Doctors at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif., performed back
surgery May 26 on six-time NHRA world champion Kenny Bernstein to
relieve stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal. The Budweiser/Lucas
Oil team owner had been suffering from pain in his lower back and
numbness in his legs. After undergoing a battery of tests, doctors
determined that surgery was needed to correct the trauma and
inflammation that was causing the pain.
 
As part of the recuperative process, travel has been precluded for the
next few weeks. It is expected that in addition to the Topeka event, he
will miss the events in Chicago and Englishtown.

If the Pro Stock performance that was put on display by Mike Edwards and his workaholic ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP teammates at Bristol
Dragway two weeks ago is a preview of what’s to come for his fellow
competitors in the 200 mph category, those respective teams better get
to work.

And they better get to work fast.

At Bristol’s Thunder Valley Nationals, Edwards’ driving was near
perfect. His GXP’s setup was flawless. He left his competition in his
dust all weekend. He was the No. 1 qualifier. He won the race. And just
for good measure, he set the low elapsed time for the event in his
final-round victory over three-time series champ Greg Anderson.

When Mike Janis’ Aeroquip Team for the ADRL Quarter-Max Memphis Drags it was the first time in nearly ten years the team rolled away
from their Elma, NY shop without Mike Janis Jr. The team’s crew chief
remained at home to be with his wife, Melissa, as the two were near
their due date of their first child.

Modern technology enabled Janis to keep up to the minute via cell
phone, Internet, and emails. He was able to direct the team from his
Buffalo area home and then from the hospital room as his wife went into
labor.

It is an event years in the making, but in just a few short days
drivers from all over the world will roll their cars into the staging
lanes at the brand new Dallas Raceway for the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals May 29-31 in Crandall, Texas.

And so far the response has been outstanding.

From the track’s all-concrete design to its state-of-the-art
facilities, Dallas Raceway has been the talk of drag racing for some
time and the track and owner Kenny Barnes will finally get their moment
in the spotlight this weekend when Nitro Jam comes to town for the
third race of the 2009 IHRA season.

But for some drivers, the chance to try out drag racing’s shiny new toy
has already come to pass. One driver in particular, IHRA Top Fuel ace
Bobby Lagana, had nothing but praise for the newest facility on the
IHRA circuit after making the track’s first four-second pass in his 300
mile per hour dragster Saturday night.

NHRA and Ticketmaster have partnered to eliminate ticket convenience
fees for the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas
Oil, the world’s most prestigious drag race, held Labor Day weekend,
Sept.2-7, at historic O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.

Fans purchasing tickets to the most historic event on the NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing series and the much-anticipated final race in the
Countdown to 10, NHRA’s regular season, through Ticketmaster will not
have to pay the convenience fees usually associated with Ticketmaster
purchases. A ticket delivery fee may apply depending on which delivery
option the ticket buyer selects.

Race fans that find themselves hungry for horsepower can win a
Blueprint Engines SB-Chevy 383ci Dress Engine this summer from JEGS
Automotive, an industry leader in high performance parts. No purchase
is necessary to enter the Sweepstakes. Interested parties can simply
register online at JEGS.com.
 
"This is a fun and exciting contest to kick-off the summer," said John
Coughlin, the Vice President at JEGS Automotive.  "The Blueprint
Engines we carry are top-notch and I know whoever wins this powerplant
is going to be really pleased with its performance.  If the winner is
not in need of an engine we are offering a $2,500 shopping spree. 
Either way, we want the winner to be happy and to tell their friends
about JEGS.com."

Following the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol Mike Neff and his Ford Drive One Mustang team stayed over on Monday and spent
the day testing. His team continues to track down a number of gremlins
that have stolen the most valuable commodity on the NHRA Full Throttle
Series: consistency.

“We were just trying to learn a few things. My Ford Drive One Mustang
got better every run. We were trying stuff to make it run quick and
fast instead of just trying to lug it to the finish line. We were
really trying to make it haul down a hot track. With each run it went
further and then further so we feel like we are going in the right
direction heading to Topeka,” said Neff.

Last year at Heartland Park Neff had an eye-opening experience during
qualifying when at the hit of the throttle his steering wheel hit him
in the forehead.

After winning eight consecutive rounds of competition resulting in
back-to-back national event victories, guess what Del Worsham did?

If you guessed made more runs, then you are correct.

Worsham, 39, of Chino Hills, Ca., and the Alan Johnson/Al Anabi team
packed up the hauler one day after their NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
victory and headed south to Commerce, Ga., for two days of extensive
testing aimed at preparing themselves for the impending hot weather
months of the 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing tour.

“After winning eight straight rounds, we tested for two days right
after Bristol to work on some different set ups,” Worsham explained.
“That showed the commitment to winning this team has, and it’s great to
be a part of it. We learned a lot in those two days, and we are
confident about the rest of the season.”

If you’ve seen how potent a Cobra Jet engine can be in a Mustang and
wondered how lethal the legendary engine could be in a dragster, your
curiosity will be quenched at this weekend’s O’Reilly NHRA
Summernationals in Topeka, Kan.

Noted fuel system and fuel pump specialists Aeromotive have taken a
stock 5.4 liter Cobra Jet engine, joined it with an aftermarket ECU,
and installed it in a traditional Super Comp dragster.