Veteran NHRA Top Fuel crew chief Alan Johnson announced today that Alan
Johnson Al-Anabi Motorsports will locate its team headquarters in
Brownsburg, Ind. creating more than 40 new jobs in the next three years.

Johnson’s current company, Alan Johnson Racing has partnered with
Qatar-based Al-Anabi Racing to form Alan Johnson Racing Al-Anabi
Racing, a two-car team that will invest more than $6.2 million to site
its new operations in the suburban Indianapolis town’s Pace Motorsports
Complex.

The team will field a Top Fuel Dragster and a Funny Car, both of which
will debut when the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series begins
in February, 2009.  Del Worsham, a 22-time NHRA winner, has been named
the team’s Funny Car driver; the Top Fuel driver has not yet been
selected.

“Motorsports has a rich history and a bright future in Indiana,” said
Governor Mitch Daniels. "We’ll continue to encourage Motorsports
companies from across the country and around the globe to locate and
expand here as we build Indiana's reputation as the Motorsports capital
of the world.”

The 11th annual John Force Holiday Car Show is in the books and once again the event was a huge success for car show fans
and most importantly the California Highway Patrol’s “CHiP’s for Kids”
Toy Drive. Nearly one thousand vehicles were on display and attendance
topped 25,000 for the afternoon event on December 7th. John Force
Racing collected over 7,500 toys, their largest single day collection
in the history of the event.

New Venues, New Races Greet Racers of Doorslammer Sanction …

The face of the ADRL schedule will have a new complexion in 2009.

The 2009 schedule features three to be announced locations, with three
new venues and one returning. Beyond those events, the ADRL will debut
in two new markets.

Those unofficial three include St. Louis-based Gateway International
Raceway as well as Atlanta Dragway (Atlanta, Ga.), and Gainesville
Raceway (Gainesville, Fla.). The ADRL previously ran Gateway in 2007
but skipped 2008.

CompetitionPlus.com has learned that Don Schumacher Racing's Pro
Stock Motorcycle riders Chip Ellis and Craig Treble have been released
from their contracts. Schumacher confirmed their release in when
contacted by the magazine.

"They have been great riders for DSR,"
Schmacher said. "Right now I wish Chip and Craig the best of luck but I
really don't have anything else to say regarding their release or our future plans."

Schumacher confirmed that he will run one bike to begin with in 2009 and that rider could be announced by the weekend.

He declined to disclose any potential riders. Multiple sources indicate the new rider will be former world champion Matt Smith.

Two cars in 2009 and even that may be limited …

Kalitta Motorsports crew chief Jim Oberhofer would love to provide
answers for all those who ask questions regarding the 2009 season but
he cannot and with good reason, he doesn’t know himself with any degree
of certainty.

Oberhofer, who is one of the closest team members to its owner Connie
Kalitta, said the plan is to run the Funny Car at all 24-events but as
of now, only one dragster is scheduled to run but the level of
participation remains unseen.

Doug Kalitta will return, but pending a miracle David Grubnic and Hillary Will most likely will be spectators.

Voter turnout exceeds 2007 total in less than 24 hours …

CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY

John
Force extended his lead in provisional qualifying for the second annual
CompetitionPlus.com War Stories competition gaining a 7.06-percent lead
over second place vote getter and former Blue Max crewman “Waterbed”
Fred Miller.

The CompetitionPlus.com War Stories Showdown is a competition of
story-telling with the winners determined by reader vote as competitors
advance on an NHRA-style eliminations ladder. Ladder seeding is
determined by reader vote.

Champion System, a company specializing in the production of
high-quality custom technical clothing, has signed a multi-year
agreement with Don Schumacher Racing to be the official team uniform
supplier, beginning with the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
season.

Based in New York City, Champion System was founded by avid sports
enthusiasts who have combined their strong 20-year knowledge of the
apparel business with their love of all sports. With its roots based in
cycling, Champion System is expanding to include different forms of
motorsports.

Champion System provides a new approach to the custom technical
clothing business. By allowing sports teams, retailers and individuals
to order a full line of custom uniforms with unlimited colors and low
minimums, it has set a new standard in the custom technical clothing
business.

Streaking down the toughest bobsled course in the world, pulling 9.3 Gs with the U.S. Thunderbirds, touring one the most secure
military installations in the world, gracing gaming chips in Las Vegas,
running one of the largest mail order companies in North America --
it's all in a day's work for champion drag racer Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Competing in 24 NHRA national events and winning the POWERade title
will define Coughlin's 2008 season but it hardly describes the daunting
schedule one of the sport's most popular figures kept over the past 12
months.

Coughlin's whirlwind year started in snowy Lake Placid where he helped
NASCAR legend Geoff Bodine raise some much-needed funds for Team USA
Bobsledding. Not surprisingly, Coughlin proved quite adept at handling
a 400-pound competition bobsled himself, finishing third overall
against a group of select NASCAR and NHRA racers despite the fact he'd
never piloted a bobsled prior to the three-day charity event.

Ohio-based racer excited to get back out on the circuit

In 2005 Michael Dakin brought his A-Fuel dragster to the IHRA World
Finals, looking to break into the qualifying field despite long odds.
He was unable to do so, but his trip to “The Rock” left a very good
impression on him. Now, four years later, he will return to IHRA
competition.

Dakin will campaign a 2009 Murf McKinney Top Fuel entry at select ’09 IHRA Nitro Jam events, bringing former Frank Pedregon
and Melanie Troxel tuner Scott Graham along with him. Now the question
will not be if Dakin will make the show…chances are with the best
equipment in his pits and one of the top tuners in the world in his
corner the only question will be where he will end up on the ladder.

Joe Castello's XM Power Shift is no longer on the air- The nightly motor sports talk show on XM 144 broadcast its final show, Friday night, December 5th. The show which covered all forms of racing had a weekly rotation of experts including the NHRA's Alan Reinhart, who discussed drag racing each Tuesday night. Drag racing legends from Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney to current champions Tony Schumacher and Jeg Coughlin made frequent appearances on the radio program.