Saturday, March 31, 2007

2007 Nostalgia Race Schedule
Jim Marlett again does all his fellows an outstanding service by preparing and publishing all the known nostalgia drag racing events for the calendar year.
Tire vibration blamed in driver's death
The brain trauma that caused Funny Car driver Eric Medlen's death last week likely was the result of severe tire vibration and not the impact of the ensuing low-angle crash against a retaining wall.

Friday, March 30, 2007

Tribute to NHRA Driver Eric Medlen Included in ESPN2 Houston Coverage
The NHRA POWERAde Drag Racing Series heads to Houston this weekend for the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals and ESPN2 will have coverage of qualifying and finals on Saturday and Sunday. A tribute to Eric Medlen will air in the qualifying and finals programs, as well as in Sunday’s NHRA Race Day.
Safety can't be measured in square footage
Two weeks ago, few - if any - were seriously questioning NHRA safety procedures or its remarkable track record. There were the usual gripes, but nothing of major consequence. That tranquility has been shattered.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Derby tests car builders' creativity
The guy cited in the article isn't me, but the Pinewood Derby sure provided one of my first tastes of drag racing.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Robert Petersen, Publisher of Auto Buff Magazines, Dies at 80
Robert E. Petersen, who channeled his enduring California-boy fervor for fast cars with tailfins and chrome-plated engines into a string of successful magazines, including Hot Rod and Motor Trend, died Friday in Santa Monica, Calif.
AA/Fuelsim.com goes online
Nitrosim.com, the venerable drag racing simulation message board, is no more. AA/Fuelsim.com was created to keep the members of Nitrosim together and to continue the fellowship that the members of Nitrosim have created.
John Force reality show gets good review
Some of the best reality TV shows expose viewers to a lifestyle or profession that is new to them, and when producers pick just the right participants, the results can be compelling. One show that certainly in this category is A&E’s “Driving Force.”

Monday, March 26, 2007

Bruton Smith Still Wants the NHRA
O. Bruton Smith, the richest man in stock-car racing, said he wants to buy the biggest drag-racing series in the U.S. and boost the sport's appeal to race fans and television audiences.
Pro Stock To Pro Turbo
Ozzie Pro Stock legend Tony Wedlock has forsaken twin carbs for twin turbos.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Medlen's smiling face, sunny outlook will be missed
The overwhelming majority of friends, family and fans of the now-departed 33-year-old racer are using sincerely similar terms to describe their most enduring image of him: 'Eric had a great smile.'
draglist.com Web Safety Ratings from McAfee SiteAdvisor
We got a clean bill of health at draglist.com. How does your site stack up?

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Trouble in NASCAR's Happy Marketing Valley
Dark clouds are forming over the NASCAR Empire right now, and not surprisingly they're due to the very thing that propelled the NASCAR 'miracle' to begin with.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Remembering Eric Medlen
A touching tribute to Eric at NHRA.com.
Drag racer Medlen dies
NHRA driver Eric Medlen died Friday, five days after sustaining a severe head injury in a crash during a test session at Gainesville Raceway. The staff of Draglist.com extends its deepest sympathies to Eric's family and friends.
Love of sport keeps Smith in the race
It may cost Mike Smith a lot more than what he makes from drag racing but the Silver Sands man says his love for the sport has kept him racing for more than 23 years.
Racing clean and efficiently
Oahe Speedway will hold its third annual Fanfest Drag Racing Car Show at Pierre Mall this beginning at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. One unique car on display will be an ethanol dragster owned by Schaun Schnathorst.
Drag racing pioneer headed for Hall
Record-setting Eddie Hill selected to join Texas motor sports legends in Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame.
Prepare for madness of drag-racing series
To the average motorist, the idea seems crazy — hop into a cockpit, fire up the engine and drive a fire-belching vehicle down a quarter-mile track at speeds of more than 300 mph.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

