:::::: News ::::::

TOLIVER PONDERS FUTURE

Jerry Toliver admits his buddy

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Is this Rockstar's final year?

Alan Johnson will be besieged with applicants in the next few days. That’s why he’ll likely hold off submitting one.

Johnson announced on Saturday in Indianapolis that he plans to leave
Don Schumacher Racing to field his own nitro team in partnership with
Al-Anabi Motorsports. The new team will have a dragster and a Funny
Car.

“You never know, we’ll see what happens over there,” Toliver said.
“Knowing Alan, it’s going to be a great running organization and I
think he’ll have a good time.”

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND LAS VEGAS BRACKET NATIONALS SCHEDULED FOR NOV. 26 - 30 AT THE STRIP IN LAS VEGA

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will present its annual
Thanksgiving Weekend high-stakes bracket race Nov. 26-30. The Las Vegas
Bracket Nationals will feature a complete show with winners each day in
the Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle classes from Thursday
through Sunday of the Thanksgiving holiday. The Super Pro class will
race for $7,500 to win on Saturday and Sunday.

The thrilling and extremely popular Ultimate Gambler returns on Sunday
morning with its $1,000 entry fee and winner-take-all purse. In the
past, purses for the 1/8-mile shootout have paid as much as $67,000 to
the final-round winner.

TOM HAMMONDS NAMES KENNY TOM AS NEW CREW CHIEF

Tom Hammonds Enterprises, LLC named Kenny Tom as the Crew Chief for Tom Hammonds Racing.

"Kenny brings a wealth of knowledge and has been in Pro Stock a number
of years with quality teams," said Tom Hammonds, president and driver
of Tom Hammonds Enterprises, LLC.  "What I like about Kenny is he is a
hard worker and fits right in with what we are doing.  He knows what he
is doing, and we are extremely happy to have him."

JOHNSONS PRAISE ZMAX DRAG STRIP

Three days after competing in the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, IN,
the father-and-son team of Warren and Kurt Johnson KJ_test.jpgwere back on the
track on Thursday, putting in a full day of testing at Bruton Smith’s
latest contribution to the POWERade Drag Racing Series, the Zmax
Dragway in Concord, NC.   Battling stifling heat and a relatively green
racing surface, the Johnsons were among four Pro Stock teams making
runs at the state-of-the-art speedplant, with their performance often
stopping the numerous workers rushing to complete the facility in time
for the upcoming Carolina Nationals.

Making a total of 14 runs between them, KJ set low elapsed time for the
day in the ACDelco Cobalt (pictured) with his 6.680-second, 206.35 mph
pass in the early afternoon, with WJ, who set top speed at 207.43 mph,
close behind,  tripping the finish line timers in his GM Performance
Parts GXP in 6.685 seconds.  Afterwards, the duo had nothing but praise
for the magnificent new track.

VANDERGRIFF SETTLING INTO NEW ROLE

Bob Vandergriff Jr., in this election year was elected into office and the interesting part of it all, he never campaigned.
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Vandergriff was voted by his peers to serve as the Chairman of the newly formed
drivers committee for nitro racing. The honor is one the UPS-sponsored
driver holds in high regard.

Also appointed as class representatives were Larry Dixon [Top Fuel] and Ron Capps [Funny Car].

“It’s an honor to be chosen by my fellow drivers for that role, to
represent them,” Vandergriff said. “I think there is a lot of good we
can accomplish, working myself with Larry Dixon and Ron Capps. Really,
all the drivers and their inputs, I think sometimes that kind of stuff
gets overlooked and they even bring things to my attention that I
haven't thought about. I think communication between all of our drivers
is really important. Even on safety issues, if there's something some
driver has found out that is better than what we use or he ran into a
situation that he wants to make us aware of, I think it’s good we now
have a group that we can relay that information to everybody. Where in
the past, he might have told two or three of his buddies that he hangs
with, but it didn't get passed down to the group. I think this is a
really good thing for us to have.”

STEVE ENGEL UPDATE 9-4-2008

Pro Mod racer Steve Engel remains in critical
condition in the Intensive Care Unit of Methodist Hospital after suffering a
high-speed accident Saturday evening at the 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.
 
Engel's Corvette went out of control near the top end of the quarter-mile
and impacted the retaining wall so severely that all racing action was halted
for the evening as safety crews worked to repair the damage. Engel, meanwhile,
was airlifted to Methodist Hospital by medical helicopter.
 
According to his wife Tonya, Engel suffered damage to six vertebrae in his
spine. As a precaution and to keep him from moving and further complicating his
injuries, he's been medically sedated since doctors first examined him.
 
An initial surgery was preformed to repair two of the vertebrae. As doctors
waited for swelling in the area to subside, Engel developed fluid in one of his
lungs, which has delayed further repairs.

WHO LOVES REINHART? NOT JASON LINE

NHRA Pro Stock racer Jason Line and NHRA top end announcer Alan Reinhart have quite the friendship these days.

Alan Sign.JPG
Line Sign.JPGNHRA top end announcer Alan Reinhart and Pro Stock racer Jason Line have quite the friendship these days. (Photos by Jon Asher)

Or, do they?

If you happened across Reinhart during the recently-completed NHRA U.S.
Nationals in Indianapolis, you might have noticed a decal on his
golf-cart that read, “Jason Line is my best friend.”

NO RIVALRY FOR BUFF KIDS

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Troy Buff and his sister Kimmerly Buff-Pesz grew up in the sport of drag racing.

The Texas-based siblings dreamed there would come a day they’d follow
in the footsteps of their legendary drag racing father, Williard Buff.

Let the record reflect their day has officially arrived.

Troy is in his first-full season as driver of the Bill Miller Engineering Top Fuel dragster.

Kimmerly, whose husband is noted Pro Modified tuner and former driver
Brandon Pesz, recently made her debut as the driver of Tom Conway’s
A/Fuel Dragster.

TROXEL'S 2009 RESTART

Melanie Troxel isn’t ready to return to Top Fuel racing any time soon.
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The first year Funny Car driver has explored both ends of the emotional spectrum in 2008.

She’s won races and she’s failed to qualify. 

“There are definitely aspects of the dragsters that I miss, but we're
having a lot of fun over here,” said Troxel. “Certainly making the
switch over here is a new challenge so I am not bored by any means.
People keep wanting to ask me which I like better, I don't think, it's
like trying to pick between your kids, I don't think you can pick. They
definitely each have their own personality; they are both an adrenaline
rush and both a lot of fun.”

IHRA CHAMPIONSHIPS DOWN TO THE WIRE; EPPING SHOULD TELL THE STORY

Four of five professional classes still up for grabs as racers prepare for Amalie Oil North American Nationals

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Spencer Massey is knocking on the door of a world championship in his rookie season.

With two races remaining on the 2008 IHRA schedule at least 20
professional drivers have legitimate chances to walk away with world
championships. In what is shaping up to be the most competitive,
exciting season in history four of five class leaders are clinging to
razor-thin advantages in their respective points chases. The Amalie Oil
North American Nationals presented by the New England Dodge Dealers,
the ninth of 10 national events on the 2008 season schedule, will
provide what could be a turning point as these 20 drivers pursue their
dreams.

Prior to the 2008 season Spencer Massey (Fort Worth, Tex.) was a
virtual unknown on the IHRA circuit. The 25-year-old Texan came up
through the junior dragster ranks and spent the fledgling years of his
racing career driving an injected nitrous dragster in NHRA sportsman
competition. He now is one of the most recognizable drivers in drag
racing.

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