MOTORSPORT AMERICA EXCLUSIVE BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS OF THE SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS!
IN ONE OF THE MORE ADORABLE PHOTOS YOU’LL SEE IN A WHILE, A YOUNG FAN GETS AN AUTOGRAPH FROM IDA ZETTERSTRÖM!
by Derek Jackson
Motorsport America traveled to Thunder Valley in Bristol, Tennessee last weekend for the 24th running of the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals! Please enjoy these exclusive Behind the Scenes photos by Motorsport America photographers Fred Hanyon and Doug Lewis!
IDA ZETTERSTRÖM, WHO HAILS FROM THE JOMLA ÅLAND ISLANDS IN FINLAND, WON THE FIA EUROPEAN DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2023!BRITTANY FORCE AND IDA ZETTERSTRÖM WAVE TO FANS DURING DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS BEFORE THE SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY IN TENNESSEE! BRITTANY FORCE IS A TWO TIME NHRA WORLD CHAMPION AND CURRENT NATIONAL TOP FUEL RECORD SPEED HOLDER OF 341.59 MPH! IDA ZETTERSTRÖM, WHO HAILS FROM THE JOMLA ÅLAND ISLANDS IN FINLAND, WON THE FIA EUROPEAN DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2023!JULIE NATAAS IS A THIRD GENERATION DRAG RACER FROM DRØBAK, NORWAY, AND THE 2023 NHRA TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER WORLD CHAMPION! SHE MADE HER FUNNY CAR DEBUT THIS PAST WEEKEND IN THUNDER VALLEY WITH DEL WORSHAM RACING AND HAD AN IMPRESSIVE RUN AS THE YOUNG TALENT RACKED UP THREE WINS OVER THE WEEKEND! – NHRA PHOTOLEGENDARY NHRA DRIVER DEL WORSHAM WAS INDUCTED INTO THE PRESTIGIOUS “LEGENDS OF THUNDER VALLEY” ON SUNDAY DURING PRE-RACE CEREMONIES FOR THE 24th ANNUAL SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS! BRISTOL MOTOR DRAGWAY & SPEEDWAY PRESIDENT JERRY CALDWELL PRESENTED WORSHAM WITH A COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE AND THE DRAGWAY ALSO ADDED WORSHAM’S NAME TO THE FASCIA HIGH ATOP THE LEFT SIDE GRANDSTANDS. “IT’S AMAZING TO HAVE MY NAME UP THERE”, WORSHAM SAID. “ALL THOSE NAMES UP THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT I GREW UP WATCHING, AND A COUPLE I RACED AGAINST. IT’S A PRETTY MAJOR FEAT AND HONOR TO HAVE MY NAME MEMORIALIZED AND DEFINITELY AN HONOR TO BE NAMED A LEGEND OF THUNDER VALLEY”. DEL WORSHAM IS THE TEAM OWNER OF JULIE NATASS’ AIRMINE TOYOTA SUPRA ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR TEAM!TONY STEWART RACING’S MATT HAGAN TOSSES OUT SOUVENIRS TO RACE FANS DURING DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS AT THUNDER VALLEY!JOHN FORCE RACING’S JACK BECKMAN TOSSES OUT SOUVENIRS TO RACE FANS DURING DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS AT THUNDER VALLEY!LEGENDARY RACE CAR DRIVER TONY STEWART WAVES TO THE FANS IN THUNDER VALLEY DURING DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS. TONY ALWAYS MAKES SURE TO GIVE OUR CAMERAS HERE AT MOTORSPORT AMERICA A BIG SMILE ON RACE DAY!THE BOUNTY HUNTER HIMSELF, CONNIE KALITTA! THE LEGENDARY NHRA CHAMPION WAS THE FIRST DRIVER TO PASS