In Atlanta Robert Hight and his Auto Club Ford Mustang were the
quickest of the pack amongst the John Force team Mustangs. A decision
to change lanes in the first round derailed his bid to reach his fourth
consecutive final round at the Southern Nationals as the Auto Club Ford
Mustang went up in smoke versus Ron Capps.

Hight has qualified well at the O’Reilly Midwest NHRA Nationals
presented by Castrol. He has never started lower than the No. 3
qualifying position and included in that number is a No. 1 start he
grabbed at the 2006 event.

Unfortunately he has never advanced to the semis at Gateway
International Raceway. That is a trend he is looking to correct this
weekend.

“I’ve qualified really well there but I haven’t gone a lot of rounds. I
am looking forward to winning it,” said the 2005 NHRA Rookie of the
Year.

Ashley Force knew winning her first national event was going to be a tough row to hoe. The second-generation

Ashley took five races to get her first victory. Her father John had nine runner-ups before gaining his first. (Les Welch)

drag
racer and points leader from Yorba Linda, Ca., didn’t let the
challenges get the best of her as she farmed her way to the finish line
and knocked off a legend along the way.

The Funny Car final round at the NHRA Southern Nationals had all the
makings if a made for television movie. Threatening rain, which
eventually turned into a race delaying downpour, a veteran driver
looking for 1,000th career round win and a sophomore driver looking for
a career first national victory and the first by a woman, who just
happened to be the daughter of the veteran in the other lane.

The forces of nature, emotion, experience and history joined in a
battle between a father and daughter who just happen to be Force's by
name.

In the world of drag racing, the St. Louis area holds a special place in the
hearts of many racers and fans. Next weekend, fans from across the country will
converge on GIR for the Muscle Car Reunion and Nostalgia Drags to see great
racing, historical cars, and the man recently named one of ESPN's Top 25
Greatest Racers, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits. All of the cars participating in the
event will have been manufactured in 1974 or before.

In addition to the
great racing and great memories the weekend will provide, eventgoers will have
an opportunity to help a worthy cause. A portion of each ticket sold will be
donated to BackStoppers, an organization providing assistance to the families of
fallen firefighters and police officers.

Muscle Car Reunion President
John Troxel said the event, which kicks off Friday, May 30, and runs through
Sunday, is a time machine for drag racing fans. "They can expect to go back in
time," he said, "to 1974 and previous and see racing the way it was without
electronics, with true tuners, mechanics, and drivers of the sport as it was and
the cars like (they were)."

A little over a year ago, Mike Edwards was questioning his existence in Pro Stock competition. The

Mike Edwards won Pro Stock's 600th race.

former sportsman world champion was at his wit’s end with the rough and tumble world of NHRA Pro Stock.

This frustration led to a serious heart-to-heart with team owner Roger
Stull regarding their existence. A man of faith, Edwards supported
Stull in his decision to make the leap of faith into developing an
engine program.

“It’s unbelievable,” Edwards said. “Roger made the commitment last
September in Indy, to do this one time the right way and see how far it
takes us. I never dreamed I would be standing here this early in the
season. That car has two races on it. To come here and run the way we
ran today; we ran good. We ran good in both lanes.

Attitude Apparel has teamed up with a group of NHRA series sponsors and
competitors from the Pro Stock division for a racing-shirt giveaway in
conjunction with the annual GM/USO-supported drivers' visit with American troops
in Germany. The goal is to send a maximum number of shirts inscribed with the
phrase "1320th Asphalt Assault Division" to the troops in Germany for the annual
racers' visit, which this year, is tentatively scheduled for the week of
Thanksgiving.

The well-constructed, camouflaged-style pre-shrunk
tee-shirt is made with 100-percent cotton. It is emblazoned on the front with an
American flag and the bold statement, "Live to  Race, Race to Win." The back of
the shirt is inscribed in red, white and blue lettering with the phrase, "Home
Of the 1320th Asphalt Assault Division," and the racing logos of the NHRA
POWERade Series, Pontiac, Chevrolet and Attitude Apparel. Vertically centered
below the shoulder line are the names of the 13 participating Pro Stock
competitors including Kenny Koretsky, Jason Line, Ron Krisher, Mike Edwards,
Greg Stanfield, Greg Anderson, Warren Johnson, Justin Humphreys, Tom Hammonds,
Dave Connolly, Kurt Johnson, Jeg Coughlin and Jim Yates.

Names like Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps immediately conjure up
images of the lightning-quick, tire smoking, high-octane world of NHRA Drag
Racing. 

That thought is about to make a few successive left-hand,
dirt-slinging turns.

This Thursday, May 1, at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach,
Illinois, Scelzi (who drives the Mopar/Oakley Dodge in NHRA) and Capps (driver
of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge in NHRA), along with several other NHRA drivers
will be trading their straight track mentality for a more circular style of
thinking when they strap themselves in for some Crate Late Model action. 
For the first time ever, at least eight drag strip veterans will tackle the
third-mile clay at Tri-City in the inaugural NHRA on Dirt event. 
Scheduled to join Scelzi and Capps will be Cruz Pedregon, Allen Johnson, Doug
Kalitta, Dave Grubnic, Antron Brown and Allen Bradshaw.

NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Car racers will soon head to Summit Motorsports Park at Norwalk, Ohio,
for a chance to win $50,000 at the 2008 K&N Horsepower Challenge
Race.  Racers are not the only ones that can win.  You can enter the
sweepstakes for a chance to attend the race courtesy of K&N and a
chance to win the Pontiac G6 courtesy of General Motors by entering
“The K&N Horsepower Challenge” Sweepstakes.

Eight K&N
Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes finalists will receive a
once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA
Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.  In addition one of these eight finalists will win the Grand Prize, a new Pontiac G6 GXP coupe courtesy of Pontiac.

As a youngster in 1976, Tommy Johnson, Jr. stood in victory circle in
St. Louis with his dad who was celebrating a sportsman Modified
eliminator win.  That was at St. Louis International Raceway, the strip
that has been renovated into the existing Gateway International Raceway.

Now a veteran driver and pilot of the Kenny Bernstein-owned Monster
Energy Funny Car, Tommy Johnson, Jr. is looking to deliver a national
event win at the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals May 2-4 and cause for
another family celebration.

“That was the only national event win my dad ever had,” said Johnson.  “So I have very special memories of St. Louis.

“Additionally, St. Louis is close to Indy, where I live, so it almost
feels like a hometown race.  St. Louis is also Budweiser’s home and the
brand has a long history with Kenny Bernstein.  We’re looking forward
to representing Kenny.  I know we’ll have a lot of folks out there
watching us.

A name familiar to many will be entering his first year of Pro Modified Racing Association competition this season.
 
Al Hinds is coming out of retirement to race in the PMRA tour. One of
Pro Modified’s earliest contestants, the Waterloo, Ontario racer plans
to return to the class with his 2004 Corvette.
 
“I’m excited. This is going to be awesome,” said Hinds, who raced in the class starting in 1996.