"Cori Wickler on a Mission"

I want to help get the word out for Cori Wickler of Terry McMillen Racing on what she is about to embark on in January. Cori is heading to Burma, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar which is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south. Burma's health care system is one of the worst in the world: The World Health Organization ranked Burma at 190th, the worst performing of all countries. Please click on the link below to learn more on Myanmar.

Cori is going over in January with the group "Uncharted International, Inc. to bring supplies and to help care for those who are less fortunate. Uncharted International, Inc seeks to provide medical, educational and economical development initiatives for under-resourced countries. The staff and board of Uncharted International, Inc are committed to making a life-changing impact in these under-served areas by partnering with nationals and to helping restore people to a productive living environment in our strategic focused areas. You can learn more on Uncharted International, Inc in the link below.

I am asking you to find it in your heart to help Cori on her mission by sending her supplies such as medical supplies, toothbrushes, health aides, small toys for boys and girls or money so she can purchase the supplies to take with her. Please contact me at nitrojohn12@yahoo.com or Cori Wickler on her Facebook page, linked below, for info where to send your generous donations. Thank you for taking the time and for helping in this Great mission.

Burma - Myanmar

Uncharted International, Inc

Cori Wickler on Facebook

Cori Wickler on Twitter

Ford Wins NHRA Manufacturers Cup

FORD WINS NHRA MANUFACTURERS CUP BEHIND ‘ONE FORD’ TEAM EFFORT; CONTINUES YEAR OF CELEBRATION

· Ford earned its first NHRA Manufacturers Cup since 1982 and its fourth ever behind the efforts of wins, runner-ups and No. 1 qualifiers in Funny Car, Pro Stock, Super Stock and Stock Eliminator categories.

· This win marks the second major Manufacturers award earned by Ford’s iconic Mustang model in 2011. The first, the NASCAR Nationwide Series Manufacturers Championship, was clinched two weeks ago.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Nov. 15, 2011 – It’s official: Ford Motor Company has won the 2011 NHRA Manufacturers Cup award – its first since 1982 and the second earned by Ford’s iconic Mustang model in a major racing series this year.

Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing, accepted the award during the NHRA Full Throttle Series banquet in Hollywood, Calif. on Monday, once the final points were tallied.

This is Ford’s fourth NHRA Manufacturers Cup award. Besides 1982, the Blue Oval also brought home the title in 1964 and 1965.

“This is a special honor to accept in a special year at Ford,” Allison said. “The Manufacturers Cup is another honor in what has been a truly remarkable year at Ford Racing.”

In 2011, Ford Racing has been celebrating its 110th anniversary. On Oct. 10, 1901, Henry Ford won his first – and only – race, upsetting the most famous racer in the country. Because of that victory, he was able to attract the investors who helped him start Ford Motor Company less than two years later.

Two weeks ago, Ford also clinched its first NASCAR Nationwide Series Manufacturers Championship since 2002 with the Ford Mustang, the model that also drove Ford to the NHRA title.

Points are earned for wins, runner-up finishes and No. 1 qualifiers in Funny Car, Pro Stock, Super Stock and Stock Eliminator.

“Our commitment at Ford to NHRA runs deep and with true dedication,” Allison said. “We are thankful for all teams that wear the Blue Oval with pride, and for those who have helped contribute to this championship.”

Congratulations to Ford and all their involvement in Motor Sports. They have one of the best programs in the sport and it just keeps getting better.

The NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona 2011

This being the final race of the year, and the most exciting because the outcome decides who the NHRA Champions are, lived up to it's expectations. The atmosphere was full of energy and anybody who was anybody was there experiencing all the excitement. I got there on Friday morning, and dropped off a box of twinkies to Clay Millican as he was getting ready for qualifying. His nickname on twitter is "The Twinkie King". Clay takes the time for his fans and treats them like royalty. If you go to an NHRA event, please make sure you stop by to see Clay and you'll know exactly what I mean. Also, don't forget to follow Clay on twitter. You can "Like" his Facebook page at Clay on Facebook

During the course of the weekend I met up with WFO Joe and took some pictures of him interviewing some of the drivers. This was very fun and it was cool to capture the moments of him interviewing. Please follow WFOJoe on Twitter and listen to WFO's broadcast of the NHRA every Tuesday at WFO Radio 7:00 pm EDT

As I made it into Terry McMillen's pit, I get a warm welcome every time I see him and the team. Terry says "Your late! We start on Thursdays here"! You got to love his sense of humor. I was dressed in my McMillen Team Jersey and I felt like part of the crew. Friday I hung out in Terry's pits and took pictures of the Terry, the team, and the fans stopping by to see Terry and hoping to get a picture. The kids love that Terry lets them sit in his dragster to experience the feeling and get a picture taken in the cockpit. The fans can then go to Terry McMillen's Facebook Page to view and download their pictures. Terry is so fan orientated and his passion for the sport is easily detected in all he does. You can also follow Terry on Twitter. It also was Veterans day and many vets stopped by to see Terry and the team. Terry also had a tribute of all the Armed Forces on his Top Fuel Dragster.

Next year will even be more exciting for Terry McMillen and stay tuned for more exciting news to come from the McMillen Camp for the 2012 season.

Sunday was the most exciting day of the NHRA Event. I met up with a representative of the NHRA down at the Drivers Introductions where we discussed possibilities of the Nitro Twitter Group involvement in the NHRA. We have our fingers crossed of great things to come for the NTG. We had a great showing of member there in Pomona and captured a few pictures with the members and WFO Joe. Windy Arend assisted in taking pictures of us all and we also got one with her in the group picture as seen below. Vivian @NitroDoll and her family, @NHRAPhil, @WFOJoe, @windyarend, @ThommyNoodlez, @Rich_in_Saugus and more friends. We had the most wonderful time.

Then the finals began, and each round got more intense as the top contenders all made it through the first round. By the semi finals it was time to bring it all or go home. In Top Fuel it was Del Worsham of Al-Anabi Racing matching up with Spencer Massey of DSR to see who will be the Champion since Larry Dixon already was eliminated by Tony Schumacher. The crowd went wild as Del Worsham won his first championship in his 21 years of Driving in the NHRA. That was the most intense race of the year.

In Funny Car, there was even more excitement as Matt Hagan was looking to win the Championship, but had to get by Jack Beckman, Robert Hight, and Cruz Pedregon. Beckman and Hight had gone out then it was Matt Hagan facing Cruz Pedregon in the Semi Finals. As Matt Hagan of DSR passed the finish line first and won, the crowd again went ecstatic as Matt just won the 2011 NHRA Funny Car Chamionship.

I would like to congratulate the winners of the NHRA Auto Club Finals who were TF - Del Worsahm, FC - Matt Hagan, PS - Greg Stanfield, and PSM - Andrew Hines. I would also like to congratulate the NHRA 2011 Champions who were: TF - Del Worsham, FC - Matt Hagan, PS - Jason Line, and PSM - Eddie Krawiec. You all had a great year and are so very deserving of this Championship.

