Today’s open house at MPE Motorsports shows the team can do more than sling wrenches …

The
MPE Motorsports building was formerly a fun park  converted to
a race shop. The team installed the doors and did all the inside
fabrication.

Clay Millican is hoping to shine both on and off the racetrack this weekend.

MPE Motorsports, Mark Pickens Enterprises, will open up the doors to
the public to their new facility this afternoon at 2pm in Mumford, Tn.,
an easy 20 minute drive from Memphis Motorsports Park, the site of this
weekend's NHRA Mid South Nationals.

Two weeks have passed since Laurie Cannister officially clinched the
IHRA Alcohol Funny Car title and she’s kind of at a loss

of what to do
with herself.

Sure, she still has a focus on racing.

There’s no longer a reason for them to make fifteen calls back and
forth with husband/tuner Dale Cannister passing along ideas as to what
could make the Kevin and Wendy Sims Alcohol Funny Car run quicker.

They only need about nine to get the job done.

“We’re still very much focused,” said Cannister, who stands as the only
IHRA professional to have clinched a championship prior to next month’s
World Finals in Rockingham, N.C.

Speedtech Nitrous added as presenting sponsor for major doorslammer event …

Al Anabi Racing will sponsor the 6th annual Shakedown at E’town event, October 4 – 5, in Englishtown, N.J.

Tape delay television coverage on SPEED TV will also be included as
part of the title sponsorship. The air dates for the event will be
announced later.

Former Pro Modified world champion and current front-runner Mike
Castellana spearheaded the Al Anabi Racing effort to sponsor the event.

Rockingham Dragway is among the most historic, revered venues in
American motor sports. It seems fitting that one of the most
hotly-contested seasons in IHRA history will come to a conclusion at
Steve Earwood’s quarter-mile strip in south-central North Carolina.
It’s also fitting that this season’s final race will be one of the
richest in drag racing history as over $2 million will be up for grabs
at the World Finals.

Undefeated on the dragstrip, Tony Schumacher was voted third-quarter Driver Of The Year 2008.

Schumacher won every NHRA POWERade Series event in the third
quarter, which ended Sept. 14. That included his 53rd victory, breaking
a tie for all-time Top Fuel wins with Joe Amato. It was his seventh
straight win and 12th of the year.

The 39-year-old known as "the Sarge" continues to lead the points standings.

"It's an honor to be singled out for this award," said U.S.
Army Top Fuel driver Schumacher. "Of course, I wouldn't be in the
position that I'm in right now if I didn't have the best team that's
ever been assembled in the history of the NHRA."

Barry Schmoyer, president of the Driver Of The Year
Foundation, said, "You have to salute a driver who was so consistent, a
consistent winner that is."

As another way for Motorcraft and Quick Lane
to raise awareness and funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
(JDRF), the two brands have placed the helmet and fire suit worn by Bob Tasca
III during the U.S. Nationals up for auction on eBay, and will donate all
proceeds earned from the auction to JDRF.

“With how much attention our
online design contest for Indy received, we wanted to keep that momentum going
by placing the suit and helmet that Bob wore during that weekend up for auction
to raise even more funds for JDRF,” said Al Giombetti, executive director, Ford
Customer Service Division. “With just a couple of days left on the auction,
we’re hoping that fans will help bid whatever they can to raise as much as
possible for JDRF.”

The NHRA's Countdown to 1 playoffs are all about timing and the way things are going for reigning series champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., the timing is perfect for his JEGS.com race team.

Coming off a runner-up finish Sunday in Dallas that vaulted him back
into the points lead for the first time since April, Coughlin is on an
incredible streak at the moment. It's the kind of run that wins
championships, and no one would know that better than Coughlin himself,
who has four world titles and 53 national event wins to his credit.

Reigning NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion and current
points leader, Matt Smith is hoping that all of his tire issues from
Dallas are gone as he heads to Memphis Motorsports Park this weekend.

Smith alleges that he got a bad batch of tires in Texas. 

Smith,
who is normally among the quickest in 60 foot times, said he diagnosed
the problem but there was no time to remedy the situation in Dallas.

IHRA Pro Stock star pursuing NHRA Pro Stock aspirations full-time ...

Rob
Mansfield is leaving his longtime IHRA Pro Stock team owner Dingman
Racing in an attempt to pursue his NHRA aspirations with Wilson
Manifolds. 

Wilson Manifold partners Keith Wilson and Scott
Revell are pushing hard to put Mansfield behind the wheel of a third KB
Racing Pro Stock machine for the 2009 season.  Mansfield has already
demonstrated his abilities with two impressive appearances at the Indy
Nationals and again during the Southern Nationals at Concord, NC.

 When U.S. Army Top Fuel driver Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher glanced at the sports section of his local newspaper on Monday, he could not help but crack a smile at what he saw.

“Low and behold, there’s a big story on the front page about the New
England Patriots having their 21-game regular season winning streak
snapped by the Miami Dolphins,” he offered. “Needless to say, I could
immediately relate to how that team must be feeling.”

Of course, it’s been said time heals all wounds and Schumacher has
already moved well beyond the disappointment of seeing his seven-race
winning streak leveled by J.R. Todd at the Texas Motorplex last weekend.