Antron Brown moves forward at a very rapid pace in his 8,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster and the 23-time NHRA winner will be moving
forward with a new look as he competes for the 2009 NHRA championship
at the Memphis NHRA race. Brown and the Mike Ashley Racing Matco Tools
team will fly the colors of auto industry giant Toyota at the 22nd
annual O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Oct. 2-4, at Memphis Motorsports
Park.

The arrangement between Matco Tools and MAR gives the team the
opportunity to generate additional funding and place a marketing
partner in the primary sponsor location at given events. Brown raced
the DirecTV/Matco Tools dragster to the win at the St. Louis race on
May 3. The team’s customary bright blue and silver pin-striped Matco
Tools Iron Eagle dragster theme will return for the final three races
on the 2009 NHRA schedule at Richmond, Va., Las Vegas and Pomona,
Calif.

The key to winning a four-lane drag race is no different than a
standard two lane match. One has to leave the starting line quickly and
a quicker elapsed time doesn’t hurt, either.

Reaction time
made the most difference when it came down to winning the pair of
four-wide nitro drag race exhibitions staged on Sunday at the NHRA
Carolinas Nationals in Concord, NC.

The look of intensity on David Pearson’s face told the story.

The look of the 75-year old former racer, a 105-time winner on the
NASCAR tour as he sat astride a 350-horsepower Suzuki, assuming the
position of a competitive rider, was one of total concentration.

Pearson, a special guest of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen
Stoffer during the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Concord, NC, listened
intently as Stoffer guided the cagey veteran through the nuances of
navigating the six-second, 200-mph bike down the quarter-mile.

“It didn’t fit me too good,” said Pearson of the Geico Powersports
Suzuki.  “Of course the thing was built for Karen. I was just a little
bit too big for it. I can see how it would be fun to run one of those.”

"Anybody here seen my old friend Ron? Can you tell me where he's gone?"
 
Seems
like a catchy and relevant tune for the National Hot Rod Ass'n. in the
aftermath of India-scrap-olis. The haunting music of peace-loving folks
and the 40th anniversary of Woodstock could make everything groovy
again (although John Force already told a television audience that it's
all groovy again).
 
Anyway . . . Whatever became of Ron Capps?
 
Surely you remember him, the driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge. He
was at the top of the Funny Car charts for the first 10 races of the
season. He delivered hit after hit, winning the first two events of the
year, three of the first five, and four of the first nine in five
final-round appearances.

Nostalgia Pro Stock, an exciting new vintage drag racing class will
make its debut at the Goodguys 2nd Nostalgia Nationals October 16, 17
& 18 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The
class will also be featured at the Goodguys Friday Night Drags, October
30th at the new ZMAX Dragway. The new class features door cars 1968
through 1978 that were originally intended for NHRA Pro Stock
competition.

The 16 winners of the two most recent JEGS NHRA SPORTSnationals events held earlier this year in Belle Rose, La., and Fontana, Calif.,
are halfway home in their quest to capture the coveted JEGS Crown
trophy. The eight winners of the JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals at No
Problem Raceway Park and the eight champions who were crowned at the
JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana,
Calif., will now have an opportunity to capture one of the most unique
trophies in Motorsports when the JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals takes
place at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 25-27.
 
The JEGS Crown is beautifully handcrafted trophy that was designed and
created by Dan Dreisbach, of Naked Sculpture (www.naked-sculpture.com).
The only way to earn the JEGS Crown is to win the same category at two
of the three JEGS Mail Order-backed SPORTSnationals events in the same
calendar year. The only driver to earn the elusive award is Mike
Ashley, who won back-to-back Pro Mod titles in 2005, the year the JEGS
Crown was created. The three JEGS SPORTSnationals races are designed as
a showcase for competitors in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Longtime JEGS associate Keith Burton has been named Grand Marshal/Honorary Starter for the upcoming JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals at National Trail Raceway.

NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car ace Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., notched
another win this weekend at the Carolinas NHRA Nationals at zMax
Dragway in Concord, N.C.  Manzo was among the six sportsman category
racers to make it to the winner’s circle. He was joined by Top Alcohol
Dragster racer Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., who scored the 20th NHRA
national event win of his career.

Manzo knocked off former Jr. Drag Racing League competitor Mick Snyder,
Demotte, Ind., to earn his 85th national event win.  Manzo ran 5.541
seconds at 261.22 mph which was enough to cover Snyder’s 5.597-second,
255.29 mph effort.  Manzo has won seven national events this year as
well as five divisional races.

A
quick look at the IHRA record book will give you a clue as to why
racers and fans alike flock to Maryland International Raceway for the
annual President’s Cup Nationals. The combination of near sea-level
air, cool September temperatures and an outstanding racing surface just
about guarantee record-setting runs all weekend long.

Throw in three incredibly tight point races, a five-figure shootout and
the final chance for sportsman competitors to qualify for the new
Tournament of Champions and you have an event that could top the charts
as the Nitro Jam event of the year September 25-27 in Budds Creek, Md.

“All the ingredients are in place for a remarkable weekend of racing
and entertainment,” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. “This is the
final chance for all of our drivers to position themselves for a run at
the championship and you can be certain that it is going to be a
do-or-die affair.”