Donnie Faulkner wanted to let everyone know the Purpose Beyond Reason
Funny Car body that Mike Ashley used to win the NHRA U.S. Nationals in
Indianapolis will be on Lot #1330 during the Barrett-Jackson Auction in
Scottsdale, Arizona. One hundred percent of the proceeds of this
auction will go to support the Eric Blake Faulkner Foundation, which
aids families who have lost newborn babies. Join the staff at Torco's
CompetitionPlus.com in prayer for a $1 Million Dollar Bid.

Given the significant impact weather and atmospheric
conditions have had on qualifying for NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
events in past seasons, NHRA has modified its race qualifying procedure.

Beginning with the CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona,
Feb. 7-10, the top 12 elapsed times in each pro category will be
provisionally recorded prior to the last day of qualifying. Those teams
who were unable to earn a provisional spot in the top 12 will have an
opportunity to make the 16-car starting order during the final day of
qualifying.

While the 12 provisional times are officially recorded prior
to the last day of qualifying, those positions are not locked-in. All
teams will have the opportunity to improve their positions during the
final day of qualifying and can bump in or be bumped out of the field.

When not coordinating all facets of Don Schumacher Racing's NHRA championship
drag-racing operation in Brownsburg, Ind., DSR's senior vice president Mike
Lewis finds time to lecture college students on motorsports as a
career.
 
Lewis will be speaking at Purdue University, in West Lafayette,
Ind., this Friday, Jan. 18, on the subject of career success in motorsports, at
the invitation of Richard A. Cosier, Dean and Leeds Professor at Purdue and
coordinator of the Krannert Executive Forum.
 
The Krannert Executive
Forum invites top-level corporate executives to deliver one-hour guest lectures
to upper-class management students and undergraduate students from engineering
and other schools on the Purdue campus. Master's-degree students and other
faculty are also encouraged to attend. 

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. 

NHRA was named the Diversity in Motorsports Award winner Tuesday
evening at the Fox Theatre in Detroit during the 12th annual Urban
Wheel Awards, held in conjunction with the North American International
Auto Show.

The Urban Wheel Awards ceremony is the only official event honoring
African-Americans, Latinos and Asians during the North American
International Auto Show.

NHRA drivers Tony Pedregon and Peggy Llewellyn joined NHRA vice
president of public relations and communications, Jerry Archambeault,
to accept the award on behalf of NHRA.

Two-time NHRA Top Fuel Dragster champion Larry Dixon will participate
in the seventh annual Nitro Blast-Off Preseason Test Session Jan. 18-20
at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The 41-year-old Dixon drives for legendary drag racer-turned-team owner
Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and will compete under the U.S. Smokeless
Tobacco banner for 2008. The Indianapolis native has earned more than
40 final-round victories and he clinched consecutive Top Fuel Dragster
championships in 2002 and 2003.  His victory in Las Vegas at the 2005
SummitRacing.com Nationals moved him ahead of drag racing legend Don
Garlits on the all-time win list (third place).

T.J Schippling will be taking over as the driver of the KonRods Top Alcohol Funny Car.

Schippling brings 17 years of drag racing experience to the team. He
will pilot a 2006 Monte Carlo flopper with Al Billes tuning.

The clock is rapidly ticking down toward the start of the 2008 NHRA POWERade
season, and in just a few short weeks some of the finest drivers in Pro Stock
will converge on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the third annual
Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 1 - 2. The Pontiac Pro
Stock Showdown will provide teams with the opportunity for some intense
side-by-side competition, their first since last November's NHRA Finals, and
some all-important last-chance testing before they make their way west to Pomona
and the beginning of this year's 24-race campaign. 

"The third edition
of the Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will
be the most exciting yet," said Chris Blair, LVMS' Vice President of Racing
Operations. "The best teams in the sport will take advantage of our perfect
racing surface and incredible weather conditions to produce record-shattering
performances."

"Pontiac is proud to once again be the title-rights
sponsor for the Pro Stock Showdown," said Fred Simmonds, GM's drag racing
marketing manager. "The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a great venue and
the fans will get a terrific opportunity to see their favorite drivers in a very
accessible setting. Last year, every Pro Stock car that qualified for the
season-opening Winternationals was at the Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown, and this
event will give teams a chance to make some final adjustments before making the
short trek to Pomona."

After a one year hiatus, The Goodguys Vintage Drag Racing Association is back in
the event business.

Goodguys will hold three premier vintage drag racing
events this summer and fall throughout the Midwest beginning with the 20th Hot
Rod Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis June 6-8. The racing action
continues September 5-7 with the 7th Blue Suede Cruise at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
Rounding out the Goodguys 2008 vintage drag racing event lineup is the 1st
Goodguys Nostalgia Nationals, October 17-19 at historic Beech Bend
Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

After staging the country’s premier vintage drag races
for twelve years on the west coast, Goodguys is looking forward to bringing new
events to the Midwest. “It’s new territory for
us,” said Goodguys President Marc Meadors. “The Bader family at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio
has indicated we should expect a great turnout of racers to the 7th
Blue Suede Cruise this September. We’re also looking forward to staging the
first-ever Goodguys/VRA event at Beech
Bend Raceway Park
in Bowling Green, KY. We’ve heard for years what a great
facility it is and are excited to start new traditions at each of these historic
venues. Of course the Hot Rod Nationals in Indy always rocks. It’s going to be a
great year and we look forward to giving vintage drag racers all over the
country some quality events to come race at.”

Oh, Baby... Help me, help me, help me. I need YOU to the staging
lanes!

The sound of those words will ring clear in the minds of those
that have ever been to an IHRA race and had the privilege of listening to
Staging Stevie Letempt call "play-by-play" for Sportsman Racing. No one does it
with more enthusiasm than Steve Letempt.

Putting Staging Steve and the
"Gator Man" Terry McMillen on the same radio show this Wednesday night at 8PM
EST is something the world may not be ready for yet.