The Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast w/ Luke & Jed

The guys recap the high points of a really busy early spring bracket and NHRA season. Highlighting stand out winners and performances. The real fun comes in the second half of the show. Returning after a COVID hiatus, the March Madness bracket with a drag racing flare. Drag Car names! Its too good to miss folks, be sure to tune in! 

www.thisisbracketracing.com/podcast

Luke and Jed preview a portion, (S/Comp, S/Gas, S/Street and ET Series) of the NHRA upcoming season. Recapping last years champion, and pick some contenders for the upcoming season. They make some bold predictions, discuss new happenings, and make some insider picks. 

Clay Millican joins Luke to preview a portion, (Comp, S/Stock, Stock, TD, and TS) of the NHRA upcoming season. Recapping last years champion, and pick some contenders for the upcoming season. They make some bold predictions, discuss new happenings, and make some insider picks. Tune in Clay always brings a great energy, and has really kept his finger on the pulse of sportsman racing.  

Luke and Jed are back together with ACTUAL racing results and stories to talk about! Starting off with the Southern Big Buck Nationals (Baton Rouge), moving on to West Coast Bracket Racing's huge event at Tuscon, and then onto the Top Bulb 150 at Gulfport. A couple of NHRA events with the Baby Gators and Belle Rose, and finishing off with some results from Wes Buck's World Doorslammer Nationals. Tune in for a packed episode! 

Somehow, Scotty hasn't ever been on the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast with Luke and Jed, that changes today. Scotty Richardson on the Spring Fling Million, the one thing he hasn't done in racing, the "Young Gun" that impresses him most, and more!

In this weeks interview, Jed goes without Luke to have a great sit down discussion with John DiBartolomeo. Topics range from John's history in the sport, to big money racing's effect on local tracks. Jed and John are all over the board in this wide ranging conversation. Be sure to tune in! 

www.thisisbracketracing.com/podcast 

On the heels of last episode's discussion about the financial aspect of sportsman racing, Luke sits down with Wes Buck. Buck, best known as the founder and editorial director at Drag Illustrated made a huge splash in 2020 as the promoter of the World Doorslammer Nationals. He discusses the motivation and the challenges that go into promoting an event of that magnitude, and the two explore how some of his experience and success could translate to the world of big dollar bracket racing.

May have taken the official plunge off the rails with this episode, after many trips seemingly off the rails, I think we found the limits this time! Luke and Jed have a really in depth and interesting conversation, "Can you actually race for a living?" As awesome as that segment is, it doesn't hold a candle for what was to follow. Sportsman racer, Olympian, or Adult Film Star? Jed has to decide when given 16 different names. We think you all will find this incredibly entertaining, be sure to tune in! 

Gary Don Free makes a return to the show, Drag Champ has grown in incredible ways since the last time Gary was on the show last nearly 100 episodes ago. Jed gets to talk about Drag Champ, its progress, and staff. 

Luke continues the winter interview series with 2020 NHRA Stock Eliminator Champion, Jody Lang. After a pair of points runner up finishes and a slew of top 10's Jody finally was able to seal the deal in 2020. Luke gets to talk about Jody's championship run in this weeks episode! Be sure to tune in. 

Folks, we have a very entertaining episode on tap for today. Luke and Jed discuss a series of Facebook posts made by Bug McCarty, and give them some analysis. The show takes a fun turn in the second half, with the guys ranking the top 5....errr or 7, active sportsman cars they would love to drive. 

Tip: Hang in for todays shoutouts...its worth it! 

Luke and Jed are back for the new year! After a few weeks off, Luke and Jed recap a few of the recent races including the SFG Christmas Bash at Bradenton and the New Years Nationals at Palm Beach International Raceway. After that the guys go down the ever popular "Top 25" list path. This is the 2021 pre-season top 25. Tune in to hear where your favorites land on the list! 

Jed sits down with Charlie Lockhart in a really interesting discussion, ranging from Charlie's start in racing, to his favorite pizza topping! Charlie gets to weigh in on a lot of subjects, like what does footbraking need more of...and of course what does it need less of. Tune in for an awesome conversation! 

Luke gets the opportunity to sit down with Jeff Serra to talk about his unbelievable season, specifically his monumental win at Memphis in October. Jeff talks about the trials and tribulations of the Great American Guaranteed Million and how his season has played out. 

This weeks episode, one of the most fun of the year, has become affectionately known as "The Pody's" (our "awards" show). Luke and Jed will break down all the happenings from 2020 and hand out their "awards", ok so we don't actually have any awards to hand out...but it makes for really great podcast content! Tune in to hear this years "Best Appearing Driver" and the GOAT...or goat were according to Luke and Jed! 

Here at the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast with Luke and Jed, we really have a favorite time of year, and thats "interview season", while no racing is happening in most of the country, we begin catching up with racers, and their stories. We kick this years interviews off with Thomas Gall, originator of GallstarTV, a bracket racing youtube channel (5:55). Luke gets to delve into Gall's background, how the channel came to fruitition and where its heading in the future. A really interesting episode be sure to tune in! 

GallstarTV

As the season comes to an end across most of the U.S. Luke and Jed do a complete NHRA National Sportsman Champion break down (9:47). They clean up some loose ends on the big money bracket scene (1:04:10) and round out the show with some random tidbits mostly concerning 2021 events (1:27:00). Tune in for an especially thorough breakdown of the NHRA season conclusion. 

BTE

TIBR Elite

Luke leads off by honoring the NHRA Summit E.T. World Champions, and breaking down the remaining NHRA Lucas Oil points chases in Stock, Top Dragster, and Super Gas. Jed sits down with recent Million Dollar Race Winner Kevin Brannon (18:32) to discuss the biggest win of his illustrious career, and how it seemed overshadowed to some extent by the bizarre end-of-race sequence that he and Gary Williams will never forget. The inaugural ThisIsBracketRacing Driver Series has reached its conclusion, crowning Lane Cavar (Top Bulb) and Kip Poole (Bottom Bulb) as 2020 champions! Ashley Thompson closes the show (1:27:12) in a conversation with Poole in which they recap his title season and his racing background. This episode is brought to you by This is Bracket Racing Elite and BTE.

Huge show on tap! The guys deep, deep, DEEEP, into the OG million, it's winner, and crazy last couple rounds. They analyze the event from every possible angle. They also revisit their prior predictions, were any correct? 

Luke is joined by NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor Kevin McKenna to recap NHRA points to this point and look at possible scenarios going forward with 5 events points eligible events remaining. As the OG million is underway as this episode goes live, Luke and Kevin discuss it's history and make some predictions. 

Episode 200 is here! Luke and Jed recap the SDPC Race Shop Great American Guaranteed Million. Lots of million talk, accompanied by some NHRA results and of course some of the outstanding performances. 

Luke and Jed get together to re-cap the Fall Fling and Spring Fling Million. They also discuss some NHRA division finals results from D7. Finally they preview the GABR Million as both will be attending/competing. 

Luke and Jed discuss results from Div. 1, 3, and 5 Division Finals. The big elephant in the room though, is the upcoming historical run of big money races. The guys make some BOLD predictions! Tune in to hear their take! 

In this weeks episode, Luke catches up with Gary Williams, they discuss his latest $100k victory and talk about the upcoming massive money trail. Rounding out the episode, TIBR's Ashley Thompson, gives an update on the TIBR Driver Series, and interviews current Top bulb points leader Lane Cavar. 

Starting off Luke and Jed recap the two biggest stories from the Labor Day weekend, NHRA at Indy, and of course the history making BTE $100k Footbrake race at Bristol. The train begins to come off the rails in the second half, in a very entertaining Top 5, where they ACTUALLY cover the Top 5 trunk lid sayings (our apologies for not covering that a few episodes ago, when we said we would. Tune in for an incredibly entertaining episode. 

Luke catches up with Kevin McKenna previewing "The Big Go". In a very strange year for NHRA....and well everything, Indy will be very interesting. To round out the show Ashley Thompson from This is Bracket Racing Elite, joins Luke to further discuss The Driver Series, that is hitting limited tracks this season in its debut. Tune in to hear about the awesome series! 

Jed is joined in this weeks episode by perennial footbrake stand out and Loose Rocker co-promoter, Michael Beard. With this episodes predominant focus on footbrake racing, Michael discusses his latest Lil' Footbrake Triple 10's results and stand out performances. Jed transitions to preview the history making inaugural BTE $100k. The guys discuss footbrake history and the significance of the upcoming race. 

Luke and Jed discussed ten stories that we think will dominate the Sportsman Drag Racing discussion as we wind down 2020. In addition, they roll out another popular "Top 5" segment... This week: Our top five "post-race messages." These are mostly from a previous era: sayings on the back of race cars meant to bid a defeated opponent well (example: "Game Over"). As always, you can listen and subscribe wherever you normally access your favorite podcasts:

Luke gets the chance to catch up with Renegade Race Fuels founder Toby Baptiste. Toby's story is very inspirational and we are sure you will enjoy it. Towards the end of the show, Ashley Thompson from This is Bracket Racing Elite, joins Luke to roll out the new Drivers Series, which is sure to be a big hit. Listen in for more details! 

Luke and Jed are back together this week. The guys discuss (not for the first time) the future of our sport, where things are going, and how they will get there. In the second half of the show, they got into some fun stuff, this weeks Top 5 list. For this week, top 5 racing songs! Great episode on tap!

We are going Luke-less this week. Producer Mark joins Jed to help out a little bit with co-hosting. They cover some of the limited racing that happened last weekend, including a pretty good showing for our own producer Mark at the Cars Protection Plus Top bulb 660. The real star of the show however was James Kunkel, who pulled off an incredible feat, doubling up in Super Comp at the double divisional in Topeka, KS. Tune in to find out why his accomplishment was extraordinarily special. 

In this weeks episode Luke and Jed recap some of the last weeks racing, but most importantly this weeks TOP 5 LIST! Top 5 "excuses" for not going racing, very entertaining. 

Kevin McKenna joins Luke once again for this week's "Way Back Wednesday" Bonus episode. Together, they take a deep dive into 30+ years of the prestigious Moroso 5-Day!

