Roger Richards Photos

The tears flowed freely as Doug Herbert exited his Top Fuel dragster.

Doug Herbert and daughter Jessie celebrate his first Top Fuel victory of 2008.

He had finally won one for his boys, his two young sons Jon and James, who died in February in an automobile accident.

Their loving father provided the one tribute he knew would be shared by millions of race fans all over the world.

Herbert delivered a victory during the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment
Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, through sheer determination, the hard work
of his crew and, as he put it, the good luck provided by his 10-year
old daughter Jessica and girlfriend Ginger.

The Canadian fans that pack Castrol Raceway in Edmonton for the Rocky
Mountain Nationals keep upping the ante. For the third consecutive
season the advance ticket sales are off the charts, setting records for
duckets sold. The Rocky Mountain Nationals have come to the forefront
as the premiere event on the IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule due to a
variety of factors…the rabid passion of the fans, the hard work and
forward thinking of track operators Rob and Kim Reeves and the
commitment IHRA has made to making the Rocky Mountain Nationals
something special.

“NHRA has the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and the rest of their
events kind of lead up to that one,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said.
“We have the Rocky Mountain Nationals. While our other national event
venues are strong with great fans, there is just a different kind of
feeling when you walk into Castrol Raceway on race day. Rob Reeves and
his entire team put on a great show but, honestly, you can find the
major difference in the stands. Those fans are unbelievable.”

Case and point, Dr. Tom Carter has a memory of Castrol Raceway he will never forget.

Ace photographer Jim Garahan represented CompetitionPlus.com at the recent All Harley Drag Racing Association event in Cecil County, Md.

AHDRA PHOTO GALLERY 

Vis Viva Top Fuel dragster crew chief Tony Shortall just can't get a break.
 
The veteran tuner has been accused of compromising safety for former
driver Alan Bradshaw, a claim which he refutes. He’s also blamed for
instigating a shoving match in the team's hauler which led to the
driver’s dismissal.
 
Now, many of the other drivers and crew members are flipping him off as he walks by. You know, giving him the bird.
 
Their obscene gestures are not out of anger, but rather in jest. The
hottest rumor circulating the pits suggests part of the altercation
between he and his former driver stems from that same gesture from
inside the car as they stood on the starting line.
 
“I’m not going to comment on that,” Shortall said.

Dave Connolly defeated Warren Johnson in Sunday’s first round of the
Summit Racing Equipment Nationals and moved closer to 10th place in
NHRA’s Pro Stock top 10, but his five-round win streak at his hometown
track ended in the quarterfinals.
 
Connolly never trailed against Johnson and drove to the win in 6.701 seconds – his quickest run of the weekend – to a 6.715. 
 
But Justin Humphreys threw a roadblock into Connolly’s plans with a
time of 6.716 at 204.54 to a 6.729 at 205.79 for the Cagnazzi Racing
Charter Communications/LifeLock Chevy Cobalt.

Cory McCenathan has drawn impatient in his recovery time from Lasik eye
surgery. He cited the after-effects of the corrective procedure as a
factor in his semi-finals loss at Englishtown. A week later the situation
was the same in a semi-final loss to Brandon Bernstein, except this
time he was too quick off the line.

"I'm trying to rebound from last weekend," said McClenathan, referring
to his holeshot loss in Englishtown. "Sometimes when you get beat on a
holeshot like that it sets you back and it's not something that you fix
overnight. I realize now that after having my eyes done (Lasik eye
surgery prior to Englishtown) it takes some time for them to come back
to where I want them to be. Everyone I've talked to about it, including
my doctor and people who have had it done, have told me to be patient,
but I'm not a very patient person.

2007 POWERade Funny Car Championship runner-up Robert Hight came up just short against Tony Pedregon – again.

Last year Hight, the 2005 Road to the Future award winner, came within
19 points of winning his first POWERade championship only to finish
second to Pedregon by less than one round of racing. Today in the final
of the 2nd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk,
Ohio, Hight was consistent all day and it took Pedregon’s best run of
the weekend to defeat him.

“In the final it (Hight’s Auto Club Ford Mustang) put some cylinders
out but it was way on down the track. Tony (Pedregon) took a shot at us
and he ran two hundredths quicker and he killed me on the starting
line. I would have needed a .10 light to beat him because he out ran
us,” said a disappointed Hight.

HERBERT RACES TO EMOTIONAL TOP FUEL VICTORY AT SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA NATIONALS

Roger Richards Photos

T. Pedregon, Anderson and Arana also win at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park

Doug Herbert and daughter Jessie celebrate his first Top Fuel victory of 2008.

Doug Herbert raced to an emotional Top Fuel victory Sunday at the
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals and dedicated his first win of
the season to the memory of his two young sons who were tragically
killed in a highway auto accident in late January.

Tony Pedregon, Greg Anderson and Hector Arana also were winners of the
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event at Summit Racing Equipment
Motorsports Park.

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the
Second annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing
Equipment Motorsports Park, the 12th of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade
Drag Racing Series