Team owner believes shortened distance is the easiest fix for slowing cars …

Don Schumacher has been around drag racing long enough to understand
the value of traditionalism. He’s also been around long enough to
understand safety always trumps routine.

The veteran team owner has had his differences with the sanctioning
body over various issues, but when it comes to slowing the nitro cars
and running 1,000 feet in the meantime, he’s certainly on their side of
the issue.

“I support the NHRA 100-percent in their decision to keep the cars
racing at 1000 feet,” Schumacher said. “I believe it’s helping the
sport safety wise by the simple fact it’s giving them another 320 feet
to slow down. We’re continuing to work hard with the NHRA to try and
slow the cars down to where we can take them back to 1320.

“Reducing the horsepower is a tough road to go,” Schumacher added.
“It’s going to be expensive and difficult. It’s going to create
situations where you are going to have to keep the tires spinning
adequately to get through the clutch. It’s a hard task but we need to
continue to work with everything we have to keep these cars as safe as
possible for the drivers, spectators and all the racers out here.”

Veteran drag racing photographer Jim Bralley suffered a stroke on Friday afternoon, and after two days in the Intensive Care Unit in a Charlotte, N.C. hospital, he passed away.

Bralley had entered the hospital for surgery to clear a 75-percent
arterial blockage in his neck but suffered a stroke 20 minutes after
the surgery.

Kirk Wilmes won what could easily be categorized as survival of the
fittest when he captured the $20,000-to-win Pro Street title at the
Pacific Street Car Association's Streetcar Supernationals hosted by the
Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Joining Wilmes in the winner's
circle was Billy Glidden (Outlaw Street), Roger Holder (Extreme Drag
Radial), Michael DeMayo (Hot Street), Al Jiminez (Wild Street), Mike
Nordahl (Open Comp), Scott Dool (Mustang Madness), Rod George (Super
Index), Jim Caruso (Double Index), and John Phlegar (Bracket 1).

FINAL SESSION FOR SOME CLASSES POSTPONED UNTIL SUNDAY

Mike Moran’s incredible third session qualifying run kept him atop the
Pro Street leaderboard after four sessions of qualifying at the PSCA
Streetcar Supernationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Following Pro Street, qualifying was suspended due to oildown delays
and a severely declining track temperature.

Qualifying for Outlaw Street and Drag Radial will resume on Sunday morning at 9 AM, PST.

Since the IHRA Funny Car division will be a thing of the past in 2009,
we felt it was pretty neat to find this video showing a day and time
when the floppers were a staple of the sanctioning body's program.

This classic video rewind comes from the 1979 IHRA Funny Car Nationals
hosted by Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga. On this clip you'll see such
notables as Dale Pulde, Raymond Beadle, Kenny Bernstein, Frank
Oglesby's Mello Yello Mustang and Shirl Greer.

Kirk Wilmes had the quickest car on the property during Friday’s provisional qualifying at the PSCA Street Car Supernationals

Billy Glidden fended off all challengers, including his Dad, to retain the top spot in Outlaw Street.

in Las Vegas.

Other first day top qualifiers included Billy Glidden (Outlaw Street),
Paul Major (Extreme Drag Radial), Michael DeMayo (Hot Street), Al
Jiminez (Hot Street), Kirk Bouchard (Mustang Madness), Mike Nordahl
(Open Comp), Mike Sigman (Double Index) and Ray Marin (Super Street).

Coalburg Racing Promotions is pleased to announce that the World Footbrake Challenge is back for a third season at beautiful
Bristol Dragway in Bristol, TN. The event, historically the richest
Footbrake-only event of the drag racing season, will continue that
tradition although the format for the 2009 event will change.

The 2009 event will once again feature three days of racing. In an
effort to keep costs down, however, the event will boast a $10,000
winners purse for each day of competition (rather than the
$50,000-to-win Saturday event in years past). Racers can pre-enter the
event for just $350 for all three days. Additionally, for the racers
who have supported the WFC in the past primarily for the big payday
possibilities, promoters have included a unique World Footbrake
Challenge Shootout to be contested Saturday morning. That event will be
open to the first 64 entrants, with an entry fee of $1000. The shootout
will pay $30,000-to-win, with payback to the 2nd round winners.

Avid followers of drag racing will know of George Case, the renowned and former longtime vice president and general manager of the Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania.

Case has a knack for bringing success to drag racing. During his
twenty-five years of service at Maple Grove, he not only promoted the
professional classes with distinction but also he elevated the
Sportsman classes to extraordinary levels.  Maple Grove Raceway
frequently recorded participating drag car counts in excess of 600! 
Then George moved south.  Eight months ago, he tackled a new career
when he took charge of the all-concrete drag racing facility at the new
Palm Beach International Raceway on Beeline Highway in Jupiter,
Florida.