Smiles on their faces, young patients from ages 11 months to 18 years
old, all shyly responded to the guy in the black racing suit with the
huge silver helmet. The personal interest and care shown by
International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Funny Car Driver Allan
Middendorf couldn’t help but reflect his concern for the kids during
his recent visit to Shriners Hospitals for Children, and SSM Cardinal
Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis.
 
From a teen boy trying on the big silver racing helmet to a 5-year-old
girl inviting him to come watch a special movie, Allan was a hit with
the kids (and their parents) who were thankful for a distraction from
the hospital routine of daily tests and doctor visits. One beautiful
little eleven- month-old boy, who gave Allan his biggest smile, will
start chemotherapy in a week or so.  The young teens found a common
bond with Allan in talking about drag racing.

Coughlin is engaged in the battle of his life just defending his Pro Stock crown. (Roger Richards)

Reigning Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. looks at the first quarter
of the 2008 POWERade Drag Racing Series and just shakes his head. A
winner of 52 national events and four world titles, Coughlin has seen
his share of nip-and-tuck drag racing competition, but even a proven
veteran like Coughlin can't remember too many times when the class has
been so cutthroat.

"In six races we've had five different winners, six different guys as
No. 1 qualifiers, and four changes at the top of the points," Coughlin
said. "It's been crazy. There is no room to breath and just about every
race, from Round 1 to the finals, is decided by thousandths of a
second. It's stressful, but I love it."

Linn State Technical College, a Caterpillar Think BIG education partner, will
provide support for the Rod Fuller-driven Caterpillar Top Fuel dragster during
the 12th annual O’Reilly Midwest Nationals, May 2-4, at Gateway
International Raceway in Madison, Ill.

In Missouri, Linn
State Technical College supports Dean Machinery Company, Kansas City, and Fabick CAT, Fenton, Mo. Linn State offers one of eleven
Caterpillar Think BIG programs in the nation, and the curriculum is structured
to prepare students to troubleshoot, diagnose and repair Caterpillar machines
and engines. Linn State will seek potential students during this
weekend’s O’Reilly Midwest Nationals and the O’Reilly Summer Nationals, May
30-June 1, at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan.

“It’s exciting to have Linn State back on our dragster,” Fuller said.
“They were involved with our team at St. Louis
and Joliet last
year and we did well at both of those races. I hope we can keep going strong for
them. We did an appearance at the school and the campus is awesome. Anyone
looking for technician training and mechanical experience should give Linn State a look.”

In Atlanta Robert Hight and his Auto Club Ford Mustang were the
quickest of the pack amongst the John Force team Mustangs. A decision
to change lanes in the first round derailed his bid to reach his fourth
consecutive final round at the Southern Nationals as the Auto Club Ford
Mustang went up in smoke versus Ron Capps.

Hight has qualified well at the O’Reilly Midwest NHRA Nationals
presented by Castrol. He has never started lower than the No. 3
qualifying position and included in that number is a No. 1 start he
grabbed at the 2006 event.

Unfortunately he has never advanced to the semis at Gateway
International Raceway. That is a trend he is looking to correct this
weekend.

“I’ve qualified really well there but I haven’t gone a lot of rounds. I
am looking forward to winning it,” said the 2005 NHRA Rookie of the
Year.

Ashley Force knew winning her first national event was going to be a tough row to hoe. The second-generation

Ashley took five races to get her first victory. Her father John had nine runner-ups before gaining his first. (Les Welch)

drag
racer and points leader from Yorba Linda, Ca., didn’t let the
challenges get the best of her as she farmed her way to the finish line
and knocked off a legend along the way.

The Funny Car final round at the NHRA Southern Nationals had all the
makings if a made for television movie. Threatening rain, which
eventually turned into a race delaying downpour, a veteran driver
looking for 1,000th career round win and a sophomore driver looking for
a career first national victory and the first by a woman, who just
happened to be the daughter of the veteran in the other lane.

The forces of nature, emotion, experience and history joined in a
battle between a father and daughter who just happen to be Force's by
name.

In the world of drag racing, the St. Louis area holds a special place in the
hearts of many racers and fans. Next weekend, fans from across the country will
converge on GIR for the Muscle Car Reunion and Nostalgia Drags to see great
racing, historical cars, and the man recently named one of ESPN's Top 25
Greatest Racers, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits. All of the cars participating in the
event will have been manufactured in 1974 or before.

In addition to the
great racing and great memories the weekend will provide, eventgoers will have
an opportunity to help a worthy cause. A portion of each ticket sold will be
donated to BackStoppers, an organization providing assistance to the families of
fallen firefighters and police officers.

Muscle Car Reunion President
John Troxel said the event, which kicks off Friday, May 30, and runs through
Sunday, is a time machine for drag racing fans. "They can expect to go back in
time," he said, "to 1974 and previous and see racing the way it was without
electronics, with true tuners, mechanics, and drivers of the sport as it was and
the cars like (they were)."

A little over a year ago, Mike Edwards was questioning his existence in Pro Stock competition. The

Mike Edwards won Pro Stock's 600th race.

former sportsman world champion was at his wit’s end with the rough and tumble world of NHRA Pro Stock.

This frustration led to a serious heart-to-heart with team owner Roger
Stull regarding their existence. A man of faith, Edwards supported
Stull in his decision to make the leap of faith into developing an
engine program.

“It’s unbelievable,” Edwards said. “Roger made the commitment last
September in Indy, to do this one time the right way and see how far it
takes us. I never dreamed I would be standing here this early in the
season. That car has two races on it. To come here and run the way we
ran today; we ran good. We ran good in both lanes.

Attitude Apparel has teamed up with a group of NHRA series sponsors and
competitors from the Pro Stock division for a racing-shirt giveaway in
conjunction with the annual GM/USO-supported drivers' visit with American troops
in Germany. The goal is to send a maximum number of shirts inscribed with the
phrase "1320th Asphalt Assault Division" to the troops in Germany for the annual
racers' visit, which this year, is tentatively scheduled for the week of
Thanksgiving.

The well-constructed, camouflaged-style pre-shrunk
tee-shirt is made with 100-percent cotton. It is emblazoned on the front with an
American flag and the bold statement, "Live to  Race, Race to Win." The back of
the shirt is inscribed in red, white and blue lettering with the phrase, "Home
Of the 1320th Asphalt Assault Division," and the racing logos of the NHRA
POWERade Series, Pontiac, Chevrolet and Attitude Apparel. Vertically centered
below the shoulder line are the names of the 13 participating Pro Stock
competitors including Kenny Koretsky, Jason Line, Ron Krisher, Mike Edwards,
Greg Stanfield, Greg Anderson, Warren Johnson, Justin Humphreys, Tom Hammonds,
Dave Connolly, Kurt Johnson, Jeg Coughlin and Jim Yates.

Names like Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps immediately conjure up
images of the lightning-quick, tire smoking, high-octane world of NHRA Drag
Racing. 

That thought is about to make a few successive left-hand,
dirt-slinging turns.

This Thursday, May 1, at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach,
Illinois, Scelzi (who drives the Mopar/Oakley Dodge in NHRA) and Capps (driver
of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge in NHRA), along with several other NHRA drivers
will be trading their straight track mentality for a more circular style of
thinking when they strap themselves in for some Crate Late Model action. 
For the first time ever, at least eight drag strip veterans will tackle the
third-mile clay at Tri-City in the inaugural NHRA on Dirt event. 
Scheduled to join Scelzi and Capps will be Cruz Pedregon, Allen Johnson, Doug
Kalitta, Dave Grubnic, Antron Brown and Allen Bradshaw.