FLYNN TO BERNSTEIN

Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Kenny Bernstein has confirmed that Rob Flynn will take over as crew chief on the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster at the end of the season. Flynn will be accompanied by Mike Guger, who has been named assistant crew chief.The duo will replace Tim and Kim Richards who have announced their retirement from the sport at the end of the year.“Sometimes timing is everything,” said Bernstein. “It was a whirlwind weekend at Richmond. When Tim and Kim told us of their decision to make this year their last, suddenly Rob and Mike became available. The pieces of the puzzle just began to fit together.“We are excited to welcome them to our Budweiser/Lucas Oil team. It will be our first opportunity to work with Rob, and of course, Mike has spent several years with our team in the past. They have proven that they can win races and nearly won the championship last year, so we’re very optimistic that we can continue to field a highly competitive team for Budweiser, Lucas Oil, Mac Tools, and all our sponsors.”Flynn has been in the sport more than 30 years, most recently as crew chief with David Powers Motorsports where he tuned Hot Rod Fuller to six victories in 12 final round appearances from August of 2005 to the present. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity,” said Flynn. “I feel I have some big shoes to fill coming in after Tim and Dale before him. But we’re very motivated.”“Last year it was Kenny’s team and Brandon and our team chasing the championship and we each lost by a round.“Kenny’s team is one of the marquee teams in motorsports. I’m confident that together we will do well and I’m looking forward to next year’s Countdown.”Guger says joining the Kenny Bernstein organization is like coming home again. This will be his third tour with the six-time champion. Guger initially joined the Budweiser King Funny Car team at the end of 1981.In 1998 he left the sport of drag racing to pursue a career in Indy Car Racing. At the end of 2006 he made the decision to return to drag racing, signing on with David Powers Motorsports as assistant crew chief to Rob Flynn in 2007.“I’m very familiar with Kenny’s operation,” said Guger, “and he fields one of the best organizations in all of motorsports. He is highly respected in all motorsports circles.”“I watched Brandon grow up and it’s going to be fun to work with him as a driver.”Flynn and Guger will join Kenny Bernstein Racing in December.

BOB GLIDDEN DRIVES AGAIN

Written by CompetitionPlus
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Ten-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Bob Glidden to compete in Nov. 20-23 Street Car Super Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayNHRA Pro Stock drag racing legend Bob Glidden will compete in the Nov. 20-23 Street Car Super Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Glidden will pilot PGA pro golfer Kenny Perry's Grand Am in the Outlaw 10.5 class.Glidden was the scourge of the NHRA Pro Stock class in the 1980s and 1990s, winning an unprecedented 10 championships in 16 years, including five consecutive titles from 1985 to 1989. Bob amassed 85 national-event victories before retiring at the end of the 1997 season and is fourth on the NHRA's Top 50 Drivers Of All Time list.The Strip at LVMS will draw the top racers from across the U.S. and Canada – including Bob's son, Billy Glidden – for the ultimate East-vs.-West street car shootout. The Pro Street class will pay $20,000 to the winner. The Outlaw Street class winner will take home a $5,000 check.For more information on the Street Car Super Nationals, please visit www.streetcarsupernationals.com.

Goodguys Announce 2009 Event Schedule!‏

Goodguys Rod & Custom Association 2009 EVENT SCHEDULE

MARCH
March 14 & 15 - Costa Mesa, CA
OC Fair & Event Center. All years American Powered Cars & Trucks. Autocross, Vendors, Huge Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

March 28 & 29 - Pleasanton, CA
27th ALL AMERICAN GET-TOGETHER
Fairgrounds - Pleasanton. All years American Powered Cars & Trucks. Vendors, Huge Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

APRIL
April 3, 4 & 5 - Del Mar, CA
9th DEL MAR NATIONALS
Del Mar Fairgrounds. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Autocross, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876


MAY/JUNE
May 30 & 31 - Pleasanton, CA
16th SUMMER GET-TOGETHER
Fairgrounds - Pleasanton. All years American Powered Cars & Trucks. Autocross, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

June 5, 6 & 7 - Loveland, CO
12th DUPONT COLORADO NATIONALS
The Ranch, Larimer Co. Fairgrounds. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