So you want to be a Racerchick?
I think the one question I get asked the most is how does a person become a race car driver. Apart from the obvious - learn how to drive fast, there are certain steps a person should take if they want to be a racer.
Lane Choice
A unique and unabashed perspective about all things NHRA drag racing.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Medlen still in critical condition
Funny Car driver Eric Medlen remained in critical condition in intensive care Tuesday at Shands at the University of Florida.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Class Aims to Put Students Under the Hood, and Into Stable Jobs
The rapid computerization of car engines has forced many veteran mechanics to choose early retirement rather than learn new technologies. That trend has created more openings than employers have been able to fill.
Call for Speed Limit Has German Blood at 178 m.p.h. Boil
Rule-bound and risk-averse in so many other ways, Germans regard driving on the autobahn at face-peeling speeds as close to an inalienable right.
Teen’s steely nerves earned her respect
Brittany Coldwater isn’t old enough for a driver’s license, but she’s speeding already. On weekends she sits at a light, waits for it to turn yellow, then punches the gas to speeds of more than 80 mph in an eighth of a mile.
An inspiring school story - with a hot rod
Maybe it's time for Calaveras High School to retire its Redskins mascot. Hot Rod magazine has renamed the school Horsepower High in honor of its drag racing program.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Keeping 'track' of the kids: All in the family and on the track
Although many parents find it tough maintaining ties with their kids as they move through their teens and into their twenties, Eddy and Cynthia Plaizier have no problems keeping track of their two children on summer weekends.
Cannon set to make IHRA Top Fuel debut
Drag racing fans can see one of the sport’s legends, Scotty Cannon, who made a name for himself winning six Pro Modified world championships, make his Top Fuel debut March 23–25 at San Antonio Raceway during the Amalie Oil Texas National.
Frank Bradley inducted into NHRA Hall of Fame
When Frank Bradley bought his first car, 1947 Woody station wagon he paid a mere $65 for in 1958, he got the itch, the itch to start drag racing.
Minus a strip, LI's a drag, racer's say
Holding 'No Dragstrip -- No Levy' bumper stickers, the racers sent a direct message to Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy: They are fed up with Englishtown, N.J., being the nearest drag strip for LI race fans.
Hernandez wins, Sets ET World Record
Josh Hernandez, driver of the Dr. Moon's Rage '68 Camaro, said he couldn't have scripted the first event of the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge presented by Tindle Enterprises, Inc. any better. Hernandez set the AMS World Record for the quickest run, posting an amazing 5.912 in the his first round match against Rick Stivers and ultimately won the AMS Eagle at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

SIR Archives 1966-2006 "40 Years of Fury"
Northwest photog Blair Alderton has pulled together an amazing visual history from the oldest continuously operating NHRA sanctioned drag strip in Western Canada, Saskatchewan International Raceway. Must see!

Friday, March 16, 2007

Retro Photo - Photography With A Twist In The UK
Original photographic work that mixes modern subjects with the look and feel of nostalgia and ageless style.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Driving Force
John Force always expected one day he would turn his multimillion-dollar drag racing empire over to his son. There was just one snag in his perfect plan. He didn't have a son.
Australian Drag Racing Star Shane Tucker Headed to NHRA
Australia’s newest International motorsporting export, 21 year-old Pro Stock drag racing star Shane Tucker, is intent on making every post a winner during the final two rounds of the Australian championship before jetting off to compete professionally in the United States.
The International Drag Racing HOF To Induct New Members
The International Drag Racing Hall of Fame will induct 11 new members on March 15.
High School Drags in the Great Northwest
The Agassiz High School Drag Racing Team is again getting set to compete in the B.C. Secondary School Motorsports Association Drag Racing Season for 2007.
Ford Super Stocks: The Glory Years
At the grass roots level, drag racing was the auto enthusiast's dream during the sixties. Unlike NASCAR races, at the drag strips across the country fans could see the cars and drivers up close. The manufacturers recognized that 'win on Sunday, sell on Monday' worked. Sensing this trend, Ford jumped in with both feet.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007


Ipswich Art Gallery Continues Motorsport Theme
The Ipswich Art Gallery has confirmed it will continue its focus on all things motorsport during the City's Carnival of Horsepower, following hot on the heels of last year's record breaking Driving Passion, the colours of motorsport exhibition.
Keeping Tired Drivers Alert, With No Snooze Button
There’s a sudden puff of air on the back of your neck. The steering wheel vibrates in your hands and a buzzer sounds. Your car is waking you. The car has been watching your face and, through the steering wheel, feeling your pulse. It knew you were about to fall asleep.

