The emotional journey that began in Indianapolis when Mike Ashley won the MAC
Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals in a charity fund-raising tribute car ended Saturday
in Scottsdale, Ariz. at the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction. As the gavel
fell and the auctioneer shouted "Sold!" Phoenix-area construction mogul and car
collector Ron Pratte added the nitro Funny Car to his burgeoning collection at a
price of $130,000 - all going to the Eric Blake Faulkner Foundation charity to
support the Perinatal Loss Program at the St. Vincent Health System Hospital in
Little Rock, Ark.
 
Donnie and Hollie Faulkner created the Foundation in
memory of their stillborn son, Eric Blake, with the single goal of helping other
parents who suffer similar loss. The Faulkners were present at the sale of the
car along with officials from the St. Vincent's Hospital as well as Gotham City
Racing representatives. Mike Ashley was unable to attend the event because of
crucial business and team meetings, but followed the event closely on the
Internet, television and with constant calls and text messages.
 

Doug
Winters and Winters Racing are excited to announce they will be teaming up with
Performance Racing Tools (PRT) for 2008. 
PRT designed and manufactures the Safe Jack, an Air/Hydraulic Auto Lock
Jack system that provides unprecedented safety.

“We
are very pleased to have PRT join our team in 2008.  Their Safe Jack system shows how they can
deliver a superior design that incorporates safety while still being
affordable,” stated Doug Winters.

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK – Weather made for 4.40s, Short-runs highlight day

SUNDAY NOTEBOOK  – Last
chance for testing and full runs

David Allio Photo

Tony Shortall will be working with Dexter Tuttle's team as crew chief.

EVENT NOTEBOOK  

PHOTO GALLERY 

THE SHORT AND ALL OF IT –
Tony Shortall spent much of last season weathering the political
firestorm associated with the team he worked for and subsequently
defected from along with the driver. He followed driver Cory
McClenathan over to a new lease program at Don Schumacher Racing.

This season, Shortall has a change of scenery with Dexter Tuttle’s team.

“I am real excited and there was a little controversy last year, but it
was all good,” Shortall said. “Everything is fine there. I am really
excited about working with Dexter and Alan and the team. We've got a
new sponsor coming on board that hasn't been in motorsports before.
That's real exciting. We've been working a lot on that.”

Every crew chief seeks to place their signature on the tune-up of their
team. For Shortall, this is not a priority for him, considering the
team had a potent tune-up already established.

“We're taking off where Dexter ended up last year,” Shortall said.
“It's been a lot of work since Dexter found out he was going to do a
full time thing. Just preparing the car, getting it car ready, that's
taken up a majority of the time. Putting the signature on it really
hasn't happened yet. I'd like to start off, see what's here and make
some laps and just go from lap to lap before we can do anything like
that.”

Shortall has been around the sport for a while and his resume is extensive.

“I've worked for a number of teams,” Shortall said. “People ask me,
sometimes it’s easier to look out there and see who I haven't worked
for. I came up through the ranks, pretty much started draining the oil,
cleaning tires and just moved up through chief mechanic, assistant crew
chief, co-crew chief. It's been a long journey and Dexter gave me the
opportunity here. I'm really excited about it. It's just been great.”

Drag racing can be a mentoring sport, especially at the crew chief position. So who does Shortall consider as a mentor?

“Well, obviously people see me around with Wes Cerny,” Shortall said.
“Wes and I have worked together extensively. Jim Dunn. Jim and I worked
together for years; more often than not behind the scenes. I like the
old veteran guys.”

The images still flicker across the mind’s DVD.  A
Funny Car is nose first against the right guardrail, bouncing off the concrete
as the car makes its way down Englishtown Raceway Park’s 1320-foot racing
surface – and every inch of remaining asphalt before finally bouncing into the
trees.

Johnny West would have had the best view of anyone in the
large crowd if he hadn’t been knocked out when his Banzai Chevy Beretta Funny
Car turned into a battering ram and whacked the wall not far from the starting
line in the final round.

The following are the pre-entries received for the 8th annual CSR Eastern Spring Test Nationals presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com hosted by South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Ga. 

The years of hard work and
waiting seemed to have finally paid off for Angie McBride. Following a successful
career in the regional MIROCK motorcycle drag racing series and a few quick
appearances on the NHRA tour, McBride was about to embark on her first full
season riding an NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle. And it was not just any motorcycle:
McBride was to be the teammate of newly crowned NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Matt
Smith on the second Torco Race Fuels Buell. Life was good.

Then came the disheartening
news that Torco would be pulling all their race team sponsorships for 2008 due
to health concerns of Torco owner Evan Knoll.

“I was on an emotional roller-coaster,” said McBride. “On Monday we were
finalizing the contract. We had agreed on all the terms, the money, the
timeline, our responsibilities, the salary, everything. They were drawing up
the final contract. On Tuesday we started hearing rumors that there might be a
problem. On Wednesday we got the phone call. It was devastating.”

The following are the pre-entries received for the 8th annual CSR Eastern Spring Test Nationals presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com hosted by South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Ga. 

Eaton Corporation's electrical business (Canadian Operations) has
announced it will provide the primary sponsorship of drag racing
veteran Carl Spiering for the seventh consecutive year.
 
“Eaton has been instrumental to our successful high-profile
professional racing program,” said Carl Spiering.  “A winning marketing
strategy has been established by Eaton that when combined with drag
racing, provides a high level of entertainment for its customers, staff
and distributor partners,” he went on to say.  “When you partner our
racing with extensive marketing and public relations activities
designed to promote the Cutler-Hammer and Powerware brands, it results
in a powerful branding effort by Eaton.”
 
The 2008 strategy for the Eaton Cutler-Hammer Team is for early-season
testing at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Ga., during the
weekend of March 6 – 8. The team’s goals this season are to break the
elusive six-second barrier, to win events, and to keep the Eaton
Cutler-Hammer Racing Team at the forefront for its sponsors, its fans,
and the media.

There was a time when the names Angelle and George Bryce were
synonymous in the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks. Sponsorship developments sent
them in opposite directions. When Angelle Sampey signed on with Karl and Kim
Klement’s RUSH Racing Products, the door was opened for a reunion.

"Angelle and I raced together for seven years," said
Bryce. "We missed four championships in a row by only eight points in
1999, then we won the next three straight. I know it is different out there now
than it was when we won so much. So much has changed in our lives and in our
sport. But I know we respect each other's abilities, strength, and passion for
winning now more than ever."
 
"I'm very excited about the reunion tour with George and Jackie
Bryce," said Sampey. "They always have been like family to me since
the day they gave me my first opportunity to race in the NHRA with the Star
Racing team. We've had our share of bumps and bruises along the way, but just
like family, we've always worked through it and remained there for each other
throughout the years, even when we were in competition against each other. I
think I am better at anything I try when I have a coach, and GB3 (Bryce) is the
best racing coach there is."