Father-Son Team Rumble Sends Early Pro Nitrous Message … 
 
The competition should have known to watch out for this potent combination. 
 
When the track gets marginal that’s when the Pilchers, Johnny and his
father Billy, are at their best. The Pro Nitrous contingent found that
out the hard way during the final qualifying session of the ADRL
Dragpalooza V in Houston, Tex., as Johnny blasted past the competition
to claim the first No. 1 qualifying effort of 2009. 
 
Everyone else might have been surprised, but for the Pilchers the
performance came as no shock. 

Pete Berner has been a fan-favorite for many years, but his most
adoring fan comes from a rather unlikely place – his competition! Five
year old Emily, or Emmy as she likes to be called, is the granddaughter
of fellow Pro Stocker racer Dean Goforth, and she’s also become
Berner’s #1 fan. Dean Goforth, along with son Cary (Emmy’s uncle),
pilot the Dean’s Casing Service Mountain Motor Pro Stockers. They, like
many of the IHRA racers, are a family-oriented team with huge family
involvement and support. Granddaughter Emmy attended last weekend’s
Mardi Gras Nationals where she cheered Berner on every round, decked in
one of Berner’s shirts, and waiting with excitement to give him a
thumbs up. Although she was a little shy at first she quickly got
comfortable enough around Berner to throw in a hug with her thumbs up
and pose for pictures with her grandpa Dean and Berner.

Pro Mod driver Joe Baker left his mark on the Gatornationals last year,
walking in as a first-timer in Pro Mod Challenge competition and taking
the win.  The Lend America/Matco Tools-sponsored driver is anxious to
repeat his accomplishment this weekend in front of his family and
friends as the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by
ProCare Rx opens the season at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at
Gainesville Raceway.

The pre-season in Pro Modified once-again lived up to the legacy of
last-minute hustles to maintain the fan-favorite exhibition series at
NHRA events, but this season's heroes, Roger Burgess and Get Screened
America, bring a fresh vision and excitement as well as a long-term
promise of stability that has the best door-slammers around jockeying
for a spot to race.
 
This weekend's season-opening event of the Get Screened America Pro Mod
Challenge presented by ProCare Rx at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in
Gainesville, Fla. will feature 21 of the very best Pro Mod racers in
the world: past champions, up-and-comers, and those anxious to win the
first Get Screened America "Warrior" trophy.
 
Leading the list of contenders is defending event champion Joe Baker
and runner-up Raymond Commisso, reigning IHRA champion Kenny Lang, and
former Pro Mod Challenge world champions Jay Payne (2006) and Shannon
Jenkins (2002).

Local favorite "Big Daddy" Don Garlits will be honored by NHRA during Sunday eliminations at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals, a race he won four times, acknowledging his 60 years of drag racing competition.

NHRA has made available a number of Race Fan Relief offers for this
weekend’s ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals, including a limited number
adult-general admission tickets for only $20, free general admission
for children 12 and younger, and free reserved-seat tickets Friday,
March 13, for active-duty military.

We interrupt this 500-inch Pro Stock driving career to bring you mountain motor racing.
 

That’s the proclamation that Matt Hartford heard late in the 2008
season. He’s heeded the call to drive the Dingman Motorsports, Wilson
Manifold mountain motor Pro Stocker.
 
Give Hartford 320 extra cubic inches and he’s a happy camper.
 
“Oh yeah, believe me this is fun,” Hartford said. “Eighth mile drag
racing is a driver’s game. Last night during qualifying I saw Robert
Patrick put a .001 on me on the tree.”

Eighteen Years A Top Fuel Racer and Still Shutout in Gainesville

One
would think in 18 years of trying that a decorated veteran such as
30-time winner Cory McClenathan could have gotten at least one victory
at the NHRA Gatornationals.

Thus far the traditional first event on the east coast event has been this Top Fuel Superman’s kryptonite.

He’s hoping the 40th running of the event will be the year he gets the
best of Gainesville Raceway, site of the traditionally jam-packed event.

"I'm excited to get to the Gatornationals," added McClenathan. "It is
an important race because I've always gone through my racing career
thinking I want to win one race at every single event we go to.
Gainesville's been one of those events that's kind of eluded me and I
want to make sure that I get to do that. So that’s one goal I'm really
working hard towards.”

For the last six years, the date of the JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals has been circled on the calendars of sportsman drag racers across the country. One of three sportsman events backed by JEGS Mail Order, the Cajun SPORTSnationals annually attracts a field of more than 500 competitors to No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, La.
         
The event continues a longstanding tradition of NHRA SPORTSnationals events, where competitors in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series are the stars of the show. At the end of the action packed weekend, champions will be crowned in Competition Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street and the Sportsman Motorcycle class. The Belle Rose event also features open competition in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster, two relatively new classes that are becoming tremendously popular with racers and fans alike.