2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch will return to his drag racing roots during the 41st running of the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals March 11-14 at historic Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway.

The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske Racing is set to get behind the wheel of his rebuilt 1970 Dodge Challenger next weekend to compete against a field of between 70 and 90 veteran “Super Gas” racers who no doubt will be chomping at the bit to line up against one of the biggest names in motorsports.

Busch will make a minimum of three “time trial” passes on Thursday March 11 and the field will return Friday morning, pair off, and begin eliminations.

Faced with the prospect their Pro Stock cars could be on the verge of out of control, the NHRA has implemented three rule changes aimed at increasing down force on the 200 mile per hour coupes during the final 320 feet of the quarter mile drag strip.

Beginning next weekend at the NHRA Gatornationals, Pro Stock teams will sport a larger wicker bill on the wing, increased by an 1/8 inch to 3/4 inch. The teams will have to install a splitter on the front end similar to those used in NASCAR but not as visible.

On a NASCAR Car of Tomorrow, the splitter is a large carbon fiber piece attached to the bottom of the front bumper. Unlike their splitters, which use strut rods, the Pro Stock version will be 44 inches wide and stick out 3/8 inch from the nose and extend two inches  behind the front bumper.

ADRL event announcer Brian Olson does more than just provide insight to the fastest doorslammers in the world. The veteran microphone man also paints them.

Multi-car team owner Roger Burgess announced Friday that superstar driver Melanie Troxel will race the team's Funny Car at the upcoming NHRA races in Gainesville, Fla., and Charlotte.

Original plans that reflected available sponsorship dollars called for Troxel to park the car until April 9-11 for the national event at Houston Raceway Park, but Burgess decided to pay for the next two events out of his own pocket to help the newly-formed Funny Car team find a rhythm.

"Racing six national events in a row gives everyone the best chance to find a good, solid tune-up," Burgess said. "In this way, by the time we get to Houston and the first Las Vegas race, we'll be ready to put the In-N-Out Burger body back on the car and really show them something on the racetrack.

Pro Modified driver Mike Castellana, one of Attitude's Top 20 All-time Pro Modified drivers, will debut a brand-new 1969 Camaro in 2010.

Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com, through the assistance of a key group of Pro Modified historians and enthusiasts, has compiled a list of the Top 20 all-time drivers based on their contribution to the class, historic achievements, statistics and fan appeal.

Starting on Friday, January 8, 2010, the electronic magazine began revealing those names on the list, and will announce two drivers per week, until the No. 1 driver is unveiled on Saturday, Mar. 20, during the ADRL Dragpalooza in Houston, Texas.

Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com narrowed the list from hundreds of drivers down to 20. Today, we reveal No. 5 on the list.

A new season is dawning for GEICO Powersports Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen Stoffer and the veteran competitor is excited at the possibilities the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series has in store.

"I can't wait to see how it's all going to turn out," Stoffer said as the season-opening 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals approach. "We're getting ready for a final test so we're fully prepared for Gainesville. Our bike will be ready for action and the team will be pumped."

Stoffer, a Nevada resident, is coming off one of her best finishes. She made the NHRA's version of the playoffs, the Countdown to the Championship, for the third straight season and finished seventh overall in the 2009 Full Throttle championship points, the sixth consecutive time she's finished in the Top 10 in points. Just was just one spot off her best career finish of sixth in 2006.

Dan Horan Racing and the Joe Walla Band have joined forces for the 2010 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series.

Dan Horan Jr. debuted a brand new look to his Mustang and has coupled the makeover with a talented crew led by Ronnie Swearingen and clutch specialist Bob Otto.

The American Hot Rod Association announced today that each event of the entire 2010 AHRA Reunion Tour will be broadcast on Fox Sports Network as entitled highlights features on “Inside Drag Racing” produced by Masters Entertainment Group of Bristol, Tenn.

“This is definitely the direction we want to head, Fox Sports is where we want to be, and to have a television deal this year to offer our fans and drivers is very exciting,” said Troy Moe, CEO of AHRA.

“I’m thrilled with how Butch McCall and Ted Jones from Masters have really reached out to be a part of the programs we’re developing.  They have a lot of experience in broadcasting drag racing, and it’ll be great to bring their knowledge to bear on what we’re doing,” Moe said.

Brandon Bernstein calls it "aggressive finesse."

The Copart Dragster Top Fuel driver is preparing for next weekend's Tire Kingdom Gatornationals, seeking his 19th victory and first since last October at Richmond, Va. And he used the term to describe crew chief Rob Flynn's plan to draw better elapsed times and speeds from the car.

It's too early for any driver to have developed much of a pattern, but naturally Bernstein would like to improve on his 10th- and seventh-place starting positions, knowing how every seemingly insignificant point counts at the end of the season. And those improved E.T.s will help earn those points.

"We have high hopes for this season," he said, adding that the task at hand is "coaxing more performance out of our Copart/Lucas Oil dragster in the middle of the track. Our 60-foot times are good, and knock on wood, we haven't had much problem with loss of traction. If we can keep power to the ground and get a little more aggressive with our clutch set-up, then we should pick up elapsed times and speeds.