The West Coast Outlaw Pro Mod Association heads to Champion Raceway in
Medford, Ore., July 3-4  for the fourth of seven events on their
2009 tour. The third annual Nite of Fire event will feature Outlaw Pro
Mods as well as the West Coast Top Sportsman Association, Sunoco Fuel
ET Championship Series as well as jet cars and a huge fireworks display.

Winning is nothing new for twenty-year-old Blown Alcohol Dragster
driver, Kenny Buzdas. Lately he's fought more than his fair share of battles in maintaining his past championship standards.

“We had some transmission and tune up issues at the first race and we
ran well off the 6.30 second pace,” Buzdas said.” It’s going to be hot
this weekend, but we strongly believe our tune up can handle the heat
which will permit our Mickey Thompson tires to propel our car to the
winners circle.”

The former two-time Western Conference Jr. Dragster and 2007 Top
Eliminator West Series Champion, hopes to establish some winning
momentum this weekend at 33rd annual Nitro Night of Fire held at
Sacramento Raceway in Sacramento, CA.

Cory McClenathan is still reeling from his Top Fuel second-round loss
on a holeshot in Englishtown, N.J., last week, in the 11th round of 24
in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. In a very
competitive category in which rounds are often won or lost at the
starting line, McClenathan and the FRAM Tough Guard Top Fuel team are
focused on improving in that department as they head to Summit Racing
Equipment Motorsport Park for this weekend's NHRA Nationals in Norwalk,
Ohio.

"We do have a good race car, and (crew chiefs) Todd Okuhara and Phil
Shuler and the guys have done a great job with the FRAM Tough Guard Top
Fuel dragster. The weakest link has been me the last couple of weeks,"
said McClenathan, who was eliminated on a holeshot in each of the last
two events. "It's not like I'm going out there and throwing them away
on purpose. Obviously, we try 100 percent every time, but my lights
(reaction times) need to get better and that's all there is to it, if I
want to beat some of these kids out here."

With the summer just starting to show signs of heating up and the end
of the regular season of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing series
just seven races away, this weekend’s third annual Summit Racing
Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio could be the turnaround point
for many drivers struggling to gain ground before the Countdown to 1
playoffs.

A driver you wouldn’t expect to be looking for
redemption in Norwalk is Pro Stock driver and three-time world
champion, Greg Anderson. Though Anderson currently sits third in the
point standings, a comfortable 365 points ahead of the 10th-place
cutoff spot for the Countdown playoffs, Anderson has yet to pick up a
win in 2009. Entering his primary sponsor’s event and also a spot where
he is the defending event winner, Anderson hopes to turn that around
this weekend.

It’s only been four races since Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher last
visited victory lane, but as far as the six-time world champion is concerned that’s four races too long.

Since capturing his third win of the season in Bristol, Tenn. last
month, the Chicago-area resident has posted a quarterfinal round loss,
a rare first round loss and a semifinal round loss.

“We’re overdue for another win, that’s for sure,” said Schumacher as he
prepared for this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Summit
Motorsports Park. “We’ve actually been running pretty well the last few
races, so I’m optimistic we’re going to get another trophy real soon.”

Ron Capps is ready to race following 10 days of revamping and regrouping before this weekend's NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment
Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. His NAPA Auto Parts team returns
with a new chassis and a renewed determination to return to the
winner's circle.

Capps, four-time titlist this season and points leader since the first
event, slipped to third in the standings following his first-round exit
in the last race in Englishtown, N.J., and is just 26 markers behind
leader Tony Pedregon, and six points back of second-place Ashley Force
Hood.

“Hot Rod” Fuller will compete in the upcoming Summit Racing Equipment
NHRA Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio with support from Michigan Cat
and their Think Big educational partner, Owens Community College. This
will be Fuller’s second race of the 2009 season, coming just three
weeks after his driving debut for Patten Cat and Illinois Central
College at the Joliet, Ill race. Michigan Cat, with seven locations
across Michigan, will be entertaining customers and promoting their
Cat® Certified Used Equipment with zero percent financing options
through the popular website michigancatused.com.

Brian Schulz, Vice President of Product Support at Michigan Cat, is excited about the upcoming race.

“We will be in Norwalk to support Hot Rod, because our customers want
to see him on the track and in a winning car. We saw how well he ran
with the Vandergriff Motorsports team in Joliet and had a tremendous
amount of positive feedback from customers for us to participate in
Norwalk,” Schulz said.

The readers have spoken again. A partial return to the 1320 is better than a full season of 1,000 foot racing.

CompetitionPlus.com wrote an article last week suggesting the NHRA was
considering running a mixed schedule of quarter-mile and 1000-foot
racing. The NHRA has denied an official plan to return to quarter-mile
racing, but didn't rule out the possibility.

Sponsor hometown, Maintaining Point Lead and Oh Yeah, Ice Cream …

Antron
Brown has his priorities in order headed into this weekend’s Summit
Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio where he will endeavor
to reach his sixth final round and notch his third win, of the season.

The racing aside, Brown has a far simple reason for being excited about being in Norwalk.

“I'm ready for my pound of ice cream for a dollar,” Brown explained,
speaking of the track’s unique promotion. “I know my kids are ready for
that too.”

Due to a special arrangement with a local ice cream producer, the track
sells ice cream by the pound for a dollar. Sales of the summer treat
aren't measured in dollars, but in pounds and if the past is a fair
barometer, sales should easily exceed one ton.

Robert Hight has experienced a lot of success at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park spanning from two No. 1 qualifying efforts in the past two years to a final round at last year's event.

So far success has eluded one of the pre-season championship favorites
in 2009. Entering the 3rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
Hight will be in the middle of his longest winless drought of his
career – last win 2008 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals - as well as his
longest drought for No. 1 qualifiers as the streak hits ten entering
Norwalk. His Auto Club Mustang team sits in 12th place in Full Throttle
points, 80 points behind rookie Matt Hagan who holds down the coveted
No. 10 spot.