NHRA is working with the Top Fuel and Funny Car teams of Robert Hight,
Jim Head, and Larry Dixon to test and evaluate a new Safety Shutoff
Controller developed by Dave Leahy of Electrimotion.

Fans who wish to get a seat for this weekend's inaugural NHRA
Nationals at zMAX Dragway @ Concord need to get their tickets now as
just a few thousand tickets remain for Saturday and Sunday.
   

"This is the hottest ticket in drag racing," said Marcus
Smith, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I know
many drag racing fans like to walk up and buy grandstand tickets the
day of the race, but that approach will be a big gamble this weekend.
Less than 1,000 tickets are left for Saturday and not many more for
Sunday. Both days will be sold
out and fans need to move fast to secure their seats."
   

The good news for fans who wish to attend the kickoff for
the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Countdown to One is that tickets
can still be purchased in advance for the four-day event at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com
or by calling the Lowe's Motor Speedway ticket office at
1-800-455-FANS.  A limited number of standing-room-only tickets will be
sold on site at zMAX
Dragway Saturday and Sunday.

Mike Edwards will have a just a slightly different look for the first
stop on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Countdown to 1 playoff, as the
team will fly the logo of Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil on the hood of
the team's Pontiac GXP for the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals at
zMax Dragway at Concord outside of Charlotte, N.C.

The move is a goodwill gesture toward Gibbs himself and his company for
the longtime support of the team and the Young Life program.

 "We thought this stop in Charlotte - NASCAR country - which is the
event closest to Gibbs' racing operations and his many other business
endeavors including Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil, would be a perfect
time to salute what they have done," Edwards said. "Joe Gibbs and his
organization have given amazing support to my race team and more
importantly the Young Life program."

Rookie Funny Car driver Bob Tasca and his Tasca Racing Team have
announced that beginning in 2009 they will be headquarterd in Concord,
N.C.  Essentially working from the road this year the team will have a
home base where they can test, work and house the racing team when they
are not on the road.

New colors, new sponsorship, new partnership, new race track

Under the colors of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Hillary Will, driving KB
Racing’s Top Fuel dragster, will give the car its inaugural appearance
at this weekend’s NHRA event at Charlotte, NC.

Once the largest drag racing sponsors, Torco Race Fuels is now controlled by a court-appointed receiver.

According to the Kalamazoo Gazette, Robert Seely has been given the
daunting task of sorting through what many describe as a colossal mess.

Seely, of Kalamazoo, Mich., is currently fielding proposals for the
sale of all parts and assets of Evan Knoll’s Decatur, Mich.-based
business.

Court records, according the Kalamazoo Gazette, tell the story of why
IRS agents raided the company headquarters, and reportedly Knoll’s
personal residence to seize financial records.

PRO Board Member says organization has been working all along …

NHRA Top Fuel team owner Bill Miller understands the driver’s desire
for representation on safety issues but wonders if their efforts are
overlapping those of PRO.

Miller is on the Board of Directors of PRO and takes to heart the issues facing drag racing.

Various drivers have told CompetitionPlus.com that the PRO organization
has been weak. But for every driver who has been negative, another has
been positive of their efforts.

“The drivers felt that some of the issues were not being addressed,”
said Miller, who drew the ire of the sanctioning body for voicing
opposition to the use of heat treated tubing as an SFI-approved spec
for the last two years.

Tears well up in their eyes, as Mark and Lauren Pickens discuss the decals on the side of their Top Fuel dragster driven by Clay Millican.

Mark and Lauren Pickens are on a mission, and this one is for God and
its no where close to the mission the fictional Blue Brothers were on
in the movies.

The couple who reside in Memphis, Tenn., have been involved in the
Hope-4-Sudan charity, supporting the children of war torn Sudan.

Mark remembers the first time Lauren traveled to Sudan and befriended
the malnourished children. The first visit and an honest mistake led
them to get more involved.

The 2008 season has been dire with two of the FIA events held at Santa
Pod Raceway in Northamptonshire completely rained out including the
prestigious European Finals where all four days of the meeting were
subjected to torrents of rain. A one shot qualifier for the
professional classes was completed on the finals day which was the only
one that was not totally washed out and with the some semis and finals
in each class about to be completed down came the wet stuff once more.
All the Champions were crowned later that evening at the official
banquet hosted by Santa Pod Raceway after championship points were
finalised.

Andy Carter clinched the FIA European Top Fuel Championship in the
Lucas Oil and Landmeco sponsored dragster coming from behind. He was
just five points behind Holland’s Lex Joon but qualified top with a
4.908/293 and would have faced Joon in the final if it had not rained.
Carter won the title by one point.

This week's cruise night (9/10/08) the duo of Shredd and Ragan hope to
raise money for the Variety Club by featuring some special attractions.
Nationwide Insurance will be bringing their NASCAR Nationwide series
car along with a NASCAR simulator. For a small donation to Variety
Club, guests will be able to compete for high score in the simulator.
Other fan contests will include the chance to guess at how loud (in
decibels) the Nationwide series car is with it's engine revving as well
as a burnout contest. Variety Club will be raffling off a prizes
revolving around these contests.