The MMPSA will broadcast their event live at U.S. 131 Dragway in Martin, Mich., this weekend over the Internet.

For more than two decades the NAPA Thunder Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park have served notice that winter was over and spring had returned to the historic track. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was the Top Eliminator on the original May dates for this year’s event. However, the rain clouds have cleared and even bigger fields are expected for the second attempt at the 2010 running of this great event. The 2010 NAPA Thunder Nationals should prove to be a worthy part of that great series of races as it expands to two nights for the first time ever. “The Fastest Track in Michigan” will host the 2010 NAPA Thunder Nationals this Friday and Saturday, July 9 and 10.

Country singer and songwriter Jonathan Harris will perform the National Anthem prior to Sunday’s final eliminations at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.

Harris, a native of Tacoma, Wash., also will perform his recent hit, “Thanks to you I’m free,” for fans attending the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

JEGS has introduced a catalog application for Android phone systems, making ordering high performance parts easier than ever before.

Hot rod enthusiasts can now browse through thousands of high performance parts in the palm of their hand from any phone running the android operating system. These include the Motorola Droid, Eris, the Droid Incredible, the EVO, Google's Nexus One and more than 50 other devices from all of the major mobile carriers.

The NMCA and GM Performance Parts announced yesterday the 4th Annual GM Performance Parts LSX Shootout will take place at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Missouri, the weekend of October 7-10, 2010. The event, held in conjunction with the NMCA World Finals, is the largest LS gathering in the U.S.  The LSX Shootout features awesome heads-up racing for the fastest LS-powered cars in the world, index-style and True Street racing for competitors of all levels, and a giant all LS-powered car show.  This premiere LS event, will showcase over $50,000 in cash and prizes.

Race fans will be treated to a bit of history at the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals, July 16-18, with the first Infineon Raceway Nostalgia Get-Together.

The Get-Together, which will be located on the lawn behind the staging lanes and adjacent to Gate 1, will feature 30 vintage racing machines and hot rods, some dating as far back as the 1950s, and will be open all weekend.  Entry to the Get-Together is free with your paid admission into the raceway.

The conversation will be more than drag racing when NHRA Funny Car driver – and cancer survivor – Jack Beckman is the Newsmaker of the Week guest on The Race Reporters radio show, Wednesday, July 7, 7 p.m. EDT, on www.PowerUpChannel.com.
 
Beckman, a race winner and Full Throttle championship contender in the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger fielded by Don Schumacher Racing, is fourth in points heading into NHRA’s Western Swing of three consecutive events. A drag racing instructor, he debuted in Top Fuel in 2005 before getting the Funny Car opportunity with Schumacher the following season. Beckman quickly set national elapsed time and speed records and won his first event in Las Vegas. He was third in 2008 points.

Racing the two nitro classes in alternating weekends wasn’t uncommon to drag racers during the 1970s. In fact, there were some who raced both at the same event, pulling off the hot-lap method of exiting one and entering the other.

Then there’s big Jim Dunn, a man for whom legendary stories are written about.

Dunn, who turned 76 earlier this year, once raced in both Funny Car and Top Fuel at the same event. While this might not seem like an earth-shattering accomplishment based on the achievements of others, consider the fact he did it with the same car.

Drag racing seasons can be like a fine wine and for Cory McClenathan, 1997 was a good year.

McClenathan swept the NHRA’s Western Swing, a grouping of three western races in as many as weeks, and posted a career six victories in eight finals en route to finishing runner-up to Gary Scelzi for the series championship that year.

McClenathan could stand to have another 1997, this time in 2010.

The 2010 Western Swing features the same stops in Denver [Co.], Seattle [Wa.] and Sonoma [Ca.] but unlike the 1997 season, this time the races start in Seattle and end in Denver.

No matter the order of the NHRA's infamous Western Swing, five-time world champion drag racer Jeg Coughlin Jr. says the importance of consecutive races in Seattle, Sonoma, and Denver is the same -- it's a vital stretch for championship contenders.

"They've [NHRA] mixed up the order of the Swing and have us starting in Seattle and finishing in Denver this year," said Coughlin, the driver of the JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt. "It makes for an interesting transition. Instead of going from the heat and humidity of Norwalk to the mile-high altitude of Denver, we're going to a sea-level track that hopefully will offer optimum conditions.

"We won't be going slower like normal; we're going to be running 6.50s, and that's pretty darn exciting.