At this weekend’s, Oct. 5-7, annual running of the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA
Nationals at the Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, Va., Doug Kalitta,
driver of the 330-mph, “Big Red” Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, is looking forward
to seeing “329” next to his name Sunday, and not necessarily in the illumination
of the light bulbs of the finish line scoreboard at VMR.

At the previous event in Dallas, Kalitta reached the 325-round win milestone
in the Top Fuel class, drag racing’s quickest and fastest racing division. He is
hoping to add four more to that total this weekend and pick up a long overdue
win for him and his Mac Tools team in the 2007 POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Terry McMillen, driver of the Foley/Lewis Torco Nitro Top Fuel Dragster
backed by Evan Knoll, will make his NHRA debut this week at the Torco
Race Fuels NHRA Nationals October 5-7. The race held at Virginia
Motorsports Park is one that McMillen has been looking forward to all
year long.

"We circled these dates on our calendar right away," McMillen said.
"Evan Knoll does so much for drag racing and this is one of the many
events that he sponsors, so we wanted to be here to support him and to
gets some Top Fuel NHRA experience."
"I'm lucky enough to work along side of Evan at Torco," McMillen
continued. "He's really a great guy to work with. When it comes to
racing, no one does it better. He gives us the best tools to work with
and now this opportunity to race with the best of the best. It's pretty
exciting."

Torco’s
CompetitionPlus.com has confirmed that IHRA alcohol Funny Car racer Dale
Brand’s business was affected by a tornado that hit Sully, Iowa.

Brand was racing this
weekend in Budds Creek, Md., when the severe weather hit his Co-Line
Manufacturing business sending sheet metal flying and damaging walls. Debris
from the accident reportedly wrapped around nearby homes.

No one was in the building
or at home when the storm hit and no injuries were reported.

Brand has made a
triumphant return to the IHRA Funny Car class in qualifying No. 1 during the
last two events.

Torco's CompetitionPlus.com has tried unsuccessful to reach Brand for comment.

When the sixth pair of
cars in the first session establishes a provisional world record, then you know
you’re in for a special weekend. That should be quite an accomplishment in
itself – but it was a forgotten memory by the time Sunday rolled around at the
IHRA Torco Race Fuels President’s Cup Nationals hosted by Maryland International
Raceway at Budds Creek, Md.

In fact, this scenario
would be repeated eight more times before the weekend was complete.

Nevermind the
record-setting aspect of the weekend, there were legends in attendance and a
ton of money [$50,000 in purse for eight cars, thanks to Torco Race Fuels] on
the line during the course of the weekend. But indeed, Saturday night (and
afternoon) was made for fighting.

The Torco Race Fuels
President’s Cup provided the perfect culmination for a 30-year anniversary of the
mountain motor Pro Stock movement.

Second-generation racer
Cary Goforth fired the first shot by cranking out a 222.88 mile per hour speed
but Brian Gahm soon overshadowed his mark as he recorded a 223.06 trap speed
just three pairs later.

Dave
Connolly knew from an early age where he wanted to go in life. He
reached it during the second portion of the three phase NHRA Countdown
to the Championship format -- the leading Pro Stock driver in the
country.

Connolly
learned from an early age that drag racing would be an integral part of
his life growing up. He often went to drag races with his dad, Ray
Connolly, a Sportsman racer. It didn't take long to realize that Dave
wanted to follow in dad’s tire tracks. 

Dave, 24, drove Super Comp cars like his dad but took the big step to
NHRA Pro Stock competition in 2003.  And, in his fourth full season of
professional racing, Dave currently is the category’s hottest guy in
the POWERade Series championship race.  He brings an impressive
four-race win streak with him to Virginia Motorsports Park, in nearby
Dinwiddie, for his car owner/sponsor Evan Knoll’s Torco Racing Fuels
Nationals.

Interested in driving a
300 MPH Jet Dragster? Hanna Motorsports has an opportunity for you.

Current driver Jessie
Harris will vacate the seat of the BIC Lighter Queen of Diamonds dragster at
the end of the year. Prior to Harris, Jessica Willard and Aggie Hendricks were
drivers.

“We are officially on the
hunt to discover the next BIC Lighter ‘Queen of Diamonds," team owner
and longtime jet racer Al Hanna said.  “We
have chosen to contact major tracks, and ask for input in terms of a young
woman who they feel dreams of having a career in professional drag racing.

Jimmy Blackman of Rockmart,
Ga., used his starting line skills
to win the featured Outlaw 10.5 title Sunday in the Holcomb Motorsports Fall
Civil Wars pro street showdown at  Rockingham
Dragway.

 Blackman’s 1992
Pontiac Trans Am was outperformed in each of the last two elimination rounds,
but the Georgia driver compensated for
slightly slower eighth mile performance numbers with a reaction times of .030
and .008 that earned him the $10,000 top prize.

 His nearly-perfect
.008 in the final made a 4.640 second time a winner over the 4.590 posted by
Charlie Dobin of Quarryville, Pa..  Blackman’s .030 light in the semifinals
enabled him to squeak past Michael
Martin’s giant-killing Camaro even though the Virginia driver enjoyed a 4.668-4.674
performance edge.

Millican’s Triumphant Return Claims Top
Fuel Ironman at President’s Cup Nationals; Pete Berner, Mike Janis, Jack Wyatt
and Laurie Cannister also take home titles in Budds
Creek

 

There was a familiar face
back in the Winner’s Circle at Maryland International Raceway. Six-time IHRA Top
Fuel world champion Clay Millican, who raced a full schedule on the NHRA tour
this season, came to Maryland International Raceway to defend last season’s
event championship. He succeeded, knocking off current points leader T.J. Zizzo
in the final round to claim his 51st career national event Ironman.

Point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following the Torco
Race Fuels President's Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway, the
tenth of 11 events in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing
Series