It's race day at the legendary Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach, Ca. Qualifing is complete, now it's time to begin the process of eliminating down for the final event in the Virtual Reality Hot Rod Association Series. Two championships have been clinched (Pro Stock & Pro Mod) while three others remain undetermined.

It's all fun in fantasy land to get away from the troubles of what is happening in the real world. 

For those new to this fantasy world, this is how it works. The race with the most votes advances to the next round. We had two days of voting to seed the eight-car fields. 

Second-round ends tonight at 7 PM EST. 

Today marks 38 days since NHRA officials made the announcement major-league drag racing was suspended. From this point, uncertainty has flooded the community as has revised schedules.

There are now 46 days before NHRA plans to resume an ambitious schedule which includes 17 events, starting with Gainesville, Fla., June 5-7, 2020. Next month the series is planning to resume its Lucas Oil Divisional Series.

Many families and businesses have been crippled by the worldwide pandemic, and the NHRA is no different. The race series furloughed a number of its team members.

The situation with the NHRA apparently is a fluid one with decisions dependent on member track's state regulations in place, and a whole lot more questions than answers available.

CompetitionPlus.com's Bobby Bennett recently spoke with NHRA President Glen Cromwell and asked him questions pertinent of today's NHRA, and some about the future.

Go behind the scenes with Rickie Jones and the team at RJ Race Cars as they take delivery of a new C7 Corvette body, freshly painted by SD Enterprises for Juan Martinez

"We've got a brand new Corvette, beautiful red color," Jones said. "Can't wait to put this thing together. Let's take a look at all the work we got to do. This thing comes back from paint, there's literally not a nut or bolt on this thing so we start from scratch. We've got a beautiful painted chassis and exterior, and the team here is going to put this thing together, make this thing turnkey. It's going to be awesome."

Fellow drag racing fans,
 
As most of you know, this weekend was the original date for the 33rd annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals presented by Pennzoil, the single largest sporting event in the Greater Houston Area. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic altered all our plans quite dramatically so I wanted to take a moment to catch everyone up with what's been happening since the start of this worldwide crisis.
 
Very early on, heeding the advice of local, state and national government officials, we postponed our race and immediately began working with NHRA executives to secure a new spot in the revised 2020 schedule. Although it's been an unprecedented moment in history, we can all clearly see the health benefits of avoiding any large gatherings to help limit people's exposure to COVID-19.

Top Fuel front-runner Leah Pruett leads a busy life, running from sponsor appearances to marketing promotions to maintaining a top spot in the 24-race NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. This daily regimen was life for Pruett, until the global Coronavirus Pandemic hit, bringing her schedule to a grinding halt.

The high energy Pruett isn't sitting idle and instead has found a cause to get behind in her newfound open schedule.

Pruett, who now lives in Lake Havasu, Az., couldn't help but notice how food pantries are in dire need of donations with increased demand during the mandatory stay-at-home orders ordered by government officials

Novelist Thomas Wolfe claimed, “You Can’t Go Home Again.”

Funny Car dominator John Force said you can.

Moreover, the 16-time champion said, “For the first time, people, you’ve got a right to go home.”

The motorsports world lost an icon on March 26, 2020. Mark J. Adelizzi, founder of Flatout Gaskets and all around racing exponent, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.

In 1999, Adelizzi took a leap of faith, striking out on his own to form Flatout Group. The company started small with graphics, but soon became an industry leader. Flatout Gaskets are the choice for countless champions across the highest performing classes in drag racing. Adelizzi worked closely with top engine builders and manufacturers to provide solutions and innovation. Even before his brilliance was noticed through his own brainchild, Adelizzi was a fixture in the industry, working at Felpro for 20 years.