Tommy Johnson Jr. will begin his first day of employment for Don Schumacher Racing on December 1.

Team owner Don Schumacher confirmed this with CompetitionPlus.com today in an interview.

Johnson is slated to drive one of two Top Fuel dragsters destined for the Yas Marina circuit based in Abu Dhabi. The driver of the second car has yet to be determined.

Lee Beard will serve as Johnson’s crew chief.

Melvin Daniels, driving the Ray Barton 68 Hemi Dart, reset his own SS/AH NHRA National Record and once again in Hemi Super Stock competition ran in the 8.20s and over 160 on Saturday, November 28.

Cruz Pedregon is thankful for his time machine.

For a few weekends out of the year, Pedregon, the two-time NHRA Funny Car champion from Brownsburg, Ind., can strap into this time machine and forget about the pressures of signing a major sponsor and the challenges that accompany the overwhelming demand.

Pedregon’s time machine is a throwback to a time when Funny Cars actually resembled the machines they claimed to be.

Pedregon isn’t just a Funny Car driver. He’s a Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car driver and he admits, his 1977 Plymouth Arrow is the escape he’s needed for a long time.

“Wow. What an exciting season. We have really enjoyed it.”
 
Top Dragster driver Tony Positano joined the ranks of the newly-formed Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts in 2009 after competing locally in Top Dragster competition for the past two seasons.
 
The driver and team owner of the Mike Bos Slip Joint Dragster said the series was the right program at the right time for competitors such as him.
 
“This is a fantastic series,” noted Positano. “I’m proud to be a part of the Quick 32 Sportsman Series. It’s what we needed in Ontario.”

According to noted drag racing historian Bret Kepner, this documentary is one of many repackaged Chrysler Corporation-produced drag racing films shot from 1963 - 1973 for rent through their dealerships. ESPN included these films in their Glory Days series, hosted by Dave Despain, which aired in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Lee Beard will be live in the Bud Lite Studio on The Sammy and Bob Show on Houston's ESPN Radio 97-5 fm at 10am till 12pm.

Tune in or go online to sammyandbob.com and checkout their webcam.

Call 713-780-3776 to talk to Lee, Sammy or Bob.

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Cameron Stuart believes Santa Claus has to be a hot rodder to encompass the entire earth as he delivers presents to children all around the world.
Stuart, of Chatham, Ontario, has produced a rendition of the high horsepower sleigh that the jolly man in the red suit uses in his yearly one night delivery schedule.

Larry Morgan is firm on his intentions, if he gets off the beaten path with his upcoming Ford engine program, he won’t hesitate to use his lifeline of experience.

For Morgan, on the other end of that lifeline is none other than ten-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Bob Glidden.

Nine of Glidden’s 10 championships were won in a Ford. Sandwiched in the middle of three consecutive title runs from 1978 until 1980; was one year behind the wheel of a factory-backed Mopar effort.

If anyone knows the challenges of switching brands and remaining competitive, it’s Glidden.

This video features nitro action from Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, WI. There are some classic rides in here including the Funny Cars of Gene Snow, Fred Mandoline and Kelly Chadwick. The dragsters include Ma and Pa Hoover and other Midwestern regulars.