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Bob Tasca III announced earlier this month his return to NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series competition. He revealed today who would be tuning his Ford Mustang Funny Car.

“I’m thrilled to announce Eric Lane as my crew chief," Tasca said. "I have known Eric for many years, and I have watched him climb up the ranks from an entry-level crew guy to a co-crew chief. Over the last two years, he went out of his way to help our part-time team achieve amazing results. I told him on many occasions, ‘Imagine if we had real funding - we’d be dangerous together!’ Well, we don’t need to imagine that anymore. Now, all we need to do is win.” 

Tasca's objective is bringing the right chemistry together.

Preparations for the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season are well underway at Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) headquarters near Indianapolis and team owner Don Schumacher announced the following changes to the DSR team roster today.
 
Accomplished tuner Mike "Zippy" Neff joins DSR as crew chief on the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster of eight-time NHRA champion Tony Schumacher. Neff had prior success at DSR winning the 2005 championship as crew chief on Gary Scelzi's Dodge Funny Çar team. Neff's initial stint at DSR was from 2001-'07 before joining rival John Force Racing where he helped earn the 2010 NHRA Funny Car crown with Force. He also won one Funny Car race in 2009 as a driver/tuner.
 
Former U.S. Army crew chief Mike Green, who guided Schumacher to 27 event titles and championships in 2009 and '14, will remain at DSR. Green's guidance on safety and performance projects have been vital to the organization's success.  

Many fans only equate Whit Bazemore as a drag racer and one who isn't shy about speaking his mind. However, many seem to forget long before he won races in a fuel car, he won the hearts of many drag race fans with his brilliant photography. He also wrote, because back in the early 1980s many editors loved a freelancer who could deliver a complete package. A complete package was incredible photography and the words which spoke to describe many of the images which left many speechless.

We felt it would be neat to put a recorder in Bazemore's hand and turn him loose in the pits during the Auto Club Finals in Pomona. It's a long read, but well worth it.

The stare told the story.

With one leg inside the car and the other out, as the 500-inch engine belted out a throaty rumble of horsepower, the younger driver stared at the older man, poring over the different components of the engine. Their look at one another was almost one of mutual regret, but still, they moved about the business at hand.

A one-minute warm-up complete, there would be only one hour left in the routine they have performed for over thirty years.

This scene was the last warm-up for the father/son Pro Stock team Allen and Roy Johnson, at least for this chapter of their lives.

Pro Stock Motorcycle standout Joey Gladstone is pleased to announce Yellow Corn coming on board as his full-time primary sponsor for the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
 
“I’m really excited to have Yellow Corn come on board with us next season,” Gladstone said. “It’s really awesome that Yellow Corn wants to partner up with us and have an international relationship. I think that’s really big for NHRA Drag Racing and it speaks to how big NHRA’s impact is all over the world.”

This past season – 2017 – was a career-best in wins for Drew Skillman as he was victorious four times.

Those victories at Chicago, Denver, Seattle and Indianapolis propelled the 29-year-old to a fifth-place finish in the points standings, matching his career-best finish from 2015.

“We worked really hard all year and the last half of the year that really started to show,” Skillman said. “We had a consistent, fast race car the last several races and we found a package that really worked well with the car.”

The NHRA intends to move forward with plans for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, not only for this season but many in the future.

A City Council meeting for the City of Pomona made clear in many aspects, a cloudy picture which was painted earlier in the week regarding the Fairplex and future drag races. 

NHRA VP of Operations Graham attended and spoke at Monday's meeting on behalf of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. 

Tickets for the season-opening 58th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com, are now available for purchase. The first race of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series 2018 campaign will feature 10,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars and the thrilling factory hot-rod Pro Stock category.

The event takes place Feb. 8-11 and will be the first opportunity to see the new cars and paint schemes as well as meet the drivers who will be racing at speeds of more than 330 mph in an attempt to add their names to the NHRA record book’s list of winners at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

The Frankenstein Engine Dynamics Mid-West Pro Mod Series (MWPMS) is pleased to announce that Team RFC (Racers for Christ) has agreed to serve as its official ministry at all MWPMS and Mid-West Outlaw Radial Series (MWORS) events next year.

“It is our privilege to welcome Team RFC and all Racers for Christ personnel to our events,” series organizer and competitor Keith Haney said. “Prayer plays a big part in all forms of racing and I know the competitors and fans of the Mid-West Pro Mod Series and Mid-West Outlaw Radial Series will be equally happy and grateful to have Team RFC at their sides throughout our 2018 season.”

A report on November 11 in DailyNews.com, an Ontario, Ca., newspaper, revealed a proposed ordinance to address zoning regulations for the Pomona Fairplex. In the days following, many in drag racing fans feared the worst expecting drag racing's days in Pomona were numbered.

Monday evening Mayor Tim Sandoval said in no certain terms, Pomona isn't looking to run the NHRA out of town.