2010 March Meet Kicks of a New Season

Bakersfield, CA - March 05-08, 2010: A mixed bag of adverse weather conditions put the 2010 edition of the March Meet was behind the 8-ball from day one and Jack Harris, along with most other funny cars, simply were unable to negotiate the cold surface and establish a working tune-up. More at  Nitro Thunder Racing

Morgan leads Lucas Oil Racing group into four-wide eliminations

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 27) -- Considering that on Wednesday, Larry Morgan had no working engines for his Lucas Oil Ford Mustang Pro Stock car, making the field in the No. 14 spot at this weekend's inaugural 4-Wide Nationals was a victory in and of itself.

"I was so crippled going into this race I'm not sure how I got to where I'm at," a relieved Morgan said Saturday night. "I am so happy to get into the field after all the things that have been happening to me."

Morgan was part of a trio of Lucas Oil drivers to make Sunday's elimination fields. Shawn Langdon qualified 10th in Top Fuel and Hector Arana qualified fourth in Pro Stock Motorcycle on the Lucas Oil Buell.

A veteran of nearly 500 NHRA races, Morgan was testing in Rockingham, N.C., mid week when he terminally damaged both of his working engines. It was so bad John Nobile, who leases engines from Morgan, even volunteered to skip this race so Morgan would have engines to put in his car.

Instead, Morgan pulled an all-nighter and drove his rig back to Ohio, fixed his motors and drove back to Charlotte, N.C., just in time for Friday's first round of time trials. Morgan's stablemate Nobile also made it into the field.

"We've worked so hard in the last two weeks," Morgan said. "I don't know anybody who could or would have done what we did to make this race; that I can tell you. Most guys wouldn't have bothered to come. Getting John in the field was just icing on the cake."

Morgan had a best pass of 6.614 seconds at 209.17 mph. He will be racing in a quad with Jason Line, Allen Johnson, and Erica Enders. In the four-wide format, the two lowest elapsed times advance to the next round.

Langdon had a best pass of 3.892 seconds at 312.42 mph in the Lucas Oil/Speedco rail and will be grouped with Larry Dixon, Bobby Lagana, and Steve Torrence in the opening round.

"Our last run on Saturday was a good baseline to have," Langdon said. "We struggled a little bit, but we got back to what we know. We've got kind of a toss-up group. Our big thing is to not beat ourselves out there."

Arana had a best lap of 6.897 seconds at 192.52 mph. His first round grouping contains Karen Stoffer, Jim Underdahl, and David Hope.

Prerace ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET Sunday with eliminations of the inaugural NHRA 4-Wide Nationals kicking off at noon.

Superstar Troxel ready to advance, despite four-wide trepidation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 27) -- Funny Car racer Melanie Troxel has seen a lot of different things in her time behind the wheel of a racecar. She's the only female in NHRA history with wins in both Top Fuel and Funny Car and she fills up her spare time as the only girl competing in Pro Mod. 

But even the quickest female in motorsports admits she's not quite sure about racing four cars at once, which is happening for the first time in national event history at this weekend's inaugural NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway.

"There's potential for someone to screw this whole deal up," Troxel said, "which I guess is true whether there's one person in that other lane or three. It just seems much more likely to happen now. 

"After four rounds of qualifying, I feel pretty comfortable with the whole staging scenario, and now but I'm very interested to see how it all pans out on race day when the stakes are much higher. It could be crazy."

Troxel's primary goal is to be either the first or second quickest in her opening foursome Sunday morning so she can advance to the next elimination session. Her group includes Ron Capps (4.039 at 310.34 mph), Tim Wilkerson (4.088 at 293.86 mph), and Jeff Diehl (5.347 at 122.54 mph).

"Being four-wide changes the dynamic because you are no longer paired up against just one person, there are three cars to take into account," she said. "While it's always good to be consistent out there on the track, going four-wide might make that even more important now."

Ultimately, Troxel knows she needs to get the most out of her unsponsored racecar every round. In qualifying, her top time was a 4.105 at 303.23 mph, her best ET of the season.

"We know how to go out and run mid-teen numbers," Troxel said. "What we really were trying to do this whole weekend was to run some 4.0s, and we weren't able to get down the track and do that, but there's still time to do that tomorrow.

"The game plan for tomorrow will be to go back to what we know we can run, which is somewhere between a 4.10 and a 4.13, and make the other teams step up and beat us. The first order of business is to get down the track, second is to eat away at that ET a little bit until we get that 4.0. But the main goal is winning rounds."

Eliminations begin at 11 a.m. EDT.