Luke gets to sit down with Willie Burnett, a very entertaining episode with wide ranging topics of conversation. From state of bracket racing talk, to state of the world talk!  

Luke & Jed recap the richest event in drag racing history, the SFG 1.1 Million and even catch up with racings latest millionaire: Steve Sisko! In addition, Jed looks back on the biggest World Footbrake Challenge in the event's illustrious 14-year history. They also hit on the California Gold Rush, look ahead to the resumption of the NHRA Mello Yello tour this weekend, and speculate on the future of the sports' premier series.

As always, please support our advertisers: IHRA and ThisIsBracketRacing.com

On this weeks episode Jed previews the WFC with guest co-host Ryan Gleghorn, then the guys interview, perennial  stand out Jamie Holston following his $15k win. 

Luke and Kevin McKenna are back with Way Back Wednesday, circa 2004!

This week, Luke and Kevin McKenna dial the Way Back Machine back 17 years to 2003: Greg Anderson's first Pro Stock Championship, John Labbous's career defining Million, Steve Bartman, and the release of iTunes!

Luke gets the opportunity to sit down with Jeff Miles. Tune in to hear their conversation! 

Luke & Jed lead off with a summary of the Galot Spring Fling and news from the first huge weekend of big dollar bracket racing in the pandemic-delayed season.  They spend a lot of the show detailing a strange and alarming situation from the Derby City $50k before touching on weekend results and stories from the C.P. Promotions $50k event in Texas, the IHRA Sportsman Spectacular at Dragway 42, and the NHRA Division 6 event in Seattle.  Then the duo closed with what has become a fun staple: their individual “Top 5.” This week’s Top 5: our favorite racer nicknames!

Kevin McKenna joins Luke once again to throw it back to 2002! They discuss all the news that is (was) news in and around the sport of drag racing from 18 years past!

In this edition of "Throwback Thursday," Luke and Kevin McKenna revisit 2001.  Obviously the dominating story of the year came on September 11.  The duo discusses where they were on that fateful day, the impacts on their lives, and (on a more trivial scale) the effect of 9/11 on the sport of drag racing.  As usual, they break down the biggest stories in the year of sportsman racing: from the NHRA professional ranks, to the Lucas Oil Series, the IHRA and big dollar bracket action.

A little different episode on tap for this weeks regular episode. Luke goes solo on this one! Jed's "on assignment" at the Spring Fling at Galot, so Luke took the reigns to discuss the happenings in the world of sportsman drag racing. Luke gets the chance to delve into some hot button topics, cheating devices..again, "performance enhancing drugs" and of course some results from the past week. Tune in for an awesome show! 

Luke gets the chance to sit down with Henry Roberson. Henry has made a name for himself with his Facebook Live videos racing on the west coast! Tune in for an awesome interview! 

Luke opens this week’s episode with a brief, heartfelt monologue on the sad and troubling times in our country… Then he and Jed completely flip the script for one of the more humorous and enjoyable episodes we’ve had in a while.  On the docket: some (gasp) actual race coverage from the SFG event in Iowa! Also, big news from NHRA and Summit Raceway Park. Then, the good stuff…  The guys dive deep into their latest top 5 breakdown: the best race car names in history.  Follow that with an impromptu trivia time, and and epic list of shoutouts... Let’s just say that it’s worth sticking around 'til the end!

Today, Luke & Kevin dial the (not so) Way Back Machine to 2010: Lady Gaga’s Meat Dress, the final season of Oprah, Don Prudhomme’s retirement, and bracket domination from John Labbous, Jr. and Gary Williams.

Luke gets to sit down with Kris Whitfield in this weeks storytime. 

We have a HUGE episode for your listening pleasure! Luke and Jed, discuss current moves to open areas of the country, are we headed for some normalcy? They discuss the Michael Jordan documentary, and finish up with an ever popular Top 5 segment about favorite famous track employees, that we all have run across around the country! 

Luke is back with Kevin McKenna for Way Back Wednesday.  This week, the duo looks back on the year of the Michael Phelps Olympics, David Tyree's helmet catch, Dan Fletcher's Competition Eliminator domination, Alan Johnson's split with DSR, and Scotty Richardson's WFC repeat: it's 2008 in the world of drag racing.

Jed has the opportunity to finish out our 2019 Championship Interview Series with NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Champion Jim Werre and NHRA Super Comp Champion Ray Ray Miller. Two great interviews with some really interesting guys. Both take us through their racing history and where they came from all the way up to outlining their championship runs! 

Justin Lamb, co-instructor on This is Bracket Racing Elite, gets to catch up with Dan Fletcher, in a pretty cool discussion/story time. There are some sketchy audio sections, due to a bad internet/zoom connection, I tried to edit most of it out. Enjoy!

Luke goes down memory lane this week, he and Kevin McKenna talk about 2007. Tune in to hear this weeks throw back Thursday!

This week, he welcomed NHRA Lead Announcer Brian Lohnes to tell Luke why he's wrong about his prediction that there wouldn't be a traditional NHRA national in 2020.  In addition to providing some optimism for the proposed NHRA season, Brian weighed in with thoughts about some on-track activity as tracks in some areas of the country begin to open up.  The duo closed with both grease monkey and nerdy bookworm fun as well - a little something for everyone!

Luke and Jed are back together this week. Discussing topics ranging from what races are happening, what races are postponed, when are they happening? Then they moved into a fun topic, with all of the Netflix documentary watching going on during these times, the guys discuss which racers they'd love to see a documentary on. They even called in producer Mark to weigh in! 

We're trying something new during this social distancing/shelter in place/quarantine period, in addition to our regular weekly episodes.  We're calling it Throwback Thursday!  The premise is simple: each week we'll select a year from at least a decade ago; and discuss the sportsman drag racing events, stories, and standout performers... As if it happened yesterday.  This episode's feature: 2005!  Luke is joined by National Dragster staffer and drag racing historian Kevin McKenna for this look back on one of the more memorable seasons in sportsman drag racing history.

5x NHRA World Champion interviews 7x NHRA World Champion Peter Biondo for a fun-filled story time segment.  In it, Peter recalls some entertaining times from throughout his career (and youth), and ties in some of the most recognizable names in all of racing!

Continuing our 2019 Championship Interview Series, Jed gets the chance to catch up with 2019 NHRA Top Sportsman Champion Sandy Wilkins and 2019 IHRA Sportsman Champion Dustin Carrol. Two great interviews with a couple of guys with race cars at different ends of the E.T. spectrum! 

This week, Luke and Jed are joined by Kevin McKenna, Editor of NHRA National Dragster. They are going to hash out who THEY believe have had the best seasons of essentially the last 30 years. Did they pick them all? Do you agree? Tune in to find out! 

In this weeks special story time episode, Luke catches up with Shawn Langdon.

Luke gets to catch up with both Frank Aragona and Kaden Harrill in our continuation of 2019 champion interviews. Frank, the 2019 NHRA Comp Eliminator back to back champion outlines his second championship in a row and discusses his future plans. Kaden, the 2019 IHRA Jr. Dragster champion, discusses his start in the sport, and how his season lead to the championship. 

Luke and Jed do their bet to give their take on the current state of the world, and more in line with most of our listeners interests, the racing world. The real fun in this episode comes with an incredible story from our own co-host, Jed. You will NOT want to miss this one! 

This sound came from a live interview Luke did on This is Bracket Racing's Facebook page, we bring it to you, podcast listeners, as a direct recording, no ads, no drops, or cuts, just a really cool sit down story with Luke and Tommy. Enjoy! 

Luke gets the opportunity to sit down with Danny Nelson, in our continuation of the World Champion interview series. Tune in to hear about Danny's 2019 season! 

Luke and Jed, delve into the world of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) and its effects on racing and the rest of our lives. They of course recap some of the big stories from the little bit of racing that we have had so far this season. The most exciting part of this episode is our March Madness replacement bracket. Stay tuned for a few polls, for a more interactive experience with this segment. 

Jed gets the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with Ali Doll, the 2019 NHRA Stock Eliminator champion, they discuss her start in the sport, background, and of course her incredible 2019 season, tune in now to hear her story. 

Luke and Jed are back together for a "normal" episode this week. They cover a variety of topics, catching up on some personal life stuff, and recapping some of the early season happenings. 

Luke received a really cool story from a bracket racer named James Wester, feeling the story really should be heard by all, we bring it to you in this weeks episode. Enjoy!  

Tune in for a really awesome show, a couple of great guys sit down with Jed, to discuss their stories. Vic, hailing from Oklahoma and Keith from New York, have vastly different stories and both are very interesting. 

Luke gets a chance to catch up with NHRA Super Pro National Champion Mikie Sturgill, listen in to hear Mikie's story. 

We take a break from our Championship Interview series, to bring you an NHRA Season preview. With the Winternationals coming up this weekend, Luke and National Dragster Editor, Kevin McKenna sit down to give their predictions and preview of the 2020 NHRA season. Tune in to hear their take! 

Listen in to hear Ryan Montford's road to the Sportsman. Jed leads Ryan through a recap of his history in the sport, and trip to Pomona. 

Luke and Jed set out on an insurmountable task, to try to identify some of the greatest accomplishments, greatest races, best appearing drivers....wait...yes you read that right! Tune in now to hear a truly entertaining episode! 

Continuing our Championship Interview series, this week brings us to NHRA Super Gas Champion, Jeremy Mason. Luke sits down with Jeremy for a discussion on his season, his trials, tribulations, and strategies. Tune in to this insightful interview with this years Super Gas Champ! 

Luke Bogacki and Justin Lamb recorded their live This is Bracket Racing Elite webinar from 12/1/2020. 
This is Bracket Racing Elite open enrollment ends Friday 12/4! 

On this weeks edition of Story Time, Luke gets to go down memory lane with Jeggy. 

Really fun story time with Steve Sisko, tune in for some quarantine entertainment!  

Luke sits down with Troy Williams Jr. for a cool story time episode. 

Our first episode of 2020, begins the 2019 Championship Interview Series. We begin our coverage in the bottom bulb bracket racing arena, with NHRA Pro Champion, Chris Johnston, and IHRA Modified Champion Dustin Avondet. Both of these racers have awesome stories that came with their quest for the championship. Listen in as Jed sits down with both of these awesome racers.

