The cars they race are world's apart. The words they speak are almost a carbon copy.

Tony Schumacher couldn’t help but smile when he heard NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson being interviewed following last Sunday’s race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

“I could definitely relate to what he was talking about,” said Schumacher as he prepared for this weekend’s Las Vegas Nationals here at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “He and I are clearly in similar positions at the moment. Neither one of us really want to talk about points right now.”

While Johnson currently leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings with a handful of races to go, Schumacher sits atop the NHRA’s Top Fuel standings heading into the final two races of the 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season.

The Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, the largest rod & custom association in the world with over 70,000 members, will stage twenty-three events in 2010. The event lineup features nineteen national events for rods, customs, classics and muscle cars through 1972 vintage as well as four “Get-Together's” in California which welcome all years, makes and models of specialty vehicles.

The season gets started March 12, 13 & 14 with the brand new Spring Nationals at Westworld in Scottsdale, Arizona. The season also wraps up at Westworld in Scottsdale November 19, 20 & 21 for the season-ending 13th Southwest Nationals.

For 20-year old Kenny Buzdas, his goal of driving a Funny Car in the NHRA will soon become a reality as he has been selected to become a driver for the Pleasant Grove, Calif. based Thiel Motorsports Top Alcohol Funny Car team for the 2010 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

“I can not thank Brian and Randi Thiel enough for the opportunity they are giving to me for 2010,” noted 2006 NHRA Division 7 Junior Dragster and 2007 Top Eliminator West champion Kenny Buzdas. “It has always been a goal of mine to drive a Top Alcohol Funny Car in NHRA Drag Racing. I look forward to the challenge and I’m eager to get strapped in this awesome hot rod.”

Only two races remain in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and for Funny Car driver Ron Capps, every point earned at this weekend's NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be vital if he's to have a chance at claiming his first Funny Car crown.

Just 63 points out of first place (Robert Hight), fourth-place Capps is ready for this weekend's challenge as the winners of the spring race at The Strip earlier this year.

"I'm not sure it gives us an edge," said Capps, class-best five-time national-event titlist this year, "but you always feel comfortable going to a place you've done well at. Right now, more than anything, we have to focus on just doing the best we can, and try to collect every point we can."

On a conference call Tuesday evening that included participants from California to Florida to Canada and cities in between, the first-round pairings were set by random draw for the Matco Tools $35,000 Pro Mod Clash in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.
 
Anxious to learn their fates, the drivers clamored to "get started" as series administrator Matthew Brammer hosted the call and drew the names from an NHRA ball-cap. Joe Baker was the first name called, followed by former world champion Jay Payne. Next, Raymond Commisso was drawn and paired with current points leader Burton Auxier.
 
Commisso said, "It figures. Match me against the guy who's number one. But that's ok, we'll take him on."

Native Australian Dave Grubnic returns to racing this weekend, Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, behind the wheel of the Hawaiian Industrial Structures Top Fuel dragster for Kalitta Motorsports at this weekend's NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
 
Founded in 2006 by longtime Kalitta Motorsports supporter Dan Hayes, President and CEO, Hawaiian Industrial Structures, Inc. was established to meet the needs of the growing metal building industry in Honolulu, Hawaii. The company has a dynamic erection crew, excavation and site work crew, sales and office staff. Their success is attributed to maintaining employment of qualified and experienced employees who have the knowledge and skills to provide professional results and to maintaining a quality line of vendors.
 
Grubnic, 47, previously drove a Top Fueler for Kalitta Motorsports at three NHRA national events (Brainerd, Minn., Reading, Penn., and Indianapolis) in 2009 and full-time from 2004-2008, but he has been sidelined for much of this season due to budget constraints. He has two NHRA national event wins in 14 final-round appearances in his 14-year Top Fuel career. In May, 2005, he became the first racer born outside of North America to win an NHRA Top Fuel event. He currently resides in Ennis, Mont.

For the fourth time in less than two seasons, Top Fuel driver Antron Brown will answer to a new boss.

Don Schumacher Racing on Tuesday acquired the racing assets of the Matco Tools Top Fuel from Mike Ashley Racing. The sale was finalized on Tuesday afternoon and continues the longstanding relationship between Matco Tools and DSR.

The Matco Tools team will remain intact with Brown piloting the bright blue Matco-backed rail tuned by Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald. The team will next compete at the ninth annual Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Matt Hartford shakes his head at the irony.

On Saturday afternoon Hartford captured his first Extreme Pro Stock Championship, his third world title overall. Amazing as it sounds, Hartford never reached a single Extreme Pro Stock final round during the season. His previous two championships, both in Sport Compact competition in 2001 and 2002, included final round victories.

The similarity between the three titles is stunning. Hartford never carried the No. 1 designation after winning his first two titles and he won't be sporting the No. 1 designation next year.

CompetitionPlus.com has learned that delays in parts will prevent the two-car Pro Stock team of Jim Cunningham and Erica Enders from completing their new Ford engines in time to race the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. They are expected to race at the AAA Finals in Pomona, Ca., next month.

Advertisement

Fred Crespi, oddsmaker for the sports books at The Palms Resort & Casino and the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas predicts Tony Schumacher, Robert Hight and Mike Edwards will win final-round eliminations on Sunday at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.