Dave
Connolly spent a few time testing in Martin, Michigan in preparation for this weekend's event in Chicago. (Roger Richards)  

The mood was somber and mixed with looks of disgust.  The immediate goal was to
determine why Dave Connolly’s Charter Communications/LifeLock Pro Stock Chevy
Cobalt made a hard right at the starting line in Sunday’s quarterfinal round of
the Summer Nationals at Topeka, Kan.
 
And oh, by the way, there’s not
much time to work on it because the next race begins Friday – the Route 66
Nationals in Joliet, Ill.
 
Good performances are a necessity for
Connolly. He needs all the points he can muster in the nine remaining NHRA
Countdown to 10 races to secure a berth in the Countdown to One.  Sponsorship
issues kept him a spectator for the first five races until Charter
Communications and LifeLock partnered with Cagnazzi Racing four races
ago.
 
“We weren’t happy with the way we performed on Sunday, so rather
than complain about it, we took a 12-hour drive to Martin, Mich., to do
something about it and test,” Connolly said on Tuesday.  “That’s how our team
is. They’re never afraid to work and they’ll do whatever it takes.  Nobody
complained . . . it’s something we need to do and we did it.”

In addition to the generous cash payouts, the special edition trophy and the
custom made leather jacket, one of the many perks that is bestowed on each the
winners of the annual JEGS Allstars competition is the right to return the
following year to defend their title. One driver who is grateful for that
opportunity is Ed Olpin. The winner of the 2007 Super Gas title, Olpin, of
Pleasant Grove, Utah, will make the long drive back to Route 66 Raceway in
Joliet for the 24th edition of the JEGS Allstars, which takes place on Saturday,
June 7, during the Torco Race Fuels Route 66 Nationals.
           
In
addition to the individual honors, JEGS Allstars competitors, who must qualify
for the special event through a year-long points battle within their respective
NHRA geographic divisions, will be competing for the $20,000 bonus that is
awarded to the overall team champions. All told, there is more than $100,000 on
the line during the highly anticipated annual event. And, as if there wasn’t
enough motivation for the JEGS Allstars contestants to put forth their best
effort, any racer who can win the JEGS Allstars title on Saturday will have a
chance to claim the JEGS double-up bonus by winning the Torco Race Fuels Route
66 Nationals the following day.

Plenty of drivers stepped up as early-season favorites this year - new names and old.

In
Top Fuel, Chicago’s Tony Schumacher and crew chief Alan Johnson
continue to tighten their grip on Top Fuel while drivers like teammates
Antron Brown and Rod Fuller stand in their way. Fan-favorite Ashley
Force has proven herself a serious contender for the 2008 NHRA POWERade
Series world championship title in Funny Car – and although the moniker
means less to her than the trophy, she would be the first woman to earn
it.

But that can change all too fast.

Now that the NHRA POWERade Series has reached the halfway point in its
regular season, another challenge for teams and drivers begins: Who
will survive the summer heat?

The following factoids comes from the hard-working Team U.S. Army Chris
Dirato in advance of the U.S. Army's 233rd birthday to be celbrated
this weekend during the NHRA Torco Race Fuels Route 66 Nationals in
Joliet.

New chassis working well for the 4-time champion; Moratorium on testing has him scratching his head, though

Gary Scelzi's gamble on the Brad Hadman chassis paid off. Expect Jerry Toliver to have one soon. (Jon Asher Photos)

Four-time nitro world champion Gary Scelzi loves his new
Brad Hadman Funny Car chassis so much that team owner Don Schumacher
Racing [DSR] has ordered two more.

“We’re enjoying the hell out of it,” Scelzi crowed. “It doesn’t get in trouble early on in the run.”

Scelzi was the first to step away from the standard Murf McKinney
design over the winter and personally invest in a normalized tubing
chassis from Brad Hadman. The car was debuted in post-event testing
following the NHRA CSK Nationals in Phoenix, Az.

Being a rookie is all about familiarizing oneself with their
surroundings and taking note of the various experiences and emotions
along the pathway of education.

Let the record reflect that crew chief turned driver Mike Neff has
experienced the thrill of winning rounds and reaching the finals. He’s
also experienced the downside such as fires and DNQs.

He takes the fires seriously and knows they are a part of racing he must accept. The DNQs, now that’s a different story.

“Not qualifying just sucks,” Neff said. “I feel worse for [crew chief]
John Medlen. It’s a lot worse being the crew chief and not qualifying
than it is a driver, (but) it sucks any way you look at it.”

Straight from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the iconic Billy F
Gibbons' ZZ Top Eliminator '33 Ford Coupe will celebrate its 25th anniversary at
the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15. Made famous during its
namesake's '80s music videos, its appearance at the 3-day hot rod festival also
commemorates the 75th anniversary of the legendary '33 Ford, a favorite car
platform for rodders.

Funny Car world champion Cruz Pedregon has a trophy case full of drag racing
Wallys, but the veteran straight-line racer admits he'd love to add some
hardware from circle track races to his collection. Pedregon will get another
chance to fulfill that wish this Wednesday at the fourth annual Old Spice
Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway in Ohio.

As one of two drag
racers in the mix, Pedregon will challenge some of the best NASCAR drivers in
the charity event at the famed, half-mile dirt oval, where legends like A.J.
Foyt, Mario Andretti, Pancho Carter, and Johnny Rutherford cut their
teeth.

"I'm excited," Pedregon said. "I have a real passion for
dirt-track racing and I'm honored that (track owner and NASCAR star) Tony
Stewart has invited me to participate in the Prelude again this year. There's
going to be some great racing, but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact we're
raising money for some disadvantaged kids. That's the No. 1 thing for all of us
to remember."

Drag racing fans in Western Michigan are in for a rare treat
June 6-7, as the Flowmaster American Drag Racing League (ADRL)
presented by the National Guard visits Knoll Gas Motorsports Park at
U.S. 131 in Martin, Michigan for the first time with its 4th annual
ADRL Pizza Hut Summer Drags. The ADRL features racers from across the
country in four professional classes—Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Extreme
10.5 and Pro Extreme Motorcycle—competing in thrilling eighth-mile,
head-to-head action.

With most ADRL racers never having competed before in Michigan, this
will be the introduction of a new kind of drag racing to the region.
ADRL competition is an all-pro-show with no filler classes, which
translates to a quick-paced and entertaining day of drag racing. The
stars of the ADRL are friendly, approachable and eager to visit with
fans and pit access is included with all event tickets, which
incidentally, are provided to the Western Michigan community almost
entirely free of charge thanks to ADRL sponsors Pizza Hut, Flowmaster
and the National Guard.

With groundbreaking Funny Car wins by Ashley Force, Melanie Troxel and Hillary
Will in Top Fuel this has already been dubbed the “Year of the Woman” in NHRA
competition. Now, Brenda Grubbs will have the chance to add her name to the
roster of female drag racing champions as she takes aim at the Stock Eliminator
crown during the 24th annual JEGS Allstars competition at Route 66 Raceway, June
7.
           
In the JEGS Allstars competition, which features the best
sportsman drivers from each of NHRA’s seven geographic divisions, Grubbs will be
representing the team from the Southeast Division with her vintage 1969 Camaro.
She will be competing for a first-place prize of $4,500 plus a share of the
$20,000 bonus that goes to the eight-member team that scores the most round wins
during the competition. In addition, any racer who can win the JEGS Allstars
title on Saturday will have a chance to claim the JEGS double-up bonus by
winning the Torco Race Fuels Route 66 Nationals the following
day.