Josh Hernandez, who just completed his second season in the AMS Leasing
Pro Mod Challenge, may eventually go on to bigger and better things.

He may win more races, earn championships and set records. But in all
likelihood, he will be remembered for his pass down the quartermile on
Oct. 22.

As a competitor, Matt Hines had very few peers.

The California native was the first NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider to
earn three consecutive class championships and his 30 national event
victories ranks 18th on the all-time win list.

His resume behind the scenes is just as impressive. Hines, who stepped
off the bike prior to the 2003 season, has played a major role in the
recent dominance of the Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod that his
younger brother, Andrew, has rode to the past three POWERade Series
titles. And Hines, who helps tune both his sibling's V-Rod and the team
bike driven by GT Tonglet, isn't sure what the bigger thrill is:
Winning while on the back of drag bike in just over seven seconds, or
from behind the starting line, watching the bike he tuned score another
round victory.

At first glance, it appears to be just another case of racing nepotism.
But Doug Kalitta has proven over the past nine seasons that the choice
to put him in the Kalitta Motorsports dragster may have been more by
deed rather than bloodlines

Kalitta, who drives a Top Fuel entry for uncle Connie Kalitta, has
become one of the top competitors in the sport, winning 29 national
events while being a perennial top-10 competitor. Now, after finishing
second twice and third once during the past three seasons, he's on the
verge of winning a POWERade Series championship, a prize that's his if
he and his Mac Tools team can take care of business during this
weekend's 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California Finals at
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Getting the National Hot Rod Association to admit there have been
mistakes in their operations, and that maybe changes should be made in
the way they do things is somewhat akin to getting Congress to admit
there have been ethical lapses by some of its members.

Historically, the NHRA has seldom, if ever, been receptive to ideas
that come from outsiders, and all too often, from those inside the
confines of 2035 Financial Way as well. Part of that is a result of the
corporate life and isn’t necessarily endemic to the organization. It
happens in companies of all sizes, particularly those in which, for
whatever reason, executives constantly fear for their personal future
with the firm, and often make questionable moves more designed to
protect those futures than to advance the company’s goals. It’s in
those environments where a worker bee’s suggestion will be advanced by
the boss and claimed as his own if the uber boss likes it, or will be
just as quickly abandoned by that middle manager when the uber leader
turns up his nose in distaste. The middle manager is the one likely to
say, “Well, it wasn’t my idea. That one came from So-and-So, and I
promised to present it to you. I didn’t like it either, but I did
promise.” Sure you did!

At first glance they may seem an unlikely duo; Mike Castellana, with
his clipped New York accent, and Shannon “Iceman” Jenkins and his cool
Alabama drawl. But, since 2001, when the pair pooled their resources to
become Awesome Motorsports, they have become the most formidable
nitrous team since the inception of Pro Modified.

Last season was arguably their best as Castellana claimed the 2005
Torco Racing Fuels Pro Modified championship and Jenkins finished in
second place. “It wasn’t because of an E.T. advantage,” explained
Jenkins, the architect of their ascendancy. “It was just a solid year
of good racing. We were never the Number 1 qualifier.  We qualified
well, but as these new blown teams develop, (they have) really
accelerated this year.”

If you haven't arrived there yet, you probably have little idea of what
we're talking about. But if you have, if those years have slipped by,
then you probably have the same feelings as Roger Gustin.
    
With the 26th Annual Super Chevy Show just completed in Gainesville,
FL, Gustin, CEO of the series, is now on the eve of celebrating 50
years in drag racing.
   
While he may not be as visible to the fans as he was when campaigning
on the track, all the way up to those jet-powered Lava Soap-backed
cars, Gustin continues to guide the Bowtie series at drag racing stops
throughout the country. It involves 18-hour days and constant travel.

It's been nearly three years since Dean Skuza last piloted a Funny Car
down a quarter-mile drag strip. And while the Ohio native would love
nothing better than to return to the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
tour, he also wants to do it on his terms.

"We want to do it the right way," said Skuza, who is hoping to put a
package together that might have him back in a nitro coupe by the
beginning of the next season. "We've passed on some things that just
weren't strong enough, either financially, or they didn't have a lot of
legs do it.

A lot of things took place at the AC Delco Nationals in Las Vegas this past weekend, some of which has already been reported here on Torco’s Competitionplus.com already, while other items will be brand new.

Friday’s PRO Board of Directors meeting was highlighted by the first appearance of new Board member Bill Miller, he of connecting rod and Top Fuel fame. A thoughtful, extremely intelligent man, Miller’s voice was a breath of fresh air for the Board, as we’re hearing he spoke out on the issues while at the same time offering the organization a fresh perspective on drag racing’s problems. Miller replaced John Force, who resigned before his term had expired.

We’ve also heard that Kenny Bernstein will serve a third two-year term as the organization’s president at the specific request of the Board. Pro Stock driver Vieri Gaines will reportedly join the Board, which already includes Pro Stock racers Warren Johnson and Mark Pawuk who, while not competing in Las Vegas (or at the Finals in two weeks), flew in specifically for the meeting.

A persistent Jerry Toliver is determined to soon get back into the NHRA
Funny Car fray. With some good fortune and the sealing of a new
partnership, he might be back in the saddle to open the Powerade Drag
Racing Series next year.

“We’re very close at completing a deal for 2007 and beyond,” Toliver
said from his race shop in Temecula, Calif. “Hopefully we can get it
done real soon.

It's a virtual "Hot Rod Reunion" in Orlando for each of the REAL World Street Nationals events.  

Everybody that's anybody in fast door slammer drag racing shows up in Orlando and then a hard core, hammer down, wide open, drag race explodes into action.  No jets, no circus acts, no throttle stops or delay boxes.  No bracket racing, no "boom box" contests, no bull, no "test runs", no dragsters, no practice and NO CRYBABIES!  Every run counts at the big dance. Every run counts at the big dance.