The Racers Edge will sponsor David Rampy, one of the most prolific drivers in NHRA history, for the 2010 season. Rampy will continue with his two-car assault, campaigning his Comp ’32 Bantam roadster as well as his Stock '69 Camaro.

“David Rampy is a highly respected winner,” said Racers Edge owner Rodger Brogdon. “He’s won over 70 national events in five different categories and is both respected and feared by his fellow competitors. To be able to include David in the launch of The Racers Edge promotion is an honor. With David joining forces with Lee Sharp and Sharp Motorsports this year, we are excited to be onboard with both gentlemen and look forward to the potential for two championships in 2010.

“We’re excited to be able to bring The Racers Edge pain and performance chips to our friends in drag racing,” Brogdon continued, “and we have a lot of exciting events planned for 2010. Signing David Rampy is our first step, but we know that we’ve only just begun. This is going to be an exciting year for us and everyone that tries The Racers Edge chips.”

The Racers Edge chips, roughly half the size of a standard postage stamp, offer energy, stamina, and pain management for athletes.
 

Ashley Force Hood, the first woman to win drag racing’s most important Funny Car event and one of America’s most popular drivers, will be the Newsmaker of the Week on The Race Reporters radio show, Wednesday, March 17, at 7 p.m. EDT on www.PowerUpChannel.com.  This will be Force Hood’s second appearance on The Race Reporters.

Host Michael Knight will be joined for the journalists’ roundtable by Holly Cain, of AOL Online Sports and AOL Fanhouse; and Corinne Economaki, president and publisher of National Speed Sport News.

The Race Reporters can be heard live, downloaded to an iPod, or accessed for listening on a delayed basis by clicking on the show icon at www.PowerUpChannel.com. Listeners can bookmark the show and sign up to receive a free e-card with news on upcoming guests at the show’s home page, www.voiceamerica.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1549 . The show reairs several times later in the week (check PowerUp’s daily programming listing).
 

Shirl Greer, who won the 1974 NHRA Funny Car world championship in dramatic fashion, died March 12 from complications of colon-cancer surgery. He was 75.

Greer, formerly of Warner Robins, Ga., but most recently living in Kingsport, Tenn., is best remembered for his heroic efforts at the 1974 World Finals at Ontario Motor Speedway in California, the final event of the season. Greer was locked in a tight championship battle with Don Prudhomme, Paul Smith, and Frank Hall when his Mustang Funny Car suffered a massive engine failure on a Saturday qualifying pass and the resulting fire destroyed the entire rear half of the car's body.

Fortunately for Greer, Smith and Hall failed to qualify, but Greer suffered painful burns to his hands and figured that his championship bid was through; however, overnight a multitude of people jumped in to repair the body with a patchwork of tin and fiberglass, and Greer decided to give it a go anyway. Al Hanna loaned Greer his firesuit and helmet to replace Greer's damaged equipment, and Prudhomme displayed sportsmanship by providing a set of gloves to cover Greer's burned hands.

Greer won his first-round match with Leroy Chadderton, but a blower explosion in the lights further damaged the body. Again, Greer's fellow competitors leapt into action, but before they could complete the work, Prudhomme was upset in round two by Dale Pulde to secure the championship for Greer.

Earlier that year, Greer had won his first and only NHRA national event title, at Le Grandnational in Montreal, but also used key wins at divisional races to boost his score.

Greer began his racing career in 1952 with a flathead-powered '39 Ford that he ran while serving in the Air Force. He later competed in Super Stock with a 413 Dodge and in A/FX with a Hemi-powered Dodge, campaigning under his familiar Tension name. As FX transitioned into the Funny Car class, Greer was right there with a series of Mopar entries and in 1970 even held the national record at 7.40 with a Charger-bodied entry. After a brief stint in Billy Holt's car, he built the Mustang with which he won the world championship. He campaigned his own equipment through the end of the decade before partnering with Larry Coogle in the early 1980s, then returned again to his own equipment. A mid-1980s fire at his business forced him to the sidelines for several years, but he returned to racing briefly in 1989 with an experimental B-4 overhead cam engine before retiring.

Greer is survived by wife Deborah and sons Van, Rusty, and Brian.
 

"Smokey Joe" Lee, a popular Funny Car racer in Southern California in the 1970s, died March 8 after a long battle with cancer. He was 65.

Lee, who lived in Lemon Grove, Calif., near San Diego, raced in Top Fuel in the late 1960s, driving the Shifter dragster for Leonard Abbott of Lenco Transmissions, where he worked for many years.

Lee transitioned into his own Funny Car in 1970 and campaigned a series of mostly Dodge- and Plymouth-bodied cars until the middle of the decade.

Lee is survived by his wife, Barbara, and brothers, Jack, Jim, Jerry, and Jeff. No date for services has been set.

Greer, of Kingsport, Tenn., is at the James H. Quillen VA Hospital in nearby Johnson City and is listed in severe critical condition and on maximum life support.

“The doctors essentially told us to inform the family if they want to visit with Dad, to not wait until tomorrow – to come today,” Brian Greer, the youngest of Greer’s three sons, told Competition Plus. “He is not in good shape right now, and the doctors are doing everything they can for him. I will say that if there’s anyone who can make it out of this, it’s the champ.”

Greer recently underwent surgery for colon cancer and following the operation developed an infection.

“The doctors have tried everything to get the infection, but it’s his heart that has kept him going,” said Brian. “He’s a fighter and will always be. That’s what made him the champion, by never giving up.”

Greer has undergone four surgeries in the last two weeks, including one today.

“The doctors aren’t so sure that he’ll make it through the night,” said his son. “I just don’t know how much more he can take. We have always considered the drag racing community to be our family, and right now, we need every prayer we can get. It’s less than day by day -- it is minute by minute.

“Miracles happen, and I know either way, God will take care of him. I know that when his day comes, it won’t be a day of sadness. It will be a day for celebration for the life of one of the most dedicated racers drag racing ever had. He gave everything he had to racing.”

Greer captured the 1974 NHRA Funny Car championship, and his comeback from a devastating fire during qualifying at the 1974 NHRA Finals was voted by fans in 2004 as the No. 9 Most Memorable Moment in the history of the event. As one of four drivers with a mathematical chance of winning the title, Greer, with help from the teams of Al Hanna and Paul Smith, rebuilt his Mustang Funny Car in a 17-hour marathon.

Despite severe burns on his hands, Greer competed in eliminations and clinched the season championship when Don Prudhomme lost in the second round to Dale Pulde.
 

Garlits will sign autographs for fans at the Mopar Image Center at 3 p.m. Friday, March 12. Johnson and Mopar Hemi-powered Pro Stock drivers V. Gaines and Vinnie Deceglie will appear from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 13. NHRA Funny Car racers Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan, and Melanie Troxel will visit for a signing session following the first round of qualifying Saturday.

Busch will race his ’70 Dodge Challenger in Super Gas in Gainesville. The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Penske Racing Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will also take part in an autograph session at the Mopar Image Center. The date and time of Busch’s appearance will be available later in the week at www.moparspeed.com.
 

"Can you tell we're tired of snow?" Jeg Jr. asked with a laugh. "It's pretty rare when we all have the same time off to go test, but it's come together now, and I know we're all excited. Each of us has some things they need to try to figure out with our race cars, which is exactly what testing is for, so we're going to Florida with a laundry list of things to do."

Jeg Jr. has completed two races of the 23-event Full Throttle Drag Racing Series with little to show for his efforts. He's hoping to better figure out his JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt in testing so he's ready for the upcoming 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, which begins Friday at Gainesville Raceway.

"Pro Stock remains so tough," he said. "Every thousandth of a second makes a huge difference. I don't think any Pro Stock team ever is 100 percent happy with its car. That's part of what makes the class so exciting. We're not far off. We just need to massage the setup a little, and we'll be in good shape."

After scoring his first world title last season, Troy Sr. is switching back to Pro Mod and will compete in the inaugural NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. This season will mark the first time that Pro Mod is officially recognized by drag racing's largest sanctioning body. In years past, Pro Mod has run as an exhibition class.

"They're giving out Wallys now, so everyone wants to be a part of history," Troy Sr. said of NHRA's iconic trophy. "We have a brand-new Camaro, and it's showing us so many promising signs, but you never know exactly where you're at with it until you show up at that first race, which for Pro Mod is Gainesville. We want to do everything we can in this test session to make sure we're running at full speed."

North of Miami, John will be banging gears for the first time in a number of years. The reigning and two-time Top Dragster champion has a new Comp hot rod he'll be racing for the first time while testing his tried-and-true JEGS.com Top Dragster.

Like his older brother, Mike is preparing for his second Division 3 title defense in his award-winning JEGS.com Top Sportsman machine. Both Mike and John won their Division 3 titles in 2007 and 2009.

The newest national event winner in the Coughlin family, Troy Jr. is ready to log more seat time in the same JEGS.com Super Comp dragster that he drove to victory at the Full Throttle event in Las Vegas last November.

"I'm ready to go," T.J. said. "I've been practicing all winter long, but nothing compares with the real thing. To me, any day at the track is like spring break, so I'm going to be smiling the whole time. The car should be in good shape, and we'll make as many passes as we can to fine-tune it."
 

Ron Capps, who is usually behind the wheel of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger Funny Car in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, will compete for the second time at the March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway near Bakersfield, Calif.

Capps will drive a Plymouth Arrow Nostalgia Funny Car owned by Steve Plueger this weekend at the 52nd annual event and will make numerous appearances for NAPA Auto Parts supported by local businessman Tim Delcid, owner of several NAPA stores in the area.

"This event has more meaning than a lot of races that I race in right now," said Capps, a 30-time NHRA national event winner, who will compete in a unique 32-car field this weekend. "It goes without saying that to be able to win the historic March Meet would rank right up there with any victories I've had in my career.

"I pretty much grew up going to this race. Back in the late '50s, when 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits was terrorizing the East Coast with his Top Fuel dragster, the West Coast guys challenged him to come out and pit himself against the best in the West Coast.

"And the March Meet is where it happened. So, when I went there as a kid, I watched every big-name drag racer - Don Schumacher, Don Prudhomme, Connie Kalitta, Don Garlits, Ed 'Ace' McCulloch, Shirley Muldowney, and other important racers of the time - run this race. It was big time.

"I don't remember ever missing a race. And the crowds this weekend will rival any national event that we race at right now. It's an unbelievable event to attend, and an even bigger one to race at. To be able to say that you've won the March Meet would be beyond unbelievable.

"Tim Delcid has been very involved with the track, and, for this year's event, he's asked me to speak at the California Trucking Association's annual Lamb Fry Dinner on Thursday, in front of over 200 people, including statewide politicians, California Highway Patrol, among others in the trucking industry. This March Meet brings in between 4 and 5 million dollars for the local economy."

Capps will be joined by fellow NHRA racers at this event. "Gary Densham and Cruz Pedregon are racing there as well, and John Force is the grand marshal," he added. "This is probably the first time in history since the heyday of Funny Car racing back in the '70s that they're going to have a legitimate 32-car field for nitro Funny Cars. That's unprecedented in this day and age."

Other events in which Capps will participate this weekend include NAPA autograph sessions, an appearance at the new Quarter-Mile Courtyard (a VIP section in the grandstands), and a raffle of two VIP tickets for the Las Vegas NHRA Full Throttle event in April. All proceeds from these special events will go to local charities.
 

“The March Meet is and always has been a great place for entertainment. I will see a lot of my old race buddies that I started with and raced against there,” said Force. “I have wanted to come back for a long time. 2009 NHRA Funny Car champ Robert Hight has come up here with Tom McKernan, Auto Club CEO, and they always tell me the fun I’d have. It is an honor to have the Auto Club, Blake Bowser, and Famoso Raceway invite me to be the grand marshal.”

2010 will mark the first return of Force to the event since that 1984 win.

“It’s great to see the transition from where the sport was to where it is today. I saw it as a driver. So much has changed, not better, not worse, just different. It will be a great time, and I encourage everyone to come up and enjoy it,” added Force.

“We’ve had some big names as grand marshals at the March Meet,” said Bowser, vice president and general manager of the Kern County Racing Association, operator of Auto Club Famoso Raceway and producer of the March Meet, “but John Force is in a class by himself. He’s a living legend and the greatest Funny Car racer of all time. This will be a real treat for fans.”
 