June 12, 13 & 14 - Indianapolis, IN
21st HOT ROD NATIONALS
O’Reilly Raceway Park @ Indianapolis. Rods, Customs, Classics & Race Cars thru ‘72. Drags, Show ‘n Shine, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

June 26, 27 & 28 - Nashville, TN
4th NASHVILLE NATIONALS
LP Field, Tennessee Titan Stadium. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Autocross, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

June 26, 27 & 28 - Rhinebeck, NY
18th EAST COAST NATIONALS
Dutchess County Fairgrounds. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

JULY
July 3, 4 & 5 - Des Moines, IA
18th 3M HEARTLAND NATIONALS
Iowa State Fairgrounds. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Autocross, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

July 10, 11 & 12 - Columbus, OH
12th GOODGUYS PPG NATIONALS
Ohio Expo Center. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Friday Nite Drags, Autocross, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

July 24, 25 & 26 - Puyallup, WA
22nd PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONALS
Puyallup Fair & Events Center. Rods, Customs & Classics thru ‘72. Friday Nite Drags, Show ‘n Shine & Vendors. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

AUGUST
August 14, 15 & 16 - Spokane, WA
8th GREAT NORTHWEST NATIONALS
Spokane Fair & Expo Center. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

August 21, 22 & 23 - Pleasanton, CA
23 rd EAGLE ONE WEST COAST NATIONALS
Fairgrounds - Pleasanton. Rods, Customs & Classics thru ‘57. Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

August 28, 29 & 30 - Norwalk, OH
8th DUPONT BLUE SUEDE CRUISE
Summit Motorsports Park. Rods, Customs, Classics & Race Cars thru ‘72. Drags, Show ‘n Shine, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

SEPTEMBER
September 4, 5 & 6 - Kansas City, KS
8th MID-WESTERN NATIONALS
Kansas Speedway. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Autocross, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

September 18, 19 & 20 - Joliet, IL
3rd PEAK CHICAGOLAND NATIONALS
Chicagoland Speedway. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Friday Nite Drags, Autocross, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

September 25, 26 & 27 - Pocono, PA
5th GREAT AMERICAN NATIONALS
Pocono Raceway. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Autocross, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

OCTOBER
October 2, 3 & 4 - Ft. Worth, TX
17th LONE STAR NATIONALS
Texas Motor Speedway. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Autocross, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

October 16, 17 & 18 - Bowling Green, KY
2nd NOSTALGIA NATIONALS
Beech Bend Raceway Park. Rods, Customs, Classics & Race Cars thru ‘72. Drags, Show ‘n Shine, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

October 23, 24 & 25 - Charlotte, NC
16th SOUTHEASTERN NATIONALS
Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Autocross, Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

NOVEMBER
November 14 & 15 - Pleasanton, CA
20th AUTUMN GET-TOGETHER
Fairgrounds - Pleasanton. All years American Powered Cars & Trucks. Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876

November 20, 21 & 22 - Scottsdale, AZ
12th SOUTHWEST NATIONALS
WestWorld of Scottsdale. Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trucks thru ‘72. Vendors, Swap Meet & Car Corral. Info www.good-guys.com or (925) 838-9876


Goodguys • P.O. Box 9132 • Pleasanton, CA 94566 • 925.838.9876 • www.good-guys.com

New 2008 Army and Fram cars on their way

http://www.groundpoundin.com/ will have the new Army and Fram cars in next week. 1/24th scale from Autoworld Drag Racing Series. Action is not producing either release. 1-480-983-3838

