Rickie Jones and the previously self-sponsored Quarter-Max® Racing Team will be flying new colors in 2010 as Elite Motorsports steps on board as the primary sponsor. Elite Motorsports is the leader in sales of race transporters, new and used race cars, and equipment, as well as an RJ Race Cars dealer.
Co-owner of Quarter-Max® Racing, Monte Bailey, owner of Bailey Trucking and Bailey Logistics, will also be on board again for the 2010 season. “The Quarter-Max® Racing team should have ample power to perform at the next level of NHRA Pro Stock,” says Bailey.

NASCAR veteran Kurt Busch expects Greg Anderson to be equally generous with his ride.

Anderson, the three-time NHRA Pro Stock champion, approached Busch on opening night at zMax Dragway in 2007 about making a few runs down the quarter-mile in Busch's Dodge Viper.

Busch obliged.

Some may call it professional racer courtesy but Busch, driver of the No. 2 Dodge Charger on the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, calls it enticement.

That night the driver who makes a living racing in circles became highly interested in straight line racing.

Casey Spradlin and the Spradlin Motorsports Top Sportsman and Top Dragster team experienced a career best season in 2009 with an IHRA Top Dragster Championship. The victories started early during the season with Spradlin’s first ever National Event during the NHRA Jeg’s Cajun SportsNats, Belle Rose, LA.  His streak of winnings continued throughout the summer with a Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (LODRS) win at Memphis Motorsports Park and then an IHRA Summit ProAm event victory in Holly Springs, MS.

“This was just a great season,” Spradlin said.  “Everything fell into place at the right time. We had a good car and Tim Gaines Performance engine combination was just phenomenal.  The car was there and if I did my job, we ended up in the winner’s circle every time.  Winning the “big” Wally is just a special moment.”

The drag racing community has lost three of its finest drag racers.

Former IHRA Modified eliminator standout, David Hornaday, brother-in-law of Tommy Mauney, passed away at the Palmetto Lexington Hospital in Lexington, SC, after an illness.

Three decade drag racing veteran Kenny Martin, of Chapel Hill, NC, passed away after six months of failing health and later critical illness.

Dean Nicopolis, a Super Stock racer of Ramchargers fame, lost a bout with cancer and passed away.

Six-time back-to-back FIA European Pro Stock champion Jimmy Ålund of Norrköping, Sweden will race selected NHRA during spring and summer 2010 instead of defending a seventh European championship. The team has scheduled four events beginning with the inaugural NHRA Nationals at Z-Max dragway March 25-28. The tour continues with NHRA National Events in Atlanta, GA May 14-16, Chicago, IL June 3-6 and ends in Englishtown, NJ June 10-13.

During their stay, the car will be stationed at the race shop of Pat Musi Performance in Carteret N.J., where Musi and Robert Hallberg will provide supporting service. They will not only host the car between races, but also support Jimmy Ålund Racing with race transporter/trailer to use at the events.

Racers for Christ has a pair of fundraisers underway with the proceeds benefitting the ministry.

NHRA Lucas Oil Series Sportsman racer Courtney Force and 2009 NHRA Pro Stock world champion Mike Edwards headline tonight's edition of NHRA Tuesdays, live 7 - 8 pm et (4 - 5 pm pt) on WFO Radio with Joe Castello.  To listen live, on demand, or to download as podcast, go to http://www.wforadio.com

NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series officials announced today the 2010 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing schedule, which includes an additional event at Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho.

The Napa Auto Parts Ignitor has been added to the event schedule for the 2010 season, and will be held April 30-May 2 at Firebird Raceway. The event will feature Nostalgia Nitro Top Fuel dragsters.

The event addition brings the schedule to a total of nine races for the 2010 season, which will begin with the March Meet, March 5-7 at the famed Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif.

The Super Chevy Show series announced bracket and car show class information along with early information about the new Shoebox Shootout class on its redesigned Web site today.

The ownership group wants to give fans and participants as much specific information as possible about the car show and bracket series. SCSW, Inc., purchased the Super Chevy Show series in November. The ownership group is a mix of race track owners, promoters and racing experts who want the 30th anniversary season in 2010 to be its best year yet.

Summit Motorsports Park's Bill Bader said one of the ways to make the 2010 season shine is to bring a good, old, American classic back to the track – the 1957 Chevy. The Shoebox Shootout will feature a racing category for 1960 and older Chevy models at each of the national Super Chevy Show events. The rules and car specifics will be announced in January, but Bader wants people to pull their heavy metal out of the garage now and start preparing for the 16-car showdown at each track.

The revived American Hot Rod Association fired a major shot towards its future existence by announcing today that it has entered into a multi-year agreement, to take over all operations of Thunder Road Raceway Park. The race facility, located outside of Shreveport, La., was formerly known as Red River Raceway.
 
“This will be the mother ship of re-establishing the AHRA in the South; once known as strong AHRA country for many decades” said Troy Moe, Chief Executive Officer of AHRA.  

Moe said AHRA will be redesigning the Sportsman programs as well as hosting multiple major spectator events at the facility. AHRA class rules will be posted on its website the week of December 13, 2009.