Rickie Smith will have a new primary sponsor for 2010.

The veteran Pro Modified driver will carry the colors of The Kingdom of Bahrain in 2010, through the Bahrain 1 racing team.

“I’m extremely excited to be working with the country of Bahrain and Sheikh Abdulla,” said Smith.

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider David Hope has signed a major sponsorship agreement with Brian Bozsum and Mohegan Sun Racing for the full 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season.

“The talks of a partnership with Hope and Hammock started a few weeks ago after coming to the realization that we would not be able to run with Matt Guidera until Indy of this year due to the unforeseen circumstances that occurred last year,” said Bozsum. “It’s truly an unfortunate situation to be involved with, considering how successful the team was and the friendships that we all forged during the past couple of years."

Bob Vandergriff Jr., owner of the Vandergriff Apparel Group, a leading team uniform and t-shirt supplier, confirmed with Attitude's CompetitionPlus.com that his company has openings for team uniform orders. One of the new offerings from VAG is sublaminate uniforms.

Check out their new website at www.vandergriffapparel.com.

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While it’d be easy to overlook the opportunities presented by the three back-to-back races on the Arabian Drag Racing League schedule at the Qatar Race Club, Al-Anabi Racing team owner and driver, Sheikh Khalid Al Thani, is looking on the bright side of the situation. Rather than dreading the thought of the investment of time required to compete in such tightly scheduled events, Al Thani is seizing the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time with not only his own race team, but also his entire stable of Al-Anabi Racing cars, drivers and crew.

“Generally, as soon as we complete an event here at the Qatar Race Club, most everyone is headed back to their homes in the United States the following day,” explains Sheikh Khalid. “With these races so close together, everyone is staying here in Qatar between events, handling the necessary maintenance on the cars, testing, and continuing to jell as a team.”

Nitro testing begins today at Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida.

Earlier in the day, the temperature remained in the 50-degree range and the track temperature stood at 70-degrees. The initial concern for those teams in attendance was in overpowering the track.

However, with Chad Head, current Director of Race Operations at Al-Anabi/AJR, performing the track prep, the teams are expecting an incredible racing sirface.

Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com, through the assistance of a key group of Pro Modified historians and enthusiasts, have 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 11, 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. 13, 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. 20 on the list.

Team NHRA had its best showing ever in the annual Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen Engineering Sunday with rookie competitor Melanie Troxel earning the gold medal at the charity event.

Fellow drag racer Jeg Coughlin Jr. was just .07 seconds back of Troxel's two-run combined time of 1:39.33 seconds, bringing home silver in his JEGS.com bobsled with a 1:39.40. NASCAR road race specialist and multi-time Challenge winner Boris Said ended up third, filling out the podium with a 1:39.69.

In the second contest of the day, the NASCAR vs. NHRA showdown, Troxel once again shined, blazing through the NHRA side of the ladder before taking runner-up honors behind NASCAR rookie of the year Joey Logano, 49.81 to 50.07.

After 3 consecutive NHRA Top Sportsman Division 2 Championships, Jeffrey Barker driving his Jerry Barker Motorsports Camaro built by Rick Jones, has decided to step up his program a notch.  While continuing his long term partnership with Reher Morrison, his engine will be outfitted with state of the art, multiple stages of Speedtech Nitrous.

While drag racing will probably never find itself as an Olympic sport anytime soon – especially during the winter games – that doesn’t mean drag racing enthusiasts can’t still get in on the pomp and circumstance surrounding the world’s ultimate sporting competition.

Castrol Raceway owner Rob Reeves has been selected to be one of an estimated 12,000 torchbearers for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and is more than excited about the opportunity to take part in history when the Olympic Flame passes through Edmonton, Alberta next week.

“It is truly a great honor and a once in a lifetime experience. There are only so many people who get this opportunity and only 50 in Edmonton,” Reeves said. “I get to be a part of history and global pride, an ambassador of the Olympic Spirit. The Olympic Flame represents a long standing symbol of peace, unity and friendship to light up our land.”

Five-time world champion drag racer Jeg Coughlin Jr. proved to be pretty adept in his JEGS.com bobsled Saturday, leading Team NHRA during qualifying for the fifth annual Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen Engineering.

Coughlin's 51.03-second run down historic Mount Van Hoevenberg was third quickest of the day, just behind seven-time off-road champ Carl Renezeder (50.66) and reigning NASCAR rookie of the year Joey Logano (50.79). Coughlin was followed closely by GEICO Powersports Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas (51.13) and Lucas Oil Top Fuel racer Shawn Langdon (51.22).

Pro Mod racer Melanie Troxel, the first female to ever compete in the event, posted an eighth-best 51.48 in her final pass of the day. The quickest and fastest woman in drag racing, Troxel normally drives the R2B2 Racing Voodoo Corvette.