NHRA Insider Podcast

Clay Millican, Jack Beckman, and Bruno Massel join host Brian Lohnes for a wide-ranging conversation about NHRA drag racing, history, the ever-changing landscape of the schedule, and what it takes to compete at drag racing's highest level. For Millican it's chat about getting over the hump at Indy, with Beckman it's talking about the points lead and drag racing history, and with Massel it's a disc...

Pro Stock Bikes and Indy races NHRA pro stock motorcycle winner Ryan Oehler and National Dragster Senior Editor Kevin McKenna join Brian Lohnes for a wide-ranging episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast. Oehler talks about the self-made program that he and his dad have developed into a contenting operation virtually on their own and Kevin McKenna lends a reporter's insight into the action we saw at th...

Host Brian Lohnes is joined by the NHRA's Kasey Coler who is the Vice President overseeing track management and operations. Coler was a point man on the development of the procedures and strategies to keep NHRA fans, racers, and media people as safe as is possible during the upcoming restart events at Lucas Oil Raceway. This is a fascinating chat with a guy who has been working as hard as anyone i...

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast, Mike Galimi and Joe Castello join host Brian Lohnes. Both guys are deep into the world of drag racing media and both of them are longtime pals of Lohnes. The conversation is wide-ranging from different series outside of NHRA to the technology in today's drag racing world, the recovery from COVID-19, how different series are handling it, and how the medi...

In this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast, Dr. Jamie Meyer is the guest. After a successful career at General Motors and serving on the SEMA Board, Meyer is the new president of PRI, the Performance Racing Industry association. PRI operates a massive trade show for racing and is also working hard to become a forceful ally of racing in all of its forms across America. We talk about Dr. Meyer's ph...

NHRA President Glen Cromwell joins Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider to talk leadership in tumultuous times, decision making, the people who helped him form his love and dedication to drag racing, and the necessary moves being made for the health and longevity of the NHRA drag racing world. This is an honest and enlightening personal conversation with the man who some would say is t...

 NHRA pro stock motorcycle veteran Steve Johnson and A/fuel dragster standout Garrett Bateman join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast. Johnson tells the gut-wrenching, tragic, but ultimately triumphant story of Ervin "Jock" Allen, his lead technician and right-hand man who contracted COVID-19 and battled for his life in the hospital. Johnson talks about the dark days, the har...

Cruz Pedregon and Tyler Crossnoe join host Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider. Pedregon talks about his approach to what will be a very unique 2020 NHRA Mello Yello drag racing season and how his experience will play a role in it. Tyler Crossnoe, a 27-year old drag racing wunderkind is the Vice President of Virginia Motorsports Park and the Series Director for the PDRA. He talks abou...

Jason Line and Don O'Neal Description: Guests Jason Line and Don O'Neal talk drag racing, making power, planning a schedule for 2020, and what they have learned in their pursuits of speed. The conversation with Line concentrates around his career and an engine builder and not just in pro stock. We chat making 600hp with a Buick, building a turbo engine, Chrysler Hemis, and more. Don O'Neal talks a...

Jim Maroney and Brad Plourd join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast. Maroney is the Arizona based privateer top fuel team owner and racer who has had a steady climb up the ranks of drag racing competition and in business. He speaks with Lohnes about his career, his plans for the re-start of the NHRA season, and his take on the state of top fuel. Brad Plourd has won 21 NHRA Na...

Matt Hartford and Will Smith join the NHRA Insider this week, host Brian Lohnes talks about the newly revamped start date for NHRA in 2020 and there's an audio look back at the "blow over era" in top fuel as well using vintage audio from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The conversation with Matt Hartford centers around the business he owns, Total Seal Piston rings, and how they have been dealing w...

On this NHRA Insider, Shawn Langdon and Luke Bogacki join host Brian Lohnes for a wide-ranging pair of discussions within the sport of drag racing. Landon talks about his growth and development in the iRacing scene, talking about how he has gone from a frustrated rookie to a competitive racer after applying himself and acquiring knowledge and experience Champion sportsman racer Luke Bogacki dives...

Champion funny car racer Ron Capps and multi-time Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series champion Austin Williams join Brian Lohnes for two entertaining discussions. Capps talks about his burgeoning iRacing career, helping sponsors in this time of delay, and working hard to keep his skills and mind sharp for a return to racing. Austin Williams shared amazing insight into the depth of skill sportsman drag ra...