Four-wide glory on GEICO Powersports racer's minds

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 27) -- It was quirky at times, and the action wasn't always the smoothest, but the time trials at the inaugural NHRA 4-Wide Nationals were finally completed Saturday afternoon with GEICO Powersports racers Morgan Lucas and Karen Stoffer looking ahead to eliminations with high levels of anticipation.

This race marks the first time in history that NHRA is contesting action in four lanes at the same time. In fact, zMax Dragway is the only track on tour with the unique four-lane configuration. It's taken some adjustments, but Top Fuel ace Lucas and Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran Stoffer both think they're ready to go and eager to claim the trophy at this historic event, if everyone plays fair.

"There are a few people who need to get on their game with staging and not take their sweet time, because it felt like I had the (clutch) pedal out forever," Lucas said. "I think tomorrow everyone needs to try harder to get their act together because we're all going to be a little more jacked up.

"My opinion of the four-wide is insignificant compared to that of the fans. That's something NHRA needs to look at. I've heard a lot of negative feedback. I'll support what everybody wants but I'm not exactly thrilled about it."

After qualifying with a 3.888 at 309.13 mph in his GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster, Lucas will open eliminations against top qualifier Cory McClenathan (3.790 at 319.82 mph), Rhonda Hartman-Smith (3.888 at 313.15 mph), and final qualifier Brandon Bernstein, who limped into the contest with a 3.998 at 288.39 mph. 

The two drivers in each foursome that post the quickest elapsed times of the round will advance, regardless of what lane they occupy.

"I hate to race Brandon, he's a really good friend of mine," Lucas said. "Cory's had a real good car this year and Rhonda in her first race back so she has something to prove. It's going to be interesting to see what happens, but it's nice to know (stablemate) Shawn Langdon and me are on opposite sides of the ladder so we both have a chance to take it to the end."

Atop her GEICO Powersports Suzuki, which topped out at 6.992 seconds at 191.32 mph in qualifying, Stoffer's first-round group is comprised of defending series champion Hector Arana (6.897 at 192.52 mph), Jim Underdahl (6.906 at 193.90 mph), and David Hope (6.981 at 188.49 mph).

"I'm not going to worry about my other three opponents," she said. "I'm going to go out and do my thing and make sure my bike goes down the middle of the lane.

"We made a couple of changes after Gainesville and the bike's been acting funny ever since. So we're going to put an old tire back on and get back to the way it was during the Gainesville race. I feel confident going into Sunday, but Friday and Saturday was sure not what we expected.

"A lot of people would ask 'why mess with a record-setting bike?' But you are always trying to find that extra something better. What we did wasn't a major change but we think something may have gone awry during maintenance."

Stoffer entered this weekend's race third in the world rankings.

Eliminations begin at 11 a.m. EDT.

2010 NHRA Charlotte Four Wide Nats Saturday Qualifying

Drag Racing Results: 2010 NHRA Charlotte Four Wide Nats Saturday Qualifying by NHRA. Final professional qualifying results and first-round pairings for eliminations Sunday for the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, Charlotte, North Carolina.

2010 NHRA Charlotte Four Wide Nats Friday Qualifying

Drag Racing Results: 2010 NHRA Charlotte Four Wide Nats Friday Qualifying by NHRA. Results Friday after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Today's Drag Racing News

New York Times (blog) In Racing Four Wide, N.H.R.A. Takes a Gamble New York Times (blog) Drag racing, like other forms of motorsports, has been hit by the sagging economy, and new ideas to get fans to the track can be positive. ... See all stories on this topic

Antron Brown called zMax Dragway the Disneyland of drag racing ESPN "This track is the Disneyland of drag racing, and this is a whole new roller coaster," Brown said. "This is the biggest and baddest deal in the sport and ... See all stories on this topic

Force Hood making strides as NHRA career rolls forward USA Today If being inside a cockpit at 300 mph is becoming nature to the second-generation drag racing star, Sunday's Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway will provide ... See all stories on this topic

Air Force officials team up with Kenny Bernstein Racing team Air Force Link ... Kenny Bernstein Racing as a sponsor of the Coparts/Lucas Oil top fuel dragster for the remaining 20 races in the 2010 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. ... See all stories on this topic

News-Sun Earwood gets honored News-Sun I still have the first one I ever got that I won racing my daddy's Porsche Speedster that I took drag racing while he was out of town," Earwood revealed. ... See all stories on this topic

Patrick hopes to catch a break Augusta Chronicle ... Line (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders at the first event in NHRA history to feature four-wide drag racing. ... See all stories on this topic

Charlotte: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Friday report Motorsport.com ... Jr. took to drag racing's latest gimmick with ease, posting two of the three quickest elapsed times of Friday's action (6.586 and 6.591) to earn the No. ... See all stories on this topic

