AMRA Nitro Harleys Settle for Qualifying at Byron
Even a rainout generates a lot of stories, and that's what happened when raceday was washed away at the PennGrade1 AMRA Illinois Nitro Nationals race at Byron Dragway on August 8-10. Qualifying for all classes (Nitro Harleys, Gas, and even Vintage Fuel!) ran to completion, and that was it.
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| Paul Anderson |
Michigan runner-up Paul Anderson claimed Circle M Ranch Top Fuel number one qualifier with a 6.52 at 202 mph with legendary builders and tuners Mike and Jack Romine in his corner.
Also having Mike Romine in their tuning corner is the Chris Stewart Racing team with riders Samu Kemppainen and Jordan Peterson. The pair have a win each so far this year, with Finnish rider Kemppainen winning most recently in Michigan. He qualified third at Byron with a 6.61 at 209 mph.
Peterson qualified number two with a 6.53 at 213 mph, and Ryan Peery number four.
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| Jordan Peterson |
The Michigan Armon Furr Nitro Funnybikes final was delayed when Jordan Peterson got an eye injury. Opponent Cameron "Flash" Gunter and the Bad Apple Racing team agreed to run the final at Byron. Peterson won the Michigan final 7.08 at 177 to Gunter's 7.04 at 197, but Gunter snagged number one qualifier for Byron with a 6.94 at 198.
Universal Fleet and Tire's Racin' Ray Robinson qualified with a strong 7.29 at 174 despite letting out.
"Bad Apple Mary" Dangrow's year of Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel domination continues, as she qualified number one out of the 18 Pro Fuel bikes at Byron with a 7.32 at 170.
Michigan runner-up Curt Sexton thought he had something for Mary this weekend, but he bent a rod and torched the front cylinder head on his first and only qualifying pass.
Number two qualifier (7.55 at 166) was Hot Rod Carlisle on Mike and Harriet Ann Blair's bike. Loren Potter qualified third with a 7.73 at 164.
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| Jay Rogers |
White Lightning Racing's Darren Brinkman stepped up, qualifying ninth while team boss and reigning champ Sam White was way down in 14th. Ohio runner-up John Jenkins clocked in at 13th.
Illinois's racer Jim "Bad Influence" Martin, Universal Fleet and Tire's Jason Leeper, Brian Conley Jr., Stubby Hultman, Rocky Jackson, nearby Rockford's Al Balice, Kyle Rogers, Mark Shones, Louis Sansone, and Hayley Caulk all put in some laps.
A special addition to the Byron race was Rockford Liquidation Warehouse and the Nostalgic Dragbike Racing League Vintage. Needless to say, the bikes garnered a lot of interest both in the pits and on-track.
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| Cameron "Flash" Gunter |
Fresh off their win at the 2025 Iowa Hog Drags and Nostalgia Reunion, Jay Rogers and his twin-engine "Black Betty" qualified number one with a 5.53 (eighth mile) at 137 mph.
Other racers in the class included Doc Morgan on "Resurrection," Jojo Matthews on "Junkyard Dog," Jordan Henry, Doug Whitmore on the "Heave Dova" Sportster, Dave Best, Leo and Bryan Hess, Grease on Sprinkles.
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| "Bad Apple Mary" Dangrow |
Gasoline number one qualifiers were Charley Douglass in Pro Outlaw, Shannon Poor in Zipper's Performance Pro Bagger, Kim DeShields in Zipper's Performance Modified, Jason Crisp in Axtell Cylinders Hot Street, Jimmy Maikranz in Thundermax Street Bagger, David Doremus with a perfect 9.300 in Top Eliminator, Robert Alther with a perfect 9.900 in Huffman Performance Super Gas, Heather Jendruch in BK Electric Super Pro 10.30, James Garey in Pro Eliminator 10.90, Jeremiah Disbrow in Thundermax Street Eliminator 11.50, and Dashing Tony Curtis in Baker Drivetrain Eliminator Dial-in.
The Nitro Harley racers thank Bad Apple Racing, Chris Stewart Racing, DayStar Machine and Cycle Concepts, White Lightning Racing, P and C Johnson Trucking, RP Motorsports, Hawaya Racing, JT's Auro & Cycle, Universal Fleet and Tire, and Johnny Mancuso's Circle M Ranch.
