The first three Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events for 2025 are scheduled to take place this week, launching both sides of the country into the NHRA season. Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz., will lead the charge for the Lucas Oil series with the first double-header of the year, while Orlando Speed World Dragway is set for liftoff on the opposite coast.
NHRA PACIFIC DIVISION (DIVISION 7)
Races 1 and 2 of 7
February 20-21/22-23, 2025
Dragstrip snippet: Firebird Motorsports Park is technically located in Chandler, but far and wide this racetrack is referred to as “Phoenix.” The facility opened as Firebird International Raceway in 1983, and in 1985, it hosted the NHRA Fallnationals, the first NHRA national event held there.
Notable: Jared Jordan won his first divisional at this event last season and went on to contend for the world championship, finishing No. 9 in the nation. The grandson of legendary Hemi man and Super Stock racer Harry Holton, Jordan was No. 2 in the Pacific Division Stock standings at year’s end, just behind Division 7 Stock Eliminator champion Parker Theobald, who started his campaign with a win at this event as well. Theobald finished 2024 No. 7 in the national points. In Comp, 2024 winners Joshua Lee and Ryan Priddy proved that a strong start is valuable as they finished as champion and runner-up in the division, respectively, and in Super Comp, Tanner Thorp started his season with a Phoenix win and went on to lock down the Division 4 title.
Here’s another fun note – Val Torres used his win at the Phoenix divisional as a springboard for a breathtakingly to-the-wire national championship run, while Peter Bothe, who also won that weekend a year ago in the desert, was instrumental in getting one of Torres’s toughest challengers to the race in Pomona. East Coaster Keith Mayers was able to use his final claim in Bothe’s Porsche. Mayers and Torres tied in series national points, but Torres won the tie-breaker to claim the big trophy.
LAST SEASON’S EVENT WINNERS
Comp: Joshua Lee and Ryan Priddy
Super Stock: Craig Maddox and Justin Lamb
Stock: Jared Jordan and Parker Theobald
Super Comp: Tanner Thorp and Jerron Settles
Super Gas: Peter Bothe and Val Torres
Super Street: Keith Downing and Mike DeCarolis
Top Sportsman: Craig Liles and Mike Lucas
Top Dragster: Baruc Llamas and Mallory Reis
Sportsman Motorcycle: Tom Patterson and Clayton Howey
ALCOHOL REGIONAL WINNERS
Top Alcohol Dragster: Johnny Ahten
Top Alcohol Funny Car: Brian Hough
Link to more information on the Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series double-header at Firebird Motorsports Park: CLICK HERE
NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION (DIVISION 2)
Race 1 of 7
February 21-22, 2025
Dragstrip snippet: Orlando Speed World Dragway opened in 1966 under the name of Central Florida Dragway. Early winners there include International Drag Racing Hall of Famer Bobby Warren (Super Stock, 1978).
Notable: Not to be redundant because yeah, it’s all over the internet right now, but everyone seems to be keeping watch on a guy by the name of Monty Bogan Jr. After storming to the Stock Eliminator victory at the SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout race at Bradenton for the second year in a row, Bogan is comin’ in hot, as some might say. Last year, he locked down a pair of Division 2 championships (Comp and Super Stock) as well as Southeast Division Racer of the Year. Bogan won the Orlando divisional in 2022 in Super Stock, and that same year’s Comp winner there – David Eaton – is also a gentleman who won the event last season. Eaton has often started the year on a strong note with multiple wins at South Georgia Motorsports Park and Gainesville in his home-built ’32 Bantam altered.
Defending Super Stock winner Jim Harrison looks ready to get back to it. Here’s a nifty little clip from the Fast-Shaft YouTube page of his most excellent Chevy II doing something a lil outta the ord: CLICK HERE
One more little tidbit….. national Super Comp world champion Colby Fuller, as well as Donald Webb (Super Street) and Dale Thaxton (Top Sportsman), each went on to lock down Division 2 titles after their respective 2024 Orlando wins.
LAST SEASON’S EVENT WINNERS
Comp: David Eaton
Super Stock: Jim Harrison
Stock: Troy Huntzberry
Super Comp: Colby Fuller
Super Gas: John Taylor
Super Street: Donald Webb
Top Sportsman: Dale Thaxton
Top Dragster: Mike Fuqua
Link to more information on the Division 2 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season-opener at Orlando Speed World Dragway: CLICK HERE
If you find an error in this story or have anything to add, please contact WinLight News editor Kelly Wade: kelly@winlightnews.com. Thanks for reading!
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