Looking for a top-tier
Funny Car ride? Don Schumacher will begin his driver search this week and the
top item along with talent will be personality. The successor had better be
able to crack a joke or two.

"I have talked to a
couple of individuals really on the sidelines," Schumacher said.
"Until Gary
really made his decision ... I hadn't made a decision as to what I was going to
do. We are going to look out there in all of the classes from the alcohol
classes down into the Pro Stock classes. I will communicate with many drivers
out there.

The following is a note from Bob Pagano, Founder and President of
the Disabled Youth Awareness group. We'd like to pass on his message.

Atlanta
Pro Mod Invitees
Troy Critchley  
 Josh Hernandez   
 Troy Coughlin
 
 Tim Tindel  
 Jay Payne  
 Shelly Payne  
 Bryan Seward
 
 Scott Ray  
 Matt Hagen  
 Chip King  
 Eddie Ware  
 Steve
Engel  
 Mike Bell  
 John Russo  

The problems for the yet
completed Mansfield
Motorsports Park,
site of an upcoming IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro jam event in September, continue. MMP President
and General Manager Chris Mize resigned his joint position on Monday morning. This is another blow following EPA-mandated delays in construction.

"I'm just tired," Mize told the Mansfield News Journal.
"A lot of this stress is starting to catch up with me. It's affected me
personally. I know my health has taken a toll and it's affected my
family."

Mize’s tenure with the track dated back to 1999 where a safety
worker position enabled him to climb the ladder to General Manager in 2004.

Earlier this season two-time points champ Jim
Yates had indicated he wouldn’t continue racing in Pro Stock beyond the Atlanta
race without additional sponsorship support.  His backing from WileyX eyewear
has been beneficial, but insufficient in terms of getting the team through the
year.

Yates says “We’re still looking (for a sponsor).  We hve to
find some more money before we get done with Atlanta to keep going.  We just
can’t afford to do it out of our own pockets any more.  Right now we have a
great deal going with WileX and Sea Ray boats, but that only carries us through
Atlanta.  From that point on we’ll be struggling to keep going, but we’ll look
for things even on a race-to-race basis if we have to.”

FREE really means FREE at Dragway 42 this Saturday

Unlike other "free"
drag racing events hosted at tracks around the country
that require the
purchase of a (sometimes inflated) general admission
ticket to participate,
Dragway 42 puts its 50th Anniversary season of
racing into high gear with a
truly FREE event on Saturday, April 21.

The Dragway 42 Racer and Fan
Appreciation Event presented by Akron
Machining Institute and Summit Racing
Equipment Retail Store offers both
FREE general admission and FREE race
entry to this Saturday's event.

The NHRA Hot Rod Reunions are all about honoring those who helped
contribute to the sport in its Golden Age. So it's no surprise that
Holley, the title sponsor of the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion,
presented by SoffSeal, is honoring the late Ronnie Sox (the driving
half of the famous Sox & Martin drag racing team) during the 3-day
event. Holley will have the legendary Sox & Martin Plymouth Duster
Pro Stocker (restored by "Hemi Fred" Ristagno), the one that conquered
the strip in the early-1970s, in its booth during the event, June 15-17
at National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio.

"It's the original '72 Duster later updated to the '73 model," said
Holley's Bill Tichenor. "It's the only S&M Duster team car built by
the S&M shop." (Editor's note: details on the car's restoration is
available at prostockhemi.com.)

Things got a little warm from Brady Kalivoda during Las Vegas eliminations. (ESPN2/Motel 6 Vision)

Former Australian Pro Stock Champion Peter Ridgeway will make his official return to
ANDRA Championship Drag Racing competition later this year.

Ridgeway has partnered with former on-track rival John O’Kearney for his comeback, with the
pair expecting delivery of a state-of-the-art 2006 Holden Monaro, built by legendary US
chassis builder Don Ness, next month.

Powering the car will be a Ridgeway Motorsports designed and developed 400 cubic inch (6.5
litre) small block Chevrolet, which produces in-excess of 1,000bhp (750kW) and can rev to
over 10,000rpm. Standing quarter-mile performances will be in the 7.1 second range with
terminal speeds topping 190mph (305km/h).