Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Duane Shields made his best showing of the year at this past weekend's O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. Shields qualified his "Short Line Express" blown alcohol dragster third and worked his way to the semifinals where he lost to defending four time World Champion Rick Santos.

Shields, who owns the Short Line Express market chain in Las Vegas, ran a strong elapsed time of 5.376 seconds at 261.88 mph to take the third spot in the field. In round one, he ran a 5.473 at 259.36 mph on only seven cylinders to put away Sergio Recio. Shields then upped the ante in round two, however, by rocketing to a 5.358, his career best e.t., at 260.86 mph to put away Troy Buff. Shields' weekend would end in the semifinals against Santos. Shields launched into heavy tireshake, and slowed to a 5.485 at 243.72 mph to Santos' flawless 5.343 at 261.52 mph.

"We're certainly happy with the weekend," said Shields. "The performance of the car was better than we expected to run. Running our career best certainly motivated us. We spun a rear main in the semifinals against Rick (Santos). Anytime you run close to the numbers he runs, it makes it fun. We're definitely looking forward to the next race. There's a reason why he's the champion," continued Shields. "He's won so many races. Anytime you go up against him, you certainly have to do your best."

With Santos claiming Division 6 as his home division this year, the stage is set for many more possible battles between Shields and Santos. "I think that Division 6 is certainly going to give him a challenge," stated Shields. "We hope to be one of those challengers that doesn't allow him to win every race."

The next race for the Shields team will be the SummitRacing.com Nationals at "The Strip" in Las Vegas. Shields would love to pick up a win in front of his hometown fans. In addition to that race, the rained out final from the Tucson Division 7 race, where he will face the "Bud Prince" Brandon Bernstein, will be run at Las Vegas.

"With the altitude, and weather, it's going to be quite a bit warmer in Las Vegas," commented Shields. "If we can run in the 5.40's, I think we'll be one of the top qualifiers, and I think we'll have a good chance at winning both races."

Rookie Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Erica Walsh-Credeur had her weekend end prematurely at this past weekend's O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. While getting out of her car from a warm up, Walsh-Credeur slipped from the stool she uses to get in and out of the car, twisting her ankle, and tearing three ligaments. The injury forced Walsh-Credeur to withdraw from competition.

"Getting out of the car to get suited up for my second qualifying pass, my foot slipped off of the stool," said Walsh-Credeur. "It sprained my ankle, tore a few ligaments, and stretched a tendon. So I just have to stay off it for a little while."

Walsh-Credeur's injury has cast some uncertainty on to the team's next scheduled race, race three of the Division 2 Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series in Montgomery, Alabama, April 7 - 8. "Montgomery is in two weeks," commented Walsh-Credeur. "We'll just have to play it by ear to see if we can make that race. Since I'm a rookie, I'm not going to get in the car and take any chances on further hurting myself. If it takes skipping Montgomery, that's what we'll do, so we'll just wait and see."

For more information on the Walsh Motorsports team, visit their website.

Bet you forgot how much fun this is. Judging by your latest stories, you're having loads of it. Don't worry, you'll get your jitters out soon enough and it will all be worthwhile.

Just when you think you have things going your way, sometimes the unthinkable happens. Case in point is Federal-Mogul Funny Car driver Marc White at this past weekend's O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. White qualified No. 1 with a strong 5.678 elapsed time at 253.04 mph, and had the field covered by over a tenth of a second, but was disqualified in the second round for hitting a finish line cone.

White, from Glendale Heights, Illinois, came into the weekend hot off a strong performance at the rain postponed Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, where he put his brand new 2001 Firebird into the 5.70's. After qualifying No. 1 and an uneven amount of cars present, White received a bye in round one, and a ran a 5.783 at 251.58 mph. In the second round, White clearly had the win wrapped up, when his Firebird drifted closer and closer to the centerline. Just before the finish line, he hit one of the reflector cones, disqualifying him and giving the win to his opponent Kebin Kinsley, who had problems early in the run and shut off.

"Looking at the way the car was running, we were more than happy with it's performance this weekend," said White. "We accomplished every goal we wanted to as far as performance goes. In the second round against Kebin, it shook a little bit, and I got out of the groove, and I couldn't get back in the groove in time, and tipped over one of the cones, and that was the end of our weekend."

"I guess it had one tire in the groove, and one out," White continued. "I had both hands on the wheel turning it as hard as I could back to my lane, and eventually got off the throttle, but I guess it wasn't soon enough. I guess I should have got off the throttle a little earlier."

Even with the tough loss, the Etterman Racing Team is optimistic about the rest of the season, and returning to the postponed Mac Tools Gatornationals, April 20 - 21, where eliminations will resume in round two, and White will face Jay Payne. "We have no doubt about the car," stated White. "We know right now we have one of the fastest in the country. I just have to take care of the little mental mistake I made, and I think we'll be ok."

Television coverage from the O'Reilly Nationals featuring the Federal-Mogul categories will air from 1 - 2 p.m. (EST) Wednesday, April 4, on ESPN2. The new Etterman Racing team website will be up in the near future.

Just to let you know that we have changed our email address. Thanks.

"Sometimes it's just not your day," the saying goes. This past weekend at the O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, it just wasn't Federal-Mogul Dragster driver David Wells' weekend. Wells fought problems nearly every run in his Blue Bunny Ice Cream - "Plain Vanilla" Blown Alcohol Dragster, on his way to a first round loss.

Wells, who helps run the family ice cream company in LeMars, Iowa, would just as soon forget the weekend. In the first qualifying session, Wells was on a strong pass when his blower belt came off at half track. In the second session, Wells went up in smoke right off the line. He managed to get down the track to an elapsed time of 5.576 seconds at 253.71 mph to qualify him tenth. Wells had to face Shelly Howard in round one. Wells got out of the groove early, and was never able to recover, slowing to a 5.549 at 257.73 mph, to Howard's 5.462 at 258.76 mph.

However, Wells feels he has a handle on what was causing some of the problems over the weekend. "Well, we found a problem with the barrel valve," said Wells. "We found some junk in the fuel system that was causing all the adjustments to be way out of whack. We're also going to work some more on the clutch to get it where it needs to be. I think we found everything we needed to know. I just hope everything starts getting squared away soon."

From Houston, Wells and the Plain Vanilla team will move on to the Division 3 opener in Joliet, Illinois, April 27 - 29. Wells hopes to pick up the win to gain momentum on his upcoming Division 5 season. "If everything gets back to running like it should, we should be able to get back into the 5.40's," stated Wells. "The fuel system is out of whack, and so is the clutch. So if we get those two ironed out, it should run real good."

After looking unstoppable this past weekend, defending NHRA Division 5 Champion Bruce Bowler lost his second round matchup with eventual runnerup Joe Fuentes during the O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.

Bowler, from Denver, Colorado, led most of the event, qualifying No. 1 with a career best elapsed time of 5.330 seconds at 270.21 mph. In round one, he put away fellow Division 5 racer Randy Meyer with an impressive 5.344 at 259.46 mph on Saturday afternoon. The next day, different weather and track conditions lead to Bowler's demise, as he ran into heavy tireshake and was forced to pedal, running only a 5.515 at 261.47 mph to Fuentes' 5.446 at 255.92 mph. Even with the loss, Bowler feels the weekend was a big step in the right direction.

"We're real encouraged about what happened over the course of the weekend," said Bowler. "We've shown what the car's potential is. It's the beginning of the year, and we're trying to get used to the national event scene. I think we are making some progress. We're real happy with the performance of the car."

With the second round loss behind them, Bowler and crew feel they have a good idea of what caused the car to go into tireshake in round two. "We have a pretty good theory of what happened," Bowler commented. "From the computer data, we have a pretty good idea of what happened. We've also came up with a possible solution to the problem. We'll just have to find out next time. The one thing about drag racing is there is about a million ways to lose," laughed Bowler. "We're on about 247,321."

After this weekend's outing, Bowler feels confident that his Phoenix Custom Apparel A/Fuel Dragster is on the right track for their next race, the Division 5 opener at Heartland Park, in Topeka, Kansas, May 4 - 6. Bowler won this event last year on his way to the Division 5 Championship. "Topeka has been a good track for us in the past," Bowler stated. "I don't think Topeka quite has the bite Houston has, and it has a little more altitude than Houston too. I'm not going to go there expecting to run the same numbers we ran in Houston, but with these A/Fuel cars, you really never know. If the air and track conditions are good, who knows what she could run out there."

Television coverage of the O'Reilly Nationals, featuring the Federal-Mogul classes will air on ESPN2 from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. (EST), Wednesday, April 4. For more information on the Phoenix Motorsports team, visit their website.

Did we hear the roar of the B-1 yet? Hope all is well and all the parts are still where they belong? Talk to you soon.

Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Joe Fuentes was just one step away from his first national event win at this past weekend's O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. Fuentes, in his first full season of competition, worked his way to the finals where he had to race defending four time World Champion Rick Santos. The race was over at the start, as Fuentes redlighted by .003 of a second, handing the win to Santos.

Fuentes, from just outside Austin, Texas, qualified his Ora Vasquez tuned Blown Alcohol Dragster eighth with an elapsed time of 5.506 seconds at 257.09 mph. In round one, he took out fellow Texan Lee Callaway with a 5.459 at 257.92 mph. After advancing on Saturday, Fuentes was faced with the task of racing No. 1 qualifer Bruce Bowler in round two. Fuentes took the holeshot off the line and never looked back on his way to a 5.446 at 252.92 mph. In the semifinals, Fuentes defeated defending Division 4 Champion Jay Meyer with a career best 5.385 at 260.01 mph.

Going into the finals, Fuentes had won nine out of his last ten rounds. Santos had a slight performance advantage throughout the race, running a 5.34 in the semifinals, and as quick as a 5.32 in round two. Fuentes took a swing at the tree and redlighted with a .397 reaction time to Santos' .488. The J&D Racing B/AD stayed ahead of Santos the whole way as Fuentes recorded a 5.439 at 257.63 mph, to Santos' 5.357 at 261.83 mph. If Fuentes would have cut a .406 light, or better, he would have beaten Santos on a holeshot.

"We figured out a few things this weekend," said Fuentes. "Ora put it all together, and between him and Tony Rosillo, my crew chief, we got it into the 5.30's like we knew we could. I knew I had to take a shot at Santos because he was running so good. I just wish I would have been a little later (on the lights). The crew, Mike Young, Dave Zellenger and Jaime Garcia did great all weekend. They gave me a great car to drive."

With the runnerup finish in Houston, Fuentes has been in the final round at the last three races he has attended. Next weekend, the J&D Racing team will go into the fourth race in the Division 4 series in Memphis, Tennessee. Fuentes hopes to keep his final round streak alive with another win on the Divisional level. Going into the race, he is tied for second place with Shelly Howard, and trails Troy Buff by a mere 11 points. Fuentes hopes to erase that lead and take the points lead.

"We think we can win in Memphis," stated Fuentes. "We didn't really think about the points much when we started the year, but since we are doing well in points now, I think we can win the Division. We're going to go after it no matter what it takes."

Television coverage of the Federal-Mogul classes from the O'Reilly Nationals will air at 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, April 4th. For more information on the J&D Racing team, visit their website.

Long time no speak! Hope all is well at your end. I have a customer in Switzerland who is running an alky flopper. He is in need of some guidance on certain things and I thought that you would be just the guy to steer us right. If you have a moment, I'd like to pick your brain on certain aspects of setup and the like.

Specifically, he is interested in what the best compression ratio would be for him to run with a Whipplecharger. He also had some questions about crank balancing (whether to overbalance or not). He needs a good source of parts as well. In Europe (as you must know) parts are hard to come by. I'd like to help this guy out as he is really a number one fellow.

