First 2010 race in the books for ‘King of the Coast’ Bracket Series

The Huntsville Engine King of the Coast Bracket Series started its 6th season at Gulfport (MS) Dragway. Two hundred cars took to the track Saturday morning for qualifying. The Saturday racing was delayed after a car hit the guardrail during the last time trial session, resulting in fluid on the second half of the eighth-mile track.

In the Pro Electronics class, A.J. Ashe of Gulfport wheeled Steven Barnett’s Mullis 4-link dragster to the win over Timmy Malone of Toney, Ala. Phil Combs of Demossville, Ky., got both the win and runner-up in Pro Footbrake. “That was a first for myself taking the win and runner-up in Footbrake in the same race,” Combs said. “Being that I am from transbrake country back in Kentucky and the best footbrakers in the U.S. are in the south, this feat is special to me.”

Other Saturday winners were Brittney Neely, Florence, Miss., in Jr. Dragster 8 & 9; Hannah Bailey, Marrero, La., in Jr. Dragster 10-12; James Hulse, Slidell, La. In Jr. Dragster 13-17; and Thad Smith, Slidell, La., in Sportsman. On Sunday, Alex Tritte, Picayune, Miss., was the Jr. Dragster 13-17; Selena Bailey, Marrero, La., won the 10-12 division; and Nathan Reynolds of Petal, Miss., won the 8 & 9 division. Rain set in after the Jr. Dragsters ran and the money was split between racers left in the other classes.

The next KOC Series event is scheduled for March 6-7 at Gulfport Dragway. [2/24/2010]

BRAKES announces driving school schedule

BRAKES, the nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching teenagers safe and responsible driving, has announced the 2010 schedule of driving schools to be held at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, NC. The foundation will also offer safe driver training to teens in many other areas of the country in 2010.

“2009 was a very successful year for BRAKES and the Teen Pro-Active Driving School and as the word gets out the demand for more schools has been tremendous, so we have responded for this year,” said BRAKES Founder, Doug Herbert. “We started a waiting list at the end of last year and we ended up with over 400 families trying to get into the school. Our goal is to provide free hands-on training to as many teens as possible, so we’re excited that we’ll be able to hold these classes in Charlotte as well as reach teens in other states too.”

The BRAKES Teen Pro-Active Driving School is designed to give young drivers the dynamic experience of handling a vehicle in adverse driving conditions and a controlled environment. The program utilizes professional driving instructors to train teenagers on key driving techniques including: accident avoidance, emergency lane change, panic stops, skidding and more. BRAKES is a 501(c)(3) organization that operates solely on donations and offers this training at no cost to attending teens and parents. To attend, teens must have a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license.

“We started BRAKES here in North Carolina but this is a national problem,” added Herbert. “We are taking steps to make BRAKES a national program and train teens all across the country.”

The foundation currently has 18 schools scheduled at zMAX Dragway in Concord, NC, between February and November and plans to announce schools at more locations soon. BRAKES. will also offer scholarships for training conducted by the Petty Safe Driving Program in Atlanta, Ga.; Orlando, Fla.; and Englishtown, N.J. Interested parents and teens can obtain a complete list of dates and locations, register for a school, or download an application by visiting www.putonthebrakes.org or calling 704-732-8950. For information about the Petty Safe Driving Program, visit www.1800bepetty.com/safedriving. [2/24/2010]

Stock up on ink and print your own ADRL event tickets

The American Drag Racing League is now providing race fans the ability to print free tickets to its national events from the comfort and convenience of their own computer.

“This new online service will ensure that anyone with a computer and printer will be able to obtain tickets to our events. We have thousands of fans who travel to see each of our events and they don’t want to wait until they get near the track to pick up their tickets. It will also be easier for teams and sponsors to get tickets without having to track them down in-market,” Executive Vice President Jeff Fortune explained. “Basically, this program is being offered as a convenience for our fans and track partners and we’re confident it will make things easier for everyone involved.”

To print tickets, ADRL fans can visit the official ADRL website where they will be able to order and print up to 10 personalized, bar-coded tickets. All printed tickets will also have the option of upgrading to reserved seating status and pre-purchasing premium parking at a discounted rate. [2/24/2010]