Bob Gilbertson probably is hearing
that "I've Been Everywhere, Man" song that the phone book ads have resurrected.
The Funny Car driver has been just about everywhere, criss-crossing the
continent several times already as he competes in both IHRA and NHRA competition
-- and back home to Gastonia, North Carolina.

Since July 4 alone, he has been to Milan, Michigan; Denver;
Seattle; Sonoma, California; Martin, Michigan; and Brainerd, Minnesota, and this
week he's heading to Memphis.

By the end of the drag-racing season, he'll be able to sing, "I've
been to Norwalk (Ohio), Indy, Epping (New Hampshire). Reading (Pennsylvania),
Budds Creek (Maryland, Richmond, Rockingham, Vegas, and Pomona." Oh -- and throw
in either a trip to Dallas for the NHRA race or the make-up of the IHRA's
rained-out event at Cayuga, Ontario, Canada.

And marathon travels are not without their share of problems. Such
was the case at Brainerd this past weekend for the Autolite XP Spark
Plugs/Prestone Antifreeze team.

Nicky Boninfante Jr., co-crew chief with Tommy Delago, was
sidelined with food poisoning for Sunday's eliminations.

Angelle Sampey, making her 145th
consecutive bike event, was disqualified following her first-round victory over
Ryan Schnitz. Sanctioning-body officials said her bike was too light, but an
angry Sampey denied the charge.

"They're throwing me out and I don't understand it," she said. "We
didn't do anything wrong. Now everybody's going to say my team cheating, and my
team is not cheating. They're working so hard."

Sampey said she met the post-race minimum weight requirement of
615 pounds. "I was 615 pounds without the helmet," she said.

Brandon Bernstein upset three-time
series champion Tony Schumacher Sunday in the Top Fuel final of the $1.6 million
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals for his third victory of the season. Bernstein's
4.510-second pass at 329.34 mph was enough to dismiss the hottest driver on the
NHRA tour, who smoked his tires a few hundred feet down Brainerd International
Raceway.

Rounding out the Sunday winners were Tommy Johnson Jr. in his
Skoal Racing Chevy Monte Carlo (Funny Car), Dave Connolly in his Skull Shine
Chevy Cobalt (Pro Stock) and Antron Brown on his U.S. Army Suzuki (Pro Stock
Motorcycle).

Point standings (top 10) for
NHRA professional categories following the 25th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
at Brainerd International Raceway, the 16th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series -

Jeff Perley, co-crew chief  for
finalist Jason Line, rejoined the KB Racing/Summit Equipment Pontiac GTO team at
BIR after missing the previous race in Sonoma to be with wife Leslie for the
birth of daughter Delayna Addison Perley.

Delayna was born at 6:56 p.m. Tuesday, July 25, weighed seven
pounds, 11 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Both Mom and Baby are healthy. And
Delayna's older brother Griffin, who's 18 months old, found out that Delayna
wasn't going away and has adapted well.

Jeg Coughlin keeps hoping that the
summer of 2006 never ends and after another strong showing at the annual BTE
World Super Pro Challenge at the Mid-Michigan Motorplex, nobody could blame him.
Coughlin drove his JEG'S Mail Order dragster to a runner-up finish in the
$50,000 main event, losing a close final round decision to Jason Lynch of
Chapmansboro, Tenn.

"I've been on quite a roll the last couple of months
and it was nice to see it keep going this weekend," said Coughlin, who received
$20,000 for the second-place finish. "I was cruising along pretty good and I
felt confident but I made a bad run in the final and just didn't have enough to
get past Jason. I was a little disappointed for a few minutes, but then I
realized that against this level of competition, a runner-up finish is something
to be proud of. I'm not hanging my head at all."

Coughlin nearly didn't
make it to the final after breaking a mandrel bolt on the front of the
crankshaft in round four. Coughlin and his crew hurried to make repairs, using a
bolt and pulley taken from teammate Kenny Underwood's Camaro.

Team JEG'S drivers Jeg, Troy, Mike,
and John Coughlin are looking for the Ultimate Race Fan. Interested parties need
to convince the famous drag racing brothers that they are the Ultimate Race Fan
by submitting a photograph that proves their point. The top three winners will
receive a spectacular package of race gear from the JEG'S Mail Order catalogue
including Jeg's-branded bar stools, die-cast cars, racing apparel, and much
more. To enter the contest, visit http://www.teamjegs.com/.

Kenny Green passed away Sunday
morning. From what we are told, Green fought colon cancer and a bad heart and
evidently had a heart attack. He is best known for having worked at Sacramento,
Fremont, Irwindale and OCIR over a ten-plus year period. Green was also a
talented race car and sign letterer.

(8-12-2006) - Thirteen-time Funny Car champion
and budding A&E real life television star John Force is the provisional
qualifying leader at the 25th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Force drove his
Castrol GTX Ford Mustang down Brainerd International Raceway in 4.773 seconds at
323.74 mph to take a big step towards his 130th career No. 1 qualifying effort.

(8-11-2006) - Probably more entertaining than the race
itself is the campground at Brainerd International Raceway. Torco's
CompetitionPlus.com photographer Roger Richards and managing editor Brian Wood
survived the atmosphere known as "The Zoo". The dynamic duo reported they
witnessed a few alcoholic beverages consumed during their tour of duty as well
as several potential Best Engineered awards. THE ZOO PHOTO GALLERY.