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Kenney Goodell, a longtime nitro-racing veteran from the Northwest,, died April 21, seven days after suffering a massive heart attack. He was 64.

For the second year in a row Castrol GTX Ford Mustang Funny Car driver and Orange County resident Ashley Force Hood is asking her fans and fans of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series to help her Stamp Out Hunger. This year Force Hood has ramped up her participation and produced a video starring her two cats, Simba and Gizmo, drag racing down a track constructed of canned food that will be donated. Additionally, Force Hood is scheduled to host representatives of the Stamp Out Hunger program at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway outside St, Louis on April 30th.

On Saturday, May 8, Force Hood is asking everyone to join forces with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) to Stamp Out Hunger across America in order to provide assistance to the rapidly increasing number of Americans who are struggling with hunger.

Full Throttle NHRA Drag Racers Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Shawn Langdon will be out of their element this weekend, yet feel right at home.

Coughlin, who races Pro Stock and Langdon, a Top Fuel racer, are scheduled to compete in this weekend K&N Filters Spring Fling 20's presented by Sparco, which runs Thursday through Sunday at Bristol Dragway.

“Everyone's talking about this race and it's the type of big money event that will draw every big-name bracket racer in the country,” said Langdon, also a three-time NHRA sportsman world champion. “'m looking at it as more of a fun type weekend where I can get back to my roots and see all my old friends, but I'm sure going to try and win while I'm there.”

You don’t often hear the words “evolution” and “visceral” when talking about drag racing, but both of those were used several times Wednesday at zMax Dragway, where this weekend’s “Pinks All Out” series takes place.

The producers of “Pinks,” you see, hope to make the experience at zMax visceral with an evolution of the show’s format.

“Pinks” host rich Rich Christensen said the show started with a couple cameras, a couple shifter karts and a couple of motorcycles in Sacramento, Calif. But Speed president Hunter Nickell caught notice of the show.

Jesel Valvetrain Innovation and Dart Machinery are longtime supporters of drag racing and Mountain Motor racing, specifically. They are now members of the MMPSA contingency program, showing their continued support of their Mountain Motor customers.

Jesel is constantly working to not only meet the demands of motorsports, but to defeat them and continually raise the performance line. Jesel products can claim wins in nearly every professional category in drag racing. With the launching of this new Mountain Motor series, Jesel will undoubtedly claim more wins with their MMPSA customers.

Super Comp racer and SEMA Market Research Special Projects Manager Megan McKernan earned her Top Alcohol Dragster license yesterday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Driving the Jerry Darien owned A Fuel Dragster that Courtney Force currently campaigns McKernan made five laps including two full ¼ mile runs to meet the NHRA requirements for licensing. Darien has been instrumental in the development and education of drivers such as Gary Scelzi, Melanie Troxel, Brandon Bernstein, Ashley Force Hood and most recently Brittany and Courtney Force.

“As the day went on my parents said my smile got bigger and bigger. It was a lot of fun. Jerry Darien is an awesome teacher. I followed the same program that Ashley Force developed with Jerry and that Brittany and Courtney Force are following as they have moved up through the ranks. I had already made a lot of runs in my head and I was following Jerry’s run sheet. I just followed his step-by-step approach,” said McKernan.

Pro Extreme driving brothers Zach and Cody Barklage will return to competition this weekend at the ADRL Hardee's Georgia Drags VI in Valdosta, Ga.

Zach, the older of the siblings, plans to drive the 1967 Camaro belonging of John and Sara Heath while Cody will drive the Barklage Family’s 1967 Firebird.

“I am excited and ready to be back in the driver’s seat” said Zach Barklage.  “This is my first race of the 2010 season.  It’s been a long time since I’ve driven in the ADRL; I’m not sure how many years it’s been.  I am just very glad to have this opportunity and thankful to John and Sara Heath for allowing me to drive their car.  They have been friends of ours for a long time and now they are a great addition to our team.”

Veteran "Diamond" Dave DeAngelis will drive the Len Cottrell owned Chicken Chokers TAD (Blown Alcohol Dragster) for the 2010 season.

This season will mark Cottrell's 50th anniversary in drag racing dating back to March 1960 when he piloted a 1951 Packard at 75/80 Dragway in Monrovia, MD.

Call your insurance agent and tell him you need full coverage on a motorcycle which is street legal and is valued at $150,000.
 
Tony Schumacher is calling his insurance agent on a reticulating motorcycle, the first of five to be built by Kris Krome. Krome found success at the S&S Cycle 50th Anniversary Biker Build-Off, placing second going up against industry legends like Arlen Ness. In 2009 Kris took it to another level winning a First Place and Second Place at the AMD World Championships. For 2010, Kris’s new Reflexion series of custom motorcycles, promises to showcase more cutting edge and sometimes controversial motorcycle designs, starting with the Tony Schumacher bike which was displayed for the first time at the 2010 V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati in the Custom Chrome exhibit.

The Force name has always been associated with the Funny Car, which may soon be changing. The youngest of the Force women, Courtney has her eyes on a Top Fuel dragster.

“I've always been interested in the Top Fuel dragster,” admitted Courtney Force. “My family has always been in Fuel Funny Cars and I have always mentioned I would go either way. Whatever opportunity I get I would be good with.”

Force, who loves to talk in similes and metaphors, was direct when it came to which direction Courtney would take.