Bob Gilbertson forced to cut back, but will keep running,
Veteran drag racer Bob Gilbertson forced to cut back, but will keep running, looking
By David Poole, The Charlotte Observer
Veteran drag racer Bob Gilbertson will cut back on the number of races he enters in 2008 after losing associate sponsors Autolite and Prestone after five years of support from the Honeywell Consumer Products Group. Gilbertson, whose business is based in Charlotte, N.C., and whose race team is based in Blacksburg, S.C., said he would concentrate on the International Hot Rod Association Funny Car ...
Force intent on returning to NHRA
Funny Car king John Force, always a local favorite when the NHRA tour hits Bristol Dragway, is apparently intent on returning to the sport where he has captured a possibly untouchable 14 world championships with a record 125 victories...
Story by By Rick Sheek
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Jet-car driver Harris readies for her first year in Top Fuel
January 8, 2008 by Robert
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After five years driving the Queen of Hearts Jet Dragster, 25-year-old Jessie Harris is preparing for her Top Fuel debut as a teammate to Clay Millican on mega-owner/sponsor Evan Knoll's Torco Race Fuels team. The Rome, N.Y. resident will make her first appearance Feb. 7-10 at the 48th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals...
by Thomas Gaines 1/8/2008
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Gilbertson names Boninfante Crew Chief for 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Bob Gilbertson, owner/driver of the Autolite/Prestone nitro Funny Car, has announced that Nicky Boninfante Jr. will re-join the Terminator Motorsports team as crew chief for the 2008 season....
Tags: Bob Gilbertson, car, Funny Car, Gilbertson, IHRA, motorsports, NitroAfter getting the offer of a lifetime from Force, Neff prepping … – NHRA.com
Imagine for a moment that John Force, the most prolific drag racer in history, winner of 125 races and 14 championships, is pursuing you to drive one of his high-powered Funny Cars. You don't have any experience driving one of the 7,000-horsepower beasts and yet he gives you a full two months to ponder the offer, telling you there are no real expectations of success, especially early on in your learning process...
Tags: car, Force, Funny Car, John Force, Mike Neff, Neff, NHRA, raceCar show benefits crew chief
January 1, 2008 by Robert
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Winter Rod and Speed Show, a benefit car show, will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road.
The benefit is for Jeff Lauener, the crew chief for the Salem-based Capitol Auto Group Racing Team.
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POWERade champions crowned and silly season roars to life as year ends
The 2007 POWERade Drag Racing Series roared to a spectacular conclusion in the fourth quarter with Tony Schumacher, Tony Pedregon, Jeg Coughlin, and Matt Smith earning the hardware in their respective categories. The final installment of NHRA.com's year in review points out all the exciting happenings of October, November, and December.
Aside from the four champions being crowned, the final quarter was highlighted by "Hot Rod" Fuller's big double win in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas and Dave Connolly's incredible streak of five victories in a row. Whit Bazemore, Chip Ellis, and Peggy Llewellyn all lost their jobs, while previously dismissed professionals Angelle Sampey, Antron Brown, and Tommy Johnson Jr. all managed to find new rides for 2008.
Tags: Antron, Antron Brown, Brown, Burkart, car, drag racing, Force, Ford, Funny Car, John Force, Johnson, NHRA, Pedregon, Phil Burkart, points, Powerade, racing, Tommy Johnson, Tony PedregonThe end of Force’s qualifying streak the big news of year’s 2nd quarter
In a harbinger of things to come in the Funny Car class, the second quarter of 2007 started with a shocker as legend John Force failed to qualify for a national event, ending a streak of 395 races that dated back to the Reagan administration. Almost as surprising was four-time champion Gary Scelzi's announcement that he'd be hanging his helmet and firesuit up at the end of the season.
NHRA.com is reviewing the headlines of the past season in quarterly installments. Aside from Force and Scelzi's news-making activities, April, May, and June were highlighted by Warren Johnson's induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, NHRA signing a definitive agreement with HD Partners Acquisition Corporation,...
Tags: car, Force, Funny Car, Gary Scelzi, John Force, Johnson, King, motorsports, NHRA, race, Scelzi