Charlotte area draws drag racing notice | www.thatsracin.com zMax Dragway in Concord has given the Charlotte area a high-profile national drag-racing presence. That's happening this weekend with the National Hot Rod Association's Four-Wide Nationals. ThatsRacin.com: Homepage - http://http/www.thatsracin.com/100/index.rss

Wheel standing, drag racing….. tractor? - Dragzine.com By Mark Gearhart While the video is dated 2007, we have never seen this one before. Nothing spectacular with the 17 second quarter mile time, unless you realize IT IS a big tractor. Dragzine - http://www.dragzine.com/

Coughlin quick to master four-wide drag racing « HELL ON WHEELS ... By paul CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 26) — – Although he described the opening day of the inaugural NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway as "bizarre," four-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. took to drag racing's latest gimmick with ease, ... HELL ON WHEELS MOTORSPORTS - http://paulcd.wordpress.com/

Stainless Works: Drag Racing Zoomies By Stainlessworks Drag Racing Zoomies. Check out this 1999 S/C Monte Carlo raced by Lester Sensibello. He recently dropped this beast off at the Stainless Works facility to design and fabricate a custom set of 2 1/2" stainless polished Zoomies for this ... Stainless Works - http://stainlessworks.blogspot.com/

NitroCentral.com Drag Racing: Time for a Break in the Action By Bob Began drag racing in 1962 at the old Sanford, Maine dragstrip. I've run everything from Modified production to altereds to drag bikes and now a nostalgia fuel dragster. Worked for three years with the Boucher Top Fuel car running both ... NitroCentral.com Drag Racing - http://nitrocentral.blogspot.com/

Drag Racing Links "Dedicated to the Pioneers and Innovators of Drag Racing ... Promoting A Positive Public Image For Drag Racing And Drag Racers ...

GEICO Powersports teammates both eighth on four-wide grids

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 26) -- The opening day of the historic NHRA 4-Wide Nationals ended with teammates Morgan Lucas and Karen Stoffer in eighth place in their respective classes. Lucas drove his GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster to a 3.888 at 309.13 mph, while Stoffer coaxed a 6.992 at 191.32 mph from her GEICO Powersports Suzuki in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Lucas was very consistent on the day. In addition to his run of record, he also posted a 3.891 at 305.70 mph. Despite the great times under ideal conditions at Bruton Smith's facility, most of the talk centered on the first four-wide drag racing in national event history.

"I really didn't find it to be that big of a deal," Lucas said. "It seems like a lot of people need some time to adjust to it but I think if everyone plays fair we'll be fine. I don't know what the fans think and really that's the most important thing, but as far as what we did, it wasn't a distraction.

"We made what I would call two good, conservative runs. On the one hand, it was good to get down the track both times, but we probably could have been a little quicker. It did get pretty cold (tonight), right on the edge of being too cold. We need some heat in the track or the tires just won't grab no matter how much traction compound they put down."

Stoffer couldn't match her strong opening pass in Round 2 but she still stayed on the friendly side of the provisional ladder.

Qualifying resumes at noon and 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Lucas Oil racers looking to improve in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 26) -- After the first day of qualifying at the inaugural NHRA 4-Wide Nationals two of the drivers flying the Lucas Oil colors are safely in the field with the third still trying to earn a spot in Sunday's eliminations.

Top Fuel driver Shawn Langdon sits ninth in the Lucas Oil/Speedco dragster after a best pass of 3.898 seconds at 302.96 mph.

"The first run we had kind of a parts failure," Langdon said of his run of record. "We didn't run that good. The early numbers were decent, but it pulled the motor down real hard and it didn't run in the back half. Tonight the track was just too cold and we never had a chance to get down.

"We're in, but there's room to improve."

This is the first national event in NHRA history to run four wide, mainly because this two-year-old racetrack is the only one on tour capable of staging such an event. Although the prerace process was noticeably different, Langdon said he took to the different staging procedure right away.

"My two reaction times today were .007 and .025 (seconds) on the tree," he said. "Those were two of my best lights of the season. I'm 100-percent comfortable with it, and hopefully I'll use it to my advantage on Sunday."

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana sits third in the field after the first day on his Lucas Oil Buell. Arana, the defending series champion in the bike class, ran a 6.942 at 191.59 mph. He's .038 seconds off the pace set by provisional No. 1 Matt Smith.

Larry Morgan's Lucas Oil Ford Mustang is still trying to find a spot in the Pro Stock field. He currently sits 18th after a best pass of 6.684 seconds at 206.80 mph.

