NHRA Insider Podcast

Latest Episodes:

8.29 Spencer Hyde and Dean Antonelli Talk Norwalk, Points, Brainerd and More! Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

On this very Funny Car episode of the NHRA Insider powered by Speedmaster, host Brian Lohnes is joined first by Funny Car racer Spencer Hyde and then by Dean "Guido" Antontelli, the Crew Chief for current points leader Ron Capps. Hyde shares his experience running at the Norwalk Night Under Fire, how his team turned a performance corner there, how his outlook is for the rest of the season, a new sponsor, his relationship with Jim Head, and more. This is a fun conversation. The second guest is Dean "Guido" Antonelli, the man who leads the RCM Napa GR Supra team into battle, the team that currently leads the Funny Car points by a small margin. Guido talks about winning Norwalk, the team's struggles on the Western Swing, how they can correct them, clutch discs, leadership, and more. This is a window into the mind of a champion. One more week until Brainerd and the Insider is keeping the conversation rolling.

8.28 JR Todd Breaks Down A Hectic Seattle Win Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the NHRA Insider powered by Speedmaster, Seattle Funny Car winner JR Todd joins the show to tell the inside story of how his team overcame some potentially crippling issues to win the Muckleshoot Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. Todd talks about his season, how the team has been evolving their performance, and how he feels they are a legitimate championship contender. Only a couple of rounds out of first place, these guys have a regular season championship to contend for, a call out to race at Indy, and potentially a World Championship run on the horizon. All that and an extended monologue on this week's show.

8.27 Antron Brown and Austin Prock Talk Points, Progress, and Performance Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the NHRA Insider powered by Speedmaster, Antron Brown and Austin Prock join the show. The two talk about their respective seasons, how they have been peaking at the right time, and how consistency has come their way after periods of lagging finishes. Antron Brown gives great insight into the 2026 season for his AB Motorsports team, how their approach has evolved over time and their performance has come with it. Brown details their rise into a race winning and potentially championship contending car as well as his incredible schedule away from the track. You'll be tired just listening to it. Austin Prock takes listeners inside the Tascar Racing Funny Car season with great insight and depth, detailing the growth of their program and how that growth has brought them to climb their way from obscurity to the precipice of the number six position in the points. He details Seattle and other races and pulls back the curtain on the evolution of their work at and away from the race track. A fun episode that's takes you to the heart of NHRA drag racing!

8.26 Alan Johnson and Jasmine Salinas Tell Sonoma Top Fuel Tales Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the NHRA Insider presented by Speedmaster, we talk with Alan Johnson, the winning Top Fuel Crew Chief from Sonoma and Jasmine Salinas, the Top Fuel runner-up driver from the same event. The story of the NHRA Denso Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge is one for the ages. The upsets in Pro Stock, Gary Sclezi in the booth, exploding rear ends, Vandergriff vs Prock, and the dogfight that was Top Fuel. Oh, and the sellouts! Alan Johnson talks about the race weekend he and his team had and how they managed to work out a win; he shares some great inside stories from the season, talks about what this time of the year means for him, and shares some great tales from his storied past. Jasmine Salinas is our second guest, and in this conversation she takes us through the last-minute thrash to make the race, the performance of she and her team, how Sunday became the best race day of her life, and why this Scrappers team is poised for more success through 2026 and beyond. Insight, emotion, and intelligence. This show's got all of it!

8.25 Insiders Talk Sonoma, A Half Season Down Plus Dylan Winefsky Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the NHRA Insider powered by Speedmaster, Tony Pedregon and Kevin McKenna join the show to talk about the upcoming Denso Sonoma Nationals presented by Power Edge and young Funny Car racer Dylan Winefsky talks about the development of his family's privateer flopper effort. Pedregon, McKenna and Lohnes get down into the weeds about the first half of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and break down the people and performances that have defined it as well as those that need to happen to move teams forward toward championship level success. Lots of interesting insights here. Dylan Winefsky makes his NHRA Insider debut to talk about his evolution from Junior Dragsters to Nitro Funny Car, how operating a humble family team requires a true love of the sport, and how success is how you measure it week in and week out. All that and a monologue you don't want to miss!

8.24 Rob Flynn and Aaron Stanfield Share Incredible Stories From Norwalk Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

On this post Summit Racing Equipment Nationals episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, Carlyle Tools Top Fuel crew chief Rob Flynn joins the show along with Pro Stock winner Aaron Stanfield. The two share their awesome stories of victory on one of the most memorable NHRA Sundays in years. Rob Flynn explains the team's first round drama, the tuning decisions he made during the day, and the ace driving job his rookie pilot Maddi Gordon executed, carrying them to victory. It's a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Aaron Stanfield won his second race of the season and did so in incredible fashion, driving like a man possessed in his Elite Motorsports fielded Camaro. He shares the details of how he was able to execute on a superhuman level to win. All this and more on a wall-to-wall killer episode of the Insider!

8.23 Norwalk Talk With the Insiders: From Thunder Valley to Corn Country Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, host Brian Lohnes is joined by the insiders themselves, Tony Pedregon and Kevin McKenna. The guys break down Bristol results, some of the overarching stories that have been a part of each category leading up to Norwalk and the teams that are trying to change their position over this last run of the regular season. The conversation is snappy, informative, and insightful. There are some crazy numbers shared, some hot takes, and plenty of the good stuff that will get you fired up for a big weekend of drag racing in Ohio.

8.22 The Runner Ups: Langdon and Dan Wilkerson Talk Bristol Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the NHRA Insider powered by Speedmaster, host Brian Lohnes is joined by Top Fuel runner up Shawn Langdon and Funny Car runner up Dan Wilkerson. They both have amazing stories to share about their weekends in Thunder Valley. For Langdon, it was escaping two harrowing rounds where mechanical issues reared their heads at the last second, and his team was able to remedy them both with legendary action. He made his sixth straight final, seemingly against all odds. Dan Wilkerson's weekend was the best of his season. The Scag Power Equipment Jackal made its first final of the year and turned a mechanical corner that they had been working to fix all year long. Two high energy, in-depth conversations with racers who made headlines in Bristol!

8.21 The Insiders Dig Into The Eastern Swing, Preview Bristol Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

On this rollicking episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, Tony Pedregon and Kevin McKenna join the show to talk about the first two races of the NHRA three race Eastern Swing, how they have gone, the stories they have produced, and what's to come at the Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol. The Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals will feature a new track surface, the weather delayed Funny Car and Top Fuel finals from Epping on Friday night, and all the action that one of the most breathtaking venues in the country can provide. The show opens with a monologue from Lohnes about the New England Nationals, the impact they have on the area, and more. Get informed before this culmination of the three back-to-back NHRA races begins on Friday!

8.20 Masters of Maryland: Angie Smith and Thomas Prock Spill The Beans Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the NHRA Insider Podcast powered by Speedmaster, Thomas Prock and Angie Smith join host Brian Lohnes to talk about their winning weekends at the first ever NHRA Potomac Nationals at Maryland International Raceway. For Thomas Prock, this victory was the validation of a decision he and his family made to leave John Force Racing and take over the on-track operations at Tasca Racing. Prock details the process, the struggles, the highs and the lows, that have brought them back into winning form. This is a story of big brains and hard work. Angie Smith's win at MIR was historic, marking the 200th professional class female triumph, an amazing milestone. IT was also as wild and hard fought as any she has had before or ever will in the future. Listening to her tell the tale of Matt being hospitalized, deciding last minute to run the motorcycles, qualifying number one, and running the table on Sunday is astonishing. A show you'll dig from end to end.

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