Below is a link to the pictures I took at the Pomona NHRA Finals 2011

My Pictures

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We'll see you next year!

Bob Tasca III News

TASCA RETURNS TO POMOMA ONE YEAR AFTER CLEARING WAY FOR MIRACULOUS 15th FORCE CHAMPIONSHIP WIN   ·       One year ago, Bob Tasca III stepped up with what will always be remembered as one of the greatest passes of his career – a first-round win against Matt Hagan that opened the door for Ford teammate John Force to win his 15-career NHRA Full Throttle Series championship title.   ·       Once again, the battle for the Funny Car championship rages on as the Series enters its final race of the year, the Auto Club Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, with the Blue Oval once again the underdog. Every point will be crucial with two Fords, driven by Mike Neff and Robert Hight, still in the hunt, with fourth-place Neff in the best position to win.   POMONA, Calif., Nov. 9, 2011 – One year ago, Bob Tasca III stepped up with what will always be remembered as one of the greatest passes of his career.   Around him, a battle was raging for the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Championship title and another Ford Mustang driver, none other than 14-time champion John Force, was in trouble. Like so many times in his life, Force was the underdog, looking for a way to put a lot of bad luck behind him. He needed a point man – a blocker who could clear the path to his unbelievable 15th-career championship.   In the way was Don Schumacher Racing pilot Matt Hagan, a fresh-faced farmer from Virginia who seemed to have luck and a healthy dose of momentum on his side. Hagan, seeking his first world championship title, had certainly done the work to get himself there. But there was one driver who could swing the door for Force wide open.   That was none other than Bob Tasca III, in the driver’s seat of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane and FordParts.com Ford Mustang.   To understand the remarkable coincidence this was, one must first know the story behind it.   Tasca’s grandfather Bob Tasca Sr. was the one who first advised Ford Motor Company to take Force into the fold – a decision that seems easy now, many years and championships after the fact.   It was Bob Sr. who early in the sport’s history engineered a fan letter campaign that persuaded Ford to get involved with the burgeoning quartermile races born in Southern California. Through the years and at racetracks across the country, later with grandson Bob Tasca III in tow, Bob Sr. remained active in the sport that demonstrated his “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” philosophy and scored plenty of wins of his own with his “Mystery” cars and driver Bill Lawton.   Fast forward a few decades, to the Auto Club Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, 2010.   Bob Tasca III, a self-described “Ford kid” who literally grew up with the Ford brands Motorcraft and Quick Lane that were now on his car, had Force’s destiny in his hands - and he played his part flawlessly.   Force went rounds that day, winning the race and the championship. It was much more than a race – it was a statement clearly made, that even through losing a teammate and surviving an incredible accident of his own, Force was back.   Tasca, a self-motivator that is every bit the hard worker Force is, clearly remembers what it was like to pull up to the starting line, knowing that pass would be one of the most memorable of his career, even if it wouldn’t bring him his own championship title.   “It was one of those weekends that you could live to be 1,000 and never experience something like that,” Tasca said. “A lot of things had to happen for that drama to play out. We had to qualify poorly. Matt qualified great. Clearly, we had to step up in that first round and then John had to go on to get to the finals. It was an amazing thing to be part of. You could drive a lot of years and not be part of anything like that.”   Now, one year later, John Force Racing’s Mike Neff, the formidable driver/crew chief combo, is in much the same position his boss was in last year, after a string of first- and second-round losses erased the lead he’d built after earning a runner-up finish at the first race of the Countdown to the Championship, in Charlotte.   “I think it (2010) was maybe one of the most drama-filled championships we’ve ever seen, and now we’re right back here again,” said Tasca, who with Ford driver Tim Wilkerson is ready to bring his best as blocker. “You’ve got teammate Mike Neff in position to win the championship and clearly, he’s behind the eight ball. A lot of things have to happen for him to win, but it happened last year – it can happen again.”   The best stories are always about the underdog, after all

Del Worsham/Al-Anabi Racing -On the Road to the 2011 NHRA TF Championship

Who would have thought in the beginning of the NHRA 2011 Full Throttle Series that Del Worsham would be in contention to win it all at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona. Driving a Top Fuel Dragster for Al-Ananbi Racing and being a part of one of the greatest racing teams within the NHRA must be one of the greatest thrills of his career.

Del Worsham who was born on February 11, 1970, began his NHRA career in 1990 right in Pomona, Ca. Del made his first professional start 21 years ago at the NHRA Finals in Pomona. He competed primarily in the Nitro Funny Car series. He did split his time between Top fuel and Funny Car between 1993 and 1995. After starting the last race of the 1990 season, Worsham began his professional drag racing career in 1991 driving his father's Nitro Funny Car. Seven races into the season, he won the Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia In doing so, Worsham, who was 21 years old at the time, became the youngest driver ever to win a Funny Car event. He continued his early success by winning the Summernationals in Englishtown, New Jersey, less than three months later. At the conclusion of the 1991 season, Worsham finished sixth in the Funny Car points standings and was named the NHRA Rookie of the Year.

In 1993, Worsham participated in select Top Fuel races, ultimately starting eight times in the Top Fuel Series. He recorded a top speed of 300.20 mph while participating in Top Fuel. In the Funny Car Series, he finished runner-up only once, losing to John Force at the Winternationals in Pomona, California. Worsham continued to particpate in both the Top Fuel Series and Funny Car Series in 1994, starting 12 and five races, respectively. After an engine exploded during one of his races, Worsham missed 12 weeks of the season to heal the burns he sustained. In total, he advanced to the Quarterfinals three times and failed to advance each time. 1995 was the last year Worsham raced in the Top Fuel Series until the 2011 season. He raced only twice in the Top Fuel Series, however, while he made 17 starts in Funny Car. He made it to the semifinals once, and he finished 16th overall in the Point Standings. In 1997, Checker-Schuck’s-Kragen Auto Parts became the primary sponsor of Worsham's team. From 1997 to 2008 Del raced with the family own car and then that ended at the end of 2008. In 1998, Worsham advanced to the Final Round at the inaugural race at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois, marking the first time in six years he advanced past the semifinal round. He would lose to Whit Bazemore, however, and finished the season in 10th place in the Point Standings. NHRA presented the 1998 Blaine Johnson Award to Del and his family at the end of the season. This prestigious award was created by NHRA to commemorate late Top Fuel driver Blaine Johnson, who died during a crash in August 1996 at the U.S. Nationals. According to the official NHRA website, "the award is presented to the individual, team or family who best demonstrates perseverance and dedication to NHRA Drag Racing."

