What's ten minutes southeast of Waxahachie TX? Locals and E3 Spark Plug drag racing fans know that it is Texas Motorplex, home to the quickest and fastest form of motorsports. Drivers, teams and sponsors have looked forward to the NHRA Nationals at the all-concrete facility for more than three decades of racing. Opened in 1986, it was the first super-stadium built specifically for drag racing and has seen all the great names in the sport burn rubber in championship-clinching performances at the historic track. With drivers hitting 0 to 100 mph in less than half a second, it all happens in the blink of an eye at the 32nd Annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals. This year's fourth round in the Countdown to the Championship was no exception. On Friday the 13th, Texan Steve Torrence showed...

Robert Yates, a longtime NASCAR team owner and engine builder, lost his battle with liver cancer Monday night after months of immunotherapy. The 74-year old son of a Baptist minister is probably best known as the guy who was always looking for a competitive advantage. Having won the NASCAR Cup Championship as a car owner in 1999, Yates was probably stock car racing's most elite engine builder and co-founder of Roush Yates Engines. From 1983 to present, Yates engines rolled into the winner's circle 134 times. A pioneer in the sport, Yates began his NASCAR career working for the legendary team at Holman Moody Racing. In 1988, he invested everything to purchase Rainer-Lundy Racing and put a budding young star, Davey Allison, behind the wheel. Allison drove the No. 28 Texaco-Havoline...

The third round of the 2017 NHRA Countdown to the Championship saw the cream rise to the top at the Midwest Nationals from Gateway Motorsports Park this past weekend. Since its inception in 2007, the Countdown has been the nail-bitting portion of the NHRA season for drivers, teams and spectators. When the NHRA decided to split the racing calendar into two segments, many race fans wondered if the new format would be able to determine who really was best that year. Now, there is no doubt. In Friday's opening round of qualifying, Robert Hight set a new track record in Funny Car when he posted a 3.830 ET at 333.91 mph in his AAA Missouri Cheverolet Camaro SS. The time held up during Saturday's second round to earn the John Force Team driver the number one spot for the seventh time this...

When combined the labor charges reported for National Automotive Dealers Association, show that customers spent $18.9 billion dollars last year at dealership service departments for mechanical and body repairs. On top of that was nearly $10 billion was spent by the automotive industry on labor charges for warranty work and recall programs. These are significant numbers and account for a large portion of a dealership's profitable cash flow. It also means that today's auto technician have a great opportunity to earn a substantial annual income as a well-paid problem solver. You would think the opportunity to train and advance more quickly through the ranks when compared to many other careers would have young people standing in line for jobs. But, that is simply not the case. In the...

In May of 2016, Tesla's Autopilot system came under federal scrutiny after Ohio resident Joshua Brown was killed on a state highway outside Williston FL. The 40-year old driver was operating his 2015 Tesla Model S on Autopilot when the car crashed into a tractor-trailer that crossed the road in front of him. With Brown's car traveling at 74 miles per hour, the autonomous driving system failed to activate the brakes in time to avoid a collision. After more than a year, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the system controlling the car had played a major role in the fatal crash. The N.T.S.B. concluded that Tesla's Autopilot system that is capable of automatically steering and controlling the vehicle had performed as intended but lacked the safeguards to lock-out a...

Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton PA has a history of bringing out the best in the top NHRA teams and drivers and the 2017 Dodge NHRA Nationals were no exception. With the Countdown to the Championship in full swing, drivers looked to improve their position in the point's standings on one of the series most historic high-speed venues. At the end of Sunday's final rounds, Brittany Force, Ron Capps, Bo Butner and Eddie Krawiec had all claimed victories in their respective classes at the second of six playoff events. Krawiec piloted his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to his fifth victory of the season in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Having switched back to last year's chassis, Krawiec put the team on top of the podium for the third consecutive time taking top honors in both...

With concerns over global warming and the high price of petroleum-based products, major auto manufacturer are exploring a broad range of alternative sources of energy to power the vehicles rolling off their assembly lines. Currently, propane is the third most commonly used fuel for transportation behind gasoline and diesel fuels. Unfortunately, propane is produced as a by-product of crude oil refining and natural gas processing. So, it is a fossil fuel but it does burn cleaner than more traditional products. The U.S. Department of Energy and most states provide an array of incentives for applying the technology of alternative fuels. This trend is expected to continue until the best solutions are identified and implemented. A green vehicle, clean vehicle, eco-friendly vehicle or...

With the days getting shorter and kids headed back to school, summer is officially over. So now is a perfect time to invest a little effort into refurbishing the family wagon as well as giving attention to the other vehicles lining your driveway. After all, the added heat and travel associated with summertime fun can take a toll on your car or truck. If you spent more time pulling your boat and trailer to the lake, it may be time to flush the transmission and top off all the fluids. For anyone who took a summer road trip, or two, you should check your tire wear and consider rotating your wheels to increase the life of your tread. It is always prudent to take care of routine maintenance items before the cold weather arrives. Summer months are typically hard on your engine's oil,...

It may have taken Top Fuel racer Doug Kalitta all season to hoist a Wally in 2017, but what a way to kick off Round 1 of six for the Countdown to the Championship with a win at the 10th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals. The zMAX Dragway outside Charlotte NC was one of three tracks on the NHRA circuit where Kalitta had failed to win over an illustrious career that now includes 43 victories. Kalitta earned his way to the final tree of the day after qualifying in the top slot for Top Fuel and eliminating Chris Karamensines, Tony Schumacher and Clay Millican. In the day's final round, Kalitta nailed a start in his Mac Tools dragster to out run teammate Richie Crampton with a 3.755-second pass at 318.39 mph. In Funny Car, Robert Hight blasted his way to the third victory of the season with a...

Every NASCAR race fan around the globe should know the answer.. it's the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup trophy. Standing just over a yardstick high and weighing in at 68 pounds, this year's trophy is awaiting the winner of the "Playoffs", NASCAR's thrilling shootout for the final ten rounds of the racing calendar. Sixteen drivers were selected at the end of the 26-event regular Cup season to compete for top honors in the world's most prestigious stock car racing series. Since no other sanctioning body races a 40-car field for up to 600 miles over a five hour stretch, NASCAR instituted a stage-system for this year's championship where drivers compete for playoff points as well as the overall win at each event. Still, nothing beats winning a race outright, as drivers can qualify directly...