Funny Car points leader Tim Wilkerson
took part in a national NHRA teleconference to assess his thoughts
and plans for the final two
events remaining in the six-race NHRA
Playoff, the Countdown to 1: the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals next
weekend and the Auto Club Finals November 13-16 at Auto Club Raceway at
Pomona. The following is a transcript from that press conference.

Q: Tim, you've been one of the great stories this year in
NHRA if not in all of sports. You've won more races this season, six –
including two of the four playoff races – than you'd won in your first
12 years of racing. Of course, you're in the points lead now for the
first time in your career as well. Are the last two races business as
usual for you, or are you doing a little scoreboard watching, watching
what the drivers behind you are doing?

Wilkerson: I'm trying not to watch what they're
doing. Let's put it that way. I think it's hard not to. You try to just
do your own deal and whatever happens happens. That's what we've done
all year. I heard Jeg talk about being on offense. I remember talking
with (NAPA crew chief Ed) Ace (McCulloch) and (NAPA driver Ron) Capps
in the past, when they were doing so well. It come down to the last few
races, they ended up getting beat by a little bit. I believe that's
exactly what happened to them. They started playing defense. Let's just
run good enough, let's get in the show.

Organization Offers Promotions for B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School

B.R.A.K.E.S., the charity organization founded by NHRA drag racer Doug
Herbert to encourage safe driving, is supporting National Teen Driver
Safety Week by offering special promotions for its upcoming
B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School.

National Teen Driver Safety Week, held October 19-25, was established
by Congress in 2007 to focus attention on the number of teen car
crashes that occur each year in the United States.  In honor of this
nationally-recognized week, the B.R.A.K.E.S. foundation announces that
it is lowering the cost of its Teen Pro-Active Driving School.

“The fact that Congress addressed this problem last year by taking
action and creating a National Teen Driver Safety Week says a lot about
the awareness being brought to unsafe driving,” said Doug Herbert,
whose two young sons died in a car accident in January 2008.  “More and
more teens each year are involved in accidents on our roads.  People
are taking notice and want to do something about it.  If we all work
together it is a problem that we can change.”

Four finalists named for JEGS ProMod Rookie of the Year

First-year racers Joe Baker, Roger Burgess, Taylor Lastor, and Brad
Personett have been selected as finalists for the 2008 JEGS ProMod
Challenge Rookie of the Year award. The winner will be announced
Sunday, Nov. 2, at the year-ending "Crowning of the King" ceremony at
Christian Audigier The Nightclub at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino on
the Las Vegas strip.

"All four of these finalists should be extremely proud of their
accomplishments this year," said series director Troy Coughlin. "I
congratulate them on being nominated for this award and I can say we
look forward to honoring the winner in Vegas. I'm also excited about
having all four of these great racers competing with us on the JEGS
ProMod Challenge for many years to come."

A last-minute replacement at the first race of the season in
Gainesville, Fla., Baker stunned the Pro Mod world by driving his '41
Willys from the No. 16 qualifying position to the winner's circle in
his first start in the JEGS ProMod Challenge.

Lang Provides First for Canadian Drag Racing Scene

Many
have tried before him, but it will be the name Kenny Lang that the
annals of drag racing history will show as being the very first
Canadian World Champion in Pro Modified class racing.

Last Sunday, Lang, from Grand Pointe Manitoba,clinched the 2008 IHRA
Pro Modified title during the season ending World Finals held at
Rockingham NC.   Driving his Al Billes tuned, NitroMoose.ca
supercharged ’53 Corvette,  Lang’s hard fought season quest became a
reality during the first round of competition.

Funny Car is a reality based on departing tuner’s gameplan …

Tony Schumacher let a wildcat out of the bag during Tuesday’s NHRA
teleconference. He’s looking seriously at driving a nitro Funny Car for
2009 and right now the chances of that happening stand at 25% but he
told CompetitionPlus.com that number can grow larger each day.

The deciding factor will be Alan Johnson, Schumacher confirmed.

If AJ drives Top Fuel as rumored, Schumacher isn’t going anywhere.

If he doesn’t, then the five-time champion will likely start a new chapter in his drag racing career.

European Top Fuel champion Urs Erbacher is extremely anxious to return to the United States and compete in the final two races
of the 2008 POWERade Series. But before the four-time FIA champ left
his native Switzerland, he helped raise another $8,500 for children
with heart issues through his annual Days of Steel motorycle ride.

Erbacher's world renowned motorcycle shop, Fat Attack Custom Bikes in
Arlesheim, Switzerland, helped start Days of Steel five years ago as a
fun way to raise money for Kinderherzen, a foundation that pays for
ailing children from third world countries to be flown to University
Clinic-Freiburg in Germany, for life-saving heart operations.

Red River Raceway, located outside of Shreveport, La., is closed for
the season and for sale, this according to a message on their answering
machine.

Once the wave of the future for IHRA tracks in 1998, the facility was
plagued by rain throughout its existence with the sanctioning body. The
first event hosted by the track featured multiple record-setting runs
but was completed over a rain-marred two week. Rain would eventually
force race promoters to seek an earlier date in the year.

For the past 12 months, the stars of the Flowmaster American Drag Racing League (ADRL) presented by the National Guard

ADRL Pro Extreme points leader Joshua Hernandez enjoyed a
record-setting three wins in a row with his supercharged ’57 Chevy to
open the 2008 ADRL season. He will face off against fellow Texan Wes
Johnston in the opening round of the Battle for the Belts to determine
this year’s champion.

have been working toward this weekend at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, TX.

On Friday night (Oct. 24), the 4th annual LenMar Motorsports ADRL World
Finals will open with the ADRL’s unique Battle for the Belts, which
pits the top eight points earners in each of four professional classes
against each other in single-elimination playoffs to determine the
series 2008 world champions. Just like last year, Saturday’s action
will actually usher in the next season as points earned in qualifying
and elimination rounds will count toward the 2009 Battle for the Belts.

With the three-day Goodguys Southeastern Nationals at Lowe's Motor
Speedway opening at 8 a.m. Friday, rush hour commuters traveling on
Highway 29 or Bruton Smith Boulevard can expect increased traffic
congestion in the speedway area.

During your traffic reports, please advise rush hour commuters to plan
accordingly by leaving earlier for work or taking alternate routes.

More than 3,000 cars from 30 states and Canada will be arriving at the
speedway on Friday for the three-day event. Lowe's Motor Speedway
officials recommend show attendees utilize Highways 29 and 49 to
enter/exit the speedway area and to avoid Interstate 85 during morning
and afternoon rush hours.