NHRA's Division 3 Photographer, Bob Hesser, died April 7 after a short illness. He was 48.

Hesser, who began shooting for the North Central Division in 2002,
was well-known and universally liked by not only the racers and track
operators in his division, but by racers everywhere who enjoyed his
easy-going demeanor and marveled at his great photographic skills.

The decision to keep the MPE Motorsports Top Fuel dragster at home  versus entering the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals in Las Vegas was made by driver Clay Millican, who manages the team for owner Mark Pickens.

Millican, a six-time IHRA Top Fuel champion who now drives exclusively
in NHRA Full Throttle competition, confirmed  he made the decision to
ensure the future for the organization.  The team will return to
competition in Commerce, Ga., the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern
Nationals, April 16 – 19, 2009, the next event on the NHRA Pro schedule.

“It is Mark's team,” reminded Millican when asked about the decision.
“He put me in charge of his money and I am doing my best to take care
of it.”

Millican said Pickens supported his driver/manager’s decision to skip the fifth race of the 24-race tour.

“Mark told me that he knows what my budget is and appreciates me
treating his money as if it were mine,” Millican said Monday afternoon
from his Memphis, TN.-based shop.

Remember the Top Alcohol Dragster final from last weekend’s NHRA
O’Reilly NHRA Springnationals? You remember the one where one dragster
nearly tried to draft the other NASCAR style across the finish line?

Chris Demke remembers it and with good reason. He was behind the wheel
of the seemingly possessed dragster owned by his stepfather, Jerry
Maddern.

They left Houston feeling fortunate.

“As I hit my (first to second gear) shift, I found the car going a
little bit to the left. I remember seeing the 660’ cones and thought,
those cones are way to close,” recalled Demke, a ten-time winner on the
NHRA Divisional tour.

hen big money is on the line at any bracket race, Scott Richardson
usually finds himself in contention. After this weekend’s
$100,000-to-win TCI Twins in Thunder Valley, Richardson’s biggest
problem may be trying to stuff that oversized check into the teller
window at his local bank.

Richardson earned the top prize in the World Footbrake Challenge at
Bristol the last two years, and now can add a win in George Howard’s
TCI Twins to his resume.

The Barbourville, Ky. native drove his Race Tech dragster to victory
over Stephen McCrory of Taylorsville, Ga. in the finals to earn the
$100,000 payday. McCrory broke giving Richardson the easy win.

Richardson left the line with a .013 reaction time and ran a 5.071
elapsed time on a 4.83 dial-in. He flashed through the line at 109.24
mph.

Outlaw Mad Dawg competition begins this weekend at Mooresville Dragway in Mooresville, N.C.

Leading
the competition will be recent Big Dog winner Chris Rini and not only
is he shooting for a Mad Dawg title this weekend, he's also gunning for
the honor of being the first of this type race car into the eighth-mile
three-second zone. Rini currently holds the Mad Dawg record with a
4.12.

Look for competition from David Lambert, Rocky Raynor, Jason
Harris, Darrin Hoyle, Andy Beal, Ant and Joel Douglas, Travis Harvey
Jack Gaddy, Gilmer Hinshaw, Ken Regenthal and many more. 

John Zappia was close to his best at the Grand Final Meeting at the
Kwinana Motorplex last weekend, and ran the quickest time in Australian
Top Doorslammer history – with a 5.833, 247.25mph. But just to prove it
was not a “one off” quick pass, he rattled of a 5.848 and a 5.839 in
eliminations, and just missed out on winning the local West Australian
2008/2009 Top Comp Championship in the Final.

“What an exciting car this Striker Monaro has turned into” said Zap
after the event, “I was disappointed to red light against Pilko in the
final, but that is racing. We normally run a Pro Tree in Doorslammer,
and the Full Tree start occasionally catches me out”.

“But I want to explain to the fans what a 5.83 run was like. I have
been drag racing for a long time, and rarely does the car take my
breath away, but that first 5.833 was simply awesome. First gear after
launch was so strong it carried the wheels for so long and simply
scared the daylights out of me. I short shifted at 9,100rpm - instead
of going to 10,000rpm, to get the wheels back on the ground, and second
gear went very quick. In third the car usually levels off in g-force as
I approach the finish line, but at about 1,000 feet the Rat hit me in
the back with such force it was like a two stroke power band coming on
– the finish line was a blur and our data logger tells us I went to
254mph before I got off it. One exciting ride I can tell you!”.

Top drivers from every era of NHRA drag racing, the first woman to win
an NHRA division championship and the inventor of the tire-screeching
burnout make up the Honorees for the 2009 Holley National Hot Rod
Reunion on June 19-21 at Beech Bend Raceway Park, Bowling Green,
Kentucky.

Capps, Jeggie and Schumacher Win Again.
 

Mike Green has the Army car flying – right into the winner’s circle -- again and again.

In our very late Saturday report (held up through the vagaries of the
Internet, for which we apologize), this writer (or should I say, “this
fool”) said something about there not being a lot of domination this
season.  Final eliminations at the Summitracing.com Nationals at
fabulous Las Vegas Motor Speedway proved once again how easy it is for
someone to make ridiculous statements about drag racing.  Just when you
think it’s safe to say, well, anything, guys like Tony Schumacher, Jeg
Coughlin, Jr. and Ron Capps step up and force you to change your tune.
 
Schumacher won his second straight Top Fuel race, and he seems destined
for more.  He is not going to have an easy time of it in terms of
taking another championship, but by the same token it’s time for those
who suggested that crew chief Mike Green wouldn’t be able to come close
to matching tuner Alan Johnson’s record of last year to shut up.  Green
has done a masterful job with the U.S. Army team thus far, and that
word “team” is absolutely relevant here.  Remember, almost every one of
the guys who won last year’s title for the Army and Schumacher left to
join Alan Johnson’s team and driver Larry Dixon, Jr.  That left Green
in the difficult position of starting virtually from scratch, but thus
far he’s exceeded expectations – and there seems to be no end in sight.

Former IHRA Pro Stock world champion Chris Holbrook doesn’t mind his driving career being on borrowed time. The way the Redford, MI.-based driver sees it, at least he’s racing.

Holbrook has a one race deal to compete at the IHRA Spring Nationals at Rockingham Dragway.

“I just love this sport, it’s my life,” Holbrook said. “I grew up
watching my dad drag race and build race engines. I’m here to stay, one
way or the other.”

Holbrook hasn’t had much luck since winning the 1999 world
championship. The second-generation drag racer lost his father,
legendary Super Stock racer Carl Holbrook prior to the first race of
his title defense season and weeks later his ride after team owner Stu
Evans pulled the plug on the race operation.

Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels has launched a branded
online video site called MickeyThompsonTV.com. This online video,
produced by PowerTV, is stocked with a variety of video content on
Mickey Thompson strip, truck, motorcycle, off-road, and Bonneville
racing that will include recent video as well as some vintage Mickey
Thompson video footage. Video will also include product information,
company news, event coverage and more.

Any video on MickeyThompsonTV.com can be viewed, selected, and then
embedded into other web pages, forums or blogs so the video can be
shared. Mickey Thompson enthusiasts and fans will also be able to
upload their own video content. Members will have the ability to share
comments, and participate in related forums, and will also be able to
access Mickey Thompson product information, company news, apparel and
much more.