Qualifying for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals continues Saturday at 11:45 a.m. EDT.

Troxel ticking off items on to-do list

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 26) -- Funny Car favorite Melanie Troxel opened the inaugural NHRA 4-Wide Nationals Friday with two competitive qualifying runs down zMax Dragway. By day's end, the world's quickest female racer was a solid eighth in the provisional field with a best of 4.105 at 303.23 mph in her unsponsored racecar.

"One of our ongoing goals is to improve at every race and we've already accomplished that so we're pretty happy in the R2B2 pit," Troxel said. "Now we're aiming for a run in the 4.0-second range and Lance (Larsen, tuner) seems to think we have plenty more in the car so maybe we can check that off the list next."

Troxel opened with a 4.154 at 304.19 mph, a run she says allowed her team to push a little harder in the evening round, which took place with ambient temperatures in the mid 50s.

"That was exactly the start we wanted because then we knew we had a decent run in the books so we could lean on it more tonight," Troxel said. "It got cold, almost too cold, but the car stayed in the groove and stuck to the track and I managed to get it to the other end."

The buzz throughout the racetrack was on four-wide racing, something NHRA officials are trying for the first time. This racetrack is the only one on tour with four lanes, which are actually configured as two side-by-side drag strips. To help with the staging process officials have added extra bulbs to the Christmas Tree so each pairing knows where the other two cars are in the prerace procedure.

"Well there hasn't been any major problems so far so I guess the experiment is going okay," Troxel said. "The biggest thing is you're forced to deal with four different personalities up there. It might be okay in qualifying but I'm not so sure about eliminations. If someone decides to hang someone else out, it could be trouble.

"It's bizarre to see all the lights. You really have to think about what you're doing and where the other cars are. We'll see how this all turns out Sunday."

Troxel's special paint scheme honoring the gold medal U.S. men's four-man bobsled team has been very well received. The team will visit Troxel and crew Saturday and take in nitro-powered drag racing from the starting line.

"They've been kind enough to show us their world," said Troxel, who won the fifth annual Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge in January, "and we're excited to show them ours."

Qualifying resumes at noon and 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

ESPN2 INCREASES CAMERAS, STAFF FOR FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS

CONCORD, N.C. -- NHRA isn't the only one utilizing an
increase in equipment and manpower to handle the
inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway
this weekend. ESPN2, the longtime television partner
of NHRA, who will bring the historic NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing Series event to millions watching
at home Saturday (9 p.m. ET) and Sunday (5 p.m. ET),
also has beefed up its on-site presence.

Shawn Murphy, senior coordinating producer for ESPN2's
NHRA coverage, says seven additional cameras, a
helicopter and an estimated 15 more crew members were
needed to pull off coverage of NHRA's first-ever
venture into four-wide drag racing. "We needed the
additional equipment to help tell the story," Murphy
explained. "A single round of racing will take
approximately the same amount of time, but two
additional cars will be in the mix each time. We have
to tell the story about four racers instead of two
during each run, so we'll have to maximize that time
with more camera selections and graphics."

Murphy said ESPN2 added two additional hand-held
cameras for the extra lanes at the starting line, a
new crane camera positioned near mid-track just
outside lane four, an extra super slow-mo camera, a
helicopter-mounted camera to provide dramatic overhead
visuals, a small robotic camera situated on the wall
outside lane four and one additional point of view
camera, bringing the grand total of cameras in use by
ESPN2 at this event to a whopping 28.

"We plan to continuously remind our viewers that four
cars are racing instead of two, that will be very
important," Murphy said. "And we have created a lot of
graphics packages that will reinforce the rules of how
four-wide racing works."

Today's Drag Racing News

Four-Wide, Twice The Fun FOX Charlotte Force in involved in many safety aspects of drag racing, and says dragway owner Bruton Smith couldn't have built a better track, "4 lanes retaining walls in ... See all stories on this topic

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series JEGS Cajun SPORTSnationals, Saturday at No ... Autochannel (press release) The following are Saturday's final qualifying results for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series JEGS Cajun SPORTSnationals event at No Problem Raceway: COMP ... See all stories on this topic

Mustang car show will raise awareness against street racing The Hudson Reporter Police are still looking for the drivers of two cars that they say were drag racing on New York Avenue in Union City early last Sunday morning shortly after ... See all stories on this topic

Drag racing fireworks Lismore Northern Star ONE-EIGHTH mile drag racing will come to the Northern Rivers tomorrow with the first sanctioned fixture set down for Casino Airport. ... See all stories on this topic

Honoring TV broadcaster Steve Evans Radioactive Drag Racing News Bruton and Marcus Smith should be commended for naming the zMax broadcast facility after drag racing broadcaster Steve Evans. Evans passed away at the young ... See all stories on this topic

