NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car champion Robert Hight will kick off his title defense by campaigning a commemorative Auto Club Ford Mustang celebrating his first Full Throttle championship at the 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Labor Day weekend. The black and blue Ford Mustang will be adorned with the traditional Auto Club logos but the Mustang will also feature Hight’s Full Throttle world championship trophy as well as the verbiage “Robert Hight 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car CHAMPION” on the sides and hood.

“I remember seeing and working on John’s championship cars so to have my own Full Throttle championship funny car is pretty neat. I have to thank Auto Club and Tom McKernan as well as all our sponsors like Castrol, Ford, Mac Tools and BrandSource for making my championship possible. This is also more than just my car. This is a representation of all the hard work my crew chief Jimmy Prock and my crew guys put into making a great run in the Countdown last year,” said Hight, the No. 2 seed in the 2010 Countdown.

As a tribute to its over 4,500 franchisees, the Snap-on Funny Car, driven by Cruz Pedregon, will feature a special wrap recognizing Snap-on franchisees.  The Snap-on Franchise Funny Car will race Sept. 3-6 at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

“Our franchisees are the backbone of our business so we thought this was a great way to recognize them for all they do for Snap-on,” said Alicia Smales, vice president of marketing for Snap-on Tools. “Since each of our franchisees owns their own business, we felt it was only fitting that we put this special Snap-on wrap on the car of another small business owner, Cruz Pedregon.”

Jason Peterson understands he’s got a decision to make in the next few weeks.

The General Manager of U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI, must decide if his race track will remain under the IHRA sanction or become yet another one of the staple of tracks under that sanction headed to the NHRA.

“That is undetermined at this time,” Peterson revealed. “To be honest, we are playing both sides. We are actively looking at both sides. I guess the best way to describe it is that we are uncertain at this time.”

Sometimes taking a step back is the best way to move forward. At least that’s the way the ADRL’s most recent Pro Extreme winner sees things.

Alex Hossler, from Canton, Illinois, made a final-round pass of 3.69 seconds at 203.89 mph to beat Gaylen Smith’s 3.71 effort at 204.85 mph by less than a car length early this month at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois.

“Any time you can win in front of your home crowd and do it in somewhat dramatic fashion, running our first 3.60, I don’t see how the weekend could have gone much better,” said Hossler, who jumped up to second in points, just 16 markers behind Joshua Hernandez with the win.

“We did get in some lucky rounds when Frankie (Taylor) shook against us in the second round and Khalid (Al-Thani) had to pedal in the semis against us, but a wise man once told me you’re not going to win certain races without some lucky rounds and those were definitely some lucky rounds.”

Legendary NHRA crew chief and mechanical wizard Dale Armstrong was one of seven icons from the world of motorsports inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Wednesday evening during the organization’s annual induction ceremony at the Fillmore Theatre.

Long recognized as one of the sport’s greatest innovators, Armstrong was the first Funny Car crew chief to use wind-tunnel testing and data recorders. He also is credited with the development of the lockup-style clutch, dual-source fuel-delivery system, and dynamometer testing for nitromethane-burning racing engines.

As crew chief for Kenny Bernstein, Armstrong earned five NHRA world championship titles, including four in Funny Car and one in Top Fuel, and helped the team make history by posting the first 300 mph speed in NHRA history. Following his record-breaking run with Bernstein, Armstrong continued his successful career tuning Don "The Snake" Prudhomme’s Top Fuel dragster.

Kalitta Motorsports, one of the most successful drag racing teams in the history of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, announced today that 32-time Top Fuel dragster national event winner Doug Kalitta will pilot an 8,000-horsepower, specially painted DEWALT/Stanley/Mac Tools Top Fueler at the world’s largest and most prestigious drag racing event, the 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Sept. 2-6.
 
The unprecedented partnership brings together three of the world’s most renowned manufacturers of premium tool solutions that industrial companies, professionals, and consumers count on with a name that is synonymous with NHRA drag racing – Kalitta. Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is helmed by drag racing cornerstone and icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. Connie has succeeded as a driver, crew chief, and team owner in professional drag racing for over 50 years.
 
“Mac Tools, Stanley and DEWALT are excited to be partnering with Kalitta Motorsports at this year’s Mac Tools U.S. Nationals,” Tony Merritt, Sports Marketing Manager of Mac Tools, said. “Our sponsorship of this premier event allows us to introduce the newly expanded brand offering, which includes DEWALT products, now available through our Distributors. In addition to the Mac Tools and DEWALT product displays in the Midway, we will be hosting over 100 Mac Tools Distributors and over 800 of their customers this weekend and we will all be cheering on the entire Kalitta team.”

Timothy Hay, 49, passed away Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, during a Fuel Altered event at Eddyville Dragway while competing at the World Altered Nationals.

Funeral: 2 P.M. Friday at Mayfield [Texas]

Kiser Funeral Home in Burleson [Texas].
12301 S. Freeway (817) 568-8836 
Visitation: 7 To 9 P.M. at the funeral home.

It’s been has been another busy year at Flatout Group, LLC.

A brand new “Interactive” website is now on-line, complete with e-commerce the user can create and order their own custom RCC Copper head gaskets.

The teams at www.skylarmedia.com and www.patwilkerson.com collaborated with Flatout Gaskets in putting this unique format together.

Flatout's new 2011 catalog is currently on the drawing boards and will be released at the IMIS Show in Indy in December. With the professional talents of Zan Martin & Company, the company anticipates releasing over 100 new part numbers for the new book.

When it comes to competing in fast dragsters, James Monroe is recognized as a dominant force.  Monroe, a 39 year old husband and father of two hailing from Bloomington, Indiana has earned events wins, championships, and accolades behind the wheel of quick open wheel cars for decades, long before the Top Dragster category earned national recognition on the NHRA Full Throttle tour.  Monroe is known for his prowess behind the wheel: he’s a two-time NHRA Division 3 JEGS Super Quick Series Champion and is the second winningest driver in series history.  He was also voted NHRA Division 3 E.T. Driver of the year on three occasions, a title that is voted on by his peers, racers, and fans.  In addition to his success as a driver, Monroe has also earned a reputation for his mechanical know how.  He’s a technically minded racer with an attention to detail that expands beyond his own competition vehicle. 

Monroe works as an independent sales and technical consultant for some of the most prominent companies in the drag racing industry.  Companies such as Ron's Fuel Injection, VP Racing Fuels, Transmissions Specialties, Steve Schmidt Competition Engines and The Fab Shop rely on Monroe for research and development of new products as well as to assist their customers each day with sales and technical support.  He operates in these capacities through the business entity/website www.KillerRONS.COM.

Any time a member of the JEGS Mail Order team wins a race in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, it is cause for celebration but the next win will be extra special as it will mark the 50th divisional win for the JEGS team that includes family patriarch Jeg Coughlin Sr., his sons, John, Troy, Mike, and Jeg., and third generation racer Troy Coughlin Jr.
 
Racing in the old Super Eliminator category, Jeg Coughlin Sr. won the NHRA 1969 NHRA divisional event at Windsor Dragway in Michigan. Jeg Sr., won ten more times before passing the torch to his sons, who have gone on to win 38 more events between them. Now, as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the JEGS Mail Order business, the team is looking for their 50th divisional win and Beech Bend Raceway Park could be the perfect place for it to happen as the Coughlin’s have posted seven wins at the historic facility in rural Bowling Green, Ky.
 
Leading the charge will be John Coughlin, who as usual will be pulling double duty in his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt Comp Eliminator entry and his new JEGS.com Top Dragster and Troy Coughlin Jr., who will be behind the wheel of his JEGS.com Super Comp dragster.