THE 200 MPH BARRIER AT A NHRA SANCTIONED EVENT, THE 1964 U.S. NATIONALS. THE VENERATED AIRLINE MAGNATE IS ALSO REMEMBERED FOR HIS LONGTIME ASSOCIATION WITH SHIRLEY MULDOWNEY, MOST NOTABLY AS HER CREW CHIEF DURING HER 1977 CHAMPIONSHIP RUN!SHIRLEY “CHA-CHA” MULDOWNEY WAS ON HAND IN THUNDER VALLEY THIS PAST WEEKEND SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS FOR FANS AND RAISING AWARENES FOR HER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, “SHIRLEY’S KIDS”. THE LITERAL “FIRST LADY OF DRAG RACING” IS A LEGEND FAR AND WIDE WITH HER THREE NHRA WORLD TOP FUEL CHAMPIONSHIPS!TONY STEWART SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS FOR THE FANS IN THE BRISTOL DRAGWAY GARAGE IN THUNDER VALLEY TENNESSEE!TONY STEWART & SHAWN LANGDON SHARE A LIGHTHEARTED MOMENT AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY DURING ONE OF THE WEATHER DELAYS AT THUNDER VALLEY THIS PAST WEEKEND.A YOUNG FAN PATIENTLY AWAITS BRITTANY FORCE TO APPEAR IN HER BRISTOL DRAGWAY GARAGE AT THUNDER VALLEY IN TENNESSEE!FOUR TIME NHRA TOP FUEL WORLD CHAMPION ANTRON BROWN’S CREW MEMBERS MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO HIS MATCO TOOLS DRAGSTER IN THE THUNDER VALLEY GARAGE!JUSTIN ASHLEY’S CREW MEMBERS MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO HIS SCAG OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT TOP FUEL DRAGSTER IN THE THUNDER VALLEY GARAGE!SUPER STOCK CHAMPION MONTY BOGAN JR. FROM BOILING SPRINGS, SOUTH CAROLINA PREPARES FOR HIS RUN AT THUNDER VALLEY!CUADRA BOYS RACING CREW POSITIONS DAVID CUADRA’S PRO STOCK DRAGSTER IN THE THUNDER VALLEY GARAGE!MIKE COUGHLIN’S CREW POSITIONS HIS JOHNSON HORSEPOWERED GARAGE PRO STOCK DRAGSTER IN THUNDER VALLEY!NHRA PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE RIDERS JIANNA EVARISTO AND CHRIS BOSTICK AWAIT THEIR TURN IN THE STAGING AREA AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY!DENSO TEAMMATES ANGIE SMITH & JIANNA EVARISTO ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE MOTORSPORT AMERICA AND GIVE OUR CAMERA A BIG SMILE!THE NHRA’S DJ SPINNING TUNES FOR THE FANS THAT PACKED BRISTOL DRAGWAY FOR THE SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS!MOTORSPORT AMERICA FAN KAREN FROM THE DOWNTOWN CORNER TAVERN IN BRISTOL GIVES OUR CAMERA A SMILE! STOP IN THE NEXT TIME YOU’RE IN THUNDER VALLEY FOR AWESOME FOOD & ATMOSPHERE AND TELL THEM THAT MOTORSPORT AMERICA SENT YOU!NHRA FANS ARE ALWAYS QUICK TO GIVE OUR CAMERAS AT MOTORSPORT AMERICA A BIG SMILE AT THE TRACK ON RACE DAY!STRONG STORMS WERE A THREAT ALL WEEKEND IN THUNDER VALLEY!ANTRON BROWN’S MATCO TOOLS CREW READIES HIS TOP FUEL DRAGSTER AFTER ONE OF THE RAIN DELAYS AT THUNDER VALLEY!ANTRON BROWN SPOTS OUR CAMERA, MAKING SURE WE “GET THE SHOT’ OF HIM CLIMBING INTO HIS MATCO TOOLS NHRA TOP FUEL DRAGSTER AT THUNDER VALLEY!ANTRON BROWN AND HIS MATCO TOOLS CREW AWAIT THE RESTART OF EVENTS FOLLOWING ONE OF THE MANY WEATHER DELAYS AT THUNDER VALLEY!LEGENDARY BRISTOL DRAGWAY, HOME OF THE NHRA SUPER GRIP THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS IN TENNESSEE!SCAG VIP’S GET PRIME SEATING FOR THE NHRA SUPER GRIP THUNDER NATIONALS AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY! SCAG IS THE OFFICIAL OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER TO THE NHRA!CLEAN-UP OPERATIONS AT THUNDER VALLEY BY THE FENDT CREW WITH THE OFFICIAL TRACTOR OF THE NHRA!STRONG STORMS ALL WEEKEND IN THUNDER VALLEY KEPT SOME FANS AWAY, BUT IT WAS A FULL HOUSE ON A SUNDAY FOR THE FINAL ELIMINATION ROUNDS AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY IN TENNESSEE!STAGING AREA FOR COMP & TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTERS AT THUNDER VALLEY IN TENNESSEE!STEVE TORRENCE AND LEGENDARY RACE CAR DRIVER TONY STEWART SHARE A MOMENT IN THE GARAGE AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY. STEVE WON THIS PAST WEEKENDS WALLY FOR THE SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS AND TONY WON THE MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE PRIZE!GOODYEAR RACING EAGLES IN THE BRISTOL DRAGWAY GARAGE AT THUNDER VALLEY!DANIEL WILKERSON’S CREW BEATS THE HEAT, TAKING SHELTER FROM THE SUN UNDER HIS SCAG OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT FUNNY CAR IN THE BRISTOL DRAGWAY STAGING AREA!JUSTIN ASHLEY’S CREW READIES HIS SCAG OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT TOP FUEL DRAGSTER IN THE THUNDER VALLEY STAGING AREA AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY!AARON STANFIELD’S JHG GARAGE AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY IN THUNDER VALLEY TENNESSEE!HERE AT MOTORSPORT AMERICA, WE ARE A PROUD SUPPORTER OF ACTIVE DUTY AND VETERAN MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY!TONY STEWART’S JHG 1965 DODGE POWER WAGON CUMMINS DIESEL 4X4 RESTOMOD WAS USED BY THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE TO SHUTTLE AIRCRAFT PILOTS TO AND FROM THE FLIGHTLINE!IN A YEAR OF FIRSTS FOR RACING LEGEND TONY STEWART, THE TOP FUEL POINTS LEADER PICKED UP HIS FIRST CAREER No. 1 QUALIFIER AND WON THE MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE RACE FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE 24TH ANNUAL NHRA SUPER GRIP THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS!JOHN DeFLORIAN’S TOTAL SEAL CHEVY CAMARO CREW EXCHANGE FIST-BUMPS AFTER PICKING UP THEIR FIRST WIN IN JOHNSON’S HORSEPOWERED GARAGE MOUNTAIN PRO STOCK THIS PAST WEEKEND AT THE SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY!J.R. GRAY & CREW CELEBRATE HIS PRO MODIFIED WIN AT THUNDER VALLEY! GRAY’S CHEVY CAMARO RAN A 5.762 AT 250.46 MPH TO DEFEAT MIKE STAVRINOS!LEGENDARY NHRA PRO STOCK DRIVER GREG ANDERSON FLASHES A PROUD SMILE AFTER HE COLLECTED HIS 1,000th WIN THIS PAST WEEKEND AT THUNDER VALLEY. THE SIX TIME WORLD CHAMPION NOW HAS 110 WINS AND JOINS JOHN FORCE AS THE ONLY DRIVERS IN NHRA HISTORY TO WIN 1,000 CAREER ROUND WINS!ALWAYS ON THE MOVE, MOTORSPORT AMERICA PUBLISHER & PHOTOGRAPHER FRED HANYON HEADS OUT LOOKING FOR HIS NEXT PHOTO OPPORTUNITY!