Luke and Jed take this episode to review the 2019 season. They discuss the biggest stories of the year, and some of the best performances, as well as crowing the Overall 2019 BTE Who’s Hot.

The MAN, the MYTH, the LEGEND! We have Chet Dragon sitting down with Jed for a conversation that bridges Chet’s 40 years in the sport. Why he has chosen the weapon he has (6.30 buggy), and how he’s approached the sport over the last 4 decades.  

In this week’s episode, Luke provides us with the 2nd installment of our “regular guy” series of podcasts, where we highlight racers that may not be household names.  Mitchell provides an incredible perspective on racing, from his point of view.

Luke gets the chance to talk about the state of the sport among other things with Drag Racing Edge Magazine Editor, John Dibartolomeo.  

Luke and Jed highlight NHRA and IHRA Champions from top to bottom. The guys break down all of the awesome drama from Pomona. They even weigh in a little bit on some of the happenings in the professional ranks.  

This week Jed has the opportunity to sit down with “Slick” Rick Baehr. A great dive into Rick’s drag racing career. They discuss Rick’s racing history, accomplishments, with lots in between.

This week Luke sits down with very successful, yet maybe lesser known or talked about, racer Scotty Bodmer. Scotty has 11 track championships and  a $20k win at Atco to his credit. Tune in to hear his story.

This week, Luke and Jed discuss a lot of things that have went on in the last couple weeks, highlighting mainly The Million. They also discuss one racers performances that have come together to be an incredible season in this week’s BTE Who’s Hot.

Luke welcomes guest Kevin McKenna, senior editor of NHRA’s National Dragster. Together the two cover the NHRA points chases from top to bottom, they discuss which classes are up for grabs and who the contenders are. Tune in, as the season comes to a close with only three events on the schedule, things will be interesting in multiple classes.

Ever thought about who the Top 25 racers in sportsman drag racing of all time? Luke and Jed break down THEIR ideas of the Top 25. Be sure to tune in, some will agree, some will disagree, but at the very least it can drum up a discussion about those who have accomplished the most in our sport.

Jed sits down with Matt Dadas to discuss what has been an incredible season. They discuss the progression of the season, where it started and where its headed. Matt was able to describe what it was like to be the car owner for a momentous occasion as well as what it was like to be behind the wheel.

Luke gets a chance to sit down with Dragraceresults.com owner and co-founder of Collectortethers.com. With decades of racing experience, and an all-around industry presence. Luke gets to pick Scott’s brain on lots of topics including the status of big money bracket racing and where its headed.

Luke and Jed discuss all the happenings from the Fall Fling at Bristol Dragway. Offering up a recap of winners, as well as opinions on some of the more dramatic moments. An awesome story leads a NHRA Stock Eliminator racer to get the BTE Who’s Hot. Stay tuned all the way to the end for one of our more interesting endings to the show.

Jed sits down with Chris Gulitti for a cool look into the father son duo’s racing history, and future. A fixture on the big money bracket racing tour, Chris and his son Cory can be found in almost any corner of the country, chasing huge payouts, with an incredible amount of success. Tune in to hear Chris’s story!

Luke gets to sit down with the man, the myth, the legend Chris Garretson, made famous for finishing 6th in Super Comp National points for 2018, with a 110-mph airplane front tired and top end throttle stopped dragster.

The guys talk about KC Pesnell fallout, some Labor Day results from Summit Motorsports Park, and then go into the Big Go at Indy. Luke breaks down the weekend’s events. Every year around this time Luke goes full out NERD on the NHRA Sportsman.

KC Pesnell broke the internet.  So, we had to talk about the 14-year-old who won $50,000!  In that discussion, Luke and Jed debated whether KC (or any 14-year-old) should be driving a 140+ mph dragster alongside grown men and women at the highest level of our sport.  In addition, Jed put his reporter hat on and broke some news about the situation.  It's as much of a "must listen" podcast as we've ever published! Once we wrapped up our thoughts on that situation, we brought on Rex Simmermaker, host of the “Fast Brackets Podcast”on the eve of the first U.S. Nationals featuring the two fastest pure sportsman categories: Top Dragster and Top Sportsman. 

Jed sits down with Stephen “Champ” McCrory, they talk about Champs history in the sport, his accomplishments, and how he feels about the direction the sport is going.   

Luke and Jed return for an entertaining and slightly “off” regular episode, featuring a discussion about house cars, and their opinions concerning them. JJ’s Top 10 (15) returns with July’s picks, and some light results talk.  

On this week’s interview Jed gets to dive into Mia Tedesco’s head and find out about her start into drag racing and what keeps her going week after week. Faith and family are vitally important to Tedesco. She began drag racing when she was 8 at Pittsburgh Raceway Park (renamed Keystone Raceway Park), a track owned by her father Michael Tedesco. It was her Uncle Carmen who convinced his niece to grab a helmet and fire suit and to get behind the wheel of a race car. A lifelong drag racing fanatic, Uncle Carmen was Mia's biggest fan until his passing in 2015.

Luke gets to dive into the Andy Schmall racing world.

Luke and This is Bracket Racing Elite air a live chat with This is Bracket Racing Elite members, an example of what one would expect to see as a member of Elite.  

Luke and This is Bracket Racing Elite present interviews with 4 Elite members. Listen in for some insight about these racers and how This is Bracket Racing has improved their programs.

Much anticipated, Luke and Jed give their thoughts and opinions on the state of big money racing. They talk about race structures, effects on local programs, and what’s keeping these races so successful.

After a HUGE couple weeks of racing, we have a ton to cover! Taking the spotlight are the SFG 525 and the World Footbrake Challenge. Luke and Jed get to cover the results from these races, and have a chat with the winner of the biggest paying bracket race in history!

Jed takes a trip down memory lane with Bob Mullaney, they discuss Bob’s start in racing, as well as what he’s up to these days. Lots of great stories,  with a very talented, and accomplished racer.

The guys preview what will be the biggest payout our sport has seen to this point, and make their predictions. They discuss the big sportsman postponement at Norwalk. Various, National, Divisional, and bracket racing results from around the country as well.

Luke gets a chance to sit down with the “Delaware Destroyer” Danny Bastianelli. Luke gets some insight on Danny’s long history in the sport.

Jam packed episode this week! JJ returns with his top 10 (15) presented by Armed Forces Racing. The guys talk about two different NHRA Nationals, Divisional at Numidia, along with big money bracket racing around the country and an IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular! Topped off by an awesome shout outs segment!

Luke gets the opportunity to sit down with Drag Champ creator Gary Don Free. Hear about Gary’s history in racing, and how “Drag Champ” came to be.  

This week the guys, pay their respects to Kyle Ellis, after losing him tragically in an accident en route to the Huntsville. Onto brighter topics, they cover a ton of results from one side of the country to the other. Finally they preview the Jegs All Star race and make some pics.

Luke gets the opportunity to interview Wes May. They discuss Wes’ early years, how it all began for him, and some unknown history on the famous Wes May Regal.  Tune in to hear the rest of the Wes May story, past to present.

Luke and Jed recap the Spring Fling Galot, highlighting some stand out performances there. They also discuss some NHRA LODRS results from around the country over the past two weeks. They discuss an interesting Super Street performance from California as well.

Luke and Jed get the opportunity to pick the brain of Peeps Pennington, after his win at the Spring Fling Million, with its historical $375,000 payout! Peeps shares how the day went, his emotions, and of course the after celebration!

Luke and Jed re-cap the Spring Fling Million, and Luke discusses his take on splits or lack thereof. From there the guys cover results from the ATI Bigfoot $40k Footbrake race, as well as the Texas Triple 10’s.

Luke sits down with one of the greatest racers in the sportsman/bracket ranks. Edmond Richardson has been winning races for 30 years, and has the drive to continue. An incredible in-depth interview with “The King”, with a lot of insight on racing and winning over his extremely fruitful career.  

The guys cover racing from the past two weeks, almost exclusively NHRA heavy while most all of the significant bracket racing was cancelled/postponed due to weather, they preview some of the upcoming events and finish off the NCAA Final four bracket and we have a “whip us” winner.

This week Luke & Jed got an opportunity to catch up with Spring Fling Million co-promoter & racing legend Kyle Seipel. Rather than discuss the imminent success of what has become arguably the most prestigious event in Sportsman Drag Racing, Kyle agreed to let listeners in. Within this highly personal episode, he details what the last 8 months have been like, clinically and emotionally, in his battle with cancer.

The guys cover racing from the past two weeks, from Montgomery, Huntsville, Gulfport, Two IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectaculars, and a few cool hometown stories mixed in. They round it out with the Final 4 “whip up” phrases. A huge show with a lot on tap! Enjoy!

Jed sits down to talk with Brian Hendrickson, Brian speaks about his start in racing, some of the trials and tribulations of getting his car to Pomona. He also highlights the challenge and pressure of winning the E.T. finals, and then the days in Pomona, not to mention has some incredible “Rapid Fire” question answers!

Racing coverage from Coast to coast, Tucson to Gainesville. The guys recap some of the highlights from Tucson, Gainesville, Texas, and the Loose Rocker race in Virginia! It’s also that time of the year, March Madness, this year Luke and Jed attach races phrases that “whip us” Like basketball or not, this is an entertaining segment!

Luke, KB and Justin, get together to answer some of your questions. Covering a wide range of topics, from Setup questions, to strategy, these guys get down to the nuts and bolts of the sport. They also talk about the benefits and advantages of being a member of This is Bracket Racing Elite.

On this week's episode of the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast, we catch up with reigning NHRA Stock Eliminator Champion, Brian McClanahan. Brian will walk us through his championship campaign, his epic heavyweight slugfest with Justin Lamb down the stretch, and his incredible family history (3 generations of NHRA World Champions).

Luke and Jed recap NHRA action from either side of the country, and also have some fun discussing a social media post suggesting Scotty Richardson vs Gary Williams at $5k a pass. They talk some about a new Division 6 program an extremely quick race sell out.