Career-best run makes Coughlin a contender in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 11) -- Reigning Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. made the quickest quarter-mile pass of his illustrious career Saturday to move from out of the field to the lofty No. 2 qualifying position at the third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals. Coughlin's 6.554 at 209.10 mph also set a Virginia Motorsports Park elapsed time record.The 38-year-old Coughlin was considerably happier at the end of Saturday's action than he was Friday evening when his disagreeable JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt had left him in 13th place overall. According to Coughlin, the team "changed everything but the paint and the driver" overnight and the dividends were obvious."I was rolling up there hoping something else didn't go wrong but that feeling went away real quick when I did the burnout," Coughlin said of his run of record. "I could just feel how sharp the motor was. She was raring to go. There was a crispness to the sound it was making that I hadn't heard in a couple of races."As I was charging down the track, clicking through the gears, I knew it was flying. I was just waiting for the finish line to get there so I could hear what we had run. I knew it was going to be a big number and I was right. "What a job by the entire team. There was a lot of hustling behind the scenes to make me look good out there. Carl Foltz told me he was on to something and I think I just felt what he was talking about."Ranging from top qualifier Greg Anderson's 6.554 to No. 16 qualifier Steve Spiess' 6.590, this marks the quickest field of Pro Stock cars ever assembled. "It's an honor just to be in this field, let alone to be the No. 2 qualifier," Coughlin said. "We were No. 1 after that round but Greg managed to equal our ET in the fourth session and he got the No. 1 spot on speed, but that takes nothing away from our effort. "Being in the quickest field ever tells me that all 16 cars are going to be tough and all 16 teams are going to bed tonight thinking they've got a car that can win this race. It's gonna be on the drivers again tomorrow and I like our chances."Coughlin will open against No. 15 qualifier John Nobile, who went 6.590 at 208.97 mph, which was a career-best pass for the native New Yorker.

NHRA NEWS: Virginia Nationals 1st round match ups

DINWIDDIE, Va. -- First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorprorts Park, the 22nd of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 3.771 seconds, 317.05 mph vs. 16. Scott Palmer, 8.610, 71.88; 2. Hillary Will, 3.799, 315.49 vs. 15. T.J. Zizzo, 4.195, 213.03; 3. Doug Herbert, 3.814, 311.70 vs. 14. Tim Boychuk, 3.906, 304.80; 4. Cory McClenathan, 3.815, 312.64 vs. 13. Morgan Lucas, 3.890, 307.30; 5. Doug Kalitta, 3.815, 308.35 vs. 12. Bob Vandergriff, 3.873, 308.00; 6. Larry Dixon, 3.816, 312.06 vs. 11. J.R. Todd, 3.845, 311.77; 7. Rod Fuller, 3.823, 315.56 vs. 10. David Grubnic, 3.837, 306.26; 8. Antron Brown, 3.823, 308.57 vs. 9. Brandon Bernstein, 3.824, 312.71.
Funny Car -- 1. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Solara, 4.041, 306.88 vs. 16. Tony Bartone, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.157, 292.71; 2. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Impala, 4.041, 306.74 vs. 15. Jerry Toliver, Dodge Charger, 4.125, 299.00; 3. Mike Neff, Ford Mustang, 4.041, 304.80 vs. 14. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.088, 295.98; 4. Melanie Troxel, Charger, 4.047, 309.98 vs. 13. Gary Scelzi, Charger, 4.081, 301.00; 5. Ashley Force, Mustang, 4.048, 304.46 vs. 12. Tim Wilkerson, Impala, 4.079, 302.48; 6. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.056, 304.32 vs. 11. John Force, Mustang, 4.078, 298.21; 7. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.059, 301.54 vs. 10. Del Worsham, Impala, 4.078, 296.70; 8. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.070, 303.64 vs. 9. Jeff Arend, Solara, 4.078, 302.55. Did Not Qualify: 17. Bob Tasca III, 6.860, 299.06; 18. Gary Densham, 8.946, 295.14.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GXP, 6.554, 210.31 vs. 16. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cobalt, 6.590, 208.39; 2. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.554, 209.10 vs. 15. John Nobile, Dodge Stratus, 6.590, 209.01; 3. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.555, 209.59 vs. 14. Justin Humphreys, GXP, 6.589, 208.55; 4. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.559, 210.11 vs. 13. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.584, 209.04; 5. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.561, 209.79 vs. 12. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.578, 208.81; 6. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.565, 209.10 vs. 11. Johnny Gray, Stratus, 6.573, 209.14; 7. Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.567, 209.26 vs. 10. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.571, 209.17; 8. Jason Line, GXP, 6.568, 209.59 vs. 9. Jim Yates, GXP, 6.568, 208.71. Did Not Qualify: 17. Rickie Jones, 6.591, 207.66; 18. Dave Northrop, 6.600, 208.36; 19. Warren Johnson, 6.604, 210.37; 20. Richie Stevens, 6.604, 209.04; 21. Tom Hammonds, 6.629, 207.62; 22. Roger Brogdon, 6.678, 205.29; 23. John Gaydosh Jr, 6.765, 202.61.

