Charles Carpenter is lucky he didn’t get himself hurt – hurt real bad. But, it was a chance he was willing to take to go fast.

Carpenter, of Charlotte, NC, had a mountain-motored 1955 Chevrolet that
was capable of running 8.80 elapsed times in 1983, a feat rarely
achieved outside of the professional ranks during that era.

A longtime fan of the double-nickel Chevrolet, Carpenter’s shoe box was
barely safe enough to run 9.90s. That didn’t stop him from pushing to
limits that defied logic.

Carpenter had to be the quickest and fastest of his body make and that
led him by the end of the 1983 season to bolt on a nitrous oxide kit
that upped his pace to solid [and unheard of] 8.30s.

Elite Motorsports, J.R. Carr and AgriPack Will Field New Pontiac at NHRA Season-opener …

Richard Freeman and Elite Motorsports continue their expansion within
Pro Stock and in their latest venture, the multi-car team has purchased
a turn-key 2009 Pontiac GXP built by Jerry Haas. The end destination
for the brand new car is NHRA Pro Stock.

The combination of J.R. Carr and AgriPack and Elite Motorsports along
with Frank Gugliotta will compete at next month’s NHRA Winternationals
in Pomona, Ca., using horsepower from Frank Iaconio.

A report filed by the Kalamazoo Gazette says three former employees of
the former Knoll Gas/Torco Race Fuels empire have purchased portions of
the business from a court receivership and plan to be back in the
race-fuel business.

The principals in the new company, known as BOLT LLC and Competition
Race Fuels Inc. told the paper that former owner Evan Knoll will have
no involvement in the company.

The great thing about drag racing in the 1970s  was an abundance of
drag racing related movies that catered to the hardcore drag race fans
while conveying the excitement of the sport to the novice fan.

Wheels of Fire is a 1970s drag racing movie that has a mix of
fact, fiction and excellent camera work that entertains its audience
with big names of the sport like "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, Shirley
Muldowney, Don Prudhomme, Billy Meyer and Richard Tharp.

David Baca last raced the NHRA tour in 2007, filling the vacancy
left behind when Whit Bazemore was dismissed as driver of the David
Powers Matco Tools-sponsor dragster. He plans to return in 2009 with
his own team according to a report on NHRA.com.

"I'm pretty close to announcing a sponsor that could have us
attending half the races or a little better, but we have to keep it
under wraps at the moment," said Baca in an interview with NHRA.com.
"We're going to test in Phoenix and come out with a vengeance in
Pomona."

Harley-Davidson is getting a new four valve engine configuration in 2009, as stated in the newly printed NHRA rulebook.

Suzuki proponents are crying foul and Buell users are just crying.

Suzuki proponents believe Harley-Davidson officials benefited from the process NHRA officials used to approve a new four valve Suzuki engine. They also believe that Harley-Davidson's official marketing status is behind the general lack of knowledge concerning the new engine configuration.

Did the rule change only come to light by a casual look through of the new rulebook? That is what some in the Suzuki camp are claiming.

Offers Statement on Behalf of S&S …

Later this afternoon, CompetitionPlus.com will publish an article
describing the facts and opinions surrounding the new NHRA rule
permitting the use of a four-valve Harley-Davidson V-rod engine similar
to that being implemented in 2009 by Suzuki.

This unpublicized rule has created an inordinate amount of dissension
amongst the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks largely due to the way it was
handed down.

The Suzuki teams consider the move by the NHRA’s tech department to
provide Harley-Davidson with an unfair advantage and the Buell teams
facing two OEM combinations with four-valve engines as a move they feel
will eventually legislate the S&S-powered bikes out of existence.

E-town Has Made Some Adjustments but the hold-up is the NHRA's Official Specs …

Jim Oberhofer hopes that no one ever has to experience the same
gruesome sights he witnessed as a result of Scott Kalitta’s crash;
which is why the veteran tuner is adamant that if the necessary
adjustments to the Old Bridge Township Raceway Park’s (OBTRP) shutdown
area are not in place Kalitta Motorsports won’t even set up shop,
they’ll pack up the haulers and return to their headquarters in
Ypsilanti, Mi.

David Napp stands on the other side of the fence in the issue as one of
the operators of the iconic drag strip located in the small township of
Englishtown, NJ.

OBTRP was the site of a tragic accident which claimed the life of past
world champion Scott Kalitta last June when his car exploded an engine
just shy of the quarter-mile finish line, careened out of control into
the shutdown area striking a pole holding the catch net and then
ultimately a camera boom placed at the end of the sand-trap.

The 2nd annual winter Rod and speed Show returns to the Linn County Fair and Expo Center in Albany,
Oregon. Over 50 show cars, classic cars and trucks, roadsters, muscle
cars and race vehicles will be on display on Saturday, January 31 from
9am-9pm.
 
The proceeds from the show will benefit the 9-year old Cricket Beebe, a Corvallis girl fighting a cancerous
brain tumor. Her single mother can only work one day a week as she cares for her child. They live in a converted garage.
 

The nation is experiencing a recession that normally does not effect
the sports industry.  Unfortunately, the recession is doing
just
that; from the NBA cutting 9% of its work force to the Arena Football
League cancelling its 2009 season, it proves to be no different for
NHRA Pro Stock Team owner/driver Tom Hammonds, who is having difficulty
securing sponsorship for his Race for Achievement Chevy Cobalt for the
2009 NHRA season.

"Everybody is out there looking for potential partners, and we are no
different," passionately states Tom Hammonds. "We need a partner like
all other race teams in order for us to be competitive and to keep
moving forward with our  Race for Achievement program."

"Realistically, to have a chance for the Chase for the Championship, we
need to have a sponsor before the first race in Pomona, Calf.  If not,
then, we may not be moving forward."