Some team owners carry the hope of qualifying for an NHRA POWERade
proffesional event. Then there's John Force who qualified all four
drivers for the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville. John Force Racing
drivers Robert Hight, John Force, Ashley Force and Mike Neff all made
the show.

Hight drove the Auto Club Ford Mustang to the top of the field
in the first session and that early success was key considering in the
second round he dropped a cylinder two seconds into the run and was
able to lift knowing that he was solidly in the field.

“We are still just a hair off. For whatever reason the engine is
putting cylinders out and it is just not happy,” said the current Funny
Car points leader. “We have to keep working on it but luckily we were
qualified because that would have been really ugly if I’d have driven
it to the finish line on the second run to try and get in the show.”

(Marvin Smith photo)

Angelle is a changed lady aside from her conversion from a Suzuki to running a Buell V-twin motorcycle.

Let the record reflect, the three-time NHRA world champion has no
problem letting the world know her gender. She’ll quickly testify her
preference was to be known as a good motorcycle racer who just happened
to be a female.

“That’s the way it was in the beginning of my career because I didn’t
want anyone looking at me differently,” Sampey said. “I just wanted to
be one of the guys because I didn't want any special favoritism.  I
didn't want the comments or the things that were happening like, ‘Oh
the girl, the girl- I just wanted to be one of the guys.” 

Today's classic You Tube video moment features the legendary 1984 NHRA
Cajun Nationals crash between Funny Car drivers Ed "Ace" McCulloch and
John Collins. The safety procedures weren't as advanced as today but
even we're wondering about the horse rider coming to the rescue.

Ashley
Force, Jeg Coughlin, Chef Nicky Morse, Larry Dixon, Cruz Pedregon, and
Alan Bradshaw will be guests tonight on Joe Castello’s Power Shift
program on XM Satellite Radio, channel 144, from 8-10 p.m. Eastern.
NHRA announcer Alan Reinhart will be the co-host on the popular
motorsports-theme show.

The first day of qualifying for the 39th annual ACDelco NHRA
Gatornationals, the third of 24 races in the NHRA POWERade Series, was
cancelled after persistent rain Friday at Gainesville Raceway.

Action will resume on Saturday with professional qualifying rounds scheduled for noon and 2:30 p.m.

Two sons react to having Dads inducted into the Drag Racing Hall of Fame …

Up until the 2008 International Drag Racing Hall of Fame ceremony, Mike
Bucher and Todd Veney had little in common except their dads drag raced
quick, fast and successfully. During the annual gala gathering at the
Paradise Resort, the two added one more common denominator.

The late Jim Bucher and legendary Pro Comp icon and noted nitro tuner
Ken Veney were among the 2008 inductees for the International Drag
Racing Hall of Fame hosted by the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum. Their
sons basked in the glow of their respective dad's accomplishments.

Jim Bucher was lauded for his efficiency in campaigning a
Chevrolet-powered Top Fuel dragster following his storied graduation
into Top Fuel after a successful stint in the Top Gas ranks. His finest
hour would later prove to be his final as he rose as high as the No. 1
position in the NHRA Top Fuel ranks at mid-season 1975 but later
forfeited the ranking when he was weakened with cancer.

Charles Carpenter's new Terry Murphy-built 1955 Chevy will soon hit the track and when it does, the classic shoebox will retain a look similar to last season's. The rendering comes from Eddie Hollon.

The NHRA may exert the effort but their dream of parity in Pro Stock Motorcycle unlikely says competitors

The NHRA has tried everything short of Can-Am starts to achieve parity
in their Pro Stock Motorcycle division but a handful of competitors
feel the attempts are an exercise in futility. In other words, one
would be more likely to achieve peace in the Middle East than put the
bikes on an even keel.

Nevermind the fact the NHRA has lightened the load on the Suzuki
combination (610 pounds with rider) for the 2008 season, the
combination was still .07 behind the Harley-Davidson V-rod. For that
matter, the Buell V-twin combination was .06 behind the Harley-Davidson
combination during the recent Eastern Spring Test Nationals in
Valdosta, Georgia.

“To be honest for sure the quicker thing would be peace in the Middle
East than reach parity in the class,” Steve Johnson, President of PRO2,
the group representing Pro Stock Motorcycle said.

Pro Stock veteran tests hard in Valdosta looking for success in Gainesville …

Depending on how you measure success, Larry Morgan has already proven
he's putting forth a winning effort in 2008. The veteran Pro Stock
driver from Newark, Ohio has yet to qualify in 2008 yet he keeps on
making the field and in Phoenix winning national events.

Confused?

Morgan’s personal racing experience hasn’t proven fruitful but his
clientele are more than making up for any perceived slackness. In
simple terms, Morgan’s engines are running to the front of the class –
even though he’s experienced some tough times thus far in his own cars.

 
While a win at even one NHRA national event is considered a significant
achievement by the competitors who race on the 24-event POWERade tour, a victory
for Team Chevy's Tom Hammonds at next weekend's 39th annual ACDelco
Gatornationals would mark a noteworthy accomplishment and season turning point
for the former NBA power forward now turned Pro Stock driver. A Florida native
who calls Crestview home, the 40-year-old Hammonds fully understands the
heritage and tradition of competing at Gainesville Raceway and what it would
mean to take home an event trophy from the Gatornationals.

"The ACDelco
Gatornationals are a huge deal for me," Hammonds said. "Other than the U.S.
Nationals, it's one of our biggest races. It's the first race on the East Coast,
and just looking at the entry list for Pro Stock, there are 34 cars already
pre-registered, which gives you an indication of just how big this event is. Not
only in that aspect, but it's pretty close to my hometown.

"To have a
'Wally' from the Gatornationals, an event that's practically in my backyard,
would be tremendous. There's so much prestige and history at Gainesville and
it's always one of the fastest races of the year. As a racer, that's what we
want to do, we want to go fast, and next week in Gainesville, you'd better hold
on."