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PARTRIDGE JR. TAKES OVER FONTANA
Southern California drag racing track manager and promoter Jim Partridge has signed on as the new track manager at AAA Dragway in Fontana, CA. Partridge will replace Dave Danish who’s headed back, with his wife Cathy, to manage Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson.
Partridge said, “I’ve got big shoes to fill, but I’ll be working hand in hand with Dave over the next few weeks and want to help take the covers off of the best kept secret in Southern California, Auto Club Dragway.”
Partridge is the son of Bernie Partridge (at right with Jim), retired VP of Field Operations for the NHRA. Jim has a strong history in SoCal drag racing having spent time at Pomona Raceway from ‘94 to ’99 where he was track manager from ’97 to ’99, and he was also track manager at the new Irwindale Dragstrip in 2001 and 2002. (photo courtesy of Bernie Partridge)[5/3/2007]
NEW LOW QUALIFIER PROGRAM AT IHRA DIVISION 2 EVENTS
United Trailers has increased involvement with the IHRA and the Debonis-Hester Racing team for the 2007 season, which consists of Thomas Hester and multi-time Division 2 motorcycle champion and former Million Dollar Race Runner-Up Claude Debonis. The team, which has already experienced success in 2007 with Debonis taking runner-up honors in Quick Rod at the IHRA Amalie Oil Texas Nationals, will compete at all 2007 Division 2 Heat Wave Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am events, and select national events throughout the season.
In addition, there will begin a special program to award the low qualifier at each IHRA Division 2 Heat Wave Pro-Am event with $200 cash, courtesy of United Trailer Sales and RTH Enterprises.[5/3/2007]
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CANNON RECUPERATING AFTER BACK SURGERY
Scotty Cannon, driver of Evan Knoll’s Seelye-Wright Top Fuel dragster, suffered a back injury during the second round of qualifying at the recently completed IHRA Spring 
Nationals in Rockingham, NC. He finished the weekend despite suffering two ruptured discs.
Cannon underwent surgery last Friday at the Charlotte Spine Clinic to repair the damage. This marked his second back operation since 1997 when he ruptured the same discs during Pro Modified qualifying for the final event of the season and was forced to withdraw from competition. Physicians gave him the choice of being in bed for six months or having corrective surgery.
“I pulled the parachutes following my second qualifying session in Rockingham and I knew I had a problem,” Cannon said. “I really had no problems when I raced Funny Car, and the time I had off before this ride came along really allowed me to rest my back.
“But the long hours and lack of rest during the last couple of seasons caught up to me. Your body has a way of slowing you down when you can’t seem to do it. This time it had the last word in everything.”
Cannon is planning to race during the upcoming Torco IHRA Sooner Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “You know how that goes,” Cannon said. “If I can do it, I will be there. We’ll just have to see.” (Richie Downs photo) [5/3/2007]