Following a first-year sellout of 100 factory-built program vehicles in 2009, Mopar announced its 2010 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak program.

For 2010, the non-street-legal, V-8-powered, rear-wheel-drive Dodge Challenger is available with the 6.1 liter Hemi that may be set up with a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.

“We’re proud of our drag racing heritage at Mopar, and we will continue to support our drag race customers where they compete,” said Pietro Gorlier, president and chief executive officer-Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care, Chrysler Group LLC. “The Dodge Challenger Drag Pak program was a success last year, and we’ll be carrying that momentum into our 2010 build.”  

Based on the 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 and finished in a Stock eliminator configuration, Mopar engineers eliminated select production components and systems to reduce vehicle weight by approximately 1,000 pounds. To accentuate weight savings, the Dodge Challenger Drag Pak features unique drag race components, including composite liftoff hood with functional scoop, Dodge Viper-style front seats, polycarbonate door windows, lightweight cooling module with electric fan, manual rack-and-pinion steering, special cable-operated deck-lid release, special lightweight front-brake assemblies, and special cable-operated throttle linkage and pedal assembly.

The Dodge Challenger Drag Pak features a retro Stone White paint scheme and is made for NHRA Comp, Super Stock, and Stock racing. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $39,999, and production begins this summer.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak program commemorated the 40th anniversary of the legendary '68 Dodge Hemi Dart and Plymouth Hemi Barracuda package cars. The ’68 package cars were sold as actual running cars with VIN identification. The 2009 and 2010 package cars are not running cars and do not come with VIN identification.

Orders for the 2010 Challenger Drag Pak must be submitted using the Dodge Challenger Drag Pak application, which is available at www.mopar.com or from the Mopar Direct Connection Tech Line, 888-524-HEMI (4364). Customers should work with their local Dodge dealer to submit their application.

 

Longtime public relations and marketing specialist Gabrielle Stevenson, 35, has been named Texas Motorplex general manager by owner Billy Meyer. Stevenson, a graduate of Oakmont High School and CSU Sacramento, joins Texas Motorplex after leaving her post at the United Way California Capital Region in Sacramento, Calif., where she managed a broad range of marketing projects, including donor relations, branding initiatives, marketing materials, and Web site content. Stevenson has nearly 10 years of public relations experience working for the Motorplex and NHRA.

“I am excited to bring someone with Gabrielle’s skill sets into the general manager position. Her years of public relations and marketing experience will be a big asset for the Texas Motorplex in the North Texas region. She understands how critical public relations and marketing are to the growth of this facility, and her positive, can-do attitude will make an immediate impact. We looked at a number of candidates, and Gabrielle’s enthusiasm and ideas quickly moved her to the top of the list,” said Meyer.

“This is an unbelievable opportunity and a challenge that I am looking forward to tackling. The Dallas and particularly the North Texas region is one of the most competitive markets when it comes to sporting events and marketing. We have a great team here at the Texas Motorplex as well as a strong history. I am looking forward to continuing to grow our business, welcoming hundreds of thousands of fans through our turnstiles and developing strong marketing partnerships with our current and future sponsors in 2010 and beyond,” said Stevenson.

Stevenson joins a growing list of female executives and professionals rising to the top tiers of the motorsports industry. Gillian Zucker is president of Auto Club Speedway, Gill Campbell is CEO/GM of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Kim Isemann is GM of Daytona 500 Experience, and Kim Walters is president of Universal Technical Institute.
 

Instead of having just minutes to register on a first-come/first-served basis, racers will have five days to submit their information. After that five-day window, a random drawing will determine which of those registrants will be one of the 425 racers to make the 500-racer field for this episode of the television show Pinks All Out, to premiere on Speed later this year.

Racers who wish to participate in the drawing must register between 8:30 a.m. CDST Monday, March 15, 2010, and 5 p.m. CDST Friday, March 19, 2010. Entries for this drawing will not be accepted before or after that time. Racers may register one of three ways: online at www.Route66Raceway.com (where a link will be posted for registration from 8:30 a.m. CDST on March 15, 2010, until 5 p.m. CDST on March 19, 2010), by drop-off between 8:30 a.m. CDST and 5 p.m. CDST at the Route 66 Raceway office (Gate 12, 500 Speedway Blvd., Joliet, IL 60433), or in person at the Route 66 Raceway office.

Registration information must be submitted on the official Route 66 Raceway Pinks All Out registration form that may be filled out and sent online through the link provided on www.Route66Raceway.com on March 15, 2010, or printed, completed, and delivered to the Route 66 Raceway office by 5 p.m. CDST on March 19. (This address may also be used when getting directions from Web sites: 3200 S. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60433.) Racers may receive and complete an official registration form at the Route 66 Raceway office during the previously listed time frame. If a racer chooses to register at the office, he or she must come to the office in person to register. No early or mail entries will be accepted. Complete rules, regulations, and additional information for the Route 66 Raceway Pinks All Out registration drawing will be posted at www.Route66Raceway.com. One entry per racer will be included in the drawing, which is open to legal residents of the United States age 18 or older with a valid driver’s license.

Racers will find out March 30 if they were chosen in the drawing through the e-mail address provided when registering. A list of the racers who were chosen will also be posted on www.Route66Raceway.com on March 30. Racers who are selected must complete the registration process (including paying registration fees) by 5 p.m. CDST on Friday, April 9, 2010, or an alternate will be selected by random drawing from all remaining eligible entries.

Racers who are not chosen through the drawing may attempt to make the field during a qualifying race May 16. That will determine the remaining 75 racers who will make the 500-car field for the June 26 event. This will include the Quick 8.

A hotline has been set up specifically for this event. Call 877-691-7223 (RACE) for more information about Pinks All Out at Route 66 Raceway.

Route 66 is an NHRA member track. All racing and technical inspections will be implemented under NHRA rules and regulations, which can be found in the official NHRA Rulebook. The track reminds all hopefuls that Pinks All Out is a television show first – not a drag racing contest.
 

In 2010, the Drag Racing Association of Women will be celebrating its 25th anniversary as drag racing’s charity with a few special events. The first will be the annual Florida Golf Tournament Wednesday, March 10, prior to the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville.

The four-scramble-style golf tournament will take place at Ironwood Golf Course close to Gainesville Raceway. The tee time is 1 p.m. EST.

Golfer registration and sponsorship-opportunities information forms are on the DRAW Web site, www.drawonline.org.  Forms should be submitted by March 1.

For more information, contact Rosalee Noble.  rnoble@consolidated.net, 217-345-6537; Beth Hyatt, teh454@aol.com, 216-531-7252; or Tracy Winters, tracyw@racewithjw.com, 321-632-6205.

 

This marks the second year of the Fram Cory Mac Boat Sweepstakes. “The partnership with Nordic and Full Throttle has been a great way for Honeywell CPG to engage our fans,” said Kelly O’Donnell, director of Global Coolants/Motorsports Products at Honeywell CPG. 
 

"Rocky" Childs, who with Jim Albert founded Childs & Albert, died Feb. 15. He was 74. Childs had been hospitalized for several weeks fighting pneumonia and congestive heart failure.

Childs, whose true first name was Raymal, was born and raised in the hotbed of California's hot rod culture, the San Fernando Valley, and went to San Fernando High School, where he was classmates and friends with the late Dick Landy.

In the mid-1960s, he teamed with Albert to launch Childs & Albert. Their original product line included rocker arms, remote starters, and a device called a "pig" for warming a car up on alky and switching to nitro. They gravitated into the connecting-rod business and expanded the line to include piston rings, bearings, and other internal engine components.

One of Childs' first race cars was a '37 Chevy that he drove (mostly at San Fernando Raceway) and was partners with Ronnie Winkle in R&R Engines. The C&A team fielded a variety of its own race cars, driven by the likes of Pat Foster, Walt Stevens, Tom Toler, Dwight Salisbury, and Bruce Walker.

Albert retired in the late 1990s, and Childs subsequently split with remaining partner Walker and went on to form and own Akerly & Childs, a supplier of bearings and rings.

He is survived by his wife, Sharon; children, Greg and Jewele; and several grandchildren. Services will be Feb. 27. (Bill Holland photo; Holland also contributed to this story)

 

In honor of its 50th anniversary celebration, JEGS Mail Order will be giving away a '10 Chevrolet Camaro in the mail-order giant's familiar yellow and black trim.

"Our customers are car people, so the best thing we could think of to give away was this great American-made hot rod," said Mike Coughlin, vice president of JEGS. "We're hoping to have a lot of fun with this sweepstakes, and I think our fans and customers will join in the excitement, especially as we get closer to July when we give this thing away.

"We plan to have the car out at several events during the year so people can see how cool it is in person. We encourage everyone to enter the contest and try their luck."

Enter the sweepstakes by filling out the electronic entry form at JEGS.com or by sending a 3x5-inch index card with the entrant's name, address, city, state, ZIP code, and phone number. Mailed entries must be sent to The JEGS Win This Car! Celebrating 50 Years Sweepstakes, c/o JEGS Automotive Inc., 101 JEGS Place, Delaware, OH 43015. Only one entry is allowed per family.

The sweepstakes began Feb. 15 and runs through July 4. The ultimate winner will be randomly selected July 12. The sweepstakes is open to all legal U.S. residents age 18 or older as of Feb. 15, 2010. Instead of the car, the winner can choose to receive $20,000 in cash.

 

The U.S. Army has expanded its relationship with NHRA Top Fuel driver Antron Brown, who now will make personal appearances in key markets to assist the Army in reaching young Americans and their influencers. Before moving to Top Fuel, Brown piloted a U.S. Army Pro Stock Motorcycle for more than four seasons,

“We’re pleased to expand our relationship with Antron,” said Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commander of the U.S. Army Accessions Command (USAAC). “Antron did an outstanding job representing our soldiers when he competed with the U.S. Army Suzuki, and he’s continued to work with us via the NHRA Youth & Education Services program the past two seasons.

“Antron’s new role will help us encourage students to study science, technology, engineering, and math in high school and college. He will take a leading role in helping educate young Americans on the many leadership opportunities available in the U.S. Army.”

A 24-time NHRA winner, Brown is just as excited about reuniting with his former sponsor.

“This is an awesome deal to bring the U.S. Army to our Matco Tools team.” he offered. “I had a very good relationship with them when I was riding the bike for Don Schumacher Racing [July 2003-2007]. Who can’t get pumped up about joining forces with the great soldiers who protect our freedom every day? Our racing family has now gotten even stronger with all of the U.S. Army soldiers supporting our team.”

Brown joins fellow DSR Top Fuel driver Tony “the Sarge” Schumacher and NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Ryan Newman as part of the U.S. Army Racing family.

At this year’s Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil in Indianapolis, the U.S. Army will mark its 10-year anniversary as Schumacher’s sponsor. 

USAAC, a subordinate command of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, meets the human-resource needs of the Army by transforming volunteers into officers, warrant officers, and enlisted soldiers. In providing the force, the 18,400 men and women of Accessions Command prepare these future soldiers and leaders for their initial military training. Commanded by Freakley, USAAC is at Fort Knox, Ky., and Fort Monroe, Va.
 

Additionally, discussions are under way between JFR and Simpson to move personnel to Brownsburg, Ind., to grow the effect and influence of The Eric Medlen Project and safety programs in motorsports. The Eric Medlen Project has been responsible for safety innovations that now are mandated by NHRA in Funny Car and Top Fuel. A worldwide leader in the manufacture of racing safety equipment, including helmets, gloves, firesuits, and parachutes, Simpson will operate as a safety partner with JFR, working with John Medlen and The Eric Medlen Project.

Commenting on the partnership, Chuck Davies, CEO of Simpson said, “Simpson looks forward to working closely with the Force team and The Eric Medlen Project. Working together and sharing our knowledge and engineering resources with John Force Racing will lead to better, safer products for racers. Everyone at Simpson is very proud to be associated with John, his family, and the entire team. John’s 16  Funny Car championships as a driver and owner are a powerful testimony to his leadership and ability. When Force Racing wants to make something better, it happens. John wants to win with safety as a top priority, which is good for everyone in racing.”

