Angelle Sampey, NHRA’s three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle titleholder, is about to start her second full season of A/Fuel competition in NHRA’s Lucas Oil Sportsman Top Alcohol Dragster class. This year she’ll be driving the first NHRA canopy A/Fuel dragster with the bright green and black colors of Hangsterfer’s Metalworking Lubricants.
The first member of four-time, reigning NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel champion’s Antron Brown’s AB Motorsports Accelerate Program, Sampey is joining her mentor in racing a closed dragster. Brown was the second NHRA racer to compete in the modern canopy Top Fuel dragster in 2012, joining his former teammate Tony Schumacher in driving a closed Top Fuel car.
Once NHRA officials realized the veracity of the canopy car, they quickly authorized it for competition. The canopy-style dragster body is eligible to compete in Top Alcohol Dragster this year, and Sampey will be racing at the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals next month in the car.
Team owner Brown admitted he is “excited to be the first to field a canopy car in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. I first started racing in a canopy car in 2013 and it’s something I feel strongly about. Safety,” Brown declared, “is always first and foremost and I’m glad we were able to implement this on Angelle’s car. A huge thank you to Hangsterfer’s for supporting this initiative.
“This is the next step in seeing the category continue to be a developmental platform for the future crop of Top Fuel drivers,” he said. “Our goal has always been to steadily prepare Angelle to move to Top Fuel and by converting our race-proven backup car into an A/Fuel car, we’re moving towards that objective.”
Sampey made her starting runs in the canopy dragster on February 10 at Bradenton Motorsports Park, just two days after the PRO Superstar Shootout competition ended. Working with her Michalek Brothers Racing (MBR) team, led by brothers Corey and Kyle, the group will continue testing at this track through Wednesday, February 12. The canopied Hangsterfer’s dragster is intended to make its official on-track entry March 6, when qualifying starts for the Gatornationals.
“I’ve never been more excited to start a race season and I truly mean that,” Sampey exulted. “Hangsterfer’s has stepped up to support AB Motorsports and the Accelerate program. This allows me to live my dreams and improve behind the wheel of this A/Fuel dragster, with the goal of graduating up to Top Fuel in the near future.”
Hangfsterfer’s became the primary supporter of Sampey’s dragster last May, before the Cleetus & Cars event at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Sampey raced the green and black dragster to the final round of the prestigious U.S. Nationals over the long, Labor Day weekend in Brownsburg, IN, before earning her first career win on four wheels at the next race, the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Reading, PA in September. That Wally winner’s trophy was Sampey’s 47th NHRA individual triumph.
Hangsterfer’s Mike Ditzel, director of motorsports performance products noted the company’s second decade in straight-line racing, “With ABM’s Accelerate Program, we are proud to have supported Angelle Sampey as she turned the page from Pro Stock Motorcycle to driving the Hangsterfer’s A/Fuel Dragster. We’re excited to see her turn on more win lights in 2025 and compete for an NHRA championship” on four wheels.
“We had such a wonderful first full season in A/Fuel last year with Hangsterfer’s and my MBR team, and that was capped off by winning at Reading last fall and doubling up with Antron’s team,” Sampey reminded. “That really was one of my greatest days in racing.” Noting that Hangsterfer’s has become “family in a very short time, I got to attend the IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show) in Chicago and spend much of the PRI Show in Indy and the Blackhawk Industrial Tradeshow in Oklahoma City this January with my Hangsterfer’s family. I can’t wait for the great things in store in 2025,” Sampey concluded.
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