Whatever the sport, be it a "stick and ball" pursuit or any kind of
racing, every competitor knows very well the need to "get the first

Tim
Wilkerson's first victory in 2008's near championship season came at
Las Vegas 1. He's hoping for a sooner first win in 2009 to build
another championship run on. (Auto Imagery)

one out of the way" when a new season starts.  It could be
that first completed pass, the first basket, or the first base hit, but
until the initial winning stat is etched in the permanent record, the
pressure is on to break the seal and succeed.  For Tim Wilkerson,
driver of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Shelby Mustang Funny Car, the
season's first "game" in Pomona ended too quickly, and without a
completion, bucket, or hit.   Two weeks later, they may not have been
the prettiest plays of his illustrious career, but a pair of round
victories got him rolling, and Wilkerson can now look forward to this
weekend's AC Delco Gatornationals with the confidence that is bred from
success.

NHRA Platinum Pass  Features Access to John Force Racing Drivers in 2009

Infineon Raceway has unveiled a “Forceful” addition to its Platinum
Pass lineup for the 2009 motor-racing season. It’s one more chance for
race fans to get closer than ever before to their favorite stars on the
NASCAR, NHRA and IndyCar circuits.

All four drivers from John Force Racing, including 14-time Funny Car
Champion John Force, Ashley Force Hood, Robert Hight and Mike Neff,
will headline two separate Platinum Pass packages during the FRAM
Autolite NHRA Nationals event weekend, July 24-26.

Matt Smith, who will ride the Nitro Fish Ultimate Gear Suzuki Pro Stock
Motorcycle for Don Schumacher Racing this season in the 2009 NHRA
Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, is eager to get started this weekend
at the class's season opener at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville,
Fla. Gainesville Raceway is the site of his initial appearance in the
PSM class in 2004.

Smith's first opportunity to ride the new Suzuki comes today in
Valdosta, Ga., where he is testing the bike for the first time in
preparation for the Gatornationals. Testing won't stop there. "We'll
probably use this first race kind of as another test to help get the
team to jell together," said the 2007 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle
champion. "We have the Countdown now, so every race is not as critical
as it used to be in the old format, with the points now being reset for
the last six races.

A stellar weekend kicks off the NMRA’s 11th season!

Keith Neal had the season from hell in 2008, experiencing every problem
under the sun, and causing him to contemplate even returning for 2009
to the Pro Outlaw 10.5 class.  After he took home the win during Sunday
afternoon’s eliminations, the smile on his face showed that it was all
worthwhile!

At the conclusion of the NMRA’s Eighth Annual Nitto Tire
Spring Ford Nationals, one thing is for certain – all-Ford heads-up
drag racing is alive and well!  The racers of the NMRA rolled into
fabled Bradenton Motorsports Park for Friday’s qualifying sessions with
new combinations, new racecars, and grudges to settle.

If Jason Scruggs were a baseball player chances are he’d be hitting in the clean-up spot.
 

The two-time ADRL Pro Extreme champion from Saltillo, Ms., has made
upper deck shots his forte since the ADRL burst on the drag racing
scene in the middle part of this decade.
 
Here are a few of his notable accomplishments. He was the first ADRL
driver over 200-mph in the eighth-mile. He was the first into the 3.80s
and the 3.70s.
 
He’s the only two-time ADRL Pro Extreme champion.

Fans and racers alike will notice major changes when they arrive for the 40th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals, March 12-15.

Racers will find a substantially expanded and upgraded gravel trap and
containment system should they experience difficulties and not be able
to stop prior to running off the end of the track.

Race Fans, NHRA Drivers Raise $12,000 at Charity Karting Event in Sonoma

NHRA
Top Fuel driver David Baca, right, took King of the Track honors over
fellow racer Rod Fuler. Rocky Calabrese scored top honors among the
fans. (Credit: Chucke Walkden)

More than 35 lucky
race fans mingled with stars from the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing
Series on Saturday, and helped support a great cause at the 7th annual
NHRA Tour de Charity at the Infineon Raceway Karting Center.

The event, which coupled race fans with top NHRA drivers for a day of
karting on the raceway’s challenging course, raised $12,000 for
Speedway Children’s Charities, bringing the seven-year total for the
event to more than $72,000. More than 100 people overall attended the
event.

Reigning NHRA drag racing champions Tony Schumacher, Cruz Pedregon, and
Jeg Coughlin Jr. will be honored in a uniquely Las Vegas manner
when the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series returns to Glitter Gulch
April 2-5 for the first of two annual visits to The Strip at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway.

In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, the Palms Casino
Resort will put into circulation a limited number of special-edition $5
and $25 gaming chips that feature the three reigning world champs. The
chips will be made available April 2nd in advance of a prerace party
taking place from 6-8 p.m. in the Key West Room at the popular hotel,
located at 4321 West Flamingo Road.

Schumacher, Pedregon, and Coughlin will headline the special
meet-and-greet party that will be attended by at least 20 other
professional drivers on the NHRA tour.

R2B2 Racing pro Mod driver Raymond Commisso gave an exhibition of skill and horsepower en route to winning the Summit Racing Equipment
Inaugural IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals Sunday. The only racer to break
into the five-second zone all weekend, Commisso saved his quickest lap
for the finals when he dispatched No. 2 qualifier Tommy Gray
5.955/244.83 to 6.105/237.42.

"What an amazing weekend," Commisso said. "I can't thank Roger Burgess
enough for the opportunity to drive such an awesome car. Al [Billes,
crew chief] and the team had everything dialed in, and it was like we
were running a bracket car."

Bruce Litton and the Lucas Oil Top Fuel Dragster found favor in
Louisiana Cajun country at the IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals. Fans loved
the return of nitro to State Capitol Raceway where Litton brought home
the first Iron Man of the season. Litton took out Mitch King and Paul
Lee before he faced off against Bobby Lagana Jr. in the final round.
Litton left on Lagana and never looked back, posting a 4.875 at 284.93
to take the win.

“This was a great, great weekend,” tells the Top Fuel Champ. “We
weren’t really sure what to expect, coming to a new race track where we
didn’t have any data to build upon, but [crew chief] Richard Hartman
did a great job of getting the car to go down the track consistently.
This win was a total team effort. Everyone worked hard all weekend, and
the crew deserved this win.”