On this week's episode of the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast, we catch up with reigning NHRA Super Comp Champion, Steve Williams. Steve is a longtime veteran of the sport, with incredible insight. Within the interview, he shares his incredible perspective on the Super Comp category, sportsman racing in general, and the industry that surrounds it.

This week we cover some ACTUAL racing! For the first time in a few months, there were a few races to catch up with, Luke and Jed discuss the NHRA Winternationals, The Division 2 race in Orlando, as well as some bracket racing from Belle Rose, LA. Getting to what you all really want however, Hot Rod Rodney Finchum joins us for a nice long interview full of great stories and hucklebuckin!

We are back to our coverage of 2018 Champions.  Jed sits down to talk with NHRA Super Pro E.T champion Patrick Osmundson. Listen in as we get to know Patrick, his story, and the events that led to his Super Pro Championship

Taking a break from the 2018 Championship interview series, Luke and Jed take some time to catch up with some of the happenings over the winter. The guys talk about some big money races that are coming up in 2019 all over the country, as well as some of the other news from the racing world.

2018 NHRA Top Sportsman Champion Ronnie Proctor has won just about everything that one can win in a Top Sportsman car. A Ford guy through and through, Ronnie currently is running a Jerry Haas built Mustang in the 6 second zone at 200+ MPH. Ronnie gets the opportunity to tell his story on this weeks episode.

2018 IHRA Top Summit Super Series Champion Dale Scates, 25, East Texas resident travelled to Memphis to compete for his National Championship. Dale has been racing since he was 10 years old, starting in a Jr dragster at Pine Valley, and hasn’t taken a break since. Listen to his story, winning his championship in a borrowed car after finding a bad lifter in his own!

2018 NHRA Top Dragster Champion Paul Nero, a perennial top finisher in Top Dragster joins us in this installment of our championship coverage. Paul has multiple national event wins in multiple classes, has qualified for the NHRA All-Stars, and also competes in big money bracket races. Paul, an Oregon resident, finds himself behind the windshield putting in a lot of travel time to reach races all over the country with his closest national event over 4 hours from home and others being 17-21 hours from home or more!

2018 NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle champion John Markham is a 49-year-old from Bowling Green, KY, and has a storied history drag racing motorcycles. John has 10 National Championships in various motorcycle racing associations and over 30 national wins Listen as John details his championship season with Jed.

This week’s champion guest, Frank Aragona is a perennial top 10 Competition Eliminator National points finisher. He has stood at the top twice now, once in 2007 and of course this season. Nearly a dozen national event wins to his credit, Frank has seen a lot of success in Competition Eliminator, but has also dabbled in nearly all of the NHRA sportsman categories with success. Frank is a huge proponent for Competition Eliminator and you can hear the true passion in his words about the class! 

Kyla is 14 yrs old Jr Dragster racer from Wisconsin Rapids, WI She’s a freshman At Lincoln High school in Wisconsin Rapids. WI where she’s a High Honor Roll student. She started racing when she was 10 & won her first race the following year. She won two races & was X number points Champion this year at Great Lakes Dragaway, which led her to be invited to Memphis for World Finals. There she was runner up in the gambler race & then won the World Finals. Outside of racing, Kyla enjoys dancing. Which she’s been doing since the age of 3. She’s in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, & modern. She’s also won 2 scholarships for her dancing.

Devin Isenhower is just 21 years old, our youngest 2018 NHRA Sportsman Champ.  Devin competes not only in his championship winning Camaro bodied Roadster SG machine, but also an American Race Cars dragster in the 8.90 category.  Not only did Devin win the  2018 Super Gas national title, he also finished 10th in Super Comp points.  In addition to his world championship, Devin won the Division 3 Super Gas championship (for a second consecutive season) in 2018.  

In this BONUS episode, Luke and Kevin Brannon discuss racing strategy, philosophy, and execution (at both ends of the track).  Luke and KB are the lead instructors within ThisIsBracketRacing ELITE, an exclusive online membership community.  Within the group, they hold regular live chats in which they discuss topics and field a variety of questions presented by group members.  This bonus episode is essentially a public version of that; and a bit of a glimpse inside ThisIsBracketRacing ELITE.

2018 IHRA Modified Champion Toby Daniels, 44, from Barbourville Kentucky began his drag racing journey tagging along to the track with family. Going to the track with his father and brother got Toby hooked on drag racing, just like so many of us.  After battling some nerves in the first few rounds, Toby tells Jed about his trip to the final, and the people that helped make it possible!

Justin Lamb recently won his 5th NHRA World Championship, which puts him in rare air within the sportsman drag racing community.  His 2018 Super Stock crown, in addition to his 5th title total, was his 3rd in Super Stock and his third in the last two calendar years.  In 2017, Justin became just the 3rd driver in NHRA history (joining Scotty Richardson and Jeff Strickland) to win two championships in the same season when he won the Super Stock and Stock titles.  In 2018, he came painfully close to duplicating the feat.  Justin won the Super Stock title for a second consecutive season.

In today’s episode, the guys sit down with Nelson Belot (Bee-Lot) to discuss how he not only won the long distance award at the NHRA Finals, but also took the Summit Pro National Championship back home to Massachusetts.  Kenny Underwood is back at it, padding his phenomenal win total with a pair of scores down south; and the long awaited, highly anticipated return of Racer Confidential!

In this week's show, the guys discuss David Rampy's 100th NHRA National Event victory, the 2018 class of NHRA Summit Series champions, and that wild finish to the NHRA Super Comp title chase. Plus regular and semi-regular features: BTE Who's Hot, #RacingAnswers, and of course, shoutouts for days!

In this week’s episode, lead (only) Sportsman Drag Racing correspondent J.J. Pennington shares his Top 10 from October!  In addition, Luke and Jed recap the drama in Las Vegas that culminated in 6 of the 7 NHRA sportsman world champions being crowned.  They also previewed the upcoming Summit Series World Championships in Pomona and break down the action from the World Series of Bracket Racing in Georgia.

Luke and Jed discuss SFG’s stance on Excessive Braking, along with a seemingly bizarre ruling from NHRA.  Plus, Million Dollar Race Promoter Randy Folk joined the show to clarify some of the details of this year’s Million and to provide his unique perspective on the decisions he was faced with at the event; both this season and in years past.  Plus: BTE Who’s Hot, event results from across the country, nerdy NHRA championship breakdowns, and of course, shoutouts for days!

Kenny Underwood became just the second two-time Million Dollar Race Winner.  Randell Reid nearly went Verdi on ‘em.  Scotty Richardson came close to getting the one win that has eluded him.  And none of that was the biggest story of the Million.  You know what was.  Luke & Jed talked about all that and more.  Guests for this show include BOTH the Million Dollar Race winner Kenny Underwood, and runner-up: 17-year-old Cory Gulitti.  One long episode to recap one crazy weekend in Montgomery.  You gotta hear this.

On the eve of the 23rd annual Mickey Thompson Million, the guys welcome the only 2-time winner of the Million, Gary Williams to the show.  GW rehashes his glorious triumphs from 2004 and 2007, how they changed his life, and some thoughts on the Million in general.  Gary, Luke, and Jed all weigh in on predictions for the winner and the car count at this year’s Million.  In addition, the guys break down the NHRA title chase following an exciting weekend in Charlotte, and recap a handful of big buck bracket events leading into the Million Dollar Race.

In this week’s show, the guys break down coast to coast action from a busy weekend.  Highlights include David Rampy’s quest to reach 100 national event wins, a slew of young guns with huge performances, breakdown and insight on a few unsubstantiated rumors, and of course the monthly edition of JJ’s Top Ten!

In this episode, Luke & Jed discuss Jake Howard’s incredible run: all he does is win E.T. Finals (that’s 5 in 3 years, and 3 in 3 weeks for those keeping score at home).  Luke took a deeper dive into the NHRA national points chase in Super Stock, Super Comp, and Top Sportsman to break down the championship contenders and their odds.  The guys closed the show with a couple of listener e-mails that depict some unique and thought provoking situations (re-runs, points implications, gifted rounds, etc.).  Plus the usual nonsense: BTE Who’s Hot, What’s On Tap, Shoutouts and more.

Luke & Jed sit down with the man of the hour, Rocky Pintavalle.  In case you haven’t heard, Rocky had an incredible season… last weekend!  Pintavalle drove his 3-speed equipped back-half Mopar to wins in both the $15,000 opener and the $50,000 main event at the Fall Fling.  The guys recapped everything Fall Fling, including the big ($500,000) announcement for next year’s event.  NHRA got slippery in St. Louis, so the guys did their best to rehash that drama and recap a busy weekend of sportsman action from across the country

Luke and Jed did their best to recap an incredible weekend of racing from across the country.  Jake Howard and Mikie Sturgill headlined a weekend chalk full of E.T. Finals action with rare doubles.  Cory Gulitti and Andy Schmall showed out in big dollar bracket competition.  We’ve got new national points leaders in two NHRA categories.  Lots to talk about - plus potentially the most memorable Luke rant/tangent to date.  That and more on one long episode of the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast!

In this episode, Luke & Jed get “Dialed In” with Zach Schlumpf, co-host of a new racing podcast titled “Dialed In with Jake & Zach.  In addition, they recapped a fairly light weekend of racing action highlighted by a pair of NHRA divisional events, and previewed a big weekend of bracket finals action on the horizon.  Jed, Luke and Producer Mark also weighed in with memories from September 11, seventeen years later.

In this episode, the guys caught up with recent NHRA U.S. National Super Gas champion (and current Super Gas points leader) Devin Isenhower to recap the biggest win of his young career.  That leads their in-depth coverage of the Big Go, and some of the stories of note from the fabled event.  Lead (only) Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast correspondent JJ Pennington provided his Top 10 for the month of August, and the guys closed the show with a pair of epic Racer Confidential stories.

