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For more than two decades, Vance & Hines has been one of the premier teams in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racing. And now, three-time PSM champion Angelle Sampey will join her longtime rivals, being added to Vance & Hines’ powerful batting order. The Santa Fe Springs, California organization announced this week that Sampey will ride a Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Street Rod in 2019, joining new teammates Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec.
How strong will that make the now three-rider team? Hines, Krawiec and Sampey have combined for 12 championships and 137 national event wins in their overall careers. In addition to her three championships, Sampey has amassed 42 national event wins by herself, making her the most successful female competitor in all forms of motorsports. For now, Sampey will sport V&H colors in the first four races of the PSM schedule, beginning with the 50th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, March 14-17. Sampey will be termed a “showcase” rider at Gainesville, the two Four-Wide events at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and zMAX Dragway in suburban Charlotte, as well as the Southern Nationals in suburban Atlanta.
It’s unclear how many more races Sampey will compete in after the first quarter of the 16-race PSM national event schedule. “It’s surreal to be getting ready to race one of these Harleys after lining up against them for so many years,” Sampey told National Dragster’s Kevin McKenna, who first broke the story. “I’m so motivated to get out there and see what I can do on the same bike as Eddie and Drew (Hines).” Added V&H founder and former PSM great Terry Vance, “I’m truly thrilled for Angelle to have this opportunity to run with us on the Harley-Davidson Street Rod. No question, Angelle has been one of the toughest riders we’ve battled with for so many seasons out on the track. I have so much respect for her and what she has accomplished in this class, and I’m really looking forward to seeing her give the boys a run for their money on the Harley.” Sampey first began racing on the NHRA PSM circuit more than 20 years ago in 1996. After winning three consecutive PSM championships from 2000-2002, she took a nearly decade-long hiatus from the sport to start a family.
She returned to competitive racing part-time in 2015. Her most recent win was in 2016 at Englishtown, New Jersey. Follow @JerryBonkowski. Hello, America. It’s time to go racing again. Yes, Supercross is, and the Chili Bowl Nationals is now effectively the Christopher Bell Invitational after the young NASCAR star last weekend. But the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway is the first marquee event on the American racing calendar – an event that just happens to have international prestige.
It’s also the start of Daytona Speedweeks, which culminates with NASCAR’s Daytona 500 on Feb. But this is no mere opening act just warming up the crowd for the headliner. In case you’re new to this event, here are a few reasons why it stands out: Twice around the clock: Are you the kind of person that appreciates a challenge? Well, challenges don’t get much bigger in motorsports than a 24-hour endurance race where drivers, crews, machines, and strategies must work together flawlessly. For those behind the wheel in the Rolex 24, the obstacles are numerous: Punishing G-forces, extreme mental focus, lack of sleep, and staying on top of hydration and nutrition. Star power: Speaking of those behind the wheel, the Rolex 24 traditionally draws top drivers from other disciplines such as IndyCar, Formula 1 and NASCAR to join sports car regulars from North America and around the world. As a result, the winners’ list is a Who’s Who of Motorsports.
This year’s field includes a clutch of NTT IndyCar Series drivers, highlighted by 5-time series champion and past Rolex 24 winner Scott Dixon. But pre-race buzz has centered on two particular interlopers: Alex Zanardi, the former CART champion since losing his legs in a 2001 crash, and Fernando Alonso, the two-time F1 champion looking to add another endurance triumph alongside his win with Toyota. Cool cars: If you’re a gearhead, the Rolex 24 is a 200-mile-per-hour candy store. Across the four separate classes of competition, 13 of the world’s premier car manufacturers are represented. The majority of those manufacturers are found in the Grand Touring classes that feature vehicles based on road-going production models.
