NHRA race fans will get their opportunity to rub elbows with some of drag
racing’s best drivers and owners on Wednesday night at LANDSHARKS on 810 Broad
Ripple Ave. for the inaugural Rock-n-Race Party, a racer appreciation
get-together sponsored by Lucas Oil Products, Applebee’s and Pinnacle Vodka
benefiting the Rupert’s Kid’s foundation.  After 9 p.m., the public is invited to
gather in this social setting to meet the drivers and team
members.

           

For more information please log-on to www.land-sharks.com.

Pete Berner had visions of a fun-natured poke at the tight nature of the 2008 IHRA Pro Stock championship battle.

Never did the Crete, Ill.-based driver figure a caricature t-shirt design would become a clear vision of reality.

Berner, the 2006 IHRA world champion, pulled to within three points of
proverbial “underdog” Jeff Dobbins by stopping John Montecalvo in the
final round of the IHRA Sooner Nationals in Tulsa, Ok.

Few track owners are as sensitive to the effect of escalating fuel
prices as Steve Earwood, whose Rockingham Dragway sits equidistant
between the Carolinas’ major population centers: Charlotte,
Raleigh-Durham, greater Greensboro and Columbia.

“We’re two hours from just about anywhere in the Carolinas,” Earwood
said.  “We have a great location, but with the economic situation being
what it is, we know that even a two-hour drive burns up a lot of cash. 
That’s why we’re making free gasoline part of our purse package at the
North Carolina Open bracket races on Sept. 6th and 7th.”

The two-day event will pay daily cash purses of $3,000 to the Top
Eliminator winner, $1,500 to the Footbrake champion and $250 to the
winner in Junior Dragster.  In addition, the Saturday and Sunday events
will be the last in which drivers can earn points applying toward
Rockingham Dragway track championships and berths on the team that will
represent the track at the IHRA bracket finals.

Matt Hagan Climbs Back into Nitro Funny Car Title Hunt

Tops Andy Kelley in final round at Sooner Nationals in Tulsa to pull within 51 points of front-running Terry Haddock

When
Matt Hagan did not qualify for the eight-car Nitro Funny Car field at
the Northern Nationals in Martin three weeks ago, the prevailing
thought was that his championship hopes flew out the window. After he
stopped Andy Kelley to claim the Ironman Sunday at Tulsa Raceway Park
those title hopes, which seemed so slim in Michigan, came roaring back.

In the blistering heat at Tulsa Raceway Park Hagan stopped Andy Kelley,
the champion at US 131 Motorsports Park three weeks ago, in the final
round to claim the Nitro Funny Car Ironman at the Skull Shine Sooner
Nationals. The victory over Kelley capped a brilliant weekend for Hagan
that saw him win 10 Last Man Standing bonus points, qualify #1 overall
and end up pulling to within 51 points of Haddock at the top of the
standings.

Unofficial point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories
following the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and
Academy Sports + Outdoors at Tulsa Race Way Park, the eighth of 10
events in the  2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1.  Spencer Massey, 724; 2.  Bruce Litton, 651; 3.  Terry McMillen,
572; 4.  Mike Strasburg, 553; 5.  Bobby Lagana Jr., 546; 6.  Kevin
Jones, 433; 7.  Scott Palmer, 292; 8.  Tim Boychuk, 177; 9.  Mitch
King, 158; 10.  Chris Karamesines, 128.

Sunday's final results from the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals
presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports + Outdoors at Tulsa Race Way
Park.  The  race is the eighth of 10 in the  2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam
Drag Racing Series:
 

Top Fuel -- Spencer Massey, 4.891 seconds, 304.94 mph  def. Terry McMillen, 8.186 seconds, 104.39 mph.

Final round-by-round results from the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals
presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports + Outdoors at Tulsa Race Way
Park, the eighth of 10 events in the  2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag
Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Scott Palmer, 5.125, 227.69 def. Mike Strasburg,
8.720, 86.82; Spencer Massey, 4.762, 294.95 def. Mitch King, 20.845,
78.36; Terry McMillen, 4.691, 310.70 def. Tim Boychuk, 7.314, 107.26;
Bruce Litton, 4.773, 276.63 def. Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.936, 275.56;

SEMIFINALS -- Massey, 4.827, 307.93 def. Litton, 5.020, 239.10; McMillen, 9.125, 97.20 def. Palmer, broke;

FINAL -- Massey, 4.891, 304.94 def. McMillen, 8.186, 104.39.

ADRL Veterans Victorious in Ohio 

(L-R) Frankie Taylor, Shannon Jenkins, David Janes and Billy Vose
enjoy the victory lane accolades after winning in the ADRL’s 2nd annual
Gatorz Ohio Drags at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

Thousands of American Drag Racing League (ADRL) fans swarmed the
starting-line area at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, for a
raucous celebration of winners Frankie Taylor, Shannon Jenkins, David
Janes and Billy Vose in the 2nd annual ADRL Gatorz Ohio Drags.

Though winning for the first time with the Flowmaster American Drag
Racing League (ADRL) presented by the National Guard, longtime Pro
Extreme pilot Taylor headlined the quartet of veteran racers in victory
lane, which climaxed with series president Kenny Nowling personally
handing out ADRL memorabilia to every single fan who remained when the
interviews and photo sessions were over.

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Skull
Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports +
Outdoors at Tulsa Race Way Park, the eighth of 10 events in the 2008
Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in
qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Terry McMillen, 4.692 seconds, 308.99 mph  vs. 5. Tim
Boychuk, 4.956, 253.52; 2. Bruce Litton, 4.697, 298.54  vs. 6. Bobby
Lagana Jr., 4.979, 298.67; 3. Mike Strasburg, 4.718, 273.00  vs. 7.
Scott Palmer, 5.026, 237.38; 4. Spencer Massey, 4.719, 310.48  vs. 8.
Mitch King, 5.148, 227.50.

Career-Best Pass Puts Hagan on Nitro Funny Car Pole in Tulsa

Terry McMillen (Top Fuel), Mike Castellana (Pro Modified), Laurie
Cannister (Alcohol Funny Car) and Pete Berner (Pro Stock) also claim #1
qualifier honors at IHRA Sooner Nationals

Matt
Hagan knows he is defying all logic. After competing in the Pro
Modified class for two winless seasons, Hagan, a Christiansburg, Va.
resident, decided to move up to the Nitro Funny Car class for the 2008
IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule.

He seems to have found his niche in drag racing.

Hagan has won two national events this season and, after claiming the
#1 qualifier position as well as securing both IHRA Last Man Standing
five-point bonuses available in Tulsa, has inched closer to current
points leader Terry Haddock.