The last time David Jaynes was competing at an ADRL event was at the World Finals in Ennis, Texas in October of 2008.

That was until Friday.

Janes was back driving in the Extreme 10.5 class in a Dodge Avenger at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan.

“I took off last year to help Shannon Jenkins,” said Janes, who last won an ADRL event at Norwalk, Ohio, in 2008. “He was running a car of mine, and I just dedicated myself to going to races with him. I’m running a customer’s car (this weekend). The customer has not licensed yet, and the car is ready to go and we need some test time anyway. It is close to home and I got to come out here and see all my old buddies and race out here on a good racing surface and see what we can do.”

Spiro Pappas expects excellence.

He reached his goal last year by taking home the coveted Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 world championship in his Jerry Bickel-built 2009 Pontiac GXP.

This season, Pappas has had his share of struggles, through four American Drag Racing League events he is third in the Extreme 10.5 point standings.

Pappas, however, is upbeat his fortunes will change Friday and Saturday at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan.

Racing by nature, is inherently dangerous.

Bubba Stanton experienced the danger firsthand Friday during the first round of Pro Extreme qualifying at the American Drag Racing League’s Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan.

Blake Housley and crew will surely be among the emotional favorites this weekend (July 2-3), at Heartland Park Topeka as they return to ADRL Pro Nitrous action from a two-month layoff following the death of team co-owner Mike Walker.

In a freak pit-side accident, Walker was struck and killed by an errant nitrous bottle during the ADRL event in April at South Georgia Motorsports Park, near Valdosta.

“We sat down as a family and talked it over and said we wouldn’t come back until we had regained confidence,” said Housley, who dates Walker’s daughter, Sara, and continues to own the team with her stepmother, Melanie.

Back in 1967, Ben Wenzel Sr. had a crowning moment as an NHRA competitor.

Wenzel won the B Stock Eliminator class at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

“That was as good as it gets,” Wenzel said of his Indy victory.

Fast-forward 43 years and Wenzel returned to the NHRA national event winner’s circle when he captured the Stock Eliminator crown at the Fourth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, last Sunday.

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It’s time to rally the troops.

One of our own is up for an ESPY award and this time we feel the best motorsport in the world should be properly recognized. Not to take anything away from the other forms of motorsports, but we know what is required in drag racing and while the drivers representing the other forms of auto racing might not say it, many of their fans feel there is no skill needed to go in a straight line, even if the car races at 320 miles per hour.

We all know what Tony Schumacher has accomplished in the last two seasons on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing tour and for him not to win last year was just plain wrong. Once again Tony is up for Best Driver.

After going on a championship winning spree in 2009, for the Walker Racing Group to set out in anticipation of an even better 2010 season could be considered nearly impossible. However, thus far in 2010 the team looks to be on the same torrid pace.

Across both Pacific Street Car Association and West Coast Hot Rod Association Pro Street competition this season, Randy Walker and his crew have put their unmistakable nitrous-assisted ’74 El Camino in four final rounds, taking three consecutive wins in those finals and setting career bests in elapsed time and speed.

Walker says the team knew they couldn’t rest on their laurels after their unprecedented season last year and went to work upgrading their operation wherever possible.

Honing your starting line skills has never been easier thanks to the brand-new JEGS Perfect Start iPhone application, which is
free to download and use.

The two-car jet dragster team of Mark Stevens and David Douthit will return to Bandimere Speedway on Saturday July 3rd for the Jet Car Nationals presented by Big-O Tires.

“We are super excited to able to perform in front of our friends, family, and sponsors,” said Mark Stevens.

The team based out of Denver, Co., look forward to racing at their home track dubbed “Thunder Mountain.”

Matco Tools, a manufacturer and distributor of quality professional automotive equipment, tools and toolboxes, hosted its inaugural Matco Tools Charity Car Show on June 22 at Matco's headquarters in Stow, Ohio. The event raised $4,500 for Akron-based Haven of Rest Ministries and was highlighted by 24-time winner Antron Brown and the Matco Tools/U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster.
 
The charity car show was the brainchild of Matco Tools district managers Bruce Barber and Don Welch and featured 131 muscle and classic cars. The highlight of the event was the appearance of Brown, the only driver in NHRA history to win races and lead the standings in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle, and his Matco Tools dragster. Patrons were wowed when Brown, crew chief Brian Corradi, of Medina, Ohio, and the Matco Tools pit crew started the race car.