Not many people in Colorado know of Steve Meade. After all, most of his
passions are common ones; muscle cars, motorcycles, snow boarding or
anything your typical ‘adrenalin junkie’ might enjoy.

But everyone in the city of Denver knows ‘Willie B.’ The morning show
deejay for FM rock station 106.7 KBPI, one of the most listened to
morning shows in the market.

Meade, better known as ‘Willie B,’ is one of the more than 450 racers
who will be taking their shot this weekend at trying to make the final
16 during this weekend’s PINKS All Out shoot at picturesque Bandimere
Speedway, just outside Denver.

Radio is this Kentucky natives passion, which he started at the young
age of 16 years old at a modest station known as WFMI. But his big
break came in Denver, where he’s eventually carved out a big following
in the morning and some of the cities highest ratings.

Tommy Johnson is one of the few players reprising a role in an NHRA
softball game.  Johnson will play in the NHRA Charity softball game to
be held prior to racing at the NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals in Reading,
Pa.

In the early ‘90s, he played for two years in the NHRA vs. NASCAR
softball game, followed by a third year when the NHRA players faced off
against the CART drivers.

In the final battle of the motorsports stars, Johnson threw superstar
Paul Newman out at home plate during the CART game.  Newman was pinch
running for Rick Mears who couldn’t run due to foot injuries obtained
in a highly publicized racing crash.

In late July this season, Johnson visited his friend, Aaron Rowand, a
standout player on the San Francisco Giants, and had an opportunity to
participate in batting and outfield practice prior to the Giants’ game
against the Washington Nationals.  Johnson connected on 70 percent of
the pitches in batting practice.  He’s scheduled to play the left
centerfield position.

They are the pride of the Iron Range.

This is the area of Minnesota in which the father and son Pro Stock combination of Warren and Kurt Johnson were born.

Together the Johnson combination account for 134 national event wins
and this weekend, they are racing at home in front of family and
friends.

“Every year when we go to Brainerd, I get to see people I went to
school with about 40 years ago, making it an enjoyable return to my
roots, and I am truly grateful for my early existence there,” said
Warren, the elder Johnson. “Growing up in Minnesota, the one thing you
develop is a tremendous work ethic.  As a result, we primarily see
returning to Brainerd as just another race for our GM Performance Parts
GXP team.”

Just another race or not, together they have accounted for seven wins
and six No. 1 qualifying efforts. In fact, they average fifth in
qualifying since the event debuted twenty-five years ago.  

Scott Griffin has declined to speak to the media regarding recent
rumors that reported he’d filed a lawsuit against his former driver
Cory McClenathan.

Cory McClenathan isn’t talking either under the advice of his legal counsel.

That’s okay because Griffin’s attorney has no problems speaking amidst their silence.

“No lawsuit has been filed, I’ve only written a letter to Cory,” said
Clay Collier, counsel to Scott Griffin, in an exclusive interview with
CompetitionPlus.com.

John
Hagen qualified 13th in the first-ever NHRA 500-inh Pro Stock race. He
reached the semi-finals. A young Greg Anderson was his crew chief.

A fatal accident twenty-five years ago cost drag racing one the truest
good guys that ever drove a Pro Stocker. The aftermath almost robbed
drag racing of a future star.

Multi-time champion Greg Anderson had a passion for learning the inner-workings of drag
racing and John Hagen was doing an admirable job of teaching his young
apprentice more than just what it took to turn on the win lights.

“I learned a lot of family values from him,” Anderson said. “What I
really learned was the value of hard work. We didn't have the resources
so we worked very hard -- every night until about midnight in the shop
and then we'd drive all night long to get to the race track.  We did it
on a shoestring budget and he taught me what it took to compete in a
class and how hard you had to work and how you had to treat people.

WIN A 426 HEMI BENIFITTING RONNIE SOX FOUNDATION

Drag racing fans will soon have a chance to win a 426 HEMI and the
opportunity could cost only a $20 donation to the Ronnie Sox Foundation
benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
 
This drawing will by held at the 2009 Mopar Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.

Randy Bolig, Editor of Mopar Muscle Magazine approached Diane Sox with
the idea of how to help raise additional funds for the Ronnie Sox
Foundation.

The JEGS ProMod Challenge for the upcoming 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
promises to showcase one of the best groups of Pro Mod racers ever assembled.
Although limited to just 24 entries by NHRA, officials with the invitation-only
series still managed to put together an outstanding field of top-caliber
drivers.

Four former series champions headline the group. Current JEGS
champ Josh Hernandez has to be considered the favorite to win drag racing's
crown jewel. He's been to three Indy finals in a row, recording a win in 2006
and runner-ups in '05 and '07. Likewise, '06 series champion Jay Payne is
looking for his second U.S. Nationals victory. He won the race in
2005.

"Tricky Rickie" Smith, who claimed the series' title in its
inaugural year of 2001, also will be trying for his second victory at
Indianapolis Raceway Park, having won the race in 2003. This time through, Smith
is contemplating bringing a nitrous racecar.

Although Jim Yates has experienced his share of ups and downs this
season, the driver of the Wiley X Eyewear Pontiac is highly optimistic
about his team's chances this weekend at the 27th annual Lucas Oil NHRA
Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. Coming up on the schedule
are a pair of events at BIR, and the following week at Reading, Pa.,
where the two-time NHRA POWERade champion (1996-97) has a long history
of being extremely competitive, and he will try to capitalize on his 18
years in the sport to close out the 2008 season on a high note.

"There's a lot talk of being in the top 10 and making the Countdown,"
Yates said. "If we win a race between now and the end of the year then
our season will have been a success. Wiley X will be extremely happy,
Pontiac will be happy and we'll be happy because it sets the pace for
the level of competition we'll be able to provide next year. If we're
in a position where we have the performance level, we can make a lot of
those so-called contenders nervous. They're not only going to have to
worry about winning that round, but they're going to have to compete
against our team, and we're going to be at a level where we can be a
thorn in their side."

Kenny Koretsky’s Nitro Fish/Indicom Electric Pro Stock team is returning to NHRA competition at Brainerd, Minn., Friday.

Koretsky, however, will not be behind the wheel of the new-look Pontiac
GXP. Richie Stevens, who drove the car at Norwalk, Ohio, in June, was
at the controls during the team’s two-day test session at Route 66
Raceway in Joliet, Ill., and he will stay in the seat for this
weekend’s Lucas Oil Nationals.

Once upon a time, a class designated as Modified eliminator presented
drag racing fans with a harmony of small-inch, high-winding screamers
-- mostly comprised of those Doug Nash five-speed transmissions. These
classic home videos were shot at the old Houston drag strip in 1979 and
if you look you will spot classic names such as Billy Mansell and
Coleman Roddy, not to mention cameo appearances from nitro racers Tom
Hoover, Lee Shepherd and Shirley Muldowney.