NHRA NEWS: Virginia Nationals Final Qualifying Results‏

CRUZ PEDREGON DELIVERS A STUNNING NO. 1 QUALIFYING RUN IN FUNNY CAR
Schumacher, Anderson also earn provisional poles at fourth of six races in the Countdown to1

DINWIDDIE, Va. – Cruz Pedregon bolstered his flickering championship aspirations Saturday with a stunning 4.041 at 306.88 in his Advance Auto Parts Toyota Solara to claim the No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car at the Virginia NHRA Nationals.
Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) rounded out the No. 1 qualifiers at the 22nd of 24 NHRA POWERade Series races this season and the fourth race in the six-race NHRA Playoff, the Countdown to 1.
Pedregon entered the weekend 115 points behind Tim Wilkerson and he’ll go into Sunday with a 109-point deficit, essentially needing to win six more rounds (drivers earn 20 points for each round-win) than Wilkerson with just 12 rounds of racing left.
“It sends a message that we’re hanging in there for this championship. The Advance Auto Parts car is flying,” said Pedregon, who sits on the pole for the third time this year and 36th time in his career.
Pedregon will face Tony Bartone (4.157) in one of several compelling first-round Funny Car matchups;* * * others to watch include Robert Hight vs. John Force and Tim Wilkerson vs. Ashley Force.
Schumacher’s 3.771 seconds at 317.05 from Friday night held up Saturday so he’ll start from the pole for the seventh time this season. He’ll open with No. 16 qualifier Scott Palmer as he seeks his 14th win of 2008, 55th of his career, but just his first at Virginia Motorsports Park.
“For the U.S. Army, outstanding job; (Sunday) is a big day, huge,” said Schumacher, who can clinch his fifth straight and sixth overall POWERade Series world championship by winning the race and having a number of drivers behind him eliminated early. “Right now we absolutely have to win first round. We’ve come way too far to get this far ahead and give up anything.”
Pro Stock’s Anderson delivered the top qualifying pass Saturday with his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GXP on the final qualifying pass of the weekend when he matched Jeg Coughlin’s 6.554 but earned the pole by virtue of his track record speed of 210.21 mph.
Anderson was the regular season champion in Pro Stock, but he’s lost three straight rounds after opening the playoffs with a win over Dave Connolly and has slipped to fourth place, 62 points behind Coughlin.
“We haven’t won a race since Denver and we want to win a race,” said Anderson, who will open with Steve Spiess (6.590) in the first round of Sunday’s race. “I’ve got to win a race. I’ve got to get that winning groove back before I can win a championship. If I can’t win a race I don’t deserve to win a championship.”
It was the sixth No. 1 of the season and the 68th of his career for Anderson, who paced the quickest field in Pro Stock history and the first to have a driver (Rickie Jones Jr., 6.591) DNQ with a six-fifty pass.
The race begins Sunday at 11 a.m.

Pro Mod's Pontieri pumped up after track record run in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 10) -- Pulling out all the stops in an attempt to catch point leader Josh Hernandez and win his first JEGS ProMod Challenge championship, second-ranked racer Tony Pontieri earned provisional low qualifier honors Friday evening during the third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.

Entering the weekend 59 points behind Hernandez, Pontieri crushed both ends of the existing VMP track records set one year ago by Hernandez when he powered his Quality Plus Compressors '57 Bel Air to a stout 5.947 at 242.84 mph. Should the time hold through Saturday's final time trial, Pontieri will slightly close the gap on Hernandez and will become the favorite to win the race Sunday. Hernandez qualified a distant 12th with a best of 6.019 at 241.32 mph in the Team Rage Camaro.

"Since we ran that 5.94 in Round 1, I really didn't think it would stick through the night session but it did," Pontieri said. "We've got nothing to lose at this point so we're going for it. Josh is a big hitter and he was going for a big number tonight like a lot of the guys were. I think maybe we all thought it was a little better than it might have been in the end. It was like, if it stuck, it was going to be good. Otherwise, you were sideways.

