Chassis builder and Pro Modified driver Andy McCoy will drive for the
Ray Family at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, Mo., and two
weeks later at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.

Team driver Scott Ray is recovering from a heart attack suffered in March.
 
“Scott is recovering well from his recent surgery but still needs a
couple of more weeks to get the doctors okay to return to the driver’s
seat,” Team owner Stan Ray said.

Last May when then President Bush announced that Americans would be
receiving stimulus checks it is doubtful that he knew Georgian Jujuan
Prater would use the money to make her own high horsepower purchase.
She knew exactly how she was going to stimulate the economy as well as
her need for speed.

“When President Bush sent out the stimulus check I went out and bought
the Ashley Force 46” Sanyo TV with it. I bought it because her picture
was on it. I had gone to our local Wal-Mart and nobody had them out. I
knew they had come out but I didn’t see any. I had a friend that worked
in the electronics department and I asked her if they had the Ashley
Force Sanyo TVs. She went back to check and she was gone for about 45
minutes. They had everybody looking and they were the last TVs back
there since they had just come in. They dusted it off, brought it out
to me and I bought it that day,” said Jujuan Prater, from Bremen,
Georgia.

NHRA officials announced today that San Antonio Raceway, in Marion,
Texas, has joined the NHRA Member Track network.  The facility, which
hosts both quarter-mile and eighth-mile events, includes aluminum
grandstand seating, a two-story tower complete with a media center and
hospitality suites, a 600-foot concrete launch pad, concrete walls the
entire length of the track, and 15 acres of paved pit parking.

Hawaii Racing of Simi Valley California along with Ford Racing will be rewarding two PSCA Ford Racers during the 2009 season.

Hawaii Racing will award the PSCA Ford Racer (Excluding Mustang Maddness) who accumulates the most PSCA Championship Points, a Ford Racing BOSS Engine Block.

Hawaii Racing will also award the 2009 Mustang Maddness Champion a Ford Racing BOSS Engine Block as well.
 

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Construction on a brand new, multi-purpose outlaw car was started last
week for Jason Harris, surprisingly enough, from a chassis shop known
for its quality rail dragster following. Russ Farmer's Race Tech Race
Cars got the nod to begin construction on a radical, 1970.5
Cynergy-bodied Camaro. The car will be campaigned in a variety of
heads-up venues such as ADRL Pro Nitrous, Piedmont Dragway's Big Dog
series and a variety of other heads-up races. "The car choice was
pretty easy because we wanted something different, and we're also
Camaro buffs," says car owner, Bob Harris. 
 
Race Tech Race Cars, long noted for their quality dragster
construction, got noticed in a big way by doorslammer enthusiast at the
season-opening Big Dog race earlier this month. Team Race Tech driver,
Travis Harvey, clocked the quickest run of the day during a between
rounds shakedown pass, stopping the timers at 4.10 @ 178mph. Harvey was
behind the wheel of a Carolina blue 1968 Camaro, the off-season
creation of Race Tech Race Cars. "A lot of people don't realize that
that car weighs 2,575 pounds and is a nitrous-assisted automatic," says
Bob Harris.

Mike Espe, a 15-year employee of Star Racing, was tragically killed in
a motorcycle accident Friday after work.  Details are somewhat sketchy, but eyewitness reports state he was riding a friend’s street bike and lost control when the throttle possibly stuck. 

Mike was an integral part of the Star team and knowledgeable in all
areas of machining and engine building. Many of you may remember
talking to Mike on the phone as he often took technical calls and parts
orders while working in the shop. His boundless good humor brightened
the lives of everyone around him.  He will be greatly missed.

Quaker City Dragway could soon be purchased by the local government, according to www.WYTV.com, the website for the Salem, Pa., television station.

Salem City council approved a one-year, $10,000 option to buy 170 acres of land north of the city that includes which includes the drag strip. The city plans to use the adjacent property to the strip as an industrial park in hopes of stimulating their economy. The strip is expected to remain operational.

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, skidding in
broadside, thoroughly worn out and loudly proclaiming,`wow, what a
ride!'" 
 
Although the author probably didn't have John Force specifically in
mind when he penned those words, there's no doubt that it accurately
describes the 59-year-old's career as a professional race car driver.
 
For 32 spectacular NHRA seasons, through Force's eyes, fans from
Australia to Anaheim have lived a vicarious, 300 mile-an-hour life
punctuated by explosions, fires, crashes and, ultimately, success.
 
That's why, whenever Force comes to town, as he does for this week's
29th annual Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals at Atlanta
Dragway, he is, at the very least, the sentimental Funny Car favorite.

The 2009 “Nitro Jam” season on SPEED begins the year at the inaugural
Summit Racing Equipment Mardi Gras Nationals in Baton Rouge this
Saturday, April 18th at 3 p.m., Eastern Time.

Three professional classes, Top Fuel, Pro Modified and Elite
Motorsports Pro Stock are showcased, with special emphasis on the teams.

“We are truly excited about the return of IHRA Nitro Jam on SPEED in
HD. This year the programs will be faster paced and showcase highlights
from the entire weekend including the Night of Fire,” states IHRA
President Aaron Polburn. “Our first event, the inaugural Summit Racing
Mardi Gras Nationals at State Capital Raceway was non-stop action. The
weather was perfect. The hospitality of the track including that from
the fans, drivers and crew was welcoming.

Keep up with the behind the scenes updates at drag racing's leading internet ezine, CompetitionPlus.com.

http://twitter.com/competitionplus

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