In September 2008, Worsham was named the new driver of the Al-Anabi Racing Funny Car, effective after the 2008 NHRA Funny Car season. The Alan Johnson Al-Anabi Racing Team debuted in 2009 with Del as their Funny Car driver, who was entering his 18th year as a professional NHRA driver. Worsham, who qualified for all 24 Funny Car events, advanced to the semifinals six times that year and won three of those races to advance to the Final Round. He won in all three of his Final Round appearances, his first multi-win season since 2005. His victories came at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals (Madison, IL), the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals (Bristol, TN), and the Virginia NHRA Nationals (Richmond, VA). He would qualify for the Countdown to One NHRA Playoffs for the first time in his career,[1] and he would place seventh in the Funny Car Point Standings. In 2010, Del qualified for all the Funny Car events for the second consecutive year, and he made it to the semifinals seven times. He only advanced to the Final Round once, however, and lost to Bob Tasca at Englishtown, New Jersey. Worsham would again qualify for the NHRA playoffs, beginning in ninth place in the Countdown to One. He improved three places in the playoffs, finishing in sixth place in the Funny Car Point Standings, his best finish since 2004. At the end of the 2010 season, Al-Anabi Racing announced that it would not run in the Funny Car Series in 2011. Del, along with teammate and 2010 Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon, would each drive an Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel dragster in 2011.

Del is on one of his best seasons ever in 2011, and with the Finals coming this weekend he has the chance to become the NHRA Top Fuel Champion for 2011. He is only 2 points back of first place Spencer Massey for DSR. In Maple Grove this year, the Top Fuel final was the quickest side-by-side race in NHRA history as Del Worsham’s Al-Anabi Racing dragster recorded the quickest run in NHRA history, 3.735 at 323.81 Best of luck to you Del and Al-Anabi Racing for an outstanding year of racing in the NHRA Full Throttle Series. Good Luck in the Finals in Pomona.

If you ever run across Del at the track and he is walking in the pits area, he will always stop to say hi, take a picture and sign an autograph. He definitely loves his fans. This is the type of person that makes the NHRA the greatest community in Motorsports!

Al-Anabi Racing

Follow Al-Anabi Racing on Twtter

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of the nicest tracks that I have attended for a NHRA Event, and I have been to quiet a few tracks. LVMS was built in hopes to someday becoming a 4-Wide NHRA Event. It was purchased by Bruton Smith who owns Speedway Motorsports, Inc, in 1998. It is located just north of Las Vegas. It s a 1,200 acre multiple complex for automobile racing such as NHRA Drag Racing, NASCAR (1.5 mile oval), a Dirt Track(.5 mile clay oval, and a Bullring(.375 paved oval.

On March 1, 1998 was the inaugural Las Vegas 400 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in which Mark Martin was the winner. To view all the winners in NASCAR in the years following please visit .

April 7, 2000-Inaugural NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals, winners were Kenny Bernstein (TF), Jim Epler (FC), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (PS), Angelle Seeling (PSB). Please visit the link above to see who the winners were in all the NHRA Events following the inaugural race.

The LVMS houses 2 NHRA Events a year. One is usually in April, the first part of the year, and then the NHRA comes back usually at the last weekend of October which is usually Halloween. So you get an added theme for the track as fans, drivers and crews dress up in their wildest costumes.

Even Ashley Force Hood was wearing Pumpkin Earrings.

This coming NHRA Event, the NHRA Big O Tires Nationals, is October 27-30, 2011, and is the second to the last race of the season and the "Countdown to the Championship". It looks to be a crazy and wild weekend as the end is coming close as are the points for Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock Motorcycle. This is also the last race for the Pro Mods in the "Get Screened America Series" Please check out the links below to get tickets, event schedule and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Official Web Site.

Also, if you haven't experience the NHRA Fan Fest down at the Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas, then you're in for a treat. Alexis Dejoria, Erica Enders, Larry Dixon, Karen Stoffer and many more will be there signing autographs along with ticket giveaways and music. Click on the link blow to find out more on the NHRA Fan Fest in Las Vegas which is held on Thursday, October 27, 2011 starting at 5 pm.

Las Vegas NHRA Fan Fest 2011

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Official Wed Site

LVMS Tickets

NHRA Big O Tires Event Schedule

The "Hole Shot"

Have you ever wondered what the term "Hole Shot" was in Drag Racing? Or have you ever wondered why the guy in the left lane with the quicker Elapse Time lost to the guy in the right lane that had a slower Elapse Time? Well, this happens and people sometimes don't understand the term. Mainly determined on who got out of the hole first.
The winner in drag racing goes to the first car to cross the finish line. Elapse time does not matter much on final eliminations, but it does matter a whole lot on qualifying day. Usually at the NHRA events, qualifying days are Friday and Saturday where you race against the clock and not the other driver in the other lane. Sometimes on Thursday like in Pomona Ca and at Indianapolis, but mainly just 2 days. Sundays are reserved for Final Eliminations when there you race against the other driver in the other lane.
Ok, so this is how it plays out. A lot of the "Hole Shot" is determined from the drivers reaction time from cutting the Christmas Tree with the best reaction time. I will do this in simple terms so not to confuse you by using whole numbers.
Let's say the driver "A" in the left lane reacts to the tree with a .100 time and goes 4.100 elapse time, but the driver "B" in the right lane cuts a .000 perfect light, and goes 4.150, which is slower. Driver "B" in the right lane went slower in Elapse Time, but was perfect on the line, so he made it to the finish line .050 quicker because driver "A" in the left lane was slow to react with a .100 time. The difference is .050 faster for driver "B" to cross the finish line.
Another version:
A hole shot win is when the car with the fasted elapased time did not cross the finish line first. your reaction time to the green light is where this is figured. .000 seconds is a perfect reaction time. this means you left the stage beam at the exact time the light turned green. the timers don't start counting your elapsed time until you leave the stage beam. So if I had a reaction time of .050 and my elapsed time was 6.60 seconds and you had a reaction time of .000 and your elapsed time was 6.64 seconds this would mathmaticly (SP) put you ahead of me at the finish line by .010 seconds. Since my elapsed time was faster than yours but you took the stripe before I did, that would give you the holeshot win.

Check out this 2009 Hole shot win by Larry Dixon over Cory Mac at the finals in Pomona and watch what both Elapse Times are and how Dixon won on a hole shot.

Larry Dixon wins on a Hole Shot

I hope you can now understand it.

Antron Brown - New Points Leader after AZ

I have to say that Antron Brown, Top Fuel Driver for DSR - Don Schumacher Racing, is one of the most entertaining drivers out on the NHRA Full Throttle Series. During his speech this weekend at the NHRA AZ Nationals at Firebird International Speedway in Chandler, AZ, he had us all laughing and rolling from the jokes and quirks. He is a big fan favorite at the track, and also is a great driver.

Brown, 35, first operated a motorcycle at four-years-old shortly after learning how to ride a bicycle with training wheels. The 16-time NHRA winner first competed at 12-years-old in an 80-cc class in amateur youth motocross. His first competitive action on the drag strip came during his senior year in high school aboard a Suzuki GSXR 1100 that Brown routinely steered at runs at 9.20 seconds at nearly 160 mph. In 1998 he finished seventh in the standings despite a DNQ at Gainesville, his first career start. then in 1999 he won the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award that was presented to the NHRA racer destined for future greatness. He loves being at the track and best of all he knows how to treat his fans. After a great career in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Brown finished his last season as one of a two-driver operation for the U.S. Army Pro Stock Motorcycle team owned by Don Schumacher, where he teamed with Angelle Sampey in 2007. He then went on to make a successful transition to Top Fuel from Pro Stock Motorcycle; Raced to victories at Houston and Atlanta; Was No. 1 qualifier at Pomona 1, Englishtown and Sonoma; Became only driver in NHRA history to win races in Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle. This was still under the DSR umbrella and Matco Tools. Antron is now the Points Leader in the Top Fuel Class of the NHRA Full Throttle Series with only 2 races left. This would be great to see Brown win the "Championship to the Countdown" in 2011. It couldn't happen to a a nicer guy. To learn more on Antron please follow the link to the Don Schumacher Racing web site below.

