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

For the next three weeks, Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com will conduct
its inaugural War Stories Showdown presented by Mach Series
Accelerator. The veterans of yarn spinning are paired for what promises
to be a series destined to produce the finest behind-the-scenes
stories.

South Georgia Motorsports
Park [SGMP] and Popular Internet Magazine Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com will join
forces for a third year in presenting the Eastern Spring Test Nationals, a
premiere test session the week prior to the NHRA Gatornationals, March 6 – 8.

This year CSR Performance Products
has been signed on as the title rights sponsor of the event which regularly
attracts as many as 110-plus NHRA and IHRA professional race teams as well
nearly 5,000 spectators.

“There are many options on
the table for us heading into 2008 and it’s always that way when you head into
a new venture,” said newly appointed SGMP track manager Tim Fleming. “We just
looked over our potential programs and the ESTN event has always been a hit for
the fans at SGMP. I’m really excited for the opportunity to work with the staff
at Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com. They’ve always poured a lot of heart into this
event.”

In an effort to give attending drivers as much publicity as possible, the
Eastern Spring Test Nationals presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com is open
to pre-entry registration. The eighth annual event will be held at South Georgia
Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Ga., during the weekend of March 6 - 8, which is
the week prior to the NHRA Gatornationals and two weeks for the IHRA
Texas Nationals in San Antonio, Texas.

Today's video classic comes from the 1985 IHRA Winter Nationals in
Darlington, SC, when early ESPN drag race coverage (before NHRA was on
the network) did a profile on a true drag racing legend - Tom "the
Mongoose" McEwen. This is a pretty neat  clip dating back to the Coors
Corvette days.

Del Worsham, owner/driver/tuner of the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Funny Car, and Dexter Tuttle,
owner/tuner of the Top Fuel Dragster that will be driven by Alan
Bradshaw during the 2008 NHRA POWERade season, have announced they will
work together in '08, forming a racing alliance.  The combined effort
will feature a mutual pit area, shared resources, and combined tuning
approaches, all of which are designed to provide each team
significantly more information and assets as they compete in two
different classes.

Worsham has owned and operated a two-car organization since 2000, with
Jeff Arend most recently driving the blue version of the Checker,
Schuck's, Kragen Funny Car.   Although CSK Auto is moving forward into
its 12th consecutive season sponsoring Worsham, the "Official Auto
Parts Retailer" of the NHRA has announced it will focus its sponsor
resources and backing on just Worsham's red car in '08.  Tuttle, who
led driver J.R. Todd to five race victories over the past two years,
has named Bradshaw to drive his Top Fuel machine next season, and the
team expects to attend at least 15 races, though they will continue to
pursue additional sponsor funding.

Our good friend Lee McKinney, who is stationed over in Iraq, sent us
this interesting picture. It appears Santa has a few extra security
issues when delivering the yuletide cheer.

SETBACK
AFTER SETBACK CAN’T DETER EDWARDS

NHRA POWERade Pro
Stock driver Mike Edwards wields a vicious axe on the starting line when it
comes to starting line reaction times. If you’re the least bit hesitant off the
line, he’ll chop down the Christmas tree and leave you wondering what
happened.

Recently Edwards
was wielding an ax, but not the kind that yields better reactions. In fact, the
former Sportsman world champion turned professional championship contender, was
swinging the real deal – knocking down hundreds of trees that succumbed to a
vicious ice storm that paralyzed parts of the Midwest including his hometown of
Coweta, Oklahoma.

Edwards, his wife
Lisa and his parents own forty acres of wooded land some thirty miles southeast
of Tulsa. Their house is located deep in those woods which meant there were lots
of fallen trees and debris to clear out of the driveway.

Back in November, Kenny Koretsky told Torco's CompetitionPlus.com
that he'd wrapped up filming for a  History Channel documentary based
on his 2005 Dallas crash with Bruce Allen.  That show is scheduled to
air Friday, December 29 at 9 PM.

The horrific crash will be profiled on an episode of Shockwave along
with a helicopter pilot who survived a nose-first crash and another
pilot, who ejected from a burning fighter plane only to parachute
directly into the fire. 

"I have to tell
you that I was impressed with the set,” Koretsky said. “This is an exciting deal.”

Faith and a supportive team inspired
Bruce Litton to win his first-ever IHRA Top Fuel
championship

Bruce Litton couldn’t have felt any lower than he did in
September of 2006. The veteran IHRA Top Fuel racer had just suffered
his second major crash in as many seasons, yet this time he was badly
injured.

Litton’s mishap during the IHRA North American Nationals in Epping, NH,
left him nursing injuries serious enough to suspend his racing
activities.

Litton’s subsequent wounds served as a reminder to just how fortunate
he had been to escape with minor scratches following his accident
during the 2004 season-opener in San Antonio, Texas.