2009 Rewind: Drag Racing, the Democracy of Speed - John Edwin ... By John Edwin Mason This post is one of a series that I'm calling "2009 Rewind." I'm marking time until the racing season gets going in my part of the country by looking at some of my favorite stories from last year. This particular episode, however, ... John Edwin Mason: Racing Photography - http://johnedwinmason.typepad.com/jem_racing_photography/

Little River – Psychobike.com – Motorcycle Drag Racing ... By hillc40 Location: Columbus , Ga N Lydia, SC. Sign: Taurus. Posts: 1314 : 124296. '06 Kawasaki ZX10. Real Name: Howard aka Ben. Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts. TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0. Rep Power: 0. benzx7r is an unknown quantity at this point ... Columbus, Georgia LocalSpur -... - http://columbusga.localspur.com/

Drag Racing – The Perfect Launch By a Drag racing, a contest between two cars beginning from a complete stop over a distance of a 1/4 mile (1320 feet) depends heavily on first 60 feet of the race, or the launch. The technique used for launching varies greatly depending on ... Cars - http://cars.doodig.com/

Carrillo's New Drag Racing Rods - Dragzine.com By Bruce Sawicki Carrillo has some brand new big block Chevy rods that feature a Honda crank pin size, and HEMI Super Stock and Stock legal rods and much more for the drag racing engine builders. Dragzine - http://www.dragzine.com/

Top Fuel Blogster: Daily Drag Racing News: Today's Drag Racing News By Bill Pratt Draglist.com searches the web every day for drag racing in the news, cool drag racing websites, and anything else we think you'll like. Then we post it right here for your reading pleasure. Plus YouTube videos, drag racing photo slide ... Top Fuel Blogster: Daily Drag... - http://draglist.blogspot.com/

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Prepares To Go Four-Wide At ... For the first time in a points race on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will be held on the four-lane zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina.

ADRL Race Team on Display at Atlanta Diabetes Expo

O’FALLON, MO (Mar. 25, 2010) — American Drag Racing League (ADRL) star Bennie McDonald Jr. will attend this Saturday’s (Mar. 27) American Diabetes Association (ADA) EXPO Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center to greet show goers and sign autographs. The McDonald Family Racing 2,500-horsepower ADRL Pro Extreme ’53 Corvette will also be on static display beside him in the EXPO Atlanta Youth Zone.

McDonald, from nearby Locust Grove, Georgia, said he’s looking forward to the opportunity of sharing his personal experiences with Type 2 diabetes with EXPO Atlanta attendees.

“Diabetes is a terrible disease, there’s no question about that, but I want people to know that managing your diabetes means you can still live a full life and do whatever you like,” he said. “These cars can be a real handful to drive and they demand a lot of work just to keep running, but by taking control of my diabetes and not letting it control me I can stay on top of everything."

McDonald will next be in action at the ADRL Hardee’s Georgia Drags Apr. 23-24, at South Georgia Motorsports Park, near Valdosta. Joining him in making celebrity appearances at EXPO Atlanta will be Tony Award winner Ben Vereen and former NBA star Dominique Wilkins. 

Admittance to EXPO Atlanta is free. With more than 50 exhibitors on site and activities planned for people of all ages, EXPO Atlanta provides the community with a unique opportunity to get a free health screening, participate in cooking and exercise demonstrations, talk to diabetes-related exhibitors and listen to leading experts about diabetes prevention and management.

EXPO Atlanta is open Mar. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center, Building B, Lower Level. 

National record holder expects more quick times in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 25) -- Confidence is high in the GEICO Powersports Suzuki pits heading into this weekend's inaugural NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway.

There's good reason for rider Karen Stoffer to be optimistic heading into this weekend's first-of-its-kind competition. Her new power package and riding routine produced a Pro Stock Motorcycle national ET record in the season opener at Gainesville, Fla. 

Now, Stoffer says that record may only be scratching the surface of what the GEICO Powersports Suzuki team is capable of this season.

"We've got a really good motor in the bike right now," Stoffer said. "It's got a different power band, so we're trying to figure out what the track likes so we can go rounds in Charlotte.

"The team worked very hard on the bike and on the motor. Plus I deprogrammed how I've been riding the last 20 years and reprogrammed myself a different way. I'm still working hard, because it's not something you can do once and have it mastered, but we're certainly pleased with the direction we're heading."

The biggest curveball to this particular event is that the facility is going to be using all four lanes in competition at the same time. Stoffer said she doesn't anticipate any major changes to the way she races, as long as everything is staged in an orderly way.