We were blessed in Arizona at the NHRA AZ Nationals to be able to attend DSR's Hospitality for Saturday and Sunday. After joking around with Antron on twitter, he invited myself, Corinna, and her son to be a part of DSR's hospitality. Between him and Ted, we had the best of time. Corinna's son was awarded with a signed blower belt from Antron, and they gave us a tour of their operation inside the DSR Trailers. It was such a fantastic weekend to be treated so well. Hopefully in the future, i will be able to schedule an interview with Antron for a future Blog. We'd like to thank Antron Brown, Ted, and all of Don Schumacher racing for making our weekend at the Arizona Nationals a memorable one.

2011 Full Throttle Series Points Standing with 2 races left

Antron Brown's Bio

Follow Antron Brown on Twitter

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Bob Tasca III AZ Nationals Interview

I was fortunate to be able to attend the NHRA AZ Nationals in Phoenix this past weekend, and met up with some of the great Nitro Twitter Group members. This was one of the best weekends at the races this year, but all that will be told in another blog. I met up with Corinna, a great Make-Up Artist, whom I have had the pleasure of meeting in Las Vegas almost 2 years ago. She is such a beautiful person and we have so much fun whenever we get together. Corinna was the one who videotaped my interview with Bob Tasca III. You can also check out her blog at http://corinnabsworld.blogspot.com/ for some great information and tips in the glamor world.

While at the NHRA AZ Nationals, I had a great opportunity to interview Bob Tasca III on Saturday prior to the start of qualifying round three for my blog. I had set it up with Bob Tasca’s PR representative prior to attending the race. They are such nice people, and they love racing and their fans. They brought us into the lounge area of the coach, and made us feel so comfortable. Bob was working on his helmet as we walked in, getting it ready for the day of qualifying. As we were there, Bob’s father walked in and offered us something cold to drink. We told them both Happy Birthday since Bob III birthday was that Friday and Bob Jr’s birthday was that Sunday. Bob Jr was amazed that we knew when his birthday was. I mean who wouldn’t know unless you were not a Big Bob Tasca fan as we are were. I continued on with the interview, and Bob was so great on elaborating on the questions I had for him. This was such a great part of my day to be able to get a one on one interview with him. To view the interview, please click on the link below.

Here is the Press Release on Bob Tasca III after the AZ Nationals Race"

TASCA, NHRA FUNNY CAR DRIVERS HOLD ON TIGHT AS FULL THROTTLE SERIES POINT STANDINGS MOVE LIKE MUSICAL CHAIRS

· The NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car standings turned into a high-stakes game of musical chairs at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.

· Bob Tasca III, seventh entering the event, is now eighth, 141 points behind Beckman, who with the win moved around DSR’s Matt Hagan and John Force Racing’s Mike Neff for the lead.

· After one weekend off, the NHRA Full Throttle Series heads to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Oct. 27-30, 2011 for the Big O Tires Nationals.

PHOENIX, Ariz., Oct. 16, 2011 – The NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car standings turned into a high-stakes game of musical chairs at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.

At the end, Don Schumacher Racing’s Jack Beckman was the one with the best seat, the Wally event trophy and a victory over his teammate Johnny Gray – and, behind him, five hungry Ford drivers that can’t wait to get to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week.

One is Bob Tasca III, driver of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car. Tasca advanced to Round 2, where he lost to Kalitta Motorsports’ Jeff Arend by only thousandths of a second.

Tasca, seventh entering the event, is now eighth, 141 points behind Beckman, who with the win moved around four drivers – including DSR’s Matt Hagan and John Force Racing’s Mike Neff - for the lead. While he knows the fight will be a tough one, Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are already preparing for the next race. Only two races remain on the schedule, including the season finale in Pomona, Calif.

“Certainly, we’ve had our challenges this season,” Tasca said. “It seems like we’ve had more bad luck than good, but we know we make our own luck and not only that, you also find out what you can do when times get really tough. You learn as much if not more from the hard times than you do when everything’s going the way you think it will.

“I have a lot of good memories from The Strip. It’s where I hit the throttle of an NHRA Funny Car for the first time. We’ll be ready to race.”

After one weekend off, the NHRA Full Throttle Series heads to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Oct. 27-30, 2011 for the Big O Tires Nationals.

Bob Tasca Merchandise

Bob Tasca III Interview - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMH3Nnw6DTg

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TIME IS NOW FOR TASCA

TIME IS NOW FOR TASCA, MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE TEAM; THREE RACES REMAIN IN COUNTDOWN PLAYOFFS

· Now’s the time to make your move. That’s what’s on the mind of the 10 drivers competing for the NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car championship title. Only three races remain in the Countdown playoffs and there’s no time to wait.

· Tasca is in seventh place in the NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car standings, 134 points behind leader Matt Hagan.

PHOENIX, Ariz., Oct. 13, 2011 – Now’s the time to make your move. That’s what’s on the mind of the 10 drivers competing for the NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car championship title. Only three races remain in the Countdown playoffs and there’s no time to wait.

Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car team have had a fair playoff season so far. They runnered-up at the first race of the Countdown, in Indianapolis. They reached the semifinals last week in Reading, Pa. But fair won’t win the title, a fact Tasca keeps top of mind.

“This is not a ‘maybe,’ an ‘if’ or a possibility,” Tasca said. “To stay alive, we have to win the race (in Phoenix).”

Tasca maintained his seventh-place position after last week’s race because of that semifinal finish and a few key losses for teams high in the points. He doesn’t expect to get that assist again.

“We got lucky in Reading, with a few of the top cars losing in the early rounds,” Tasca said. “You can’t count on that every weekend and with only three races left we have to put a W on the board.

“We’ve got a car that’s going rounds now, which is what we need. But we need a win. You got to close the deal on one of these races, and pick up the maximum amount of points.”

Typically, the hottest part of the season falls in the summer months of the Full Throttle Series schedule, which stretches from February to November. Not so this year. Conditions this weekend in Arizona are expected to be the hottest yet. Crew chief Chris Cunningham and Co-Crew Chief Marc Denner will use information gained through the summer to prep the Ford Mustang for this weekend.

“We should see conditions that we have good data on,” Tasca said.

There are two more reasons to celebrate at the track – both Bob Tasca III and his father Bob Tasca Jr. will celebrate birthdays.

“Dad’s 60th birthday is this weekend (on Sunday),” said Bob III, whose birthday is on Friday. “It would be nice to pick up a win this weekend.”