“I like and trust the folks at Simpson,” said team owner Force. “I have worked with Dave Nelson for 20 years on my suits. Dave and his people are the best in the business. For 15 years, Allen and Debbie Bridges have attended every NHRA Full Throttle event with the traveling Simpson trailer providing support, onsite service, and a full complement of Simpson gear. We take safety seriously at John Force Racing. I asked for a safety company to step up and provide more than helmets and firesuits, and Simpson did that. That is why we are partnering with Simpson Performance Products.”
 

Osceola Dragway in Osceola, Ind., has switched to NHRA affiliation for the upcoming 2010 season. This is the first time that the quarter-mile facility, originally built in 1957, has operated under the NHRA banner.

Osceola Dragway will participate in the North Central Division’s NHRA Summit Racing Series, culminating with the track sending a team of its season’s top qualifiers to the Summit Racing Series Finals at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Sept. 17-19. Division champions from that event will advance to the Summit Racing Series National Championship held in conjunction with the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, Nov. 11-14.

The track will also offer racers the special National DRAGSTER Challenge, the Aerospace Components King of the Track, the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Challenge, and NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. The National DRAGSTER Challenge and the King of the Track events give local racers the opportunity to earn a coveted Wally trophy at their home track. And new this year, the Jr. Drag Racing League Challenge will offer its own unique Wally.

“We are excited to be a part of NHRA and to offer our racers the opportunity to get to race for a Wally and to participate in the NHRA Summit Racing Series,” said Osceola Dragway Race Director Tim Medich.

For more information on Osceola Dragway and its 2010 schedule, log on to www.osceoladragway.com.
 

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that a memorial be made in her name to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 6306 Kenwood Ave., Dallas, TX 75214 or to a charity of choice. 

Campisi owned Fedora Restaurant in Dallas and was one of the twin daughters of Corky Campisi and Roz Beadle.
 

The quickest female race car driver in the world will sign autographs and take photographs with race fans during the display, which takes place the day before Troxel's return to the Funny Car ranks at the 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

"We plan on having a good time with everyone at the restaurant, and I'm ready for a Double-Double with cheese because it's been way too long," Troxel said from preseason testing in Las Vegas. "It's so exciting to be back racing with everyone at In-N-Out Burger. It's been 10 years since we last raced together, and I know they're excited to be involved in NHRA Drag Racing again.

"This event will be a perfect way to start the weekend. I hope everyone can stop by, say hello, and get a bite to eat."
 

Ericka Schriefer, the 24-year-old daughter of Funny Car racer Justin Schriefer, died in a snowboarding accident in Colorado Jan. 31. She was 24.

Condolences may be sent to Schriefer at 420 W. Dixie Highway, Grant Park, IL 60940 or via Facebook message  here.

Schriefer also has created a gallery on his Facebook page to honor his daughter's memory.

The staff of NHRA offers its sincere condolences to the Schriefer family.

Services will be held Friday Feb. 5, with visitation from 2-9 p.m. at Hub Funeral Home  111 S. Maple St. Grant Park, IL 60940/ On Saturday, Feb. 6, viewing will be from 8:30-11 a.m. followed by a service at 11 a.m. at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, 310 N. Meadow St., Grant Park IL 60940
 
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ericka Schriefer Memorial Fund, 420 W. Dixie Hwy., Grant Park, IL 60940

 

K.S. Pittman, one of the all-time greats of the legendary gasser wars of the 1960s, died Jan. 31 after a long illness. He was 82.

Pittman campaigned a variety of gassers, often meeting and defeating the best the category had to offer, including George Montgomery; Stone, Woods & Cook; and “Big John” Mazmanian. Born in Mineral Wells, Texas, in 1927, he migrated to Southern California when he was 17 and made a permanent residence in the San Fernando Valley.

One of Pittman’s earliest rides was Tim Woods’ ’50 Olds, one of the first gassers to run a GMC blower on an Oldsmobile V-8 engine. Pittman later went out on his own, teaming with engine builder John Edwards, and he was soon earning $750 per match race against the other luminaries in the A/GS ranks.

Pittman drove a variety of A/GS cars, including a ’41 Willys, a ’33 Willys, and the aerodynamic Austin and Opel GT body styles. His final effort was a ’72 Vega Funny Car.
 

Karl Klement, who signed Angie Smith to ride his Coffman Tanks/Klement Racing Buell in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series competition, has added marketing partner PJ1 products as his team prepares to challenge for the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship.

“I’m proud to say this is the third year that P.J. Harvey’s company has supported us,” Klement said. “We use PJ1 lubricants, chain lube, and maintenance products every day. They are the best. We are going to do our best to win some races for him this year.”

“It’s exciting to be participating with this group of people,” said Harvey. “They are highly motivated individuals, and they are winners in attitude and performance. There is excellent participation and cooperation with vendors and sponsors.”

Though this may be Smith’s first opportunity to run all 17 races and contend for the series crown, she did run limited schedules in 2008 and 2009 to hone her skills. She competed at 13 events in 2008, finishing 13th. Last year, she attended seven events and advanced to the semifinals twice and placed 15th.

“I’m so excited that PJ1 is a part of our race team,” she said. “They will help us tremendously. I think we are going to have a great team this year.”

Matt Smith, Angie’s husband and the 2007 Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion, is the team’s engine builder and crew chief. 

Fifty years ago, A-1 Automatic Transmissions was founded, and the highly respected manufacturer of racing transmissions and torque converters is looking forward to the future by moving into a new 15,000-square-foot facility. Marv “2-Speed” Ripes, the company founder, best known for popularizing the use of the Powerglide transmission in drag racing, is still active in the technical side of the company while day-to-day operations are being captained by veteran racer Alan Bowdish and his son, Adam.

The move to larger quarters was accelerated when a fire damaged the firm’s transmission shop in 2009, luckily sparing converter operations, which were in an adjacent building. Now everything is under one roof at 2826 Kauffman Ave. in Vancouver, Wash. A-1’s phone number remains the same: 360-574-9966.

In announcing the move, Alan Bowdish commented, “Despite the hardships we endured because of the fire, we were able to maintain our momentum. We’re pleased that Jimmy DeFrank won the NHRA Lucas points championship in Super Stock with our converter and Mike Ferderer came within one round of taking top honors in Super Gas with one of our transmission and converter packages. We’re entering 2010 with great anticipation and a fully equipped shop — complete with a transmission dyno — ready to provide for our customers.”

For more information, log on to www.A-1perf.com or call 360-574-9966.

 

The team of Freddy Frey, Bob Rosetty, Bobby Frey, and "Big Al" Liebmann are set to bring the legendary Frantic Ford AA/Funny Car back to life with the debut of the Frantic Ford Nostalgia Funny Car, which should be ready for competition on the Eastern seaboard in May or June. The re-creation of the Frantic Ford is dedicated to the memory of the late Paul R. "Dodger" Glenn.

Plans call for Team Frantic to be at tracks primarily on the East Coast with possible dates in the Midwest if additional funding becomes available.

The new Mustang II will carry the same paint scheme that took the Frantic Ford to many victories in the mid-1970s with the late, great Glenn at the controls. Paint on the new car will be applied once again by the legendary Bob Gerdes of Circus Custom Paint. Lettering on the car will be handled by the talented brush strokes of Glen, another renowned East Coast legend. For more information in the car, log on to www.franticford.com.

 

• At each event, the shipping compound will be open for business by 1 p.m. Tuesday of each race week.

• At back-to-back events, the shipping compound will be open for business by 1 p.m. Wednesday.

• The shipping compound will be open for business each day of the event between 8 a.m. and  5 p.m. and be open for business until the event concludes Sunday or the final day of the event.

• COD packages will not be accepted.

• Packages will not be accepted by the host facility prior to Tuesday of race week. An exception will be made for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil.

• All package pickup and delivery fees are COD unless prior arrangements have been made. Payment can be cash, credit card (Visa or Mastercard), or check.

• Charges for package pickup and delivery services are based on weight as shown below.

Up to 5 pounds: $5 each
Over 5 pounds: $8 each
Pallets: $55 each

Due to the amount of rain Thursday and the wet conditions on the racetrack, Firebird Int'l Raceway has cancelled Friday’s 2010 NAPA Auto Parts National Time Trials testing sessions.

Firebird Vice President Franki Buckman said every effort would be made to ensure testing would be held Saturday.

“If it is dry by noon on Saturday, we’ll take the three to four available hours and run until dusk,” Buckman said. “We’ll do everything we can to ensure the Funny Cars and Top Fuel dragsters run down the track.”

In addition to offering drivers the chance to prepare for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season, the NAPA Auto Parts National Time Trials provides a great opportunity for drivers to get more familiar with the Firebird track prior to the NHRA Arizona Nationals, scheduled for Feb. 19-21.

Gates are scheduled to open at 8 a.m. Saturday. Weather permitting, the first testing session is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday’s first session for Top Fuelers and Funny Cars is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

For more information about the event, log on to www.firebirdraceway.com.
 

On Monday, Jan. 18, during the annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Manager’s Conference in Memphis, Tenn., 14-time NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car world champion John Force and 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car world championship runner-up Ashley Force Hood surprised 4,500 O’Reilly store managers by making an unannounced appearance and entertaining the crowd for nearly an hour.

Force talked about the challenges and satisfaction of running his multicar team in a tough economy and how he felt 2010 would be a much better year for the winningest driver in NHRA history. Force Hood explained to the crowd how the diversity at all levels of the NHRA was a huge selling point for the sport. At the end of the discussion, the crowd gave the pair a standing ovation.

The tandem of Castrol-sponsored drivers also presented awards to the top-performing store managers and dined with the top brass from O’Reilly.

In addition to the speaking engagement and the awards presentation, the drivers signed autographs for the managers until midnight. It was a whirlwind weekend for Force, who prior to the O’Reilly event hosted the AARWBA banquet on Saturday night at his Brownsburg, Ind., facility.

 

Following the trend set by IndyCar and Formula One teams in recent years, DSR will work with IUPUI engineering students on exclusive research-and-development projects to improve engine, clutch, and chassis components, using technologies such as 3-D modeling, finite stress analysis, and computational fluid dynamics.

An office has been set up at DSR's Brownsburg, Ind., facility where a number of IUPUI students and faculty will work closely with Lee Beard and the other DSR Top Fuel crew chiefs.

"After the IUPUI Motorsports Engineering Program was formed last year," said DSR team manager Beard, who oversees all team operations at DSR, "I thought it would provide a great opportunity for the students to work on actual hands-on engineering projects while at the same time fulfilling DSR's need to scientifically develop race car components and chassis.

"While the students are advancing their knowledge of motorsports engineering, we at DSR are benefiting from their efforts as well as the technologies they are learning."

Although the program is presently limited to the Top Fuel dragsters in DSR's fleet (the U.S. Army car driven by Tony Schumacher; the Fram entry driven by Cory McClenathan, and the Matco Tools dragster piloted by Antron Brown), future projects are expected to include the DSR Funny Cars and Pro Stock Motorcycles as well.

Added Peter Hylton, IUPUI director of motorsports: "This project gives our students a chance to get close to one of the top teams in auto racing, and it gives DSR an opportunity to see what the new crop of engineers is like and at the same time learn a little bit from each other.

"Also, one of the great improvements in the last few years has been to use the computer capabilities to reduce the actual time and cost of testing on the racetrack as well as the expense of using a wind tunnel, which is also very time-consuming.

"This effort will ultimately help both DSR and our students understand how to maximize that advantage.

"This is intended to be a long-term relationship between IUPUI and DSR, and we would continue to have students and faculty working with DSR for a number of years on multiple projects," Hylton continued. "Who knows, one or more of them may find themselves working at DSR after graduation."

Said team owner Don Schumacher: "It is definitely the right time to step into the future to help advance drag racing technology. Our goal is to not only improve the performance of our race cars on the 1,000-foot dragstrip but to advance racing safety while helping educate motorsports engineering students. The partnership between DSR and IUPUI is very important to how we approach professional drag racing in the future."
 

Zizzo Racing's Tony and T.J. Zizzo put the Peak/Herculiner/O'Reilly Top Fuel dragster on display during the 2010 O'Reilly's National Managers Conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Jan. 17. T.J. met O'Reilly team members from around the country and traded racing stories backstage with IRL driver Danica Patrick and NASCAR's Tony Stewart.

