The day the competition feared has arrived.

Entering the 2009 season, Del Worsham carried the monstrous
expectations of a drag racing community who assumed his association
with championship team owner Alan Johnson all but guaranteed a Funny
Car title.

Then, they stumbled and then, they stumbled again.

What was deemed to be the almighty team didn’t appear to be so almighty.

Then, Worsham won at the NHRA O'Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis
and there was concern from the competition that early season
expectations were close to becoming fulfilled. Still, with the previous
early season shortfalls, there was a measure of doubt.

NHRA Nitro Funny Car driver James Day will once again jump behind
the wheel of a Nitro burning Nostalgia car but its been awhile since he has driven a Top Fuel car.

"I
haven't driven a front motored top fuel car since 2005 and I'm really
excited about it," Day said. "There's nothing quite like sitting behind
the motor with nothing to protect you. You need to have a lot of
respect for this kind of car, you never know when those little tires
are gonna come lose out there and it can get away from you in a heart
beat. I enjoy the challenge of driving different type of cars, it keeps
my mind fresh and it also keeps me off suicide watch as our big show
NHRA car is parked due to lack off funding.

After nearly a month-and-a-half layoff, the NMRA and all of the cars and stars returned to all-Ford drag racing action, as the

This gorgeous Maverick belongs to Don Bowles from Madisonville,
Kentucky.  Don is an old-school drag racer that can trace his roots to
racing with Jack Roush back in the ‘70’s, and he’s one of the toughest
racers on the NMRA circuit.  He’s always on his game on race day and is
feared by his competition for his great reaction times and excellent
preparation.

well-seasoned
1320’ racing surface of Atco Raceway in Atco, New Jersey hosted the 9th
Annual Nitto Tire Ford Nationals presented by Downs Ford Motorsport. 
The weather forecast heading into the weekend didn’t look terribly
promising, but it was beautiful on Friday and Saturday for qualifying,
and after a brief rain session on Sunday morning, settled into a brisk
60-degree day with nearly zero humidity.  As a result, records were set
with surprising regularity through the course of the day during
eliminations.

The first-year “Bowling for Riley” event hosted by NAPA AUTO PARTS and Don Schumacher Racing on May 19 was an instant success, as
NHRA fans and drivers showed up at Brownsburg (Ind.) Bowl in support of
Indiana’s only comprehensive hospital dedicated exclusively to the care
of children, Riley Hospital for Children.

Over $9,000 was raised in just over four hours from entry fees, the
sale of silent auction items, a 50/50, a live auction, and voluntary
donations. “This is just another great event that DSR and Riley
Hospital have put together,” noted Ron Capps, pilot of the NAPA AUTO
PARTS Funny Car and current NHRA class points leader. “Our team owner,
Don Schumacher, is very supportive of these kinds of events, and it was
great to see all of the NHRA drivers and teams behind it as well.”

The second edition of the annual NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series meet –
dubbed the Las Vegas Speed Spectacular – now is history. The
unseasonably-hot weekend ended Sunday afternoon with finals for A/Fuel,
AA/Gas, Jr. Fuel, 7.0 Pro, Hot Rod, D/Gas, C/Gas, B/Gas, A/Gas,
Nostalgia Eliminatior 1, Nostalgia Eliminator 2 and Nostalgia
Eliminator 3 categories.

Kin Bates of Anderson, Calif., defeated Bill Wayne of Bullhead City,
Ariz., in the A/Fuel finale, 6.354 sec./219.79 mph to 6.525 sec./212.03
mph.

John Randell, 12, lives in Henderson and races in the Short Line
Express Market/Chevron Jr. Dragster Series at The Strip at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway. Less than one year ago, the Mannion Middle School
student was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Randell turned his medical setback into an opportunity to help others
by founding Diabetes Education Awareness, LLC. His goal this spring was
to raise $1,500 in donations so that he can send three children to a
diabetes education camp (Camp Buck, at the Grizzly Creek Ranch near
Reno) in August for one week.  His foundation’s mission was to pay all
expenses, including airfare, for the three candidates.

He reached
his goal this weekend of raising $1,500 in donations to send three
children to a diabetes education camp (Camp Buck, at the Grizzly Creek
Ranch near Reno) Saturday night at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway. Randell collected money for his cause at a display beneath
the grandstands at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's 3/8-mile paved oval.  One
anonymous female donor dropped off $600 for the cause.

Lucas Oil Top Dragster entry bests large field at Toronto Motorsports Park Victoria Day Challenge
 
T.J.
Schippling won the first Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA
Auto Parts at the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park over the
Victoria Day Weekend Challenge.
 
“It’s been a great weekend,” said the Shakespeare, Ontario racer. “We
kept the same game plan for the weekend, and the track was great.”
 
Driving his Top Dragster Schippling ran a 7.418-second, 171.01-mph pass
in the final to win over Jeff Gabel of Stratford, Ontario in his 1975
Duster Top Sportsman, who posted a 7.657-second, 175.483-mph clocking.
Schippling was dialed in with a 7.38-second index and Gabel was running
with a 7.62-second index.

It was Ike Maier’s day.
 
The Tottenham, Ontario racer qualified his 1963 Corvette Pro Modified
number one for the PMRA season opener, and stayed on top during the
weekend to win his first PMRA event.
 
“We finally won something,” said Maier after his win. “But I have to thank the team. I just get in and drive.”

Top Alcohol Funny Car ace Frank Manzo scored his 100th divisional event
win this weekend at the 3rd Annual B'laster Cavalcade of Stars
presented by Budweiser, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series at Summit Motorsports Park.  The Morganville, N.J., racer also
has 79 NHRA national event wins on his resume.  Ken Perry of Richmond
Hill, Va., joined Manzo in the winner's circle after wheeling his Top
Alcohol Dragster to the win.  The NHRA North Central division race
featured more than 500 cars racing in 11 categories.

Due to an abbreviated qualifying schedule because of rain, Manzo only
had one shot at qualifying and was racing today from the No. 4 slot. 
In the semis he beat No. 1 qualifier Andy Bohl of Racine, Wis.  Manzo
ran 5.521 seconds at 262.79 mph to Bohl's 5.599-second, 258.12 mph
lap.  In the final, Manzo had a single because his opponent, Terry
Monroe, Beaver, Pa., had damaged his motor in his semifinal round win
and was unable to make the call to the final.

Perry had qualified in the No. 3 position and in the final he took on
the class's top qualifier, Mike Kosky of Cuddy, Pa.  Perry blasted a
5.312-second, 260.36 mph pass to Kosky's 5.461-second, 226.01 mph
effort to take the win.

The winners in both the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car
categories at the Texas Sportsman Challenge, a round of the NHRA Lucas
Oil Drag Racing Series at Houston Raceway Park, took on the No. 1
qualifiers in the final round.  Todd Odom, Lake Dallas, Texas, took his
dragster to the win while Corpus Christi, Texas's Steve Burke won in
Funny Car.

Odom who started the day from the No. 3 slot squared off against
Claremore, Okla., resident Malcolm Wahle in the final.  Odom blasted a
5.294-second, 269.08 mph pass to Wahle's 5.358-second, 255.15 mph
effort.

Burke was the second-place qualifier in Funny Car and in the final he
took on Tony Bartone of Long Island City, N.Y.  Burke's 5.700-second,
249.76 mph lap was more than enough as Bartone red-lighted.