"This is an exciting weekend. A lot of the heavyweights from the IHRA and ADRL are here and it's neat to see how we measure up against them. It's good to keep a JEGS ProMod Challenge regular on top. We're protecting our turf."

Racing in his first JEGS ProMod Challenge event of the season, IHRA point leader Kenny Lang fit right in on the NHRA side with a 5.961 at 239.44 mph that placed him second. Fellow IHRA pro Scott Cannon Jr. was next with a 5.962 at 241.37 mph, while ADRL regular Mike Castellana came in fourth with a 5.963 at 237.84 mph.

Castellana's run was the first five-second NOS-assisted pass at a sanctioned event in drag racing history. His previous mark of 6.000 was the best prior to Friday's pass.

Castellana cracks five-second barrier with NOS entry

RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 10) -- Mike Castellana made a little drag racing history Friday night by becoming the first Pro Mod driver in history to record a five-second pass in a nitrous-assisted doorslammer at a sanctioned race. Competing in the JEGS ProMod Challenge at the third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals, Castellana powered to a 5.963 at 237.84 mph in his Al-Anabi '68 Camaro to thrill the crowd at Virginia Motorsports Park."I've known we had the power to make this run for a while," Castellana said. "It was just a matter of time until we did it. Tonight the conditions were exactly what we needed to be the first in the fives. We have been running consistent 6.0s in the heat of the day, so it feels good to finally accomplish crack that mark and see a five up there. "This was absolutely a team effort. We have an amazing car and crew and it took involvement from everyone to get it done. I'm thrilled of all of us."Castellana's run placed him fifth in a very quick 16-car field, which ranges from Tony Pontieri's track-record 5.947 to Troy Coughlin's 6.038. A native of Westbury, N.Y., Castellana is competing in just his third JEGS ProMod Challenge event of the season. So far, he's made the most of his JEGS appearances, winning the U.S. Nationals in Indy, taking runner-up honors in Englishtown, N.J., and setting the nitrous record here in Virginia.In 19 starts in the JEGS ProMod Challenge series, Castellana has four wins and one runner-up finish to his credit.

WILL LANDS 3-RACE DEAL

Following a positive showing with Bahrain sponsorship, Scott Revell, partner of Palm Beach International Raceway and Wilson Manifolds, has signed a three-race deal with Ken Black to title sponsor Hillary Will’s Top Fuel dragster for the three remaining events of 2008.Revell commented, “There is no better place to tell drag racers about a new drag racing facility than the NHRA POWERade series. Hillary will make the best spokesperson for our new world-class motor sports facility in Palm Beach, Florida. We are very proud to be working again with her team and team owners on this three-race deal.”Palm Beach International Raceway was formerly the Moroso Motor Sports Park. It has recently undergone a complete transformation. The new drag strip, managed by George Case, is an all-concrete track, and the road racing and karting facilities are state-of-the-art.

NHRA AUTOGRAPH SESSION IN VEGAS

NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series stars to participate in free autograph session and fan fest at Fremont Street Experience Oct. 30More than 30 of the biggest names in professional drag racing are expected to participate in a free autograph session and fan fest at Las Vegas’ Fremont Street Experience on Thursday, Oct. 30, from 6-8 p.m. The event, which will feature show cars and live entertainment, will kick off the Oct. 30-Nov. 2 NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.Drivers and riders who have signaled their intentions to meet the fans include: Jack Beckman, Hillary Will, David Grubnic, J.R. Todd, Tim Wilkerson, Johnny Gray, David Hope, Bob Bode, Del Worsham, Cory McClenathan, Bob Bode, Chip Ellis, Craig Treble, European Top Fuel champion Urs Erbacher, Jim Yates, Jeff Arend, Bob Tasca III, Morgan Lucas, Jeg Coughlin, Kurt Johnson, Warren Johnson, Steve Johnson and Allen Johnson.

