The 5th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion is billed as a one-of-a kind
American car lover’s dream featuring nostalgia drag racing and a host of cool
cars. For Jeg Coughlin Sr., the event represents a simple, yet enjoyable trip
down memory lane. As a Hall of Fame racer and the founder of JEGS Mail Order,
one of the world’s largest aftermarket high performance parts suppliers,
Coughlin has been at the forefront of hot rodding and drag racing for nearly
five decades. At this weekend’s Hot Rod Reunion at National Trail Raceway, he
will be honored as the event’s Grand Marshal.
           
“It is such an
honor to be named the Grand Marshal of this event,” said Coughlin. “I’ve always
said that the best part of these events is being able to see all of your old
friends and former competitors again. I can walk thought the pit area and
literally spend hours reminiscing about the good old days. As we get older, we
realize how special it is to be able to spend time with the people we’ve race
with and against for the last twenty, thirty years or more. My only complaint is
that there aren’t enough hours in the day to see everyone you want to
see.”

DMPE Inc. of Stevensville, Michigan has opened its doors in Perth
Australia. DMPE’s mission is to service the needs of the many
supercharged methanol burning customers in the growing sport of drag
racing in Australia.
 
The obvious name of DMPE DU (Down Under) seemed appropriate for the
adventure. Upon partnering with Adam Croker of Perth, WA the idea
became a reality.  In order to offer the Australian customers, the same
quality of service and knowledge, it was in order to transplant Croker
to the U.S. for training at DMPE Inc.
   
Croker, spent a month in Michigan at DMPE Inc, and has undergone
complete training with respect to servicing and repair of roots style
superchargers, fuel systems and ignitions.

Bob Gilbertson, owner/driver of Terminator Motorsport's Autolite Spark
Plugs/Prestone Antifreeze nitro Funny Car, announced that the very popular blue
"Jungle Jim" tribute car that he debuted at the Englishtown race in 2003, will
be on display at two different venues during the NHRA Super Nationals at Raceway
Park June 21-24.

Sportsman racer Tim Powell was killed on Saturday, June 9, during a
tragic accident at Capitol Raceway in Maryland. Powell was from
Waldorf, Maryland.

Top Fuel driver Melanie Troxel and her husband, Funny Car driver Tommy
Johnson Jr., will be the hosts for a new ESPN drag racing reality based
half-hour television program titled King of the Strip.

Bristol-based Masters Entertainment Group will showcase drag racing at
its grassroots, hardcore best. Part game show, part reality show, 13 amateur
racers will compete against each other for the title “King of the Strip” to be
awarded at the end of the 13-week series.

There's a lot more at stake than just pride; each racer must be willing
to give up his or her car to the winner if they lose, while the winner has the
opportunity of advancing to the next episode and the next competitor.

Troxel and Johnson will negotiate and referee
the trials and tribulations of each of the competitors, likewise chosen for
their personas via auditions. O'Reilly
Raceway
Park at
Indianapolis
will be the backdrop for the show, which will be produced this week.

Tom Hammonds made a great run on his first
qualifying effort at Route 66 Raceway. The former NBA star
recorded a stout 6.673 at 206.48 mph to jump into the No. 5
position. Even though he ended up sixteenth in the final pecking order, he was at least in the game.

"I tell you what," said
Hammonds, "that
was a pretty good run. It was a little bit aggressive down low but overall it
was a good starting point for us. It's tough out here. The former Minnesota Timberwolves power forward
found out how tough it was in the NBA Finals. But we're going to go out here and
just tune it up for next round and hope we come out and have a good
run."

After nearly
six months, Tom Hammonds and his team are about to evacuate the two-car garage
and lawnmower shed that have housed their racing operation since the start of
the year.  Their new 11,000-square-foot shop should be open the week following the
10th annual Torco Racing Fuels Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL.

Ron Krisher confirmed that he will soon have Victor Cagnazzi horsepower beneath
the hood of his Valvoline-sponsored Chevrolet Cobalt. The new engine lease
program will begin in Bristol.

The lack of a competitive effort was the
ultimate factor in this decision.

“We’ve been kind of lagging and
dragging and I’m not used to that,” Krisher said. “We did the things we thought
would be best for the car and the Valvoline people. We are in a two-year deal
and we just had to find a starting place.”

The NHRA Technical Services are increasing
the minimum weight of Funny Cars starting at the next event in Englishtown.
Officials want the class to increase the minimum weight from 2,425 to 2,455
pounds due to the recent implementation of additional safety equipment, such as
roll-cage helmet shrouds and extra roll-cage padding.

Most teams are already
well over the limit so the extra weight isn't much of an issue.

Donnie and Holly Faulkner
are intent on turning a negative situation into a positive. The couple, who run
the Oakley Rolling O store, on the midway found themselves faced with an
adverse situation two weeks with the death of their child on May 24, just 30
days before his scheduled birth.

The adversity has been replaced
with the formation of the Eric Blake Faulkner Foundation.

Donnie said the Eric Blake
Faulkner Foundation’s intent is to assist families who are faced with the same
situation. He’s convinced the person who assisted Himself and Holly through
their personal tempest was an angel.

Lynette Spruiell was that
blessing in a dreadful day.

“It was probably the worst
day of my life,” Faulkner said, when told the baby had been lost. “Lynette was
there for us. I am convinced she was not human. She was an angel for us. To do
the job she does, she had to be.”

Donnie pointed out that
Spruiell was there for them throughout it all.