Bob Tasca III simply refused to sit idle after missing the Funny Car
field in Phoenix. In fact, the two weeks since have proven productive
ones filled with testing and preparation for this weekend's NHRA
Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. The Motorcraft/Quick
Lane Shelby-sponsored team have participated in two different testing
sessions to put together a package to get them into the top half of the
field for qualifying this weekend.

“We were really disappointed about not making the race in Phoenix last
month. For all of the hard work that this team has put in, to not
qualify for a race is as low as you can get in this sport,” said Tasca.

Longtime Kalitta  Motorsports associate sponsor Technicoat Companies, an
industry-leading flooring and waterproofing company based in Las Vegas, will
assume the role as primary sponsor on the 8,000-horsepower, Dave Grubnic-driven,
Connie Kalitta-tuned Top Fuel dragster at this weekend’s, March 13-16, annual
running of the famed ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in
Gainesville, Fla.

Technicoat Companies, led by Team Kalitta fixtures “the Cowboys”, Bob
Coffman, President, and Glen Williams, C.O.O, and their trademark cowboy hats
are not only quarter-mile partners with Kalitta Motorsports, but they are also
business associates with team owner and drag racing legend Connie Kalitta and
his air cargo company, Kalitta Air. Technicoat Companies recently completed an
85,000-sqare-foot flooring project for a new aircraft hangar at Kalitta Air’s
maintenance facility in Oscoda, Mich.

“It’s great to have ‘the Cowboys’ be involved with us at this level for the
Gators,” Grubnic, a 45-year old resident of Ennis, Mont., said. “They are always
a blast to have around, and they’ve done so much for our entire Kalitta
Motorsports team over the years. I can’t think of anything better than to repay
their devotion to us than to put the Technicoat Companies Top Fuel dragster in
the winner’s circle in Gainesville.”

NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster driver Brandon “the Kid” Lewis and the
TigerFlow/Morrison Construction team are looking forward to returning to
‘normal’ racing conditions at this weekend’s AC Delco Gatornationals at the
famed Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla. 
After finding a solid level of consistency at the season-opener in
Pomona, Calif., the team encountered ‘mineshaft’ conditions coupled with a
tricky track at their last outing in Belle Rose, La.  With mid seventies forecasted all weekend and
a track known for fast numbers, the team is looking forward to picking up where
they left off in Pomona.

Lewis, 22, who is a
surgical tech in Broken Arrow, Okla., when not racing, cites the team won’t let
their struggles in Belle Rose deter them, as they are unlikely to see weather
conditions that cool the rest of the year. 
Despite not running up to the form that netted the team two national
event final round appearances last year, the team still netted a semifinal
finish out of the weekend.

Several years ago, the National Football League mandated to their professional teams that each franchise had to, on one weekend, wear the same jerseys and uniforms from an era in their past history. Several teams adopted the helmet emblems, jerseys and colors of their teams dating back to the 1930s through the 1970s. Let's suppose for a moment that same edict was passed down to the Funny Car teams in NHRA POWERade drag racing tour.

CompetitionPlus.com joined forces with up-and-coming graphic designer Greg Russell to create a few fantasy scenarios.

Top
Fuel driver Jack 'the Sheriff' Harris returned to the seat of his Utah
Posse dragster during the 50th annual Bakersfield March Meet and went on to record the quickest elapsed time for the
class with a 5.568 at 263 MPH during a second round single.  Jaws
dropped and most had to take a double-take at the scoreboard, including
Harris' own crew, when the number came up.

"All we wanted to do was stop hurting parts", said team partner Billy
Robbins.  "We were going through pistons and a lot of parts on every
pass, and just softened the combination to reduce the carnage."

Despite the disappointment of not qualifying last month at Phoenix,
Ariz., 2007 NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year Ashley Force remains upbeat about
her chances this week in a race certain to create an emotional drain
not only on her, but on her John Force Racing teammates.
    
It was at Gainesville Raceway just one day after the conclusion of last
year's ACDelco Gatornationals that rising star Eric Medlen suffered
injuries that four days later would claim his life.
 
The 25-year-old daughter of drag racing champion John Force, Ashley had
known Medlen since 1996 when he had begun working as a mechanic on her
father's Funny Cars.
 
They were friends, closer to being family, when Medlen became the first
Funny Car driver in 35 years to lose his life in an accident.

Pro Stock Motorcycle icon George Bryce had a little more cut in his
strut walking through the pits at SGMP during the recent CSR Eastern
Spring Test Nationals presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com in
Valdosta, Georgia. With his baseball cap turned
backwards, Bryce was walking a bit quicker than usual although he
sported a substantial knee brace.

Bryce had off-season surgery to repair some knee damage.

“I had to get me some new parts put in,” Bryce said. “I got me some new
ligaments and tendons installed.  Since I'm getting old I had broke one
a long time ago and my leg was getting kind of wobbly.  Ken Johnson got
mad at me for whining about how bad my knee hurt and he don't even have
a knee.  I told him that I've been sympathizing with him over his knee
for 2 years and I love how he handles it and I think he's the man.  My
knee was hurting so I went and got it fixed.  They put me some new
parts in and I know one thing, they wouldn't use any of my parts
because I'm too old so they got me some new parts.

“They asked me what I wanted and I said some 22-year old, somebody who
can run fast and jump high a basketball player or somebody like that.”

Almost a year after teammate and protege Eric Medlen lost his life in a
testing accident at Gainesville Raceway and six months after suffering
serious injuries in a crash of his own, drag racing icon John Force
returns for this week's 39th annual ACDelco Gatornationals a changed
man.
 
"Sponsors like Castrol, Ford and the Auto Club pay us to win," said the
sport's biggest star.  "That's still our goal but, bottom line, Vince
Lombardi was wrong   winning isn't everything.  There are more
important things. 
 
"I've won 14 championships and more than 100 races (125), but I'd
rather be remembered for helping make Eric's life count for something,"
said the 58-year-old owner/driver.  "Thanks to John Medlen (Eric's
dad), Ford, Murf McKinney and the NHRA, we're bringing a better car to
Gainesville (for this year's race), but the work doesn't stop there. 
There's lots more to do."
 
Back in his Castrol GTX® High Mileage™ Ford Mustang for just the third
time since last Sept. 23rd when he suffered a compound fracture of the
left ankle and other major injuries in a crash in Dallas, Texas, Force
has acknowledged that he was naive in believing that a Funny Car design
that had survived, largely unchanged, for almost a quarter century
still would protect a driver in every circumstance.

Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher has been to victory lane 42 times in
his career, but he’s quick to note that only a handful of those wins
carry special meaning.

“There’s no question that my two wins at the ACDelco Gatornationals (in
2004 and 2007) are among a small group that stands out from all the
rest,” said the defending NHRA POWERade world champion. “We have some
prestigious races that dot the schedule every year, but clearly the
Gatornationals is one of those big-time events that you want to capture
at some point or another.”

When Schumacher takes to Gainesville Raceway this weekend for round
three of the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, he will be
attempting to become only the fourth Top Fuel pilot to claim three
victories in the Sunshine State. Joe Amato pocketed four Gatornationals
trophies between 1984 and 1997.

“History aside, we just want to go down to Gainesville and run well,”
added the Chicago native. “We’re off to a nice start this season, so
we’d like to keep moving in the right direction.”

Following a rain delay of the season opener at
Las Vegas in late January,
anticipation is at the red line for this weekend’s PSCA Spring Break Nationals
presented by Orme Brothers Inc.   Racers from all over the western
United States
and even Canada
are fueled with adrenalin and ready to rock at the Auto Club Dragway in
Fontana,
California.  
A full 16 car field is expected in Hughes
Performance Pro Street even with the absence of
several top runners not quite ready for the event.    Team Accufab (Ed Thornton and
John Mihovitz) will be front and center ready
to defend their 1-2 finish in the 2007 series. 
There will be a host of others attempting to steal the crown from these
twin turbo terrors.   Expectations are
high with a prediction of cloud cover and tight track conditions.