SCHUMACHER BLISTERS VMP TRACK TO EARN PROVISIONAL NO. 1

Neff, Connolly also earn provisional poles at fourth of six races in the Countdown to1

DINWIDDIE, Va. – Top Fuel points leader Tony Schumacher blistered the Virginia Motorsports Park track with a run of 3.771 seconds at 317.05 mph in his U.S. Army dragster to earn the provisional No. 1 qualifying position after the first of two days of qualifying Friday at the Virginia NHRA Nationals.
Mike Neff (Funny Car) and Dave Connolly (Pro Stock) rounded out the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 22nd of 24 races this season and the fourth race in the six-race NHRA Playoff, the Countdown to 1.
Schumacher, who enters the weekend with a 166-point lead over Cory McClenathan, made quite an opening statement in his bid to clinch his fifth straight and sixth overall world championship.
“That’s as Army strong as it gets. That’s a pretty stout run,” said Schumacher, who is bidding for his seventh No. 1 of 2008 and the 54th of his career for the U.S. Army team.
Neff hammered his Old Spice Ford Mustang down the track in 4.041 seconds at 304.80 mph to earn the provisional top spot in Funny Car. The No. 1 would be the second for one of the favorites to win the 2008 Auto Club Road to the Future award.
“That is fantastic. That was bitchin’. I mean, conditions are great here. It just makes it so much fun to get back to these conditions. We should see these conditions for the last two races of the season as well,” said Neff, who was joined by teammates Ashley Force (No. 2 at 4.048), Robert Hight (No. 6 at 4.070) and John Force (No. 10 at 4.080) among the 12 provisionally qualified cars in Funny Car.
“All the Force cars make a lot of power and I think this is when it shows, when the conditions are like this and you’re actually able to use it,” Neff said.
For Connolly, if the 6.574 at 209.07 in his Lucas Oil Chevy Cobalt holds up Saturday, it would be his third No. 1 qualifier of the season and the eighth of his career. Connolly entered the weekend in sixth place, 94 points behind Jeg Coughlin.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t want more than to go coast to coast, stick this thing in the No. 1 spot and win the race because right now, as far as the Countdown goes, we’re struggling, we’re a little behind. It’s do or die. It’s a critical weekend for us and we’re glad we hit the ground running so far,” Connolly said.
Meanwhile, every Countdown to 1 driver is among the qualified save for one, points leader Coughlin. He’ll have two more chances on Saturday to get into the 16-car field or face what would be a devastating DNQ.
Racing resumes Saturday with the third and fourth qualifying sessions, beginning at Noon at 2:30 p.m.

Point leader Coughlin needing more from his JEGS.com Cobalt

RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 10) -- Considering the way he's been running lately, Pro Stock point leader Jeg Coughlin Jr. was more than a little surprised to end the first day of qualifying for the third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals in 13th place on the provisional race day grid. It left the 53-time national event winner with one overriding thought -- "Thank God for Saturday qualifying."Coughlin was eighth after an opening-round pass of 6.609 seconds at 207.75 mph. He slowed slightly to a 6.621 at 207.27 mph in a round where most of his peers improved."We're struggling with either an engine problem or an electrical problem, we're just not sure at this point," Coughlin said. "But I can assure you we'll figure it out before tomorrow morning. We've got two more engines in the trailer and all the electrical parts you could ever need so we'll do the whole shuffle, go through the entire car, and fix it."We're running the same combination we've been using. It gave us some trouble in Memphis but the guys have been on it for two weeks since then and they were sure they had it figured out. Some times, you can't explain this stuff."Entering this weekend 32 points ahead in the POWERade points standings with three races left, Coughlin knows there is little margin for error. But his many years of experience have him feeling confident despite the slower-than-normal start."There is zero panic on this team," Coughlin said. "We've all been through this before and anyone in drag racing knows these things come and go. They give us four qualifying rounds for a reason and I'd expect, quite frankly, that tomorrow morning's run will be the best of the weekend, according to what the weathermen are telling us."We'll be fine. You always want to start strong but it's not the end of the world when you don't. There's lost left to do this weekend."Temperatures should be in the high 60s in Saturday's opening session of qualifying, which is scheduled for noon.