 Dom Lagana and Billy Stockiln Speak Description: On this episode of the NHRA Insider, Dom Lagana and Billy Stockiln join host Brian Lohnes to talk about tuning race cars, their lives in the sport, and the things that have made them into the successful racers that they are today. Lagana quite literally grew up with wrenches in his hands and nitro burning race cars as his toys. Billy Stocklin has b...

An incredible one hour interview with Connie Kalitta that has never been heard before. Recorded in 2018, this one hour long conversation ranges from business, to life, to drag racing history, and more. It is smart, it is interesting, and it is a window into the life of a man who has climbed the highest ladders or professional motorsport and business the world has to offer. The man, the myth, and t...

JR Todd and Joe Amato join the NHRA Insider podcast to talk shop with host Brian Lohnes. Todd talks about his experience at the Pros vs Joes Reaction Time Challenge, a contest of skill that took the best NHRA pro racers and faced them off in remote practice tree battle with the best sportsman racers in the world. Joe Amato joins the show to talk about his 1990 championship, his life, his business...

Drag race announcing legends Bob Frey and Jon Lundberg join Brian Lohnes on this episode of the NHRA Insider to talk about their lives, history, and memories in drag racing. Two of the greatest to ever do the job, they are entertaining and awesome to listen to. Lohnes also prepared a tribute to the great NHRA announcer Dave McClelland. 2020 revised schedule talk, some updates on 2020 NHRA news, an...

 Tony Pedgreon and historian Bret Kepner join Brian Lohnes on the NHRA Insider to talk about the stoppage in NHRA racing, when the series had been stopped before back in 2001, and the historic implications of what's happening in the world of motorsports. Kepner, a racing historian has researched extensively the effects of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic and compares those years to what's happening t...

Darrell Gwynn and Greg Anderson join the NHRA Insider podcast with Brian Lohnes this week. Gwynn talks about his 1990 triumph and tells the most hilarious drag racing stories you have ever heard. He talks about his career, racing against Don Garlits, racing with Ken Veney, and a whole lot more. Greg Anderson talks about the KB Racing team's resurgence at the World Doorslammer Nationals and about n...

Jeg Coughlin, Steve Matusek, and defending NHRA alcohol funny car champion Sean Bellemeur join host Brian Lohnes on this fun episode. Coughlin talks about early-season success and his vision for the final season of his pro stock career, Matusek talks about the new wide-open world of pro mod racing in NHRA, and Bellemeur talks about trying to three-peat in alky funny car. All this and a killer hist...

Erica Enders and Jack Beckman are two of the hottest racers on the NHRA Mello Mello trail in 2020 and they join Brian Lohnes to talk about success in 2019 and how it has propelled them into brilliant starts for this season. Enders talks pro stock and Fast Jack goes in deep on nitro funny car. Big fun!

Doug Kalitta is driving like he is on fire, Ron Capps' race car was on fire at Pomona and before, and journalist Mike Galimi talks about Stevie Fast Jackson's inferno hot start in the outlaw drag radial world for 2020. This is the fire show, those are the guests and we're back at it on the NHRA Insider!

 Jason Line and Antron Brown join Brian Lohnes to talk about their 2020 seasons. Line will be retiring from driving at the close of the year and Brown recently announced his intention to become a team owner, working with DSR to attain that goal. Also, Lohnes rants on the Countdown changes and more!

Stevie Fast Jackson, Justin Ashley, and Bobby Bennett headline this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast with Brian Lohnes. Jackson, the E3 Spark plugs pro mod champion is poised for a big season in 2020 and he's getting prepared. Justin Ashley is a promising young top fuel rookie with big aspirations and a proven skillset. We talk 2020 with him. Bobby Bennett is the founder and Editor in Chief of...

On this first podcast of 2020, guests Blake Alexander and Tony Pedregon talk about what's to come in the 2020 season. For Tony, the conversation centers around the recent weirdness with pre-season testing, rumors in the NHRA world, and more. For Blake, it's about his new partnership with Jim Head, his 2019 season as a team owner and a whole lot more. An interesting and wide-ranging drag racing con...