In this episode, the guys dissect the NHRA points chase following a big weekend of divisional action.  Did you hear that the Top Dragster bump in Bowling Green was 6.342?!?!  That’s not a typo: 6.343 DID NOT get in!  Jed and Luke discuss and get deeper into the 32 vs. 48 car Top Dragser/Top Sportsman debate.  Plus they recapped a busy weekend of bracket action from coast to coast that featured another pair of bottom bulb racers scoring big wins in Top Bulb/Combo events.  All that plus the usual shenanigans: two new “Racer Confidential” stories, Chance from BTE (not from the roof of a motorhome), and shoutouts for days.

In this episode, the guys catch up with Nick Duty fresh off of his big win at the Windmill Nationals.  They discuss his emotional triumph, his life as a track operator who gets to race every once in awhile, and the year of the Chevette.  The NHRA points picture got a little bit clearer after a big weekend of events across the country; and some pockets got a little fatter following a number of big dollar bracket events from coast to coast.

In this episode, Luke & Jed start off talking about ducks, pylons, and kamikaze racers before smoothly transitioning into the week that was in sportsman drag racing - and it was a big one!  They highlight results from the SFG event at Dragway 42, along with the Nightfire Nationals in Boise, ID and big bracket action from Virginia, South Carolina, and Illinois.  Plus they recap the lone NHRA event of the weekend and the points implications attached to it.  The guys closed the show with the first edition of “Racer Confidential” a fun format to tell anonymous (and entertaining) stories about the folks that we (and you) race with!

This episode of the podcast is jam packed with guest appearances from our lead (only) correspondent, JJ Pennington (JJ’s Top 10) and recently crowned World Super Pro Challenge $50,000 winner Chris Stine.  Also:

Are we understating the accomplishments (and greatness) of Justin Lamb?  

The weekend brought a memorable father-son final round (and nearly two)

And it’s the year of the No Box racer and the No Split Final!

In this NHRA heavy episode of the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast, Luke gets all nerdy talking numbers and details in the NHRA sportsman title chase.  The guys get deeper into the 32 vs. 48 car field debate for the NHRA Top Dragster and Top Sportsman classes.  And the guys introduce a new (to the show) sponsor with a cameo appearance from Chance Lykens of BTE Performance.  They close this week’s show where they opened last week’s episode: on the topic of some nasty turns in the “drama” surrounding the current big dollar bracket scene.

Facebook drama within the big buck bracket community, Jed’s redemption tour at the JEGS Summer Door Car Shootout, and the NHRA sportsman world championship picture (and our podcast pick ‘em contest) is a little bit more in focus.  The guys discuss these topics and more in Episode 87!

In this episode, Luke & Jed rehash the action from the SFG Summer Shootout at US 131 as well as NHRA action from Division 3 and 6, and assorted big dollar bracket events across the country.  Two former world champions that the guys dropped from their team last week showed out over the weekend and forced them to rethink those decisions… Luke previews the upcoming JEGS Summer Door Car Shootout, and they close the show with a popular #RacingAnswers topic: dealing with the first round (or final round) jitters.

National Dragster Senior Editor Kevin McKenna joined Luke & Jed for this week’s show, as the trio performed their mid-season re-draft of Sportsman champions.  That closed an episode that led off with Jed’s World Footbrake Challenge Recap, as well as insights from Luke’s weekend at the Firecracker Bracket Nationals in Byron, IL.  In addition, they touched on results from the Tenn-Tuck series, and NHRA national and divisional action.  Jed was tired and slurring his words... Luke shouted out half of Minnesota…  It was a pretty typical Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast!

This episode features our monthly segment from the best 12-year-old announcer and podcast personality in the land, JJ Pennington: JJ’s Top Ten.  In addition, the guys discuss the holiday weekend events, introduce a new Siebert Performance Who’s Hot, and close with some final thoughts on the constantly changing landscape of big dollar bracket racing in 2018.

In this episode, Luke welcomes the newest addition to his family, and the guys recaps a weekend of racing, in Texas and North Carolina. They highlight a standout JR performance and another footbrake racer earns Who’s Hot honors. IHRA’s new Summit Sportsman Spectacular is explained by our guest Skooter Peaco, and as always the popular shoutouts round out the episode.

In this episode, Luke & Jed lay gifts at the feet of Kevin Pollard, and discuss related news from the SFG No Dragster Nationals.  That was the lead event of a busy weekend of racing that also included the No Box Nationals, the 75 Hundos in New York, and a full slate of NHRA divisional and national event action.  The show wrapped with a long overdue edition of #RacingAnswers, the regular What’s On Tap segment of upcoming events, and the increasingly coveted show-ending shoutouts.

Barry Davis, the longtime crew chief for sportsman racing legend David Rampy joined Luke and Jed this week to discuss his role and the role that crew members (who are often family members and/or friends) play in racing everywhere.  The guys led the show with some big talk from the weekend: a $50,000-to-win NO SPLIT final round.  As always, they covered notable results from across the country and previewed this weekend’s biggest upcoming events.

This week, the guys got to catch up with the most recent winner on the NHRA Top Sportsman tour, Don O’Neal, who claimed his second win of the 2018 season in bizarre (and controversial) fashion last week in Chicago.  Don talked about that, his hot start to the season, and the cloud of tragedy hanging over the entire Top Sportsman class.  In addition, Luke & Jed covered the big weekend in Chicago including the annual JEGS All-Stars competition and big dollar bracket racing from around the country.

It’s the end of the month and you know what that means!  It’s JJ’s top ten!  This time around, JJ not only broke down his top 5 Super Pro and Bottom Bulbers from the month of May, but added in a Jr. Dragster segment.  In addition, the guys broke down a massive holiday weekend that included a legendary performance from Kevin Pollard, and no less than half a dozen standout performances from across the country.

In this episode, the guys took an opportunity to sit down with the masterminds behind the SDPC Dream Team Challenge: Gaylon Rolison and Britt Cummings.  The duo explained how the unique Dream Team idea came to fruition, and all four (Gaylon, Britt, Luke & Jed) discussed their excitement for the weekend that lies ahead.  Britt even got a few jabs in at Johnny Bracket Racer, as that epic grudge match will culminate this weekend in Memphis as well!  In addition, the guys broke down last week’s action, which was NHRA heavy with several results that could impact the national championship chases throughout the sportsman landscape.

In this episode, the guys deviate significantly from the typical show for an interview with Bruce Deveau, a licensed psychotherapist and Performance Consultant and the author of the popular Racer’s Mind series of audio trainings and workbooks.  In the interview, they had a wide ranging discussion on optimal mental performance, how sports psychology applies behind the wheel, and also touched on the topic of mastery and our pursuit of it.   In addition, the guys previewed the upcoming Dream Team Challenge, discussed the pending culmination of the Cummings vs. Ezell grudge match, and even talked a little smack about their own teams as they prepare for Memphis.

In this episode, the guys were joined by the driver of the Kalitta Racing Global Electronic Technology Funny Car, Shawn Langdon.  Prior to his nitro fame, Shawn was a 2-time national champion in Super Comp, and also has a Jr. Dragster national title to his credit (he’s the only driver to date to hold titles in Jr. Dragster, a sportsman category, and a professional category: Top Fuel).  Shawn talked a bit about his foray in the Funny Car category, brought us up to speed on his sportsman racing operation, and his latest project: The Nomex Effect podcast that he hosts with teammate J.R. Todd.  In addition, Luke & Jed had a lengthy discussion about the tragic events of the past week, and what it means going forward.  And, as always they recapped the major action from the week that was, including the Spring Fling Galot, the NHRA Southern Nationals, and more.

This week’s episode kicked off with the monthly breakdown from Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast Lead (and only) Correspondent, J.J. Pennington.  In it, the best 12-year-old announcer in the world unveiled the second edition of “J.J.’s Top Ten.”  Luke & Jed then reviewed an entertaining list of “retro” racing phrases submitted by you the listeners and threw in a few entertaining stories to boot.  They recapped the past week of on track action, highlighted by the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, as well as big bucks bracket action from across the country.

Randell Reid, the winner of last weekend’s Spring Fling Million joined Luke & Jed on this episode to recap and relive his huge victory over J.R. Lobner in Friday’s main event.  While Randell and J.R. were obviously the big story, their success was at least somewhat overshadowed by a staging controversy earlier in the day involving Johnny Ezell.  The guys put Johnny Bracket Racer on trial so to speak, and weigh in on the intentions and ramifications of his actions.  In addition, they broke down the Bigfoot $40k’s from Darlington, the first IHRA Sportsman Spectacular from Baton Rouge, and the NHRA national event from Houston.

In this episode, Luke & Jed are joined by last weekend’s $175,000 Powerball of Drag Racing winner, Brandon Taylor.  Brandon gives us a bit of a round-by-round of how the biggest windfall of his drag racing career to date happened, and what was going through his head in that crazy final round sequence.  In addition, the boys recapped the weekend action from not only the Powerball event, but also NHRA Lucas Oil Series action from Texas, Las Vegas and North Carolina.  They previewed what may well be the biggest weekend of the sportsman drag racing season coming up: Spring Fling Million, Bigfoot $40k’s, and more.  And they closed the show with the popular #RacingAnswers segment.

In this episode, the guys got the unique opportunity to catch up with Jeff Lambert, the president of Armed Forces Racing.  Jeff shared his unique path into drag racing and how he has intertwined his passion for our sport with his military background to genuinely impact the lives of veterans.  In addition, Luke & Jed recapped the week that was, which was highlighted by stellar performances by sportsman competitors from coast to coast.  They also previewed this week’s SFG Powerball event in Jackson, SC and even spent a little time rehashing the Masters.

In this episode, the guys got the opportunity to sit down for a great conversation with the minds behind the Spring Fling Million and the Spring Fling brand: Kyle Seipel & Peter Biondo.  They previewed the upcoming event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that does offer the largest guaranteed purse in all of drag racing for 2018.  They also provided a behind the scenes glimpse at the ups and downs of race promotion.  In addition, Luke & Jed recapped the Southern Big Buck Nationals in Belle Rose, LA and look ahead to a busy month of April on the sportsman scene.  Of course this podcast wouldn’t be complete without a final look back at the NCAA tournament and the podcast bad beat bracket.  It’s our version of “One Shining Moment”

This episode features the first segment from the lead (and only) correspondent of the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast: J.J. Pennington and the debut of J.J.’s Top Ten!  In addition, PJ North knocks it out of the park with some professional sound for the Final Four of the podcast bad beat bracket and the intro for J.J.’s Top Ten.  The guys touch on big bucks action from Huntsville, AL, bottom bulb action from Gulfport, MS, and the NHRA Lucas Oil Series from Houston, TX before closing with a Final Thought on track prep.  Today’s episode is presented in part by our friends at PortaTree, ThisIsBracketRacing ELITE, Siebert Performance, and the AHRA!

