. This edict was handed down in late July of 2015, giving teams little more than six months to prepare. In addition, the teams went from having no set rpm limit to having to keep their engines at 10,500 rpm or lower. Lacking carburetors, the cars had a different look to them, losing the bulbous noses that were part and parcel of Pro Stock for so long. An amended wheelie-bar size was also … [Read more...] about Elite seeks rapid and radical performance boost
Return of the modest superstar, Larry Dixon
Listen to this article It’s not hard to remember times when NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series fields were over-subscribed with racers vying to make the fields of 16 that race in Sunday eliminations. Go or go home was the mantra. The financial demands of big-time drag racing have taken their toll on fields in the past few years and some drivers and teams have, due to financial hardship, departed the sport, no longer able to function at the highest standards. That wasn’t the case for three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon. True, he lost his ride with Bob Vandergriff Racing (BVR) at the end of the 2015 season when Leah Pritchett brought sponsorship to the team, but at the time Dixon had been dealing with an even bigger battle than one with a 10,000-horsepower-plus dragster. He was recovering from throat cancer; Dixon needed to beat that devil to the winner’s beam. After whipping throat cancer with radiation and chemotherapy over the 2014 off-season (he called it … [Read more...] about Return of the modest superstar, Larry Dixon
All your questions about Texas crawfish season answered
It's Crawfish Week at Chron! For four days, the food team will be dropping fun stories about Houston's favorite crustacean. Read all our crawfish coverage here. As we say goodbye to one year and say hello to the next, there's always one pressing question on the lips of all Texans: When does crawfish season start? The mudbugs are a delicacy on the Gulf Coast, particularly in Louisiana and here in Houston. Here's what you need to know about this year's crawfish season. When is crawfish season? Broadly speaking, if it's warm enough, a crawfish season can start in November and end in July—but this is not typical. Peak crawfish season is in the spring, beginning in February or March and sunsetting in May or June. This is when the crawfish are going to be at their biggest and juiciest. Crawfish are kind of like us: They get chilly. If the weather is cold at the beginning of the season , they bury themselves in the ground, making it difficult to harvest them. Farmers who … [Read more...] about All your questions about Texas crawfish season answered
Karun Chandhok: Ford got the ‘best deal’ in what is basically a ‘badging exercise’
Karun Chandhok believes it is Ford who have got the better deal after the American car manufacturer agreed an engine partnership with Red Bull. Following weeks of speculation, Red Bull confirmed they had partnered with Ford for their power unit department with the newly created subdivision being rebranded to Red Bull Ford Powertrains. Following Honda’s withdrawal for the sport at the end of 2021, although the Japanese manufacturer has since reversed that decision, Red Bull took the bold step of taking everything in house. They began constructing a new factory at their Milton Keynes base and in 2022, the RB18 was powered by Red Bull Powertrains. Although that fact comes with a pretty large asterisk as Honda were still on hand to provide assistance in 2022 with Christian Horner predicting it will not be until midway through 2023 that the first engine entirely built in Milton Keynes will be in a Red Bull car. Red Bull Powertrains will be one of the confirmed six power unit … [Read more...] about Karun Chandhok: Ford got the ‘best deal’ in what is basically a ‘badging exercise’
Horner: F1 drivers shouldn’t be “robots” amid ban on political statements
Listen to this article For this year, the International Sporting Code contains a clause noting that “the general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA under its statutes” would be a breach of the rules, with the added proviso of “unless previously approved in writing by the FIA for international competitions.” As the move happened during the winter break , few F1 drivers have commented in public on the matter so far. However, Horner has made it clear that he would prefer to allow drivers to speak up if they wish to do so. “Well, there's a couple of ways of looking at this,” he said when asked for his views on the restrictions. “I think, first of all, sports should never be used as a political tool. And I think that sport, in many ways, is there to obviously entertain, but to also have an element of escapism within it. “But certainly we at Red … [Read more...] about Horner: F1 drivers shouldn’t be “robots” amid ban on political statements
Williams reveals livery for 2023 F1 car
Listen to this article In a dedicated event organised at its Grove factory, Williams showcased the colour scheme that will eventually be used on the FW45 car the team is currently finishing building. It will be driven by Albon and Sargeant for the first time in a shakedown event at Silverstone on Monday 13 February. Williams' 2023 livery bears a considerable resemblance to the colours with which it ended running in the 2022 season, albeit with more of the upper surfaces painted in a new matte finish compared to the largely all-black, bare-carbonfibre approach it had to use to help hit F1's minimum weight requirements last year. The livery, which was showcased on an FW44 model, does feature prominent new branding afforded to Gulf International as the oil company has been signed as a new partner for 2022 after its deal with McLaren ended at 2022's conclusion. Williams described its 2023 livery as an "evolution" of what adorned the FW44 and was "retaining the brand visual … [Read more...] about Williams reveals livery for 2023 F1 car