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.

Teams in the Pro Modified Racing Association presented by Torco Racing
Fuels Ontario are looking forward to competing in the First Annual PMRA
Challenge  presented by Vito Antonicelli Race Cars at New York
International Raceway Park in Leicester, New York on Saturday, June 7.
 
This is a new venue for the PMRA, and will be the second stop on the 2008 tour.
 
“We’ve raced there on and off for 35 years or more,” said Joe Caruso of
Rochester, New York, crew chief and part owner of the Midlife Crisis
1994 Corvette Pro Modified. “It’s a good track. It must have the
largest shutdown area of any track in the area.”
 
Caruso added he has been able to get some of the best performance at NYIRP.

Ron Krisher returned to the NHRA Pro Stock
winner's circle for the first time in five years by

Ron Krisher returned to the NHRA Pro Stock winner's circle for the
first time in five years by defeating Larry Morgan in the final round.

defeating Larry
Morgan in the final round of the 20th annual O'Reilly Summer Nationals
at Heartland Park Topeka. It was Krisher's second victory at this event
and it moved the Warren, Ohio resident from 10th place to eighth in the
POWERade points standings.

"If I ever came out here with the thought I'd never win again then I'd
quit," Krisher said. "We've won this one, and we're going to win some
more this year, you wait and see."

Hillary Will’s Topeka victory over Larry Dixon made her the eighth female to win 
Top Fuel at an NHRA national event. Her triumph also represented the
third time in the last four events that a female has visited the nitro
winner’s circle.

Hillary Will became the eighth different female to win a national event in Top Fuel.

 
Will’s KB Racing, LLC team, led by crew chief Jim Oberhofer and co-crew
chief Troy Fasching, last trip to the finals was in Memphis in 2006.
The event in Topeka was the 55th NHRA national event of Will’s career.

Charles "Boogie" Scott said he has no idea where he got his nickname from. 'I've
had since I was a baby," the Louisiana native said in his distinctive drawl. "I
grew up with it." Boogie has also earned the title of being a "racer's racer."
His career is the envy of all hot rodders: for some 50 years, Boogie has built
and driven championship quality cars for the street, the strip and the salt.
Still active, Boogie was a recent inductee into the exclusive Bonneville Salt
Flats 200 MPH Club, and continues to construct a variety of cars at his
Covington, La. shop. In fact, he's building a Cacklefest car (a remake of the
Cupit and Cunningham dragster). He'll take a break when he visits Beech Bend
Raceway Park as an Honoree at the 6th annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion,
June 13-15.

Still healing from a devastating crash in Dallas, John Force thought
about quitting. Then a voice of reason spoke up.

Longtime crew chief
Austin Coil told Force quitting simply wasn't an option.

With a victory Sunday in Topeka, Force realized winning is just as
therapeutic as physical training. And, more rewarding not just for
himself but for his entire organization.

“It’s huge for me mentally,” Force said of the win.