Being a full-time NHRA Top Fuel competitor once again is Bob Vandergriff Jr.’s objective.

Vandergriff, a successful businessman, is taking steps toward reaching that goal.

Vandergriff made his 2010 season debut at the NHRA Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga., and now he says he’s going to expand on that schedule.

“We’re going to run at least seven more races this year and maybe 10 more,” Vandergriff said.

Shannon Jenkins is to the nitrous doorslammer what Big Daddy Don Garlits is to the Top Fuel dragster.

The former bracket racer from Tuscaloosa, Ala., admitted his initial involvement in the Pro Modified division came after he and then team owner Norman Estes believed the style of racing was neat.

What is neat is that 18 years after the fateful decision, Jenkins stands as the winningest driver of the class with victories in all major series ranging from IHRA to NHRA to ADRL. In his 18 years of racing and tuning fast nitrous doorslammers, Jenkins has watched the combination change dramatically.

Roy Johnson has finally had a chance to play with the present his son, NHRA Pro Stock Mopar® Dodge Avenger driver Allen Johnson, bought for him for Christmas last year—a 2009 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak vehicle.

Roy Johnson, who builds the Mopar HEMI® engines for his son’s J&J Racing Pro Stock team, currently second in the Pro Stock standings, took his first runs in his Mopar Drag Pak on Tuesday, May 25, at the team’s home track of Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway. Roy Johnson’s best pass was a 10.65-second elapsed time at 125.95 mph, with a second best mark of 10.73/125.35. Not bad for a 68-year-old who hasn’t raced in almost 30 years.

He scored a victory recently by bringing a European driver to the United States, and now team owner Roger Burgess will soon find out if he can pull off a similar feat by sending an American driver to Europe.

Melanie Troxel will race this weekend in England during the FIA Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway.

"We announced the Worldwide Pro Mod Association this week and we're using the Santa Pod race to help spread the word in Europe," Burgess said. "Plus, we were so excited about Michael's win in Atlanta that we didn't want to lose the momentum within the team. Michael is our partner in the WWPMA and we wanted to show our support in his arena, and we couldn't have asked for a better race than the FIA season opener."

Second generation drag racer James Day is a throwback to the days when race car drivers were an extension of the cars they drove. In fitting nature, Day will return to the seat of one of the more iconic Nitro-Floppers of the late 1960’s this weekend in Las Vegas, Nev., when the NHRA Heritage Hot Rod Series lands on “The Strip” at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the “Rock-A-Billy” Rod Reunion contested May 28th- May 30th.

Day will once again drive Ron and Ed Lenarth's "Holy Toledo" Jeep at the upcoming Rockabilly Rod Reunion at The Strip. Previously he'd piloted the "Holy Toledo" Jeep to its quickest ever pass with a 6.08 second elapsed time and is looking forward to reuniting with the team in Las Vegas for what promises the largest field of nostalgia nitro funny cars since the March Meet earlier this year.

When it comes to racing in Canada few do it better than Castrol Raceway.

Featuring the biggest lineup of cars and stars each and every year, Castrol Raceway has become known as a leader in Canadian motorsports entertainment. And in 2010, Castrol Raceway will once again try to outdo itself with what is being touted as the biggest Nitro Jam in the history of the series.

Troy Moe has a message to those spreading false rumors about his efforts to revive the American Hot Road Association - “We're not bankrupt.”

“We’re not a privately traded company or a non-profit organization, so we don’t report our financials publicly. I realize the message boards are having their heyday with us. That’s a shame. There are those who are going to take their shots at us.”

Moe, who is spearheading the attempt to revive the American Hot Road Association, admits there have been weather related setbacks, but is adamant about the dedication of his group to return the series to prominence in the drag racing world.

“We’re not bankrupt,” Moe said in response to message board postings suggesting the group was out of business.

Jim Head isn’t planning to run for government office but he wouldn’t mind holding a town hall meeting or two, maybe three concerning the current state of 1,000 foot racing.

Head, the veteran independent nitro Funny Car racer from Columbus, Ohio, has a simple goal in mind. He would like to reach the purists and diehard drag race fans to explain why he feels racing to 1,000 feet is  better for drag racing’s long term survival than slowing down the nitro cars to run the quarter-mile.

“I won’t get physical, just mental,” said Head with a smile. “They have to appreciate what I have to say because, after all, I AM doing it. That has to account for something. I’m not afraid to race. I just believe what we are doing is the best and safest. I’d like the opportunity to explain myself person-to-person, man to man.

While life placed several bumps in his path, Jack Beckman’s determination and outgoing personality allowed him to rocket through the obstacles faster than his nitro-burning Funny Car tears up the track.

Beckman’s love of racing began when his uncle took Jack and his brother to Orange County International Raceway in California.

“When I was seven and my brother Ted was eight, our uncle John took us to Orange County for my first drag race,” explained Beckman. “I was hooked…I thought it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. My father got my brother and I involved. I bought my ’68 El Camino when I was 15 from my dad.”

Art Linkletter, well known for his involvement with the "Kid's Say The Darndest Things" television show, died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air, Ca. He was 97.

However, what you might not know is "Link" had a connection to drag racing.