If you can help in any way, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

It's pretty hard to take a loss when you run your career best and still come up short. That was the case for Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Shelly Howard at this past weekend's O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. Howard ran a career best elapsed time of 5.394 seconds at 259.51 mph to lose one of the quickest side by side races in the history of the class to Santos' 5.327 at 262.23 mph.

Howard, a registered nurse from Tulsa, Oklahoma, qualified her Tom Conway tuned Blown Alcohol Dragster seventh with a 5.462 at 259.31 mph. In round one, she took out Division 5 heavy hitter David Wells' "Plain Vanilla" B/AD with a 5.462 at 258.76 mph. Going into her matchup with the defending four time World Champ Santos, Howard knew she had her work cut out for her.

"It's difficult to be too upset about losing when you run the best you ever have and lose," said Howard. "We're real happy about the 5.39. Santos stepped up and the best he had run all weekend, so our .39 just wasn't enough. The fact that we lost was overshadowed by the fact that we had a really good e.t."

The next race for the Howard Racing team will be next weekend in Memphis, Tennessee, for race four of the Division 4 series. Howard is currently tied for second with Joe Fuentes in Division 4 standings, and trails points leader Troy Buff by a mere 11 points. Howard hopes to leave Memphis with the points lead.

"We're going to try to run as fast as we can," stated Howard. "Obviously, I would like to take the points lead back for Division 4. We just want the car to be consistently quick. That's our objective."

Television coverage from the O'Reilly Nationals featuring the Federal-Mogul classes will air on ESPN2 from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. (EST), Wednesday, April 4th. For more information on the Howard team, visit their website.

G'Day Bob. Saw ya at the test'n'tune on Saturday (March 24th). I said hello to Ken, but you looked pretty busy when I walked past your pits. Anyway, I'd really appreciate it if you could check out my new website, and hopefully all your readers could also check it out, and let me know what you think. It's only a week old, but I've been really happy with the response so far. It's called Racerphill's Drag Racing Oz Style. Thanks. C'Ya round sometime.

Click here to read the clickable version.

Drag Racing Stories of The Day:

March 26
NHRA O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. Nhra.com provides the qualifying results. We add the winners.

March 25
Happy Birthday, John Mendes. Justin Mendes couldn't think of a better birthday present than to write a DRL story about his dad. We agree. Happy Birthday, John.

March 24
Fuller, The Greek, and The Dzus Fasteners. "Pit Crew Pete" Starrett tells a tale on Kent Fuller, showing that even chassis building masters sometimes have to say "Oops."

March 23
Big Yohns and Mendy at the March Meet. Ron Johnson provides a blow by blow account of his and driver Mendy Fry's outstanding Junior Fuel Dragster effort at Bakersfield 2001.

March 22
Valley Guys. Bill Holland tells how there once was a time when you could completely build and field an eight car Top Fuel show without ever leaving the San Fernando valley.

March 21
How The Surfers got "Started". Tom Jobe takes us through the sequence used to get the Surfers AA/Fuel Dragster started in the sixties.

March 20
Tommy McNeely's Great Experiment. Joel Naprstek with a little bit of a tall tale about one of our favorite racers and friends -- A/FX, Funny Car, and Pro Stock star Tommy McNeely.

Drag Racing Pictures of The Day:

March 26
Slammin' Willys Gassers. Steve Gibbs offers up a couple of bad doorslammers from '62.

March 25
Jim Wiens' Pro Street '69 Camaro. Jim Wiens sent along this photo of his bitchin' '69 Camaro Pro Streeter along with all the info on his 7.60 ride. Racers, be sure to send in YOUR information and photo.

March 24
38 Special! Dave Greytak's Nitro Coupe. Ron Dilley caight Dave Greytak's nitro coupe on another 220 mph blast.

March 23
Jim Murphy's WW2 Nostalgia Fueler. Robert Briggs caught the WW2 fueler getting some between rounds maintenance at the 2001 March Meet.

March 22
Ron Scott's Top Alcohol Funny Car in 1990. Rob Potter contributed this photo of one of New York's toughest drag racers.

March 21
Borscht Belt Brick -- A tricked out Yugo? Gonzo, a few hours, and Photoshop Software -- 'nuff said.

March 20
High Country Fiat Coupe. Pete Garramone captured Mike Guritzen's Fiat A/Coupe getting some between rounds maintenance in 1962.

Drag Racing Movies of The Week:

March 26
Jet Dragster Comin' At Ya. Paul Rogers: was he brave or crazy when he took this head on shot of a jet dragster?

Bob, did you get licensed? The world wants to know. Pretty impressive at Houston and Gainesville for Federal-Mogul Dragsters, eh? Santos, Shields and Hentges. The three quickest blown cars on the planet are all going to be at Mission Raceway for the Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event in May. I, for one, can't wait!

There is a bug going around the racing community. It is called win95.mtx., and can call itself all kinds of things. The one I opened was called "Me Nude" (ahem!). Kinda nasty little guy. Won't let you go to any websites that actually have the fix. If you open one, here's the fix. It's safe.

It has the bug that he's warning us about! Take care, Tony.

Hi, Bob. OOPS! Sorry about that. My mistake. I'm very sorry. Take care.

G'Day, Bob. Congratulations on getting the Northern Thunder clunker finally going downunder. Can't wait to see what you can run under full power.

PS: What's the goss on the Sydney situation that I don't know about? Since I didn't go to the Nationals this year, it has been over a year since I smelt Nitro - getting kind of edgy.

Due to the current economic situation, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off until further notice.

I'm not sure what your problem is with the computer, but I know everything works. If you still can't get it to work, bring it back with you, along with the cables and manual and I can figure it out for you before you go back down.

Your link to Drag City (Banning, CA) is not working. Please check. Thanks. Wrong site.

I'm sending you an invitation to join us at our new classified ads site. Please post your parts or vehicles (for free) with prices and phone numbers. This is a free service to you. Ads from the site will appear as well in our monthly publication of Quicktimes "Canada's Performance Source". Please take a look at the possibility of having Quicktimes free ads on line.

Here's the List, all 41 of them. Better sit down and buckle up for this trip

  (1)  Frankly scallop, I don't give a clam (seen on Cape Cod)

  (2)  That's It! I'm calling Grandma! (seen on an 8-year old)

  (3)  Wrinkled was not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up

  (4)  Procrastinate Now

  (5)  Rehab is for Quitters

  (6)  My Dog can lick anyone

  (7)  I have a degree in Liberal Arts -- Do you want fries with that?

  (8)  Party - My crib - Two A.M. (on a baby size shirt)

  (9)  Finally 21, and Legally able to do everything I've been doing since 15

 (10)  ALL MEN ARE IDIOTS, AND I MARRIED THEIR KING

 (11)  West Virginia: One million people and 15 last names

 (12)  FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION. It comes bundled with the software

 (13)  I'M OUT OF ESTROGEN AND I'VE GOT A GUN

 (14)  A hangover is the wrath of grapes

 (15)  A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance

 (16)  STUPIDITY IS NOT A HANDICAP. Park elsewhere!

 (17)  DISCOURAGE INBREEDING - Ban Country Music

 (18)  MOOSEHEAD: A great beer and a new experience for a moose

 (19)  They call it "PMS" because Mad Cow Disease was already taken

 (20)  He who dies with the most toys is dead nonetheless

 (21)  Time's fun when you're having flys -- Kermit The Frog

 (22)  POLICE STATION TOILET STOLEN.... Cops have nothing to go on

 (23)  FOR SALE: Iraqi rifle. Never fired. Dropped once.

 (24)  HECK IS WHERE PEOPLE GO WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN GOSH

 (25)  A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, but it uses up a thousand times the memory

 (26)  The meek shall inherit the earth... when we're done with it

 (27)  Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana

 (28)  HAM AND EGGS - A day's work for a chicken. A lifetime committment for a pig

 (29)  WELCOME TO KENTUCKY: Set your watch back 20 years

 (30)  The trouble with life is there's no background music

 (31)  IF THERE IS NO GOD, WHO POPS UP THE NEXT KLEENEX

 (32)  Suicidal Twin Kills Sister by Mistake

 (33)  The original point-and-click interface was a Smith & Wesson

 (34)  MY WILD OATS HAVE TURNED TO SHREDDED WHEAT

 (35)  Computer programmers don't byte, they nybble a bit

 (36)  Computer programmers know how to use their hardware

 (37)  MOP AND GLOW - Floor wax used by the Three-Mile-Island cleanup team

 (38)  NyQuil - The stuffy, sneezy, why-the-hell-is-the-room-spinning medicine

 (39)  Quoting one is plagiarism. Quoting many is research.

 (40)  A shirt with a Harley-Davidson logo on the front. The back said, 'IF YOU CAN READ THIS, THE BITCH FELL OFF'

 (41)  My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God, and I didn't

MORE EVIDENCE ON WHY AA/FUELERS ARE THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS FORM OF THEATER IN MOTORSPORTS

ATTENTION IN THE PITS:  Nitronic Research (www.nitronic.com) has finally uploaded its fiery and thorough coverage of front-motored Top Fuel action from the 42nd March Meet, complemented by the stellar photography of Mark Hovsepian, John Ewald, Mike Bumbeck and Jim Sorenson.

For an overdose of front-engined dragsters burning and guzzling the most exotic hydrocarbon on the planet (nitromethane, natch) and for more evidence of why the NR staff considers these AA/Fuel Dragsters to be the most outrageous form of theater in motorsport, point your browsers to: March Meet 2001.

A note to the bandwidth challenged (56K and below): This is a b-i-g download. Nitromaniacs: Chow down!

MASTER CAPITALISTS WITH SPARE SCRATCH BEWARE! SEND DAWN DOUGH!  NR is proud to announce that esteemed drag racing scenester and photojournalist Dawn Mazi has taken on the role of Advertising Majordomo for the website. Advertising inquiries can now be directed to Dawn Mazi.

Suffice it to say, we feel our rates are most reasonable and beyond that Nitronic Research is a cool place to send your advertising dollars. Since 1996 NR has seen and sees as much traffic as any drag racing website in existence. (We like to say that we were a dot com before it was cool, and we are a dot com after it was cool...).

Increase your visibility. Help us keep the NR staff fat and happy. This means ensuring that Editor-At-Large (or Large Editor, if you prefer) Wrenchski is well stocked in peanut butter. Clicks-n-Slicks copy chanteuse Pammy Utterback in thrift store micro-skirts. Merchandising Monkey Jim Sorenson in chimp food. For more information on how to help NR sell out and compromise its journalistic ideals, go to: NR Sellout.

Hey Bob, what is the advantage of using Netscape as opposed to Microsoft Explorer? Thanks.

It's Thursday evening here. GOOD ON YA MATE!!!!

Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Jim Belifore; I am the owner of Belifore Motorsports and Marketing Alliance. I'm writing this letter as the first step in looking for help in acquiring a major sponsor. We have a five year plan to get to Winston Cup. Belifore Motorsports and Marketing Alliance can offer a great marketing proposal to provide to potential companies; we have put a proposal together and we've sent it out to local and national companies.

We've not received any promising results. Now it is time to have the professionals at Wilson Motorsports Marketing help so we extend the offer to you to become part of this action campaign to help us reach potential sponsorship. Join us in our effort to bring Belifore Motorsports to the top of our sport and bring a major sponsor along with it.

Belifore Motorsports has gone from a championship team to an under funded struggling team. We are currently racing in the NASCAR Regional Pro Stock series in the Northeast, but we have plans to move up to the Busch North Series in 2002. We need to get an alliance with a major company and take them all the way to Winston Cup, and we will get there, one way or another. Just because we are in the NASCAR Regional Pro Stock series doesn't mean that we are a small time team. With funding, we would already be down south and a team to be reckoned with.