Friday, March 09, 2007

NHRA, Force At Head Of Class When It Comes To Females In Racing
Women are making their move - slowly but surely - into the racing circles, but nowhere more so than the place where drag racing legend Shirley Muldowney laid the groundwork.
Auto Club Famoso Raceway
The 2007 March Meet is on. Here is all the info. Enjoy!

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Team Tuttle looking for new crew chief
Just when it was starting to look as though NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel dragster owner Dexter Tuttle was on to something, a crisis developed: Kenny Bernstein stole his crew chief.
Saipan drag racers off to Guam next month
A six-man racing crew is preparing to compete in the Smokin' Wheels on Guam scheduled from April 13 to 15 at the Circle K Drag Strip in Yigo.
NHRA Announces Oil Down Penalties for All Participants at NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series Events
Given the significant increase in oil downs by both professional and sportsman competitors, NHRA announced it will expand the oil down policy to include all competitors attending each NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national event.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Driving Force Reality TV Returns for 2007
The new season focuses on John's pursuit of an unprecedented 15th NHRA championship and Ashley's professional funny car debut.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Nascar’s Car of Tomorrow May Be Today’s Car Even Sooner
Nascar spent years developing a racecar for its premier series, the Nextel Cup. The so-called Car of Tomorrow was designed to improve safety and competition while limiting costs. Nascar and its drivers will soon see.

Monday, March 05, 2007

International Motorsports Entertainment and Development Corporation to Create World Class Motorsports Complex within the Minneapolis-St. Paul Market
International Motorsports Entertainment and Development Corporation today announced plans to enter the Minnesota Sports and Entertainment Arena through development of a state-of-the-art Motorsports complex within the Minneapolis-St. Paul market. The $200 million complex will include a paved ¾ mile high banked oval suitable for NASCAR, ASA, ARCA and IRL style racing as well as a one-quarter mile NHRA style drag strip.
Split over New Zealand motor racing options
Conflicting opinions over whether to base a new multimillion-dollar motorsport venue near Tapawera or Hira has seen a split in the group driving the proposal.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Musi is Fast and Furious
Take a second and say it, because in that small fraction of time Pat Musi and his lime-green, Popeye-inspired dragster can go from sitting at the starting line to an engine-roaring, tire-squealing speed of 100 miles per hour. And then it really gets going.
The law is the star of show at drag strip
During Bristol Dragway’s Street Fight season-opener on Saturday, Virginia State Trooper Rex Carter was bombarded by questions about the agency’s latest crime-fighting weapon – a Hemi-powered 2006 Dodge Charger.
Ten Things Communities Can Do To Combat Street Racing
Street racing is recognized by communities around the nation as a problem that needs to be solved. For decades, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has been active in anti-street racing campaigns.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Stalba Jr. is on the prowl for an NHRA Super Gas title
Tom Stalba Jr. is making a run for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Gas sportsman championship this season.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

'Snake' charmer
Don Prudhomme is collecting more honors even as he tries to collect more wins.
Drag racing newest high school sport
A quarter-mile strip of concrete. Gray clouds of tire smoke and the smell of fuel linger in the air. This isn't the setting most people associate with high school sports, but for those who participate in Southwestern International Raceway's High School Drag Racing Program, that's exactly what it is.
2 consecutive life sentences in murder of racing icon, wife
A Pasadena judge today sentenced Michael Goodwin, convicted in January of murdering racing legend Mickey Thompson and his wife, to two consecutive terms of life in prison without parole.