There was a time when the names Angelle and George Bryce were
synonymous in the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks. Sponsorship developments sent
them in opposite directions. When Angelle Sampey signed on with Karl and Kim
Klement’s RUSH Racing Products, the door was opened for a reunion.

"Angelle and I raced together for seven years," said
Bryce. "We missed four championships in a row by only eight points in
1999, then we won the next three straight. I know it is different out there now
than it was when we won so much. So much has changed in our lives and in our
sport. But I know we respect each other's abilities, strength, and passion for
winning now more than ever."
 
"I'm very excited about the reunion tour with George and Jackie
Bryce," said Sampey. "They always have been like family to me since
the day they gave me my first opportunity to race in the NHRA with the Star
Racing team. We've had our share of bumps and bruises along the way, but just
like family, we've always worked through it and remained there for each other
throughout the years, even when we were in competition against each other. I
think I am better at anything I try when I have a coach, and GB3 (Bryce) is the
best racing coach there is."

By trade Mike Janis, two-time IHRA Pro Mod Champ, is a high performance engine
builder. Working out of the Janis family owned Jan-Cen Motorsports in Elma, NY,
Janis, is responsible for building some of the highest horsepower engines in
door slammer history. When connecting rod life became and issue a few seasons
ago Janis turned to R&R Racing Products of Grant Park, IL.
 
"I met
Mike at a trade show a few years before we worked together and I was impressed
at his knowledge of metallurgy," explained Janis. "Mike and his wife, Julie,
maintain a small shop and are forced to wear many hats. Designer, Engineer and
Quality coordinator are all part of what Mike does daily. Coming from a small
family business myself I appreciate Mike's dedication to his product and I'm
proud to add R&R to our family of sponsors, lead by Eaton and Aeroquip,"
said Janis.

If you’ve been keeping up with the assortment of new car images within
Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com’s “What’s New for 2008” section, chances
are you noticed an incredibly impressive A/Super Modified 1968 Plymouth
Barracuda with Pro Stock Bike icon George Bryce’s name on it. This car
is no paper tiger confirmed Bryce on Monday, January 18^th . Bryce, in
a phone conversation, said this Mopar dream is the real deal.

Bryce will produce a number of these classic Mopars as part of a new
business venture he’s created named B2 Hemi Cars. The classic Mopar
program will be in collaboration with Mopar Hemi stalwart Ray Barton.

Bryce's
Competition eliminator car will feature a paint scheme honoring the
fallen Pro Stock Bike champion John Myers, who lost his life in a
non-racing accident. 

 “The race car is going to be my flagship for the B2 Hemi car,” Bryce
said. “This will be a nine-second street car with 800 horsepower, all
aluminum Hemis. They’re gonna do wheelstands – that’s a necessity.
They're fully NHRA certified for 9 second competition. They'll have air
conditioning, power windows, power steering and leather interior. They
will have a 9-inch rear, RAM dual disc clutch, show car quality paint
and they're going to be serial numbered and very exclusive.”

Chris Rivas will ride the Drag Specialties S&S Cycle Proven Performance-powered Buell for G Squared (G2) Motorsports in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle drag-racing series.

Rivas will represent Drag Specialties, the motorcycle parts
distribution powerhouse, which returns for a third season as the
primary sponsor of the G2 motorcycle.

According to George Smith, G2 president and crew chief, the Fresno, Calif., resident was a natural choice to fill the empty seat on the team's motorcycle.

“There were a number of good riders available for the coming
campaign, but Chris was the most logical candidate for the Drag
Specialties/S&S/G2 bike,” said Smith. “He was one of the best at
getting off the starting line last season, and now on our bike, which
we believe is one of the strongest in the class, he becomes a real
threat for the championship this season.”

Sandwiched between a 1969 Shelby GT500 Fastback and the very first 2008 Dodge
Challenger SRT8 2-Door Coupe is Lot 1330: the Chip Foose-designed 2007 Dodge
Charger R/T Funny Car that stole the show and countless hearts at the U.S.
Nationals as Mike Ashley drove the Eric Blake Faulkner tribute car titled
"Purpose Beyond Reason" all the way to the Winner's Circle.
 
The
storybook ending on Ashley's emotional win is about to be written at the hand of
the highest bidder tomorrow, Saturday, January 19, at the Barrett-Jackson
Classic Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz. Along with Hollie and Donnie Faulkner,
others will be boosting the bidding from the podium, hoping to raise both funds
and awareness of the pain suffered when couples lose a child before or during
the birth-process.
 
According to National Center for Health statistics,
every year in this country more than 39,000 babies are stillborn (delivered
without signs of life after the gestational age of 20 weeks). Added to that are
the facts that one in every five pregnancies ends in miscarriage and one in
every 102 live births result in death before the age of 28 days, totaling almost
one out of every 3-4 pregnancies in the U.S. that ends in a loss. The EBF Funny
Car has given a voice to those suffering and brought caring acknowledgement to
the tragic isolation and psycho-social needs of the families dealing with the
situation.

A former new kid in NHRA’s ultra-competitive Pro Stock category and two veterans
with double-digit series championships between them will be attempting to add
another overall title when 2008 competition begins next month. 
 
Justin
Humphreys, a 2007 Road to the Future (rookie of the year) nominee, Bob Glidden
and Richard Maskin gave the assembled masses a glimpse of the RaceRedi
Motorsports Pontiac GTO team’s potential in the Auto Club Finals at Pomona,
Calif., in November.  The result – a final-round loss to new champion Jeg
Coughlin by a slender seven-thousandths of a second – has gnawed on the psyche
of Glidden and Maskin during the winter months.
 
So much so that Glidden
spent much of the “off-season” at Maskin’s Detroit-area DART Machinery
headquarters.  The engine shop’s goal is to provide more horsepower for
Humphreys when he mashes the pedal for the first time at Pomona in the CARQUEST
Auto Parts Winternationals, Feb. 7-10.  Maskin motors have won 65 national
events in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Truck and three Pro Stock championships with
Jim Yates (1996-97) and Jeg Coughlin (2000).

Our staff has arrived safely in Las Vegas for the annual Nitro Blast Off
test session hosted by Las Vegas Motor Speedway. We'll bring you same day
coverage as well as the latest new looks. Currently there are three nitro cars
with another expected to arrive this morning.

The following are the pre-entries received for the 8th annual CSR Eastern Spring Test Nationals presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com hosted by South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Ga. 

South Georgia Motorsports Park season-opening National Dragster and Junior
Dragster Challenge, set for this weekend, January 19-20 has been postponed due
to inclement weather and a poor weekend forecast.  The event, which was also
pegged as the season’s first Summit E.T. Points series event for the track’s
season-long points series, will be rescheduled although a date has not yet been
set.

Bart
Price told Torco's CompetitionPlus.com last year that he had a new
sponsor, but kept it all quiet until the right time. He didn't want to
jinx the program by announcing early. Not only did he gain a new
backer, he also acquired a new partner. On Thursday, he let the cat out
of the bag.

"This has been a very exciting off-season for us," Price said. "In
addition to bringing Greg Hill aboard as an equity partner, we've
established relationships with two companies that are new to drag
racing in Attitude Apparel and Throttle Racing Products. Greg and I
have been friends for years and (have) spent a considerable amount of
time comparing notes. We concluded that our teams were in very similar
situations and determined that combining our resources made a lot of
sense."

Price described Attitude Apparel as a brand focused on marketing
lifestyle apparel and related products to all kinds of enthusiasts.

"They've got some really exciting plans and products that I'm sure drag race fans will enjoy," he said.