Top Sportsman and Top Dragster will be featured during the professional elimination rounds at all IHRA Nitro Jam events in 2010.

Since the mid-1970s sportsman drag racing and the International Hot Rod Association have walked hand in hand and in 2010 that relationship is going to become even stronger as the IHRA returns to its roots and places its quickest and fastest sportsman classes on the stage they deserve.

In an effort to showcase the best sportsman racers in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster and to provide even more entertainment value to its Nitro Jam show the IHRA will showcase first round of main event eliminations during the professional rounds on the first event day and have created an “Elite 8” program for the top qualifiers in each of these two classes to be run during the professional rounds on the second event day.

In his successful twenty-five-year career as a racer, Greg Slack has faced numerous challenges, fought tough adversaries, and overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to win races and championships, but when he rolled his dragster into the Rockingham Dragway winners circle last June, he celebrated a triumph monumentally greater than the Summit Pro-Am Quick Rod victory he had just driven to.

On that day his reward far outshone the gleaming IHRA Ironman. As he hoisted the trophy over his head he was rejoicing in the fact that he had his life back; his life on the track, his life with his friends and fellow racers, and his life with his family.

Yes, as satisfying as his accomplishment over his on-track opponent was that weekend, Slack knew he had out-muscled a much stronger, much more tenacious advisory, one whose wins often mean a devastating loss for whoever comes up in the other lane.

Longtime bracket racing legend, drag racing school instructor and overall good guy Jimmy “The Shoe” Harrington has fallen on hard times with his health and could use our prayers.

Harrington is currently hospitalized and battling an undisclosed illness.

For Steve Earwood, the third time is the charm. The Rockingham Dragway owner who once served as NHRA publicist has participated in every War Stories Showdown presented by CompetitionPlus.com and for the first time he’ll advance to the quarter-final round.

Earwood left no doubt as his story on rainouts and rental cars enabled him to thunder past former event finalist Roy Hill with 75.48 percent of the vote. Hill, for his part, provided an admirable challenge in the initial stages of the race with his story of kidnapped crewmen.

For the next four weeks, CompetitionPlus.com will conduct its third annual War Stories Showdown. The veterans of yarn spinning are paired for what promises to be a series destined to produce the finest behind-the-scenes stories.

Here are the rules –

Pro Stock Bike rider Angie Smith won’t have to wait until Christmas Day to open one of her finest presents.

Smith, formerly Angie McBride, will race a full NHRA Full Throttle tour aboard Karl and Kim Klement’s Buell thanks to sponsorship from Coffman Tank Trucks.

“I really excited about this,” said Smith. “This is the first opportunity I’ve ever had to race fulltime. This has been my dream and now it’s coming true. It’s probably the biggest Christmas present I’ve ever gotten.”

Billy Glidden and Bill Doner were declared first round winners and will advance to the second round of the third annual War Stories Showdown presented by CompetitionPlus.com. They will meet in the first day of quarter-final pairings scheduled for Mon., Jan. 4, 2010.

Glidden scored an 83.22 vote percentage with his story of one-upmanship with legendary basketball coach Bobby Knight and that was more than enough to get around former IHRA executive turned producer Ted Jones.

Talented graphic designer Greg Russell, of GRD Designs, accurately captured the spirit of this Christmas season, at least for the doorslammer fans, with his latest offering. Oh yeah, it looks like a 5.8-second rocket. Wonder if he'll have this thing running tonight?

Gene Fasching, 64, former NHRA Division 5 Pro Stock Champion and owner of Triple T Race Products, peacefully passed away at his home in Winsted, Minnesota  December 22 after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Fasching  campaigned cars in various categories from the mid 1960’s until 1989.  He was most known for his Winsted Body Shop in Minnesota, which painted  most of the Pro Stock cars on the track in the 1970’s and 1980’s as well as many of the “Showtime” Funny Cars for Tom Hoover.  As a drag racer, Fasching won the 1982 Pro Stock division 5 title.