Next week I will have a blog on an Interview with Bob Tasca III from the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix, AZ. Corinna will be assisting me in the interviews this weekend.

Countdown to the Championship 3 Events left

The 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Series is slowly coming to an end, and with only 3 races left, the championship is still up for grabs except possibly in Pro Stock where Jason Line is 181 points in front of second place Greg Anderson. That is 8 rounds of cushion for Jason line with only 12 rounds of Final Eliminations left for the season. I believe that Jason Line could clinch the Pro Stock Championship next weekend in Arizona with a win. Of course there will be other variables that could change the course, like National Records etc, but I believe he has a good chance of winning the Pro Stock Championship for 2011.

All of the other 3 categories are still up for grabs with the points spread being in reach. In Top Fuel you have the top 7 still in contention. Although it would take a miracle for Doug Kalitta with 225 points back of Spencer Massey, to win 12 rounds in a row, and for the top 6 to go out in the first rounds at each event, stranger things have happened. Spencer Massey with DSR is leading the Top Fuel pack and has a great car and crew tuning him that is at the top of their game. I think he is the man to beat, and if he has a winning round streak like earlier in the year, then he will be unstoppable. Antron Brown with DSR is in second place only 65 points back has a real good shot of also winning the championship. He has been running on mean and I would not count him out. Antron came up in the ranks from riding Pro Stock Motorcycles and he handles that Top Fuel Dragster with charisma. Not only is Antron a great Driver, but he is one of the nicest guys on & off the NHRA Events. He loves his fans and is always has time to stop and talk to you or take a picture at the track, and if you see Big Daddy on twitter, he'll also pay his respects to you by responding to all your questions. Please follow him on twitter @AntronBrownTF

In third place is Del Worsham with Al-Anabi Racing. Del also is a great man and has stopped many times to take pictures with his fans and he'll even sit in the stands to watch the races with his fans too. He is 74 points back, which is less then 4 rounds, and he also has a good chance to win it all. With Alan Johnson tuning, don't ever underestimate his chances. Del coming from driving a Fuel Funny Car last year and done remarkably well handling the Top Fuel Dragster. Next year with the experience, he'll be the one to watch out for. Larry Dixon also of Al-Anabi Racing is in fourth place 108 points behind Spencer, and has been showing improvement it getting down the track. He is last years Top Fuel Champion and he know how to get it done. In fifth place is none other the DSR's Tony Schumacher. Surprisingly Tony has not won a single NHRA Event in 2011, but don't count him out. Tony is known for his Great comebacks, and this is what makes the countdown so exciting. Mike Green can get that car tunes and running on mean when need be. Brandon Bernstein who is in sixth place, 197 points back of Spencer, also has a chance, but it would take some strong racing and winning all the rounds to get him to the top.

Fuel Funny Car is also a tight race with Country Boy, Matt Hagan of DSR in first place just 2 points of JFR's Mike Neff. Mike Neff lead most of the season and now finds he has dropped to 2nd place. Matt Hagan with the Record Breaking run in Charlotte of 3.995 has the car to beat. I believe he could take it all, but I think this will be a fight to the finish in Pomona to the last round. This will be so exciting for the fans and probably go down in history as one of the greatest races to the championship. Mathematically it is still any ones ball game to win in Funny Car. The Top 6, Hagan, Neff 2 back, Cruz 32 back, Hight 52 back, Beckman 55 back, & Capps 90 back are all within 5 rounds. This is a very tight race. You have to be on your game and just one mistake could make the difference. Rounding out the remaining 10 is Bob Tasca III 134 back, Jeff Arend 135 back, John Force 167 back and Tim Wilkerson is 181 back.

Pro Stock Motorcycle With Eddie Krawiec leading the pack just 35 points in front of second place Hector Arana Jr. It is also a tight race to the championship in PSM too. There has been a lot of Passions flying within the ranks as it comes down to the wire. Matt Smith is in 3rd place just 70 points back and is a big fan favorite. From losing his funding with Al-Anabi Racing, he has kept it together and is running strong. I have to commend Matt Smith Racing for all they have accomplished in 2011 and 2012 looks to be even better for them. Rounding out the remaining 10 are Stoffer 97 back, Hines 109 Back, Phillips 157 back, Savoie 166 back, LE TOnglet 167 back, Arana 212 back and Underdahl is 244 back.

Be ready for some very exciting racing in the final 3 events of the year. I am attending the last 3 races in Phx, Vegas and Pomona. Hope to meet some of you out at the tracks..

Chris Hobson (@NitroChrisUK) Dream trip to NHRA Event

For those of you who have had the pleasure of communication with Chris on twitter or Facebook, you know how passionate he is about Drag Racing. His every day life revolves around this great motor sport, and he is filled with knowledge with almost all the drivers. He does attend so some of the drag races overseas to places like Santa Pod, but his Biggest Dream and one of the Top things to do on his Bucket List, is to attend a NHRA Full Throttle Event here in the USA.

I have been trying most of the year to get contributions and donations from the Nitro Twitter Group, and have not been very successful. Just a few have come through such as Vivian Milliken (@NitroDoll), Joe Ryan (@J88Ryan), and Myself. Those were through emails, and now it is time to go public. Hopefully some of you NHRA Fans, Drivers, Teams or Sponsors can help to get Chris over here for an NHRA Full Throttle Series Event. We are hoping to get him out for the Las Vegas Nationals at the end of October, but we have to act fast to get better pricing on the Airfare.

The Airfare will cost around $1100.00 round trip from Heathrow Airport to Las Vegas. While in Vegas he can share a Hotel room with me, and he will have his own spending money for entertainment. We just need around $833.00 dollars more to get this dream to come true.
He will then be able to meet all of his great NHRA Idols, get pictures with them, and buy souvenirs at the track. Any money collected over his airfare will be given to Chris for him to spend at the event and entertainment.

If you would like to help, I have a Pay Pal Account for Chris and you can donate anything you can afford to help in this great dream. Click on the link below to contribute then my account is nitrojohn12@yahoo.com

Pay Pal

Thank you all!

Thank you all, and I hope we can make this dream come true..

Bob Tasca III Jumps 2 spots after Dallas

TASCA JUMPS TWO SPOTS TO SEVENTH WITH FOUR RACES REMAINING IN NHRA FULL THROTTLE SERIES PLAYOFFS

· Bob Tasca III jumped two spots to seventh in the Countdown to One NHRA Full Throttle Series playoff standings after defeating John Force in Round 1 and a first-round loss by Jeff Arend at Texas Motorplex. Force and Arend leave Dallas tied for eighth in the Funny Car category with 2,096 points each.

· This week the NHRA Full Throttle Series heads to Reading, Pa. for the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the third of six races in the playoff season.


ENNIS, Texas, Sept. 25, 2011 – Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car team had one goal in mind for the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals – move up in the NHRA Full Throttle Series point standings. And after qualifying drama that had fans on the edge of their seats, move up they did.