Chevy and Ford’s eternal rivalry rages on in the factory-backed GT Le Mans, but the class also boasts efforts from BMW, Porsche, and Ferrari. It’s even more diverse in the pro-am GT Daytona, where Porsche is joined by Audi, Lamborghini, Lexus and Mercedes. As for the exotic, purpose-built Daytona Prototypes, they are powered by engines from Cadillac, Acura, Mazda and Nissan.
Nifty fifty: This year’s Rolex 24 begins the 50th anniversary season for IMSA, the sanctioning body for North American sports car racing. A select group of teams will mark the occasion at the Rolex 24 by running historic IMSA paint schemes on their machines. You may not be familiar with these looks, but it’s worth discovering the history behind them. Here’s an example. The Starworks Motorsports team (GT Daytona) will carry a scheme based on Audi of America’s 90 Quattro from the 1989 IMSA GTO season. Boasting sports car legends Hurley Haywood and Hans-Joachim Stuck in the driver lineup, the 90 Quattro captured 7 GTO wins that season. Audi’s performance led one competitor to create a “no passing” sticker with Stuck’s face on it.
Stuck’s response: A doll fixed to his car’s rear window Stuck put behind him. Status symbol: Last but not least, the Rolex 24 has a unique prize – a trophy you can wear. Winners get a standard cup, but what they’re really after are the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona watches, which include a special engraving to commemorate their victory. A standard version of this watch retails for tens of thousands of dollars, but you can’t put a price on the ones awarded at the Rolex 24. This year’s grand marshal, 5-time Rolex 24 winner Scott Pruett, sums it up as “the ultimate reward.” “To be presented a watch engraved with the word ‘Winner’ after 24 hours of intense racing is a moment that lives with you forever,” he added.
“Your Rolex is a constant reminder of the perseverance and hard work that goes into succeeding at the highest level.”. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Christian Fittipaldi will be putting in a few hours of extra work during the final start of his racing career. With Action Express pulling Mike Conway from its No. 5 Cadillac DPI, the team will attempt to defend its Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona overall championship with Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa and Filipe Albuquerque – the same trio that won last year’s race. Conway encountered travel delays while trying to depart from England. “With the delay, it became obvious that he could not make the trip to Daytona in time for the final practice session,” team manager Gary Nelson said in a release.
“We all decided that it may be best for the 5 car to race the Rolex with Christian, Joao and Fillipe. We will continue to work with Mike in other events in the 2019 endurance championship.” Fittipaldi said the change probably will affect him the most because he was planning to be in the car only twice over the course of 24 hours. Now he will be driving at least three stints lasting somewhere from six to eight hours.
Albuquerque likely will handle the largest workload at eight to 10 hours. “We’ll try to run longer stints in the evening,” Fittipaldi said. “We’re still debating a little bit.
A lot can happen depending on the pace of the race is and depending on how the conditions are and the wear on the tires. We sort of adjust according to the race. It’s not carved in stone.” There was a surprise farewell party Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway for Fittipaldi, who turned 48 last week. Surprise retirement party for he burst into tears when he walked into the room. His last race is — Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) “In a way, last night was good because now I got over it,” he said.
“So in my mind, I know it was official before. Now it’s official. This is done. Let’s just think about the race and see what we can get out of it, and that’s it. So just enjoy myself, but at the same time, take it as serious as possible and try to get a fourth win.
That’s why we’re here. We’re not here to keep pound around in circles.” Fittipaldi, who has eight victories over the past five years in IMSA, said he will “probably be more busier than when I was driving” as he will continue as a Cadillac ambassador and test driver after retiring. At the Roar test at Daytona three weeks ago, he said he was “happy, sad, at peace with myself.
I think that’s the most important. But if you ask me are you going to miss it? If I tell you I won’t miss it, I’ll be lying.
I did this 38 years of my life. How can you not miss something that you did 38 years of your life? It’s not humanly possible.” The versatile veteran of IndyCar, NASCAR and Formula One said he hasn’t planned how he will fill the void left by racing. “That’s a very good question, but always in life, when one chapter closes, another one opens,” he said. “So I’ve always known, not since beginning when I was 15 years old, but when I started understanding more about life, that I wouldn’t be a race car driver until I was 90 years old. At some point, this chapter is going to close, and some other opportunities are definitely going to show up.”.
At NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events, fans may see more than 200 classes of vehicles in 15 categories, or eliminators. Class eligibility is based on requirements that include type of vehicle, engine size, vehicle weight, allowable modifications, and aerodynamics. Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, and Pro Mod feature a single class of vehicle in heads-up competition.
Comp, Super Stock, and Stock are made up of a variety of classes equalized by a handicap starting system. Top Dragster and Top Sportsman feature a single class of vehicle in bracket-style competition. Top Fuel Among the fastest-accelerating machines in the world, 10,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters are often referred to as the “kings of the sport,” and with good reason. They are capable of covering the dragstrip in less than 3.7 seconds at more than 330 mph. Powered by asupercharged and fuel-injected 500-cubic-inch adaptation of the famed Chrysler Hemi engine, Top Fuel dragsters can burn up to 15 gallons of nitromethane fuel during a single run. Constructed of chromoly steel tubing and carbon-fiber composite, Top Fuel cars are 25 feet long and weigh 2,330 pounds in race-ready trim.
Funny Car Similar to their Top Fuel counterparts but with a shorter wheelbase and a carbon-fiber body that loosely resembles a production-based automobile, Funny Cars can run in the 3.8-second range and are capable of speeds in excess of 330 mph. Funny Cars are powered by the same supercharged and fuel-injected 500-inch engines as Top Fuel dragsters. Funny Cars are also similar to Top Fuel dragsters in that they do not use a transmission but rather transmit power to the huge Goodyear rear slicks through a multistage clutch assembly that is activated by timers. Pro Stock Often called “factory hot rods” because of their resemblance to production-based automobiles, Pro Stock cars are some of the most technologically advanced machines in drag racing. Built around a sophisticated tube chassis and four-link rear suspension, Pro Stock cars must conform to precise measurements and weigh no less than 2,350 pounds. Pro Stock engines use electronic fuel injection and spec gasoline and are restricted to a maximum of 500 cubic inches.
They can make in excess of 1,300 horsepower. A competitive Pro Stock car can run in the 6.5s at more than 210 mph. Pro Stock Motorcycle These highly modified vehicles, which can run under 6.8 seconds at more than 195 mph, feature a purpose-built tube chassis and a lightweight, aerodynamically enhanced replica of original bodywork.
The class features a wide variety of makes, models, and engines, including V-Twin entries from Harley-Davidson, Victory, EBR, and Buell and inline four-cylinder-equipped Suzuki and Kawasaki models. Engine sizes vary widely, ranging from 92 to 160 cubic inches. Fuel injection is permitted, and spec gasoline is the only fuel allowed. Top Alcohol Dragster Top Alcohol Dragsters may look like Top Fuelers, but they have significant differences.
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Whereas Top Fuelers use supercharged, nitro-burning engines, Top Alcohol Dragsters may use a supercharged methanol-burning engine or an injected nitromethane combination. The injected nitro cars do not use a transmission, and the supercharged cars have three forward speeds. Weights vary according to combination but are generally between 1,975 and 2,125 pounds. Like Top Fuelers, Top Alcohol Dragsters are restricted to a maximum wheelbase of 300 inches. Performances can be in the 5.1s at more than 285 mph. Top Alcohol Funny Car Similar in physical appearance to their nitro-burning Funny Car counterparts, Top Alcohol Funny Cars are restricted to the use of methanol fuel and have a three-speed transmission.
