Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the
21st annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at
Heartland Park Topeka, the ninth of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle
Drag Racing Series -

Weis makes splash in IHRA return with Top Fuel win

Russo gets first Pro Mod win; Gugliotta returns to victory lane

A beautiful Texas weekend came to a close Sunday afternoon as Scott
Weis (Top Fuel), Chris Russo (Pro Modified) and Frank Gugliotta (Elite
Motorsports Pro Stock) all claimed victories during championship Sunday
at the Amalie Motor Oil Texas Nationals Sunday in Crandall.

For Russo and Weis, Sunday marked their first career Ironman victories,
while Gugliotta picked his 11th career Ironman in IHRA Pro Stock
competition.

In exhibition action, Gaylen Smith grabbed the win in the Outlaw Pro
Modified shootout while Chris Gulitti (Top Sportsman), Russell Marr
(Top Dragster), Kevin Helms (Super Stock), Bob Murray (Stock), Doug
Miller (Quick Rod), Leonard Greathouse (Super Rod) and Jeremy Hefler
(Hot Rod) all took home Ironman victories in sportsman competition.

Unofficial point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals brought to you by Wolverine & Academy Sports and Outdoors at Dallas Raceway, the third of 10 events in the 2009 Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel
1.  Del Cox Jr, 273; 2.  Bruce Litton, 256; 3.  Terry McMillen, 196; 4.  Bobby Lagana Jr., 191; 5.  Mitch King, 169; 6.  Tim Boychuk, 166; 7.  Terry Haddock, 127; 8.  Paul Lee, 123; 9.  Scott Weis, 115; 10.  Todd Simpson, 60.

Final round-by-round results from the 21st annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer
Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka, the ninth
of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Sunday's final results from the 21st annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer
Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka. The race
is the ninth of 24 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Final round-by-round results from the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals
brought to you by Wolverine & Academy Sports and Outdoors at Dallas
Raceway, the third of 10 events in the 2009 Nitro Jam Drag Racing
Series:

The ADRL hasn’t made a formal announcement, but Heartland Park Topeka
Chairman Steve Johnson, confirmed in an interview with
CompetitionPlus.com that a deal has been reached in principle for the
multi-purpose facility to host the Independence Drag, July 4 – 5, 2009.

“In fact, the executives of the ADRL are supposed to be here this
weekend,” Johnson said. “We are planning, as are they, to be running a
great event here on July 4th.”

The formal announcement of relocating the event is expected to come in
the next week and is expected to create a firestorm of litigation from
the displaced host of the event, Motor Mile Dragway in Radford, Va.,
who contends the ADRL is contractually bound to host their event. Track
owner David Hagan has stated publicly that if the race goes through
that he plans to sue the ADRL, its president Kenny Nowling and possibly
Heartland Park Topeka.

Hagan told CompetitionPlus.com that he had contacted HPT to inform them
if they went forward with an event that they could become involved in
the litigation.

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the
21st annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at
Heartland Park Topeka, the ninth of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle
Drag Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying, which
ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Texas race fans have always been infatuated with their motorsports.

And that goes double for its race drivers.

Many of the drivers – both sportsman and professional – competing at
the IHRA Amalie Motor Oil Texas Nationals this weekend are from the
Lone Star State and all are proud to be representing their home state
in front of the massive Dallas crowds.

“I love racing in Texas. We are based out of Galveston and any chance
we have to make a short trip to the races, we will take it,” said IHRA
Top Fuel driver and owner Mitch King. “Some of the trips we take can be
brutal, especially some of the ones we have coming up in Canada. So to
be here close to home we are really excited.”

Multi-time champion drag racer Jay Payne expanded his fan base exponentially this weekend by welcoming FireIce as the primary sponsor
of his Valvoline Top Alcohol Funny Car. As part of the agreement, Payne
and FireIce, a non-toxic, biodegradable fire suppression gel, will
salute the nation's 300,000 firefighters at racetracks around the
country.

"This is an exciting day for our race team," Payne said. "Obviously,
sponsorship is essential for what we do, but when you can have a
sponsor with an agenda centered around paying tribute to our nation's
firefighters, it makes it so much better all the way around. Everyone
loves firefighters!