MIDWEST RACERS SHOW THEIR STUFF AT INDY GOODGUYS EVENT

The Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals returns to O'Reilly Raceway Park this weekend bringing over 4,000 ’72 and earlier rods and customs as well as 300 vintage drag racing machines to the historic facility just outside Indianapolis.

Headlining the racing portion of the event will be a booked in show of nitro burning Nostalgia Funny Cars pitting the Midwest’s finest nostalgia fuel floppers against one another. Set to make its national debut is Justin Grant’s “Wonder Wagon.” Grant’s Wonder Wagon is an exact replica of Don Schumacher’s Buttera version that barnstormed the country in 1973 as part of the Coca Cola Cavalcade of Funny Cars. A full field of eight 250mph nitro burning vintage funny cars will participate in the event including Steve Nichols’ Mill Road Boys ’71 Camaro, John Dunn’s Dunn & Gone ’72 Nova, Kyle Wertzel’s Motown Shaker ’73 Vega, Danny Miller’s Rear Gears ’73 Maverick, Greg Jacobsmeyer’s All Star ’71 Dodge Challenger, Shawn Bowen’s Violator ’78 Trans Am and Rocky Pirrone’s “Screamin’ Eagle” ’77 Trans Am. [5/30/2008]

HOOSIER BUILDS A HIGH-MILEAGE TIRE!

Hoosier Racing has addressed some of the issues plaguing the required twelve-inch drag slick in nostalgia Top Fuel racing. According to High Speed Motorsports crewmember Walt Stevens when interviewed at the just completed Top Fuel race at Bakersfield, CA the team put the new Hoosier Tire on the dragster on Friday and used the same set for the entire weekend, “without blistering the centers out on every run,” as had been a problem with the current M&H Tire. Stevens also thinks his team will probably use the same set of Hoosier tires on the dragster for the next three events. Hoosier will have the same tire available at the Goodguys 20th Hot Rod Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis on June 6–8. (Tim Marshall photo) [5/30/2008]

OFFICIAL NHRA NITRO STATEMENT

GLENDORA, Calif. -- NHRA has been working with VP Fuels, the exclusive supplier of nitromethane on-site at NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national events, with regard to the supply of nitromethane in light of the recent decision by the Chinese government to halt and/or limit production and shipment of nitromethane this summer.

VP Fuels has informed NHRA that VP is exhausting all avenues, worldwide, to secure nitromethane for the 2008 racing season. Indications are that China will resume normal production and shipping to fulfill NHRA's needs beginning in the fall. Until that time, NHRA has been assured by VP that they will be able to handle supply at national events until suppliers of nitromethane in China resume normal production and shipment.

VP has informed NHRA that VP is confident that between what is currently in the country, coupled with product on its way and being produced, that the needs of NHRA racers will be fulfilled. NHRA will take the following measures to conserve the use of nitromethane:

- Discontinue professional testing following NHRA national events this summer, including the Indianapolis test session in August.
- Strongly suggest professional teams use methanol for professional warm-ups in the pits at national events.

NHRA intends to lift the measures outlined above as soon as the normal supply of nitromethane is restored.

NHRA and VP Fuels are taking action to ensure an adequate supply of nitromethane is available at national events at this time and for the foreseeable future.

The chain of supply and distribution is extremely important to NHRA. NHRA and VP have clear and defined rules in place regarding the safe handling and security of this fuel which are designed to preserve and protect the sport.
-- (Courtesy of NHRA Communications) [5/30/2008]

IT USED TO BE THEIR HOUSE

The Pomona Fairplex is a certainly a multi-usage facility, but drag racing at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the oldest venue on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series circuit is becoming a much less important part of the mix for old Parker Avenue. 

According to a Fairplex spokesman, Championship Off Road Racing now has three weekend events scheduled for 2008 positioned in what is usually the Sportsman Pits for the Winternationals and World Finals. Over the weekend heavy equipment was grooming the dirt for CORR, which brings 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive trucks to the closed-course, off road Fairplex arena in the shadow of the drag strip corporate luxury boxes.

With Goodguys and Super Chevy Show having pulled out of the dragstrip and no Sport Compact Finals at Pomona since the NHRA series merged with NOPI, the only other use for the quarter mile this year is an October “hold” for the All Harley Drag Racing Association.

 When the Fairplex spokesman was asked if NHRA had a first right of refusal on drag strip dates he responded that NHRA was not part of the decision process for rental dates, “They are only one of the lease holders here.”  (Darr Hawthorne photo) [5/30/2008]