Mark Pickens, MPE Motorsports president and team owner, released veteran crew chief Lance Larsen on Wednesday, ending a 28-race tenure that included driver Clay Millican’s final-round appearance at Topeka, Kan., in May and qualifying for NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship season-ending playoffs.

“MPE Motorsports has announced the release of crew chief Lance Larsen,” Pickens said.  “Lance is a knowledgeable and experienced tuner and a trusted friend.  He is truly one of the good guys in the sport.  Having become a close member of our personal family, we wish him the very best going forward.

Greg Cope has taken a position with Star Racing’s high performance engine and cylinder head department. 

Cope, who began his racing career with Star in the early 1980’s, is a cylinder head porting specialist and engine building expert who brings 30 years of experience to the Star team. 

Gainesville Raceway officials today announced a 3-year agreement naming VP Racing Fuels the track’s Official Fuel through 2012. The agreement calls for VP to be Gainesville Raceway’s exclusive supplier of race fuels including VP110, C12 and Motorsport 103 in bulk. VP also will maintain pail and drum inventory of its most popular specialty fuels, including C16, Q16, U4.2, M1 and M5 Methanol and others. In servicing the track, the VP Southeast distribution center based in Ft. Lauderdale will staff the track full time, providing on-site technical support to racers with fuel-related questions. 

The totals tabulated for the Lilly Belle Kulungian Blood Drive at the NHRA Midsouth Nationals coordinated by Kristal Kulungian and Billie Brown, prove the event was a rousing success.

“We exceeded all of our goals and Saturday we hoped to double that,” Brown said. “We are appreciative of who took their time to donate. Not everyone was eligible but the response of those who were just willing to participate was heartwarming.”

One weekend, Hot Rod Fuller might drive a Vandergriff Motorsports dragster. The next race it might be the team owner Bob Vandergriff Jr.

That flexibility between serving as team owner and driver doesn’t bother Vandergriff in the least. As he sees it, both roles have their merits.

“The team owner side [of racing] is interesting and exciting on the business side,” Vandergriff said. “But nothing can replace the feeling of hitting that throttle on the starting line. That’s something that’s hard to replicate.”

Vandergriff raced at the two most recent events on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series with the support of C&J Energy Services, an oil and gas industry-based business, that he acquired sponsorship from through his Richard Childress Racing connection. He’s in his second of two scheduled outings with the sponsor.

Just when you think no one cares, the world steps up and gives you a big hug. This time it was Terry Haddock getting the hug.

Haddock rolled into Memphis Motorsports Park the motor in his dragster a collection of used parts and pieces patched together well enough to make a solid qualifying run, but not good enough to survive a second run. And, the drag racing community stepped up with a pretty big hug.

Mike Ashley sold the team a block. John Force had his team send over parts, as did Don Schumacher. Tim Wilkerson helped out. And, Nick Caseriano, car chief on Ashley Force Hood's Funny Car spent his spare time building a new short block from all the donated parts.

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.