Jim Belifore, father of team driver Justin Belifore, has raced for 35 years as a car owner in the Super Modified division, but for lack of sponsorship it was financially impossible to buy, build and maintain forty thousand dollar, 900 horsepower, 470 cid, big block Chevy fuel injected engines. Justin and his family tried everything, but they could not get the sponsorship or funding; therefore, they made a decision at the end of the 1999 season to sell the SuperModified and go to a NASCAR racing series, where there was more widespread approval and favor of the corporate community.

They then built a first class racecar for the 2000 season, a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix and brought on six new team members. Although the season was set up as a learning season for the team, everything worked out ahead of schedule, and by mid-season, the team started to come to form and now they are ready to win in the upcoming 2001 season. For this reason they need and are looking for any kind of sponsorship that is available. Funding, or product support is an important component to make this a winning combination. Can you help us? We have all the tools to be the team to be reckoned with.

NASCAR auto racing is North America's fastest moving spectator sport. The sound and fury of NASCAR auto racing is a non-stop carnival for the senses; a celebration that is avidly followed by thousands of enthusiastic fans. However, this is not just a place to test the performance limits of drivers and machines. It is also an environment to conduct serious productive business. Marketing Alliance is about the business side of Belifore Motorsports. Commerce is as much a part of the oval track sport as competition. For a company to become a part of the Belifore Motorsports Racing Team is a business decision that makes sense. So buckle up and hold on. The 2001 season promises to be one to remember.

On the heels of two strong outings this year at Gainesville Raceway in Florida, Federal-Mogul Funny Car driver Marc White and the Etterman Racing team will head west to this weekend's O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. After dipping into the 5.7 (elapsed time) zone several times in Gainesville, White has his eyes set on running 5.60's in Houston this weekend.

White, from Glendale Heights, Illinois, qualified No. 2 in Gainesville with a 5.75 at 251 mph, then improved to a 5.74 at 252 mph in his round one victory. Heavy rains Saturday night that persisted into Sunday forced the event to be postponed until April 20-21.

White feels that the Etterman Racing 2001 Firebird has a 5.60 in it at Houston. "After the way we ran in Gainesville, and what we saw on the computer, we are really excited about going to Houston," said White. "Our confidence level is probably as high as it could be. We're looking to run in the .60's at around 253 mph. We think we should be able to run in that area."

Anchored by his early season performance, White feels the 2001 season will be a very strong one for Etterman Racing team. "We don't look at the points a whole lot," explained White. "The way we look at it is if you win rounds, the points will take care of themselves. Looking at the big picture, if you do well; you'll do well in points. With that in mind, if we continue to run well, I think we'll do pretty good in points."

Qualifying begins on Friday for the Federal-Mogul Funny Cars, at 10 am, with another session at 1:00 pm. Qualifying will resume Saturday morning at 9:30 am, with the first round of eliminations at 4:30 pm. Stay tuned to the Etterman Racing website for day by day updates of the team's progess in Houston.

It seems as if everywhere Joe Fuentes and the J&D Racing team goes, rain seems to follow, with only one event out of five he has attended not having rain at some point (Winternationals). Rain once again put a damper on things during last weekend's Mac Tools Gatorantionals in Gainesville, Florida, where Fuentes was the No. 5 qualifier and had just won his first round matchup with Bill McCornack.

"We got pretty loose in that last run in Gainesville (first round)," said Fuentes. "It took off hard and started shaking, and between that and the glare from the lights, I had a hard time seeing. I had my hands full driving and over-revved her pretty good by missing the shift point. It ended up throwing the belt off and slowed to a 5.69; luckily, we still won."

With that race now rescheduled for April, Fuentes and the team will put their sights on picking up their first national win in front of Texas fans during this weekend's O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Radceway Park.

Fuentes, the owner of JDEA, Inc., an electrical contracting company in Austin, Texas, feels that with the way his Ora Vasquez tuned Blown Alcohol Dragster has been running, they will be one of the contenders for victory this weekend. He also is looking to protect his status as No. 2 in the national points standings, and possibly improve.

"When we ran the divisional race here in February, it was pretty cold and we couldn't get a handle on the track," stated Fuentes. "We had the beadlock wheels (more aggressive) on then, and now we have the inner liner type rims, so that should help us keep from smoking the tires. If we get a good pass with the liner rims, we'll try the beadlocks. I'm pretty sure we won't have that problem this weekend. We should be able to pick up where we left off in Gainesville."

After being locked into the 5.40's at the last few races, Fuentes feels that this weekend he should be able to improve into the 5.30 zone. "Ora has put a few little tricks into the car for this weekend, so I think we can hit a 5.30 something this weekend for sure," commented Fuentes. "Low .40's at the very least. Just as long as I do my job, I know the car will do it's part."

Stay tuned to the J&D Racing Team website for day by day updates of the team's progress in Houston.

Hi. I really like your website, and I hope you keep adding to it, because it's really funny!

The last time Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Shelly Howard was at Houston Raceway Park for the Division 4 opener in February, she was the low qualifier and had set low e.t. of every round going into the final when persistent rains and cold weather cancelled the event. When the race was resumed two weeks later, Howard lost to Troy Buff in the race's final when she smoked the tires off the line. However, Howard feels it may have been a different story if they had run the final in Houston, and she will be looking to pick up where she left off during this weekend's O'Reilly Nationals just outside of Houston in Baytown, Texas.

The Tulsa, Oklahoma, based racer also comes into the event after a race she would easily like to forget at the Division 4 race in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After qualifying No. 2 with an elapsed time of 5.51 seconds at 257 mph, an internal transmission problem caused her to slow to a 5.77 which was enough for rookie driver Jason Cannon to get by her with a 5.60. This weekend, Howard hopes to put that behind her, and concentrate on running strong at her first national event of the year.

"We just hope that the car will be consistent, and I will be consistent," said Howard. "We're not going to change our gameplan because of one race. Baton Rouge was definitely not a positive race for us. Hopefully everything will fall into place this weekend, and we won't run into those kinds of problems."

At the Divisional race here earlier in the year, Howard ran a near career best e.t. of a 5.44 at only 252 mph. Howard stayed in the 5.40's in eliminations, and hopes to return to the 5.40's this weekend. "If the air and track is good, I think we can get back down into the 5.40's," stated Howard. "It's just been a little over a month since we were there, so we'll just have to see because there is a lot of variables involved. You can relate to previous races in some ways, but in others you can't. We'll just give it our best shot."

Qualifying begins on Friday for the Federal-Mogul Dragsters at 10 a.m., with another session at 1:00 p.m. Qualifying will resume Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m., with the first round of eliminations at 4:30 p.m. Stay tuned to the Howard Team's website for day by day updates of the team's progress in Houston.

Rookie Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Erica Walsh-Credeur will enter her second race, and first national event of her career during this weekend's O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. The former 1992 Miss Rodeo Louisiana, from Lafayette, Louisiana, qualified No. 8 and lost her first round matchup with heavy hitter Joe Fuentes at her first race in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Walsh-Credeur has stated that this season is for her to get seat time, and to learn as much as possible. With one race under her belt, she hopes to improve in Houston, along with continuing her learning curve. "This is my first national event, so it's going to be a tougher and quicker field," said Walsh-Credeur. "We definitely want to step it up and qualify with a strong five second run. We also want to make it past the first round this time, and go from there."

Walsh-Credeur ran a career best 6.07 at 252 mph on a run that was far from perfect in Baton Rouge. With tuning assistance from former World Champion Tom Conway, she feels her Black Max Downhole Tools sponsored Blown Alcohol Dragster has much more left in it. "We saw in Baton Rouge that I was letting my rpm's drop a little right before the run, and that was really hurting us." stated Walsh-Credeur. "If I can get the staging rpm right and leave a little harder, we should be able to see what the car can do."

Qualifying begins on Friday for the Federal-Mogul Dragsters at 10 a.m., with another session at 1:00 p.m. Qualifying will resume on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m., with the first round of eliminations at 4:30 p.m. Stay tuned to Drag Race Central for round by round updates from Houston. For more information about the Walsh Motorsports team, visit their website.

I'm searching for information about how to use methanol and nitromethane in my 888 Ducati for hill climbing. This engine is tuned with a 17:1 compression ratio and very strong titanium rods. I need methanol engine data for ignition and injection. Where could I find this information? (Books, websites, people with experience).

I can change all this data with my computer, but I'm really a novice with this kind of tuning. What are the differnces from the usual fuel? What are the risks of using nitromethane? How much power is it possible to add with different ratios of methanol/nitromethane?

If this engine is good, I could come to the U.S. for hill climbing racing. Thank you.

Despite bad weather shortening the event, Victor Bray has moved further ahead in the Australian Top Doorslammer Championship with a strong performance at the K&N Filters Australian Nationals at Calder Park Raceway. The Nationals is an event that has so far eluded Bray during his highly successful career and the Castrol team went into the weekend determined to do well. After qualifying at the head of the field with a strong 6.28 second pass in the Castrol '57 Chevrolet, Bray defeated Rob Broadbent of Sydney in the first round and David Simpson of Perth in the semifinal to gain a place in the final where he was to face Melbourne's Peter Kapiris in his '53 Studebaker.

Unfortunately, the start of racing had been delayed at the event due to gale force winds and intermittment rain in the late afternoon and organizers were not able to run the final before the 11:00 pm noise curfew took effect. It's believed that Bray and Kapiris will decide the final in a special race to be held at the next round of the series at Willowbank Raceway's Australian Tin Top Titles on April 14th. This arrangement is subject to confirmation by the Australian National Drag Racing Association. ANDRA rules provide for the awarding of points at incomplete events, so even if the final is not held, both Bray and Kapiris will be credited with runnerup points as well as bonus points for quickest ET of the event of Bray and highest speed to Kapiris.

With main series challengers, Andrew Searle, Brett Stevens and Gary Phillips all losing in the opening round and Robin Judd failing to qualify, Bray stretches his lead in the championship to 77 points, while Kapiris moves from fifth to second in one leap. A further 20 points will go to either Bray or Kapiris if the final is run at Willowbank as suggested.

"Ive waited a long time to be in a final at the Nationals and another few weeks won't worry me, just as long as we get to run," commented Bray. "Obviously the way things have gone with the points, this was a good meeting for us already. With two events to go, we're still a long way from home, but things are looking better than they did a while ago. The Castrol Chev is producing good elapsed times consistently at the moment, and we just have to make sure we keep it up. To win a Nationals at last would be fantastic but a sixth straight championship still has to be our main goal."

Before contesting the next round of the series in April, Bray and his Castrol team will be racing at Benaraby Raceway near Gladstone on March 24th and at Tarmak Raceway in Tasmania on the 31st.

Championship points as at March 18: (Subject to ANDRA confirmation)

Click here to read the clickable version.

The Dark Ages:   It was pretty bleak around Drag Racing List World Headquarters during the last two weeks. For those of you who haven't heard the saga, on March 1st some bozo fired off a Trojan Horse or something on the server on which we resided. That blew everybody that was on that box away, including us. Our major site sponsor - Martel Bros. Performance - was especially hard hit. As one of the top internet performance parts businesses in the world, they lost big dollars by being down for ten days.

At that point however, I did not want to interfere any more with the Martel Bros. by trying to force my stuff to update to the page. And I certainly didn't want to take up any more of Don Wilshe's time as he tried to reconstruct the massive Martel Bros. site. The great part is that we have moved to a new server that is ALL OURS! It's fast and has plenty of room for growth. We are moving all our sites there within the next week.

