Nitro Harley pre-race advance
event: PennGrade1 AMRA Illinois Nitro Nationals
when: August 8-10, 202
where: Byron Dragway in Byron, Illinois, USA
The plains of northern Illinois will rumble and shake with the thunder and lightning of Nitro Harleys as the PennGrade1 AMRA Illinois Nitro Nationals take on Byron Dragway on August 8-10.
Finland’s Samu Kemppainen won Circle M Ranch Top Fuel the last time out in Martin, Michigan. The Chris Stewart Racing team that he rides for is on a major roll that started when Kemppainen lost to his teammate Jordan Peterson the previous race in Ohio.
The Stewart Racing bikes are tuned and maintained by Nitro Harley legends Mike and Jack Romine, but so is the orange “Road Rage” bike ridden by Michigan runner-up Paul Anderson. He’s ready to make the leap to Top Fuel Harley winner.
But this field is deep. Even with Bad Apple Racing’s Tracy Kile and Jimmy “Mac” McMillan sitting another one out, the Top Fuel field is loaded with potential winners. Recent IHRA winner Jay “Bulldog” Turner will be there along with his teammates Chris “Nashville” Smith and John “JT” Toth.
Louisiana opening round winner Ryan Peery will be there along with his teammate Buddy Johnson.
Curtis “No-Bolts” Heisler, newly licensed Hawaiian racer Spencer Aguiar, and more are all expected.
Armon Furr Nitro Funnybikes are slightly smaller but just as loud and onery as their big Top Fuel brothers. The Illinois race will feature two Nitro Funnybike races as the Michigan final was delayed when Peterson got a metal splinter in his eye. Opponent Cameron “Flash” Gunter and the Bad Apple Racing team agreed to delay their final until this event.
Also expect former champ Jim Doyle and Universal Fleet and Tire’s Racin’ Ray Robinson to be shooting for Funnybike glory.
Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel are smaller still, carbureted, and plentiful. Expect a full field of these loud and nimble monsters, and the riders who guide them.
“Bad Apple Mary” Dangrow is having an incredible season, piling up wins and number one qualifiers like so many gas receipts. She’ll again have all of Tracy Kile’s attention as she looks to extend her streak.
Illinois racer Jim “Bad Influence” Martin will look to return to the winner’s circle and defend his home state. Add in former champ Sam White and his White Lightning Racing teammate Darren Brinkman, Ohio runner-up John Jenkins, Michigan runner-up Curt Sexton, Walter “Half Again as Tall” Halonski, Hot Rod Carlisle, Universal Fleet and Tire’s Jason Leeper, Brian Conley Jr., Stubby Hultman, Loren Potter, Rocky Jackson, nearby Rockford’s Al Balice, the return of Kyle Rogers, and more. Rogers had both cylinders blow right out of the case at Michigan and is nursing a gimpy knee, but he says he’ll race!
A special addition to the Byron race is Rockford Liquidation Warehouse and the Nostalgic Dragbike Racing League Vintage Fuel—a gathering of classic fuel bikes running a race within a race. These bikes aren’t museum pieces, nor cackle queens. These bikes are here to race!
Jay Rogers and his twin-engine “Black Betty” were the Nostalgia Fuel class winner at the 2025 Iowa Hog Drags and Nostalgia Reunion. He’ll face Jojo Matthews on “Junkyard Dog,” Jordan Henry, Doug Whitmore on the “Heave Dova” Sportster, Dave Best, Doc Morgan, Leo and Bryan Hess, Grease on Sprinkles, and more. You won’t want to miss this!
All of AMRA mourns the loss of drag racing champion Donnie Huffman, but none more that the gasoline class competitors. They’ll be filling the staging lanes and roll down the track like high-balling freight trains! Zipper’s Performance Modified, Pro Outlaw, Axtell Cylinders Hot Street, Zipper’s Performance Pro Bagger, Thundermax Street Bagger, Top Eliminator 9.30, Huffman Performance Super Gas 9.90, BK Electric Super Pro 10.30, Pro Eliminator 10.90, Thundermax Street Eliminator 11.50, and Baker Drivetrain Eliminator Dial-in bikes will all fill the lanes, take the lights and cross the stripes! We all love you Donnie.
The Nitro Harley competitors look forward to seeing the whole Harley-Davidson drag racing family, riders and fans at Byron Dragway in Illinois on August 8-10.
Can’t make it to the track? Watch all the action live on MotormainaTV.
Test and tune is on Friday, with qualifying starting at noon on Saturday. Eliminations start at noon on Sunday.
The Byron Dragway website
https://byrondragway.com/
The AMRA website
https://amralive.com/
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.
This report was prepared by Tim Hailey. Enjoy everything there is to read, see and watch about motorcycle drag racing and more at https://www.eatmyink.com