"It's going to be interesting," Stoffer said. "But I only race my lane. I don't really care what everyone else is doing after staging. We're going to go in and do our thing.

"I'm hoping the fans are honest and aware and voice their opinions whether they like it or not, so we can continue to make improvements with the NHRA."

Stoffer said a win this weekend would be huge -- historic value or not.

"I think conditions are going to be really fast with the potential for more record-breaking runs," Stoffer said. "We've had a dry couple of seasons in the win department so I think winning any race would be great for us. But with the four-wide it might be especially important because I don't know how often we're going to do this. I'm just not sure at this point if it's going to be something the fans like or don't like.

"The winner is going to go down in the record books so everyone really wants to bring home the Wally from this race. I hope we can pull it off for GEICO Powersports and all our fans."

Morgan logging hundreds of miles to race Charlotte's quarter mile

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 25) -- Lucas Oil racer Larry Morgan isn't above driving his own rig to the drags, but even the 24-year veteran who is rapidly closing in on 500 career starts admits this week has tried his patience.

Preparing for the inaugural NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, which start Friday in Concord, N.C., Morgan stopped off at Rockingham Dragway to test his powerful 500 cubic inch Ford powerplants. But a bizarre twist of events led to both of his primary engines breaking, forcing the 55-year-old to pull an all-nighter and drive back to his shop in Newark, Ohio, for some last-minute repairs.

"It feels like I've got the devil riding with me," Morgan said. "I've never experienced anything like this. We unloaded for the test and hurt out No. 1 motor right off the trailer in our first run. Then we were making awesome passes with the second one, which I'd re-done since Gainesville, and I was on pace for a 6.66 when it got dinged.

"I had no choice but to scramble back home and get these things fixed, back on the dyno, and loaded back up so we can get to the race. We're scrambling like crazy because we know we need to be sharp when we get to Charlotte. Everyone wants to win this race because it's the first time we've ever run four cars wide."

Morgan began his first professional campaign in a Ford Mustang this February with a great semifinal showing at the Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., but since then he's battled hard to get his new combination to run consistent passes. His endeavor with Ford is the first concerted effort for the brand since Bob Glidden was reeling off world championships in the 1980s.

"We knew it wasn't going to be easy," Morgan said. "But nothing worth having in this sport is easy. We've got all the support we need from Forrest and Charlotte Lucas and the folks at Ford have been awesome to work with. They really want to see us succeed. You can't have a professional class with only one company winning every darn race. The fans don't want to see that.

"We'll be up there running with the big dogs soon enough. Of course, as a racer you want everything right now but realistically we knew it would take time and we'd have some growing pains. Right now, the biggest pain is going to be in my back after sitting behind the wheel all these miles, but we'll be there ready to race."

Today's Drag Racing News

NHRA doubles up in inaugural four-wide drag racing Los Angeles Times (blog) NHRA drag racing takes on a new twist this weekend near Charlotte, NC: Four-wide competition. The inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in ... See all stories on this topic

Side by Side by Side by Side Drag Racing? StandardNet (blog) by Mike Eames - Mar 24th, 2010 How do you feel about 32000 horsepower being unleashed at the flash of the green light on the Christmas Tree? ... See all stories on this topic

SPEEDtv.com CUP: Chef Finds Niche In World Of Racing SPEEDtv.com (Photo: Winston-Salem Journal) When Chef Nicky Morse decided to slow down, he got into drag racing. Morse was the chef for Jeg's NHRA Drag Racing Team from ... See all stories on this topic

HPT races kick off in April Topeka Capital Journal As usual, the marquee event on the Heartland Park schedule is the NHRA O'Reilly Summer Nationals drag racing event, set for May 21-23. ... See all stories on this topic

SPEEDtv.com PINKS ALL OUT Races To Dallas SPEEDtv.com When popular SPEED grassroots drag racing television show, PINKS All Out, hosted by Dallas resident Rich Christensen, hits the new Dallas Raceway to shoot ... See all stories on this topic

Geezers Reunion at the Grove Added to NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series 2010 ... WhoWon.com ... help preserve NHRA's rich history and tradition while providing racing opportunities for those enthusiasts who enjoy nostalgia drag racing competition. See all stories on this topic

Top Fuel Blogster: Daily Drag Racing News: Today's Drag Racing ... Four-wide drag racing comes to Charlotte | Sports | GoUpstate.com. CONCORD , NC — The principle will still be the same for the professional drag racers participating in this weekend's NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series . ... Concord, North Carolina LocalSpur... - http://concordnc.localspur.com/

Drag Racing Collectibles | Classic Mopar Forums By larry383 Don't know who is into collecting Diecast, but Hot Wheels has a series out called Dragstrip Demons. It looks like there are 30 different cars in the... Classic Mopar Forums - http://www.classicmoparforum.com/

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The Fabulous Forum | Drag Racing | Los Angeles Times Your Invitation Inside the Glamorous and Sophisticated World of the Los Angeles Times Sports Department.

