A source has revealed that the Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown on Saturday
was shot by Masters Entertainment and will be seen on the Outdoor
Channel on Friday, February 9th.

To accommodate the many race fans attending the season-opening, 47th
annual CARQUEST Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the
race shop and museum at John Force Racing, Inc., will be open from 10
a.m.-1 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday, Feb. 8-9.

In addition to the shop and museum, the John Force RaceStation store
will bey open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on both days to accommodate
those interested in purchasing team souvenirs and collectibles.

Veteran drag racer Rick Kopp will be turning up the wick in dramatic
fashion this year with the Team Husky Top Dragster. The Burlington,
Ontario resident and owner of Kopp Motorsports will be fielding an
entirely new race car in the Top Dragster class.

“We’ve got a new chassis,” said Kopp recently. “We’re in the process of
getting a new engine built. When we hit the track this year, we’re
going to be in a 200-mph car. I can’t wait.”

NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster driver Steve Federlin crashed late Sunday
afternoon in testing. He was uninjured in the accident. We will post
more details once they become available.

Team owner Evan Knoll will donate the proceeds of t-shirt sales for the Vietnam
Veterans/MIA-POW Top Fuel Dragster presented by Torco Race Fuels and Lucas Oil.
The funds will be dispersed amongst a group of approved
organizations.

Knoll believes this will further solidify the true message
this 8,000-horsepower dragster will convey. This entry is intended to serve as a
source of pride for over 1.6 million Vietnam veterans as well as to bring
awareness to the plight of the over 1,700 soldiers still missing in action from
the from that conflict.

Photog Frank Ranney captured this photograph in the middle of the Hillary Will crash. She emerged uninjured.

Dave Connolly, 23, has won two Pontiac Pro Stock preseason competitions
-- the Pro Stock Super Bowl in Houston in 2005 and this second edition
of the Showdown at Las Vegas.

And he said he's hoping for a little deja-vu. "When I won in '05, I
went on to Pomona and won there. I hope that pans out the same way," he
said.

Connolly, the No. 6 qualifier, won a close final-round drag race
against two-time series champion Jim Yates, the No. 12 entrant, and
earned the $5,000 winner's share. He drove his Torco/Slammers Ultimate
Milk Chevy Cobalt to a 6.714-second elapsed time at 204.91 to Yates'
6.742/204.91.

Staff photographer Roger Richards made the trip to Montgomery today for the official ADRL test session.

MONTGOMERY PHOTO GALLERY