“It was a good run for us,” Ashley Force Hood said of her 4.139 second
run, 304.56 mph. “We were pleasantly surprised especially when compared
to the runs other people had because of the temperatures and the track.”

There seemed to be problems everywhere; landmines if you will, just
waiting to ruin a run. Force was one of the few who was able to almost
magically escape any and all of the pitfalls.

Cory Mac is not the superstitious type. So it doesn't matter
that when he lines up Saturday morning to make his first qualifying run
of the day that the paint scheme which propelled him to the provisional
pole on Friday will have been replaced by a completely different
scheme.

“I was thinking it was going to be more along the lines of the next
race,” McClenathan said. “Then I heard it is going to be tomorrow, and
then I heard the next race, it’s going back and forth. I’m excited and
it’s going to be a very bright scheme and different than what I’ve got.
You can still see the flames and it is going to be the FRAM Tough Guard
car. I’m looking forward to it and the FRAM Tough Guard is the next
step up from the FRAM oil filter. There are three in their line. I
think they just wanted to showcase some of their stuff. I think
everybody is going to like what we unveil.”

Dave Connolly is back, but not all the way.
The
Bradenton, Fla., native is driving the Nitro Fish Pontiac Pro Stocker
owned by Kenny Koretsky at this week’s O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals
in Baytown, Texas.

Connolly’s first run of the 2009 season was a less than stellar 6.750
second, 205.19 mph effort which left him 18th, six spots shy of making
the provisional field.

Still, for Connolly it was a good feeling to be back behind the wheel of a Pro Stock race car.

Ashley
Force Hood grabbed the provisional No. 1 qualifying position in Funny
Car at a rain shortened Friday qualifying at the O'Reilly NHRA Spring
Nationals in Houston.

Cory McClenathan, Kurt Johnson and Eddie Krawiec also took the
provisional No. 1 positions in their respective categories. Rain
shortened Friday qualifying to just one round.

Force drove her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang to a 4.139-second run at
304.46 mph to take the top spot in Funny Car. It would be Force’s
fourth No. 1 qualifier of her career and first of the season.

IHRA and Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits have a special ticket
offer to experience the championship finals of the IHRA Spring
Nationals at Rockingham Dragway April 24-26.

Participating Bojangles’ restaurants have special “Nitro Fast Pass”
tray liners with a discount coupon allowing drag racing fans to
purchase an adult Sunday ticket for a “family friendly” price of only
$15.

George and Jackie Bryce's Star Racing has posted over $100,000 in
contingency with the American Drag Racing League (ADRL), spread over
all classes.  In addition to being a major sponsor, Star’s “big red
rig” will be present at eight of the ten events. 

The Pro Extreme Motorcycle teams will have three chances to earn a huge
payout of up to $4,500 to win and $1,400 as runner up per race. 
Starting with the Star Racing Purchase Power Program, teams will have
the luxury of one-stop-shopping from the large Star parts warehouse,
paying competitive prices, and receiving same day shipping on most
items.  After purchasing only $2,500 worth of parts, racers will
receive $500 to win and $200 runner up per race.  For a complete
listing of parts, shop their online store at www.starracing.com or call 800-841-7827.

Veteran Top Sportsman World Champion Ronnie Davis has confirmed the NHRA will contest a Top Sportsman exhibition at the upcoming NHRA Summit Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga. The exhibition event will be presented courtesy of  Sunset Race Craft (Tracy Dennis) and Davis Golf Cart Sales.

"Jay Hullinger and I have worked hard the last 3 days to get this race to happen," Davis said. "Thanks to Tracy for helping me with this, he loves the class just as I have for 20 years and that's all we are interested in -- Growing Top Sportsman in NHRA".

One year ago, four-time FIA champion Urs Erbacher of Switzerland became
the first European drag racer in 30 years to win an elimination round
in NHRA's premier category -- Top Fuel -- during the annual running of
the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.

Now Europe's answer to custom motorcycle builders Jesse James and the
Teutul family of Orange County Choppers fame is back to make some more
history on this side of the pond in his 8,000-horsepower Century
Asphalt dragster.

"It was great excitement to win a few rounds last year and earn some
credit for European racers but what we really want more than anything
is to be the first to take a Wally trophy back home," said Erbacher, a
huge reality TV star all across Europe, the Middle East, and Northern
Africa. "So far, in 58 years of NHRA competition, no European racer has
won a Top Fuel trophy in NHRA, the top level of the sport.

The NMCA opens it 21st season at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton,Florida this weekend with
the running of the 7th Annual Ross Racing Pistons NMCA Muscle Car
Nationals, the first of seven races in the NMCA Edelbrock Drag Racing
Series.

Family-based racing teams are a big part of the motorsports world,
and perhaps no more so than

Second-generation racer Cale Aronson is dedicated to Ford and IHRA Pro
Stock competition for the 2009 season.

in drag racing. From Jr. Dragster to Top
Fuel, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins often
form generations-deep family groups that make up the backbone of the
sport.

A perfect example of a second-generation competitor
following the father-son tradition of advancing to the professional
ranks is Cale Aronson, of Chillicothe, Missouri. 

Aronson,
who campaigns a 2005 Ford Escort in the IHRA’s Pro
Stock category, is the son of former American Hot Rod Association
(AHRA) Pro Stock Champion and International Hot Rod Association (IHRA)
Rookie of the Year Chuck Aronson.