Cash-pay business can be a great way for shops to improve their bottom line, while decreasing reliance on insurance-driven revenue. This program, presented by Automotive Body Repair News (ABRN) and BASF, will explore ways for collision repair shops to market, promote and attract customer pay business, including customizing vehicles from top to bottom.

What's the value of a custom paint pro for your shop? How do you keep long-term custom projects from slowing down production? What equipment or services do you need to generate customer-pay business? How do the lower profit margins of customer pay impact your overall KPI performance?

Get the answers to these questions by participating in the webinar on October 26, at 12:00 p.m. (EDT). The session will be moderated by Automotive Body Repair News News Editor Bruce Adams. The speakers are Thomas Hoerner, VisionPLUS program manager, BASF; Chip Foose, Foose Design; and Ken Scherping, chief operating officer of LeMettry's Collision.

Follow this link to register for the session.

For more information, visit SEMAShow.com, or contact Bruce Adams at 440/891-2617 or e-mail bruce.adams@advanstar.com.

Cash-pay business can be a great way for shops to improve their bottom line, while decreasing reliance on insurance-driven revenue. This program, presented by Automotive Body Repair News (ABRN) and BASF, will explore ways for collision repair shops to market, promote and attract customer pay business, including customizing vehicles from top to bottom.

What's the value of a custom paint pro for your shop? How do you keep long-term custom projects from slowing down production? What equipment or services do you need to generate customer-pay business? How do the lower profit margins of customer pay impact your overall KPI performance?

Get the answers to these questions by participating in the webinar on October 26, at 12:00 p.m. (EDT). The session will be moderated by Automotive Body Repair News News Editor Bruce Adams. The speakers are Thomas Hoerner, VisionPLUS program manager, BASF; Chip Foose, Foose Design; and Ken Scherping, chief operating officer of LeMettry's Collision.

Follow this link to register for the session.

For more information, visit SEMAShow.com, or contact Bruce Adams at 440/891-2617 or e-mail bruce.adams@advanstar.com.

CROWNED: Levi Jones (sprint car), Jerry Coons Jr. (midget) and Bryan Clauson (Silver Crown) were the winners during the annual USAC 4-Crown Nationals at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway Saturday night.

NEW BOSS: Steve Turner, owner of Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, has purchased Braun Racing, a four-car NASCAR Nationwide Series operation formally owned by Todd Braun.

MR. 500: Late-model ace Scott Bloomquist captured the 500th victory of his storied career Saturday during the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Jackson 100 at Brownstown (Indianapolis) Speedway.

IN CHARGE: Jens Walther has been named the new president and CEO of Porsche Motorsports North America Inc., effective immediately.

INJURY: World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series driver Joey Saldana was injured at Eldora Speedway Friday and was forced to sit out Saturday’s race at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway. Saldana dropped to third in the series standings after leading the standings most of the season.

NEW RECORD: Kyle Busch won his 11th NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the season Saturday at Dover (Delaware) International Speedway, resetting the series record for most victories in a season. Busch previously shared the record with Sam Ard.

BUSTED: Clint Bowyer, who won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, on September 19, was penalized with the loss of 150 points after his race-winning car failed inspection. His crew chief, Shane Wilson, was also suspended for six races and fined $150,000.

STICKING AROUND: Officials with Copart Inc. have signed a three-year contract extension to remain as the primary sponsor of the NHRA Top Fuel entry owned by Kenny Bernstein and driven by Brandon Bernstein.

HIGH-TECH: Officials with Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, plan to install a 200-foot by 80-foot high-definition video screen along the backstretch of the 1.5-mile track prior to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race.

HEY ROOKIE: Sebastien Saavedra will drive the No. 36 Conquest Racing Dallara Honda in the IZOD IndyCar Series season finale Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.

QUALIFYING SHUFFLE: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will use a new qualifying procedure for the rest of the year. The order in which the teams qualify will be determined by how fast each team is in practice, with the slowest truck qualifying first.

NEW AND IMPROVED: This week, National Speed Sport News will debut a new website that will provide a full plate of auto racing news, including daily and hourly breaking news stories—instantly. Visit www.nationalspeedsportnews.com for more information.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, visit www.nationalspeedsportnews.com.

CROWNED: Levi Jones (sprint car), Jerry Coons Jr. (midget) and Bryan Clauson (Silver Crown) were the winners during the annual USAC 4-Crown Nationals at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway Saturday night.

NEW BOSS: Steve Turner, owner of Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, has purchased Braun Racing, a four-car NASCAR Nationwide Series operation formally owned by Todd Braun.

