A prominent source has confirmed with CompetitionPlus.com that veteran turner Lee Beard will announce his signing on Saturday with a prominent team. From what we hear, this signing will have a unique twist.

An unsubstantiated rumor has hit the rumor mill with the force of an F-5 tornado and aptly this banter comes from the Midwest.  Reportedly, the assets of the Matco Tools-sponsored team were shopped around the Brownsburg, Ind., area and according to those same sources, have been sold. There's no word on how this affects the team, including driver Antron Brown and/or tuner Lee Beard, for the 2009 season.

Sources have indicated that Ron Krisher will not return to Victor Cagnazzi for horsepower in 2009 but instead align himself with fellow GM racer and engine builder Mike Edwards.

Edwards will supply the horsepower for Krisher, leaving Cagnazzi with only Jeg Coughlin Jr. as the only for sure team out of that stable in 2009. The jury is still out for Dave Connolly, who is minus sponsorship for the second season in a row.

CompetitionPlus.com has learned that Matt Smith will return to Suzuki in 2009 as the rider for Don Schumacher Racing's new Suzuki Hyabusa project. The interesting part of the deal is that Smith will continue his Nitrofish sponsorship under the Schumacher umbrella. Team owner Don Schumacher would not confirm, nor deny the rumor other than to say his new rider will be announced on either Friday or Saturday pending the completion of paperwork.

CompetitionPlus.com has learned that Spiro Kontos, a Canadian businessman from King City, Ontario has purchased two Funny Cars from a prominent race team and plans to introduce a second driver, a female driver, to join with the team's current driver Jason Mcknight on the NHRA tour.

Word floating around a
certain inner circle indicates a past multi-time NHRA national event
winner has purchased a Funny Car operation from a team not planning to
return in 2009. Whether this is a 12-race tour or full 24 remains to be
seen.

Don Schumacher was demoted from his role as Vice President of PRO but did the NHRA have a role in the scenario? According to various sources close to the PRO organization, the NHRA made it known they would not deal with the organization if they had to deal with the team owner. PRO seeking to maintain the dialogue with the sanctioning body found a solution by electing another member into Schumacher's former role.

Multiple reliable sources have confirmed with CompetitionPlus.com  that former NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith will have a new gig for 2009 with team owner Karl Klement. We are told that Smith will prepare the team's engines for sure but whether or not he rides for the team remains to be seen. Klement's rider in 2008 was Angelle Sampey.