Last year, Matt Guidera was doing what he loves – competing in the NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class.

Then on Sept. 5, Guidera’s world was turned upside down. Guidera, who was competing at the US Nationals in Indianapolis, was suspended by the NHRA for one year for failing to meet the requirements of the Substance Abuse Policy.

According to Guidera, he was issued the paperwork from the NHRA to take a drug test at 4 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 4. Guidera then had 24 hours to go take a drug test. Guidera showed up to take the drug test in time, but was unable to provide an adequate specimen sample in his allotted 24-hour time frame and as a result, the NHRA suspended him.

Nostalgia fuel drag racers Troy Green (top fuel) and Shawn Bowen (funny car) had themselves a day to remember during final eliminations of the Goodguys 9th Blue Suede Cruise at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH as both young guns took home their first ever Goodguys event wins and set track records in the process. The entire weekend was memorable with the sights and sounds of thousands of hot rods coming together with vintage dragsters here at America’s Race Track. Throw in cameo appearances by “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and his flame belching “Swamp Rat” 1968 era dragster and you have a complete picture of what the Blue Suede Cruise is all about.

Mike Austin and Brian Hough raced to victory this weekend at Pacific Raceways and the NHRA Northwest Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Austin, Medford, Ore., advanced to his second final in two days facing off against Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C. in both and getting the better of Cowie in Saturday night’s final in Top Alcohol Dragster.  Austin, who is battling Cowie for the division championship, outran Cowie with a 5.499 second pass at 259.86 mph to Cowie’s 5.575, 240.25.  On Friday, Cowie got the best of Austin in the completion of the rain delayed Lucas Oil event from Mission Raceway Park.

Fellow Oregon racer Hough of Junction City, beat Jeff Ashwell in round one then had a bye run in the semifinals in advancing to the Top Alcohol Funny Car final with Southern California racer Steve Gasparrelli of West Covina.  Hough’s 5.624 second lap at 258.53 proved too much for Gasparrelli’s 5.804 at 252.95.  Both racers are in the top 10 points nationally.  Hough has all but clinched the NHRA Northwest division championship where Gasparrelli is in contention for the NHRA Pacific Division.

Back in its heyday, the Super Chevy Show was overflowing with spectators and participants.

Over the last several years, the allure of celebrating one of the most beloved car brands in American history at the Super Chevy Show had lost its appeal.

The fading popularity of the Super Chevy Show under the direction of owner Roger Gustin had the attention of a handful of track owners across the country who host NHRA national events.

“I think the best way to explain it is that he (Gustin) got kind of at the place that a lot of people do, he got kind of tired,” said John Bandimere Jr., who owns Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo. “He stopped doing the things that made the Super Chevy work. He stopped giving little goody bags to the participants when they came in and it seemed to be a situation where customers were always upset. When those kind of things came up, it was not the way we would handle our customer. The other side is that he (Gustin) struggled trying to come up with what kind of special show should he have? Should I run Pro Mods? Should I run Nitro Coupes? It just seemed like it (the Super Chevy Show) was starting to meltdown. We stopped having it because frankly we just could not get along and we figured we would just go ahead and start our own All-American Chevy deal and forget it.”

Whether or not Mike Edwards ever wins another national event, or sets a world record, his name will be forever etched in the history books of  drag racing. His accolades come not as a professional drag racer but as a dedicated sportsman racer.

In the class Edwards competed, dedication is an understatement for those who chased the titles throughout the United States and Canada.

One week a racer could be at the cutting edge of domination and the next week, with a swift stroke of the pencil, could be battling for their mere existence.

Edwards raced in the legendary Modified eliminator category, a division filled with a plethora of screaming small-blocks, four-speed mid-1960s Corvettes and first-generation Camaros. Running a close third were the Novas and Chevy IIs.

Shawn Cowie and Brain Hough took home the hardware for the delayed Lordco Auto Parts B.C. Nationals and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.  Mother Nature got the best of the event on its originally scheduled weekend at Mission Raceway Park back in May forcing officials to complete the event this weekend in conjunction with the Lucas Oil Northwest divisional event at Pacific Raceways.

Cowie, Delta, B.C., took out division point’s leader Mike Austin for the win in Top Alcohol Dragster running 5.433 seconds at 240.29 mph.  Austin left early with a red light and slowed to a 7.675 second lap.

Hough, Junction City, Ore., qualified No. 1 and worked his way to the final round match up with John Evanchuk, Edmonton, Alb., taking the win in 5.639 seconds at 254.90 mph to Evanchuk’s 5.742, 248.66.

Ron Capps, the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger Funny Car driver, already is sort of in the NASCAR family. He's like the long-distance cousin who comes to visit once or twice in the summertime.
 
And he was in Tennessee Friday during the stock-car clan's Irwin Tools Night Race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, spreading the drag-racing gospel.
 
Like at any family reunion, folks tell stories and remember experiences. Capps recalled one of his first close looks at the NASCAR culture: the first year of Sprint Car Series star Tony Stewart's Prelude To The Dream race at Eldora Speedway.
 
Part of the pre-race pageantry was a parade lap.

Nearly 40 years ago America was going through the first of two major gasoline crises. The country was still trying to extricate itself from Vietnam and drag racing, like other forms of American motorsports was still in the toddler stage.

Drag strips were struggling to keep fans in the stands and something called the “funny car” was still in its infancy. But, it was 64 of those “funny cars” which would rescue tracks like Pacific Raceways.

Bill Doner, after covering a sports car event at Pacific Raceways, took over the management of the floundering facility. Doner, who had been a sports reporter for a Southern California newspaper, relocated to Kent, Washington to take on the daunting task of salvaging the floundering facility.

The Night of Fire Benefit Car Show kicks off the Labor Day Weekend on Friday, September 3 in Salem, Oregon. The annual event promises to be
the biggest ever and is the circus of all car shows and always for a worthy cause. This year, the show benefits the National Guard’s Emergency Relief Fund which distributes money, goods and services to Oregon families with a spouse that is serving overseas and needs help with groceries, rent, or emergency repairs.

Headlining the show is  Ed ‘the Outlaw” Jones, one of the best known showmen in racing. Jones is coming all the way from Canada to do a
spectacular  fire show with his stagecoach wheeelstander which shoots out 20 foot flames after dark!

Two years ago today, NHRA drivers Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Dave Connolly used their Pro Stock machines to cut the ribbon on the newly completed zMAX Dragway and in just a very short time the Bellagio of drag strips has had a tremendous impact on the sport of drag racing.

Year two at the world’s only four-lane concrete quarter-mile had one recurring theme throughout: double down.

Starting with the announcement in August of 2009, of a coveted second NHRA date in 2010, zMAX Dragway then went on to make history in September during the NHRA Carolinas Nationals by hosting the first ever four-wide exhibition drag race with modern NHRA nitro cars. The exhibition proved to be great foreshadowing of what was to come.