We didn't set any records for March, since we basically were down and unavailable for the past ten days. Our readers have returned in force, however, for the past ten days. I truly apologize for your having to see the same thing over and over for that period of time. We have uploaded a new story of the day for every day we were down. Enjoy! Now we have to find more content, so send in those stories and memories. We want to print it all. PS: Please note the new email address and please update your address books.

Drag Racing Stories of The Day

March 19
Final Qualifying - 2001 NHRA Gatornationals. nhra.com provides the lineup for Sunday's (rained out) eliminations.

March 18
2001 Gatornationals Friday qualifying. nhra.com gives up the stats.

March 17
Final Results: The 42nd March Meet at Bakersfield. The Goodguys spill the facts on Bakersfield 2001.

March 16
Shirley Muldowney: Diva of Drag Racing. Billy Anderson makes the case for Shirley as the ultimate drag racer.

March 15
Ten Hours in the Sun. James Morgan tells what it's like to sit outside all day, shooting drag cars... and why he wouldn't be anywhere else.

March 14
Draglist.com expresses our gratitude, an explanation for what happened, and our plans for never letting it happen again.

March 13
Could a Front Engine Dragster be competitive today? Jim Burke offers his opinions, backed up by experience with his own late model FED.

March 12
Simpson's First Drag Chutes. Tom Jobe with an entertaining and informative tale of how Bill Simpson got started making drag chutes and how The Surfers put them to the test.

March 11
The Legend of Flaming Frank Pedregon. Tom West and Ken Logan team up to tell how Flaming Frank got that coupe to belch smoke and fire all the way down the strip.

March 10
James Morgan's Top Ten Funny Car List. Just what it says! Do you agree with James' picks? Got your own list? Send it in. We'll print it.

March 9
Broken Clutches and Push Starts. Don Roberts with some then "warm" but now-funny tales of nitro racing in the Northeast.

March 8
A Goggles Story, or Use The Proper Chute. Randy Bradford tells what happens when you drive 176 mph into a drag chute that is WAY too big.

March 7
Racing on the River Road. Pat Foster remembers when SoCal drag racers were still "young 'n dumb" and settling things on the River Road.

March 6
Dodgin' The Venolias. Jeffrey Howe tells about the time Jimmy King had to fend off several of Venolia's best as he spit parts out in the King & Marshall Front Engine Dragster.

March 5
The Italian Way at the Gators. Gene Terenzio fills us in on the altered stars memorable trip to the Gatornationals a few years ago.

March 4
Ladies of Harley Invade. Teri Nelson and little Ricki are ready to ride for 2001.

March 3
NHRA's List of The Top 50 Racers of all time as selected by outstanding Drag Racing Photojournalists and Insiders. Of course, our own Bret Kepner is on the list as one might expect. But imagine our surprise when Phil Burgess (editor of National Dragster) tapped Danny White and myself to join this esteemed group in sending in our lists of the top 50 racers. We are extremely proud to take part in this endeavor. As I said last week, everybody in the sport should visit NHRA.com's 50th anniversary site to find out where modern NHRA-style drag racing came from. Regardless of sanctioning affiliation, no serious drag racing fan should go forward with the knowledge contained on this site.

March 2
The Upset of the Race --- Almost. Lyle Greenberg tells how he almost took out FM/FC hitter Bucky Austin at the Phoenix NHRA event.

March 1
Headers: Cheap or High Buck? Jim Hill discusses the difference between exhaust headers for different applications.

Drag Racing Pictures of The Day

March 19
The Guzman & Dekker "Assasination" Funny Car. Paul Hutchins caught the beautiful machine at Bandimere in 1973.

March 18
Charles Carpenter's Nitrous Backfire. Mark Hovsepian captured one of the earliest nitrous backfires in history as Charles took on the West Coast cars on a 1990 tour.

March 17
Hemi Wagon goes for 300 mph. John D. tells the story of a six second, 212 mph drag racing wagon on the way to the salt flats.

March 16
Saturday night at the Fonda Drags. Joel Naprstek with a scan from 1963 that includes a certain lady drag racer you may have read about recently.

March 15
The Winged Express Rides Again. Jim Sorenson caught Mousie Marcellus's famous Fuel Altered at the 2000 Nightfire event. We miss Willie Borsch, but Mousie keeps on doing it.

March 14
Rapid Ronnie Lyles' Pro Stock Hemi Colt. James Morgan grabbed a shot of the tough little Mopar in the pits.

March 13
The Power of Duct Tape -- Bill Kuhlmann's Corvette. Ernie Broughton caught Bill doing what he does best -- winning, no matter what it takes.

March 12
Kenny Safford's Wicked Rail Dragster. Another gem from the Daryl Huffman collection.

March 11
Altered OUT OF SHAPE on a Burnout. Brian Wood contributes this super shot of Chris McClellan just BARELY controlling his wild, six second altered on a burnout.

March 10
Big Bad Mike Burkhart's '71 Camaro. Bob Plumer reached in to the Drag Racing Memories collection for another great shot of a bitchin' race car.

March 9
Road Rage! A Bad, Blown Ford Mustang. Anni Valder checks in with a wicked blue oval product from Britain.

March 8
Showtime, UK Style. Funny Car at Night. Andy "Tog" Rogers with an awesome shot of Englishman Bill Sherratt with the header flames high.

March 7
Transition Machine -- The Blue Blazer Corvette. Tom West with another gorgeous shot of a neat period in the transition between Fuel Altereds and Funny Cars.

March 6
Bad Doorslammers -- '55 Chevy and '41 Willys line art. Tom DeLello graces our pages with some more neat drag racing - street machine artwork.

March 5
San Gabe in the '60's -- Four Bad Machines. Steve Gibbs takes us on another ride down memory lane with a photo of one each -- an altered, a coupe, a doorslammer, and a gasser.

March 4
Doin' It In The Sand. Jeremy Stevens's Blown Roadster. Jeff Mills and his pals drag race in the sand in Missouri. Here's a killer little blown roadster kickin' up some dust.

March 3
The Unknown Wheelie -- Super Twin Drag Bike. Sharkman got this fantastic shot of a drag bike racer in Holland barely hanging on to a gigantic wheelie.

March 2
Big Daddy Takes "4" For a Ride. Ron Dilley caught the old man taking his radical restoration for a quick trip to the finish line.

March 1
Amazing Model: Mike Sullivan's Fuel Altered. Jack Smith has built an amazing replica of Mike Sullivan's famous Fiat. He shows it off here and provides links to his page showing the entire build-up.

Drag Racing Movies of The Week

March 19
Northwest Funny Car Burnout Action. Jay Mageau provided this Reid Johnson footage of a great Funny Car burnout.

March 12
Dave Simpson's six-second Top Doorslammer. Peter MacGregor caught this six-second Ford at the world's newest strip.

March 5
Blown Comp Firebird Burnout. Paul Rogers grabbed this footage of a hard Maurice Fabietti burnout in sunny, warm Australia.

On our journey to the Gators, our favorite flight attendant, Denise Pettie, was working our flight. What service this girl gives! (guess it helps we've been friends for so long... Unfortunately she was on duty... her lips never got numb). Seeing her backing up the drink cart made me proud. She obviously has gone to Lezlee's school of backing up. She signalled her driver with the utmost perfection. Although no one else on the flight knew what she was doing... but Mark and I thought she was hilarious. Just don't ask her for a coffee; she has troubles with her coffee. She definitely made the five hour flight "fly by". Thanks!

While shopping at midnight that night (airline lost our luggage), I found my newest and favoritist Lucky Penny. I'm sure that penny made all the difference in our back to back 5.38's. Did you all hear us hollering and honking?) It was pretty exciting. The topper was: Rick Santos qualified second, right behind us. It felt soooo good. Unfortunately, my newest and favoritist lucky penny didn't work on the weather. It rained out on Sunday and the race was rescheduled for April 21st. Yuk! Funny thing: Reese got rained out too, here in Seattle. Our next race will be the Vegas Nationals, the first part of April. Will keep you posted.

Did you get a chance to go by Duggan's place? How could we arrange the shipping of those blocks? I guess they wouldn't fit under the seat of the airplane. Maybe you could throw your luggage away and stuff your clothes into the liners of the block and call it a suitcase. Thanks for your efforts.

Hi, mate. I trust you enjoyed your stay at the "Shady Doncaster Lodge", after all the wind, rain and just being darn cold.

There has been some very positive reporting of the recent "Racers Nationals", held at Calder Park. A full page spread with colour pictures (I will try to scan this for you, so you can post it on the website), was in the Monday edition of the Melbourne Herald Sun. The report read as follows:

"Fright night came and went in five second flashes of fire and brimstone in Melbourne on Saturday night -- The fastest show on four wheels ever contrived in the name of Motorsport. An ear splitting assault on the senses, the Australian Drag Racing Nationals is one of those relatively obscure thrillseeking events that operate way out there on the edge of what's possible, and prudent, without mainstream punters ever knowing about it".

How true of recent times, but to the credit of everyone involved with the promotion of the event, there was very good advertising on Melbourne "Prime Time" TV. Ron Reed, the journo, goes on to write about Top Fuel racing and it's drivers, giving attention to Jim Read's 300 mph run at Willowbank - "Much like the four minute mile is to athletics, the 300 mph is the yardstick for greatness".

He touched on about how the event (Nationals) may have never been on -- due to legal issues. (But I am sure Bob Jane compensated that little problem). So for once, I have read positive, and constructive, reporting about drag racing.

For the weekend as a whole, the crowd was a little disappointing during Friday (understandable, being a work day), but they came and showed when it looked as though it would be a washout, and as usual, the "big guns" came fully prepared, with some great looking truck - trailer combinations. Their dedication can only be admired for the effort being put into racing.

Now, for all of those wondering how the "Bucks Night" ended. Yep, I blew a burst panel, after about the tenth, or was it the thirteenth Tequila Slammer? Plus the worm; I think he felt better than I did. The result: tequila champion Steve redlighted (to say the least, and yes, my head still hurts). And I'm sure Bob will print a few "kind" words to say about the night.

It was great to have you over and hope you have success with the car on Thursday. I think you're going out to Willowbank then. Keep in touch.

Hi, Mr. Vancouver. Well, I have finally had a look at your web page, not the whole lot as yet, however I will check it all out at some stage. I'm just a bit too tired at present from the work I've done this week at the race. Thank you for your enlightening conversation at Calder Park. Bye for now and I will email you again if that's okay and let you know what I think of your site when I've looked at it all.

Are the drags on today at Calder, or is it too wet?

Okay, when you left you said you would be posting updates to the site so we know what is happening at the Nationals. A whole day has passed and no report! It is Friday morning and I know you are back at the track now, so we won't get a report until tonight. I'll check back then. If you wait too long, we can read it in DRAGSTER Australia.

Bob, how about a race update for your loyal hard working crew? We have got some good news on the car - call me.

Hey Bob, just another person calling from over here on the hill. We just did another start-up and guess what? We got the key in the ignition and even the tacho worked, but the computer still won't play the game though. We took # 6 pyro out and used Ken's pyro guage to find out that we have about 875 (F) at stage rpm.

It still sounds fat at idle and we're going to do another start-up later this afternoon, but it looks like we're ready to go to the start line in the not too distant future. By the way, don't start having kittens; I won't let Ken or Dave take the keys home tonight and take the car out to Willowbank tomorrow.

Have a ball down in Melbourne and shoot me later for forgetting the darn video camera, but it was a pretty straightforward start-up anyways. All the best, and I'll hear from you as soon as you read this I guess.

The Nostalgia Hot Rod Eliminator Club now has a domain name. Bookmark the address and follow the adventures of these Nostalgia Hot Rods. www.nostalgiahotrods.com.

