These days, it seems like professional athletes are all chasing greed and glory.

Fortunately, there are exceptions. There are those like legendary Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Frank "Ace" Manzo.

Last Sunday at the United Association NHRA Route 66 Nationals in
Joliet, Ill., Manzo captured his 80th NHRA national event win, but he
remains humble.

"It was good to get a win, but this was just another win for me," said
Manzo, who is from Morganville, N.J. "The competition keeps getting
better and it's really hard to dominate. I just keep working hard each
week so I can keep up with the competition."

Get Screened America, the sponsor of the NHRA's Pro Mod series, will
test to see just how much the Pro Mod action really raises a fan's blood pressure, and will also offer healthscreening
tests that include blood glucose testing, body mass index tests, eye
vision exams, a skin cancer scan to scan faces for potential damage
under the skin, and a special health risk assessment kiosk where fans
can register basic health information and qualify to win a 'Wii' and
'Wii Fit.'

Freightliner Trucks will be featured on the Dodge Funny Car that rookie
Matt Hagan will drive for Don Schumacher Racing this weekend at the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J., the 11th round of 24 of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Freightliner Trucks, a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC,
has been a DSR associate sponsor for five years and DSR has used
Freightliner tractors since 2004. The team currently counts eight
Freightliner tractors among its fleet

Normally, Kenny Poppell rides motorcycles for a living as a regular in
the American Motorcyclist Association Dragbike Series.  Sunday at 
Rockingham Dragway, the Jesup, Ga., resident proved that the addition
of a couple more wheels presents no additional challenge.

Driving competitive four-wheel ATVs for the first time, Poppell
qualified No. 1 in three different classes, won two titles and was
runner-up for a third in the inaugural Spring Pro ATV Warz.

The Pro Modified Racing Association will have an overseas Pro Modified
racer at its Fifth Annual Family Weekend Spectacular this weekend.
 
Australian Adam Croker will be at the Cayuga Dragway at Toronto Motorsports Park testing his new G-Force Race Cars Camaro.
 
“I’ve been to North America before, but this is the first time I’ll be
on a race track,” said the native of Perth, Australia, who has raced
since 1996.

K&N Engineering has partnered with Dennis Taylor’s Top Alcohol
Funny Car for the upcoming Northwest Tour. The initial three-race deal
consists of the late June Division 6 contest at Pacific Raceways
outside Seattle, the Woodburn, Oregon, Division 6 race in early July,
and the NHRA Northwest Nationals in mid July at Pacific Raceways.

Freehold Ford of Freehold, New Jersey, is providing support vehicles
the weekend of June 11-14, 2009, for John Force Racing drivers, crew
chiefs and executives including John Force and his drag racing
daughter, Ashley Force Hood as part of a multi-faceted marketing
partnership.

Through the first half of the 2009 Nitro Jam season, one of the most competitive classes in all of the IHRA has been Top Fuel.

And it doesn’t look like that trend will change anytime soon.

A full field of Top Fuel teams will head to Tulsa next weekend for the
annual IHRA Sooner Nationals June 13-14 at Tulsa Raceway Park and after
what was seen through the first three races of the season – it appears
anything goes.

Unlike previous seasons where the same handful drivers meet week in and
week out in the finals, five different drivers have filled the six
final round spots through three races so far this year leaving the 2009
championship battle wide open entering Tulsa.

NHRA has been invited to ring the Opening Bell on the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE) today. Antron Brown leads a banner list of NHRA stars
that will be at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony. Matco Tools Vice President Tim
Gilmore will attend the opening bell ceremony on behalf of Danaher
Corp. and Matco Tools.
 
NHRA president Tom Compton will be joined in ringing the bell by
Coca-Cola/Full Throttle executives Bea Perez and Ben Reiling and IMG
President George Pyne.

Other NHRA drivers expected to participate in the Opening Bell and/or
the day's Car Show/Fan Fest in front of the NYSE include Morgan Lucas
(Geico/Berkshire-Hathaway), Bob Tasca (Ford), Tony Pedregon (Q
Horsepower/Royal Dutch Shell), Eddie Krawiec (Harley-Davidson) and
Karen Stoffer (Geico/Berkshire-Hathaway).

When Terry McMillen bumps his Amalie Oil / Wolverine Boots and Apparel Top Fuel Dragster into the staging beams at Old Bridge Township
Raceway Park it will mark his fifth start in NHRA competition. While
McMillen holds a perfect 5-0 qualifying record as owner/driver, he's
looking for a little more this weekend.