Mike Kloeber’s dismissal from Bob Tasca’s Funny Car team left him on the sidelines for much of the
2008 season. A call following the NHRA Fallnationals in Dallas, Texas,
put Kloeber back in the ranks of the gainfully employed.

Kloeber’s resume isn’t exactly chopped liver considering that he tuned
Clay Millican to six IHRA Top Fuel world championships and among other
accolades as the first-ever 300-mph Funny Car run while working with
Jim Epler.

“I had been calling all the big teams to try and find myself a home
with a good team with a lot of funding and good parts,” Kloeber said.
“Kenny’s been one of the guys that I have been talking to off and on
all year long. Kenny’s been trying to stick with the guys he’s started
with and that kind of stuff. Kenny was trying to do what he thought was
best for his team so even though we talked a lot he didn’t elect to
hire me and finally after Dallas he gave me a call. I got on a plane
and came straight to Memphis.”

If hindsight measures 20/20 then Mike Edwards’ foresight measures a little better.

Edwards and team owner Roger Stull made the gamble to invest in an
in-house engine program following the 2007 NHRA U.S. Nationals in
Indianapolis. The result has been two national event wins in 2008.

Prior to this season Edwards hadn’t won a race since 2006.

“I can’t express how good this has been,” Edwards said clutching his
15th career Pro Stock trophy in Memphis. “It’s phenomenal. I mean our program last
year, I think we had six or seven DNQs. We have none so far this year
and we’ve won two races so we’re in the Countdown. That just doesn’t
happen in Pro Stock. You just don’t turn your season around from one
year to another, I got the same guys I always have so it’s not like our
guys or anything. It’s just our engine program just stepped us up to
the next level and they got us better and better.”

Kenny Bernstein confirmed with CompetitionPlus.com that nothing is
final either way regarding his Monster Energy drink sponsorship for
2009. The six-time NHRA world champion said he’s waiting for an answer
before he can make a decision regarding next year.

He’s talked about a two-car Top Fuel team as well but until the answer comes through, he’s not elaborating.

If Bernstein does continue with the Monster Energy drink sponsorship,
changes in the grandfathered marketing rules will allow him some
latitude in how to present the sponsorship.

Tony Schumacher is sure that Alan Johnson has a long list of drivers seeking to join his forthcoming Al-Anabi
Top Fuel team. The five time champion says the line will be just as
long with those seeking the role as tuner for the U.S. Army team.

Who wouldn’t want the gig considering Schumacher drove his way to his
54th national event victory and eighth in the last ninth races?

“We’re not going to slum, we are going to have the cream of the crop,”
Schumacher said. “We already have some great people within our team.”

Tim Wilkerson appeared to be the angriest winner in Memphis.

There was barely a smile on the face of the six-time 2008 winner as he entered the post-race press conference.

The devil is in the details.

Wilkerson was docked 15 points for putting oil on the racing surface
after stopping Ashley Force in the final round. Such a penalty left him
with less points than the driver he beat in the final round.

Nevermind the fact he almost single-handedly dismantled the entire John Force Racing juggernaut on race day.

This weekend was a good one to be a Don Schumacher Motorcycle rider. Craig Treble knows that what he lacks, teammate Chip Ellis makes up for and vice versa.

In the final round at Memphis, Treble lacked for nothing as he scored
his first win of the season and 26th overall by defeating Eddie
Krawiec, whose Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson broke in the final
round.

“It’s a privilege to be a part of this team,” Treble said in a
post-press conference. “Chip Ellis is an awesome rider but struggled on
the tree today. He’s a great rider and pretty darned good racer.

Jack Beckman moved from third into second place following his quarterfinal finish.

“My hat is off to NHRA for making this Countdown exciting, but they're
killing us," Beckman said, with a laugh. "We were hoping it wasn't
going to be quite this exciting here. This championship is going to
come down to the final race in Pomona.

Even when he loses, Jeg Coughlin Jr. gains.

Sunday at Memphis Motorsports Park wasn't the best day in Coughlin's
career, but it might turn out to be one of the more pivotal in the 2008
title chase as the driver of the JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt managed to
increase his lead in the championship standings from 14 to 32 point
with his quarterfinal finish.

"It was an exciting round throughout the pro ranks, just watching who
was advancing and who was going home early," Coughlin said. "We've all
been pointing to the Countdown to 1 since the start of the year and now
it's here and every round seems so big. Huge swings can happen and you
know the rounds remaining are slipping away fast. It's intense."

Coughlin would square off with the event's top qualifier, Allen
Johnson, in the quarterfinals. Continuing the theme of the opening
session, Coughlin was fortunate enough to have run quicker than Johnson
in Round 1 and therefore carried lane choice into their Round 2 race.

John Force Racing had a near record day almost advancing four Mustangs
to the semi-finals at the NHRA Mid South Nationals in Memphis.

Ashley Force was the last line of defense against the Wilkerson juggernaut in Memphis.

Wilkerson had dispatched team leader John Force in the second round and
Robert Hight in the semis before the sophomore driver pulled up beside
him in the final. In their last head to head race Force ended
Wilkerson’s day in the first round at zMax Dragway in Charlotte at the
first Countdown to 1 race dropping the points leader from first to
fourth. In Memphis she made a strong run at Wilkerson but in the end it
was not her day.