"Having a chance to meet Danica and Tony for a few moments backstage was fun," said Zizzo. "There are a lot of differences in how we each get a race car down the track, but in the end, we all just want to compete and drive fast."

The highlight of the evening was when Zizzo met many of the managers in attendance during the autograph portion of the event. "It's a great opportunity to meet these team members," Zizzo said. "We're not just a racing team with a Peak and O'Reilly decal on our car -- we're a customer, too. I think a lot of the managers were surprised to learn that we purchase a lot of items from our local O'Reilly store for not only our race team but our auto-body shop as well."

 

In honor of Valentine’s Day taking place during the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline, Kalitta Motorsports has announced a special opportunity for a lucky fan couple to get their names on the side of the team’s Funny Car. The team will adorn the DHL Funny Car, driven by Jeff Arend, with a prominent decal on the hood as the World’s Fastest Valentine’s Day Card. Beginning today, the team is accepting entries to determine what lucky couple will get their names on the decal that will ride on the DHL race car for the entire Winternationals event. To enter, send Valentine’s Day cards to Cupid Connie. The card that Cupid Connie receives that is deemed the most original and creative will be chosen as the winner, and the lucky entrant will get his or her name and the name of the person of their affection placed on the card decal. All or most of the entries will be digitally photographed and displayed in a special photo gallery on the team’s Facebook profile. Entries should be mailed to:

Kalitta Motorsports
Attn: Cupid Connie
P.O. Box 972420
Ypsilanti, MI 48197

As part of the promotion, NAPA stores were asked in 2009 to dress up their locations with Valvoline logos and product and send photographs of their displays. Each of the eight best displays won the opportunity to hold an in-store autograph session with Beckman, driver of the Valvoline/MTS Dodge Funny Car in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

The Valvoline/MTS Dodge will be on display at NAPA Auto and Truck Parts of Gallatin, 204 N. Locust Ave., while Beckman signs autographs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Our promotion with NAPA and Don Schumacher Racing is another example of creating value off the track as well as on the track," said Rob Clendening, manager, Global Brands of Ashland Consumer Markets (Valvoline). "Jack brings a ton of enthusiasm to programs like this, and the stores competed hard for the right to host him. Some of the displays they created were amazing.”

“There are so many positives with this program,” said Beckman, who has won eight national events in 17 final rounds since joining DSR in 2006. “In these tough economic times, we’re helping the consumer who is changing his or her own motor oil or going to a retailer and having it changed. They’re coming to a NAPA store to buy their Valvoline oil, and we’re letting them know that we can help them protect their car, and it costs them nothing additional. They can go to www.valvoline.com and register and take advantage of the 300,000-mile Engine Guarantee program.

“And I really enjoy talking with the folks at these appearances to make them aware of this program and to help promote NHRA Drag Racing at the same time.”

In addition to the Gallatin stop, Beckman will make seven appearances during 2010:

Feb. 4 (noon-2 p.m.): NAPA Auto Parts, 4501 Stine Road, Bakersfield, CA 93309
Feb. 9 (2-4 p.m.): NAPA Auto Parts, 9361 Sierra, Fontana, CA 92337
March 15 (4-6 p.m.): Brooks Auto Parts, 212 Ogeechee St., Sylvania, GA 30467
March 25 (1-3 p.m.): Aube's Inc., 8005 Highway 49, Mount Pleasant, NC 28124
March 29 (2-4 p.m.): NAPA Richmond, 800 Southlake Blvd., Richmond, VA 23236
April 2 (noon-2 p.m.): NAPA Omaha, 6160 Grover, Omaha, NE 68106
April 28 (1-3 p.m.): Napa of Auburn, 325 Center Drive, Auburn, ME 04210

After nearly a year of planning and development, Castrol launched the official John Force Racing 25th anniversary fan site at www.castrolforce.com this week. At the end of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, fans were asked to sign up to be a part of the most comprehensive and interactive Web site to celebrate John Force Racing’s 25th year with Castrol. Almost 10,000 fans got in on the ground floor and had the first opportunity to join the celebration and begin a yearlong interactive experience with the winningest driver and team in all of motorsports.

“Having the official Web site, www.castrolforce.com, up and running is a major accomplishment for Castrol and our marketing team. This celebration of the first 25 years with John Force and John Force Racing will be a season-long adventure for Castrol, the entire JFR team, and our tens of thousands of fans. The site will boast all sorts of interactive zones as well as pages where fans can upload photos and videos. There will be contests throughout the year, and castrolforce.com will become one of the hottest destinations on the Web for exclusive John Force Racing 25th anniversary information and news,” said Lori Anne Gola, assistant sponsorship manager.

The castrolforce.com Web site will be the main destination for fans of John Force Racing who are interested in 25 years of stories, photos, and exclusive video highlights covering Force’s rise to the top of the NHRA. Members of John Force Racing from every level of the organization participated in the creation of the site and will be involved in its ongoing development.

The site is completely free to join and will feature pages highlighting traditional news and information as well as areas where fans can upload their favorite videos and photos. Contests will run throughout the 2010 season revolving around John Force Racing history, fan interaction, and a wide variety of promotions.
 

Bob Tasca Sr., an automotive enthusiast, Ford dealer, and drag racing innovator, passed away Friday, Jan. 8. He was 83.

An automotive businessman for more than 60 years, Tasca achieved fame as a record-setting automotive dealer and as an internationally known designer of high-performance race cars. Tasca is credited with helping create the Ford Thunderbolt drag racing car and bringing the Cobra Jet 428 engine to NHRA in the 1960s.

Tasca had three important aspects to his life: his family, his friends, and Ford Motor Company, said his grandson Bob Tasca III. "Those were the touch points in his life, and for that we're thankful. We are grateful and privileged to have had so many years with him, and it's hard to say goodbye.

"My grandfather has touched so many, and he will live forever in the hearts of people around the world. It was his time to move on. I think he held on and fought the fight for as long as he could fight it, but clearly his passing doesn't mark the end of the impact and influence that he'll have on this world, that's for sure."

Tasca began his long relationship with Ford Motor Company May 5, 1943, while working at a dealership. In 1953, Tasca acquired his first dealership in Bristol, R.I., and attributed his success to two elements: knowing cars and taking care of the customer.

After a hurricane destroyed his Bristol dealership, Tasca moved to East Providence, R.I., at the famous 777 Taunton Ave. address. While in East Providence, Tasca developed a friendship with Carroll Shelby and became the first person to help Shelby assemble the Cobra. The two automotive legends maintained a lifelong friendship.

Tasca became a Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury dealer in Seekonk, Mass., in 1971. Under his guidance, Tasca Ford acquired a Volvo dealership in Seekonk in 2001 and built its Cranston, R.I., dealership in 2002. Several years ago, the Tasca family purchased an adjacent property that now serves as its wholesale outlet, body shop, and truck center.

Tasca and his Rhode Island dealership team created their own engine, the Cobra Jet 428, from parts found in the Ford service parts catalog. Tasca's Mustang Cobra Jet race cars were often taken to the dragstrip, where they defeated the competition, creating a demand for the Cobra Jet 428.

While dominating on the racetrack, Tasca coined the phrase, "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday," because that was exactly what he did. Tasca's dealership modified Mustangs on Sunday, won races, and sold those same cars at the dealership on Monday.

Tasca is also credited with helping make Ford products better than when they left the factory. His influence at Ford as a quality consultant resulted in years of Ford performance. Every one of Tasca Ford dealership vehicles was driven 200 miles by a Tasca before it was delivered to a customer as part of Tasca's debugging plan. Tasca was also instrumental in the advent of short-term leasing, which made automobiles affordable throughout the world.

Tasca developed a tight bond with Henry Ford II during the 1940s, and the two men held mutual respect for each other as automotive pioneers. Ford viewed Tasca as one of his most trusted advisers in the automotive industry.

He also wrote a well-known book in 1996 on customer service, You Will Be Satisfied, which remains the slogan of Tascas dealerships today. Ford Motor Company asked Tasca to train more than 150,000 Ford employees and dealers, and he was the key force behind the Quality is Job 1 initiative. In his life, Tasca affected an entire generation of products and sales techniques from his dealership in Rhode Island.

"I want to thank all of his friends through these last couple of years," said Tasca III. "He's had some health issues, and we're so grateful for the network of people that really become part of our family, and we want to thank them for their support and prayers. Many people from Ford Motor Company and the NHRA Series loved being around my grandfather, and I know he loved being around them. We're grateful for all of the support and friendship that we've built and just want everyone to know that Grandpa is in a better place right now."

Memorial services are pending, and the family will release information when available.
 

Five-time drag racing champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. will join radio host Joe Castello from 7 to 8 p.m. ET Tuesday on WFO Radio (www.WFORadio.com) for Hit the Ignition with Joe Castello. The topic of conversation will divert from the dragstrip to the 20-turn Olympic bobsled course on historic Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, N.Y., where Coughlin will be competing this weekend in the fifth annual Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen.

Coughlin is a veteran of the fundraising event that pits NHRA stars against their NASCAR counterparts to raise money for the Bo-Dyn Project. In fact, he has finished on the podium in the past, proving he's just as good on ice as he is on the strip.

Several years ago, NASCAR legend Geoff Bodine asked designer Bob Cuneo of Chassis Dynamics in Oxford, Conn., to create made-in-America bobsleds for the United States men's and women's national teams. Since 2002, the Bo-Dyn effort has produced numerous Olympic and World Cup medals for the team, which once used castoff sleds from European teams.
 

Fifty years of JEGS history will come to life in captivating video vignettes throughout the mail-order giant's 50th anniversary in 2010. Hosted by popular motorsports commentator Bill Stephens, the two- to three-minute pieces are filled with personal interviews and remembrances with family patriarch Jeg Coughlin Sr., his four sons -- John, Troy Sr., Mike, and Jeg Jr., who now own and operate JEGS Automotive -- and third-generation racer Troy Jr., who recently became the first third-generation Coughlin to win an NHRA national event.

Classic NHRA video dating back to the beginning of the sport will remind viewers of the early days of straight-line racing, and stirring images from the 1980s, '90s, and '00s will show in detail how the Coughlin clan has put together one of the most successful racing teams and businesses in America.

Follow along throughout the year at www.jegs50years.com.
 

Lou Sattelmaier, a veteran racer who used his race cars as a weapon in the war on drugs, died Dec. 28. He was 74.

A part-time driver in the 1950s and '60s, Sattelmaier teamed with his brother, George, to race in and around Ohio with a '32 Ford altered coupe. In the fall of 1971, Sattelmaier began a one-man crusade to curb drug abuse among youth. The idea came about when his children asked him to come to their school for a show-and-tell. That led to a coveted sponsorship with Marathon Oil, and in 1975, he teamed with the U.S. Navy, then in 1977 with Quaker State Oil, and then Pennzoil.

In the spring of 1984, Sattelmaier climbed behind the wheel of his jet-powered Sonic Thunder Mustang and continued to race and campaign against drug abuse. In 1990, his son Bob received his license and now pilots his self-built Super-Sonic jet Funny Car; he ran alongside his dad until 2004.

Sattelmaier is survived by his wife, Elaine; children, Lisa, William (Candy), Robert (Shannon), Suzanne (Samuel), John (Melissa); 12 grandchildren; sister, Inga; and brother, George (Anna).

Family and friends may call Saturday 6 to 8 p.m. and Sunday 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Waite & Son Funeral Home, 3300 Center Road, Brunswick, Ohio. Services will be Monday at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. Contributions may be made to Hospice of Medina County, 797 N. Court St., Medina, OH 44256.

For more on Sattelmaier, including photos and news clippings, log on to www.jetfunnycars.com/.
 

Jim Harrington, a fierce competitor and winner in NHRA and IHRA competition over three decades, died Dec. 28. He was 48.

The versatile Harrington, who also ran a drag racing school in North Carolina, scored three NHRA national event victories – in Super Stock, Stock, and Super Comp -- and was a multiple-time winner in IHRA competition.

