Le Journal

January 18, 1942 – January 16, 2026 Patty L. Gemmill, age 83, of Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, was gathered into the loving arms of our dear Lord Jesus on January 16, 2026, at Morningside Place in Overland Park, Kansas. She was born Patricia Lenora Breitenbach on January 18, 1942 in Belpre, Kansas to Laurence and Lucille […]

January 18, 1941 — January 19, 2026 Hesston Born January 18, 1941, in Rawlins, Wyoming. Parents: Frank Carl Blasiar and Lois LaVivian (Burk) Blasiar. Sisters: Sharon Lee Mathews – Kansas City, Missouri; Judith Anne Henry – St. Louis, Missouri; and Barbara Lynn Fry – Springfield, Missouri. Sons: David Anthony Blasiar, Jr.; Darin Ashley Blasiar; and […]

November 23, 1944 — January 20, 2026 Bonner Springs Sandra “Sandi” Jean Casperson, born on November 23, 1944, in Hancock, Michigan, passed away peacefully on January 20, 2026, in Kansas City, Kansas, at the age of 81. Sandi dedicated her life to nurturing those around her. Sandi opened her home as a childcare provider, offering […]

December 3, 1945 — January 19, 2026 Olathe Norma Jean Burton, born on December 3, 1945, in Kansas City, KS, passed away peacefully on January 19, 2026, in Olathe, KS, at the age of 80. Norma was a devoted homemaker whose life was filled with love and dedication to her family. She also worked diligently […]

Imagine reaching 340mph. It is an insane thing to think about. That is normal life for Austin Prock within NHRA. And now it can be seen by so many more people. Wednesday, January 21st serves as the debut for a brand new docuseries from VICE TV called “Chasing Speed” that is fully devoted to NHRA Drag Racing. Austin was kind enough to join me on Wednesday to discuss it all… before he went to the premiere in New York City. No big deal. NHRA races are televised on FOX and FS1 so this is an alternative channel in VICE TV, but it is the same thrill and contains behind the scenes content that fans will love. Prock put it well, noting that there is so much work from so many people that goes into winning a race, and now all of that can be seen on a more intimate level. More than that, drivers and those around them can have their personalities shown for all the world to see now as well. Consider Prock himself. He has a culinary arts degree from Art Institute of Indianapolis, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a driver. There are all sorts of interesting details about people within the NHRA that will finally get some more attention. Much like the F1 docuseries on Netflix, Drive to Survive, Chasing Speed stands to introduce a whole new group of fans to the thrills and personalities of NHRA racing. The first race of the season will be the AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., which I am partial to as a Gator myself. This gives you plenty of time to catch up on the docuseries before it all begins.