Hernandez in control, but title chase still wide open (NHRA)‏

Hernandez in control, but title chase still wide open

RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 8) -- With a 59-point cushion in the current JEGS ProMod Challenge championship point standings, reigning series champion Josh Hernandez has a comfortable but not insurmountable lead heading into this weekend's third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.

In all, seven racers remain mathematically alive in the chase for the 2008 JEGS ProMod Challenge title as the tour hits its ninth of 10 events. Following Hernandez in the rankings is Tony Pontieri, former series champion Jay Payne, Danny Rowe, Kirk Kuhns, Joe Baker, and Ray Commisso.

Assuming a national record could be set at each of the final two races -- the JEGS ProMod Challenge ends Halloween weekend in Las Vegas -- one racer could earn a maximum of 276 points with back-to-back sweeps. A sweep would constitute qualifying No. 1, setting a national record, and winning the race, which would be worth 138 points at each event.

The chase pack needs Hernandez and his Team Rage Camaro to hit a speed bump, something they haven't done much in the past two seasons. The reality is the reliable Texan would probably be ready to clinch the title in Virginia if he hadn't been forced to skip a race earlier this year due to a scheduling conflict. Although, he did have a rare first-round loss in Bristol, proving he's human, he's since raced to the final round at every event, winning twice to push his season total to three victories.

Pontieri, who led the way in his Quality Plus Compressors '57 Bel Air after three events earlier this season, has the most realistic shot at catching Hernandez. His current deficit of 59 points puts him three rounds down with eight left on the table. He needs Hernandez to bow out early in either of the last two races while he goes for broke and reaches at least the final round of both events to make it interesting.

Conversely, if Pontieri loses in the first round this weekend, Hernandez would have an outside shot at clinching should he out-qualify his Canadian counterpart and go on to win the race, or at least reach the finals and set a national record.

The next three racers on the grid -- Payne, Rowe, and Kuhns -- are within four points of one another but find themselves more than 180 points off the lead (-185, -187, and -189 points back, respectively.) Bottom line, these three men need Hernandez to either DNQ or lose in the first round at both of the remaining races, while they storm to the finals with some record numbers along the way to catch and pass him.

Considering Hernandez has qualified for all 40 JEGS ProMod Challenge events he's entered, he'll likely make the cut in Virginia and Vegas, meaning Payne, Rowe, and Kuhns need to set records at both races, collect the trophies, and have Hernandez lose in Round 1 to catch him. If Hernandez reaches the final round at VMP, everyone but Pontieri will be eliminated.

In the "mathematically alive" column are Baker and Commisso. If Hernandez reaches the semis in Richmond, Baker is done. If he simply qualifies for the race, Commisso is out. It was still a great year for the two professionals. Baker won his first two events, while Commisso recorded a runner-up finish and was No. 1 qualifier twice.

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Information regarding JEGS ProMod Challenge can be found at www.jegspromod.com.

Revellution 2007 Dodge

Wow, wouldn't this be a cool paint scheme to see on the NHRA tour.

Gary Scelzi 2006

The new NHRA Full Throttle Logo

No Milestone release in 2008

Milestone Development will not have a release in 2008. Lets hope we see something in 2009.

32 Funny cars coming to Firebird

32 Floppers under the lights coming to Firebird in Chandler Arizona Saturday Night Oct.25th.

Busy Motorsports Photo schedule Oct./Nov 2008

A busy 30 days or so coming up for us. These events are all back to back to back to back weekends so this should be pretty cool. Beginning Oct. 25th Saturday Night right here in Arizona and from Firebird Raceway, 32 Funny Cars under the lights then the NHRA event at the Strip, Las Vegas the following weekend the Nascar event at Phoenix International Raceway and we will be hanging out with my good friend and 1990 Daytona 500 Champ Derrike Cope and then we close it out the 4 straight weekend in Pomona for NHRA finals. Whew, then we take off the rest of the year until I think it all starts all over again in January for the NHRA testing at Firebird. Not too much of a break but we love it. We will be posting tons of photos from all of these events on our web site at www.groundpoundin.com. Many of the images because of strict rules with the NHRA will be for viewing only but the good news is it's free. Some of the events we cover are not restricted so we can offer certain images for purchase.