Thursday, October 27, 2022

Keith Haney Closes Out 2022 Season with Runner-Up Finish in Pro Mod at MWDRS Xtreme Texas World Finals

 

TULSA, Okla. (Oct. 27, 2022) – Keith Haney accomplished his goal of finishing off the 2022 Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series (MWDRS) presented by J&A Service season on a high note, as he raced to a runner-up finish in Stroud Safety Pro Mod at the Xtreme Texas World Finals at Xtreme Raceway Park. Haney in his nitrous-assisted “Black Mamba” Camaro left the starting line first in the final round, but came up short at the finish line with a 3.676-second pass at 204.36 MPH to Ron Muenks’ 3.618 at 208.62. 
 
“It's a good, positive start to 2023 that we're already excited about getting started on, even though it's not until March,” Haney said. “But it was a great team effort. Without the crew and my family there, we couldn't have gotten to where we were. We had a lot of thrashing going on – changed motors and tore down a couple motors. My team – Dale Hancock, Shane Goodnight, Andy Hoffman, Steve Cooks, Brandon Switzer, Lil Bobby Savedra – they worked their butts off to get us to the finals. I drove good. I had good lights – a great light in the final, just didn't have enough in it to get that .61.”
 
The No. 5 qualifier, Haney started race day with a 3.739 at 202.61 over Keith Goolsby, followed by a 3.713 at 203.16 over Tony Strachan’s 3.869. The Oklahoma native then used a holeshot advantage and 3.669 at 204.17 to defeat newly crowned champion Dustin Nesloney and his 3.673. 



 
The runner-up finish allowed Haney to finish third in points, a solid finish considering he went into the Xtreme Texas World Finals just outside the top 5. He’s the only driver with a nitrous car in the top 10. Still, the past series champion was looking for more and hopes to come back even stronger in 2023. 
 
“We didn't have the year that we wanted,” Haney said. “It was a good year, but it wasn't great. We needed another runner-up finish or a win to get up there to the No. 2 spot, but I was happy to get to the third spot, that's for sure. Especially being the only nitrous car up there. I'm just a little behind on power to the screw cars and the ProChargers. We have to work to get there. It's not so easy to make those low 3.60 runs without hurting stuff.”
 
The season finale was the high point of the year for Haney, but he also counts the experience of racing with his Keith Haney Racing team and the MWDRS family as a season-long highlight. 
 
“Our team has been together a long time,” Haney said. “That's probably the highlight, the fun that we've had racing together. This race was big for us, though. We really worked hard to get to where we were. Everything fell into place once we started eliminations. Finishing third in points and finishing the year going to the finals, I think that was probably our highlight for the year.”
 
Along with his crew, Haney offered up thanks to his family and the team’s sponsors for their support of his program this season. 


 
“I want to thank my wife, Misty, and my kids for supporting me,” Haney said. “Obviously, my crew deserves a ton of credit for their efforts all season. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our longtime partners like Summit Racing Equipment, Strange Engineering, Kryptonite Kustomz, Lucas Oil, RacingJunk.com, and Total Seal Piston Rings.”
 
Haney and his team will celebrate their 2022 season at the MWDRS Awards Banquet Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, in Claremore, Okla.
 
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ABOUT KEITH HANEY RACING
Based in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Keith Haney Racing (www.keithhaneyracing.com) competes in the Summit Mid-West Drag Racing Series (MWDRS) presented by J&A Service, select NHRA, PDRA and NMCA races and one-off special events. Keith Haney Racing appreciates the support of Summit Racing Equipment, Lucas Oil, Strange Engineering, Pat Musi Racing Engines, Jerry Bickel Race Cars, Kryptonite Kustomz, RacingJunk.com, MoTeC Systems USA, Switzer Dynamics, OkAutosDirect.com, Race Star Wheels, Stroud Safety, Total Seal Piston Rings, M&M Transmission, Precision Racing Suspension, Tulsa Raceway Park, Callies and UEM Pistons.
 

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Keith Haney Ready to End 2022 Season on High Note at MWDRS Xtreme Texas World Finals

 

TULSA, Okla. (Oct. 18, 2022) – Keith Haney is quick to admit a driver error cost him and his Keith Haney Racing team an easy first-round win in Stroud Safety Pro Mod at the fall Throwdown in T-Town. Making up for that is one reason why Haney is fired up for the final race of the Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series (MWDRS) presented by J&A Service season, the Xtreme Texas World Finals, Oct. 21-22, at Xtreme Raceway Park. 



 
Haney qualified third at the Throwdown at Osage Casino & Hotel Tulsa Raceway Park, the track he co-owns with fellow Pro Mod racer Todd Martin. He had a first-round bye, but Haney’s Musi-powered Summit Racing/Strange Engineering “Black Mamba” Camaro suffered a transmission issue in the final qualifying session that couldn’t be fixed for the opening round of eliminations. 
 
“It was all my fault,” admitted Haney, who was the defending event champion. “Had nothing to do with the crew or anything. In Q3, for some reason I hit the line-lock button going down the racetrack, which slowed down the car and burned up the transmission. It should've been a 3.60-something. All driver error. I don't know how I did it, but I did it. It is what it is. We tried to get it fixed. Had all the parts to fix it, just couldn't get it fixed in time. So we had a bye, which we ultimately didn't get to show up for. That's how our race ended up.”
 
Before the transmission issue, Haney and tuner Brandon Switzer had the opportunity to break in a brand-new engine, which will remain in the car for the World Finals. 
 
