As you may or may not know, U.S. drag racing's primary (and only) supply of racing grade nitromethane is imported from China. The laws of supply and demand might spark a price increase like that of years past. A few suppliers in China have closed their factories for reasons unknown at this time. We'll stay on top of this story as it develops.

While most of the focus of the new tracks are on the new Bruton Smith facility being constructed in Charlotte, reportedly there's another group intent on bringing another national event facility to the upstate of South Carolina. Reportedly, a lot of things are working in a positive direction and this new facility could see action as early as the summer of 2008. Those of you old timers will recall that 25 world championships alone have been won by drag racers from the long gone Spartanburg Dragway located in Spartanburg County and in 1993, five of those were won simultaneously. Stay tuned.

Last season, Frank Gugliotta drove for chassis builder Rick Jones in the IHRA Pro Stock division. Next season, Torco's CompetitionPlus.com has learned that Gugliotta will drive for the new team of Bob Yoak. Yoak has won two championships in his career as a team owner with son Jon as a driver.

As for Jones, he's one of three teams headed to the 500-inch ranks over in the NHRA. The owner of RJ Race Cars will turn over the driving chores to his son and former crew chief Rickie Jones.

Sources indicate that Jim Yates will have a new engine program for the 2008 season with fellow Virginian Sonny Leonard. Leonard, a longtime mountain motor engine builder, has previously built 500-inch engines for Robert Patrick and Billy Huff.

Word has it that Torco Race Fuels has reportedly been shopping around the NASCAR
community as a means of spending their marketing dollars. Sources indicate there
have also been a serious ratcheting up of Evan Knoll's efforts to purchase
controlling interest in a major drag racing entity.

Sources indicate that Bobby Lagana, Jr., will be the replacement for Scotty Cannon in Evan Knoll's personal Top Fuel dragster. Cannon stepped away from the ride to return to  Pro Modified.

A source close to the David Powers Motorsports team has told Torco's CompetitionPlus.com that former Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Antron Brown will be testing December 17 - 19 in Gainesville, Florida, in anticipation of his Pomona debut.

At least three prominent teams have agreed to combat the lack of television time afforded their teams as well as other key issues such as purse structures by simply not showing up for the the races in 2008, a source tells Torco's CompetitionPlus.com. While Evan Knoll's sponsored and team cars appear to be at the head of the pack, a source close to the situation tells us that he's got company in the form of several nitro teams as well as at least one prominent Pro Stock team.

Sources indicate at least one prominent Top Fuel driver is taking steps to create what he calls a Car of Tomorrow for the dragsters. Safety is of primary concern as this car will feature a specialized cockpit shell designed to protect the driver in the event of a catostrophic crash. From what we are hearing, this team isn't even keeping the NHRA tech department in the loop and building the car with a score of safety features in mind which would make it difficult for them to not approve.

Taking a page from the Pro Stock Truck Association history book, it appears a group of displaced NHRA Sport Compact Racers who fabricated new cars and purchased support equipment under the vision of competing on the NHRA series are in the formative stages of bringing legal action against the sanctioning body for basically passing the program over to the NOPI series. These racers compare that move to the Pro Stock Trucks being relegated to Competition eliminator.