Tasca jumped two spots to seventh in the Countdown to One playoff standings after defeating John Force in Round 1 and a first-round loss by Jeff Arend at Texas Motorplex. Force and Arend leave Dallas tied for eighth in the Funny Car category.

“You always got to race the race track, but a lot of times you look back and you’d do 10 things differently, and truthfully, I wouldn’t have done anything different,” said Tasca, who lost to Cruz Pedregon in Round 2 after smoking the tires in the track’s right lane. “We went up there against Cruz, who’s obviously got a great race car. We ran a 4.15 on a 127-degree track on Saturday night and we had full expectations to go up there and run a 4.15, 4.17 on the same track condition. Obviously the left lane was better than the right lane, but still the right lane looked good enough.”

Tasca clocked a 4.625 at 248.61 mph after qualifying ninth with a 4.178 at 300.86. His best run of the weekend, a 4.154 at 300.86 in the fourth and final round of qualifying, was thrown out because the car was ruled too light.

That final round was a story in itself. Tasca shut the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford off after staging after his tree, the starting device, failed to drop. The starting device in the other lane functioned normally.

“I knew one thing. I knew I wasn’t leaving that starting line until someone explained to me what just happened,” Tasca said. “I shut the car off, jumped out and went right up to the starter. I wasn’t leaving, because I never saw the tree. The tree never came on. I rolled through the lights and there was a malfunction. NHRA realized it was the fault of the tree, they found a module that was loose, they fixed it, and we made a tremendous run.”

The car was later ruled too light in that final round.

“I don’t think it played into anything that happened today, because we had the run,” Tasca said. “We basically repeated the run in the first round, then we came out in the second round and tried to repeat it again and missed it by an eyelash. That’s the way the chips fell and we’ll just look forward to Maple Grove.”

IT’S HERE! NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS KICK OFF IN CAROLINA RACING COUNTRY

Press Release from Bob Tasca III:

· This week’s NHRA Full Throttle Series race at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte officially kicks off the six-race 2011 Countdown to One, when the top 10 drivers in each category will throw everything they have at making the perfect start to playoffs.

· Bob Tasca III will be there to win with his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car and knows now is the time to go the distance – especially at the same track he runnered-up at earlier this year.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 13, 2011 – It’s time to bring the big bat.

This week’s NHRA Full Throttle Series race at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte officially kicks off the 2011 Countdown to the Championship playoffs, when the top 10 drivers in each category will throw everything they have at making the perfect start to the end of the year.

Bob Tasca III will be there to win with his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car and knows now is the time to go the distance – especially at the same track he runnered-up at earlier this year. It’s his team’s home track, too. Tasca Racing headquarters is just down the street, in the heart of the Carolina racing country.

“These races back-to-back-to-back will set teams up for the championships,” said Tasca of the Charlotte, N.C.-Dallas-Reading, Pa. string of races the Series sets off on this week. “The weather conditions in Charlotte are supposed to be similar to those we had there in the spring. We’ll draw from some of that data; give ourselves a chance to do well this weekend.”

That final-round appearance was the first of two Tasca has earned this year. His second was in Indianapolis just a week ago.

Weather forecasts predict lows in the lower 50s and highs in the lower 70s – perfect conditions for mild-weather set-ups.

“It looks off-the-charts good,” Tasca said. “It could be some of the best conditions we’ve seen all year on one of the premier racing surfaces in the country.”

Tasca went up two spots in the Countdown to One point Funny Car point standings at Indianapolis, behind the strength of his runner-up finish – but since the points are reset at equal intervals for the playoff season, the title could go to anyone locked in. Including any of the ‘One Ford’ teams. All five made it in, so there’s a 50-50 shot the 2011 championship will be one in a Ford.

Tasca hopes he’s the last man standing.

“Everyone dreams,” Tasca said. “We’re out here to win a championship. There’s no other reason why I’m racing. If I don’t believe that I can win a championship, I’d hang up my firesuit and head on back to the dealership.”

Adult tickets start at just $40 each, with children 12 and under $5. For tickets, visit Charlotte Motor Speedway or call 1-800-455-FANS (3267).

The 57th NHRA US Mac Tools US Nationals

The US Nationals is one the most prestigious events to attend. I have been fortunate to attend the last two years witnessing great qualifying rounds, great racing, and meeting up with great drivers, sponsors, media, and friends. This year has to be the best time ever. Here is how the time spent at the US Nationals went.

I picked up @SFCSKI in PA at midnight on Wednesday 8/31/11, and we drove straight through 13 hours to our hotel in Indy. We got a couple hours of rest and headed out to a Surprise Birthday Party for Terry McMillen . We were so thrilled and honored to be invited to his party by Jim Walczak and Cori Wickler. Team McMillen has been instrumental and a big help with the success of the Nitro Twitter Group. The party was held at Jillian's in downtown Indy, and the whole team showed up for a night of partying and bowling. They also supplied catered food that was so delicious, and all the drinks included. It was one of the best nights to be hanging with the everyone that makes up Team McMillen. Click on the link to see picture of Terry's Party. Terry has always said that he is the NTG Poster Child, so we got him this T-Shirt for his Birthday.

He instantly took off the shirt he was wearing and put the NTG Poster Child Shirt on. This was the beginning of the most wonderful weekend ever.

The next day we meet up with @NHRAChat and proceeded to the race track. We mostly hung around Terry McMillen's pits the whole weekend where they welcomed us into their hospitality and gave us the royal treatment. We couldn't have asled for a better time at the US Nationals. Thank you Terry McMillen, Jim Walczak, Cori Wickler and the whole Amalie Team for making this years attendance at the US Nationals a time we will never forget. Here are some pictures of our time with Terry McMillen and his time on the track. Terry's Pictures

It was very sad that Terry did not make into the Top 10, but he did win the "Best Crew Award" for this event. They worked hard and never gave up with hopes in making it in. Because of the Oil Down Penalty Rule, he just missed getting into the top 10. Next year, you can bet the farm, that they will make it in. Our loyalty will live on!

We also met a bunch of great people that we have been tweeting to. Let me tell you, the NHRA is the BEST Community hands down. We have met so many people through the years at NHRA events, and most have become great friends. Like someone tweeted: "Most of my friends names start with @" LOL. I'd like to thank all those who came by to meet us. @Indidad @sremerson @Steveschiewer @kschiewer @derrick76 @massingcc23
You are all great people and it was a pleasure to finally meet up with you and put the tweet to the face.

We also met up with Andrew and Dina Parise of Parise Racing. They are a great Pro Mod husband and wife team who are looking for sponsorship to run in next years NHRA Get Screened America Series. They are great people and deserve a spot to race within the NHRA. Who knows, though, they may even like changing it up and racing a Top Fuel Dragster some Day. Check this out:

Another Fabulous moment was interviewing Clay Millican The Parts Plus Top Fuel Driver. Let me tell you, he is such a wonderful man as he took time to talk to all of us, and let us video and audio an interview. Clay's Interview. We had such a great time talking to Clay. He welcomed us into his coach and we had a great time listening to him talk. I could have stayed there all night. We are hoping to see him for the complete Full Throttle Tour in 2012. I am hoping to get more pictures of Clay and the Parts Plus Team in the future. Here are some pictures I took of Clay's Top Fuel Dragster in qualifying: Clay's Pictures

We also met up with @LDCRust as we do most of the races we attend. She is such a wonderful person and a BIG part of the NTG and the NHRA. We love her so much and love spending the time with her. We only get a little time with her at the track because she works in the tower of the credential trailer at the NHRA events. Maybe she can come to an event without working it. That would be special.