MR. 500: Late-model ace Scott Bloomquist captured the 500th victory of his storied career Saturday during the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Jackson 100 at Brownstown (Indianapolis) Speedway.

IN CHARGE: Jens Walther has been named the new president and CEO of Porsche Motorsports North America Inc., effective immediately.

INJURY: World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series driver Joey Saldana was injured at Eldora Speedway Friday and was forced to sit out Saturday’s race at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway. Saldana dropped to third in the series standings after leading the standings most of the season.

NEW RECORD: Kyle Busch won his 11th NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the season Saturday at Dover (Delaware) International Speedway, resetting the series record for most victories in a season. Busch previously shared the record with Sam Ard.

BUSTED: Clint Bowyer, who won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, on September 19, was penalized with the loss of 150 points after his race-winning car failed inspection. His crew chief, Shane Wilson, was also suspended for six races and fined $150,000.

STICKING AROUND: Officials with Copart Inc. have signed a three-year contract extension to remain as the primary sponsor of the NHRA Top Fuel entry owned by Kenny Bernstein and driven by Brandon Bernstein.

HIGH-TECH: Officials with Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, plan to install a 200-foot by 80-foot high-definition video screen along the backstretch of the 1.5-mile track prior to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race.

HEY ROOKIE: Sebastien Saavedra will drive the No. 36 Conquest Racing Dallara Honda in the IZOD IndyCar Series season finale Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.

QUALIFYING SHUFFLE: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will use a new qualifying procedure for the rest of the year. The order in which the teams qualify will be determined by how fast each team is in practice, with the slowest truck qualifying first.

NEW AND IMPROVED: This week, National Speed Sport News will debut a new website that will provide a full plate of auto racing news, including daily and hourly breaking news stories—instantly. Visit www.nationalspeedsportnews.com for more information.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, visit www.nationalspeedsportnews.com.

CROWNED: Levi Jones (sprint car), Jerry Coons Jr. (midget) and Bryan Clauson (Silver Crown) were the winners during the annual USAC 4-Crown Nationals at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway Saturday night.

NEW BOSS: Steve Turner, owner of Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, has purchased Braun Racing, a four-car NASCAR Nationwide Series operation formally owned by Todd Braun.

MR. 500: Late-model ace Scott Bloomquist captured the 500th victory of his storied career Saturday during the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Jackson 100 at Brownstown (Indianapolis) Speedway.

IN CHARGE: Jens Walther has been named the new president and CEO of Porsche Motorsports North America Inc., effective immediately.

INJURY: World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series driver Joey Saldana was injured at Eldora Speedway Friday and was forced to sit out Saturday’s race at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway. Saldana dropped to third in the series standings after leading the standings most of the season.

NEW RECORD: Kyle Busch won his 11th NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the season Saturday at Dover (Delaware) International Speedway, resetting the series record for most victories in a season. Busch previously shared the record with Sam Ard.

BUSTED: Clint Bowyer, who won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, on September 19, was penalized with the loss of 150 points after his race-winning car failed inspection. His crew chief, Shane Wilson, was also suspended for six races and fined $150,000.

STICKING AROUND: Officials with Copart Inc. have signed a three-year contract extension to remain as the primary sponsor of the NHRA Top Fuel entry owned by Kenny Bernstein and driven by Brandon Bernstein.

HIGH-TECH: Officials with Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, plan to install a 200-foot by 80-foot high-definition video screen along the backstretch of the 1.5-mile track prior to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race.

HEY ROOKIE: Sebastien Saavedra will drive the No. 36 Conquest Racing Dallara Honda in the IZOD IndyCar Series season finale Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.

QUALIFYING SHUFFLE: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will use a new qualifying procedure for the rest of the year. The order in which the teams qualify will be determined by how fast each team is in practice, with the slowest truck qualifying first.

NEW AND IMPROVED: This week, National Speed Sport News will debut a new website that will provide a full plate of auto racing news, including daily and hourly breaking news stories—instantly. Visit www.nationalspeedsportnews.com for more information.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, visit www.nationalspeedsportnews.com.

CROWNED: Levi Jones (sprint car), Jerry Coons Jr. (midget) and Bryan Clauson (Silver Crown) were the winners during the annual USAC 4-Crown Nationals at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway Saturday night.

NEW BOSS: Steve Turner, owner of Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, has purchased Braun Racing, a four-car NASCAR Nationwide Series operation formally owned by Todd Braun.

MR. 500: Late-model ace Scott Bloomquist captured the 500th victory of his storied career Saturday during the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Jackson 100 at Brownstown (Indianapolis) Speedway.

