TOP FUEL HARLEYS PROWL AT MICHIGAN NITRO NATIONALS

Three Nitro Classes, Pro Mod, Outlaw Street; Qualifying on Saturday, Racing Sunday~ Top Fuel Harleys, the apex predators of motorcycle drag racing, descend on US 131 Motorsports Park this Father’s Day weekend as the headliners in the American Motorcycle Racing Association’s Penngrade1 Michigan Nitro Nationals.

Top Fuel Harleys, Pro Fuel Harleys, Harley Funny Bikes and a host of other hybrid versions of the iconic American motorcycle will race for titles in 13 classes Friday and Saturday with the prospect of world record-setting performances on the quarter mile course at Michigan’s fastest track.

Among the Top Fuel entrants will be reigning AMRA champion and most recent tour winner Ryan Peery of Milford, Ohio, former NHRA series and U.S. Nationals champion Tii Tharpe of Pfafftown, NC, veteran John “JT” Toth of Charleroi, PA, former NHRA and IHRA Harley champ Jay “Bulldog” Turner of Julian, NC, and past US 131 winner Jordan Peterson of Titonka, Iowa, riding the bike owned and prepared by tour veterans Mike and Jack Romine of Sturgis, not the one in South Dakota, but the one in Michigan.

In addition to racing in three nitro categories, champions also will be crowned in Pro Mod, Outlaw Street, Pro Bagger, Modified, Hot Street, Street Bagger, Top Eliminator (9.30 target), Super Gas (9.90 target), Pro Eliminator (10.90 target), Super Pro (10.30 target), Street Eliminator (11.50 target), and Eliminator Dial-In classes.

Just as intense as the competition in Top Fuel will be the battle for high performance supremacy in Pro Fuel where multi-time and multiple series champion Sam White of Chapin, SC, will try to track down point leader Mary Dangrow of Asheville, NC, with Curt Sexton of Wichita, KS, recent winner at Norwalk, Ohio, also expected to figure in the mix.

Although she grew up on a farm with lots of cows and little horsepower, Dangrow became enamored with the antics of motorcycle stuntman Evel Knievel.  That led her to a career racing motorcycles, the quickest and fastest of which she now campaigns for Tracy Kile’s North Carolina-based Bad Apple Racing team.

Likewise, veteran Jim Doyle of Chicopee, MA, will try to narrow the gap between himself and point leader Jason Leeper of Indianapolis in the Funny Bike class while veteran John Price of Emmitsburg, MD, pursues his second straight win in Pro Mod after prevailing in the Ohio Nitro Nationals.

Admission for pre-event set-up on Thursday is $70 for the weekend.  General admission thereafter is $20 per day, children 12 and under are free.  Camping without power is $50 for the weekend.  Powered camping spots can be purchased at the gate.  Gates open Friday at 8 am with event testing from 3-8 pm.  Saturday qualifying begins at 10 am, setting the stage for single elimination finals in all classes on Sunday at 10:30 am.

 

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MARTIN, Mich. – Point standings after three of seven events in the 2024 AMRA championship series:

TOP FUEL – 1. Randal Andras, Amelia, LA, 710; 2. Ryan Peery, Milford, OH, 685; 3. Jordan Peterson, Titonka, IA, 515; 4. Tii Tharpe, Pfafftown, NC, 510; 5. John “JT” Toth, Charleroi, PA.

NITRO FUNNY BIKE – 1. Jason Leeper, Indianapolis, IN, 685; 2. Jim Doyle, Chicopee, MA, 610; 3. Tadashi Saitou, Tokyo, Japan, 600; 4. Cameron Gunter, Asheville, NC, 330; 5. Jordan Peterson, Titonka, IA, 250.

PRO FUEL – 1. Mary Dangrow, Asheville, NC, 885; 2. Sam White, Chapin, SC, 865; 3. Curt Sexton, Wichita, KS, 685; 4. Paul Anderson. Clarkston, 450; 5. Jason Leeper, Indianapolis, IN, 445.

-www.us131msp.com-

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