Rising drag racing star of the Arabian Gulf Region, KA Balooshi doesn’t
seem to be concerned with what kind of car he’s driving so long as it
has four-wheels and a clutch pedal he seems to find himself right at
home behind the wheel. This weekend in West Palm Beach, though, it was
Balooshi’s first opportunity at the controls of an A/Fuel Dragster.

As the sport of drag racing continues to grow in popularity throughout
the Arabian Gulf Region, the demand for top-tier racing programs and
the necessary driving and tuning talent is ever-increasing. Al Anabi
Racing team driver KA Balooshi, who currently competes in the American
Drag Racing League’s Pro Nitrous division, is being groomed to drive a
Top Fuel Dragster as part of the Al Anabi/Qatar Racing team – so, when
the opportunity to get his feet wet in the nitro ranks came about
during the Alan Johnson/Al Anabi Racing private test session at Palm
Beach International Raceway this past weekend, Balooshi couldn’t pass
it up.

With an unparalleled amount of driving and mechanical expertise at his
disposal, Balooshi was able to get up to speed as to the handling
characteristics and technical aspects of the new A/Fuel Dragster
platform quicker than could have ever been expected. The entire Alan
Johnson Racing team was on hand to introduce Balooshi to the
low-five-second, 270+mph category including NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car
superstar drivers Larry Dixon and Del Worsham, along with Alan Johnson
himself, Chad Head, veteran injected nitro tuner Tom Conway, and
Kimelyn Buff Pesz.

On Saturday night Funny Car legend John Force used his considerable
vocal talents and driving skill to help raise money for the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) auctioning off a 2008 Mustang Cobra
Jet for $375,000 during the famed Barrett-Jackson Auction in Phoenix.

The Cobra Jet was one of three prototype's and was driven by John Force
in a promotional match race during the Auto Club Finals in Pomona last
year. 2008 Auto Club Road to the Future Rookie of the Year Mike Neff
also drove the vehicle during a media event centered around the Cobra
Jet in 2008

Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels will not participate as
a major sponsor of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) in 2009. Ken
Warner, VP Sales and Marketing for Mickey Thompson stated, “The tough
decision to suspend our relationship with NHRA after more than 26 years
is due to several concerns including a recent mandate by the NHRA that
Pro Stock racers will be required to compete exclusively on Goodyear
tires.”
 
Warner also stated, “The decision to compete solely on one
manufacturer's tires may ultimately diminish the level of competition
in the Pro Stock series.  The spirit of open competition drives this
sport and by limiting the racers' choice of tires, that spirit is
severely diminished.  We hope the sanctioning body revisits this ruling
and opens up the competition to manufacturers like Mickey Thompson who
are willing to put years of technology and experience into making tires
that help win races."

National DRAGSTER, the official newsweekly of NHRA, will
celebrate its 50th year of publication in 2009 with a series of
retrospective articles on the publication’s history and evolution since
its debut in February 1960.

Current staff members, several of whom have been with the publication for three decades, plan to compare and contrast National DRAGSTER’s
look, feel, and major elements over its five decades, examining areas
such as the evolution of national event coverage, cover design,
features, columns, photography, reporting, printing methods, and more.

Two-time and reigning Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season champion
Shawn Langdon will trade in his Super Comp dragster for a Top Fuel ride
in 2009 and beyond. Pending the successful completion of the crossover
licensing requirements, Langdon plans to run the entire 2009 NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing Series in a John Stewart-tuned Lucas Oil/Dixie
Choppers dragster as a teammate to established Top Fuel pro Morgan
Lucas.

"We think it's time for Shawn to make the move to the top level of the
sport, and we're pleased to have him join our son, Morgan, in Top
Fuel," said Forrest Lucas, founder of Lucas Oil and who oversees his
son's operation. "He's proven to be a winner in a race car, and it will
be fun to watch him grow into his new role with our team.

"It's also important for us to have another positive role model for our
company and the sport of NHRA Drag Racing. Shawn's a great young man
that's like family to Charlotte and me, and we wish nothing but the
best for him in the days and months ahead."

Flowmaster, a mainstay of the American Drag Racing League since its
inception, has announced that it is offering a bounty of $5,000 to the
first driver competing in the Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 class who can go
quicker than 3.99 seconds and an additional $5,000 to the first driver
that can go faster than 185 miles per hour.

Both ends of the current Extreme 10.5 class record were set last
October at the Texas Motorplex. Gary White established the elapsed time
mark with a stellar 4.101-second pass while Todd Moyer's 180.45 mph
blast set the miles-per-hour standard.

For Flowmaster Senior Vice President of Marketing Richard Small, the bounty evokes memories of the past.

"The Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 class reminds me of the original 'fastest
street car' shootouts of the mid-1990s," said Small. "Back then, they
raced for satin jackets. We wanted to up the ante a bit."

Anytime Jack Beckman gets the opportunity to test his MTS/Valvoline
Funny Car, he takes advantage of it. This weekend’s test session
provided more than enough kick for Beckman to shake off the cobwebs of
winter.

While the recent economic downturn is causing problems for some
companies and race teams, Rick Jones has decided not only to maintain
his involvement, but to increase his commitments for the 2009 season.
The owner Quarter-Max Chassis and Racing Components and RJ Race Cars,
Inc. says he is resolved to not let the nation's struggling economy
dictate their commitment to customers and fans.

"In these tough economic times we want to prove that Quarter-Max and RJ
Race Cars, Inc. is in this for the long haul," Jones communicates.
"When the going gets tough the tough get going. We are planning on
attending all 24 of the NHRA Full Throttle events. Also Quarter-Max
will have a new display trailer with inventory on the manufactures
midway to better service the racers and our loyal customers."

Jones, along with son Rickie as driver of the Quarter-Max Mopar Dodge
Stratus, also plans to increase involvement with his successful Pro
Stock operation.

Three former IHRA World Champions and reigning IHRA Spring Nationals
champion Elijah Morton are among the headliners already committed to
the fifth annual Rock Batteries Spring Blast which will culminate in
the crowning of a combined champion on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Rockingham
Dragway.

Morton, a Pro Stock veteran from Jacksonville, N.C., has driven his
Ford Mustang into the finals at the last two IHRA races at The Rock,
beating John Montecalvo to win the Spring Nationals before the New York
driver reversed the order of finish at last October’s World Finals.

The lineup of former IHRA World Champions includes “Tricky Rickie”
Smith of King, N.C., who won five Pro Stock and two sportsman world
championships; and Robert Patrick of Fredericksburg, Va., the 2007 Pro
Stock champ.

In a press release issued this afternoon, the NHRA said that its
competition department has reported as many as 18 teams in each of the
event’s three featured pro categories (Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro
Stock) have confirmed their plans for participating in the first of 24
races in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

In Top Fuel, 18 teams have entered to date, featuring the following
drivers: six-time champ Tony Schumacher, Brandon Bernstein, two-time
champ Larry Dixon, Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta, Cory McClenathan, Morgan
Lucas, rookie Spencer Massey, Clay Millican, David Baca, Mike
Strasburg, Troy Buff, Joe Hartley, Arley Langlo, Rob Passey, Steve
Chrisman, Urs Erbacher and Andy Carter, the FIA European Top Fuel champ.