ROMINE-SPITZER-BURK AA/FC MAKING PROGRESS

Paul Romine has a garage full of billet aluminum and steel parts that are being mocked up before engine assembly starts. Car builder Mike Spitzer has bent tube and tacked some of it together and is a long way towards making a new ’79 Mustang body. Scrounger/PR guy Jeff Burk has put together a few deals and the plan currently is to try and be ready to test the day after the U.S. Nationals in Sept.

A few companies have signed up to help (no checks) including the folks at MSD, Victory Valve, Powerhouse tools, Crane Cams, Aurora Bearing and Flatout Gastkets. The team worked with graphic artist Wil Conerly to make renderings and here are the results. Don’t look for much more info from these guys until after the U.S. Nats. [5/8/2008]

DRAGWAY 42 HOLD ‘DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY’ ON SATURDAY

For the second straight year, West Salem, Ohio's Dragway 42 is hosting an event dedicated to giving something back to the participants who support the track as track owners Jack and Toby Ehrmantraut welcome everyone to the 51st Anniversary Season Appreciation event at Dragway 42. The Saturday, May 10, celebration will combine an IHRA Ironman Classic program and a free race entry promotion.

Participants will pay a regular $10.00 Saturday general admission fee, then will receive their choice of FREE race entry into one of four classes, courtesy of Dragway 42. A $1,000 to win / $300 to runner-up purse plus an IHRA Ironman trophy will be on the line in both the eighth-mile "Delay Box" class and eighth- mile "No Delay Box" classes.

In addition, a quarter-mile, all-run (DOT tire, footbrake only) Street Class and a Junior Dragster combo class will offer IHRA Ironman trophies to their class winners. Gates open Saturday at 1:30 p.m. with eliminations at 7 p.m. As always, kids 14 and under are admitted free of charge. [5/8/2008]

MICHIGAN TRACK ADDS SEATS IN ANTICIPATION OF ADRL CROWDS

Knoll-Gas Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich., has added 3,200 seats to the aluminum grandstand, which now has 30 rows instead of 15 on the west side of the drag strip. One section is already up, in time for this week's Thunder Nationals, and the other will be finished by the American Drag Racing League's weekend, June 6-7.

“We used to have standing room only for one big race a year, the Northern Nationals in August (1-3, this year),” said Stephanie Peterson, marketing and public relations director for the track. “This year we added the ADRL, a newer organization which has been just packing places.”

Former Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Billy Harper, shown here at South Georgia Motorsports Park last year, will again be racing in the Pro Nitrous class May 9-10, at the 4th annual Hardee's Georgia Drags staged by the Flowmaster American Drag Racing League presented by the National Guard. (Have you checked out Adrenaline: The Series – available exclusively on DRO.) [5/8/2008]