Gateway Motorsports Park’s April 21-23 tripleheader weekend – the PSCA Heads-up Hootenanny, NHRA JEGS Super Quick Series and Mid-West Pro Mod Association – has been postponed due to a Thursday-Sunday forecast of cooler temperatures, wind and rain.  The event has been moved to Independence Weekend, June 30-July 2.

“The decision to postpone the event was mutually agreed upon by officials from PSCA, the Mid-West Pro Mod Association, NHRA Division 3 and Gateway Motorsports Park,” said Chris Blair, GMP’s Executive Vice President & General Manager. “With more than 200 teams traveling great distances to compete in the event – with very little chance of track activity taking place -- the decision was made to postpone to save on team travel and operating expenses. In addition, the event has tremendous spectator support and the decision was made so that fans could have adequate time to cancel hotel reservations and adjust travel plans. The weekend forecast calls for extended periods of rain Thursday through late Saturday evening with temperatures in the low 50s during peak race times.”

The Jim Dunn Racing 7-Eleven / Oberto Dodge Funny Car will have new graphics at the upcoming NHRA Houston and Atlanta events.  Being involved in NHRA championship drag racing for so many years has given Jim Dunn Racing the ability to establish great long term relationships.  One in particular is the Lescure Company, a leading mechanical services business.  For more than 10 years, Lescure has been an associate sponsor of the Dunn’s Funny Car team.
 
The Lescure family is no stranger to the sport of drag racing, and got even more acquainted with the NHRA when the Melanoma Research Foundation recognized it with the Vision of Hope Award in 2011, the same time current NHRA President, Peter Clifford, received the Courage Award.  Beyond the mechanical services business, the Lescure’s provide education and awareness about Ocular Melanoma whenever possible through their charitable foundation www.acureinsight.org.  

Glen Cromwell has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Media and Marketing, NHRA officials announced today. Cromwell begins his new role effective immediately.
 
Cromwell joined NHRA as a Division Director in 1997 and has been a key player leading the sport’s marketing efforts for the past 20 years.

Aeromotive will host a Hot Rodder’s of Tomorrow (HROT) Engine Challenge preliminary competition in conjunction with their annual Open House and Car Show this year. The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, from 9AM-5PM and is located at 7805 Barton St., Lenexa, KS. The HROT competition will consist of multiple teams of five from local high school auto tech classes.

Each team is expected to be able to correctly tear down and re-assemble a 350-cubic-inch Chevy engine, and be the fastest to do so. The HROT is proven to grow auto tech classes and to help students develop skills that will be used in the workplace. It also provides scholarship, internship, and mentorship opportunities for students.

Sonny’s Racing Engines helped two customers win their first Professional Drag Racers Association event. James Hancock took home top honors of the ultra-competitive Pro Nitrous category and Chris Powers was triumphant in Extreme Pro Stock at the East Coast Nationals. While both racers have years of experience, the PDRA is a new challenge for them, but their Sonny’s power was up to the task.

Hancock qualified in the middle of the pack and used consistent low 3.70 runs to weave through the competition. In the final, he met reigning world champ, Tommy Franklin. Hancock and team owner Brian Shaw knew they would need their best run of the day to take down Franklin. At the stripe, Hancock and Franklin laid down nearly identical elapsed times (3.701 and 3.700), but Hancock crossed the line first thanks to his better reaction time.

Keith Haney and Keith Haney Racing don't do anything small.

So to help kick off the Mid-West Pro Mod Series, which races in the Heads-Up Hootenanny event next weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park, Haney will introduce a special driver for his "Enigma" Chevrolet Camaro in the Radial vs. The World class.

"Keith Haney Racing decided to shock the world," Haney said. "I'm coming to St. Louis, not only to drag everybody's asses with (Pro Mod car) 'Notorious,' but I've decided to give something back, not only to the series but to the fans. Daddy Dave, Street Outlaw, will be driving Enigma in Radial vs. The World."

The Mid-West Pro Mod Series kicks off its inaugural season with the Heads-Up Hootenanny event next weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park.

The Mid-West Pro Mod Series was founded by racers - Jeff Pierce, Billy Stocklin, Todd Martin, Jim Sakuvich, Keith Haney, Wes Buck and Dewayne Mills – as a way to promote Pro Mod racing in the center of the United States.

Donovan Stott sheepishly admits his ignorance six years ago on one particular subject.

Stott, the 23-year old son of IHRA Pro Modified champion Mitch Stott, had no clue what a Gasser was when his famous uncle, and also past IHRA World Champion Quain Stott introduced him to the doorslammers of days long gone.

Nowadays Stott cannot imagine his life without Gassers, especially since he's proclaimed himself an "old soul." It's not hard to spot him, even when he's not pulling out of his crudely painted 1948 Anglia, he's the young man sporting the attire of 1967, just like he stepped out of Marty McFly's Delorean time machine.

Veteran nitro Funny Car driver Bob Bode didn’t compete at an NHRA national event last weekend.

Yet, he still had one of his memorable moments unfold at the race track.