And while you're surfing, check out my Supercharged '48 Fiat Topolino website.

Victor Bray drove his Castrol 1957 Chevrolet to a 6.286 second elapsed time at 226.47 miles per hour an top the qualifying sheets on day one of the Australian National Drag Racing Titles being held at Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne.

Bray's first qualifying attempt wasn't as successful as he suffered traction problems, overpowering the tack conditions. His quick time in the second session was also affected by limited traction and Victor is confident that the car is capable of going even quicker in tomorrow's final two qualifying sesions. He currently enjoys almost a tenth of a second margin back to second qualifier, Melbourne's Peter Kapiris.

Bray commented, "The track's still a bit marginal but hopefully it will come around as more and more cars go down it. I really had to drive the Castrol Chev all the way as it was moving around a heck of a lot. I was a bit late shifting into top gear because it was crossed up and that cost us some time. If the conditions improve, I'm sure the times will too."

Victor Bray will be attempting to win his first Australian Nationals when elimination racing gets underway on Saturday. Despite claiming a record five Australian Championship Series in a row, the Nationals is one event that has eluded the popular driver through his career. A victory in this event would also provide Bray with a strong points buffer as he attempts to secure a sixth consecutive Australian Championship.

Coming into this season, not many people knew who Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Joe Fuentes was. Those who did know him figured it would be a while before he got a handle on the class. Going into this weekend's Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, all eyes will be on Fuentes, being one of the hottest drivers in the class, and one of the favorites to win the event.

Last weekend, Fuentes picked up his first career win at the Division 4 race in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and smashed both ends of the track record with a solid 5.47 second elapsed time at over 258 mph. The race before that, at the Division 4 race in Dallas, Texas, he made his first final round, only to explode a burst panel due to a clogged fuel line and lose the race. In just his first full season, much of Fuentes' early success can be attributed to veteran tuner Ora Vasquez.

This weekend, Fuentes will be looking for his first national event victory. "We're basically just treating it like another race," said Fuentes. "We're going to try our best to get the car tuned to the track. I've never been to Gainesville, but Ora has, so I'm sure he can put together a pretty good tuneup. We're just going to try to leave everything the same as much as possible."

At the first race of the year, the AutoZone Winternationals, in Pomona, California, Fuentes ran a career best 5.44 e.t. With Gainesville Raceway's reputation for being a fast track, Fuentes feels more may be in store out of the J&D Racing Blown Alcohol Dragster. "We ran that 5.47 in Baton Rouge when nobody thought that it could be possible to run that at that track," stated Fuentes. "So, anything is possible this weekend. If we get the car to hook up good, I'm pretty sure we can run in the .40's, and maybe even a .30 if the conditions are right."

The Federal-Mogul Dragsters will have two qualifying sessions on Friday at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Stay tuned to J&D Racing's website for day by day updates of the racing action from Gainesville.

The B-1 lives. Keep checking the filters Bobby. All the best!

Hi. On your Nostalgia Links page, you've got a link to our website. The link has changed. The new address is www.classichemi.com. Please change your link. Thanks.

Just a few weeks ago, Federal-Mogul Funny Car driver Mark White rolled into Gainesville Raceway for the Division 2 Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series opener to get some test laps on his brand new 2001 Firebird. This weekend, White and the Etterman Racing team will be looking to take the data they gathered in that outing and turn it into a win at this weekend's Mac Tools Gatornationals, just outside of Gainesville, Florida.

White, from Glendale Heights, Illinois, made it to the semifinals of that race in February, where he was defeated by six time World Champion Frank Manzo. The gameplan going into that weekend was to use the race strictly as a testing event. With that race in the books, the team now has it's sights set on bringing home the Gatornationals trophy back to Illinois.

"We were real happy with what we did in Gainesville last time," said White. "With the data we gathered, we see that there is a whole lot left in the car. We plan on going down there and being in the hunt. If all things go well, we should have a shot at winning this race."

White was able to dip into the 5.80's at that race, and feels more may be in store this weekend. "I really believe we should be able to run mid 5.70's," stated White. "If the weather is comparable to the way it was last time we were there, and if we do the right things, there is definitely mid 5.70's in this car right now. We think the car can be a contender this year," continued White. "I hate to say definitely, because this sport can humble you real quick, but we definitely feel we have a car that can play hardball with these guys."

Qualifying begins at 10 a.m. Friday for the Federal-Mogul Funny Cars, with round two of qualifying at 4 p.m. Stay tuned to the Etterman Racing Team's new website for day by day updates of the team's progress in Gainesville.

Just been having a look at your Northern Thunder "Downunder" Top Ten list for Top Doorslammers. I've read the disclaimer at the top and I understand that everyone cannot be included in the List, but one person whom I really think should be there is Robin Judd from Western Australia. He is currently our quickest in Australia (that's right, quicker than Victor Bray) and is equal world record holder for quickest pass. Just something for you to consider.

Robin Judd's '53 Studebaker -- 6.17 at 222.44 mph. You can view more of his details at Studebaker Racing. Thanks.

Here's what's new at HotRodder.com:

HotRodder.com decals: Hey folks, our new decals have arrived! You can see what they look like and find out how to get yours at Decals. Soon we'll be offering HotRodder.com hats & shirts with our new logo too. And eventually, a whole line of racer's apparel.

Virtual car show: We've also just completed the setup of our Virtual Car Show Slideshow. We've taken the small thumbnail pictures of the cars and put them in a cool java slide viewer that scrolls across the page and lets you click on the picture of your choice. Unfortunately, slower modems will take longer to load this feature, but we hope most people will enjoy this new way of displaying these pictures. Check it out at Slideshow.

AOL users, you may also have problems with the java program if your Java compiler is disabled in your AOL browser. Another problem with the AOL browser is that when you access a webpage, AOL will "compress" the graphics. This is helpful because it will make webpages load faster for your viewing pleasure, but it is bad because it creates a very poor quality, grainy picture. If you'd like to turn off the compressed graphics feature and also make sure your AOL browser will let Java applets run, just follow these directions:

   (1)   Choose my AOL from the top menu, then Preferences, then WWW
   (2)   Under the Security tab, make sure that the "Enable Java Programs" box is checked
   (3)   Under the Advanced tab, make sure that the "Enable Java Compiler" box is checked
   (4)   Under the Web Graphics tab, make sure that the "Compress Graphics" box is unchecked
   (5)   Logoff and then restart

New Products from the Aftermarket: Have you looked in on this feature lately? We've added a few new products. One of which is a collection of engine rings. No, not that kind that go around a piston, but the kind that fits around your finger. These very unique pieces of jewelry are handcrafted in silver and gold. See them at Products.

Members of the Week:
XL 390 -- Serving up the best in hot cars and cool guitars.
Millcreek -- Features two Kentucky boys and their six second 1/8th mile cars.
Stop in to see these members' homepages and surf around, then drop them a line to let them know you visited.

Slick Sites: We urge you to visit all our members' sites because you just never know what you'll discover. I was checking out Nick's Mopar pages the other day and came upon a very interesting link titled Cars in Barns. Have a handkerchief handy because it'll bring tears to a grown man's eyes if you go there. They feature a HUGE collection of pictures of good 'ole American Muscle rotting away in fields and barns.

Now if that's too depressing, go here for some good laughs. It's "The Dialectizer". It transforms webpage's grammar to a variety of other dialects like Redneck, Jive, Elmer Fudd, moron, etc. It's just a blast. I typed in the HotRodder.com homepage, chose the Redneck dialect and was just amazed to read what turned up, but when I clicked to go read the My First Car stories in that dialect, I thought I'd fall off my chair from laughing so hard.

Legislative Alert: We've recently been made aware of some alarming legislative issues in various states that may greatly affect the old car hobbyist. Check to see if your state legislature has an emissions or scrappage low on their venue for this year by going to the SEMA webpage. Folks in California, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, Vermont... Contact your legislator today.

Events: There's some great events going on in March. Check our Events Calendar for the details on the Seattle Roadster Show, Oregon Rod & Custom Show, and the Daytona Beach Car Show & Swap Meet.

Bob: CONGRATS!!!! A long time coming. This has been the Canadian racers answer to a soap opera. Waiting each day, month after month... will he succeed? Can he find the money? Will Tom's ideas prevail? Stay tuned for tomorrow's exciting conclusion... etc.... etc.

Now you can get some sleep, discover girls, discover what they are like, learn new things. Whooow... a whole new life is out there.

Jokes aside, I'm very happy for you. Good luck in the months to follow. Oh, by the by, I've got a new e-mail address and I've also moved to Kelowna. Couldn't stand the rain anymore.

We need to know if you have a top plate for a Pro-Dominator Tunnel-Ram intake to adapt to an Enderle Aluminum Bird Catcher, for a small block Chevy. If so, what are the dimensions, availability, and cost? Thanks for your help. Awaiting your reply.

Bob, I thought you were from Canada. Guess I didn't pay enough attention! Since you are in Australia, let me know if you need any help. At least we don't have to worry about running (against) you over here.

What are the rules down there for TA/D, just out of curiousity? We have a 451 BAE that weighs 2025 wet (we can drain six gallons out of the tank after the run), with a "D" model PSI. Maybe we can talk the sponsors into going downunder one of these days. Thanks for the help.

G'Day mate. Just wondering if you still require the accomodation while in Melbourne. And if so, when will you be arriving? If you need to be picked up from the airport, please let me know.

The vigilante trail is long and treacherous and for a lawman to survive in the nitro badlands requires a cool head and a calm hand. Just ask Jack "The Sheriff" Harris and his Utah Posse, who took a trek out west with their "Nitro Thunder" dragster to track down and then put down some of the finest AA/Fuel Dragster teams in the country, most all of whom were competing at the Goodguys 42nd March Meet.

An unprecedented bounty of $10,000 would go to the event winner, and Harris claimed the loot by triumphing over Lee Jennings and the "California Trucker" entry (theretofore the # 3 entry on the List) in exquisite fashion, laying down a crushing and victorious elapsed time of 5.99 seconds at a punishing 244 mph over Jennings, who was fighting traction woes as a result of hopping up his hot rod in anticipation of a merciless and mercenary showdown.

The drama was all in Harris' lane: He posted numbers that not only procured the event win, but also stood for Low ET and Top Speed of the Meet, all of which are laurels used to factor rank on the Nitronic Research List. Harris's claiming all three elements in the final round was instrumental in his leapfrogging past Jennings on the List.

Before the weekend began, Harris' "Nitro Thunder" Chrysler-powered car was the # 4 car on the Nitronic Research AA/FD List, by virtue of some outstanding performances at last summer's Nightfire Nationals in Boise, Idaho, as well as a jarring win at the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield last October.

Harris moved up the List by taking a very calm and measured approach to vanquishing the opposition (28 entries attempting to qualify for a 16 car show) at the March Meet, as he walked down the main drag of Nitrotown and nonchalantly fired off a series of blasts at Famoso Raceway.

In the first round, Harris bushwhacked the Birky Bunch with an elapsed time of 6.14 seconds at 223 mph. In the second round, Harris drove around cagey veteran Denver Schutz, with a 6.11 at 234. Every heat saw an incremental advance in performance for Harris, as evidenced by a semifinal clocking of 6.05 - 237 (at the expense of Howard "Short Dog" Haight, who had been having a career day), and finally with the final round gauntlet, whereupon Harris provided the meet's only 5-second and 240-plus mph times.

Harris credits the bodacious speed to his "driving it out the back door. It felt good from half track... we really didn't even touch the motor, although we added a half percent of nitro for the final round."

