Matt Hartford returns to the driver’s seat in Kenny Koretsky’s Nitro Fish Dodge Pro Stock entry for the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals, Friday through Sunday at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, south of Dallas.

Hartford believes this weekend he can accomplish what he wasn’t able to do in the U.S. Nationals three weeks ago – qualify in the top 16.  He recorded solid runs early in qualifying at Indianapolis but was eventually sidelined by mechanical issues.

A special program which was on life-support earlier this summer could turn into a bright spot on

the NHRA’s menu thanks to the unending dedication of a key executive and a few determined racers.

Steve Williams, a Vice President at K&N Filters responsible for advertising and promotions, had all but given up on the K&N Horsepower Challenge, a qualifying-based $50,000 shootout devoted to the NHRA’s Pro Stock division.

Racing with an El Camino is one thing.

Racing with one and winning is another.

This has been a dream season thus far for Randy Walker. Sitting behind the wheel of his Pro Street El Camino, Walker has reached the finals of his last four events, winning three times. The most recent victory came at last weekend’s Pacific Street car Association [PSCA] West Coast Shootout in Fontana, Ca.

Former NHRA Comp and Modified racer Carlos Lawrence, 67, passed away September 22.

Lawrence was well known in class racing circles and once teamed with Ed Hamburger, of Hamburger Oil Pans fame, on a Super Stock Plymouth Duster in the 1970s.

Call it luck, call it a driver taking out his frustration, call it the sum of a crafty tuner and dedicated owner coming together with a talented driver – call it whatever you want – but the reality is that Del Cox Jr. is having one heck of a season.

Cox, who just got his Top Fuel license at the beginning of the year, has become more and more comfortable behind the wheel of his 8,000 horsepower rail as the season has progressed leading to three consecutive victories entering this weekend’s IHRA President’s Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway in Budds Creek, Md.

Greg Anderson prides himself in being a leader. However, this weekend headed into the NHRA Fallnationals in Ennis, Tex., he’s hoping to follow the lead of teammate Jason Line.

Earlier this year, the Summit Racing team made a bold change prior to their sponsor’s race in Norwalk, Ohio, with Line moving from the Pro Stock Pontiac he had used in the first 11 races of the season to the car Anderson had campaigned in 2008.  The move paid immediate dividends, as Line not only won that weekend’s race, but advanced to the final round in the next five races.

Top Fuel driver Doug Foley proved he hasn't missed a beat despite skipping most of the 2009 season when he raced to an impressive semifinal finish Sunday at the second annual Carolina NHRA Nationals.

The event was just the second start of the year for the owner of world-renowned Doug Foley's Drag Racing School, but he quickly reminded everyone why he's known as the "Giant Killer" by beating Brandon Bernstein and Doug Herbert before falling to eventual race winner Cory McClenathan by .004 seconds. Even McClenathan himself admitted in post-race interviews that Foley was a car length ahead of him before some inopportune tire spin just before the finish line allowed him to steal away the win.

Hillary Will, the 29-year-old who broke onto the Top Fuel scene just a few short years ago but was sidelined because of economic conditions will be back behind the wheel of a dragster for three races this year, piloting Tom Conway's world championship car with the backing of Get Screened America and in support of Operation Holiday Hope.

Hillary will be racing the Top Alcohol Dragster in both the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals and the Auto Club of Southern California World Finals in Pomona as well as the Lucas Oil Sportsman Series Division 7 event in Las Vegas scheduled for the weekend between the two events.

"I can't tell you how excited I am to get back in a dragster," Will said. "The Tom Conway-tuned car was my first choice when I decided I wanted to get back in Top Alcohol. Thankfully, the seat was available this year and thankfully Roger Burgess agreed to support my comeback.

Bob Tasca III, owner/driver of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang Funny Car and Tim Wilkerson, owner/driver of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Shelby Mustang Funny Car, have announced the extension of their successful technical alliance, on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing circuit, through the 2010 season.

After careful consideration, the National Guard American Drag Racing League (ADRL) will not be imposing any new minimum weight rules in the foreseeable future. Additionally, traction control will remain an option for those teams that wish to use it in every professional category with the exception of Extreme Pro Stock, which retains the rules that mandate a minimum weight (2,425 lbs w/driver) and specify the use of traction control is not allowed.

The National Guard ADRL was founded on the principle of no rules except for safety. At its recent Flowmaster Dragstock VI event at Rockingham (NC) Dragway, however, the series distributed questionnaires to its teams seeking opinions on whether to mandate minimum weights and prohibit traction control devices as cost-cutting measures.