“We've had a motor sitting underneath the cabinet for two years that we've never had out,” Haney said. “Brandon said we need to pull that motor out and put it in for Q3, so we actually changed a motor in Q3, then I burned up the transmission. But we did that just to see what the motor would do and it was awesome. It ran just like it was supposed to. But we're all fixed up and ready to roll. We're already ready to go to Texas. Hopefully we'll go down there and run our best E.T. like we did the first race of the year when we went 3.65. We're hoping to beat that here at the last race of the year.”

 
Haney, who drives one of the only nitrous-assisted cars in a field full of boosted Pro Mods, knows what he needs to do to end the year on a high note. 
 
“One thing is to be consistent,” Haney said. “The other thing is to see what we can put in it and get the track to take. Our goal is to make nitrous the fastest. At the last race, if I'm not mistaken, I was the only nitrous car there. I'm trying to make nitrous great again. The rules kind of fit the other combos. I just gotta keep working on our program to see if we can speed it up as much as we possibly can. I have to run my best to beat them.”
 
Haney and the Summit Racing/Strange Engineering “Black Mamba” Camaro will hit the track for two Friday qualifying sessions starting at 6 p.m. A third and final qualifying session is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, with eliminations scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
 
Fans can watch the race through MAVTV on FloRacing at www.FloRacing.com
 
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ABOUT KEITH HANEY RACING
Based in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Keith Haney Racing (www.keithhaneyracing.com) competes in the Summit Mid-West Drag Racing Series (MWDRS) presented by J&A Service, select NHRA, PDRA and NMCA races and one-off special events. Keith Haney Racing appreciates the support of Summit Racing Equipment, Lucas Oil, Strange Engineering, Pat Musi Racing Engines, Jerry Bickel Race Cars, Kryptonite Kustomz, RacingJunk.com, MoTeC Systems USA, Switzer Dynamics, Menscer Motorsports, OkAutosDirect.com, Race Star Wheels, Stroud Safety, Total Seal Piston Rings, M&M Transmission, Precision Racing Suspension, Tulsa Raceway Park, Callies and UEM Pistons.

Monday, October 17, 2022

Keith Haney Eager to Defend Fall Throwdown in T-Town Pro Mod Title


 TULSA, Okla. (Oct. 3, 2022) – As the defending event champion in Stroud Safety Pro Mod, Keith Haney is looking forward to getting back on track at the fall Throwdown in T-Town, Oct. 6-8, at Osage Casino & Hotel Tulsa Raceway Park. It’s a double event as the Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series (MWDRS) presented by J&A Service also completes the MWDRS Great Bend Nationals, so Haney is hoping to gain some ground in the points chase. 
 
“I'm looking forward to trying to win it again,” said Haney, who is the founder of MWDRS and co-owner of Tulsa Raceway Park. “I need to win Great Bend and I need to win Tulsa to get me right up there in the points. I need to go No. 1 and win.”
 
Haney is confident he has what it takes to turn on win lights this weekend. Along with that, he’s setting out to blow the scoreboards down with his Brandon Switzer-tuned, Bickel-built, Musi-powered “Black Mamba” Camaro. 
 
“I'm hoping to break my own records,” Haney said. “The quickest we've been is 3.65 and that was earlier in the year at Xtreme [Raceway Park]. I'd like to see us go in the low .60s if we can, or at least some good, consistent mid-.60 runs. If we can do that, then we have a chance to win it.”


 
The cool conditions expected all weekend will help Haney in his mission to make career-best passes, but he realizes the boosted cars will also be working with the same killer conditions. 
 
“They're obviously faster than the nitrous cars,” said Haney. “We just have to work on our program a little bit more and try to catch up as much as we can. The rules are close. We're just a few numbers off. We'll have to make that up on the tree.”
 
Outside of competition, it’s also going to be a big weekend in the pits for Haney, a Tulsa area businessman. He’s used to racing with the support of family and friends, but that support group will be even bigger at his home track. 
 
“It's awesome to have my wife, Misty, and the kids and everybody here,” Haney said. “There’s a lot going on for us because my car dealership employees are coming out, so it's a little stressful, but in the same case it's exciting to have everybody and my family there.”

 

Fans can watch the race through MAVTV on FloRacing at www.FloRacing.com
 
Haney and the Summit Racing Equipment/Strange Engineering “Black Mamba” Camaro will start the weekend by completing eliminations from the MWDRS Great Bend Nationals on Thursday. The Throwdown will begin Friday with qualifying sessions at 6 and 8 p.m., followed by final qualifying at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Opening ceremonies will kick off at 4 p.m.
 
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ABOUT KEITH HANEY RACING
Based in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Keith Haney Racing (www.keithhaneyracing.com) competes in the Summit Mid-West Drag Racing Series (MWDRS) presented by J&A Service, select NHRA, PDRA and NMCA races and one-off special events. Keith Haney Racing appreciates the support of Summit Racing Equipment, Lucas Oil, Strange Engineering, Pat Musi Racing Engines, Jerry Bickel Race Cars, Kryptonite Kustomz, RacingJunk.com, MoTeC Systems USA, Switzer Dynamics, Menscer Motorsports, OkAutosDirect.com, Race Star Wheels, Stroud Safety, Total Seal Piston Rings, M&M Transmission, Precision Racing Suspension, Tulsa Raceway Park, Callies and UEM Pistons.