Imagine for a moment, you traveled to your local gas station and
realized from the time you left home the price of a gallon of gasoline
had increased from $4 per gallon to $8. Imagine the reality you'd face
at the time. This fictional scenario bears a striking resemblance to
another situation developing in the high-stakes world of nitro drag
racing in the NHRA.

Last week, the official fuel supplier to the
NHRA raised the cost of a 42-gallon barrel drum $300 to $1,250. This
time last year a racer could purchase a 55-gallon drum of nitro for
$850. The price rose to $950 at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. New
regulations for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has mandated
new regulations limiting the amount of nitromethane capable of being
stored in each pit area to under 400 pounds.

How does this affect
the teams? The real affect is in the bottom line where many teams are
struggling to maintain their existence. 

At least one driver said
his limited schedule will be further limited
because of this surprise increase. Unsponsored Funny car veteran Jim
Head pointed out this decision will cost him three races he’d planned
to attend.

No offense to the Gainesville Raceway but three-time NHRA Gatornationals champion Tony Schumacher

Tony Schumacher has won the Gators three times but he'd be happier to capture victory at the elusive tracks.

wouldn’t mind trading in one of his victories at the famed facility for one at a complex he’s yet to win.

“This one here, I'll trade one of those that we can't get done,”
Schumacher admitted. “I can't win a round in Englishtown.  I like those
lists.  I try not to look at them but when you put out a list where
there are only a few people or a handful of people who have won it
three times in much longer careers then that's great.”

Joe Baker entered the first event of the 10-race JEGS ProMod Challenge
as a last-minute alternate after another competitor crashed in testing
earlier in the week. He barely made the 16-car field with the slowest
elapsed time in the group. He even had to race the quickest and fastest
car of the meet in the final round of the 39th annual ACDelco NHRA
Gatornationals.

In the end, none of that mattered as the local hero from Milton, Fla.,
pulled off one of the most improbable victories in the seven-year
history of the series, winning with a coasting 12.687-second pass at
63.03 mph after final-round foe Raymond Commisso hit the retaining wall
just before the finish line to disqualify himself from contention.

PEDREGON, SCHUMACHER, COUGHLIN AND GUIDERA EARN VICTORIES AT ACDELCO NHRA GATORNATIONALS

Roger Richards Photos

Defending NHRA POWERade Series Funny Car world champion Tony Pedregon raced to his first victory of the season and 37th

Tony schumacher claimed his third career Gainesville victory.

of his career Sunday at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals.

Tony Schumacher, Jeg Coughlin and Matt Guidera also were winners at the NHRA POWERade Series race, the third of 24 in 2008.

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the
39th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the
third of 24 events in the  NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

Final round-by-round results from the 39th annual ACDelco NHRA
Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the third of 24 events in the 
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Sunday's final results from the 39th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals
at Gainesville Raceway.  The  race is the third of 24 in the  NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Alan Bradshaw thumbed through the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Media
Guide looking for his profile and he couldn’t find it. Finally, he gave
up and inquired as to why he couldn't find his listing. 

Bradshaw wasn’t listed; so during the final qualifying session at the
NHRA Gatornationals, he made his name impossible to forget.

Bradshaw drove his Vis-A-Vista-sponsored dragster to the top qualifying
position with a 4.547 elapsed time at 306.95 miles per hour.
His qualifying success comes one event after a DNQ in Phoenix.

“This is another way to earn a few stripes,” Bradshaw said. “We left
Phoenix with our heads hung low. Our team made a pact and we tested the
day after the event. We were determined not to race again until this
car would run.”

Mike Ashley retired a two-time NHRA Pro Modified championship-winning
driver in order to pursue a career as an NHRA POWERade Funny Car
competitor. Somehow, one just couldn’t believe he’d stay away from the
class that made him a superstar.

Ashley proclaimed his return to the popular fast doorslammer division
with a top qualifying 5.945 elapsed time at 239.61 miles per hour. So
much for the competition thinking the mortgage banker had lost his
momentum by focusing his attention on the nitro divisions for the last
two seasons.

“I don't think I lost any momentum,” Ashley said. “The bottom line is
that driving a Funny Car helped me to become a better driver all around
because you've got to be really aware with those cars. The truth of the
matter is that racing is racing. Going four seconds or going six
seconds is still fast.

With the pressure on and with only two chances on Saturday to make it
into Sunday’s Gatornationals, Bob Tasca III qualified his
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang in the 12th position, and will
make his second NHRA POWERade Fuel Funny Car start of the season at
Gainesville Raceway.

“This was a high-pressure day,” said Tasca, referring to having only
two qualifying runs after Friday’s sessions were canceled because of
rain. “Whenever you only get two runs to qualify, it’s really a
crapshoot because these cars are designed to get four runs under your
belt. To go out and run the fifth quickest pass in the first session in
the heat, which is what I think the conditions will be tomorrow, is
really encouraging. “

Tasca’s two qualifying runs came under much different track conditions,
with the first and quickest run coming in the high heat, and the second
happening under heavy cloud coverage.