Mopar Dodge Avenger pilot Allen Johnson isn't holding anything back at this late hour of the championship chase, and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was his playground in the second qualifying session of the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.

Johnson entered the event fifth in the Full Throttle Series championship standings, some 168 points behind incoming points leader Greg Anderson. In the first session of the day he picked up a bonus point for his 6.671 at 207.09 mph which was third quickest of the round, and in the second session, he blasted that away with a very quick 6.660, 207.46 mph to end the day in the provisional No. 1 spot.

If it holds, the No. 1 will be his seventh of the season and the 14th of his career.

Tony Schumacher raced to the qualifying lead in Top Fuel Friday at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.

Ashley Force Hood, Allen Johnson and Hector Arana also are qualifying leaders in their categories at the penultimate NHRA Full Throttle Series Countdown to the Championship event. The season will conclude Nov. 11-14 with the Auto Club NHRA Finals at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California.

Schumacher powered his U.S. Army dragster to a performance of 3.812 seconds at a track record speed of 325.14 mph to lead the category during the opening day of qualifying at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The wait is finally over for Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Matt Guidera.

After nearly nearly 14 months away from NHRA competition, Guidera is returning to action this weekend at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip.

On Sept. 5, 2009, Guidera’s world was turned upside down. Guidera, who was competing at the US Nationals in Indianapolis, was suspended by the NHRA for one year for failing to meet the requirements of the Substance Abuse Policy.

“We’re happy to be back racing again and we’re very excited for this weekend,” Guidera said Thursday in Vegas. “I have a little bit of nerves, but I’m also feeling pretty comfortable.”

Keep up with the latest action at this weekend’s World Street Nationals in Orlando, Fla., through Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com’s same day coverage presented by Pro Systems Carburetors.

Pro Systems will serve as the primary marketing partner for in-depth coverage of the long-running street car drags event hosted by Orlando Speedworld Dragway.

This weekend, Gateway International Raceway wraps up its 2010 schedule with the Outlaw All Stars season finale, an event that will also include two bracket classes. An Electronic and Non-Electronic category has been added to the OAS finale in a Gambler’s Race format. At the conclusion of the event, both racers and fans are invited to sign the drag strip walls in the same fashion NASCAR fans did at the facility’s 1.25-mile oval last weekend prior to the 5-Hour Energy 250.

The bond between Harley-Davidson, one of the world’s legendary motorcycles, and Rockingham Dragway, one of America’s legendary racetracks, will grow even stronger next season when the track plays host to a second event in the All-Harley Drag Racing Association national series.

Track owner Steve Earwood announced Thursday that beginning with the 2011 season, The Rock will play host to the AHDRA’s Nitro Harley Spring Nationals, a companion event to the season-ending Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Jim McClure Nitro Nationals.

“This is Harley country,” Earwood said, “and we’re excited that next year, for the first time, we’re going to be able to showcase 230 mile-an-hour Top Fuel Harleys in both the spring and the fall.  The AHDRA series has become one of the most exciting in all of drag racing, attracting riders from as far away as Japan, and we’re doubly excited to be a part of it.”

Qualifying was less than an hour old Thursday morning for the Lucas Oil Series competitors at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals before an accident occurred in the Super Stock class.

Bruce Lippstreu, in his 1998 Pontiac GT, was qualifying against Bob Earleywine who was driving a 1969 Camaro Super Stock H Automatic machine.

When Lippstreu’s Pontiac launched from the starting line in the left lane, the front wheels lifted up in the air. When the wheels came back down on the track, the right front wheel popped. Lippstreu’s car veered over the center line just past the 60-foot mark and he ran into Earleywine’s left rear quarter panel.

Charlie Greco made his long distance haul from Paoli, Pa., worthwhile, at least provisionally.

Greco’s L/Altered Automatic Chevrolet Cobalt led Thursday’s lone Comp eliminator qualifying session during the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His 8.953 elapsed time was -.687 under his index.

Just .004 behind was Vinny Barone with a 7.837 in A/Street Roadster.

Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Karen Stoffer is offering two unique drag racing-themed quilts in a special eBay auction that will benefit the Drag Racing Association of Women (DRAW). The two auctions are live on eBay and will continue through Nov. 6.

"The ladies of DRAW are awesome and they deserve all of our love and support," Stoffer said. "They always do quilts for their live auctions and that gave my mother (MaryAnne Lindstrand) the idea to do one of all the Pro Stock Motorcycle racers. The response was so overwhelming we decided to do two.

One of cancer survivor Jack Beckman's goals in life has always been to give back when he can. At this weekend's 10th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, the driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger Funny Car will try to do just that, as he fights to win his first NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship.

Beckman and the Valvoline/MTS team will accept minimum donations of $100 to the RFC Kids Children's Program on Friday, Oct. 29, Saturday, Oct. 30, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to receive a ride-along in one of the racing tow vehicles during qualifying, with either Beckman's Funny Car team or with another pro racing team. Several pro NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car team have volunteered to participate. Fans may make donations and sign up for the ride-along in the Don Schumacher Racing NAPA hospitality area in the NHRA pits.

Also, on Friday, and on Saturday, Oct. 30, RFC Kids will hold a silent auction in the same DSR NAPA hospitality area, of which all the proceeds will go to the RFC Kids Children's Program, headed by William and Stacy Zahorsky of Alva, Okla. Items expected to be auctioned include die-casts, autographed drivers' safety equipment, and other items donated by a number of NHRA pro racing drivers.