Utah Posse member (and "Nitro Thunder" co-tuner) Scott Mason corroborated what the driver had to say and added they "were mildly agressive with the clutch (adding counterweight), but only to avoid sawing through it." Moments before the $10,000 showdown, Mason was asked if the Sultans of the Salt had anything extra for the final round. Mason was poker-faced and tersely and softly uttered, "You're going to like this one." Moments later, a capacity crowd of nitromaniacs understood exactly what he meant and cheered in profound exultation and appreciation.

Nitronic Research AA/Fuel Dragster List Notes:

Item:   NR would like to acknowledge the exploits of the Gotelli Speed Shop, who had been # 2 on the List before Gotelli horsepower heir Larry Sr. dug deep and decided to sell the race operation. Since they are no longer in competition they will be retired from the List. They will be missed on the circuit.

Item:   Dramatic theatre was provided by Fuller & Dunlap (# 7 on the List) during the first round of eliminations. After claiming the # 1 qualifier spot, Bill Dunlap squared off against Dale Pulde and the "Ground Zero" entry; Dunlap had problems finding the groove and the sticky parts whilst backing 'er up from the burnout. It turned out the steering linkage was broken. Impromptu steering repairs commenced, first as chassis builder Davey Uyehara and then beefier members of the crew took turns jumping and kicking on the broken link like Yosemite Sam having a temper tantrum. Finally it was hammered into reasonable (?) shape by a swift, methodical kick and to the disbelief of the assembled, they staged it!

Some of us wondered if the dragster had any steering at all and at the green light Dunlap picked up the front end and drove the tar out of it, carving s's like a timber rattler. Pulde took the win with a 6.16 - 237, while Dunlap gave brave pursuit with a 6.23 - 219. Dunlap's tire tracks were anything but a parallax view. Dunlap on his ride: "The steering arm on the spindle was bent out of place; it was okay according to Uyehara (after the quick fix), but the steering wheel was 90 degrees from where it sits normally so I could not push the button to advance the mag at half track and then it laid over. I had steering," he continued, "and I had no problem. It carried the wheels and I had the wheel cocked to compensate. It was all second nature." Uh huh.

Item:   Come Sunday morning, # 1 List dwellers Champion Speed Shop were awarded a check for 1000 clams worth of hardware from Titan Engineering in appreciation for their dominating performance in Y2K. Never ones to sit idle, over the winter the Champion bunch refined their approach to thermodynamics, swapping the Brodix sprint car heads formerly used to propel their bored and stroked Chevy mouse motor for state of the art Alan Johnson billet heads that were developed for Pro Stock Truck (!).

Team leader Bob McLennan anticipates "less boom boom" with the new heads, as they do not feature the delicate (and volatile) siamesed exhaust ports of traditional small block Chevy heads. McLennan cited safety issues as much as anything for the parts swap and then admitted that the Johnson heads "flow ten percent better than the Brodix heads." He also said they "don't flow as well as Hot Heads (used by some of the Chrysler teams)." So there.

Item:   After making hardware changes over the winter, # 2 List member Jim "Holy Smokes" Murphy and his WW2 team feel very confident about their chances in 2001. The digger ran quite well but lost to Champion in a first round barnburner of a drag race (6.04 to 6.07). With that being said, after a blinding top end fire, Murphy feels compelled to lengthen the fuse another couple hundred feet or so. Against Champion, Murphy was riding a missile off the pad, but then boomed it in the lights after the WW2 mill started spitting out sundry stuff at the big end.

Nonplussed, Murphy said afterwards that "She's gonna run. We're struggling with brand new stuff. We have way more boost with this new blower (SSI) so we'll slow the blower down." When asked about the run itself, Murphy said, "it was a nice, smooth run, not violent, a little soft, and around 1000 feet the motor starts coming up and I say to myself 'do I get out of this thing?' It burned two pistons and blew the bottom of the blower out. There was a big round fire, I reached over and pulled the chute, changed hands and came over and clipped the guardrail. I could see through the oil, but I just saw light because of the big ball which was wider than the motor and very high." About the different tuneup: "We are on the right track. It is rich to 900 feet, but the blower goes up so much. The old blower was 33 pounds of boost, this thing is making 46....

Item:   John Eirich's "Ground Zero", the # 8 entry on the List, was unable to defend their March Meet title, but they did go a couple of rounds. New driver (and former Funny Car hero) Dale Pulde says about his initiation into driving the 21st century AA/Fuel Dragsters, "There is a learning curve because it's different. The little tire (12 inch) means you have to finesse it and hope that the tire doesn't get you in too much trouble...."

The List

    (1)     Champion Speed Shop
    (2)     WW2
    (3)     Nitro Thunder
    (4)     California Trucker
    (5)     Suhr & Lechtenberg's "Orange Crate"
    (6)     Fuller & Dunlap
    (7)     Steiner & Berger
    (8)     Ground Zero
    (9)     Kuhns & Hansen "da Bad Boys"
   (10)    Mastercam

For more details about where they stand and why, go to: The Nitronic Research AA/FD List.

Race Car: '66 Corvette SCCA road racer, full cage, new Fuel Safe 22 gallon cell, Muncie, destroked 307 (to 5.0 liter for A/SR class limit), new harness, crossflow oil cooler, aluminum radiator, dual pin brakes, solid bushings (no rubber or poly), fully welded and gussetted frame. Visit our website for more details and pictures.

Asking $17,500 U.S. or best offer. Consider street Corvette or early Camaro on trade. Contact Procrastination Racing at (352) 624-3616 or email us.

Rookie Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Erica Walsh-Credeur did not maul the competition in her debut outing at this past weekend's NHRA Division 4 Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at her home track, State Capitol Dragway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She did, however, accomplish her personal goals for the weekend by qualifying for the eight car show and getting seat time.

Walsh-Credeur, of Lafayette, Louisiana, qualified No. 8 with an elapsed time of 6.073 seconds at 252.10 mph in her BlackMax Downhole Tools backed dragster. She then had to face the red hot No. 1 qualifier Joe Fuentes in round one. As in her qualifying run, Walsh-Credeur launched into heavy tireshake, and was forced to shut off early when she got out of shape near the 1000 foot mark. Fuentes had no such problems and took the win with a 5.525 at 254.09 mph over her own 6.199 at 231.42 mph.

"My goal for the weekend was to qualify for my first race," said Walsh-Credeur. "The car shook pretty hard on our good qualifying run, and I had to pedal it, and it still ran a 6.07. I know the car has a lot more left in it. We got beat in the first round, but we're mainly trying to get seat time this season. We're going to gear up for Houston, and see what we can do."

The next race on the Walsh Motorsports schedule will be the O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, March 22 - 25. Walsh-Credeur hopes to improve on her Baton Rouge showing in Houston. "The car is ready to step up," stated Walsh-Credeur. "We have all of the good equipment. We have a pretty good crew, and the more seat time I get, the better we're going to do. It's all about me getting some more seat time and getting the game down pat."

For more information on the Walsh Motorsports team, visit their website.

Here's a link for Doorslammers. We're a three car Dutch doorslammer team. Check it out.

Just a couple of weeks after reaching his first ever final round, second year Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Joe Fuentes dominated his Division 4 competition to pick up his first career win during this past weekend's Division 4 Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at State Capitol Raceway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Fuentes, from Austin, Texas, led the event from wire to wire, smashing both ends of the existing track record with an elapsed time of 5.478 seconds at 258.39 mph (the old record was 5.60 at 252 mph) to qualify No. 1 for the eight car field. In round one, he took out rookie driver Erica Walsh-Credeur with a solid 5.525 at 254.09 mph, then took out fellow Division 4 racer Lee Callaway with a 5.575 at 254.59 mph. The final round put him up against No. 3 qualifier, and former teammate Troy Buff. The race was over right off the starting line, as Buff redlighted, and handed the win to Fuentes who motored away to a 5.567 at 253.87 mph to take his first win.

The win moves Fuentes into second place in Division 4 standings, who trails Buff by a slim 10 points with three Division 4 races remaining in the series. "Everything went just as we thought it should," said Fuentes in the winner's circle. "We knew we had a real good shot at winning this weekend after making the finals in Dallas. In Dallas, we kind of gave the race away because we found a bunch of junk in our fuel system, so that took away our chance to win the race there. We came into this race real confident we could win."

With the win in Baton Rouge and runner-up finish in Dallas, Fuentes now feels that his team has what it takes to make a run for the Division 4 championship with the points race being so close. "I think we really do have a shot at the Division (Championship) this year," commented Fuentes. "We're going to try our best, and we're going to keep after them. My tuner Ora Vasquez really has this car flying, my crew chief Tony Rosillo, Mike Young, Dale Zellenger, and Jaime Garcia have all done a great job. I think this team has what it takes."

With the win in hand, Fuentes and his J&D Racing team will move to Gainesville, Florida, for the Mac Tools Gatornationals this weekend, where Fuentes hopes to pick up his first National event win. "We're going to go out there and do like we did this weekend: win," stated Fuentes. "We've got the same strategy, same gameplan, and hopefully we can turn that into a win again."

For more information on the J&D Racing team, visit their award winning website.

I know it's too late for a warning, but I do know of a team that got a little WD-40 happy with a new blower and hydrauliced the motor in the burnout. It wasn't pretty! I'm sure Norm (Drazy) will have you squared away though. He's pretty good at getting everyone started.

Congratulations Bob, on bringing your digger to life. Pretty darn exciting when you fire them for the first time, eh? The car looks bitchen! I love the looks of the body, and that injector sitting WWWAAAAYYY up there.... very cool. (This is from a guy who thinks a chassis over 125" is much too long).

Nice to see you are back into having a web presence as well. I've been enjoying your updates, and wishing we were racing too. Maybe there is a winter market for some tired old newstalgia funnies in Australia. (Hey boss, I'm going to need a few months off...)

Keep up the thrash! Good luck on your first shot down the old quarter.

Federal-Mogul Dragster pilot Shelly Howard had a very positive weekend end on a bad note in the first round of this past weekend's NHRA Division 4 Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series race at State Capitol Raceway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Howard lost the round, and the Division 4 points lead.

Howard, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, qualified her Tom Conway tuned Blown Alcohol Dragster No. 2 with an elapsed time of 5.528 seconds at 257.51 mph. In round one, she faced No. 7 qualifier Jason Cannon. Howard took the holeshot, but slowed to an off pace 5.774 at 245.56 mph, which was overshadowed by Cannon's career best 5.605 at 244.83 mph. With that loss, eventual runnerup Troy Buff regained the Division 4 points lead by a mere 11 points. Howard is tied for second place with event winner Joe Fuentes, who she has beaten twice this year.

"We don't know exactly what happened yet," said Howard. "The car just slowed down. We didn't tear the car down at the track, so hopefully we will find something this weekend when we service the car for Houston. It's just one of those deals. I'm sure we'll get it figured out and be ready for Houston. We're still in the hunt for the Division Championship, so we'll just put this one behind us and move on."

Howard's next race will be the O'Reilly Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, March 22 - 25. Howard qualified No. 1 with a 5.44 at 252 mph at the Division 4 race there in February, and hopes to pick up that pace again when she returns. "Houston is a pretty good track, and we did well at the divisional race there earlier in the year," Howard commented. "I'm pretty sure we should be able to run like we did at the divisional for the national. It's a new race and a new ballgame, so we'll put this race behind us, and be ready to run when we get there."

For more information on the Howard team, visit their award winning website.

What are the odds? Mark is in Orlando, Florida at an NHRA Division 2 Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series race. Randy (Hentges) is in Seattle at a Junior Dragster race (his first ever!). Both men... boys.... have racing troubles. Both come home.... event WINNERS!!! (Well, actually, Mark isn't home yet).

