The American Hot Rod Association [AHRA] has taken another step towards becoming a full-fledged player in the drag racing sanctioning body fraternity. Yesterday, the revived AHRA announced their structure of classifications and the lineup will feature everything from the traditional Stock eliminator venue to 10.5-inch tire to Top Fuel dragsters.

In all, the AHRA presents a menu of 31 different professional and sportsman eliminators.

According to Troy Moe, CEO of the AHRA, the classes are a menu of what his sanctioning body can offer the individual track operators hosting his events.

On behalf of NAPA, Ron Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Funny Car team will showcase Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world's largest breast cancer advocacy organization, at this weekend's Fourth Annual NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsport Park, located outside of Richmond, Va.

The body of the NAPA Dodge will sport a brilliant paint scheme as part of a unique initiative designed to raise $250,000 by highlighting the importance of preventive maintenance for both the body and the vehicle.

Nitrodebtrelief.com plans to make the most of their drag racing involvement during the final three events of the 2009 season.

The associate sponsor for Funny Car racer Tony Pedregon will have a company display on the Manufacturer’s Midway beginning at this weekend’s NHRA Virginia Nationals and also appear at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals and conclude at the NHRA AAA Finals in Pomona, Ca.

Four NHRA rookie drivers, representative of three pro categories, have been selected as nominees for the 2009 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, it was announced today by officials from NHRA and the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Massey

Langdon

Horne

Hagan

The nominees for the prestigious award include, in alphabetical order, Matt Hagan (Funny Car); Doug Horne (Pro Stock Motorcycle); Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel); and Spencer Massey (Top Fuel).

The award, which recognizes the top rookie competitor in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and offers a $20,000 prize and traditional trophy to the winner, will be presented during NHRA’s annual championship awards ceremony on Monday, Nov. 16 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

John "Bodie" Smith will make his debut behind the wheel of his father's, Paul Smith, Nitro Funny Car this upcoming weekend at the NHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond, VA, Oct. 9-11. Smith recently completing his cross-over NHRA license at a test session last month in Indianapolis, IN, is ready at a shot to become a "spoiler" in the Funny Car Championship chase.

Even though this will mark Smith's first race driving a Funny Car in NHRA competition, Smith is no stranger when it comes to fuel cars. Smith has spent the 2009 season tuning for several different part time Top Fuel and Funny Car teams on the NHRA and IHRA circuits as well as the FIA European Drag Racing circuit.

Earlier this season, Smith drove Terry Haddock’s Top Fuel dragster at the O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals in Madison, IL, and prior to that Smith competed with his wife, Rhonda Hartman-Smith, as part of the popular two-car husband and wife team for Hartman Motorsports finishing as high as 8th in the championship points.

The Goodguys 2nd Nostalgia Nationals, October 16-18 at Dallas Jones’s Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green Kentucky will serve up a heavy dose of drag strip yesteryear giving both fans and participants one last chance to revel in nitro fumes and tire smoke before winter sets in.

The Nostalgia Nationals is two events in one with a full scale vintage drag race as well as a rod & custom show & shine for vehicles 1972 & earlier, sprawling throughout the scenic grounds of the historic facility on the outskirts of Bowling Green. Manufacturer’s exhibits, an auto parts swap meet and cars for sale corral will also be featured.

Full fields of nostalgia top fuel dragsters and nostalgia funny cars are expected. In top fuel, defending event champion Michael Sexton will look to repeat his improbable 2008 victory as he was the only alcohol burning dragster in a field of nitro burners at last year’s inaugural event. To his delight – the fuel cars all had trouble while he consistently ran ‘em off their feet. This year won’t be as easy with the likes Blue Suede Cruise winner Randy Bridges, Howard Haight in the “Nitrodiction” entry, “Diamond Dave” Miller,  Kevin Brewer’s “Midwest Threat”, Charlie Smith, Dennis Corso, Jeff Miller’s “Time Bandit” and many others lining up to take home a big win in the season finale.

Now that veteran driver Cory McClenathan is in the hunt for a world championship title, he’s not changing anything about his approach to race weekends.

McClenathan has experience in championship battles. He’s finished second four times during his great career. He’s finished third three other times, including last season.

After winning the first playoff race in Charlotte and finishing in the quarterfinals at both Dallas and Memphis, McClenathan is certainly capable of hoisting the trophy at the NHRA awards ceremony.

He knows from experience that patience and consistency are the two necessary ingredients as NHRA professional category teams make the stretch run to glory in the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

McClenathan will continue his quest to win that elusive first world championship crown with a strong showing at the fourth annual NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park near Richmond, Va. The race is the 22nd of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to 1, NHRA’s championship playoffs. Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel); Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car); and Dave Connolly (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the race, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.

The NMRA Ford Nationals Series rolled into Bowling Green, Kentucky this past weekend, to stage their 11th Annual World Finals.  With a record fan turnout on Saturday, over 200 cars in the car show, nearly 90 racers participating in their famous True Street class, coupled with all of their heads-up racers, the event was quite possibly the NMRA’s largest ever.  

Chris Rini, of Carmel, NY, scored bragging rights for the North team as he won Piedmont Dragway’s annual North versus South Shootout.

In a race where the Mason Dixon line separates a spirited group of competitors in many aspects ranging from heritage to bragging rights, not mention a $50,000 purse, two teams of eight from the North and South slugged it out for three days before an energized outside of Greensboro, NC.  

Rini stopped the local favorite Travis Hervey in the final round.
 

Monday's final results from the 22nd annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Memphis Motorsports Park. The race is the 21st of 24 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series: