IHRA makes their first stop on the Nitro Jam Tour at San Antonio Raceway in San
Antonio, Texas. Despite morning rain, the first day's qualifying sessions were
completed on schedule and the first "Last Man Standing" Champions of 2008 were
crowned Friday night.

Frank Gugliotta claimed the
rights to "Last Man Standing" in the Pro Stock Category, securing five bonus
points and a plaque and check from Quarter-Max Chassis and Racing Components –
sponsor of the "Last Man Standing" through the Quarter-Max Pro Stock
Challenge.  Gugliotta ran an elapsed time
of 4.117 to gain the title over Pete Berner's 4.119. With a new car and team
together, he was surprised, but very pleased with the results:

In the past year 21 year-old Brittany Force has seen her share of
personal tragedy at the race track. She has not let that diminish her
drive, rather it has emboldened her to continue to overcome her own
fears.

She lost teammate and close friend Eric Medlen in a tragic testing
accident last March. In July she witnessed her older sister Ashley
Force’s survive a harrowing crash in Seattle. Most recently last
October her father, 14-time Funny Car World Champion John Force,
survived the most serious accident of his 30 year career – one that
left him with a broken left ankle, broken wrist, and multiple
abrasions. Still the junior who is majoring in English, with a possible
minor in Business Administration, at Cal State Fullerton continued to
stay focused on moving her racing career forward.

With a tremendous amount of support from her family and a solid crew
behind her Brittany is looking forward to making her first competitive
passes in the Brand Source Top Alcohol Dragster class at the 9th annual
Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, April 10-13.

Litton Heads Top Fuel Qualifying at Texas Nationals

Bob Gilbertson
(Nitro Funny Car), Scott Cannon (Pro Modified), Laurie Cannister (Alcohol Funny
Car) and Frank Gugliotta (Pro Stock) also claim provisional #1 qualifier slots
at San Antonio Raceway

Bruce Litton
picked up where he left in 2007, by qualifying on top in 2008.

Bruce
Litton picked up right where he left off. The 2007 Knoll Gas – Torco Racing
Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel World Champion, who clinched his first career title by
winning the World Finals in Rockingham last season, made an early statement in
the new season. He finished at the top of the qualifying sheet Friday and
claimed the five Last Man Standing bonus points at the eighth-mile Amalie Oil
Texas Nationals…the first event on the 2008 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam
schedule.

Responding to concerns
over photos posted on the internet, The NHRA today posted a news piece on their
website, NHRA.com, stating the upcoming Ford Fun Weekend had been postponed to
allow the new surface to fully cure.

The entire track surface –
concrete and asphalt -- was replaced over the winter, in preparation for the
NHRA Southern Nationals later this month.

Leroy Chadderton, a well-known Southern California-based driver of fuel
altereds and Funny Cars in the 1970s, died April 3 after a long battle
with cancer and heart problems.

Jim Yates used Ron Krisher horsepower to earn a spot in last weekend's
final eliminations during the NHRA O'Reilly Springnationals in Houston,
Texas.

“We seem to be running pretty good and I don't see anything changing in
that aspect for a while,” Yates explained. “We seem to have pretty good
power. The motors are running pretty good and picking up quite a bit.
I'm really happy with what I've seen so far.”

Where Yates is getting his horsepower has been the topic of much
discussion early in the 2008 season. He’s looked around, and even
though Frank Iaconio is building an engine, he’s content leasing the
Krisher horsepower.

COULD THERE BE TROUBLE AHEAD FOR PRUDHOMME’S SPONSOR?

Congress is
in the midst of pushing a bill forward that would turn tobacco regulation
over to the Food & Drug Administration, 
potentially resulting in “…the
most draconian ad curbs ever imposed on a consumer product by the U.S.
government,” according to the April 2nd issue of the respected publication
“Advertising Age.”  The Senate already approved similar legislation, which
would move the government’s oversight of tobacco from the Federal Trade
Commission to the FDA.  The legislation further directs the FDA to impose
the tobacco ad curbs that were first proposed in 1996, which are considerably more stringent than those currently being
enforced.

Defending IHRA Top Fuel World Champion Bruce Litton is ready to get his title
defense underway. After a pair of strong showings in the NHRA circuit, a pair of
quarterfinal losses in Gainesville and Houston, the Indianapolis, Ind. driver will be looking to put his Lucas
Oil sponsored rail into the Winner’s Circle at San Antonio Raceway for a second
consecutive season. Litton defeated TJ Zizzo in the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals
last season.

“We’re
looking forward to getting this thing started,” Litton said of the 2008 IHRA
season. “The first event is an eighth-mile race and our car has been very strong
to the eighth so far this season. There is going to be a strong field at San
Antonio Raceway this weekend, but if we can get down the track I think we’ll be
in pretty good shape. I just have to make sure my lights are strong because in
an eighth mile race there’s not a lot of time to make up for any
mistakes.”

Dream House for Medically Fragile Children will be the benefactor of a special
fund-raising event featuring National Hot Rod Association race car drivers and
true American heroes on Saturday, April 27, at Chateau Élan Winery & Resort
in Braselton, Ga.
 
The event organizers are Roger Burgess and Mike
Ashley, co-owners of Gotham City Racing, drivers and successful businessmen who
recognize the impact Dream House has in providing for medically fragile
children.
 
Racing fans will have an opportunity to mix and mingle with
NHRA drivers – who will be competing at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, April 26-28
– throughout the evening.  Some of the drivers who will be attending include
Burgess and Ashley, Melanie Troxel, Gary Scelzi, Frank Hawley, Jack Beckman,
Matt Smith, Raymond Commosso and Danny Rowe.