In today’s episode, the guys update the Podcast Bad Beat Bracket to represent the Sweet 16, complete with several new, listener suggested additions!  They recap the weekend’s biggest events (Tenn-Tuck, Gatornationals, and big bucks action from Oklahoma and Virginia), and close the show by catching up with Dallas Page, the winner of the recent Racing RV’s sponsorship contest via ThisIsBracketRacing ELITE.  Thanks to our partners for presenting this week’s show: Siebert Performance, AHRA, PortaTree, and The Spring Fling Galot.

This week’s podcast features a recap of the week that was: NHRA in Gainesville, big bucks in Tucson and the SFG opener in Georgia, plus the guys get into some Facebook drama from the week!  Luke & Jed were joined by this week’s Seibert Performance “Who’s Hot” recipient: Lane Dicken, hot off his $100,000 victory in Reynolds, GA.  In addition, they rolled out their own version of March Madness, tying outrageous (and common) racing “bad beat” stories to the top seeds of the NCAA tournament.  It made for an enjoyable (if not somewhat ridiculous) episode.

On this week’s episode, Luke & Jed were joined by legendary announcer, journalist and racer Bret Kepner to discuss the Sportsman Drag Racing Hall of Fame idea in greater depth.  We doubt anyone has more diversity in experience or a greater knowledge of the history of drag racing than Kepner - he’s like a walking, talking encyclopedia (as you’ll hear on this episode).  Hear his takes and some fascinating facts on our sport, in addition to the guys’ weekly recap of major events from around the country.

Should Sportsman Drag Racing have its own Hall Of Fame?  If so, where would it be located?  And who gets first ballot induction?  Luke & Jed discuss these ideas and share their thoughts on this week’s episode.  In addition, they cover last weekend’s biggest newsmakers from Phoenix to Orlando to Montgomery, and more! 

In this episode Jed is welcomed by co-host Kevin Brannon, while Luke goes on vacation and takes the week off. Jed and KB discuss a pit incident at Gulfport dragway over the weekend, as well as some King of the Coast results. The guys discuss KB’s move into racing full time, and the upcoming divisional at Orlando. They also highlight a few upcoming events. To finish up the episode, Luke gives us a #RACINGANSWERS segment on top end driving.

Bottom bulb racers have been waiting for it: It’s the Bottom Bulb version of the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast Top 25!  Luke, Jed, and Mark recruited 12 distinguished panelists to assemble the top 25: listen to see who came out on top, who earned Top 25 status, and who got snubbed!  Luke Siebert, of Siebert Performance and a notable bottom bulb racer of his own right, joined the show this week to break down the results and give his take.  In addition, Luke & Jed cover the weekend’s results from Pomona and discuss upcoming events slated for this weekend.

On this week’s episode, Luke & Jed sit down for a lengthy interview with reigning NHRA Top Dragster World Champion Lynn Ellison.  Within that segment, Lynn recaps his amazing 2017 season, talks about the opportunity to compete alongside his daughter Madison, and what it’s like to bracket race at well over 200 mph.  In addition, the guys rehash their NHRA picks from last episode in preparation for the NHRA season opener in Pomona.  The episode closes with an appearance from newly minted Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast correspondent, JJ Pennington! 

National Dragster Senior Editor Kevin McKenna joins Luke and Big Jed this week as they perform their annual NHRA Championship Draft.  A year ago, Luke smoked Big Jed in the competition: and as a result, Jed’s “Big Red” Nova will feature a custom decal throughout 2018 to make sure everyone knows it!  This year, Kevin, who helped the duo with their picks last season, got in on the action and picked a team of his own.  The trio each selected three drivers in each of the NHRA sportsman categories as their own “Dream Team” of sorts.  The show is a bit NHRA heavy this week, as Luke & Jed also discuss the advent of an 1/8th mile NHRA Division Series in the Southeast Division, and the addition of Virginia Motorsports Park to the NHRA National Event Schedule.  Luke closes this week’s show with a “Final Thought” on the future of bracket racing.

This week, the guys are joined by 2-time NHRA World Champion Sherman Adcock, Jr. and the trio takes turns telling racing stories of yesteryear: entertaining tales from their youth and what feels like a little different time in sportsman drag racing.  Jed shares a story that begins with losing a race car (quite literally) and ends in the winner’s circle.  Sherman tells us about the early days of NHRA Super Gas, and highlights a few of the personalities of that time period.  And Luke adds in the story of his first race day at his home track - a couple years shy of being a licensed driver.  In addition, they talk about the ceasing of drag race competition at Englishtown, and touch on some of the upcoming events, news, and deadlines in the sport.

Some of the most discussed - and often most avoided - questions in the world of sportsman drag racing swirl around the issue of Commercial Vehicle mandates and the DOT laws as they apply to racers.  In this episode, Luke & Jed do their best to get to the bottom of it,  with the help of two highly respected industry professionals: Joe Fisher (Racing RV’s), and John Dibartolomeo (Drag Racing Edge).  Joe and John help shed some light on towing and CDL requirements for our racing operations.

This episode was a real treat for Jed & Luke, as they got to sit down for a lengthy interview with recent NHRA World Champion and sportsman racing icon, David Rampy.  In his interview, Rampy talked about everything from his Alabama roots to the intricacies of Competition Eliminator; his racing mentor, his team, and his drive to continue earning his living within sportsman competition.  It’s one you don’t want to miss!

The boys are back!  After a week off for the holidays, Luke and Jed return – and they bring the goods this week in an episode sure to get everyone talking.  In this episode, the guys rank the top 25 top bulb bracket racers in the world!  Who’s number 1?  Who missed the cut?  Find out in an episode dedicated almost exclusively to poll banter.  In addition, the guys touch on a handful of events that have been released in recent weeks, and close the show with the popular #RacingAnswers segment.

Here it is!  By listener vote, Luke & Jed recap the “Best of” 2017: best single event performance, best event, biggest controversy, best story, and the granddaddy of them all: the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast 2017 Driver of the Year.  In addition to breaking down the ballots, the guys discuss the passing of legendary NHRA Pro Stock champion Bob Glidden, update the listeners on some recent announcements, and close with a final thought on the sustainability of the current big dollar bracket racing landscape.

On this week’s show, the guys sit down with arguably the most successful and versatile racer of 2017: Nick Hastings.  Hastings’ accomplishments from the season read like a laundry list of the biggest and best events of the season: top bulb and bottom bulb.  He talks about his year, his outlook, and how he took the step from weekly bracket racer to one of the most recognized and successful big dollar competitors in the sport!  In addition, Luke & Jed discuss the hottest topics of the week, and preview the upcoming “Best of 2017” show which will be highlighted by a listener vote.

On this week’s show, the guys discuss some of the latest developments in sportsman drag racing: IHRA’s Sportsman Spectacular, the recent Facebook discussion about what we would change about the sport, and more…  But in large part, they relax and have a little fun!  Luke & Jed are joined by multi-time world champion Slate Cummings as the three reflect on some of their most entertaining “Smack Talk” stories from over three decades at the race track. 

On this week’s show, the guys catch up with recently crowned NHRA S/C world champ Austin Williams.  In addition, they recap the holiday weekend action, which unfortunately included a disproportionate number of on track incidents.  They also roll out a new “What’s On Tap” feature in which they preview upcoming events and talk about a 2018 schedule that is quickly becoming the richest and most exciting season in big buck bracket racing history.  Plus they close the show with a long overdue #RacingAnswers segment.

A couple months ago, Jason Patterson was a Footbrake racer from south Texas.  Now he’s an NHRA World Champion.  Luke & Jed catch up with him to talk about the experience.  In addition, they salute this year’s class of NHRA world champions, discuss the latest IHRA news, and preview the upcoming Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast anniversary episode.

Justin Lamb just became the third driver in NHRA history to win two national championships in one season.  Those titles marked the third and fourth of his illustrious career (he’s 30 years old).  On this week’s show, Jed and Luke got to catch up with Justin en route to Pomona for the World Finals.  In addition, they do their best to bring everyone up to speed on the remaining sportsman championship pictures, recap the World Series of Bracket Racing, and share some thoughts on integrity within championship points battles.

It’s our anniversary!  Join Luke & Jed as they take a look back at the first 52 episodes of the podcast and review the listener poll about the best, funniest, and most awkward moments of year one!

In today’s episode, Luke & Jed revisit last week’s discussion on safety and break down the past week’s major events: big dollar Footbrake action at the SFC, NHRA national event competition from Las Vegas, and the final Division 2 event from Rockingham.  They’re joined by recent Las Vegas winner Marko Perivolaris and Luke brings everyone up to speed on NHRA championship possibilities with just 2 weeks remaining in the 2017 season.  And of course, the duo discusses their NHRA pick ‘em contest with an emphasis on the recourse for the loser.

This episode is dedicated to everything Mickey Thompson Million.  Luke & Jed were on hand competing for the biggest prize of the 2017 season.  They didn’t win it, but they talk a lot about the man who did: Johnny Ezell.  In addition, they touch on some of the hot topics from the Million: the split negotiation, safety equipment (or lack thereof), and the undertone of cheating accusations.  No guest this week: Johnny Bracket Racing politely declined to come on (his racing speaks for itself).

This week the guys are recording live from the Mickey Thompson Million in Montgomery, AL.  Luke & Jed are joined by the winner of the inaugural Million, TJ Tracey.  In addition, they discuss the callouts from Huntsville last week and talk about Jed’s big win at the same event.  Plus, they cover results from across the country and give their picks for this week’s Million.