WFO Radio was also at the track for the entire event, and they compiled a lot of interviews throughout the weekend keeping them busy. They are a TOP Notch Motorsport Media Group and they a lot for promoting the NHRA. Don't forget to check out their Nitro shows which usually air on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm at their website www.wforadio.com. We finally got to meet up with @WFOJoe and the rest of the crew. Here is a picture with all of us.

Last but not least, is Team Benza. We'd like to thank @NancyBenza @amandabenza and the whole crew for taking time out of their busy schedule to talk with us and welcome us into their pits. We are sad that @BobBenza didn't make it into eliminations, but I feel that in the future they will become great competitors in Pro Stock. Nancy also took care of our swag that Castrol and JFR had sent us to give to members of the NTG. The Benza's are one of the Greatest Pro Stock Families at the track.

We also attended the Don Schumacher Open House at the DSR Shop in Brownsbug, In. That was such a wonderful event and had a great time. If you ever get a chance to go to a DSR Open House, I highly recommend going. They put on a great event, and welcome you with open arms. Great fun for all ages. Check out some pictures: DSR Open House

Pictures of the event that I took are posted in the link below. I'd also like to congratulate the winners of the 57th NHRA Mac Tools US Nationals: Antron Brown - TF, Mike Neff -FC, Greg Anderson - PS, and Hector Aran Jr - PSM.

US Nationals Pictures

NHRA Greatest Moments!

If you would like to learn more about the NHRA's Greatest Moments, I have created links to each of the 20 Greatest Moments to help you decide for yourself. Below are links to each NHRA Monent you can vote on. Then on the bottom of the page is a link to the NHRA's Facebook page where you can do your voting.

1 Founding of NHRA 1951

2. Don Garlits makes NHRA's first 200-mph run 1964

3. Snake-Mongoose Mattel Hot Wheels Sponsorship 1970

4.Don Garlits wins in debbut of Rear-Engine Dragster Pomona 1971

5. Shirley Mudowney is first woman to win in Top Fuel 1976

6. Don Prudhomme wins 7 of 8 events 1976

7. Shirley Muldowney is NHRA's First Female World Champ (1977)

8. Bob Glidden's Calendar Year Winning Streak (1978-79)

9. Don Prudhomme makes NHRA's first 250-mph Funny Car Pass (1982)

10. Don Prudhomme steals show with 5.63, one of 'greatest runs ever' (1982)

11. Shirley Muldowney def. Connie Kalitta for first Indy win (1982)

12. Don Garlits makes Return at U.S. Nationals (1984)

13. Don Garlits' Big Blowover (1986)

14. Kenny Bernstein makes NHRA's first 300-mph Run (1992)

15. John Force is first NHRA Driver to win Driver of the Year (1996)

16. Warren Johnson makes first 200-mph Pro Stock Run (1997)

17. John Force is first to win 100 career races (2002)

18. Tony Schumacher's "The Run" (2006)

19. Ashley Force Hood is first Female Funny Car Winner (2008)

20. John Force Completes Comeback, Wins 15th Championship (2010)

Please vote for your favorite 5 here: NHRA Greatest Moments

Countdown to the Championship

It has been a little while since my last blog. I have been on Vacation in California, and while there I looked for work so we could move back to be closer to our families. I did get the job and I will be moving in September right after the US Nationals in Indianapolis, IN. Jeni will follow come December. Now on to the NHRA.

I am very excited to be attending the "57th Annual Mac Tools Us Nationals" at the Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, IN. This is one of the longest running NHRA Events within the NHRA and a Big one. They also call it the "BIG GO". The US Nationals is the last stop before the "Countdown to the Championship" begins. If you're not in the top 10 by the end of the US Nationals, then you won't have a chance to win the 2011 Championship. The points are gathered throughout the year at each event. Points are attained by qualifying, rounds won in eliminations, and special bonus points on each of the 4 qualifying attempts for best of the 3 of each round.

So far in the Top Ten for Top Fuel, there are 5 drivers that have clinched a spot to go on the win the Championship. In Order are 1. Del Worsham 2. Spencer Massey 3. Antron Brown 4. Tony Schumacher and 5. Larry Dixon. There are 5 spots left in the Top Ten in which a few more will be clinched in Brainerd. Rounding out the Top Ten is 6. Doug Kalitta 7. Brandon Bernstein 8. Shawn Langdon 9. Morgan Lucan and 10. David Grubnic. There are 2 more drivers looking into getting in the top ten not too far behind in the points. Terry McMillen is 11th and only 18 points (1 Round) from making it in, and Bob Vandergriff is 12th, only 39 points (2 Rounds) from making it in. This weekend in Brainerd is very crucial and you better be bringing your "A" Game if you want to be a part of the "Countdown to the Championship"

In Fuel Funny Car, there are 4 drivers who have clinched a spot in the Countdown. 1. Mike Neff 2. Robert Hight 3. Jack Beckman and 4. Cruz Pedregon. Rounding out the top ten are 5. Matt Hagan 6. Ron Capps 7. John Force 8. Jeff Arend 9. Tim Wilkerson and 10. Bob Tasca III. Outside looking in are 11. Johnny Gray who is 95 points back and 12. Tony Pedregon who is 119 points behind. Most of the Fuel Funny Car drivers could clinch a spot in Brainerd this weekend.

Pro Stock Cars 7 drivers have clinched a spot in the Top Ten. 1. Jason Line 2. Greg Anderson 3. Mike Edwards 4. Vincent Nobile 5. Erica Enders 6. Allen Johnson and 7. Rodger Brogdon. Rounding out the top ten are 8. Greg Stanfield 9. Shane Gray and 10. Ron Krisher. There are 3 more Pro Stock drivers that are close to getting into the top ten. 11. Larry Morgan is 31 points back 12. Ronnie Humphrey is 43 points back and 13. V Gaines is 80 points back.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Karen Stoffer and Eddie Krawiec have clinched the playoff spots. 1. Karen Stoffer 2. Eddie Krawiec 3. LE Tonglet 4. Andrew Hines 5. Matt Smith 6. Hector Arana 7. Michael Phillips 8. Gerald Savoie 9. James Underdahl and 10. Hector Arana Jr. Outside looking in are 11. David Hope is 51 points back 12. Chip Ellis is 56 points back 13. Steve Johnson and Angie Smith are 77 points back. Still a close race there to the Top Ten.

These next 2 NHRA Events are very important to getting into the "Countdown to the Championship" I wish everyone the best and I have enjoyed this years competition to the fullest. This year has been a great year, and I am looking forward to the Countdown Race.

