In the first rounds of qualifying at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event presented by Budweiser at Southwestern Int’l Raceway, Mike
De Palma of Glendale, Ariz., sits atop the Comp Eliminator field and
Peoria, Ariz., racer Tibor Kadar leads in Super Stock.  Tucson
residents Lance Samson and Tom Patterson are the No. 1 and 2 qualifiers
in Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson. The race kicked
off Friday and will wrap up on Saturday.

De Palma, wheeling his ’98 Firebird, covered the quarter-mile in 8.261
seconds, just enough to put him ahead of No. 2 qualifier Dean Carter,
also a resident of Glendale.  Tucson’s Jeff Sams is currently the No.
10 qualifier in the category.

Kadar drove his ’92 Camaro to the top of the Super Stock field with a
9.618-second pass. No. 2 qualifier Frank Grossi of Upland, Calif., and
No. 3 qualifier Eric Bell of Chandler, Ariz., are just off the pace.

R2B2 Racing teammates Roger Burgess and Raymond Commisso delivered stellar performances in the first day of qualifying at the Summit Racing Equipment Inaugural IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals at State Capitol Raceway in Baton Rouge, La.
 
After a disappointing first round for both drivers, Commisso blasted to
the provisional No. 1 spot and earned the Last Man Standing award. His
5.993/245.09 will re-set the IHRA Pro Mod speed record should he be
able to back it up. Burgess grabbed the provisional No. 4 position on
the strength of his 6.116/237.25 second-round pass.

Pro Nitrous racer Doug Reisterer was uninjured during a Friday evening crash. The veteran driver from Victoria, Texas,
moved around within the right lane before his car shot across the
centerline and impacted the left lane retaining wall. He barely missed
Don DeFlorian in the left lane. Fortunately for DeFlorian, this was the
one run he made it to the finish line after repeated bouts with tire
shake during testing.
 
“I think the track was so good that it couldn’t get on the tire and it
shook,” Reisterer said. “I felt it shake and thought for an instant it
might drive through. By the time I figured out it was too late. Luckily
I wasn’t going too fast.”

Pro Nitrous racer Tim Savell used a cue from a practice run to land in the top qualifying spot during Friday’s provisional qualifying at the ADRL Safety-Kleen Dragpalooza V.
 
The Terry, Miss.-based driver really had no other choice.
 
Between the fenders of his 1968 was a brand-new and unproven 822-inch Reher-Morrison engine.
 
“That was the first eighth-mile hit the engine had ever made,” Savell admitted, alluding to Friday’s 3.994, 185.89.
 
If Friday’s provisional run holds, it will mark the first time he’s nailed down the top qualifying position.

Del Cox Jr. sets provisional Top Fuel pole Friday night; Commisso, Collins top Pro Mod, Pro Stock

Del Cox Jr. topped the charts Friday night in Top Fuel qualifying for
the opening night the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment Mardi Gras Nationals
at State Capitol Raceway in Baton Rouge.

Cox (Downey, Ca.) made a 4.712 run at 314.83 mph to hold off 2008 IHRA
Nitro Funny Car Champion Terry Haddock (Woodinville, Wa.) who set his
personal best Top Fuel E.T. and speed with 4.768, 302.41 mph pass.
 
Ray Commisso (Toronto, Ont.) took home the Ironman in Pro Modified with
a record-challenging 5.993 pass at 245.09 mph. Ed Hoover (Gilbert, SC)
was second with a 6.049 run at 237.88 mph.

Robert
Patrick may not be the quickest and fastest Extreme Pro Stock racer to
compete in this weekend’s ADRL Safety-Kleen Dragpalooza V in Houston,
Texas. He might not emerge as the winner on Saturday night when the
event concludes.
 
That kind of reality doesn’t concern the driver of the Purvis
Ford-sponsored Shelby Cobra, nor does it bring cause for disappointment.
 
The Fredericksburg, Va.-based driver holds one title that none of his colleagues can ever lay claim.

Last Saturday Ashley Force Hood emceed the 2009 Cal State Fullerton Front & Center fund raising

Ashley Force Hood, Reba McEntire, and CSFU president Dr. Milton Gordon

event
at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The event was a huge success and Force
Hood enjoyed the experience especially introducing and meeting country
music legend Reba McEntire.

After coming home empty-handed from last week’s long business trip to Bahrain, Von Smith will be searching for a happier ending this weekend a lot closer to home.

Smith, crew chief Howard Moon and the crew of the new Al-Anabi Racing
1968 Chevy Camaro will be at Houston Raceway Park for the
season-opening National Guard ADRL Tour’s Safety-Kleen Dragpalooza V in
Baytown, Texas, March 6-7.

Getting the Tim McAmis-built Pro Mod Extreme race car ready for
Friday’s qualifying in just a few days became the sole focus of the
team after it arrived in Oak Ridge Sunday.