Supercharged racer David Allen was the quickest of the sportsman
qualifiers on Thursday during the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals at
Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla.

Allen, competing in the
BB/AM division, thundered the quarter-mile to a 6.857 elapsed time,
-.653 under the index, to beat out Glen Treadwell's D/Econo Dragster.
Treadwell was -.616 with an 8.014. There are 33 entries in competition
this weekend with two more sessions left.

Kenny Lang, the reigning IHRA Pro Mod Champion, has made a jump 'to the
other side' and will try his hand in NHRA competition this weekend as
the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presents its first race at
the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. Lang will be
sponsored in his efforts by Roger Burgess and ProCare Rx.
 
"Roger and I started talking last weekend in Baton Rouge at the IHRA
event, and if it wasn't for him we wouldn't be here. I hope we can work
something out for the long-term, because I'd definitely love to run
NHRA the whole season," Lang said.
 
Lang and Burgess have more than a love of NHRA drag racing in common:
the two are powered and tuned by the Canadian powerhouse Al Billes.
Lang said that Billes was his biggest asset in winning the championship
last season and had hoped he would be able to race more NHRA events
this year with Billes’ help. Off-season changes, however, seemed to
make that unlikely.
 

Father-Son Team Rumble Sends Early Pro Nitrous Message … 
 
The competition should have known to watch out for this potent combination. 
 
When the track gets marginal that’s when the Pilchers, Johnny and his
father Billy, are at their best. The Pro Nitrous contingent found that
out the hard way during the final qualifying session of the ADRL
Dragpalooza V in Houston, Tex., as Johnny blasted past the competition
to claim the first No. 1 qualifying effort of 2009. 
 
Everyone else might have been surprised, but for the Pilchers the
performance came as no shock. 

Pete Berner has been a fan-favorite for many years, but his most
adoring fan comes from a rather unlikely place – his competition! Five
year old Emily, or Emmy as she likes to be called, is the granddaughter
of fellow Pro Stocker racer Dean Goforth, and she’s also become
Berner’s #1 fan. Dean Goforth, along with son Cary (Emmy’s uncle),
pilot the Dean’s Casing Service Mountain Motor Pro Stockers. They, like
many of the IHRA racers, are a family-oriented team with huge family
involvement and support. Granddaughter Emmy attended last weekend’s
Mardi Gras Nationals where she cheered Berner on every round, decked in
one of Berner’s shirts, and waiting with excitement to give him a
thumbs up. Although she was a little shy at first she quickly got
comfortable enough around Berner to throw in a hug with her thumbs up
and pose for pictures with her grandpa Dean and Berner.

Pro Mod driver Joe Baker left his mark on the Gatornationals last year,
walking in as a first-timer in Pro Mod Challenge competition and taking
the win.  The Lend America/Matco Tools-sponsored driver is anxious to
repeat his accomplishment this weekend in front of his family and
friends as the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by
ProCare Rx opens the season at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at
Gainesville Raceway.

The pre-season in Pro Modified once-again lived up to the legacy of
last-minute hustles to maintain the fan-favorite exhibition series at
NHRA events, but this season's heroes, Roger Burgess and Get Screened
America, bring a fresh vision and excitement as well as a long-term
promise of stability that has the best door-slammers around jockeying
for a spot to race.
 
This weekend's season-opening event of the Get Screened America Pro Mod
Challenge presented by ProCare Rx at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in
Gainesville, Fla. will feature 21 of the very best Pro Mod racers in
the world: past champions, up-and-comers, and those anxious to win the
first Get Screened America "Warrior" trophy.
 
Leading the list of contenders is defending event champion Joe Baker
and runner-up Raymond Commisso, reigning IHRA champion Kenny Lang, and
former Pro Mod Challenge world champions Jay Payne (2006) and Shannon
Jenkins (2002).

Local favorite "Big Daddy" Don Garlits will be honored by NHRA during Sunday eliminations at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals, a race he won four times, acknowledging his 60 years of drag racing competition.

NHRA has made available a number of Race Fan Relief offers for this
weekend’s ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals, including a limited number
adult-general admission tickets for only $20, free general admission
for children 12 and younger, and free reserved-seat tickets Friday,
March 13, for active-duty military.

We interrupt this 500-inch Pro Stock driving career to bring you mountain motor racing.
 

That’s the proclamation that Matt Hartford heard late in the 2008
season. He’s heeded the call to drive the Dingman Motorsports, Wilson
Manifold mountain motor Pro Stocker.
 
Give Hartford 320 extra cubic inches and he’s a happy camper.
 
“Oh yeah, believe me this is fun,” Hartford said. “Eighth mile drag
racing is a driver’s game. Last night during qualifying I saw Robert
Patrick put a .001 on me on the tree.”