SCEDA RACERS EXCITED FOR SEASON START

Fontana, Calif. – Heavy rain may have delayed the first race of the 2010 Southern California Drag Racing Series (SCEDA) season, but it did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of racers who will compete this weekend at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, Calif. in the unique bracket racing series.

Debuting this year is the exciting Calvert Racing Suspension Stock/Super Stock Combo. The class competed in a test race at the final event of 2009, was deemed to be a tremendous success and has come back for a full-pull in the SCEDA 2010 series. As a special incentive, the winner of the Calvert Racing Suspension Stock/Super Stock Combo at a SCEDA event, using Cal-Tracs Traction Bars and displaying a Calvert Racing decal on their car will be rewarded with an extra $100 bonus.  Runner-up finishers who meet the same criteria will receive $50 for their efforts.

Back again for another season is the Meziere Enterprises Electronics bracket category, with the winner of each individual race to receive a $1000.00 pay-out based on car count. The winner each day in Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels No Electronics category receives $500.00 for their efforts also based on car count. Dick Krieger and Don Gatlin will be looking to defend their championships from the 2009 SCEDA series in these two very competitive categories. The kids competing the Terminator Blocks, Clutches & Accessories Junior Dragsters 32-car field will receive a savings bond for $300 win, $150 runner up and $75 for semi-final appearance each day.

The unique bonus structure to SCEDA racing returns for yet another year. Ron Miller of West Coast Supercops in Torrance, Calif. has put up $100 to the first SCEDA racer who cuts a perfect light during eliminations (does not include Juniors). On the flip side, Chris Lee from Cal Automotive in Phelan, Calif. will award to the first person that goes red in eliminations in Meziere Electronics or Mickey Thompson non-electronics $50 on both March 27^th and 28^th. Scot Paul will award to the best package in the 1st round of Junior Dragster a $50 savings bond.  Best package is your reaction time plus amount over your dial in. 

The two-day SCEDA event will occur March 27^th and 28^th at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana. Each day an individual race will occur, with winnings, “Big Guy” trophies and points awarded to all racers for entry for the season ending Race of Champions event.

For more information about SCEDA please visit their website at http://www.sceda.com/ or contact them at 1-888-488-RACE (7223) and via email; race@sceda.com.

Bill Moloughney signs on with Quick 32 Sportsman Series

New Quebec-based Top Dragster team getting ready for opening round

SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC (March 24, 2010) – After a trip to the Grand Bend Motorplex last year, Bill Moloughney wanted to step up his racing and decided to join up with the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts.

“I decided I wanted to run with the big boys,” said Moloughney, who will race in the Series’ Top Dragster class. 

“I bought the dragster last year, and raced locally around here,” he continued. “But Jamie Bridge (another Quick 32 Sportsman Series competitor) talked about this, and I decided I wanted to be in with the competition.”

Moloughney has raced slower door cars, but the step up into the dragster is a new venture for him. 

The 2008 M&M Race Cars dragster is powered by a 584-cubic inch Steve Schmidt big block of about 1100 horsepower, and with the Speedtech Nitrous System, he said he is hoping to get 1400 horsepower through the two-speed Powerglide and to the rear wheels.

While he is the driver and crew chief on the JR Drilling entry, Moloughney’s son Brady will be assisting, as well as Dan Fortin. JR Drilling is the team’s main sponsor.

Although a rookie in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, Moloughney said he is looking forward to his first year, not only on the race track, but enjoying time with the other teams at the track.

“I’ve noticed a nice atmosphere in the pits,” he said. “Everyone is friendly and helps out. When we’re pulling up to the line that’s different, but before and after the racing it’s great that everyone helps each other when needed.

“And I’m new at it,” he went on. “I’m probably going to need some help along the way.”

Traci Hrudka, Linda Vaughn, Lori Johns on Speed Scene Live

Traci Hrudka, Linda Vaughn, Lori Johns discuss preserving drag racing history

The Quarter Mile Entertainment Foundation has been invited to participate on the highly regarded SpeedScene Racing Live on Tuesday, April 13, at 6 PM PDT (9 PM EDT; 8 PM CDT).

Joining host, Scott “Lucky” Hudson in an hour-long discussion of PROJECT 1320 will be Traci Hrudka, Chairman of the Quarter Mile Entertainment Foundation, racing’s favorite lady, Linda Vaughn and multiple NHRA Top Fuel star, Lori Johns.

