Kon Rodz Racing recently announced that they have hired Dale and Laurie
Cannister, the 2008 IHRA Alcohol Funny Car World Champions. 

Dale will serve the tuner role while Laurie act as an advisor to current driver Jason McKnight.

Crane Cams has reopened under the new ownership of S&S Cycle, and
is actively engaged in manufacturing and sales operations of its
ignition and motorcycle lines. The company, founded by Harvey J. Crane
in 1953, is newly housed in a facility at 1640 Mason Ave. in Daytona
Beach, and a number of long-term Crane employees have joined the
revitalized company.

S&S Cycle acquired Crane’s intellectual properties, patents,
trademarks, camshaft masters, inventory and some equipment in April
2009. S&S is best known for its broad line of components for V-Twin
motorcycle applications. The 50-year-old company boasts extensive
R&D and manufacturing capabilities, including a complete in-house
50-state Emissions Certification Lab.

Beginning with the ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags II in Madison, Ill., ADRL Pro Extreme veteran Todd
Tutterow will join Top Fuel driver Doug Herbert and B.R.A.K.E.S., the
501(c)(3) charity organization he founded in memory of his two sons, to
help promote safe teen driving. Tutterow’s Pro Extreme Corvette will
run a specially designed wrap to help bring the B.R.A.K.E.S. message to
ADRL fans for the last four races of the 2009 ADRL tour.

NHRA Fans—Hope you like your “Bounty Hunter” well done…

As
you know, Connie is celebrating 50 years of racing in the NHRA. And
there’s not a better way to honor him than to put him on the hot seat.
This year at the Mac Tools US Nationals, Kalitta Motorsports will host
“Barbecuing the Bounty Hunter: The Roast of Conrad Kalitta” on Sunday,
September 6 at 5:30 p.m. (or two hours after nitro qualifying session
ends) to 8:30 p.m. The roast will be held at the Mac Tools Hospitality
tent and will be open to the public with ticket sales benefiting the
Racers for Christ organization.

If the ADRL is to play on the same level as it aspires to be with the
NHRA and where the IHRA used to be, then a measure of the Mom & Pop
mentality that helped propel the group is going to have to be brushed
aside.

In most sporting events it's known as the home field advantage. When
Terry McMillen brings his Amalie Oil / Wolverine Boots and Apparel Top
Fuel Dragster to the U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan it
will be the closest thing to home field advantage that a drag racer can
hop for.

"We've been busy preparing for the IHRA North American Nationals,"
McMillen said. "It's not every day that we get to race this close to
home. We'll have so many friends and family here visiting and
supporting our team. It's just awesome to have that much hometown
support. Jason and Stephanie Peterson (track owners) do such a great
job making this place feel like home for all the teams. It's just great
to race here."

Three days after meeting in the NHRA Pro Stock final at Infineon
Raceway, Summit Racing teammates Greg Anderson and Jason Line will be
the featured players in this week’s premiere episode of SPEED’s highly
popular drag racing-themed game show, Pass Time.  Taped in May at the
spectacular zMAX Dragway in Concord, NC, the show is scheduled to air
this Wednesday, July 29 at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

Robert Patrick intends to run a twelve-race NHRA tour in 2009 but he’s
not the least bit interested in abandoning his ADRL Extreme Pro
Stock participation. The current championship format of the ADRL allows
Patrick to run both and contend for a championship on the popular
eighth-mile series.

“It’s an ambitious schedule, I’ll assure you of that,” said Patrick.
“I’m not selling anything. I’m keeping everything intact on our
program. The announcement might have been focused on the upcoming
500-inch program but there’s no way I will walk away from the big
engines. It’s been a part of my life since the first day I became a
professional drag racer.”

National
Speed Sport News Editor Chris Economaki gave a short but profound
answer to Michael Knight, host of VoiceAmerica.com's The Race Reporters
radio show June 24 on the Internet's Power Up Channel.