Team Running 24 Events Without A Primary Corporate Sponsor …

Millican (right) with team owner Mark Pickens plan to challenge for
the 2009 NHRA Top Fuel crown. With the lack of full time Top Fuel
teams, their 24-race schedule provides an excellent opportunity. 

Clay Millican realizes his situation is completely outside the norm.

The six-time IHRA Top Fuel world champion turned NHRA runner plans a
24-race schedule minus major corporate sponsorship save for the
branding from team owner Mark Pickens' Motorvation electronic fuel
injection company and a score of associate sponsors.

Call him the little engine who could. Call him whatever you want,
Millican adds. He just wants you to call him a championship contender.

"We are going to go after that NHRA championship, I know we have the
team and we have the people in place to do it," Millican said. "We're
working hard to fill in the blanks for sponsorships; Mark says we're
going forward. Our cars are ready right now and we have two brand new
cars sitting in the shop ready to go. We have a well rested team and
it's kind of been a nice, slow off-season for us."

NHRA Rookie of the Year Joe Baker will return to competition in 2009 as
the driver for Mike Ashley's soon to be announced Pro Modified team.

According to team owner Ashley, the team has procured major sponsorship to be announced in January.

"I think there's no question with Joe's driving and Chuck's tuning
abilities that they will be competitive," said Ashley, a two-time NHRA
Pro Modified champion. "I've already got a sponsor as well, but I can't
say right now but you'll see a press release in January."

Former Pro Stock driver and team owner Billy “The Kid” Stepp, died of
natural causes on November 27, according the Dayton Daily News. He was
73 years old.

Stepp had a long line of strong running Pro Stock Mopars in the 1970s
and experienced one of his finest moments as a team owner when his
driver Stuart McDade reached the final round of the 1971 NHRA U.S.
Nationals in Indianapolis. They lost to Ronnie Sox by a mere .002.

In the week leading up to the second annual CompetitionPlus.com War
Stories we will re-publish some of the finest moments from last year's
contest. You'll hear some of the finest stories laid down in
competition. The program works like this: 16 figures within the drag
racing community are voted on by the readers of CompetitionPlus.com to
determine who they feel could tell the best story. From that voting, an
NHRA professional elimination ladder pairs the contestants and they
battle it out until one is left.

Today's story comes from Scotty Cannon, the iconic Pro Modified
driver and winner of the inaugural War Stories Showdown. This story
advanced the champion to the final round.

Team owner David Powers notified his team on Saturday that he plans
to park his Top Fuel team for 2009. The impetus behind this decision
was the notification from major sponsor Caterpilar they would not
return next season.

“This is a kick in the gut,” admitted Fuller, who was notified by Powers personally. “I really don’t know that I have the words to express how I am feeling right now. I thought I was pretty safe in having another year with Caterpillar and I thought things were going well. I had just went out and bought a new house."

Fuller finished sixth in the NHRA Top Fuel championship points in 2008 after placing second the season before.

In the week leading up to the second annual CompetitionPlus.com War
Stories we will re-publish some of the finest moments from last year's
contest. You'll hear some of the finest stories laid down in
competition. The program works like this: 16 figures within the drag
racing community are voted on by the readers of CompetitionPlus.com to
determine who they feel could tell the best story. From that voting, an
NHRA professional elimination ladder pairs the contestants and they
battle it out until one is left.

Today's story comes from Roy Hill, legendary mountain motor Pro
Stock racer. Hill used this story to defeat Bob Glidden to move into
the final round where he lost to Scotty Cannon.

A New PRI Experience Greets “The Peoples Champion”

Tim Wilkerson learned the difference between being an also-ran and a
championship contender makes for a better experience at the annual
Performance Racing Industry in Orlando, Fla.

Wilkerson, the giant-killer Funny Car driver who finished second in the
2008 NHRA Funny Car chase, no longer has to introduce himself to the
manufacturers.

“They already know who I am,” Wilkerson smiled, as he stood outside of the JE Pistons booth where his Funny Car was displayed.

Series now called the National Guard American Drag Racing League

ADRL
President Kenny Nowling (left) was joined by SFC John Metzler in
announcing the National Guard as title sponsor for the O'Fallon,
MO-based drag racing series.

The American Drag Racing
League (ADRL) announced today that the National Guard will be the
all-eighth-mile drag racing organization's title sponsor beginning in
2009. The O’Fallon, Missouri-based series will now be called the
National Guard American Drag Racing League.

In 2008, the National Guard served as presenting sponsor for the drag
racing organization. The opportunity to increase their involvement with
the ADRL was the next logical step in a successful relationship.

Official exhaust product also title sponsor for Dragstock VI

Since October 2004, as title sponsor of Dragstock I—the very first race
ever staged by the American Drag Racing League (ADRL)—Flowmaster
Mufflers has been part of the ADRL mix, raising its profile to series
title sponsor the next year and continuing through 2008.

Flowmaster will continue as the official exhaust product of the ADRL,
title sponsor for the Flowmaster Super 44 Extreme 10.5 class and title
sponsor for Dragstock VI, scheduled for September 11-12, 2009 at
Rockingham (NC) Dragway.

Morgan
Lucas Racing and GEICO, Inc., announced today the joint multi-year
sponsorship of the Forrest Lucas-owned NHRA Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster
for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season. 25-year old Morgan
Lucas will drive the GEICO/Lucas Oil Dragster with Jimmy Walsh heading
up the drag racing team as crew chief.

"We are very excited to have a sponsorship deal in place with Morgan
Lucas Racing," said Eric Vaden, GEICO's media buyer in charge of
Motorcycle and Powersports products. "We firmly believe this team will
post some wins next year and Morgan will be a great spokesperson for
our company and our line of Powersports insurance products.