Don Schumacher Racing was one of five Indiana-based motorsports teams
that were honored by the Indiana Legislature and the Governor’s Office
on March 10 for bringing 2008 series championships home to Indiana.

Governor Mitch Daniels and Lt. Governor Becky Skillman personally
welcomed representatives from Don Schumacher Racing on behalf of Driver
of the Year and six-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher, as well as
NHRA Funny Car Champion Cruz Pedregon, Indy 500 and IRL champion Scott
Dixon, ALMS champion Scott Pruett, team owner Chip Ganassi and Vance
and Hines Motorsports following special ceremonies in the Indiana
Senate and House of Representatives.

Schumacher was in Las Vegas with his father, team owner Don Schumacher,
attending the annual Matco Tools Expo. DSR, based in Brownsburg, Ind.,
was represented by Senior Vice President Mike Lewis and Director of
Marketing and Licensing Will Truitt. Lewis and Truitt presented NHRA
"Wallys" (winner's trophies) to Governor Daniels and Lt. Governor
Skillman, commemorating Schumacher’s record-breaking championship at
the wheel of the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster.

BP/Castrol, long a sponsor of the IHRA and Rockingham Dragway, has
announced a free ticket offer for the 37th running of the IHRA Spring
Nationals April 24-26 in Rockingham.

Fans who purchase a case of Castrol motor oil and present the receipt
at the gate will receive one free adult ticket – a $35-40 value – for
any day of the IHRA Spring Nationals.

"Castrol has long been a supporter of drag racing. This is just one
more way that Castrol and the IHRA have shown their commitment to
bringing affordable family entertainment to race fans across the
country," said IHRA National Sales Director Tommy Dupree.

Baytown Ford is providing support vehicles the weekend of March 23-25,
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.

 In addition to the Forces, who drive 310 mile-an-hour Ford Mustang
Funny Cars sponsored by Castrol GTX and Castrol GTX High Mileage on the
pro drag racing tour, John Force Racing also features Robert Hight,
driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Mustang, and Mike Neff,
driver of the Ford Drive One Mustang.

 Fans who visit Baytown Ford between March 16th and March 25th and test
drive any Ford product will automatically be entered to win two (2)
free race tickets along with the chance to meet all four JFR drivers
during a special meet-and-greet.

More fans than ever before will be able to attend the 22nd annual
O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil, March 27-29 at
Houston Raceway Park, thanks to a variety of money saving offers from
the Angel family, NHRA, and several corporate sponsors.

Topping the exceptional deals is a half-price General Admission ticket
for Friday's second professional qualifying session, which takes place
at dusk. No advance purchase is required and there is no limit to the
number of tickets sold at this price. Fans simply need to buy their
tickets at the track any time after 4 p.m. Friday.

"Historically, that second Friday session is usually when the best
elapsed times and speeds are posted," said HRP General Manager Seth
Angel. "Now people can come over after work and enjoy the show for just
$17, and $5 for kids age 6-12. It's the most affordable ticket in town."

Monday's announcement blew off the tires as abruptly today as it did
thirty years ago when Kenny Bernstein fired his Funny Car in the
Budweiser corporate parking in St. Louis.

Anheuser-Busch today announced the 2009 season will be Budweiser’s last
as official beer sponsor of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and
as primary sponsor of Kenny Bernstein Racing and the Budweiser Top Fuel
dragster.

“While we are disappointed by the news, the 30 years we’ve spent with
Budweiser have been memorable and we’ve had experiences because of that
relationship we will never forget,” Bernstein said in a prepared
statement.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to all the Budweiser employees and
wholesalers we’ve worked with through the years, as well as the fans
and friends who have followed and supported us beginning with the Funny
Car era.

Twitter....Twitter...Tweet...Tweet....
 
Not the sounds you would expect coming from deep within the pit area at
a NHRA drag racing event. Yet, that is exactly what Ashley Force Hood
was doing prior to making the fourth fastest run Friday morning at
Gainesville Dragway in Gainesville, Fla Friday morning.
 
Force spent a few minutes micro-blogging on @FordRacing on Twitter.
Fans or even the casual observer, who might not otherwise have access
to Force were able to ask questions ranging from her racing to her cat,
Simba and her recent opportunity to return to her alma mater (Cal
Fullerton) to meet and introduce Reba McIntyre.

Matt Hagan may be a rookie racer by NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing
standards but his actions on and off the track, leading into and during
the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., suggests
otherwise.

Hagan learned in the days leading into the third stop on the
twenty-four race NHRA tour that he was replacing major sponsorship on
his Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger Funny Car.

Instead of letting the scenario of losing major backing serve as a
major distraction, the Christiansburg, Va. native, instead hunkered
down and promoted his family’s Shelor Motor Mile (Shelor.com)
dealership now adorning the side of the 8,000-horse flopper, all the
while letting the racing community know the space on his car was for
rent.

That kind of action is certainly not the trademark of a rookie.

Even the new President of the United States doesn’t command the level of performance drag racing fans expect from Alan Johnson and the Al Anabi operation.
 
On an unusually warm March weekend in Florida, Larry Dixon delivered
his high-horsepower state of the union address as he drove the Alan
Johnson Racing Al Anabi Top Fuel dragster to its first-ever national
event win by stopping Cory McClenathan in the final round of the NHRA
Gatornationals.
 
He didn't just win, he dominated nearly every aspect of the race
weekend, qualifying No. 1 and establishing low elapsed time oh his way
to the first victory for Alan Johnson and Al Anabi.

Bob Tasca, III was Bob Tasca the FIRST on this Sunday.

Tasca scored his first national event win at a track that holds a
special place in his heart. It was in Gainesville where Tasca came to
the attention of Ford based on his performance at Gainesville Raceway.

“To come here, at a race track that is really close to my heart,”
started Tasca, “you know that right lane has been really awfully good
to me, I might even kiss it before I leave. I set the world record in
alcohol funny car in that lane and I won my first race in that lane. It
was a pretty special day for me.”

There comes a point and time when a racer must abandon
innovation for the proven. Funny Car racer Tim Wilkerson had reached
that point when it came to chasing a set-up for his new 2009 three-rail
chassis, before Gainesville.

Three good qualifying laps, two good elimination rounds, and a
competitive race car all added up to a positive step forward, and
Wilkerson now looks ahead with a slightly improved outlook.