Over 14 years ago, Jeff Arend, driver of the DHL Toyota Solara Funny
Car, began his dream of racing against the world’s best drag racers when he entered his first NHRA Funny Car event in Gainesville, Fla.

This weekend, May 29-31, Arend will compete in his 100th NHRA Funny Car
event as part of the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals at famed Heartland
Park Topeka in Topeka, Kan. Arend is reflective about the lessons he
has learned over the past 99 events, and he is excited and optimistic
about his straight-line career at this point and forward.

To compete in Top Dragster and Top Sportsman in 2009, big power, with
the diversity of running naturally aspirated and nitrous is not an option,
but a requirement. Finding a 1600-horse 632-inch power plant is common
in most fast cars today, but with high price of everything racing
related, and longevity on the forefront of every racers mind, Pat Musi
and Vic Edelbrock have put their best foot forward.

Building 1200 naturally aspirated horsepower and 1600 nitrous assisted
horsepower for under $27K is what the goal is. But proving it works is
another. That’s why when they approached Scott Hall about testing their
new engine he agreed to the challenge.

Pat Musi has brought together Edelbrock’s “Big Victor” cylinder head,
matching intake manifold, complete nitrous system, stainless steel
merge collector exhaust, and with the help of Jesel and Moroso, has
what will be the economical answer to big power with well developed
reliability.

Marking the half-way spot in the ten-race season, drivers in the Get
Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx will venture
into uncharted territory this weekend as they compete for the first
time ever on the venerable quarter-mile at Heartland Park Topeka in the
O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kansas.
 
Smack-dab in the middle of the country, the Topeka event will feature a
baker's-dozen of the best Pro Modified cars in the land, all vying for
the Get Screened America Warrior trophy and the $10,000 purse as well
as the extremely valuable championship points in a tightly-contested
race. Scheduled to compete this weekend are: Burton Auxier, Joe Baker,
Roger Burgess, Mike Castelana, Raymond Commisso, Chip King, Mike
Knowles, Taylor Lastor, Jay Payne, Brad Personett, Danny Rowe, Tim
Tindle, and rookie Kirk Wilmes.

Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School instructed a distinguished student during their recent classes at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

Tom Peters was the prominent student.

Peters is the General Motors Director of Design Global Rear Wheel Drive Performance and Corvette and was the lead design director for the 2010 Camaro. Both he and his daughter, Adrienne, rode to class in an example of the finished product -- a stunning red 2010 Camaro RS/SS model with 422 horsepower under the hood.

Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School has had a longtime relationship with GM Performance Parts and utilizes their ZZ 572/720R crate engine in each of the school’s Super Class cars.

Clay
Millican and the MPE Motorsports Top Fuel team believe the time is at
hand to make a move towards the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing
Series championship.

“We must concentrate on the Topeka race and have a good showing,”
Millican said.  “And then we’ll see if we can go some rounds.  I know
we are capable of it; we just haven’t done it.  Now it is time.”

The urgency is necessary because Millican is 11th in points, 108 behind
the 10th and final Countdown to the Championship position with 10 races
to go in the regular season.  “We are backed up against the wall,” he
said.  “It’s time to do something to prove to ourselves – and everybody
else – that we can win rounds and races.  I know we are capable, and so
does the team.

Doctors at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif., performed back
surgery May 26 on six-time NHRA world champion Kenny Bernstein to
relieve stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal. The Budweiser/Lucas
Oil team owner had been suffering from pain in his lower back and
numbness in his legs. After undergoing a battery of tests, doctors
determined that surgery was needed to correct the trauma and
inflammation that was causing the pain.
 
As part of the recuperative process, travel has been precluded for the
next few weeks. It is expected that in addition to the Topeka event, he
will miss the events in Chicago and Englishtown.

If the Pro Stock performance that was put on display by Mike Edwards and his workaholic ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP teammates at Bristol
Dragway two weeks ago is a preview of what’s to come for his fellow
competitors in the 200 mph category, those respective teams better get
to work.

And they better get to work fast.

At Bristol’s Thunder Valley Nationals, Edwards’ driving was near
perfect. His GXP’s setup was flawless. He left his competition in his
dust all weekend. He was the No. 1 qualifier. He won the race. And just
for good measure, he set the low elapsed time for the event in his
final-round victory over three-time series champ Greg Anderson.

When Mike Janis’ Aeroquip Team for the ADRL Quarter-Max Memphis Drags it was the first time in nearly ten years the team rolled away
from their Elma, NY shop without Mike Janis Jr. The team’s crew chief
remained at home to be with his wife, Melissa, as the two were near
their due date of their first child.

Modern technology enabled Janis to keep up to the minute via cell
phone, Internet, and emails. He was able to direct the team from his
Buffalo area home and then from the hospital room as his wife went into
labor.

It is an event years in the making, but in just a few short days
drivers from all over the world will roll their cars into the staging
lanes at the brand new Dallas Raceway for the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals May 29-31 in Crandall, Texas.

And so far the response has been outstanding.

From the track’s all-concrete design to its state-of-the-art
facilities, Dallas Raceway has been the talk of drag racing for some
time and the track and owner Kenny Barnes will finally get their moment
in the spotlight this weekend when Nitro Jam comes to town for the
third race of the 2009 IHRA season.

But for some drivers, the chance to try out drag racing’s shiny new toy
has already come to pass. One driver in particular, IHRA Top Fuel ace
Bobby Lagana, had nothing but praise for the newest facility on the
IHRA circuit after making the track’s first four-second pass in his 300
mile per hour dragster Saturday night.