Once the hours of work are finished and a Top Fuel dragster pulls to the starting line for a race, the focal point becomes the driver, who pilots the 8,000-horsepower machine through a 3.8-second pass.

A key task is leaving the starting line ahead of the opposing driver, which shifts the advantage squarely into the lane of the pro with the quickest reaction time. In 2010, no one has proven more lethal at the line than sophomore racer Shawn Langdon, who has gotten a jump on all 16 men he's faced thus far in his Lucas Oil/Speedco dragster.

"It's a fun deal and I understand the media attention this little streak is creating but my focus has to stay on doing the best job I can when I'm in the car," Langdon said. "It's really just a fluke. It's impossible to keep something like that going forever.

After a grueling wait and months spent staring at the April 30 date the drivers making up the 2009 Tournament of Champions have less than a week left before returning to Rockingham Dragway where the first champions under the new format will be crowned giving the IHRA its first ever sportsman champions decided via on-track competition.

Currently 170 of the best drivers from 2009 are gearing up for a trip to Rockingham Dragway to compete in an event several months in the making. Champions in IHRA’s seven sportsman classes were slated to be crowned in October of last year, but a vicious storm forced the postponement of the event to the Spring Nitro Jam this weekend at “The Rock.”

Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School will return to hold its most popular course, the two-day Super Class, at Houston Raceway Park for one session in 2010, June 22 and 23.

“We love working with Seth Angel and the rest of the staff at Houston Raceway Park,” said school founder and instructor Frank Hawley. “They always give us a fantastic racing surface and their facility offers our staff and students yet another first-class location to conduct our classes.”

The two-day Super Class allows drivers of all backgrounds the opportunity to earn their NHRA competition driver’s license in the school’s NeSmith GMPP 572/720R equipped Super Comp Dragster or Super Gas Firebird, with some drivers even leaving the class with both licenses, all while being able to take in Hawley’s reaction time clinic.

“They call it the 'best appearing burnout car in Super Gas',” said Kurt Busch, a bit of pride in his smile, as he relaxed on the flight back to Talladega Superspeedway after a day of racing at zMAX Dragway in his 1970 Dodge Challenger outfitted with a 1200 horsepower 427 cubic inch hemi engine.

That's 1199 more horsepower than his wife, Eva's, Andalusian named Lauro; which, according to Busch cost more than his 1200 horsepower to purchase, and also maintain.

Seems the perfect match, they both love horsepower.

In the final results from SRCA Dragstrip and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., and Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, took home the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively.

Whiteley worked his way through the field and ran 5.444 seconds at 258.52 mph in his final round victory over Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., who clocked in at 5.659 seconds, 249.21 mph.

Williams faced off against Lance Van Hauen, Reinbeck, Iowa, and posted a winning run of 5.801 seconds, 246.39 mph in his ’02 Camaro. Van Hauen drove to a 5.881 second, 239.74 mph lap for his runner up finish.

Point leader has struggled at Gateway in the past ...

For the last 13 seasons Gateway International Raceway has been Larry Dixon’s own personal Bermuda Triangle on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series circuit.

His racing history at the multipurpose motorsports complex just across the Mississippi River from the famed St. Louis Arch is at best an unexplained mystery.

Co-Part-sponsored driver Brandon Bernstein and wife Tracey welcomed their first child, Lyla Faith, Friday, April 23, in Indianapolis.  Lyla weighed 7 pounds 6 ounces.

The family is home and all are doing well.

I stole that line from the trailer door of Dan Ritchen’s Iron Horse dragster.  Ritchens hailed from the Beehive State and opined that making progress in Utah was nigh unto impossible considering the state’s hidebound ways.  The same could be said about NHRA Drag Racing, but in this instance it’s the racers who appear to be working as hard as they can to keep the wheels of prog

Tommy D’Aprile and Quain Stott are on the same team again.

Both parties confirmed that one day after the completion of the ADRL Hardee’s Georgia Drags, Pro Extreme team owner Mel Bush hired Stott to serve as the tuner for his 1970 Camaro.

Bush, who had initially planned to sit out the season, admits a weekend in Valdosta convinced him to bring the team back out with Stott making the tuning calls. Stott will continue to race his LeeBoy-sponsored 1963 Corvette.

Initial plans are to get in a couple of test sessions before making their re-emergence at the next ADRL event, hosted by Virginia Motorsports Park, May 21 – 22.