Held in mid-September since its inception in 1985, the race moved to an
August date last year. Maple Grove Raceway has a long history of record
performances, including the first side-by-side four-second and 300-mph
Top Fuel passes. This is the next-to-last race in the first phase of the Countdown to the Championship.

Former IHRA racer Jerry Williams picked up his second Probe Pro career
Fun Ford victory at Bristol with Dale Brinsfield behind the wheel.
Their brand new Jerry Haas built 2008 Shelby Cobra has posted the
quickest times ever for a nitrous car in Fun Ford history.

Bristol
has always been a favorite stop along the Fun Ford tour. For a number
of racers, it became even sweeter as the 17th annual FFW Thunder Valley
Nationals was the scene for some important wins in quests for the 2008
season championship.

Probe Pro saw Dale Brinsfield score his second consecutive season
victory as he scored 1 6.450/219.65 win over defending champion David
Schorr was forced to shut off after getting crossed up. Several new
faces were competing this year as Seth Johnson and Mike Bellew made
their debuts. Todd Amandus made another appearance in his camouflage
colored Mustang with Dennis Lugo making the tuning calls as he sped to
a 6.843.

NHRA’s version of a weeklong campout, this event is a popular stop due
to the area’s recreational opportunities. Avid fishers often spend the
days before the event trolling the area’s many lakes for walleye, bass,
and northern pike, and a huge on-site campground provides nightly
camaraderie for racegoers who sit around fires discussing the day’s
action. 

Keep up with
this weekend's NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals by reading our behind-the-scenes event
notebook. We bring you the stories behind the numbers and win-lights throughout
the course of the weekend. Tune in daily for the latest news from the
pits.

Tim Wilkerson at the 31st Annual ACDelco Night Under Fire presented

The
31st Annual ACDelco Night Under Fire presented by Amalie Motor Oil
began with the spotlight on legends Shirley Muldowney and John Force.
The evening ended with kids showing up their parents, as Ashley Force
beat her father John, and Dan Wilkerson beat his father Tim to set up
an “all-kids” Funny Car final round. Dan Wilkerson prevailed to become
the 2008 Night Under Fire Funny Car Champion.

Opening ceremonies for the Night Under Fire, held at Summit Motorsports
Park in Norwalk, Ohio, began at 6:00 p.m. They included the
introduction of drag racing legend Shirley Muldowney who presided over
the race as Grand Marshal. The three-time NHRA Top Fuel World Champion
was treated to a standing ovation by the capacity crowd.

In the heart of Northern California’s high-tech region, the facility
annually plays host to some of the tour’s most dramatic moments. A $70
million ­modernization project was completed in 2002 that included a
new 660-foot concrete launchpad and led to scores of new track records. 

Keep up with this weekend's ADRL U.S. Drags by reading our event notebook. We bring you the stories behind
the numbers and win-lights throughout the course of the weekend. Tune in daily
for the latest news from the pits.

Keep up with this weekend's ADRL U.S. Drags by reading our event notebook. We bring you the stories behind
the numbers and win-lights throughout the course of the weekend. Tune in daily
for the latest news from the pits.

Keep up with
this weekend's NHRA Fram-Autolite Nationals by reading our behind-the-scenes event
notebook. We bring you the stories behind the numbers and win-lights throughout
the course of the weekend. Tune in daily for the latest news from the
pits.

In one of the tour’s most breathtaking environments, Pacific Raceways is surrounded by towering pine trees and parked in the shadow of majestic Mount Rainier. The trees add more than beauty at the middle stop on the Western Swing: They emit tons of power-enhancing oxygen to feed the appetites of the high-horsepower machines, resulting in prime performances.