Harrington earned his first NHRA Wally more than 20 years ago with a Stock win at the 1985 Gatornationals, and he added a Super Comp victory at the 1994 Phoenix event. He became one of the sport's rare three-class winners in 2008 when he scored in Super Stock in Bristol. Harrington also had three national event runner-ups. The New Jersey native, who lived in Chapel Hill, N.C., also scored numerous divisional and bracket racing wins.

"One of the most prolific competitors in the history of Sportsman drag racing, Jim Harrington was capable of winning in anything he drove," commented drag racing announcer and historian Bret Kepner. "The New Jersey driver earned NHRA and IHRA national event titles in everything from Stock to Modified eliminator and scored major bracket racing victories in dozens of different machines. Harrington applied radically different ideas in drag racing theory and developed an amazingly successful strategy, which made him one of the most feared opponents. Instilled with a desire to see his comrades succeed, he taught virtually all his trade secrets to students of his own drag racing school and was responsible for the development of hundreds of today's best-known racers.
 
"His enthusiasm for the sport was matched only by his love of life and his wife, Tracie. Each day was an adventure, and each trip brought new stories to be treasured. Known by such monikers as 'Happy Harry,' 'Big Jim,' and 'Jimmy the Shoe,' every moment spent with Harrington was a party in itself. He was a giant in both physical stature and drag racing legend and, whether judged by event titles or friendships earned, will be remembered as one of the sport's all-time winners."

A viewing will be held Thursday, Dec. 31, from 2 to 5 p.m. and Friday, Jan. 1, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Bizub-Quinlan Funeral Home, 1313 Van Houten Ave., Clifton, NJ 07013. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Jan. 2, at 10:30 a.m., followed by burial at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Totowa, N.J. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Special note from the family: "We are going to load some digital photos on a few digital photo frames for everyone to view during the wake. Anyone who would like a photo or two included, please e-mail a jpeg or two no later than 9 a.m EST Thursday to nhra1209@aol.com."


 

Former Pro Stock racer Gene Fasching, one of a number of strong Pro Stock competitors to hail from Minnesota, died Dec. 22 after a long battle with cancer.

The Winsted, Minn., driver began his racing career in 1966, then moved to the Modified eliminator ranks and ultimately to Pro Stock in the late 1970s, where he campaigned a variety of Chevrolet cars and won the 1983 Division 3 Pro Stock championship. In 1986, he landed a seat in the second Team Strange Oldsmobile. He retired from the cockpit in 1989.

Sons Ted and Troy followed him into the sport, working as crewmembers on a variety of nitro cars, and 9-year-old grandson Connor, Ted's son, is a championship-winning go-kart racer. The entire family, including son Terry and daughter Yvette, often would accompany their dad to the races.

While Troy was out slinging wrenches for a variety of teams (he is currently employed at Kalitta Motorsports), Ted and Gene worked at their family-run company, Triple T Race Products, which they founded in 1994 in Howard Lake, making headers for drag race cars that are shipped worldwide. They also worked with Troy on numerous race cars. Gene also continued to race go-karts with his family, competing in a 50-plus division at Stockholm Motorsports Park in Cokato, Minn.

He is survived by his wife, JoAnn; children, Ted, Yvette, Terry, and Troy; and 11 grandchildren. Visitation will be Sunday Dec. 27, from 4 to 8 pm at Chilson’s Funeral Home in Winsted, and Mass of Christian Burial will be Dec. 28 at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Winsted.

For more information, log on to www.caringbridge.org/visit/genefasching. 

 

Schmidt, who created the first of the famed funny cars in 1969, borrowed the name from the German medal of honor.

"We wanted the car's appearance to match the level of performance we strive to attain," said Josh Crawford, owner and driver of the car and runner up at the 2009 NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion.  "Having Blue Max on the side of the car is a lot to live up to, but I'm confident we'll do it justice."

Veteran Bob Brooks will continue as crew chief, turning the wrenches on the 413-cid nitro burning engine during NHRA Hot Rod Heritage and match races appearances.

Mail Terminal Services shipped more than 130,000 cards to troops overseas through its Mail From Home program during the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series announced Rodger Comstock, president and CEO of MTS. The goal for this year was 125,000 cards.

In all, since MTS launched the program in 2006, more than 330,000 special cards have been distributed to military personnel in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the company's support of Jack Beckman, who races the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing.

"We exceeded our high-level goal this year due to the efforts of all the people at the terminals, the fans, and everyone who supports NHRA Drag Racing," said Comstock. "With everyone's help, the program was able to put smiles and a touch of home to 125,000 to 130,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Soldiers in the war zones receive a package of postcards with individual messages on them, autographed hero cards from the Valvoline/MTS team and other DSR teams, as well as National DRAGSTER and Drag Racing Action magazines. Fans are asked to sign and write messages on these unique postcards at the Don Schumacher Racing hospitality area and the U.S. Army kiosk in the Manufacturers Midway at each event.

"The program may not seem as significant when we're in the NHRA pits, but when you see the messages posted on bulletin boards, outside tents, and in foxholes all over the rough terrain of places like Afghanistan and Iraq, that's where it plays an important role," added Comstock.

"Literally, MTS employees spent thousands of hours working on this program. The San Francisco terminal was our lead terminal, and they would take their lunch hours and breaks and would fill out cards just to make sure that they got enough cards to send over there.

"The tribute first is to the troops who make everything safe for us, and the second is to the people who care enough about them to do what they do for them."

Said Beckman, "As a former Air Force sergeant, I can tell you that every day that you get positive mail, your outlook for that day improves. So, I think what the Mail From Home program has done over the years is help nearly a third of a million soldiers have a better day due to the small effort on behalf of the fans.

"I am so grateful to Rodger and Karen Comstock for implementing this plan and sticking with it. This is not an inexpensive program for MTS, which includes the costs of printing and shipping, and the fact that they stuck with it through the years speaks volumes to their character. I am very proud to be associated with them."

Fans who are unable to visit NHRA events but would like to participate in the Mail From Home program and send a Mail From Home package to a specific soldier should send the soldier's APO mailing address to mfh.mts@gmail.com. MTS will be pleased to help brighten the day of a soldier.

 

Don Woosley, NHRA's Top Alcohol Dragster world champion in 1982, died in his sleep Dec. 14. He was 63.

Woosley, who scored 10 NHRA national event wins and seven runner-ups and was a seven-time Division 3 champion, was one of the class' most-feared and yet most-liked competitors in the early 1980s, driving the yellow and white Ale 8 One-sponsored Woosley, Sharp & Reynolds dragster.

Woosley scored his first win at the 1975 NHRA SPORTSnationals in Bowling Green, Ky., driving the Sharp & Reynolds Magic Show injected A/Fuel Dragster past Dale Armstrong on a holeshot in the final. He also won the 1986 Sportsman Allstars competition in Bowling Green, one of the favorite stomping grounds for the Winchester, Ky.-based racer. His last final-round appearance was at the 1987 Atlanta event.

He is survived by sons Lowrey, Jason, and Chris; grandsons Michael and Marley; and brothers Jim, Jack Jr., and Paul. Visitation will be Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Rolan G Taylor Funeral Home in Winchester, Ky. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 17.
 

Kenny Bernstein's Christmas is coming a little early, and unlike that other king, Elvis Presley and his "Blue Christmas," Bernstein's blue Christmas is going to be a happy one because he and wife Sheryl just got the first look at the new Copart blue dragster.

“Brandon and general manager Lenny Imbrogno have been very busy shuttling transporters, trucks, trailers, and race cars to the paint shop since the team returned from the Auto Club NHRA Finals," said Bernstein, pictured with Brandon checking out the new livery. “The dragster was the first piece back with the new blue paint scheme, and we’re expecting the first transporter back today or tomorrow.

“The team’s excitement is mounting for the 2010 season, and for our part, we’re thrilled that we’re going to have a blue Christmas, Copart blue that is!”
 

Addressing online reports about the health of his team owner, Ken Black, Summit Racing Pontiac Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson confirmed that although the KB Racing founder did suffer a stroke that put him in the hospital, he did not suffer a heart attack.

“Over the last few days, there has been a lot of speculation about Ken’s health,” said Anderson. “Naturally, we would have preferred to keep this matter private, but with Ken being such a prominent and popular member of the drag racing community, it simply wasn’t possible. Although we have already been in contact with Summit and many of our key sponsors and vendors, rather than letting these unconfirmed reports continue to multiply, we decided to bring everyone up to date.

“First and foremost, Ken did not have a heart attack. However, he did suffer a stroke just over a week ago from which he is recovering. Without going into tremendous detail, I can tell you that he is awake, alert, and working on his recuperation with his doctors in the hospital.

“At this point, I ask that you keep Ken, his wife, Judy, and the entire Black family in your prayers. I would also ask that you kindly respect the family’s wishes for privacy, allowing Ken to continue his recuperation undisturbed, and thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding. We will provide updates on his condition as warranted and ask that you contact our team representatives with any further questions.”

 

The 12th annual John Force Racing Holiday Car Show was one of the biggest in the event's history as thousands of toys were donated, making a mountain of memories for children this Christmas season. From 10 a.m. until well after 4 p.m., toys, stuffed animals and games poured into the John Force Racing shop as fans filled the streets. Tens of thousands of people wandered through one of the largest collections of vintage cars, trucks, and street rods.

In addition to the hundreds of car-club vehicles, a number of specialty vehicles were on display, including the Force Bros. Nightstalker Funny Car, which returned to competition this year at a one-off event in Norwalk, plus Jay Leno’s '55 Buick Roadmaster custom, a $2 million Bugatti Veyron, a collection of “monster rods” built from Peterbilt trucks, and a historic Amphicar designed for road or water.

“Today was awesome,” said John Force. "It was all about the kids, and I think our fans really came through. We are having tough economic times, and I know there are a lot of kids out there who might not have a very good Christmas. I hope being able to donate all these toys to the CHiPs Toy Drive will help. I want to thank all our sponsors for stepping up and helping out, especially Tom McKernan and the Auto Club.

“I know Craig Hoelzel really worked hard on this as well as all his volunteers. I want to thank everyone who helped out to make this happen from the bottom of my heart. My hand is just about worn out from signing autographs, but it is what we do, and I love spending time with the fans. We have a lot of really good friends that come out every year, so it is good to see everyone. I want to especially thank Tom McEwen, Jack Beckman, and Cory McClenathan. Cory Mac flew straight from Germany to be here.”

Fans were treated to music by the M.O.S. Project, Adria Force Hight’s band, as well as a number of other musical acts, and In-N-Out burgers were available all afternoon.
 

Al-Anabi Racing team owner His Highness Sheikh Khalid Al Thani, who enjoyed a fruitful start to his NHRA involvement this season with a second-place finish in Top Fuel with driver Larry Dixon and a solid season by Funny Car pilot Del Worsham, is proving equally adept behind the wheel.

Under the tutelage of 13-time NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car champ Frank Manzo, Al Thani made his official driving debut at the opening round of the 2009-10 Arabian Drag Racing  League season at the Qatar Race Club facility near Doha, Qatar, behind the wheel of a new Tim McAmis-built '68 Camaro.

According to WhoWon,com, Al Thani placed third in Pro Extreme qualifying with an eighth-mile pass of 3.859, 199.75 with the supercharged machine.
 

Racers and fans are invited to clean out their cupboards – or hit the specials at the supermarket – and bring nonperishable food items to The Strip at LVMS for collection and distribution.

In the past five years, drag racing teams and fans have donated truckloads of food and thousands of dollars in cash to help local charities fill their pantries for the needy.

Donations will be accepted each day during the Las Vegas Bracket Nationals on the second floor of the officials’ tower. For more information, call LVMS, 702-644-4444, or log on to www.LVMS.com.
 

Infineon Raceway distributed more than 5,500 pounds of nonperishable food items to Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH) and the Salvation Army Vallejo Food Pantry on Monday during the raceway's 9th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. 
 
The amount marked the most Infineon Raceway has distributed in one year since the inception of the food drive in 2000. Infineon Raceway has distributed more than 17,500 pounds of nonperishable food items since 2000.
 
“I can’t thank Infineon Raceway and everyone else that participated in this food drive enough,” said Sherman Bielfelt, a volunteer for FISH. “This food is critical to the survival of many people, and I know they are very thankful.”
  