In this episode, the guys discuss new developments in the world of bracket racing: from IHRA’s change in format, to an interesting system of pairing in the late rounds.  Luke & Jed are joined by Britt Cummings, as he and Gaylon Rolison announce their new event: the 2018 Dream Team Shootout.  In addition, they cover the NHRA action from Oklahoma and E.T. Finals events from the Southeast and the west coast…  Plus they agree on a wager for their NHRA pick ‘em contest.

In this episode, Troy Williams, Jr. joins the show to discuss his incredible week… Troy clinched the IHRA Top Dragster World Championship on Sunday, then kicked off the Fall Fling with a win in the 32-car Dragster Shootout. As if that weren’t enough, he capped the week with a $50,000 triumph in Friday’s main event! In addition, he tells a few stories about his early years at the track, plus Luke & Jed recap the Fling, the NHRA national event in St. Louis and breakdown their NHRA draft picks at the points battles wind to a close.

In this week’s episode, Luke & Jed are joined by newly crowned DragRaceResults.com Ultimate Series champion Aaron Vail.  The longtime Indiana door car driver tells the guys what it’s like to take a dragster home for the first time.  In addition, IHRA crowned its sportsman champions last week with the Dragway 42 Finale, so the guys discuss that.  Plus, they cover the NHRA action from Maple Grove and Rocky Mountain Raceway, as well as the DRR Series’ final stop in Huntsville and the Jim Harrington Memorial Classic at Cecil County.  It’s an action packed show, recorded from the tower at Bristol Dragway during the Fall Fling!

In this week’s episode, 2-time IHRA World Champion and current points leader Danny Waters, Jr. helps the guys break down the IHRA finale and the championship contenders in each category.  In addition, Luke and Jed cover last weekend’s national, divisional, and E.T. Finals events, and preview the upcoming Fall Fling.  Plus, Luke tries to explain what the heck he’s doing in Salt Lake City and they debate the idea of giving a time trial in the middle of competition.

It’s Jed’s time to bask in the glory of his Alabama Slamma All-State triumph!  In this week’s episode, the guys recap all the happenings from Memphis: the $50,000-to-win main event, as well as the race they’ve talked about all season long: The All State Shootout.  In addition, they recap the week that was in NHRA LODRS competition and preview the final DragRaceResults.com Ultimate Series event of 2017.

In this episode, the guys discuss all of the happenings from the Big Go, including an interview with 2017 Competition Eliminator winner (and 3-time Indy champion) Brad Plourd.  In addition, they touch on the IHRA double header in South Carolina, as well as big buck action from Norwalk, Noble, Montgomery, Kil-Kare and Farmington.

In this episode, the guys cover last weekend’s NHRA results from Bowling Green and Virginia Motorsports Park, as well as bracket action from Huntsville and Salt Lake City.  The are joined by co-promoter of the Moser Great American Bracket Race, Gaylon Rolison to talk about that event and the All-State Shootout that will be contested as a part of it.  Luke closes the show with a final thought about the Big GO: the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

In this episode, the guys discussed last week’s big buck bracket action from the DragRaceResults.com Ultimate Series in Huntsville as well as the Beaver Big Buck Blast in PA.  In addition, they cover NHRA races from Brainerd, Seattle, and Cecil County, plus IHRA action from Memphis and Empire, all with an eye on the ultimate prizes: the national championships in both sanctioning bodies.

In this episode, the guys got a chance to catch up with PJ North and talk about the winding road that has led him to stardom on the Nashville music scene, and how he’s intertwined his music career with sportsman drag racing.  They break down the weekend events: a trio of NHRA division races, along with big buck action from Virginia, Illinois, and Idaho.  The podcast takes a somber tone when Luke, Jed, and PJ talk about Windle Webster, Jr.’s legacy and the racing incident that took his life last Friday.

In this episode, Luke & Jed dive into the IHRA points chase in all of the sportsman categories.  In addition, they recap the week that was in NHRA competition: huge western swings for Jody Lang and Justin Lamb, as well as John Labbous Jr.’s continued domination of the super classes.  Plus, they touch on the two big bracket events contested in the state of Michigan last weekend.  Jed relives a devastating kickball defeat, and Luke talks about losing 4 semi-final rounds in under an hour.  It’s a jam-packed podcast to say the least.

In this episode, Luke & Jed catch up with former NHRA Top Sportsman champion and current points leader Jeffrey Barker on the heels of his double-up victory in Topeka.  They break down the NHRA points chases following a big weekend of action, and recap big bracket races from Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.  Plus, they provide an update on the upcoming All-State Challenge and preview next weekend’s Racing RV’s Exclusive 150.

In this episode, Luke & Jed touch on the events that made up the week that was: bracket action from Maryland and Alabama, the NHRA national event in Denver, and divisionals from Sonoma and Epping.  They sit down for a chat with back-to-back NHRA Mile High Nationals Super Comp winner Kris Whitfield, and breakdown the bottom bulb All-State Challenge roster.  The episode as a whole takes a somber tone following a massive loss to the sportsman racing community. 

In this episode, Luke & Jed cover the IHRA event in Maryland and NHRA across the country in Oregon, but they spend the bulk of the show discussing the JEGS Summer Door Car Shootout.  The event had its highs and lows for both: from a massive car and spectator count, to a fantastic wheelie contest, to a young new champion, to getting stuck in the mud & Jed’s unfortunate encounter with a concrete barrier.  They discuss it and much more on this week’s Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast.

This week, Luke & Jed do their best to tackle a monumental weekend in sportsman drag racing.  Dan Fletcher earned his milestone 100^th NHRA national event win in Chicago.  At the same event, David Rampy picked up his 95^th win, and Luke himself became the 25^th driver in NHRA history to double at a national event.  Meanwhile, Jed had a big weekend of his own, hosting the 11^th annual BTE World Footbrake Challenge.  They discuss all that, and catch up with the man of the hour himself: Dan Fletcher.  Plus Luke rants in the newest segment of the podcast, This Week’s Final Thought.

In this episode, Luke & Jed breakdown the upcoming JEGS All-Stars competition.  In addition, they take an opportunity to catch up with NHRA Top Fuel ace Clay Millican.  Clay shares his incredible story: from a local racer scratching together pennies to make races along the IHRA tour in Modified eliminator, to Top Fuel world champion (6 times over), to legitimate NHRA contender.  He recaps his emotional victory in Bristol on Father’s Day, and enlightens us all on some of the nuances of professional competition.

In this episode, Luke & Jed welcome longtime racer and the voice of the JEGS Summer Door Car Shootout, Willie Burnett.  Willie and Jed share some announcing war stories as well as some memorable calls from the past.  In addition, the guys recap the week that was, highlighted by a “Double Double” at the NHRA National event in Norwalk, and the much anticipated Lonestar Summer Shootout in Texas.  Plus, they break down the NHRA points chase after a big weekend (there were two divisionals in addition to Norwalk; and they release the “Utility” class roster for the SDPC All-State Showdown.

In this episode, Luke & Jed welcome National Dragster Senior Editor Kevin McKenna to the show to review the first half of the 2017 NHRA season.  Kevin assists Luke & Jed with their NHRA World Championship re-drafts, as they lock in #TeamLuke and #TeamJed for the remainder of the season.  In addition, they recap the weekend’s events from Nashville, TN to Denver, CO and several points in between.  Plus, Jed shares that he is the (self-proclaimed) “Greg Maddux” of his high intensity adult kickball league.

In this episode, Luke & Jed talk about cheating (and the threat of cheating) in today’s sportsman drag racing world.  The show includes a long chat with Cody Harger, a Louisiana racer turned tech inspector, who handles tech inspection at the Million Dollar Race and the DragRaceResults.com Ultimate Series events.  In addition, they discuss the unfortunate accident turned social media saga of one southeast footbrake competitor, and bring everyone up to speed on the biggest events of the week that was: from Englishtown to Darlington, and the Ultimate 64 to the latest IHRA events.

In this episode, Luke & Jed relive a big weekend of NHRA competition highlighted by the national event in Epping, NH and three Lucas Oil Series Events.  They also cover the No Box Bonanza at Summit Raceway Park, and preview the upcoming DragRaceResults.com Ultimate Series event at Huntsville Dragway (June 23-25).  In addition, they roll out their first #RacingAnswers segment with an emphasis on finish line safety…  But the highlight of the show is an interview with up and coming bracket race announcer JJ Pennington!

In this episode, Luke & Jed recap the weekend’s events from coast to coast: From NHRA at Bowling Green and Maple Grove to major events in Fontana, CA, Ardmore, OK, Steele, AL, Atco, NJ and Rockingham, NC and big bucks Footbrake action in Elk Creek, VA. Results include Matt Sayers domination, a Scooter Hamlin double, and even a Spencer Massey siting!  Plus, they preview the Racing RV’s Exclusive 150 and Luke talks about become an outdoorsman. 

In this episode, Luke & Jed recap the weekend’s events and their potential implications on the 2017 NHRA Lucas Oil Championship races.  Austin Williams won the Menard’s NHRA Heartland Nationals.  Surprise, surprise: this marks the fifth consecutive season he’s won the Topeka event!  Jed & Luke discuss his success, and recap the NHRA divisional events in Atlanta, Norwalk, and Fontana with an eye on how they’ll ultimately impact the 2017 national championships.  They also touch on last weekend’s big buck action at Capitol Raceway and preview the 11^th annual World Footbrake Challenge (which returns to Bristol Dragway July 6-9)

This episode is dedicated to guarding our racing operations against theft, and what to do in the event that your race car/trailer/operation is stolen.  Jed & Luke discuss with Brian Cireddu, the well-known and accomplished Ohio No Box racer who recently had his entire operation stolen from a motel near Las Vegas following the Spring Fling Million.  In addition, they touch on various anti-theft devices, GPS tracking and alarms, and insurance options.  It’s not the most fun episode, but hopefully one of the most impactful!  Luke & Jed also touched on what little racing took place over the holiday weekend, highlighted by the Arkansas Footbrake Throwdown and the Spring Run Off at Rocky Mountain Raceway Park in Utah.