We have a lot of the Nitro Twitter Group attending Indy this year, and I have been blessed to be a part of the Top Alcohol News Team to interview drivers in the Alcohol Class plus drivers in the Nitro Class who have come up from the ranks of Alcohol. I will add a list of people we are interviewing as soon as it is available. I'd like to thank @NitroNate for asking me to be a part of this great opportunity.

Also last but not least, I would like to thank Rob at Castrol for for sending the Nitro Twitter Group all the Swag to be given out to the NTG in Indy. Castrol and John Force Racing has been a big supporter in helping the NTG out. Also, Terry McMillen has been a Very Big Part of the NTG, as he welcomes us into his Hospitality, mentions us in his interviews, and he says that He is our "Poster Child", in which we love so much. Team Kallita is always there also. They welcome us into their hospitality, we take special pictures behind the scenes with the drivers and cars, and have given us great support along the way. One more to mention is Vincent Nobile. He is a making in history with his Pro Stock Car. He has the NTG Decal displayed over the rear fender of his Mountain View Race car, and always gives the NTG a great welcome. Thank you All, and see you in Indy.

"Nitro Twitter Group" NTG Members

I thought I would share some information about a group of us that started up when twitter first came alive into the NHRA. John Force Racing was the first to my knowledge to have the link to Twitter on his web site. That is when I joined the fast growing community of the Social Media World. It was back in March of 2009 when I started chatting with a bunch of NHRA Teams and fans, and it grew from there.

Our first NTG tweet up was in Las Vegas in October of 2009 at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals where Jeni and I picked up Corinna, @corinnamakeup, at the Las Vegas airport. We were invited to attend Don Schumacher Racing Hospitality from Will Truitt of DSR from Twitter. We had been tweeting with DSR and helping with retweets, helping to get their name out on twitter. We were so excited to attend, and DSR showed us the best time ever. It was an experience we'd never forget.

Our second Twitter get together was in January of 2010 where we all met up at the NHRA Test & Tune in Chandler AZ at Firebird Raceway. It was such a great experience meeting everyone that I have been talking to on twitter in Person. I met Greg @NHRAChat, Lynn @PapaNitroSTL, Lisa @NHRAchik67 and her son Ty, Corinna @corinnamakeup, Kathy @KataMcB, and her husband Randy @NitroHi. I picked up Lynn and Greg at the Airport and from there the rest is history. We all met for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel by the track before we commenced in the thrills of Nitro Testing! We hung out the whole weekend together at the track and then we all had Dinner at Black Bear Cafe. Where we celebrated Ty's Birthday! It was so much fun and looking forward to someday, the whole gang meeting up.

Also, a bunch of us met up in Concord, NC for the 4-Wide NHRA Nationals, and had a great time. It is so fun meeting up with new Twitter fans of the NHRA. We had our first Tweetup where Terry McMillen showed up and hung out with the Group at Dave & Busters signing autographs and sharing stories. It was the Best time ever. Another GREAT Ford Driver Bob Tasca III has also opened his hospitality to the #NTG. We would like to thank Joe Ryan of @quick_lane for his part in helping the #NTG in this glorious meeting. In Charlotte he took members into his pit area, signing autographs, taking pictures, and talking with us on his teams performances and updates. He has joined the #NTG Facebook page and tweets to members on twitter. Bob and Joe have been a big inspiration to us all. Update as of July 18, 2011, Bob Tasca III will be adding the #NTG Decal to his Quicklane Ford Mustang in the near future. His car has already left for the Western Swing, so on return to the shop, they will then add it on he Ford Mustang Funny Car! Bob Tasca III has been a great Icon within the #NTG and we are so pleased to hear this news.

We have received a lot of support from some of the NHRA teams, drivers, and sponsors. The cars that have our #NTG decal are, Terry McMillen, Jeff Arend, Doug Kalitta, David Grubnic, Bob Benza and Vincent Nobile. Team McMillen welcomes the NTG into his Pit Area to get up close and personal with the team, with thanks to Jim Walczak and Cori Wickler. Kalitta Motorsports, thanks to Todd Myers is also a big supporter of the NTG, and has done a lot to welcome us into their hospitality to take pictures of the cars and drivers. Nancy and Bob Benza also have been a great help to the #NTG with their great hospitality to our members and always there to help us in anyway! They have all contributed to the success of the #NTG, and we appreciate all that they have done with supporting our goals. We'd also like to thank Vincent Noble, who could become the Rookie of the Year, for allowing our decal on his Pro Stock Car. Last but not least is Zizzo Racing, who interacts with the #NTG on twitter along with PR Brandon Mudd.

Steve Emerson, @sremerson, has been very instrumental with the growth of #NTG. he has a big passion for the NHRA and is there to help in any way. He heads the #NTG Facebook page, and does an awesome job keeping it current. We really appreciate all he does. Steve also has a NHRA blog that is very good, and you can follow the link on my blog to reach his.

The Members have been growing since then, and below are a list of the members to date:

John Amorosano - @NitroJohn
Jeni Amorosano - @nitrojeni
Greg Stephenson - @NHRAChat
Lynn Casper - @PapaNitroSTL
Lisa Purcell - @NHRAchik67
Corinna BertramCooke _ @corinnamakeup
Kathy McBride - @kataMcB
Randy McBride - @NitroHi
Chris Hobson - @NitroChrisUK
Dina Roberts Wakulczyk - @indydina
Angela Bland - @Angietigerfan
Mitzi - @Gottagoracing
Joe Ryan - @J88Ryan
Jenifer Nuest - @Jenimo3022
Steve Emerson - @sremerson
Vivian Grantz - @jvgrantz
Kelly - @KellyNorCal
Nancy Benza - @NancyBenza
Laura Contrera-Rust - @LDCRust
Todd Long - @lindas1200cc
Linker Mills - @linkerm
Margie Freedle - @margiefreedle
Chris Freedle - @Cfreedle73
Walt Walker - @Nine4127
Vivian Miliken - @nitrodoll
Nitro Nate - @nitronate1320
Alan Perchalski - @SFCSKI
Sharyn Legg - @surfin37
Toyse Woody Jr - @Photos_By_Toyse
Sean Bowe - @SeanBoweAtSix
Jim Walczak - @JimWalczak
Geff Whitt - @gwhitt1
Kristin Long - @Kristin0822
Sarah - @mommisadie2
Josh - @newholla
Mustangs Kids - @Mustangskids
Dean Hillestad - @MustangMatters
Mary Lola Gouge - @marylolagouge
Carrie - @Caarriieeeeeeee

Drivers

Terry McMillen - @TerryMcMillen
Kelsey Lay - @Kelsey Lay
Peggy Llewellyn - @PeggyLlewellyn
Andrew Parise - @PariseRacing
Bob Tasca III - @Tasca3
Vincent Nobile - @Vincent154
Jeff Arend - @JeffArend
Kalitta Motorsports - @Team Kalitta
Bob Benza - @BobBenza

NHRA Sponsors:

Castrol - @CastrolUSA
Quick Lane - @Quick_Lane
MotorCraft - @MQL_Racing