FISH has been serving needy Sonoma Valley residents since 1970, and the Vallejo Food Pantry will serve 100 of the neediest families with Thanksgiving food boxes and will put together another 300 to 400 boxes of food during the Christmas season.
 
“Food drives like this help to strengthen our ability to make an impact in the community,” said Capt. Fred Rasmussen, North Bay County coordinator for the Salvation Army. “I would guess this food will serve at least 250 people.”
 
Infineon Raceway was not alone in its efforts. It was joined in the food drive by four Northern California Mary’s Pizza Shack locations; the Vallejo Convention and Visitor’s Bureau; Sonoma Girl Scouts;  Innerstave; Levy Restaurant; tenants of the Infineon Raceway Motor Sports Industrial Park; and Destination RKA and Santa Rosa BMW Triumph in Windsor. Sonoma Gourmet of Cotati also made a generous donation of six pallets of gourmet food items.

P.J. Pedroncelli, 19, who lives in Sonoma and drives in the NASCAR Camping World West Series, also participated in the food drive, representing Pedroncelli Motorsports.
 
For more information on FISH, call 707-996-0111. To contact the Salvation Army Vallejo Food Pantry directly, call 707-643-8621. 
 

Joe Allread, whose engine-building skills ranged from preparing small-block Chevrolets for Junior Stock to Chrysler Hemis for Pro Stock, died Nov. 11 after a battle with cancer.

Allread initially gained fame as one of the elite Junior Stock racers who emerged from the West Coast during the mid- to late 1960s and were known as the “Valley Boys.” His contemporaries from the Southern California region included John Barkley, John Dianna, Marv Ripes, Bob Lambeck, Willard Wright, Gary Glover, Ramon Lowe, Keith Berg, and Jay Hamilton. He campaigned a variety of vehicles throughout the years but was best known for his K/S’57 Chevrolet station wagon that was featured on the cover of Car Craft magazine in 1968.

Allread later built the Hemi engine for Bagshaw’s then-revolutionary ’70 Dodge Challenger, which was the first Pro Stocker constructed by noted chassis builder Ron Butler and won Best Engineered Car honors at the 1970 U.S. Nationals. Allread also prepared the Hemis for the Mopar Pro Stock entries of Butch Leal and Bob Lambeck.

More recently, Allread had been building Hemi powerplants for the SS/AH Hemi Barracudas of California Car Cover Co. team owner Jim DeFrank Sr. Rick Houser drove one of DeFrank’s Allread-powered Barracudas to the Mopar Hemi Challenge title at the 2007 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil.

Barkley, who had met Allread at the old San Fernando Dragstrip in 1964, said, “We were partners in 1967 running Joe’s small block in my H/SA ’57 Chevy, and took turns driving. Joe drove it at the NHRA Finals that year and made it to the semi’s before losing to eventual winner George Cureton, who had the only car that could run the number besides ours. He later let me use the fuel-injected 283 from is K/S ’57 Chevy wagon, and that powered my M/SA ’57 Chevy to Stock wins at the Winternationals and Hot Rod Magazine race in 1968. Joe was a great guy with more patience than anyone I ever knew. He took forever to build a motor, but when it was done it was a work of art.” (Bill Holland photo)
 

NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher will headline tonight’s worldwide debut of NHRA Tuesdays, 7-8 p.m. ET (4-5 p.m. PT) on WFO Radio with Joe Castello. To listen live, on demand, or to download as podcast, log on to www.wforadio.com.
 
Castello, the creator of hit satellite radio shows Wide Open on NASCAR Radio and Power Shift, hopes to break new ground in motorsports radio with the debut of WFO Radio. Through a user-friendly, high-quality experience free of charge to listeners, WFO Radio is setting a new standard for Internet-based radio with opinionated coverage of NASCAR, NHRA, Indy Car, Formula One, ALMS, and Grand Am racing.

Schumacher joins Castello Tuesday night for one of the champion's first one-on-one interviews since he earned his record sixth consecutive and seventh overall NHRA Top Fuel world championship. On Sunday at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, Schumacher edged Larry Dixon by two points in the closest Top Fuel championship battle in NHRA history.

In addition to Schumacher, NHRA Funny Car world champion Robert Hight and NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Hector Arana will discuss their championships. Veteran NHRA announcer Alan Reinhart will provide expert analysis in the debut of his regular, weekly segment on WFO Radio.
   
For more information, log on to www.wforadio.com.

Antron Brown

NHRA Top Fuel star Antron Brown will be the Newsmaker of the Week on The Race Reporters radio show Wednesday at 7 p.m. EDT on www.PowerUpChannel.com.

Host Michael Knight will be joined for the journalists’ roundtable by Bobby Bennett, editor of Competition Plus.com; Corinne Economaki, president and publisher of National Speed Sport News; and Larry Henry, host of Pit Pass USA on the PowerUp channel.
       
The Race Reporters can be heard live, downloaded to an iPod, or accessed for listening on a delayed basis by clicking on the show icon at www.PowerUpChannel.com. Listeners can bookmark the show and sign up to receive a free e-card with news on upcoming guests at the show’s page, www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1549. The show will re-air several times later in the week (check PowerUp’s daily programming listing).

Knight is a 40-year motorsports industry insider and award-winning publicist and journalist. The one-hour show’s format is a “good, hard, honest, Constitutionally protected conversation on the issues of the day.” Previous Newsmaker guests have included Richard Petty, John Force, Ashley Force Hood, Dario Franchitti, Joey Logano, Gil de Ferran, Schumacher, Scott Pruett, Adrian Fernandez, Graham Rahal, Ron Capps, Scott Atherton, and Chris Economaki.
    
For more information on The Race Reporters, log on to
www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1549.

The Race Reporters podcast on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548

Force Hood gave listeners a peek at the songs she enjoys when she was the guest DJ on Santa Monica-based public radio station KCRW (89.9 FM in LA and KCRW.com worldwide). As part of the weekly Guest DJ Project, she picked five songs and discussed the significance with KCRW DJ Raul Campos. This morning, a quick snippet of her guest spot was broadcast by Music Director Jason Bentley during KCRW’s signature music show Morning Becomes Eclectic.

“It was actually harder than I originally thought to pick five songs because I love so many different kinds of music. I tried to pick a variety and songs that I didn’t just enjoy listening to but also that had special meaning to me. It was a fun project to get to be a part of and very different from my usual race car driver duties,” said Force Hood.

The full set is available online and available streaming for download and as a podcast. There is a transcript as well:  www.kcrw.com/music/programs/gd/gd091111ashley_force_hood.

Previous guest DJs have included athletes Brian Vickers, Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Gabrielle Reece, Kelly Slater, actors Tim Robbins, Jorja Fox, and Scarlett Johansson, as well as iconic television producer Norman Lear and comedian Bobcat Goldthwait.
 

The Southern California home shop and museum of 14-time NHRA Funny Car world champion John Force will be open Thursday (Nov. 12) and Friday (Nov. 13) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The John Force Racing Museum is filled with trophies, race cars, memorabilia, and hundreds of photos spanning the 30-year career of Force as well as all of his drivers, including points leader Robert Hight, 2008 rookie of the year Mike Neff, and daughters Ashley Force Hood, Brittany Force, and Courtney Force.

Fans will also be able to see the John Force Racing shop during this midday opportunity. While the teams will be busy at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona qualifying for the 45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, fans can see behind the scenes, where Force’s stable of Mustangs are worked on when they travel to the West Coast.

“This is a great chance for our fans to stop by and see some of John’s great memorabilia, winning race cars, including Robert Hight’s LA Dodgers Mustang from last season, and unbelievable photographs. We really only open the shop and museum to the general public a couple times a year. Fans can spend a couple of hours here and then head to the racetrack and see great racing action,” said Craig Hoelzel, manager of the JFR RaceStation.

The John Force Racing shop is at 22722 Old Canal Road, Yorba Linda, CA 92887; 714-921-1651.

The John Force Racing shop and museum are approximately 20 minutes northeast of Disneyland, 20 minutes south of the Wally Parks NHRA Museum presented by Automobile Club of Southern California, and 45 minutes from Los Angeles.

From the 91 Freeway in Yorba Linda, exit Weir Canyon/Yorba Linda Boulevard (north), then turn right at Savi Ranch Parkway. Turn right at Old Canal Road, turn left at Eastpark Drive, then left into the first driveway on the left.

 

Among the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series stars participating in the event were Greg Anderson, “Fast Jack” Beckman, Brandon Bernstein, Gary Densham, Larry Dixon, Jason Line, Morgan Lucas, Spencer Massey, Cory McClenathan, Karen Stoffer, and announcer Bob Frey.

Indy car team owner Sam Schmidt finished second in the tournament, which raised more than $3,000 more than the 2008 event. Las Vegas resident Mike Kiney won the tournament.

The tournament was sponsored by the Cannery Casino Hotel, Richard Petty Driving Experience, Nevada Beverage, and Coca-Cola.
 

Baum was best known for his long line of Top Alcohol Dragsters, all raced under the name Xecutioner and all built with his own hands in his one-car garage in Des Plaines, Ill.
 
Baum, known affectionately as "the Bomber" for his tendency to run his equipment all-out, was a perennial top 10 finisher in UDRA competition and at one time was the quickest driver in history at the wheel of a cast-iron Chevy blown Alcohol Dragster. His greatest moment, however, was when he won the overall TAD title in the Olympics of Drag Racing at Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, Wis., in 1988.

 

Brian Thiel will fly the colors of Speedway Children’s Charities on his Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The body of Thiel’s '02 Chevrolet Camaro will feature a paint scheme created by graphic artist Eddie Hollon. For Thiel, a rice farmer from Pleasant Grove, Calif., the decision to support the charity was an easy one. “It’s all about the kids,” said Thiel. “When I learned of how many children this foundation has helped over the years, I had to be involved. We hope everyone who sees this car will find it in their heart to support Speedway Children’s Charities. It’s a real honor to be involved, and I’m all in.” 

The car will make its debut at the sixth annual Speedway Children’s Charities Cards for Kids Texas Hold ’em poker tournament Wednesday evening at the Cannery Casino Hotel.

Jay Blake's Follow A Dream/Permatex Top Alcohol Funny Car team has named Todd Veney as its driver for the 2010 season. 

"Our whole team is excited to have Todd driving; he’s a great team player," said Blake, who has led the team to multiple national event victories since fulfilling his lifelong dream of owning his own Top Alcohol Funny Car team in 2003. Veney drove that first Follow A Dream car before pursuing his own lifelong dream of fielding a team with his dad, Ken Veney, in 2004.

"It's great to be back with Jay, Tommy [Howell], and everybody," Veney said. "I've seen Jay's entire operation step up every year since he got into the sport, and this is going to be the fastest, best car I've ever raced and the best team I've ever been on."

Veney has been driving since 1995 and grew up in drag racing, working on his dad's cars as a kid and writing for NHRA's National DRAGSTER from 1988 to 2007. Blake's Follow A Dream team will compete from coast to coast, from Englishtown to Pomona, on a 12-race schedule that includes eight national events and a full slate of Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events. 

Tuner Howell will be back with Blake, the only totally blind crew chief in all of motorsports, as will the entire Follow A Dream crew from 2009: Charlie and Joe Mitchell, Ed Parker, Scott Osborn, Mike Lupo, Rich Fenwick, and Scott Spencer.

“The whole team is thrilled to have Todd return to the seat, and we’re already gearing up for the 2010 season,” said Blake, who between racing events encourages thousands across the country through motivational presentations delivered at technical schools, colleges, and corporate events to follow their dreams. For more information about Follow A Dream and the team, log on to www.followadream.org.
 

In February, NHRA Funny Car star Ashley Force Hood and her cat, Simba, were photographed by award-winning photographer David Woo for his new book, Top Dogs and Their Pets. The book is now available nationwide in bookstores as well as from the Neiman Marcus catalog. Force Hood is one of four  celebrities highlighted on the cover, which also features dog whisperer Cesar Millan.
 
John Force Racing, in conjunction with Woo, produced a specialty edition that features Force Hood and Simba as the featured celebrity on the cover; it is available exclusively through the John Force RaceStation retail store and online at www.johnforceracestation.com.

