As Allen Johnson prepares to kick off his 15th NHRA Pro Stock season, the perennial top 10 finisher believes this could finally be his year to make a serious run at the championship.

Johnson has worked on his driving and fitness over the winter. Engine builder and father Roy Johnson has put in the hours at the shop. The factory-backed Dodge team will take to the track with what Johnson believes is one of the best cars they’ve ever had in their new Mopar Dodge Avenger.

All the tools are in place to make a run at the title.

Ever since Shirley Shahan raced past Ken Heinemann for the 1966 Stock Eliminator victory and became the first female winner of a national event in NHRA history, the Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals has become a race that’s known for the girls beating the boys.

In Top Fuel, four women have visited winner’s circle at the tradition-rich event at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The legendary Shirley Muldowney was the first female to win a Top Fuel title and raced to two victories here, in 1980 and 1983. She was runner-up in 1982. Lori Johns won in 1990, Shelley Anderson in 1994 and most recently Melanie Troxel opened with a Winternationals victory in 2006.

There has never been a female in a Funny Car final round at the Winternationals, but that could change this season. Ashley Force Hood, who finished second in the Funny Car point standings last year with two wins in eight final rounds, comes into the much-hyped 50th anniversary event Feb. 11-14 as a heavy favorite to win the race, as well as the pre-season favorite for many to win the world championship crown.

Never one to pass up a chance to deliver a juicy punch line, veteran drag racer Larry Morgan said the Ford Motor Company chose him to help develop and showcase its new  engine clearly "because I'm so good-looking!"
 
No doubt Ford Racing engineer Mose Nowland and his colleagues had at least a couple of technical reasons for selecting Morgan for the project that began December 18th, 2008. But Nowland expressed his confidence that Morgan can deliver the punch line for Ford this year, knocking out maybe more than his fair share of the National Hot Rod Association competition.
 
"I'm sure Larry is going to do well," Nowland said. "My expectations are running high right now."

It’s been said, you have to learn to walk before you can run.

For the newly formed Lescure – August Motorsports team, lessons learned in a decade of racing in the Top Alcohol Funny Car division will pay dividends as they plan to make their NHRA Top Fuel Dragster debut at their home track, Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. during the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals, July 2010.

The Army National Guard will join forces with the AMA Dragbike Championship Series in 2010.

SSG James Hubbard of Topeka, KS will be fielding a Suzuki Hayabusa Street Fighter entry, while Steve Smithers of Olathe, KS will pilot a Pro Street Suzuki Hayabusa with the support of the Army National Guard.

Doug Winters has signed Hedman Husler Hedders as an associate sponsor on Winters Racing’s ’57 Chevy Pro Extreme.

“We are definitely thrilled to have formed a partnership with Hedman Husler Hedders," said Winters. "It is an honor for us and for the entire team to have the backing of a company of their caliber and we are looking forward to a great season. The team has always been impressed with their products, and we have been running Hedman Husler Hedders on our drag cars ever since we have been in drag racing.”

Former Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith has signed a major sponsorship deal with Al-Anabi Racing for the 2010 season and beyond. This deal, Smith says, will return his team to the competitive level he enjoyed in 2007 when he captured the championship.

“We’re back on our program that won the title in 2007 and nearly did in 2008,” said Smith, son of drag racing legend Rickie Smith. “I’m really excited. I want to thank Sheikh Khalid Al Thani and Al Anabi Racing for this opportunity.”

Smith confirmed that he will return to his Buell this season and resume his engine research and development program which he suspended with the implosion of the Torco sponsorships.

Susan Roush-McClenaghan isn't just the daughter of auto racing kingpin Jack Roush. Like her father, she's a racer.

She is also heavily involved in the effort to  restore one of her dad's most famous race cars: A four-door 1974 Ford Maverick nicknamed “The Tijuana Taxi”.

Before Roush became one of the most successful team owners in NASCAR, he worked as an engineer with partner Wayne Gapp in the early 1970s in the NHRA, IHRA and AHRA. The duo competed under the name Gapp and Roush and one of their cars that Gapp drove was “The Tijuana Taxi”.

Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com, through the assistance of a key group of Pro Modified historians and enthusiasts, has compiled a list of the Top 20 all-time drivers based on their contribution to the class, historic achievements, statistics and fan appeal.

Starting on Friday, January 8, 2010, the electronic magazine began revealing those names on the list, and will announce two drivers per week, until the No. 1 driver is unveiled on Saturday, Mar. 20, during the ADRL Dragpalooza in Houston, Texas.

Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com narrowed the list from hundreds of drivers down to 20. Today, we reveal No. 12 on the list.

Justin Humphreys reached the quarters and the finals with a first round win at the Las Vegas Pro Stock Showdown.

On a day where team after team withdrew from competition either in the first round or after it, Humphreys beat Johnny Gray in the final round because they were the only two participants to return for the second round.

A win is a win for Humphreys.