Is this woman.... girl.... a happy one?!? It has been a pretty exciting day, coast to coast.

Hi, Bob. It was good to hear from you. Mission was wet and cold this weekend. I was only able to make one pass on Saturday afternoon before it started to spit rain. With a track surface temp around 55 degrees (F), the day was called. On Sunday we never even unloaded the car. Cold, then more rain. It was disappointing to say the least, but not surprising for this time of year.

Especially after thrashing like crazy last week finishing off my race car trailer. This was a major project that I took on this winter to fully enclose the trailer. It proved a lot bigger project than I thought it would be. But the security and being able to keep the car under cover will be great in the long run, I'm sure.

Sounds like Australia is getting more than it's fair share of rain. Damn, a fella cannot get away from the wet stuff it seems. Looking forward to seeing you in my pit area next month.

Did I hear the roar of a B-1 from downunder?

Hi. Just to let you know: Saturday at Mission Raceway was COLD, COLD, COLD, COLD... oh and did I mention it was COLD. We got there early Saturday morning to overcast and cold conditions. They started with street tire cars for a while and then opened the track up to 12.50 and slower cars.

Throw in some sprinkles of rain and more COLD, then they called the fasters cars up. A few of them went down the track, then it started raining at mid-track and they called it a day. We made no passes in Dave Wilson's Funny Car, packed it all up and came home.

Killed a whole day and didn't even get dirty. Could have stayed at the shop and finished projects instead. Give 'em hell (downunder).

Do you:
 (a)  have friends that refer to you as a racing nut?
 (a)  have a DSL connection or a cable modem?
 (a)  have access to Internet Explorer 5.0?

If you answered yes to all of the above, we want you as a new recruit. I need about ten new volunteers to help edit press releases at RacingPR. We are just swamped with material. If you can spare a little time, you could really help the team get all of the releases we receive out to the public in a timely manner. If you can spare some time, please drop me a note and I'll fill you in on what you'd need to know.

We especially need about four people with a passion for the NHRA and/or IHRA. Thanks tons for thinking about it.

PS: You do NOT need to know HTML or computer programming to help out.

Hi again. Just checked your web page and it seems like Murphy and his laws are rearing their ugly heads. Just to let you know, our weather is beautiful, not a cloud in sight and the kids are wearing shorts. Robin's off this morning for his baseball evaluations. Dan will be co-coaching his team so we're not too worried about him getting a fair shake. Let's just hope there are some other players of his caliber so he can have a strong house league team.

Jen is letting me use the computer for ten minutes before she reclaims it for her English assignment. We had a good visit with Mom the other weekend and went to Yic's for dinner. We're going back over during Spring Break for Robin to attend a three day baseball clinic. Mom, Jenny and I will go to the cabin on the Tuesday to check the place out for earthquake damage and get the place ready for biweekly visits.

She's planning on doing the driving but has agreed to a 9:00 AM departure, instead of her usual crack of dawn time. She seems to be in pretty good shape but still has some more tests at the hospital coming up. I'll keep you posted on any important happenings.

Good luck with the car. When is the first race? Ta ta for now.

Sounds like you have everything under control. Just make sure someone is paying attention to the pyrometer in your burst panel "plate." To be on the safe side, I would have one of your guys check the back of the blower with his hand right after start-up and then frequently. If you don't have enough fuel going into the hat, it will heat up the rotors and they will begin to rub on the back plate of the blower. Once it starts to do that, it all goes downhill in a hurry. This happened to us in Yakima, and I wouldn't want to see it happen to you. As for checking the timing on the 44 amp mag: been there, done that. You have to get that baby spinning.

Just got a phone call from Mark (Hentges). He's at the Division 2 Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event in Orlando, Florida, and there are 22 FMD's there. Sounds like a bunch of guys want to make some laps before Gainesville. Once again, good luck, and keep us posted.

The website has been updated with a brand new forum and chat room. Log on today to join in the debate. Cheers.

Seen the photos on the net. Car looks a million bucks. Car looks great. Good job guys.

The car looks good, and I'm sure you are plenty excited about the first start-up. Just a couple of things to keep in mind, from Uncle Norm. Make sure you saturate the inside of the blower with WD-40 before start-up, and spray into the injector continuously during the first 30 to 40 seconds. This helps with the nylatron strips.

Also, make sure that there is only one burst panel in the back of the blower, and check the temperature of the panel with your hand as soon as the motor fires, and monitor it during the time the motor is running. It should be the same temperature as the inside of your elbow. If it starts getting hot, shut it off.

Carry on mate, best of luck to you.

Thanks for the news. Yes, that is the block we've got. Some pics downloaded would be awesome. A picture would say a lot more than a description. Thanks again and I know that B-1 is going to sound beautiful.

Hi there, Bob. Got to hand it to ya, for a little guy racer trying to make a go of it on the other side of the world is just too cool. The weather back home in Vancouver has been unbelievable. 18 degrees (and higher) the last few days. Mission Raceway opens this weekend, but some rain might happen. I'm looking forward to dragging the Buick out for a pass. Put a Buick turbine 300 transmission in it hoping it will leave a little more consistently. Anyway, best of luck.

Hi, Bob. Not that you are going to even think about the 'Duggan' IGOR blocks with your work in progress, but I just thought I'd send you a hello. Our new seven main bearing camshafts have arrived, so the need for speed has been smelt in the air up here also. Good luck downunder.

Howdy. I was bored today so I found out some more information about the Duggan six cylinder engine block for you. I spoke to a guy from Duggan's named Warren; I think this is Frank Duggan's son. We had a talk about what you asked for, and from what I could tell him, he said he had some blocks that were "semi finished", and would take up to a 4.125" bore. No idea of the maximum stroke.

Anyway, as there were no markings on the block other than "Duggan" itself, it would be best for your guy in Canada to get in contact with Duggan, and see what they can do to help. If it has a Ford head on it, Warren would need to know if it's an Australian Ford head or an aftermarket type. The block may have no drillings for the head studs if unable to identify the head properly.

He (Frank) was very helpful with what I tried to ask him, and was a bit surprised where the engine came from. The cost would be about $4500 (AUD) plus $450 GST if bought in Australia before being sent direct. (GST wouldn't apply if directly invoiced to Canada). Note that freight would have to be organized and that cost will be extra.

If you would like me to get more information, please advise. I will try, if and when he is interested or not, to get some photos for him, if I can. The contact details are as follows:

  Duggan's Balancing & Engineering Co.
  50 Newlands Road
  Reservoir, Victoria, Australia

Bob, so what makes you think there are rocks in the pits at Calder? Good to hear from you again; thought you had died....

Bob, the car looks awesome. I love the high tin and windshield. Best of luck! Love to see a guy who is a pioneer.

Just two weeks ago, second year Federal-Mogul Dragster pilot Joe Fuentes made his first final round appearance at the NHRA Division 4 Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at the Texas Motorplex, just south of Dallas. Fuentes lost that round due to a clogged fuel line, but hopes to improve on that outing with a win during race three of the NHRA Division 4 FMDRS at State Capitol Dragway, near Baton Rouge, Louisiana this weekend.

Fuentes, of Austin, Texas, is quick to credit his successes this year to his veteran tuner Ora Vasquez, who over his career has worked with former champions such as the late Blaine Johnson (four time NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion) and Pat Austin (four time NHRA Federal-Mogul Funny Car World Champion). With Vasquez's tuning ability behind him, Fuentes feels he could pick up his first win this weekend in Baton Rouge.

"We're just going to try to do our same deal this weekend," said Fuentes. "Ora will be with us again, so we're going to go after them. I hear that they have a new launch pad from last year, so everyone will be starting from scratch on the tuneup."

With Fuentes' shown ability to run with the top drivers in the class, Fuentes feels the outlook for the rest of the season is very promising. "We're just going to keep on trying to make final rounds," stated Fuentes. "We know the car has the ability to win anywhere. We had a fuel hose that deteriorated and clogged a fuel jet in Dallas that kept us from a possible win. We've changed all of the fuel lines, and will be keeping an eye on the little things that can jump up and bite you."

If the new track surface can handle it, Fuentes feels that his Vasquez tuned Blown Alcohol Dragster can run the track's first 5.50 elapsed time this weekend, or possibly better. "I'm pretty sure if the track can hold it, we're going to run .50's," commented Fuentes. "I don't have any doubt about that. We might even run .40's if the track will let us."

There appears to be a problem on this page of your site: On your page Race Report - February 5, 2000 when you click on your link to American Drag Bike, you get the error: Not Found.

As recommended by the Robot Guidelines, this email is to explain our robot's activities and to let you know about one of the broken links we encountered. LinkWalker does not store or publish the content of your pages, but rather uses the link information to update our map of the World Wide Web.

Are these reports helpful? I'd love some feedback. If you prefer not to receive these occasional error notices, please let me know.

Arizona is starting it's own 6.90 - 7.50 (or as decided in the meeting) index Funny Car Association. We have a potential seven or eight bookings in Arizona. Anyone with a Funny Car interested in racing in Arizona, please contact me by email or phone (480) 221-1425 (cellular phone).

Rookie Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Erica Walsh-Credeur will make her competition debut at her home track during this weekend's NHRA Division 4 Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at State Capitol Dragway near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Not only will the event be the first race for the new team, but it will be the first race for her new associate sponsor, Black Max Downhole Tools.

Walsh-Credeur, from nearby Crowley, Louisiana, hopes to gain valuable seat time this weekend, and make a good showing for her new sponsor in front of her hometown fans. Before making the move to FMD this year, Walsh-Credeur, the daughter of former Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Ron Walsh, raced in NHRA's Super Comp class, which has served as a stepping stone for many drivers into the alcohol ranks. Walsh-Credeur looks forward to her new career in NHRA's Pro-Sportsman class.

"I'm just a little nervous that it's my first race at my home track," said Walsh-Credeur. "I'm going to have a lot of family and friends there, so I'll have to concentrate on keeping my focus this weekend. I just have to get out there and run the race I want to race."

Even with her inexperience in the class, Walsh-Credeur feels the sky is the limit for her new team. "Obviously, if we went out there and ran a 5.40 (elapsed time), we would be thrilled," commented Walsh-Credeur. "I don't know if the track is quite ready for it, or if we can quite run those kind of numbers yet. Nonetheless, we're going to try to go out there and run with the best of them. Our short-term goal is to get seat time and experience," continued Walsh-Credeur. "My long-term goal is to win a Division Championship. This year we want to get our feet wet, so to speak. Next year, we want to hit it hard and make a run for the Division Championship."

Walsh Motorsports' new sponsor, Black Max Downhole Tools is excited about their partnership with the new team as well. Black Max is a worldwide leader in the rental and manufacturing of Downhole drilling tools used primarily in the oil and gas related sectors. Black Max manufactures and leases a complete line of drilling tools. Black Max has 23 locations worldwide, with their head office located in Nisku, Alberta, Canada.

Qualifying begins at 4 p.m. Friday for the Federal-Mogul Dragsters, with two more sessions following on Saturday. Final eliminations will conclude the event on Sunday, beginning at 11 a.m. Stay tuned to SummitRacing.com's Drag Race Central for round by round updates of the racing action from Baton Rouge.

For more information on the Walsh Motorsports team, visit their award winning website. To find out more about Black Max Downhole Tools, visit their website.

You have a bad link. Please correct the link to the Canadian MotorSport Hall of Fame. I have attached logos if you wish to use them. Thanks.

A little over four years ago, Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Shelly Howard picked up her first career win at State Capitol Dragway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This year, the veteran driver will be looking to protect her first ever points lead at the NHRA Division 4 Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event to be held at that very same track this weekend.

