Summit Racing Equipment has teamed up with the MMPSA to create an exciting new program that will not only make one talented racer very happy at each event, but one lucky fan as well. Beginning with the MMPSA "Rumble at the Rock" event scheduled for April 10th-11th, Summit Racing Equipment will reward the driver that records the quickest elapsed time during the first day's qualifying sessions for each MMPSA event with a cool $500.00 cash!

The new Summit Racing Equipment Performance Powerhouse Challenge is designed to recognize and reward drivers for their efforts in qualifying. "These Mountain Motor guys typically go for broke during each qualifying session" said MMPSA's Tommy Dupree. "Now with a chance at a $500 bonus from Summit, these guys will be flying! We really appreciate Summit stepping up to do this for our MMPSA competitors."

Seven-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Top Fuel Dragster champion Tony Schumacher has been named keynote speaker for the annual Mel Larson Night of Champions. The fete will take place Wednesday, April 14, at Rain inside the Palms Casino Resort.

This year’s honoree is Las Vegas native and 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch. All proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Las Vegas chapter of Speedway Children's Charities. This is the fifth year for the event in which a community member is recognized for his contributions to motorsports.

Two weeks ago at ADRL Dragapalooza VI, just outside of Houston, Texas, Mother Nature got her way, but only after
Mark Martino and his Martino Motorsports Extreme Pro Stock team secured the number eight qualified position for the elimination rounds, which
will now take place during the rescheduled event July 23-24. This weekend's inaugural event for the newly formed Mountain Motor Pro Stock
Association at Rockingham Dragway will once again give the team an opportunity to compete for their first race win of 2010, and in the
process put them back in a setting they're a little more accustomed to.

After the announcement in the fall of 2009 that the International Hot Rod Association would no longer contest a world championship in the Pro
Stock division, the Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association was formed, giving racers the opportunity to preserve the tradition of the class by
allowing naturally aspirated, large cubic inch engine combinations to run in quarter-mile competition.

The award-winning University of Houston's "Spirit of Houston" Marching Band will perform the national anthem April 11 during prerace festivities for the 23rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.

"Having the University of Houston Marching Band kick-off race day definitely will take the excitement level up several notches," said Seth Angel, HRP's general manager. "This squad is very high energy and they are beloved by the people who live in this area. We're all very proud of the Cougar band and they way they represent our city. It's an honor to have them join us for the race."

The Spirit of Houston Marching Band has performed in front of millions of people as part of the Super Bowl's halftime show and has marched in numerous parades across the United States. It notably performed at the historic tennis match between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome and a recording of its rendition of the Star Spangled Banner was used for years in New York's Madison Square Garden.

Attitude's CompetitionPlus.com Director of Photographer Roger Richards is at I-22 Dragway in Eldridge, Ala., documenting the action at the first ORDA event.

COMPLETE PHOTO GALLERY

FINAL EVENT RESULTS (NAMES AND NUMBERS ON QUALIFYING SHEETS)

With its 2010 season now underway, the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) reminds all ADRL race teams to review and understand all current rules and to monitor the series’ official Web site at www.ADRL.us for updates, additions or changes.

“We encountered a couple of instances at our season opener last month at Houston Raceway Park where teams seemed unaware of what’s required,” Tom Grooms of the ADRL Technical Services division said. “But it’s all there on the Web site and if anyone has any questions I’m happy to take their calls at (636) 272-2375 or they can e-mail me at tom@adrl.us.”

The ADRL returns to action Apr. 23-24, with the ADRL Hardee’s Georgia Drags VI at South Georgia Motorsports Park, where Grooms stresses all SFI certifications must be up to date before an entry will be permitted on the track.

Danny Perry couldn't have scripted a more perfect day to attend (let alone win) his first ever Big Dog Shootout on April Fools day. His dominating win and stunning new track record of 4.06 elapsed time was hardly a joke though, as Perry rocked the house Thursday evening at Piedmont Dragway.
 
Perry is not one of the dozens of drivers who race the Big Dig tour. A resident of Sims, NC, he and his father Bobby launched B&D Automotive 20 years ago, and also race in a number of leagues in other locales. Builders of mainly sportsman racing motors, the Perrys got involved in heads-up engines almost purely for personal use.
 
Perry and his Jerry Haas-constructed Corvette Z06 got everyone's attention early with a solid qualifying spot of 4.10, good for the No. 2 position. Perry ran a single in round one when Brian Williams experienced problems and couldn't make the call for eliminations. Out of the gate for round one, Perry thundered to a new track record of 4.08 on his competition-break single.

Ron Capps, usually behind the wheel of the 8000-horsepower nitro-fueled NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, will compete in the Bill Baker Memorial Late Model race at Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway on Saturday, April 3.

In preparation for his sixth appearance in the Prelude to the Dream special event at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on June 9, Capps will take to Santa Maria's one-third mile clay surfaced oval to drive a "dirt" Late Model decked out in NAPA AUTO PARTS colors. Qualifying for the event is at 5 p.m., with racing action beginning at 6 p.m.

"I've gotten to race in Tony Stewart's Prelude every year and I've always shown up there without getting a chance to run a dirt car much in advance," said Capps, second in the NHRA Funny Car points standings after four of 23 events in 2010. "Our schedule gets so busy and of course now every year a lot of the NASCAR guys have bought their own teams and they get out and practice before the Prelude.

NHRA Unleashed is pleased to announce that those who purchase advance tickets for the events through NHRA.com will have access to a preferred seating section at each venue.  Advance tickets for each NHRA Unleashed event will go on sale at 10 a.m. EDT on each date and can be purchased by visiting NHRA.com and clicking on the NHRA Unleashed logo box.

After purchasing the tickets on line and printing them, fans simply take the ticket to the NHRA Unleashed event where they will be supplied with a wrist band that will allow seating in the preferred seating section.  The seating will vary at each event and will be marked to find easily.  The preferred seating will provide spectators an up close and personal view of all the on track action during the NHRA Unleashed event, a celebration of pure American horsepower.

The first of four inaugural NHRA Unleashed events will be held June 11-13 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga. Tickets for this historic event will go on sale April 3rd.  Disrupt/ive Studios, the producers of the hit TV show “PINKS ™”, will produce a television series celebrating every aspect of these exciting events, highlighting the passion and lifestyle of NHRA competitors and fans.

Nitro Jam’s roster of decorated racers continues to grow as Pro Fuel star Cherissa Smallwood has announced her intention to run the rest of the season with the Nitro Jam series.

Smallwood, a fulltime racer and mother of two, has spent the past 17 years racing various sportsman classes with the NHRA and is excited to make her debut with the brand new Pro Fuel class on the Nitro Jam circuit beginning at Rockingham Dragway’s Spring Nitro Jam May 1-2.

“As a racer you work so hard to gain recognition and as a driver of Pro Fuel this will allow our team to be in the spotlight of thousands,” Smallwood said. “We were drawn to the IHRA because it has shown so much appreciation and professionalism to the sport of drag racing. I can’t wait to get out there and meet the fans.”