The “Fast Track Sisters” will discuss the historic importance of PROJECT 1320 to the sport of drag racing and the performance aftermarket.

Reaching over a half million live viewers, plus many more viewers of archived episodes, SpeedScene Racing Live will project the message about PROJECT 1320 to a very sizeable, and influential audience, according to Traci Hrudka. “When the Foundation was approached to do the show with ‘Lucky,’ I was very pleased to hear how large the live audience is, to say nothing about the carryover to the viewers who view the archived materials,” she said. “The fact the show is live, done in a studio setting, makes the program all the more impressive.”

For host, “Lucky” Hudson, the opportunity to bring the three women on the show to discuss the PROJECT 1320 effort was a natural. He commented, “First, our audience is male dominated, and to bring on three attractive blondes will get attention. However, on a more serious note, the cause they are involved with needs the fans, the racers and the industry to get behind it.

“I have followed PROJECT 1320 from the early days, and I felt our show needed to help provide a platform to make the documentaries about the sport’s history a reality. When this opportunity presented itself, our staff jumped on it.

“I think the combination of Linda’s iconic status, Lori’s on-track achievements, and Traci’s dynamic personality and passion will receive a positive response from our audience. It should be fun, informative and at times, I am sure, poignant. I, for one, am looking forward to this program!”

The program will be seen at www.speedsceneracing.com at 6 PM Pacific time, 9 PM Eastern, 8 PM Central, 7 PM Mountain. The show will also be available in the website’s archives for 28 days following the initial airing. The archived show should be available on Thursday, April 15.

Viewers are encouraged to participate in the show. The toll free number for audience participation is

1-800-809-0802.

Litton unveils new look as team prepares for huge Spring Nitro Jam

NORWALK, Ohio (March 23, 2010) – For the second consecutive year Louisiana race fans witnessed Bruce Litton and the Lucas Oil Top Fuel Dragster visit victory lane at the Mardi Gras Nitro Jam and once again it was longtime rival Bobby Lagana Jr. he bested in the Sunday final.

With a packed house in the background Litton defeated reigning World Champ Del Cox Jr. in Sunday's opening round with a 4.753 at 314.13 mph to Cox's losing 5.085, 247 before repeating last year's Mardi Gras final against Lagana. In that final Litton posted the quickest elapsed time of the weekend, a solid 4.741 at 314.79 mph to bring home his first Ironman of the season.

"We are very excited to get a win at the Mardi Gras Nitro Jam in back to back years," Litton said. "We've had a great start to the season and we're excited to keep up that trend. The Lucas Oil team is doing a great job on this dragster and really adjusting well to the new Nitro Jam format. So far, it's working really well for us.

"The fans were great at the Mardi Gras Nitro Jam. It's great to run in front of overflowing stands. It's even better to win in front of overflowing stands. Hopefully we'll keep this momentum going."

Litton also debuted a brand new paint job featuring Lucas Slick Mist and new uniforms giving the Lucas Oil team a bright new look to accompany the brand new season.

"That weekend was our first weekend out with the Lucas Slick Mist paint job. We're excited to bring out this great product and let people know that Lucas is not known only as the leader in automotive oil products," Litton said. "On top of producing the world's best oil, they offer numerous products to keep cars running and looking like new. Lucas is the number one source with a wide range of products for street car and motorsports use.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Lucas Oil."

While Litton stole the show on Sunday, Del Cox Jr. brought home the victory Saturday night. Cox bested Lagana for the first time this season in the opening round before defeating teammate Spencer Massey in Saturday's final.

"It is always fun to get to race Spencer and it sure was nice to get back to the winner's circle," Cox said. "I had my first runner-up finish in Top Fuel at Palm Beach and it didn't feel very good. I am here to win so it is always nice to come away with a trophy."

The Spring Nitro Jam is the next stop on the Nitro Jam tour May 1-2 at Rockingham Dragway, a race that is known for bringing out the best in the competition.

"We always look forward to going to Rockingham. It is one of the oldest races and it means a lot to be able to run well there," said Litton, who won the fall Rockingham race in October. "I can't wait to get down there."

The race is especially meaningful for Cox who won his first career Top Fuel Ironman at the spring event last year.

"Rockingham will always be special to me as the place where I won my first race so it means a lot to go back there," Cox said. "That is a huge weekend and everyone knows it. I am really looking forward to it."

Entering Rockingham Bobby Lagana Jr. leads the Top Fuel standings by 10 points over Litton. Cox is third followed closely by teammate Spencer Massey.