David McGee, a Bristol, Tenn.-based journalist, will be at next weekend's NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals signing copies of his Bristol Dragway book. Details of the book signing will be released soon.

McGee
released his book in July 2007 and has become a fan favorite for its
in-depth photo history of the famed drag racing facility built in the
mountains of western Tennessee by Larry Carrier.

Rhonda
Hartman-Smith grew up in a drag racing family and because of that she
was always aware the sport could present some tough choices. Four years
ago she faced one, or so it seemed.

On one side of the debate was driving a 300 mile per hour Top Fuel dragster. On the other was motherhood.

Motherhood trumps driving in Hartman-Smith’s world.

“Motherhood is something that has always been important to me … having
a family,” Hartman-Smith, the mother of two young children said. “I
always wanted to be there for my children and I raced for as long as I
could. It just got to a point … with John and I racing … it got
difficult.

NHRA Get Screened America Pro Modified driver Harold Laird said he wouldn’t wish his recent experience on anyone.

Laird was one of three Pro Modified drivers who crashed at the recently completed NHRA
O’Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis.

The veteran doorslammer driver from Pride, La., lost control of his
supercharged 1963 Corvette just shy of the finish line, crossed into
the opposite lane ahead of opponent Kenny Lang and rolled the car on
its roof. He made contact with the retaining wall before sliding to a
stop.

The Pro Modified Racing Association will begin its fifth season when it headlines the Victoria Day Weekend Challenge at Toronto Motorsports Park’s Cayuga Dragway May 16 and 17.
 
Several new Pro Modified teams will be ready to do battle on the Cayuga
quarter-mile for the first of seven events on this season’s tour. This
popular drag racing series features some of the best Pro Modified teams
in Ontario, New York, and Michigan, and provide lots of excitement with
wild body styles and close to 3000-horsepower engines propelling the
cars down the drag strip at speeds up to 240 mph.
 

In an effort to enhance its status as the premiere Sportsman event of
the year, organizers of the 25th annual JEGS Allstars race will
randomly select two lucky racers to carry ESPN2 in-car cameras for as
long as they survive in the event, slated for June 5-7 at Route 66
Raceway near Chicago.

The blind drawing for the winners of this special privilege will take
place Friday evening during the special bar-be-que dinner for the 64
JEGS Allstar participants, which will be held in the hospitality
village.

Darren Morgan Racing capped a triumphant return to WSID, the track where Morgan survived a horrific accident in December, by claiming their maiden ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree.

Top Fuel was intense at the Karcher Nitro Champs, presented by Shannons
- and it was the man from Mildura that stood proudly atop of the Nitro
heap.

“What an amazing weekend,” beamed an elated Morgan in a post-race television interview.

On Thursday, May 14, it will be more important than ever for some of
the NHRA’s top stars to make sure they drive straight in Bristol. 

They won’t be driving their powerful machines to the finish line in
Thunder Valley, but making sure their opening shots land on the fairway
during the Sixth Annual Bristol Dragway Celebrity Golf Benefit at the
Country Club of Bristol.

The tournament, which sees many NHRA racers compete for the coveted
Darrell Russell Cup, benefits the Bristol Chapter of Speedway
Children’s Charities and takes place the day before the first round of
qualifying for the Thunder Valley Nationals.

Last year’s tournament featured 20 drivers and raised more than $25,000
for various charities throughout Northeast Tennessee and Southwest
Virginia.

Melanie Troxel said her objective was to gain experience behind the
wheel of a Pro Modified. Monday afternoon she gained a bit more than
she bargained for at Gateway International Raceway.

Troxel, an NHRA national event winner in both Top Fuel and Funny Car
divisions, crashed behind the wheel of Raymond Commisso’s 5.8-second
Pro Modified entry. She was uninjured in the accident.

“I went out and shifted the car into second and it tried to spin the
tires pretty hard,” Troxel recalled on her third run behind the wheel
of the 2,500 horsepower race car.

“It just got out of hand and it became a combination of a not-so-good
situation and my inexperience,” Troxel admitted. “I just didn’t have
enough laps.”

Mike Edwards doesn’t want a valuable message lost in the midst of his recent success.

It’s a message that transcends any No. 1 qualifying effort or round win.

Through a relationship with Young Life, a Christian-based
non-denominational youth organization, Edwards reaches out and provides
encouragement to teens when others may turn their back on them. Mike
Edwards Motorsports calls itself a “Team on a Mission,” and provides
trips to camp for every round win. Several drivers, companies and
individuals have stepped up the plate to make the program work. In
2008, the project was able to send 140 kids to Young Life camp for a
week.

The Young Life logo can be seen plastered across the hood of his car,
but Edwards and his team receives no financial support from Young Life.

Race officials for the Street Car SuperNationals IV, a street legal style event hosted by The Strip at Las Vegas have increased the winner's purse of two popular classes. The Outlaw 10.5 winner will now receive $10,000 while the Xtreeme Drag Radial/TT-5 winner will earn $5000.

The event is scheduled for November 19 - 22, 2009. 

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