Father and Son Champions Facing Likelihood of Year Without Racing …

Let the record reflect a stressed economy has no respect for past accomplishments.

If it did, then Scotty and Scott Cannon would be discussing with the
media their excitement of chasing another Pro Modified world
championship. Instead the seven time world champions, father with six,
son with one, are lamenting the fact they’ll be on the sidelines
watching a run for a championship start without them.

“In the past it seemed like we could get a deal at the last minute and
could continue to race,” Scotty, the patriarch of the Cannon racing
family said. “I don’t ever remember the economy being this bad in all
of my years of drag racing.”

Lightning can strike twice in the same place, sometimes it takes 41 years to pull it off.

John
Calvert, driving one of the four brand new Cobra Jet Mustangs purchased
and brought to the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona by Ford collector Brent Hajek, maneuvered his way
to the Stock eliminator crown, defeating the E/Stock
Automatic Camaro of Tommy Gaynor. This marked the second time a factory
Cobra Jet package has won the NHRA Winternationals since Al Joniec
pulled off the feat in 1968.

IHRA has signed Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels to
present an exciting new bonus program for the Pro Modified class. For
2009, a $10,000 payday is up for grabs in the winner-take-all Mickey
Thompson Ten Grand Slam.

“Pro Modified racing had its beginnings in IHRA, and for the past 19
years we’ve had the quickest and fastest quarter-mile competition in
the sport,” said Tommy Dupree, IHRA/Norwalk Properties National Sales
Manager. “We’re proud to be able to work with Mickey Thompson to bring
this bonus program to the racers who have supported us for so many
years.”

Points will accrue through the first nine events of the season, ending
at the IHRA President’s Cup Nationals in September. To be eligible,
participants must have the Mickey Thompson program decal on their cars.

Everything in drag racing involves timing, just ask Del Worsham.

Being in the right place and the right time provided the foundation
that secured Worsham’s driving job with Alan Johnson's Al-Anabi Funny
Car team.

Sunday evening in the Pomona Fairplex media center, Worsham, a 22-time
NHRA Funny Car winner on the NHRA Full Throttle tour wanted to talk,
this after rain had forced postponement of the day’s racing following
one completed round of eliminations.

Lucas Oil Slick Mist, a polymer paint gloss intensifier used on glass,
chrome and vinyl surfaces that is marketed and distributed by Lucas Oil
Products, has been named the title sponsor of the upcoming NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing Series event at Firebird International Raceway
near Phoenix, it was announced today by NHRA officials.

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist NHRA Nationals will be contested Feb. 20-22 at
the popular dragstrip in Chandler, Ariz. The race will be televised by
ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

Doug and Scott Kalitta always presented a
formidable one-two punch when they raced together under the Kalitta
Motorsports banner in Top Fuel. Nearly eight months after Scott’s
tragic death, the cousins are still winning.

The Kalitta team has always front-halved and back-halved the dragsters
to get the most out of the chassis, and the yellow 50th anniversary
dragster Doug Kalitta drove in Pomona utilized the same rollcage that
shielded Scott when he won the 2005 NHRA Winternationals crown.

This marked Doug's first victory in the season-opener and the third
time a Kalitta had won the opening event since Connie Kalitta triumphed
in 1967. This win represented his 31st and another one of life’s goals
he can scratch off the list.

Watching late model musclecars battle it out for supremacy on the quarter mile is part of what made the golden age of drag racing
in the sixties so very special. With that in mind, Battle of the Brands
is bringing some of that back with their new Ultra Street eliminator
for 2009.

“People still remember the epic battles between the Stock and Super
Stock musclecars from a generation ago,” said Bill Alexander, president
of the company. “Talks with our racers, fans, media partners and
manufacturers have also shown there’s still a strong interest in low
cost, entry level racing for late model street enthusiasts. That’s why
we decided to create the new Ultra Street class. It combines the best
of both worlds into a class that has all the ingredients to really take
off.”

There’s something about racing on a Tuesday that always seems to excite Ron Capps. Maybe that thrill can be traced to the fact that he’s undefeated on that particular day of the week.

Yes, Capps’ first win came on a Tuesday in Seattle, 1995, when he
defeated Cory McClenathan while driving Roger Primm’s Top Fuel dragster.

“There were about 40 people or so in the grandstands to celebrate with me,” Capps recalled.

For Capps, it was all about remaining motivated during a rainout.

This is the first of several new NHRA Full Throttle ads to debut in
2009. This commercial spot titled "Legend" features the Don "Snake"
Prudhomme talking about the old days when drag racing was truly go full
throttle or you will go home.

While his fast-running teammate was busy collecting records like they were going out of style, Jason Line was busy grabbing win lights at the NHRA Winternationals.

The former world champion collected his 16th career Pro Stock national event victory and the first at the NHRA Winternationals.

“I drove pretty good today and that feels good because I’ve been
criticized for that recently,” Line admitted. “I had a good hot rod,
probably the second best in the place today. To actually win here feels
really good.”