The year was 1950. Harry Truman was President of the United States. "All about Eve" won the Academy Award for Best Picture. A
civil conflict between North and South Korea escalated into what became
known as the Korean War. The New York Yankees won its second
consecutive World Series against the Phillies (sorry, Bob Frey). And
Jim Dunn embarked on a six-decade journey by competing in his first
drag race.

Flash forward to 2009 and Dunn, one of the original pioneers of NHRA
Drag Racing, will be celebrating his 60th year in the sport. The
legendary team owner/driver/tuner began his career as a competitor in
1950 when the popularity of the sport was starting to move from the
streets and take hold on local strips throughout Southern California.
Over the years, Dunn has accumulated numerous wins and performance
records including a victory at the 1972 Supernationals in Ontario,
Calif., the 1981 World Finals in Irvine, Calif., and he was runner-up
at the 1981 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. He is also the only driver
to win the prestigious March Meet at Bakersfield in both Top Fuel and
Funny Car.

Jim Head is concerned the NHRA's new testing policy could force him to drive the entire 2009 season.

As a driver/owner on the tour, Head has made it known he was willing to
step aside as the driver should an up and coming youngster with the
right sponsorship package come knocking on his door. However, the
NHRA's new testing policy – a limit of four days of testing for the
entire season – is a serious roadblock to putting a new driver behind
the seat of his Funny Car.

With just about any action on the drag strip considered testing, Head
is wondering just how could anyone get the experience needed to adjust
to a driver change, short of during actual competition.

If you race IHRA, each day counts towards those four allowed tests. If
you race a match race, the same applies. If you make one run, and it
rains out the day, it is still one of the four allowed tests.

Charges of Drug Trafficking Filed Against Stevens

Former ANDRA Champion Brett Stevens abruptly retired from drag racing
on December 10, leaving many wondering what prompted his decision. 
Sources Down Under report that Stevens began offering all of his racing
hardware for sale in the Internet.

ESPN2 has announced a programming change for Sunday's coverage of eliminations for the Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The network's scheduled three hours and 30 minutes of coverage of the NHRA Full Throttle Series season-opener will now start a half-hour later, beginning at 7 p.m. (ET).

COMPLETE KRAGEN O'REILLY NHRA WINTERNATIONALS TELEVISION SCHEDULE
Saturday, Feb. 7, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of
qualifying highlights at 10 p.m. (ET).

Sophomore Top Fuel Driver Ready to Get 2009 Underway …

For Antron Brown, the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA., couldn’t arrive soon enough. Now that it’s here,
the sophomore Top Fuel driver of the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster doesn’t have as many butterflies as he has relief.

An off-season of uncertainty has been replaced with a 24-race tour of
virtually untapped potential. Those close to the situation say the
foray to the top of the testing charts during the National Time Trials
in Phoenix, Az., was just scratching the surface for the revived
organization.

When Wally Parks’ persistence paid off in 1951 with the creation of the National Hot Rod Association, one of the founder’s primary
objectives was to get that era’s drag racers off the streets and onto
race tracks where they could compete in a much safer, supervised
atmosphere.

There were no jet-propelled airplanes then.  The United States’ huge
interstate freeway system was in its infancy and there was an abundance
of farm roads that served as makeshift tracks for local teenagers.

Summit Racing Equipment has named Jim Greenleaf Manager of Motorsports and Events.

Greenleaf joined Summit Racing Equipment in 1996 as a Supervisor in the
company’s Tallmadge, Ohio Retail Store. In 2002, he was promoted to
Retail Sales Manager during the store’s expansion to a 25,000 square
foot Super Store. His responsibilities included managing store sales,
customer service, merchandising, marketing, events, promotions, and
staffing. He was also responsible for race event and track sponsorship
at local tracks.

The most prolific drag racer in history, 14-time Funny Car champion John Force, famously needed 10 years and 75 races to win
his first event. The best Pro Stock driver ever, Warren Johnson, didn't
earn a trophy until 12 years after turning pro. All-time Top Fuel
leader Tony Schumacher went 59 events until he climbed the winner's
podium. Success in drag racing, it seems, takes time.

As 25-year-old Morgan Lucas starts his fifth professional campaign he
reflects on the lessons he's learned in the first 101 NHRA events his
team has entered. He remembers what's worked best for his group and the
things that haven't gone so well. He also analyzes the reasons behind
the success of the top teams in each of the last four years.

For the second consecutive year, Ford Customer Service Division’s (FCSD) Motorcraft and Quick Lane brands team with Bob Tasca III as he competes in the NHRA Full Throttle Racing Series.

Motorcraft and Ford’s growing national network of Quick Lane® Tire
& Auto Centers return as primary sponsorship of the Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car of Bob Tasca III and Tasca Racing, along with a major
interactive trackside presence at 10 NHRA events.

Motorcraft and Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Centers are brands of Ford
Customer Service Division. FCSD and its associated brands won a place
in the hearts and minds of drag race fans everywhere in the late 1980s
and early 1990s, sponsoring Ford powered International Motorsports
Hall-of-Fame racer Bob Glidden, a 10-time NHRA Pro Stock champion, and
NHRA legend Kenny Bernstein among others.

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series officially kicked off one of
the most anticipated seasons in many years today with a Parade of
Vehicles that passed through downtown Los Angeles.

The parade departed from Gate 17 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona at
11:30 a.m. with Los Angeles County sheriffs providing the escort and
2005 rookie of the year and two-time series runner-up Robert Hight,
driver of the Auto Club Ford Mustang, serving as the grand marshal.

"Drag racing is a huge part of the Southern California culture, so what
could be better than a parade through downtown L.A. to celebrate the
start of our 2009 season," Hight said. "This will be my fifth season
driving in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, and it just keeps
getting bigger and better, and this parade is just another example of
that."

The 2009 season begins later in the week, Feb. 5-8, at Auto Club
Raceway at Pomona with the 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA
Winternationals featuring 2008 Driver of the Year Tony Schumacher, 2007
rookie of the year Ashley Force Hood, and the rest of the stars of the
quickest, fastest, and most intense motorsport on the planet.