“I’m really excited about Top Dogs and Their Pets because it’s a really entertaining, beautifully laid out, and fun book. I’m proud that Simba and I got to be a part of it. The only problem is that Simba is starting to get a big head what with all the publicity and attention he’s getting,” said Force Hood.

Portions of the proceeds from Top Dogs and Their Pets will go directly to the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation, which offers financial support and rehabilitation expertise to pet shelters and rescue organizations throughout the United States.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Top Fuel championship contender Antron Brown was among those testing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Oct. 21-22 in advance of the Oct. 29-Nov. 1 NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. Brown's car also was involved in a commercial shoot for Remacid, a new associate sponsor for the team.

“It’s been going great,” said Brown after making his final pass Wednesday afternoon. “We came out here and did what we wanted to learn – getting the engine combination right and test some other stuff that we wanted to test. When we come back for the race next week, we’re looking forward to it because we’re already ahead of the game. Hopefully we can get some of those qualifying points, which is really crucial for this championship and the position we’re in.”

Brown’s Las Vegas test car may be unfamiliar to NHRA fans. The brown Remacid wrap was used for a future television commercial, but the familiar Matco Tools colors will be back on the car for the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.

“We’ll be back with our full, true-blue Matco Tools car. This also was a video shoot for Remacid, which is coming onboard for next year as a strong associate sponsor. It’s an all-natural, organic product for acid reflux and indigestion relief. They want to prove to the world that it works as fast as our Top Fuel dragster, which it does. It’s great to have them aboard, and we’re giving them a little pump while we’re out here testing.” 

Although he is locked in a heated points battle with just two races remaining, his was the only Top Fuel dragster team to test at The Strip at LVMS.

“We’ve done so well all through the year, and the Countdown came, and we had test sessions left. A lot of other teams have no more left. We saved them for this time of year, and it worked to our advantage. We had a couple of little gremlins bite us in the first two or three races of the Countdown, and we’re using these test sessions to work it out. We got back into the battle, and we’re out here early to get ready for this race. We still have one test session left in case we have to test before we go to Pomona.”
 

McDuffie won the NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals twice and the Southeast Division Driver of the Year award.

A viewing will be held at Sims Funeral Home in Douglas, Ga., Oct. 21-22 from 6 to 9 p.m., and the funeral service will be Friday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. Condolences may be sent to Sims Funeral Home, 201 Peterson Ave., Douglas, GA 31533 or online at www.simsfuneralhome.org.
 

Entry forms and ballot boxes will be available at each of these Midway displays. A drawing will be held prior to the second Professional qualifying session Friday and Saturday. 

The winner’s name will be announced over the track PA; the winner will receive a prize pack valued at more than $1,000 each day. 

Each prize pack contains items ranging from racing parts to apparel items to gift certificates to tools. While at the race, stay tuned to the event PA for information.

 

Lucas Oil Products has assumed title sponsorship of the popular Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, the charity event that pits NASCAR pros against NHRA drivers to raise money for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project.

The fifth annual Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen Engineering will be staged Jan. 8-10 at the Olympic course on historic Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, N.Y. The brainchild of NASCAR legend Bodine, the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project is a collaborative effort between Bodine and Chassis Dynamics to make the best bobsleds in the world for U.S. athletes.

"We've increased our involvement each year because you can immediately see the positive effect this has for our athletes," said NHRA Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas, the son of Lucas Oil founders Forrest and Charlotte Lucas. "Since Geoff started the Bo-Dyn Project, our bobsled teams have gone from the bottom of the pack to a world powerhouse that has contended and won medals at every world championship and Olympic Games ever since.

"Our commitment to Geoff and the Bo-Dyn Project is a real source of pride for all of our employees, and that feeling is only magnified because the Vancouver Olympic Games are coming up in February. Anything we can do to help our team win medals, we're there."

Each year, the Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge pits a team of NASCAR drivers against a group of NHRA Pros. Two events are actually held over the weekend. The first features all of the participating drivers racing against the clock, regardless of their racing affiliation. The second lines up the best NHRA drivers against the top NASCAR pros.

Last year, Lucas won the NHRA versus NASCAR race, and teammate Jeg Coughlin posted a third-place podium finish in the timed portion of the race. Lucas was the 2008 runner-up in the NHRA versus NASCAR tilt and took silver in the 2007 timed race.

This year's event, which is free to attend, will take place between Team USA training runs as the group prepares for the Vancouver event.

"We got a little taste of the top level of the sport last year because they were holding the U.S. Nationals Bobsled Championships there at the same time we were making our runs," Lucas said. "They were going from the top of the course and hitting speeds of 85 to 90 mph. It was intense.

"The cool part was they were using the sleds from the Bo-Dyn Project, and you could see how trick they were. Plus, all the athletes were so appreciative of what we were doing to help them out. It was pretty special to be a part of it all."

Rising NASCAR superstar Joey Logano was one of the first to volunteer for this year's event.

"Driving bobsleds is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done," Logano said. "It makes me feel great to support such a patriotic event, especially with this being an Olympic year. I'm excited to get back to Lake Placid."

On this year's NHRA squad, Coughlin, Shawn Langdon, and a yet-to-be-named driver will join Lucas. Colorful four-time world champion Gary Scelzi has committed to serve as color commentator for Speed TV's annual coverage of the event.
 

With sponsorship from Kenny Koretsky’s Nitro Fish Wear, former Pro Stock racer Dave Connolly will be attempting to take home a large share of the purses available at the annual Million Dollar Drag Race at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Forced to the sidelines early this season by the country’s economic struggles, Connolly continues to hone the same competitive skills that labeled him a Pro Stock championship contender from 2004 through 2008. He won 21 times in 37 final rounds and finished third in points three times.

“I’m not racing as much as I’d like to,” Connolly said. “Things have been working out pretty well. I am looking forward to this race, or races. There is a $20,000 race Thursday and $30,000 races on Friday and Sunday. The Million Dollar Race is on Saturday.

“That’s a huge one. It’s an expensive race, too. I want to thank Kenny for his support this weekend. I’d like to do well so I could make up some for not racing Pro Stock this year.”

This is the second time in 2009 that Connolly and Koretsky joined forces. Connolly drove the Nitro Fish Pro Stock entry in Houston and Las Vegas early in the season.

Most of Connolly’s Super Comp racing has been on the East Coast. And there’s more to come.

“It gets real busy next month when we have 15 races scheduled over 18 days,” he noted. “That’s a lot of bracket racing, but it will be a lot of fun. But I really want to be back in Pro Stock next year.”

“MPE Motorsports has announced the release of crew chief Lance Larsen,” Pickens said. “Lance is a knowledgeable and experienced tuner and a trusted friend. He is truly one of the good guys in the sport. Having become a close member of our personal family, we wish him the very best going forward.

“The selection of a new MPE crew chief has not yet been made. We will not be attending this weekend’s race at Richmond.”

Millican drove the Hope4ASudan/Motorvation dragster to 10th place in the 18-race regular season, earning the final position in the six-race Countdown to 1 showdown. He is 10th after the first three races.
 

Two-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car world champion Cruz Pedregon will debut a '78 Plymouth Arrow nostalgia nitro Funny Car as a tribute to the late Joe Pisano for the first time at the 18th California Hot Rod Reunion presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, Oct. 16-18 at Auto Club Famoso Raceway.

Pisano, a drag racer and racing aftermarket pioneer, was instrumental in the careers of many drag racers and especially in the life of Pedregon. Joe P., as friends and competitors knew him, passed away in 1991. He helped Pedregon in his early racing career and introduced him to veteran Top Fuel and Funny Car team owner Larry Minor. In 1992, Pedregon won his first NHRA Funny Car championship in a McDonald’s-sponsored Funny Car owned by Minor. Pedregon looked at this as an opportunity to pay tribute to his longtime friend by asking Joe’s brother, Frank, if he could paint his nostalgia Funny Car similarly to one that Pisano raced in the late 1970s.

As an added bonus, Pedregon enlisted the help of Danny Pisano, nephew of Joe Pisano, who campaigns the Pisano & Matsubara '74 Chevrolet Vega-bodied nostalgia Funny Car to join in this Tribute to Joe Pisano. Both cars will be part of the Cacklefest that officially kicks off the Honorees Ceremony at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bakersfield Friday night, Oct. 16. Both floppers will fire up as the first leg of this tribute. Then on Saturday, plans call for both cars to line up together on the legendary starting line for the first session of side-by-side qualifying for Funny Car eliminator. Veteran nitro tuner Donnie Couch is racing against the clock to finish Pedregon’s nostalgia nitro Funny Car in his Southern California shop.

Pedregon was the grand marshal of the fabled March Meet earlier this year. Auto Club Famoso Raceway is also an important part of the Pedregon family’s history. It’s where Pedregon earned his NHRA competition license and is the same track where his father, "Flamin´ Frank” Pedregon, raced in the 1960s and his brother, Tony, also a two-time NHRA Funny Car champion, earned his NHRA competition license.
 

Since 1981, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has sponsored this official national tribute to all firefighters who were lost in the previous year. This year’s Honor Roll will be unveiled during ceremonies Oct. 2-4 in Emmitsburg, Md.

"This entire sponsorship with FireIce transcends drag racing in so many ways," said Payne, the 1995 season champion who has 11 divisional crowns and 24 national event wins. "We've been honoring various fire departments across the country all year, and the response we've gotten from firefighters has been tremendous.

"For this race, we decided to raise awareness for the National Fallen Firefighters Honor Roll, specifically because one of the men listed on the Honor Roll is Lt. Rafael Vazquez of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, who served the county that protects FireIce’s corporate headquarters located in Jupiter, Fla. Bottom line, this guy was a friend of everyone at FireIce, and he and the other 121 firefighters on this year's Honor Roll should never be forgotten for what they've done for all of us. They are true heroes."

FireIce is a subsidiary of GelTech Solutions Inc., a publicly-traded corporation (OTCBB: GLTC) that supports the Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

"I consider it an honor to salute the National Fallen Firefighters Honor Roll this weekend with Jay's race car," said GelTech CEO Michael Cordani. "It's been humbling to say the least to see how much this race car has positively affected all the firefighters we've met at the various NHRA tour stops Jay has made.

"We should all remember there are 1.1 million firefighters out there keeping us safe. Sometimes, these brave men and women get hurt or even die in the line of duty. It's our obligation as citizens of this country to honor and remember them. The people with the National Fallen Firefighters Honor Roll do wonderful work. and we're happy to help them."

To help spread the word about its product and Payne's race car, FireIce also has teamed with FireRescue1.com, the premier source for firefighter news.
 

Top Fuel racer Hillary Will, sidelined this season because of economic conditions, will be back behind the wheel of a dragster for three races this year, piloting Tom Conway's national championship Top Alcohol Dragster with the backing of Get Screened America and in support of Operation Holiday Hope.
 
Will will be competing at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals and the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona as well as the Lucas Oil Series Division 7 event in Las Vegas scheduled for the weekend between the events.
 
"I can't tell you how excited I am to get back in a dragster," Will said. "The Tom Conway-tuned car was my first choice when I decided I wanted to get back in Top Alcohol. Thankfully, the seat was available this year, and thankfully, Roger Burgess agreed to support my comeback.
 
"I'm a very health-conscious person, so I'm glad I have the opportunity to encourage our fans and teams to take care of themselves by getting screened at the Get Screened America pavilion or at their family doctor's office. Taking a few minutes and getting some simple tests goes a long way in saving lives," she said.
 
Will is also racing to bring awareness to Operation Holiday Hope, a charity whose goal is to raise money for children in the inner city who live in poverty. All funds raised buy gifts for kids whose parents are not going to be able to afford to buy them holiday presents.

"I've seen firsthand the hope and love that this organization provides for these kids who need it. They help put smiles on a lot of faces. This means a lot to me, and I want to give back. Helping to raise money for Operation Holiday Hope is just one way I know how."
 
As a spokeswoman for Get Screened America, Will will be involved in several publicity events as well. For more information about her schedule and events, log on to the GetScreenedAmerica.com Web site or to Will's site, www.hillarywillrace.com. For more information about Operation Holiday Hope or to donate, log on to www.metroministries.org/USPrograms/OperationHolidayHope/tabid/2406/Default.aspx.

