Clay Millican and Mark Pickens are proud of their new Top
Fuel shop in Munford,
Tenn., so they are inviting
everyone to take a tour of the shop during an open house on Thursday, September
25, from 2 to 6 p.m.  The shop
address is 214 Quinton drive, Munford. 

The crew completed work
on the shop during the team's five-month racing hiatus.

Bryan Pierce and the staff at Virginia Motorsports Park are
conducting an event prior to the NHRA Virginia Nationals for
doorslammers and seek Pro Modified teams wishing to get some test time
in. This Saturday, September 27th, is the date for the event.

Contact Pierce at 804-862-3174 for more information.

To some, Justin Humphreys may seem like an accidental giant killer.

In Charlotte two weeks ago, Humphreys earned his first NHRA
POWERade Series win in just his second year of driving in the Pro Stock
category. And he outlasted none other than Jim Yates, Jeg Coughlin and
Kurt Johnson to do it after facing rookie Rob Mansfield in round one.

The final round itself was unexpectedly anticlimactic. Johnson’s
ACDelco Chevy Cobalt broke on the starting line, giving an automatic
win light to Humphreys. It obviously wasn’t the way he wanted to win,
he said. But he did go three rounds to do it – and after the Wally was
his, Humphreys’ focus naturally gravitated to the round before the
final, where he defeated the ‘natural,’ and current series points
leader, Jeg Coughlin, by .013.

Four of five professional world championships still up for grabs as IHRA heads to Rockingham for the World Finals   

Only Alcohol Funny Car driver Laurie Cannister can breathe easy. The
rest of IHRA’s professional drivers have a frantic weekend in front of
them when the 2008 season comes to an end at Rockingham Dragway Oct.
17-19.

Cannister wrapped up her second career world championship, her first in
an Alcohol Funny Car, when she chalked up a round win at the Amalie Oil
North American Nationals at Epping Sept. 6. So the World Finals at
Rockingham Dragway will be a victory lap of sorts for the Johnstown,
Ohio, resident. For drivers in the four other professional classes,
however, it will not be quite as laid back and relaxing.

Here is a look at the points chases and championship scenarios in the
Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Car, Pro Modified, and Pro Stock classes. The
following scenarios assume none of the drivers are assessed a Black
Flag penalty, thus being docked 15 points.

Dan Brickey, longtime NHRA director of emergency medical services, passed away this morning after a lengthy illness. He was 58.

During Brickey's 17-year tenure with NHRA he was charged with ensuring
the safety of competitors and fans who attended NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series events. While working closely with the NHRA Safety Safari
on driver rescue, Brickey coordinated all aspects of facility safety,
as well as all ambulance, fire and other outside emergency services
agencies for each event.

Pete Berner could be in for a very large payday. In fact, if things
fall the right way the Crete, Ill. resident could earn more money over
the course of one weekend than any other driver in Pro Stock history,
regardless of sanction.

Berner
currently sits first in the 2008 IHRA Pro Stock points standings. He
has advanced to the final round of the Torco Pro Stock Showdown, where
he will square off with John Montecalvo in Rockingham at the World
Finals. He also is on a hot streak, having visited the winner’s circle
at the last two IHRA national events.

If Berner were to run the table, sweep everything from the Showdown to
the event to clinching the world championship, he would collect the
first-ever six-figure payday in the history of Pro Stock racing.

NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster driver Jim Whiteley and his YNot Racing Team scored a crucial win to regain the national points lead
at this past weekend’s O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals at
the Texas Motorplex just south of Dallas.  The win gives Whiteley a 15
point lead over two-time defending World Champ Bill Reichert.
 
Whiteley, from Grand Junction, Colo., qualified his Norm Grimes tuned
blown alcohol dragster on the pole with a 5.278 second elapsed time at
271.08 mph.  In round one he defeated David Brounkowski with a
career-best 5.275 at 270.16 mph, then defeated Courtney Force, daughter
of racing legend John Force, in round two with a 5.326 at 270.10 mph. 
Whiteley continued his march to the winner’s circle with a 5.315 at
268.76 mph to take out Brandon Pierce in the semifinals.

Doug McRobie, 49, from Mount Eaton, Ohio, was involved in a high-speed
racing accident Sunday during the Jegs NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals at
National Trail Raceway when his Super Gas roadster went out of control
just past the finish line and impacted the guardwall.

McRobie was extracted from his roadster by emergency services personnel
and was transported to Licking Memorial Hospital, where he was later
pronounced dead.

Pro Stock racer Greg Stanfield didn’t believe he could feel any lower than he did when he and the team
packed up prior to the final qualifying session in Indianapolis and sat
out the session. Their lack of horsepower was evident.

That was until this weekend at the NHRA Fallnationals in Dallas, Tex.

Before the first tire turned under power, Stanfield and the Attitude
Apparel team learned that team owner Greg Hill’s granddaughter, Erika
Bauermeister, had been killed in a traffic accident.

Stanfield learned that it’s darkest before the dawn.

If the Funny Car contingent is looking for someone to blame for the resurgence of Tim Wilkerson after the early loss in Charlotte, blame his wife.

She’s the one who got the 11-time winner all riled up headed into Dallas.

“I went home and I was a grouchy S.O.B.,” Wilkerson admitted with a
smile. “You can ask my wife. She said ‘I hope we get to Dallas and do
some good, I’m about to throw you out of the house.’ She’s going to be
happy because now I’ll be smiling again.”

Wilkerson took the first round loss in Charlotte to Ashley Force
extremely personal because in addition to being driver, he’s the crew
chief.