With “bipartisanship” one of the key watchwords for this political season, that same spirit of cooperation is being sought for

Every inch of the modern “door car” chassis and its related components
will be examined for improvements through a new, multi-discipline
Driver Safety Initiative headed up by Pro Stock crew chief Chris Bell.

the
recently formed Driver Safety Initiative, following the death of drag
racer Steve Engel after crashing his 1963 Corvette while competing in
an NHRA Pro Modified event at Clermont, Indiana.

Chris Bell, crew chief for Dean Goforth’s IHRA Pro Stock entry, has
been tabbed by DSI co-founder and professional chassis builder Tim
McAmis to head up the new program. Bell has been deeply involved in
professional drag racing for nearly 20 years with several major NHRA
and IHRA Pro Stock teams. As such he’s worked with several top-level
chassis men, including McAmis, Jerry Haas and Rick Jones.

Hot Rod Reunion Expected to Bring Another $4 million to Bakersfield

Times are tough and money is super tight, but rodding and racing fans are still traveling to events, which is good news
for
Bakersfield and Kern County. The 17th annual California National Hot
Rod Reunion, presented by Automobile Club of Southern California, is
coming to town, Oct. 10-12, at Auto Club Famoso (just outside
Bakersfield), and with it, another $4 million is expected to be infused
into the community.

Infineon Raceway beat out 13 teams from across the western United
States, Sept. 26-28, to win the NHRA Summit Racing Series Pacific
Division title at Top Gun Raceway in Fallon, Nev. This marks Infineon
Raceway’s second Summit Racing Series championship in three years.
 
Led by team manager Georgia Seipel, the Infineon Raceway team earned 69
points and was followed by Sacramento Raceway (57) and Auto Club
Dragway @ Auto Club Speedway (49). Classes in contention were Super
Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle.

Pair of IHRA Pro Modified front-runners plan to attend marquee event

Two
of the IHRA’s leading supercharged Pro Modified racers plan to enter
the outlaw confines of the Al Anabi Shakedown at E’town presented by
Speedtech Nitrous.

The traditional rulebook is out the window but that has no effect on
Mike Janis and Tommy D’Aprile. Neither driver plans to change their
approach. When they cover the Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
quarter-mile this weekend, they will be running the same combination
that will be in their cars two weeks from now when the IHRA season
concludes in Rockingham, N.C.

This classic video footage comes from the 1973 P.R.O. event in Tulsa
when John Wiebe and Jeb Allen became entangled in a nasty crash during
eliminations. Allen suffered substantial burns on both hands and Wiebe
suffered a broken leg and ankle. A tire issue apparently led to Wiebe's
car darting into Allen's lane where they made the initial contact.

FIVE-SECOND BARRIER COULD LIKELY FALL AT AL ANABI SHAKEDOWN AT ETOWN PRESENTED BY SPEEDTECH NITROUS

Hometown racer Mike Castellana leads charge for historic run …

Mike Castellana has been paying particularly close attention to the weatherman for the past few days. The source of his interest is to see if the weather will be conducive to making his race car run quicker and faster than usual this weekend.

If the opportunity presents itself, you can rest assured Castellana will take advantage of it.

Johnny Gray, team owner and driver of the S.K.I. Racing Dodge Stratus
has announced that he and Allen Johnson of Johnson & Johnson Racing
have formed a two car team alliance for the 2009 and 2010 NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing seasons.  This new coalition will create the
ability for the two teams to work together as one, while racing under
separate banners.  Gray will continue to run the S.K.I. Racing Dodge
Stratus and Johnson will carry on with the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge
Stratus.

“This is exciting for us,” expressed Gray.  “Aligning with Allen is a
tremendous opportunity.  Allen and his dad, Roy, have the talent and
experience that will bring my team to the top.  They are a first-class
operation and I am proud to be associated with them.  In today’s
environment, as tough as the Pro Stock field has become, I feel the
opportunity for Allen and I to team up will help both teams by sharing
information and becoming more competitive.  We’re looking to try and
cash in on some of the same opportunities the two-car teams, like
Summit and Cagnazzi already experience.”

Funny Car driver Nancy Matter has been invited by
Chris Nite and Mad Matt to Co-Host live on Superchargers, Texas Best
Rock N Racing Show this Thursday, January 22, 2009 out of Arlington,
Texas from 7:00 to 9:00 pm central time.

In addition to fielding a competitive top alcohol funny car within the
NHRA, Matter is the owner and music engineer of Moonlight Mastering
formerly of Los Angeles now in Ft. Worth, Texas and works closely with
musicians and groups none the least of which include the late Ray
Charles, Peter Gabriel, DMC, and The Who.   Movie credits include The
Lion King, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Bend It Like Beckham, March of
the Penguins among others.

Tim McAmis Race Cars, Inc. announced today the hiring of Jason Sharp as
Director of Worldwide Marketing and Business Development. Sharp arrives
at TMRC as the former VP of Sales/Marketing at Speedtech Nitrous, LLC
and brings with him a deep understanding and appreciation of the
motorsports industry which will prove invaluable to the continued
growth of the Hawk Point, Missouri-based chassis fabrication facility
and performance parts manufacturer.
 
In the newly created position Sharp will direct the strategic marketing
vision of Tim McAmis Race Cars, developing marketing initiatives and
brand building efforts across the company’s various divisions and
product lines.

VIP Event at zMAX Dragway Will Showcase Program

B.R.A.K.E.S., the charity organization founded by NHRA drag racer Doug
Herbert in memory of his two sons, will hold its first Teen Pro-Active
Driving School on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008, at zMAX Dragway.  The VIP,
invite-only event is intended to showcase the program to members of the
media and influential Charlotte-area residents.

The school’s first public session will be held on Nov. 8, 2008, at zMAX
Dragway.  In 2009 the school will be taken nationwide and sessions will
be hosted at tracks across the United States.  Each four-hour session
is designed for 50 teenagers and their parent/guardian to attend
together.

“When we first formed B.R.A.K.E.S. after the accident in January, we
wanted to help teach teenagers how to be safer on the roads,” said
Herbert.  “We’ve gotten a lot of exposure for the charity and we’ve
raised a lot of money, but now we’re ready to give something back.  I
couldn’t be more excited about Saturday.  I think the teens that go
through the school will definitely be safer drivers because of it, and
I really believe that this program has the potential to help save some
teenager’s lives.”