Coming off his first final-round appearance of his rookie campaign, Top Fuel driver Shawn Langdon has picked up the sponsorship support of Mach 1 Global Services, a worldwide industry leader in the overnight freight-forwarding business.

Langdon will race the Mach 1 Global Services/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster at this weekend's 24th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec and will pick up a boisterous group of supporters from the organization's Dallas office as well as a huge group of Mach 1 customers.

The company will also have a presence on team owner Morgan Lucas' GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster.

"We're excited to join Morgan Lucas Racing and be on Shawn's dragster for this event," CEO Jamie Entzminger said. "Dallas is a very important market for us, and to have a chance to introduce our loyal customers to NHRA Drag Racing through a professional race team as highly regarded as this one should only strengthen our position in the DFW area.

"We had a chance to meet Shawn and Morgan earlier this year and have been following them ever since. The synergy between Lucas Oil and Mach 1 is tremendous. We're both family-owned and -operated businesses that strive to be the best in our respective industries. We're very excited about this upcoming weekend and our future with Morgan Lucas Racing."

Mach 1 joins the race team at a perfect time as both Langdon and Lucas are solidly in the fight for the 2009 Full Throttle world championship. Langdon's big weekend in Charlotte at the first of six Countdown to 1 playoff races lifted him to fifth place in the crowded rankings. He's just 49 points off the class lead. Lucas is just a few ticks behind Langdon in eighth place.

"Mike Entzminger [Mach 1 founder] and his daughter Jamie are great people, and it's very cool to have Mach 1 Global Services on Shawn's car this weekend," Lucas said. "Hopefully, he'll have another big weekend, and we can kick off our relationship with Mach 1 in the winner's circle.

"Shawn's car and crew won the Dallas race last year, so they know how to get it done at the Texas Motorplex. Plus, the way Shawn is driving this year, you know they're going to be tough. It should be a great weekend."

“What a group to be with,” Edwards said. “They joined us in Reading, and the relationship has really blossomed and has been beneficial to both sides. It just adds to everything we already have with this team.”

The company’s name and Web site address will adorn the front hood of the red Pontiac GXP, and 800-FOR-VETTE-PARTS will be on the hood scoop this weekend.

Located in Bristol, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia, Contemporary Corvette opened its doors for business in 1990 with three Corvettes and a half-acre called "the Field of Broken Dreams." After tremendous success, the company has expanded to four acres to house nearly 450 Corvettes.

 

Before Antron Brown returns to the cockpit of his Mike Ashley-owned Matco Tools dragster Friday afternoon at zMax Dragway to begin the Countdown to 1, the 23-time NHRA winner will trade his Top Fuel dragster for a stock car. The NHRA points leader will participate in the Richard Petty Driving Experience at nearby Lowe's Motor Speedway Friday morning before qualifying for the NHRA Carolinas Nationals, the first race in the Countdown to 1 six-race playoff.

"This is a really cool deal, and I'm excited to see what this stock-car racing is all about," Brown said. "My boy Jimmy Bruns at Connexions Sports and Entertainment called and asked if I was interested, and I was like 'Are you crazy? Of course I am.' I grew up racing motocross and then Pro Stock Motorcycles and now Top Fuel, so maybe the next move for Antron Brown is to NASCAR. They keep talking about Danica [Patrick] going to NASCAR, maybe A.B. will beat her to the punch.

"Seriously though, this is an awesome opportunity to see what it's like to drive around an oval at 160 mph. I'm sure glad there aren't 42 other cars out there bumping and passing me. I know it's going to be a lot of fun. It would be cool if 'the King' [Richard Petty] was my driving coach. I got to hang out with our greatest driver, Don Garlits, at the U.S. Nationals a few weeks back, and it would be neat to meet Richard Petty in the heart of NASCAR country." 
 

Ashley Force Hood, driver of the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, is contributing a weekly online diary for USA Today. This is the second year in a row that Force Hood will share her racing experiences and off-week exploits with USA Today readers. Force Hood provided USA Today with a preview column that is available at www.usatoday.com/sports/motor..

“Writing the USA Today weekly diary is a fun way for me to share some of the behind-the-scenes experiences I have with my Castrol GTX team. I have the best group of guys, and we have a lot of fun at the races. Last year, I finished sixth in the Full Throttle points, and this year I am hoping for more success in the Countdown to 1. It will be great to share this wild ride with the readers of USA Today,” said Force Hood.

Force Hood has won twice this season, in Houston and Indy, and made seven final-round appearances. She is entering the 2nd annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals in third place in the Full Throttle points standings.

B.R.A.K.E.S., the safe-driving organization founded by NHRA Top Fuel drag racer Doug Herbert, and Speedway Children’s Charities will partner for their second annual benefit dinner and PPG Paintball Tournament on opening day of the NHRA Carolinas Nationals, Thursday, Sept 17.

“The Carolinas Nationals will be an exciting time in Charlotte as the NHRA roars into town, and I’m so glad that our fundraising events for B.R.A.K.E.S. will be part of the action,” said Herbert. “We wanted to do something a little different this year, so we decided on a paintball tournament because we thought it would be a lot of fun. The dinner was a huge success last year, and we hope to build on that for an even better event this year.”

The benefit dinner, presented by tiwi, will be held in The Speedway Club at Lowe’s Motor Speedway at 7 p.m. The event will include live and silent auctions and feature keynote speaker Mike Minter, retired football player for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.

The PPG Paintball Tournament will be held at Carolina Paintball Park in China Grove, N.C., at 10 a.m. Teams of seven featuring many NHRA drivers will compete in a bracket-style tournament.

“I can’t think of a better way to kick off the Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway than to support this great cause,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Lowe’s Motor Speedway and president of Speedway Children’s Charities Charlotte chapter. “Doug has been instrumental in bringing awareness to the importance of safe driving, and we are proud to be a part of these fundraising events.”

Tickets for the B.R.A.K.E.S. and Speedway Children’s Charities benefit dinner presented by tiwi and the PPG Paintball Tournament are still available. To register or for more information, call Stacy Ellis, 704-732-8950, or log on to www.putonthebrakes.org.
 

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Peggy Llewellyn has been named celebrity spokesperson for Divas For A Cure (DFAC) to promote breast cancer awareness in black and Latina/Hispanic communities. 

"I am honored and excited to serves as spokesperson for Divas For A Cure," said Llewellyn. "It takes two of my passions, which are motorcycles and reaching out to my community, and uses them to raise awareness of breast cancer."

DFAC is a national service-based nonprofit organization dedicated to raising cancer awareness through early detection, education, screenings, and supporting research for eradicating cancer among women, specifically black and Latina/Hispanic. The organization is unique in that its African-American and Latina women ride motorcycles across the country to raise funds and awareness throughout the year and participate in their signature fundraiser, Divas For A Cure Breast Cancer Motorcycle Run.  

Led by founder and President and breast cancer survivor Jan Emanuel-Costley, the four-year organization, supported by Harley-Davidson, clocked more than 22,000 miles across the United States for the cause and donated more than $110,000 to MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, where DFAC has a dedicated treatment room.

In past years, Divas For A Cure has enjoyed the support of such celebrities as award-winning, bestselling African-American authors Nina Foxx and Eric Jerome Dickey, international male supermodel and actor Tyson Beckford, comedian and actor Joe Torry, and Hollywood stuntman and former dancer Lionel Douglass.
    
"We are extremely excited to have Peggy Llewellyn as the 2009-2010 Divas For A Cure celebrity spokesperson," said an elated Emanuel-Costley. "Our association will help launch us to a new level. Combining our efforts will truly give greater value to our motto, Passion With A Purpose."

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among black and Latina woman, making it the most commonly diagnosed and most likely form of cancer to lead to death in both groups because it is often diagnosed in later stages.

Llewellyn said, "The black and Hispanic communities are less informed; therefore, it is the highest incident rate of the disease. Being of Mexican and Jamaican descent, I want to make sure the message is out there about early detection and education."

Her spokesperson role will begin Oct. 1 and last for one year.

Llewellyn is the first woman of color in the world to win a professional motorsports event. Winning at the NHRA event Dallas in 2007, she earned an appearance in the inaugural Countdown to 4 and Countdown to 1, giving her a finish in the top five in standings.

The three-year professional motorcyclist ran an abbreviated season in 2008 and advanced to the semifinals in Denver, finishing the season with qualifying five of six races. Llewellyn hopes to return to the NHRA circuit for the remainder of the 2009 NHRA season in September.

Named 2009 Female Athlete of the Year by The Elements of a Champion Foundation for displaying extraordinary character on and off the racetrack, Llewellyn is dedicated to her community through actively being involved with Women's Sports Foundation's Go Girl Go! and independently promoting to young girls the sport of motorcycle racing, physical fitness education, and the importance of following dreams.
 

"Fast Jack" Beckman, driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, will appear on the Sept. 17 Pinks All Out show, which airs on SpeedTV.

The segments featuring Beckman were filmed this summer in Maryland, where Beckman presented the Valvoline Coveted Spot award and was invited by the show to present a $10,000 check to the winner of the event in the winner's circle.

An estimated 12,000 fans were at the event, and Beckman signed hundreds of autographs.

Beckman was asked to interview the drivers in the pits and in the staging lanes. He also interviewed the Valvoline Coveted Spot award winner and was filmed in several segments with the Pinks hosts talking about a variety of subjects, including safety and how the show works in general. During eliminations, Beckman, always wearing his instructor's hat as a former Frank Hawley's NHRA Drag Racing School instructor, gave advice to drivers to help pump them up for the race.

"We got there at 9:20 in the morning, and they ran the final at 12:15 the following morning because there were two lengthy rain delays, so it was a long and wonderful day," said Beckman, who will start the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoffs next week in Charlotte from the fifth position.

"I have to tell you, everybody on the staff and everybody on the crew was phenomenal to me. You don't know going in how it all is going to work out, as I was kind of a third wheel. I was just a guest appearing on the show. Clay Millican is a regular on the show, and to say he was gracious is an understatement.

"As a professional racer, they included me in their deliberations for pairings and which cars to choose for the race. It was great. It wasn't that I showed up and got to spend five minutes on a segment and then left. They actually made me an integral part of the show and the strategy.

"Honest to God, it was really cool," he added. "I was warmly surprised at how great everybody was."

The Valvoline Coveted Spot program offers racers one final opportunity to obtain a competitor slot in a Pinks All Out field. Once pre-event sign-up is complete and the dust settles after each host track’s qualifying races, the Valvoline Coveted Spot is the last opportunity to obtain one of the hottest and most competitive tickets in town. Racers interested in signing up for a chance to win the Valvoline Coveted Spot enter a random drawing that takes place two weeks prior to an upcoming Pinks All Out live production.
 

More than 4,000 fans attended the fourth annual Don Schumacher Racing open house Friday, Sept. 4, all of whom helped raise more than $19,000 for Riley Children’s Foundation and Riley Hospital for Children. The event was held in advance of the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the 18th of 24 events in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Live auctions, raffles, and voluntary donations held at the 100,000-square-foot facility in Brownsburg, Ind., which houses all six DSR NHRA teams, pushed the four-year total north of $80,000.

The gold chrome U.S. Nationals Tony Schumacher helmet fetched $2,800 with a winning bid from Brad Myers, of Elkhart, Ind. Myers also submitted the winning bids for the DSR Stratosphere-Orbitz Las Vegas race package ($1,200) and to be an honorary crewmember on the Fram Tough Guard Top Fuel team with driver Cory McClenathan on Friday in Las Vegas ($450). Myers' personal auction contribution reached $4,450, and the total for the auction portion of the fundraising effort for Riley Children’s Foundation was $7,450.

Visitors were treated to a car show courtesy of the Indy Hi-Winders Car Club and a thunderous “Cacklefest” of vintage nitro cars led by the Justin Grant-owned Don Schumacher Wonder Wagon replica 1970 Funny Car.

“We at Don Schumacher Racing are always happy to open our doors for the U.S. Nationals fans,” said team owner Don Schumacher. “More importantly, with the support of the NHRA fans and our sponsors, families, and volunteers, we are thrilled that we are able to contribute to the Riley Children’s Foundation and Riley Hospital for Children each year. It means a lot to our employees, who take great pride in this event.”