Pro Modified driver Steve Engel, of Shandon, Ohio, entered surgery
Sunday morning for injuries he sustained after his car went out of
control and crashed Saturday at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in
Indianapolis.
   
According to his family, Engel has fractures in six cervical vertebrae and damage to his spinal cord.

Rickie Jones might be a rookie Pro Stock driver but he’s already to express the appreciation generally

Rickie Jones knows early in his career that the fans are the most important asset of the sport.

reserved for a veteran in the twilight of their career.

All the Quartermax-sponsored driver has to do is qualify for the NHRA
U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and he’s going to give a prime example.

“If we qualify,” Jones said. “If we happen to stay in after Q5, I am
going to get out of the car and on the way back on the return road,
stop and I am going to shake everybody's hand along the fence from the
finish line to the starting line.”

Pat Dakin will tell you that a lot may change in Top Fuel technology, but a driver doesn’t forget how to

Pat Dakin hasn't raced Indy since 1998. His first Top Fuel experience was in 1971.

drive.

“You certainly don’t forget what you’re doing because it all comes back to you quickly,” Dakin said.

Dakin made his Indy Top Fuel driving debut back in 1971 and last appeared at this event in 1998. He's a particpant in the NHRA U.S. Nationals this season.

“Racing quit me I didn’t it,” Dakin admitted.

Larry Dixon breathed a sigh of relief as he took over the top
qualifying position in Top Fuel at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in
Indianapolis.

Larry Dixon's top run in Saturday's Indy qualifying was the end-result of perserverence from his tuners.

Dixon’s 3.841 elapsed time at 307.23 pushed down Friday’s top effort turned in by Cory McClenathan.

Ever since the NHRA shortened the length of the drag strip for nitro
cars, Dixon and the United States Smokeless team have struggled to
regain their consistency. The change in distance coupled with the new
Goodyear D2550 tire did not work into their favor.

COUNTDOWN SPOTLIGHT SHINES BRIGHTEST ON STANFIELD, STOFFER

Larry Dixon, Tony Pedregon, Allen Johnson, Hector Arana qualify No. 1

Heading
into Sunday’s final day of qualifying at the 54th annual Mac Tools U.S.
Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the hottest seats
in the house will be under Greg Stanfield and Karen Stoffer.

Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Tony Pedregon (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro
Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) claimed the provisional
No. 1 qualifying positions at the 18th and final regular season race of
the NHRA POWERade Series season, but the focus on Sunday’s final two
rounds of qualifying will be on the drivers hanging on to the final
playoff berths in Pro Stock (Stanfield) and Pro Stock Motorcycle
(Stoffer).

For the fifth straight year, a
Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod claimed the $25,000 top prize in
the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle as Eddie Krawiec earned his first
victory in NHRA competition with a final-round victory against his
Vance & Hines teammate Andrew Hines, who fouled.

"Two years ago, I was an unknown and [team owners] Terry Vance
and Byron Hines took a chance on me," said Krawiec. "They've made me
feel like family, and I'm so glad that I was finally able to pay them
back with a victory. This is huge for our team. Harley-Davidson is
celebrating its 105th anniversary this weekend, so this couldn't have
come at a better time.

"I know that I still haven't won a national event, but I'm not
disappointed," Krawiec continued. "I'm good friends with [fellow rider]
Reggie Showers, and he's been a big inspiration to me. He had never won
a race, and then a few years ago, he came here to Indy and won this
[Ringers Battle] and then won the U.S. Nationals on Monday. If I can do
that, I'll be really happy. I'm getting married at the end of November,
and my fiancée really likes to shop, so this money will really come in
handy."

U.S. Army Top Fuel crew chief, Alan Johnson, announced today he will be
leaving Don Schumacher Racing at the conclusion of the 2008 season to
become a team owner.

Following are reaction quotes from U.S. Army Top Fuel driver, Tony “The
Sarge” Schumacher, and Colonel David Lee, G-7, Deputy Chief of Staff,
Strategic Communications for the U.S. Army Accessions Command:

A
scary moment transpired during Saturday's first session when Bob Bode's
Funny Car broke and croosed the centerline. The veteran driver did a
masterful job of keeping the subsequent damage with a the wall a
minimum, but then a fire broke out as the car rolled under power down
the track. Bode escaped without injury.

The rumors are now reality for nitro crew chief Alan Johnson.

At the conclusion of the 2008 season, the seven-time NHRA Top Fuel
champion crew chief who has 75 professional-level national event
victories to his credit will field a two-car team in 2009 through a
partnership with Qatar-based Al-Anabi Racing

This new alliance will field a Top Fuel dragster and a Funny Car. They
will start the 2009 season on Feb. 5-8 with the NHRA Winternationals in
Pomona, Calif. Johnson has not selected drivers for the new cars.