Howard, who is a registered nurse in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when not racing, comes into this weekend's event hot off of two straight final round appearances at the first Division 4 points meets in Houston and Dallas, winning the latter. Howard holds a slim 21 point lead over Division 4 rival Troy Buff, and hopes to pad that lead with another win this weekend in Baton Rouge.

"We're just going to go into this race and try to make the car consistent as usual," said Howard. "We'll also have to deal with whatever track and weather conditions we run into as well. You have to have a different strategy for every track. Every race is different, and you have to deal with it as a new race."

Over the winter, the Baton Rouge racing surface received a new concrete launch pad. Even with her past successes there, Howard feels the new surface will make everyone start from scratch for a tuneup this weekend. "Since the starting line has been resurfaced, hopefully the lanes will be more equal," stated Howard. "Hopefully it won't be a one lane racetrack this year. In previous years, if you didn't have lane choice, you really didn't have much of a chance of winning your particular round. If the lanes are more equal, lane choice will not be as much of a factor as it used to be."

With the points lead in hand going into race three of the six race Division 4 series, Howard feels that even with a win this weekend, she cannot start preparing her Division 4 Championship speech just yet. Rather, she realizes there is still a lot of racing to do until November. "In some respects, the points lead puts more pressure on you," commented Hoeward. "In other respects, it gives you a sort of boost to know that you......

To answer your question about the capacity of the New Generation Lenco: The reverser takes a 1/2 litre, the other cases take one litre each. Well, I'm glad to hear that things are finally starting to come together for you. I know the frustration you're going through, as nothing you buy seems to fit the first time. At least over here (in Canada) we can get most anything required, by air if necessary.

Hope everything works out on the first fire-up. If you have any problems with the computer, don't hesitate to call or email me. How much longer are you going to be downunder? Till next time.

Down, down, down! The Drag Racing List website has been down since about 5pm on Thursday, March 1st, through the current time - Monday evening, March 5th. If you've sent us an email during that time, we didn't get it. Please hold off until we send you an "all clear" before you send it again. Sorry for the incovenience -- we are missing you as much as you're missing us.

It appears that the server on which we are hosted was the victim of a hacker attack. Steps are being taken to recover the server. We will let you know when we are "back up to speed." Thanks for your patience.

Hey, I'll still be here for a few hours... send video from that Optura, eh? Weather report for here is 18 C (no lie!), then rain until Friday in Bakersfield, where it's been raining for over two weeks straight.

I'm not even in California mode at all; been thrashing on a big project for my friends at Evergreen Speedway. It's 11:00 pm, I missed RAW, and am just now ready to tackle my site, transfer all the files to the laptop, hope to heck I don't forget anything and be out of here at 8:00 am. Oh ya, suppose I should remember to pack too.

You better be havin' a good time.....

The winning paint scheme for the Mike Janis Racing Team "You Make the Call" contest, with 37% of the votes is scheme number three. Out of all the emails sent in for scheme number three, one winner was randomly chosen. The winner will be receiving a $50 gift certificate to Jan-Cen Automotive, a six pack of Weber's famous products and a Dynabrade polo shirt. The winning entry failed to leave a name and address, so Mike Janis Racing will contact them via email to notify them of their winnings. All entries to the contest were put on a fan email list. These people will receive updates and team news from the Mike Janis Racing Team.

In other Mike Janis Racing Team news: Crew Chief Jerry Highway is looking forward to the upcoming CompetitionPlus.com Spring Open. Highway feels that the addition of Tom Anderson as a consultant to the Mike Janis Racing team will benefit not only the team, but Highway himself. "Tom Anderson is a very smart guy. I know there are things I will be able to learn from him, and that makes me a better crew chief, which makes this a better team. I'm looking forward to going to Virginia; it's a new track for us and we're looking for some good things there. Hopefully, we'll be able to get set for a winning season," said Highway.

Hey Bob! I was browsing through some internet sites, came across yours and WHACK!! - right in my face is my name, and reference to my twin engine Fiat Topolino. Soooooo, (dare I ask?) what did you think?

Warwick was our first appearance, and I think by the third pass we had things pretty well sorted out. A minor hassle with the parachute on the line, and then getting oiled in by a blown manifold gasket gave the crew some useful practice at "thrashing." In the end, all went well and the track wants us back. Hell, I sure hope they promote it better though. Well, thanks for the mention on your site anyway.

Victor Bray reclaimed the Australian national elapsed time record for the Top Doorslammer category of drag racing with a quarter mile time of just 6.22 seconds in his Castrol '57 Chevrolet at Perth's Quit Motorplex last night. Bray is contesting round five of the Australian Championship series as part of the Marlow's Westernationals event.

A 6.27 second pass in the opening qualifying session, while his nearest rival was back on a 6.50 second time marked Bray as the man to beat this weekend. In the second session he improved further with a personal best ever 6.22 to reclaim the national record from Perth's Robin Judd, who had run 6.24 seconds at Queensland's Willowbank Raceway in April. Bray continued his dominance of day one of the event by defeating Melbourne's Peter Kapiris in a special top qualifier's shootout which featured as the final race of the night.

Speaking in the pits after the event Bray commented "There were about eight guys working on the crew tonight and most of them are from Perth. It's hard to race thousands of kilometers from home but all the guys have worked their backsides off in 40 degree heat so this is a great reward for their effort. It's fantastic to have both the ET and Speed records again. We've been trying to get on top of this combination for a while now and it looks like we might have cracked it this time. This was only day one so there's still a long way to go. Let's hope things go as well tomorrow. We need to win this one for the points."

Bray is hoping he can repeat his effort at last year's Marlow's Westernationals where he won the event and claimed the bonus points for both low elapsed time and high speed. That victory proved crucial to his championship defense and the situation this year is very similar. He is currently in fourth position in the series, 93 points behind leader Andrew Searle. The championship lead is certainly within reach as Searle failed to qualify for today's elimination racing and will gain only minimum points.

The first round of racing is scheduled for 6:30 pm western time this evening and results will be posted on Victor Bray's website as they happen through the event. For further information, contact Oberg Motor Sports Marketing by email.

I am curious if you might be interested in a links exchange. You can see my site at King of the Street Drag Racing. Let me know where you want your link and also remind of the url. I've been sending out lots of emails to crosslink. I do have a Canada's fastest page and that is probably appropriate. Logo placement is available as well. Thanks.

With temperatures at Perth's Quit Moptorplex predicted to reach 39 degrees for day one of the Marlow's Westernationals, track conditions may play a major role in determining the event. Hot air is lower in oxygen content and not conducive to producing high horsepower figures in supercharged engines. The heat can also affect the track surface and available traction. This weekend's event will be headlined by round five of the Australian Top Doorslammer Championship with Victor Bray's Castrol Chevy team attempting to peg back the series front runners, Andrew Searle and Gary Phillips.

After a successful test session at the Perth venue last Saturday, Bray has been kept busy with a hectic schedule of appearances for sponsor Castrol through most of the week. Speaking about the forecast hot conditions, Bray said, "It wasn't quite as hot when we tested last week, but with things going so well it has given us a good boost going into this event. I'd like to think we might have an advantage with the Castrol Chevy in that we've got a good baseline for a hot weather tuneup for this track after testing last weekend. We'll have to wait and see how quick the other guys get on top of things. Top Doorslammer is so competitive these days it's not a matter of who's got the most horsepower, but who can best use what they've got. Looking at the entry list for this weekend, any one of five or six drivers could easily win without the result being a shock to anyone."

With the Marlow's Westernationals being conducted as a two day event, the Top Doorslammer category won't be taking to the track for their qualifying sessions until early evening today when the worst of the heat is expected to have passed, but 30+ degrees is still quite on the cards. As an extra bonus for the crowd, qualifying will be run as a shootout with the quickest four cars from the first session running as a semi-final in the second and the two winners facing off in the final session. Elimination racing, with the championship points at stake will take place on Sunday evening.

All results will be posted as they happen in the race results section of Victor Bray's website. For further information, contact Oberg Motor Sports Marketing by email.

The New South Wales drag racing community today welcomed the NSW Government's announcement of their intention to enter into a lease for an area of land at Eastern Creek for a purpose-built, industry standard drag strip. The Government's decision follows a three-year campaign by the drag racers to find a new home after Eastern Creek Raceway was closed to championship drag racing in late 1997.

The site, immediately to the south of the current raceway, will become the home of a world class drag strip, and regenerate this major motorsport and the many jobs and businesses which have been lost to Sydney over the past three years. The venue will be run as a not-for-profit facility, for and on behalf of the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA).

During the mid-1990's, drag racing was the largest spectator motorsport in Australia, but it has been crippled by the absence of a venue in Sydney, the largest city in the nation. "We are now in a position to revitalize our sport in Sydney and nationally," said 14 times Australian drag racing champion Jim Read.

Read, along with drag racing magazine publisher David Cook, lead the ANDRA campaign for drag racing to take control of its own destiny. "This is a great day for the sport of drag racing, and also for the people of Western Sydney," Read continued. "Today's announcement is the result of a great deal of hard work by many people. We are very grateful to the NSW Government and their desire to find a workable solution to what has obviously been a difficult issue for everyone."

"We are now able to finalise our business plan and negotiate a suitable lease," stated Cook. "As we enter the second phase of the project, we have a long way to go, but now we have something positive to work towards and the finish line is in sight."

"Today's news is fantastic for Australian drag racing," said ANDRA CEO Tony Thornton. "I'm confident the patience of those involved in the sport and the industry in Sydney will be justified, and I must say that the tenacity of those directly involved in pursuing a resolution has been inspiring."

For further information, contact Jim Read (02) 9637-4539 or 0418-267-243; David Cook (02) 9894-7499 or 0408-417-784; and ANDRA (08) 8271-5355 or by email.

Negotiations are underway between the New South Wales Government and the NSW Division of the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) to lease land in Western Sydney to build a championship drag racing facility. Today's announcement follows last year's in-principle approval to allow the construction of a privately funded drag strip at the Eastern Creek Raceway (ECR).

Subsequent discussions with representatives of the sport have now identified a more appropriate site on land adjacent to the Raceway owned by the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (DUAP). An agreement to lease the site is now being finalised. Conditions of the agreement will include the confirmation by ANDRA of funding for the project. ANDRA will also be required to develop an acceptable business plan as well as secure all necessary planning approvals to allow construction to be substantially completed in two years.

NSW Minister for Sport and Recreation, John Watkins, said that the Government was making every reasonable effort to locate a site for the sport. "I would hope that after many months of negotiations, this decision is regarded as the first step of a successful outcome for all parties. The Government will continue to work with ANDRA representatives to secure a home for their members and supporters," Mr. Watkins said.

For more information, contact Paul Childs (02) 9328-4866 or 0411-263-661.

On behalf of a French group, I wish to contact ISP's capable of hosting WebTV. I haven't been able to track down anything so far and wonder whether you would be able to suggest where I should look. I would be most grateful for any help you might be able to give me.

Hey guys, here's a link to a story Bob Frey wrote about how messed up our divisional schedule is. I just figured y'all would like to read it. Click on the link: Hey Bob, What Do You Think ?. See ya at the races.

Hi, I just talked to Mom tongiht. Did you know we had an earthquake on Thursday? The epicenter was in Seattle, 6.8 on the richter scale. We had some tremors in Nanaimo; had to evacuate the school for close to an hour because of the gas smell. Fortunately it was a great day, no coats, lots of sun, etc. Mom didn't feel a thing, she was walking back from your place with the mail.

She doesn't figure she needs to check out the cabin but Jenny and I are going to go over for the weekend and see how she's doing anyway. Maybe we can persuade her to go down for a quick trip. Will let you know if there's anything important happening. Glad to see you made it safely; hope things are going okay.