In front of full stands at Atlanta Dragway,  Jay Payne, driver of the Valvoline
2005 Stratus Pro Mod, made a quick jump to the top in the lone AMS Staff Leasing
Pro Mod Challenge presented by Tindle Enterprises qualifying session at the
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. The qualifying schedule was
modified due to time constraints and will allow for two additional qualifying
passes on Saturday, and full eliminations on Sunday.
 
Breathing a sigh of
relief, Payne's field-leading 6.044/235.10 assured him a solid position in
Sunday's show and the possibility to move up in the BAE Championship Cup points
chase. Also solidly in the field are Canadian Raymond Commisso in his '67 Camaro
and Tim Tindle in his Chuck Ford-tuned '67 Mustang, delivering 6.059 and 6.057
passes respectively.

It’s often been said that drag racing is a bug, and once you
get it in your system, it’s extremely difficult if not impossible to get out.

That theory definitely applies to Jeff Perley, former
co-crew chief for multi-time NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Greg Anderson and
last year’s champ Jason Line. After a much-publicized exit from the dominant
Pro Stock operation to take ownership of a Goodyear service center in Charlotte, NC,
Perley was back at the track for the first time in months.

There is a big difference this time around, however. Perley
was at Rockingham making his debut as crew chief for the Wilson Manifolds
machine driven by Rob Mansfield.

Though he is dealing with a lot more horsepower with the
IHRA mountain motor Pro Stocker, Perley has found the transition to be
virtually seamless.

Debut scheduled for this weekend's NHRA Summit Southern
Nationals

At
the beginning of the year, Team YNOT had very high hopes for the 2007 season.
Norm Grimes had been hired to be the crew chief and a new team had been put together.
Grimes had put a great deal of time into getting the Chip Nielsen dragster up to
speed with his combination. Preseason testing had gone well, and expectations
were high as the team went to
Pomona. Going into the final
qualifying session at the season opening Carquest Auto Parts NHRA
Winternationals, things were going according to plan; the car was qualified very
solidly in the field and conditions, though somewhat cool, showed the potential
for a very strong pass and moving back to the top half of the field.

Ed Hoover’s experience in
Pro Modified has been full circle since the category was officially launched in
1990. The class has changed a lot, but not Hoover. He’s still the hard-hitting gunner
who captured the first-ever IHRA Pro Modified national event title in 1990.

Hoover became the fifth
winningest driver in Pro Mod history with his recent triumph in San Antonio.
He’s won twice behind the wheel of a supercharged car, and ironically both
victories came at that Texas facility.

A dyed-in-the-wool nitrous
racer, Hoover made the switch to a supercharged entry prior to the 2003 season.
He took baby steps at first, running his new supercharged entry in the Top
Sportsman division during the spring race in Rockingham.

Don
Schumacher confirmed today that NAPA AUTO PARTS has entered into an
associate-sponsorship agreement with Don Schumacher Racing to support five of
its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series professional teams. The familiar
blue-and-gold NAPA
logo will be featured on Tony Schumacher’s U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster, the
U.S. Army-sponsored Pro Stock Motorcycles of Antron Brown and Angelle Sampey,
the Ron Capps-driven Brut Revolution Dodge Charger Funny Car, and the Mail
Terminal Services Dodge Charger Funny Car of Jack Beckman.

Mike Hill, who last year ended Chevrolet’s dominance of Outlaw 10.5 competition
at Rockingham Dragway, tries to make it three-in-a-row this week when he and his
all-conquering 2006 Ford Mustang return to the Carolinas’ fastest track for the Holcomb Motorsports
Spring Civil Wars.

Although his Ford
overpowered the Chevy Camaro of fellow Georgian Michael Robinson to claim a
$10,000 top prize at last year’s spring race, Hill will be hard-pressed to
repeat in a field that is expected to include track record-holder Ken Rainwater
of Kimberly, Ala.

Rainwater stunned the
field last fall with a barrier-busting 4.484 second eighth-mile time that earned
his 2003 Mustang the No. 1 starting position.  He likely will be joined this
week by Pat Wheatley of Brandenburg, Ky., and the best of the Carolina Outlaws, Stacy McIntyre
of Lawndale, in
another Mustang, and Scott Hartley of Lenoir, in a 1968
Camaro.

A great deal of emphasis
has been put on John Medlen’s faith and the inner strength he has drawn upon as
a means of dealing with son Eric’s death. Bruce Litton shares the same spirit
as Medlen – the Holy Spirit.

Litton, IHRA Top Fuel
winner in San Antonio, openly professes his faith in public and private
interviews. For him, it’s not just a lifestyle – it’s his life.

“God is the most important
thing in my life,” Litton said. “He’s the most important thing in a lot of
people’s lives. We all have to have something to fall back on. There’s always a
better day ahead for all of us.”

Litton pointed out that
his testimony requires no coaxing and just like Medlen, the Holy Spirit leads
him to share.

“The more you learn about
Christ, the more you want to share,” Litton said. “It’s an important part of my
life. That’s my main focus in life.”