Here's a sneak peek of Jack Beckman's new metallic MTS paint scheme to debut this weekend at the 50th NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Ca.

The U.S. Army has been named a major associate sponsor of 24-time NHRA winner Antron Brown and the Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Matco Tools Top Fuel team it was announced today. The Matco Tools dragster will sport U.S. Army branding during the 2010 NHRA season and Brown will participate in the Army Youth and Education Services (YES) Program.

"This is an awesome deal to bring the (U.S.) Army to our Matco Tools team," Brown said. "I had a very good relationship with with the Army when I was riding the (Pro Stock) bike for DSR for many years. Who can't get excited about joining forces with the great soldiers that protect us at home and abroad each and every day. Our racing family now gets even stronger with all the Matco distributors and Army soldiers supporting our team."

Don Schumacher announced today that Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s iconic brand DieHard will be the primary sponsor of the Dodge Funny Car driven by Matt Hagan in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

The DieHard brand has been marketed by Sears since 1967. To help promote the DieHard battery chargers, portable power and inverters, Don Schumacher Racing will campaign the DieHard Dodge Funny Car, with associate sponsorship from shelor.com, in the 2010 NHRA series.

"We at DSR are proud to welcome DieHard into our family of outstanding supporters of our team," said Schumacher, DSR team owner. "The brand has been synonymous with automobile racing for 43 years, and we expect to continue to add to DieHard's long list of racing accomplishments during the 2010 NHRA season."

Since 1961, the Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals has been NHRA’s official season kick-off event. For 50 years, drag racers have flocked to venerable Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to show off their new race cars, paint schemes, sponsors and new drivers. With each new season world championship hopes begin anew.

Since then, a lot has changed on the drag racing landscape. There’s big money on the line for the race victory as well as the season championship. There’s worldwide television exposure. There’s bigger sponsors and bigger race car transporters. On the track the performances are quicker and faster. And did we mention there’s more pressure on each driver to win?

While the days of racing for fun and driving cross-country with your hot-rod affixed to the back of a flat-bed trailer are long gone, the memories for several of the sport’s biggest icons remain.

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.”