There’s a real world
out there completely unlike the fantasyland that is drag racing.  It’s a
world in which people have bills to pay, jobs to go to and concerns often far
more important that the next four second run or round of eliminations.  We
visit that world when we’re away from the track, but some of us are so wrapped
up in what we’re doing that what’s taking place in homes all across America
sometimes escapes our notice. 

Let’s find out what some of or friends think about other than drag racing.

Jeg Coughlin received a hero's welcome from 350 enthusiastic employees
when he returned to Jegs Mail Order headquarters in Delaware, Ohio,
earlier this week. Coughlin wrapped up his third Pro Stock title in
dramatic fashion Sunday by rallying from third place in the standings
to the number 1 spot in two short rounds of the 43rd annual Auto Club
of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif. He went on to win
the race in his Jegs.com Chevrolet Cobalt, the 51st national event win
of his career.

The Torco Race Fuel Pro
Modified division received the lion’s share of rule adjustments for 2008 in the
IHRA’s listing of rule changes for their professional divisions. Other classes
receiving adjustments included the Alcohol Funny Car division and the Pro Stock
category.

For the first time in the
history of the soon-to-be 18-year old Pro Modified division, turbocharged
combinations will be acceptable but late model body styles won’t.

The following are the IHRA
rules adjustments for 2008:

Matt Hagan Racing will embark on a new mission for the 2008 and 2009
seasons, with a new car, a new teammate, and a whole new level of
competition.

"I've made no secret about wanting to move up," said Matt Hagan
regarding his decision to move up to a Nitro Funny Car in 2008. "I love
Pro Mod, but I've always had a goal of driving a top fuel car." Matt
was recently licensed in Nitro Funny Car in Las, Vegas and is ready to
begin his transition to a new echelon of competitive drag racing. "I
want to thank Tim Wilkerson who treated me great during the licensing
process in Vegas," said Hagan.

Matt will get his chance to drive a Nitro Funny Car in 2008 and plans
are for him to team up with veteran Torco Nitro Funny Car driver Dale
Creasy, Jr., who is a 2-time world champion (2006 and 2007).

Sometimes the apple
doesn’t fall far from the tree and Matt Smith proved that last Sunday in
Pomona, Ca. Smith, who turned 35 on Sunday, and is the son of seven-time world
champion Rickie Smith, captured his first career championship in grand style by
winning the final round of the 2007 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle season.

For Smith, what seemed
like a mission impossible was very much possible.

“It was a wild day for
us,” Smith said. “I went in knowing that probably the best we could do was
second place in the points. Then I saw Andrew [Hines] red-light in the second
round and all I could say was ‘Wow.’”

The point leader Hines’
foul opened the door for Smith, who didn’t think twice about barging his way
onto the championship stage. Smith had no reservations about laying it on the
line.

The chances are very slim that IHRA mountain motor Pro
Stockers and Offshore Powerboats ever cross paths. This rare occurrence
transpired recently down in the Florida Keys when John Montecalvo loaned his
race rig to offshore powerboat racer Peter Meyer to use as a support vehicle.
Montecalvo also put his Chevrolet Cobalt on display, and that caught the eye of
offshore legend Reggie Fountain.

While Fountain’s name might not be a household one in the
drag racing community, his status in the offshore powerboat world is reportedly
akin to that of  “Big Daddy” Don Garlits
in drag racing.

“I was invited by a friend and the car immediately drew a lot of attention,”
Montecalvo said. “That’s when Reggie noticed our car.”

The dramatic crash between Kenny Koretsky and Bruce Allen in
2005 at Dallas will be chronicled soon in a documentary on the History Channel,
according to Koretsky.

The NHRA crowned their four
world-championship winning drivers crowned Monday evening during the 2007
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series awards ceremony at the Westin Bonaventure
Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

The evening
featured two very moving tributes. The first to NHRA founder Wally Parks, who
died Sept. 28 at age 94, after a lifetime dedicated to growing and nurturing
NHRA to position it as a worldwide leader in motorsports; and the other to
Funny Car driver Eric Medlen, who died March 23 from injuries received in a
testing crash at Gainesville Raceway four days earlier. Medlen, 33, a team
driver for John Force Racing, was one of the bright young stars in the NHRA
POWERade Series.

Click here for our extensive AWARDS CEREMONY - LEND-AMERICA PHOTO GALLERY 

Could Cory McClenathan soon get an upgrade? He's apparently made it clear to Don Schumacher that he wants to.

McClenathan has lobbied Schumacher
to be more than just a leaser at Don Schumacher Racing. The veteran Top Fuel driver
said he’s got a two year contract on the table to drive for DSR with the
blessings and monetary support from Fram and its related companies.
 

“Basically, what's going to happen is we're going to move the Fram deal all
the way into their deal and have two dragsters,” said McClenathan. “Our sponsors
have been great and understanding considering all of the problems that we’ve had
with different owners and changing teams. It’s nice to have control of your
destiny and I still want to make that control good.