Last weekend, Luke & Jed were in attendance at the biggest races in the land: Jed was at GALOT for the Spring Fling, while Luke attended (and won SC at) the NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta.  They cover those races in depth, as well as results from Huntsville, AL and Boise, ID, plus some fun racing related trivia and news and notes from across the country.  They’re joined by longtime racer and promotor of the upcoming Figspeed West Coast Classic, Chris Forsythe.  Chris previews the big event, which comes to Auto Club Raceway (Fontana, CA) on May 25-28, and discusses the bracket racing climate on the western half of the country.

In this episode, the guys recap the weekend’s big events: the NHRA 4-Wide in Charlotte, the Dallas LODRS, the Ten Grand Slam in Richmond, VA, and Big Jed’s $10k win at Holiday Raceway in Woodstock, AL.  In addition, Luke & Jed preview the 7^th annual JEGS Summer Door Car Shootout and challenge one another with some fairly random (mostly racing related) trivia. 

In this episode, the guys spend some time with the winner of the LAST BIG Thing contest, 75-year-old Texan Don Boulware.  Don shares stories of yesteryear, his secrets to enjoying incredible on-track success well into his 70’s, and an entertaining tale about his first trip to the Moroso 5-Day.  In addition, Luke & Jed touch on the recent developments at Capital Raceway, the recovery of Brian Cireddu’s race car and trailer, and recap last weekend’s big events.

In this episode, the guys recap the 2nd annual K&N Spring Fling Million, which brought the biggest victory of Luke’s career.  What’s more?  Jed and Luke squared off in round 5 of the main event!  They talk about that, the spoils of victory, what went into the win, and they recap the entire week in Las Vegas.  This is one Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast you don’t want to miss!

In this episode, the guys talk with $250,000 Powerball champion Cameron Manuel.  In addition, they break down last week’s action from coast to coast, preview the K&N Spring Fling Million Las Vegas, and announce the winner of the Last BIG Thing.

In this episode, the guys recap the weekend events in Las Vegas, South Georgia, and Memphis.  Luke & Jed also make their picks for the $250,000 Powerball Main Event, and discuss the five nominees for the LAST BIG Thing.

In this episode, the guys discuss marketing and sponsorship at the sportsman level.  Who better to speak on that topic than longtime NHRA standout and representative for a multitude of racing & non-racing related companies: Tommy Phillips.  Tommy discusses some of his keys to marketing success, how he applies the same principles to his role in event promotion, and even shares a comical story about choosing to race for a living over…  Law school!  In addition, Luke & Jed recap the week that was, including the DRR Ultimate Series opener in Huntsville, AL, NHRA in Houston, IHRA in Darlington, and big buck events in Rockingham and Gulfport.  Luke relives his 1800 mile journey to the west coast as they preview the K&N Spring Fling Million!

In this episode, the guys discuss the NHRA Gatornationals, as well as big buck races from across the country and the IHRA event in San Antonio. Luke & Jed also announce the finalists for the LAST Big Thing, discuss the upcoming weekend events in Huntsville and Gulfport, and lament their NCAA tournament bracket failures.  Listen with caution: Luke has gone vegan and he’s in a foul mood about it.

In this episode, the guys have a spirited conversation with Dr. Tami Eggleston, a sports psychologist with a drag racing background.  Tami, who holds a PHD in Psychology in addition to over 2 decades of racing experience, talks about the finer points of sports psychology and the role that it plays within our sport.  In addition, Luke & Jed talk about the recent NHRA Division 2 event in Gainesville, provide some All-State Race updates, and break down the impeding NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

In this episode, the guys talk with the seventeen-year-old driver who you listeners voted the NEXT BIG THING in sportsman drag racing: Caleb Ellison.  In addition, Luke & Jed discuss the week’s results from Oklahoma to Arizona and points in between.  Plus Luke breaks down the Missouri Valley Conference basketball tournament (because you care), and they discuss the closing of the iconic small track that Luke called home: Texas Raceway.

What else could Luke & Jed possibly lead with in this episode?  They discuss Jerry Emmons’ disqualification for excessive braking in the quarterfinal round of the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix, at length.  In addition, they review the results from Phoenix, as well as the NHRA Division 2 opener in Orlando and the Super 7 Series bracket event in Montgomery, AL.  Luke & Jed close with some thoughts on the upcoming Next BIG Thing vote, which will conclude next episode, as well as their thoughts on the 2017 DragRaceResults.com Ultimate Series, as it prepares to kick off in Huntsville, AL on March 24-26.

In this episode, the guys discuss some of the obstacles facing women in our sport.  Since Luke & Jed’s insight is obviously limited in that area, they enlisted 2-time NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Erica Enders to share her opinions.  In addition to her thoughts on climbing the ladder and shattering the glass ceiling, Erica also shares fascinating insights on Pro Stock competition, as well as some of her most memorable moments and most stinging defeats.  Luke & Jed also cover recent bracket events in Arizona and Mississippi, and talk about the latest developments (and call outs) in the All-State Race and related discussion.

In this episode, the guys recap the NHRA season opening Winternationals in Pomona, CA, as well as the IHRA event in West Palm Beach, FL and the Southern Big Bucks Nationals in Belle Rose, LA.  They also share their thoughts on “Birdman” James Finney’s recent comments about bracket racers as well as the passing of Danny Sons.  

In this episode, the guys make their draft picks for the 2017 NHRA Lucas Oil Series World Champions & have a long chat with 2016 NHRA Top Dragster and Stock Eliminator World Champion Jeff Strickland.  Strick talks about the dramatic and surreal ending to his 2016 season, who he views as his strongest competition in 2017, and his best Bo Duke impression as a 6-year-old.

With the NHRA & IHRA tours set to kick off in the coming weeks, the 2017 racing season is almost upon us.  The guys figure to have months of racing action to talk about soon, so this week they took a departure from the norm to tell some funny and entertaining racing stories.  After Luke talks about an opponent bouncing off the wall, then returning to face him the following round, Jed shares his secret to passing tech at his first national event.  In addition, they summoned two of the best storytellers they know: 2-time Million Dollar Race winner Gary Williams shares multiple stories from on-track parachute removal to what we believe is a record for most riders in a competition vehicle; and footbrake legend Rodney Finchum weaves a tale that includes rain, fraud protection, multiple emergency vehicles, and an event win.  Enjoy!

In this episode, the guys debate and discuss the state of local bracket competition; with an emphasis on what we, as racers can do to make it better.  They enlist the insights of Bill Bader, the co-owner and president of Summit Motorsports Park for opinions on what can be done from the race track side to improve the grass roots level of the sport.  In addition, Luke & Jed talk about JJ’s youth basketball team and Luke’s tricky decision as to whether or not to include his wife, Jessica on the Illinois All-State team.

In this episode, the guys make a big announcement about the All-State Debate.  In continuing last week’s “Most Embarrassing” discussion, Jed shares his epic Super Chevy Show story, plus he and Luke are joined by 7-time World Champion Peter Biondo, who tells his own most embarrassing tale.  Finally, the guys decided that their favorite story of embarrassment came from Kentucky’s Jared Bargo; so they bring him on the show to tell it (as only he can).  This is almost without question the most entertaining Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast to date!

In today’s episode, the guys pay tribute to George Howard and Gary Moore, two hall-of-fame promoters who recently passed away.  Luke & Jed each share their most embarrassing on-track moment.  And Luke tries to talk Jed, a diehard Alabama fan, off the cliff following the College Football National Championship.

In this episode, the guys discuss their new year "parties," and their thoughts on promoters competing in their own events and/or "house cars."  That precludes the finale of the All-State debate, in which Luke & Jed narrow the "Final Four" (LA, NJ, AL, and OH) down to one champion.  Did you know that Jed has never drank a sip of alcohol in his life?  Did you assume that Luke can't make that same claim?  Hear all about it & more on this episode of the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast w/ Luke & Jed.

In this episode, the guys table their All-State discussion, pushing the semi-final to next episode.  Instead, Luke and Jed discuss the Powerball of Bracket Racing and then turn their focus to the Street Outlaws and Street Outlaws New Orleans TV series.  Guests David "Bird" Jones and Kye Kelley give the guys an inside look at the show and grudge racing in general.  Among other topics in their spirited interview, Kye issues a callout for Troy Williams, Jr. and the duo shares the tale of how Kye won a Honda Grom off of Bird.

In this episode, the guys roll out the much anticipated (and debated) regional finals of the "All-State" discussion (TX vs LA, NJ vs PA, KY vs OH, and TN vs AL), as they get one step closer to deciding the toughest state for sportsman drag racing competition.  In addition, Luke & Jed talk about the "Shot Clock" idea bantered about the internet, as well as a breakdown of the high octane offenses within JJ's youth basketball league.

In this episode, the guys introduce the 16 "All-State" teams that made the cut and debate their merits. The first round of the "All-State" tournament is discussed and decided, setting the Elite Eight for next week’s show. Luke & Jed also discuss some big announcements regarding sportsman racers, a race track/racer social media feud, and Luke's inability to defeat his 3-year-old in a family card game. 

In this episode, the guys discuss the growing number of BIG money bracket races on the calendar.  Guest Kyle Seipel discusses the history and future of the Spring Fling events, and the three banter about the current state of big dollar racing: whether these events can all survive and if they're good for our sport in general.

In this episode, the guys discuss Junior Dragster competition with an expert panel of guests including NHRA Jr. Dragster editor Candida Benson, recent Kentucky Big Bucks Junior Dragster Bonanza winner, Emily Parker, and Huddleston Performance's own Thomas Huddleston.  Among the topics discussed: the rising cost of Jr. Dragster racing, Emily's unbelievable and emotional victory, what the future holds for today's Jr. Drag Racing stars, and some hot takes on the increase in "Big Buck" Junior Dragster events.

Luke & Jed recap the season that was, highlighting NHRA and IHRA world champions and the biggest happenings in big dollar bracket competition.  What 2016 recap would be complete without speaking with 2-time $1,000,000 race winner (this season), Jeff Verdi?  The guys discuss Jeff's big wins with him, and the impact his success could have on sportsman drag racing in general.

In this introductory episode, hosts Luke Bogacki and Jared Pennington introduce themselves, discuss their own careers in racing, and the talk about the motivation behind the Sportsman Drag Racing Podcast.