This weekend, May 15-17, Doug Kalitta, driver of the No. 50 Kalitta
Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, returns to the home of three of his
31 career Top Fuel victories in the NHRA’s quickest and fastest racing
class when he and his Kalitta Motorsports team “go the grand” at the
annual running of the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway
in Bristol, Tenn.

Kalitta’s three title trophies from Bristol (2006, 2005, 2001) make him
the winningest NHRA Top Fuel drag racer on the scenic 1,000-ft. course
in East Tennessee.

“It’s been a few years so I think we’re due for another (win),”
Kalitta, a 44-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. “Seriously,
Bristol is one of our favorite places to race. The track and the
facility are top-notch and the scenery is amazing. A win this weekend
would be a big boost for our team. Hopefully it’s our turn and we can
pick up our fourth Bristol trophy.”

Jeff Arend, driver of the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car, has a very
special remembrance riding along with him and his 300-mph race car at
the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn.

CompetitionPlus.com has learned that Allen Johnson will use the front end of a spare John Nobile Dodge Stratus Pro Stocker for this weekend's NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. Johnson's Mopar is currently at R.J. Race Cars in Galesburg, Ill., undergoing repairs sustained during a recent test session in Radford, Va. The veteran Pro Stock driver was uninjured when the parachutes failed to deploy and he hit a berm at the finish line tearing the front end from the car. 

Advertisement

When George Bryce lost his rider at the last moment, it seemed natural
that he would reach out to his comfort zone to find a
replacement.

Bryce, the motorcycle drag racing icon and former world championship
team owner, finds comfort in his association with Angelle Sampey.

The former world championship combo will be reunited next weekend at
the ADRL Memphis Drags in Memphis, Tenn., as Bryce will field a
nitrous-injected Pro Extreme Buell with Sampey rocketing down the
eighth-mile.

Matt Smith was originally scheduled to ride but previous commitments in
Qatar and with his currently employer Don Schumacher Racing forced him
to withdraw. He notified Bryce last Thursday of his change in plans.

“I sat around for a while and I just figured I would call Angelle,” Bryce said.

Bobby Lagana Sr. and Bobby Lagana Jr. are as proud as a father and son can be. The source of their pride is Dominick Lagana.

This weekend in Bristol, Dominick will continue the family tradition of
racing nitro at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.

Dominick, known by friends and family as Dom, has worked towards this
goal since he was barely old enough to hold a wrench. Last year the
youngest of the Lagana men earned an NHRA Top Fuel license with a
quarter-mile 4.74 elapsed time at 285 miles per hour.

Dom has been a driving force behind his brother Bobby Jr. at two events
this season. Together they have recorded a semi-final and quarter-final
finish.

Hondas and Suzukis are living in perfect harmony. At least on Craig Treble’s ageless Pro Stock Motorcycle they are.

Treble, of Harvey, La., rode his Kingston Honda-sponsored Suzuki to the
provisional No. 1 qualifying position at the NHRA SuperNationals in
Englishtown, N.J. His run of 7.008 seconds at 198.43 miles per hour
topped all sixteen bikes in attendance.

“The conditions got a lot better for us out there in the second
session,” Treble said. “We were a little soft on the clutch and
over-jetted for the first session. We saw that on the computer, leaned
it out [the engine] and tightened up the clutch, the track and the air
came to us.”

Following a review of recent performances in the Pro Stock Motorcycle
category, NHRA has announced that the minimum weight for the
Harley-Davidson 160-cid four-valve combinations will increase 20
pounds, from 620 to 640. The increase is part of NHRA’s ongoing efforts
at maintaining competition and parity within the category.

The Northeast Outlaw Pro Mods second event of 2009 will be held at
Maryland International Raceway (MIR) this Saturday. This event will
consist of two classes, Blower/Turbos and Nitrous/Aspirated. Gates open
at 10 AM and eliminations start at 7 PM. These Pro Mods cover the
quarter- mile in the high five-second range at speeds approaching 240
mph.

VP Racing Fuels has introduced a new traction compound system for drag
racing, which, based on recent race results, promises to set a whole
new standard for track prep. To Lane Choice 6TM, its top performing
traction compound, VP has added “LC6-Cold” and “Starting Line ResinTM,”
constituting a system for total track or touch-up applications in all
temperatures.
 
“While other traction compound manufacturers are standing pat, VP has
applied new technology to a system providing the safest, best
performing drag racing traction compound for any conditions a track can
experience,” said Steve Burns, VP’s Director of Research &
Development. “Bottom line—it performs better, it’s easier to apply and
costs less.”
 
“The worst scenario for a track is to prep for cold weather conditions
and it turns hot, or vice versa,” Burns explained. “With VP’s new
system, either situation can be easily fixed. In effect, there’s no
longer any excuse for not having a good race track—whether it’s hot or
cold, the track can always be good.”

BracketNews.com will present the richest race in the history of Gulf
Coast bracket racing next weekend, as the Huntsville Engine Great
American Race rolls into No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, LA. The
event, which features a $50,000 grand prize for Saturday’s winner will
be contested on the 1/8th mile at No Problem Raceway throughout the
holiday weekend.

Friday’s opening event will feature a $5,000 winners purse, with the
$50,000-to-win main event taking center stage on Saturday. The weekend
will close out with a $10,000-to-win event on Sunday. Weekend entry for
competitors is $700. The event will feature buybacks in the first or
second round of competition for the fee of $75 (Friday), $300
(Saturday), and $100 (Sunday). As a special bonus, Saturday’s main
event will feature a doubled $100,000-to-win purse if the event
attracts 250 entries! All purses are guaranteed, based on 110 entrants.