Top Alcohol Funny Cars feature basically the same chromoly steel chassis as the nitro cars and are fitted with the same carbon-fiber replica bodies, though the Top Alcohol Funny Car bodies do not need as much downforce and use a much smaller rear spoiler. Top Alcohol Funny Cars are capable of performances in the 5.3s at more than 270 mph. Comp No category in NHRA competition features more variety than Comp. Dragsters, altereds, street roadsters, coupes, sedans, front-engine nostalgia dragsters, sport compact cars, and trucks race in 75 classes. The engine combinations are just as diverse as the vehicles, from turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines to Pro Stock-style V-8s and nitrous-oxide-equipped mountain motors. Most cars are classified using a formula that divides total car weight by cubic inches.
Each class is assigned an index based on what a well-built car should run, and races are handicapped according to those indexes. Super Stock Super Stock vehicles may look like ordinary passenger vehicles, but they are highly modified race cars. The category features primarily late-model sedans and vintage muscle cars, and entries are classified using a system that divides factory shipping weight by NHRA-factored horsepower. Significant engine modifications are permitted, but the vehicle must retain the correct engine block, cylinder heads, and carburetor. Cars are handicapped using an index system, and the breakout rule is enforced.
Stock Stock cars are similar to Super Stockers, but the rules regarding everything from engine modifications to body alterations are much stricter. Virtually any car is eligible to compete, and entries are classified using a system that divides factory shipping weight by NHRA-factored horsepower. Bodies must be unaltered and retain a full factory interior. Tires are limited to a maximum 9-inch-wide rear slick. Engines must be correct for the make and model vehicle and must retain stock cylinder heads, intake manifold, and carburetor.
Modifications are limited to a basic balancing and rebuild with only a few performance enhancements. Super Comp The quickest of the heads-up Super classes (8.90 index), Super Comp is composed primarily of dragsters. Engine, chassis, and body modifications are virtually unlimited. Four- and six-cylinder-powered entries may have a minimum weight of 1,000 pounds; all others cannot weigh less than 1,350 pounds. Most Super Comp cars are capable of running well under the 8.90 index but use a number of electronic aids, including a timer and adjustable throttle, to run close to the index without running quicker than it, or breaking out. Super Gas Super Gas entries, which run on a 9.90 index, are primarily full-bodied cars and street roadsters. No dragsters or altereds are permitted.
Rules regarding engine and chassis modifications are extremely liberal, though the use of exotic fuels is prohibited. The minimum weight is 2,100 pounds except for four-cylinder-powered cars, which may have a minimum weight of 1,200 pounds. As in Super Comp, competitors use electronic timers and throttle stops to run as close to the class standard without going under. Also as in Super Comp, races are staged using a four-tenths Pro start. Super Street At NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series races and select NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events, Super Street racers compete on a fixed 10.90-second index. All vehicles must be full-bodied cars and weigh no less than 2,800 pounds except for six-cylinder cars, which may have a minimum weight of 2,000 pounds, and four-cylinder- and rotary-powered cars (1,200 pounds). Engine and chassis modifications are virtually unlimited.
Racers compete on a five-tenths Pro Tree. Top Dragster, Top Sportsman Essentially a pair of categories for fast E.T. Racers, Top Dragster presented by Racing RVs (open-wheel entries) and Top Sportsman presented by Racing RVs (full-bodied cars) feature a qualified field of 32, 48, or 64 entries. Competitors may choose their own dial for eliminations provided it is not slower than 7.99 seconds (8.19 in Divisions 6 and 7).
Eliminations in both classes are run using a traditional bracket racing format with a full three-amber Christmas Tree start, and the breakout rule is enforced. It is not uncommon for entries to run in the sixes at more than 200 mph. Pro Mod The NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series features an eclectic mix of vehicles that range from ’41 Willys coupes to ’63 Corvettes to late-model Ford Mustangs and Dodge Vipers, and few classes offer as much diversity and excitement. The engine choices are equally as diverse; competitors can use superchargers, turbochargers, or nitrous-oxide injection and can run into the high-five-second zone at speeds of more than 250 mph. Pro Mod drivers compete at 12 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events.