When the NHRA announced they had suspended Matt Guidera for one year
for failing to comply with they Substance Abuse Policy, they could have
been a bit more forthcoming.

According to Guidera, he tried to comply. He just failed in his effort.

“Well, I’m disappointed that I didn’t go up there and perform the test
on time,” Guidera said Saturday night. “I wish it was different, but I
understand that the NHRA has rules and they have to stick to them, and
I certainly wish I was racing here on Monday and qualifying Sunday, but
they’ve told me that I can’t.”

According to Guidera, he was issued the paperwork from the NHRA to take
a drug test at 4 p.m. Friday. Guidera then had 24 hours to go take a
drug test.

Don Prudhomme announced on Friday at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in
Indianapolis that his entire race team is for sale immediately. In a
press conference, the multi-time NHRA World Champion announced that he
will not field a team in 2010 unless a sponsorship is procured.

Prudhomme announced that his longtime association with the United
States Smokeless Tobacco ends at the end of the season. Reportedly new
legislation regarding tobacco advertising played a large role in the
decision to discontinue the program.

Ed French, Bloomington, Ind., is a daily reader of CompetitionPlus.com;
reading for nearly as long as the internet magazine has been in existence. The owner of Community Ford and Valley Chevrolet said the site has become a regular stop for his drag racing news.

French has also grown fond of the Roger Richards photos which have graced CompetitionPlus.com for the last decade.

That’s why when French read on Friday afternoon that a thief had stolen
Richards’ scooter, he believed the time was right to help out a person
he considered friend, yet had never met.

Life has been a blur for Tony Pedregon's interim crew chief, Tony Shortall. Since he was given the last minute
assignment of joining the two-time Funny Car world champion, the racing has been pretty fast.

Through it all, Shortall has been having a good time.

“Yes. Yes, and then some,” Shortall said when asked if he was adjusting
quickly to his new position. “It's been good and it's been fun. Working
with these guys has been simple and obviously you don't have to worry.
The driver does a great job. The crew does a great job.”

John Force hates racing without Austin Coil.

The 14-time NHRA Funny Car champion from Yorba Linda, Ca., said that
was the best way to describe how it felt to race without his longtime
crew chief and tuner during the first day of the NHRA U.S. Nationals in
Indianapolis, he hated it.

“Me and Coil have been partners, this is our 25th year,” said a
physically drained Force following the single session of qualifying.
“It’s hard for him to be in that hospital bed. I don’t like it.”

Force said he and Coil made the decision heading into the weekend for
the brain-trust to handle his team’s tuning during the U.S. Nationals.
He’s also leaning on the kin folk.

Robert Hight, driver of the AAA Ford owned by John Force racing, his back in a corner and honor on the line, was pumped
full of confidence after posting the fastest lap in first round
qualifying for the NHRA U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park Friday
night.

Hight's 4.107 second, 305.36 mph, lap was the best of the field and the
best of the four John Force cars. Mike Neff was second quickest, Ashley
Force Hood fourth and John Force seventh.

“I don't know if it will hold up throughout the whole weekend, but it's
definitely going to stay in the top five,” said Hight, looking around
the press room and reacquainting himself with faces he hadn't seen in a
long time. “The season we've had, that's a good feeling for me.”

Larry Dixon saved the best run of the night for last.

Dixon, the driver of the Alan Johnson Al-Anabi Top Fuel dragster, made
a 3.850-second run at 302.89 mph Friday night at the NHRA U.s. Nationals to capture the top
qualifying spot. Dixon’s run came moments after Cory McClenathan’s
3.863-elapsed time. Pro qualifying continues at noon and 5:45 p.m., on
Saturday.

“It’s obviously nice to be able to get your car down the track, and
know you got your car in the top 12,” said Dixon, who has won five
races this season. “Now, you can go into Saturday at the back of the
session and see what some of the cars are doing and just try and make a
run accordingly.”

The plan has followed its course.

Back at the Mile-High Nationals in Denver, in July, Lee Beard, team
manager at Don Schumacher Racing, said that DSR was building a new
dragster chassis in-house with the blessing of noted chassis builder
Brad Hadman.

DSR’s in-house dragster is making its debut in the 55th annual U.S. Nationals this weekend and being driven by Cory McClenathan.

No matter what Spencer Massey does the rest of his drag racing career, he will always remember this weekend.

The 26-year-old is making his inaugural appearance driving a Top Fuel dragster in the U.S. Nationals.

“It’s an honor to get to race a Top Fuel car at any race, but to be
here at the U.S. Nationals with the Snake (Don Prudhomme), it
definitely means a lot. We have a chance to go rounds and win the race.
We feel very confident coming off our test last week (Wednesday) here
at this race track. This race couldn’t be any bigger. This is what
everybody dreams of coming here to the U.S. Nationals and leaving here
with a Wally. I couldn’t be any happier to try and get it done with the
Snake and I’m living a dream doing it.”

The Westcott family, of Parma, Mich., pulled off another victory
tonight in the Mopar® NHRA HEMI® Challenge at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
in Indianapolis. Charlie Wescott, Sr., did it this time, in his 1968
Hemi Barracuda, besting David Barton, of  Robesonia, Pa. Westcott
needed a lot of help from his son, Charlie Westcott, Jr., and a bunch
of their competitors.

Westcott Senior’s engine dropped a valve on the bye run that put him
into the finals. “I figured there was nothing we could do but go home,”
he said, “but my son is a workaholic.” Westcott Junior reclaimed a
Mopar 426 Hemi engine he had just delivered to John Raines, of Santa
Paula, Calif., and moved the Barracuda to Californian Jim DeFrank’s
well-equipped trailer to do an engine swap.