IN CHARGE: Jens Walther has been named the new president and CEO of Porsche Motorsports North America Inc., effective immediately.

INJURY: World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series driver Joey Saldana was injured at Eldora Speedway Friday and was forced to sit out Saturday’s race at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway. Saldana dropped to third in the series standings after leading the standings most of the season.

NEW RECORD: Kyle Busch won his 11th NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the season Saturday at Dover (Delaware) International Speedway, resetting the series record for most victories in a season. Busch previously shared the record with Sam Ard.

BUSTED: Clint Bowyer, who won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, on September 19, was penalized with the loss of 150 points after his race-winning car failed inspection. His crew chief, Shane Wilson, was also suspended for six races and fined $150,000.

STICKING AROUND: Officials with Copart Inc. have signed a three-year contract extension to remain as the primary sponsor of the NHRA Top Fuel entry owned by Kenny Bernstein and driven by Brandon Bernstein.

HIGH-TECH: Officials with Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, plan to install a 200-foot by 80-foot high-definition video screen along the backstretch of the 1.5-mile track prior to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race.

HEY ROOKIE: Sebastien Saavedra will drive the No. 36 Conquest Racing Dallara Honda in the IZOD IndyCar Series season finale Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.

QUALIFYING SHUFFLE: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will use a new qualifying procedure for the rest of the year. The order in which the teams qualify will be determined by how fast each team is in practice, with the slowest truck qualifying first.

NEW AND IMPROVED: This week, National Speed Sport News will debut a new website that will provide a full plate of auto racing news, including daily and hourly breaking news stories—instantly. Visit www.nationalspeedsportnews.com for more information.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, visit www.nationalspeedsportnews.com.

CROWNED: Levi Jones (sprint car), Jerry Coons Jr. (midget) and Bryan Clauson (Silver Crown) were the winners during the annual USAC 4-Crown Nationals at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway Saturday night.

NEW BOSS: Steve Turner, owner of Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, has purchased Braun Racing, a four-car NASCAR Nationwide Series operation formally owned by Todd Braun.

MR. 500: Late-model ace Scott Bloomquist captured the 500th victory of his storied career Saturday during the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Jackson 100 at Brownstown (Indianapolis) Speedway.

IN CHARGE: Jens Walther has been named the new president and CEO of Porsche Motorsports North America Inc., effective immediately.

INJURY: World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series driver Joey Saldana was injured at Eldora Speedway Friday and was forced to sit out Saturday’s race at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway. Saldana dropped to third in the series standings after leading the standings most of the season.

NEW RECORD: Kyle Busch won his 11th NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the season Saturday at Dover (Delaware) International Speedway, resetting the series record for most victories in a season. Busch previously shared the record with Sam Ard.

BUSTED: Clint Bowyer, who won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, on September 19, was penalized with the loss of 150 points after his race-winning car failed inspection. His crew chief, Shane Wilson, was also suspended for six races and fined $150,000.

STICKING AROUND: Officials with Copart Inc. have signed a three-year contract extension to remain as the primary sponsor of the NHRA Top Fuel entry owned by Kenny Bernstein and driven by Brandon Bernstein.

HIGH-TECH: Officials with Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, plan to install a 200-foot by 80-foot high-definition video screen along the backstretch of the 1.5-mile track prior to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race.

HEY ROOKIE: Sebastien Saavedra will drive the No. 36 Conquest Racing Dallara Honda in the IZOD IndyCar Series season finale Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.

QUALIFYING SHUFFLE: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will use a new qualifying procedure for the rest of the year. The order in which the teams qualify will be determined by how fast each team is in practice, with the slowest truck qualifying first.

NEW AND IMPROVED: This week, National Speed Sport News will debut a new website that will provide a full plate of auto racing news, including daily and hourly breaking news stories—instantly. Visit www.nationalspeedsportnews.com for more information.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, visit www.nationalspeedsportnews.com.

NEWS NUGGETS

 

SCHUMACHER GETS FIFTH WIN OF SEASON; HAGAN GRABS THIRD WIN OF SEASON AT DALLAS: Defending Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher moved even closer to Top Fuel points leader Larry Dixon when he drove his U.S. Army dragster past Shawn Langdon in the final round of the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Dallas Sunday to pick up his fifth win of the season and 66th of his career. Schumacher held off teammate and second-place driver Cory McClenathan in the semifinal round, then drove past Langdon in the final to give “The Sarge” his fifth victory at Texas Motorplex.

“I wish we could have done this a race or two earlier,” said Schumacher after the win. “But we didn’t, and Dallas is a great place to start. It’s the site of my first career Top Fuel win. We’re only down 80-some points with three races to go. I’ve been down a lot further than that.”

Top Fuel points leader Dixon kept his points lead, despite a second round loss to Langdon. Schumacher was joined in the Winner’s Circle by fellow Don Schumacher Racing teammate and Funny Car driver Matt Hagan. Hagan drove his DieHard Dodge Charger past points leader John Force in the final round to secure his third win of the season and move from the third to second spot in the point standings with just three races left in the 2010 season.

“Coming in here (qualified) 14th and having to do a pedal job just to get into the show, it’s great to get the win,” said Hagan. “We definitely stepped up and did what we had to do, because coming in 14th you have to wonder how long your day is going to be, but we had confidence in (crew chief) Tommy DeLago tuning the car. He watched video all last night so I knew he was going to figure it out.”

With the win, Hagan was able to move around teammate Jack Beckman to secure the second spot in the point standings. Beckman fell in the second round to Ashley Force Hood, while defending world champion Robert Hight was unable to get around teammate John Force in the first round of eliminations. For more results from the 25th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals, visit NHRA.com.

 

ANDERSON GETS SECOND CONSECUTIVE WIN, TONGLET GETS THIRD CONSECUTIVE OF THE SEASON AT DALLAS: Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson held off defending world champion and current points leader Mike Edwards in the final round of eliminations at Texas Motorplex to pick up his second consecutive win and fourth of the season at the recently completed O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals. Though Edwards posted a near-perfect reaction time of .001, Anderson was able to power his Summit Racing Pontiac GXP around Edwards to pick up his second win of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs and 64th of his career.

“I had a big weekend last weekend (in Charlotte) and got myself back in the Countdown,” said Anderson. “Every race you go is sudden death out here. If you have a really bad race you can knock yourself completely out of it. You just can’t make a mistake, and my team has been flawless for two races now and I’m so proud of them. They’ve got a heck of job on their hands trying to keep me positive all the time because if my car’s not the fastest car out here, I’m not happy.”

With the win, Anderson closed the gap to first-place Edwards by just 16 points. Anderson was joined in the Winner’s Circle by Pro Stock Motorcycle rider LE Tonglet, who held off current points leader Andrew Hines for the third consecutive time in the final round to pick up his fourth win of the season on his NitroFish Gear Suzuki. Tonglet picked up his third consecutive win of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs when Hines red-light in the final round of eliminations.

“It’s just unreal,” said Tonglet. “When I saw the red-light and knew I was the winner even before I reached the finish line was really great. I try not to think too much about the pressure, but it’s there. I’m just glad that my dad and GT are there to keep me calm. I think that we’d be happy with a top-three finish, but my dad reminds me that he needs the money.”

The win moved Tonglet even closer to Hines in the point standings and now the second-place driver is within 44 points of the three-time world champion. For more results from the 25th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals, visit NHRA.com.

WORSHAM WILL DRIVE SECOND AL-ANABI TOP FUELER IN 2011: The Al-Anabi Racing Team will terminate its Funny Car program and add a second Top Fuel dragster for the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Season. Veteran driver Del Worsham will pilot the new Al-Anabi Top Fuel car. Larry Dixon’s existing Al-Anabi Top Fuel team will continue. Funny Car crew chief Dickie Venables and assistant Funny Car crew chief Kurt Elliott were released after Sunday’s O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex. Current second assistant crew chief Rod Centorbi has been named the team’s interim crew chief for the remaining three races of the 2010 season.

“We have been talking about going to two Top Fuel cars for some time,” Al-Anabi Racing team manager Alan Johnson said. “With all that has happened this season, we decided to move forward with the change. We are announcing this change now to give Dickie and Kurt time to find a new opportunity for next year. We appreciate all of their efforts and wish them the best of luck in the future.”

“I’m excited about driving a Top Fuel car again,” Worsham said. “If you think about it, I’ve been racing the same people for 20 years. I’m looking forward to racing some different people and starting a new chapter in my career; there’s a lot of potential with this move, and I’ll be ready to get started.” For more information on this story, visit NHRA.com.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

TOYO TIRES NHRA NATIONALS, MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY, October 7–10: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads back to the East Coast and Pennsylvania for its fourth stop in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Defending event winners include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel); Bob Tasca (Funny Car); Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock); and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 610/856-7200 or online at maplegroveraceway.com. For media credentials, please contact Senior Communications Manager Scott Smith at ssmith@nhra.com.

NHRA LAS VEGAS NATIONALS, THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, October 28–31: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads back to Sin City for its fifth stop in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Defending event winners include Spencer Massey (Top Fuel); Robert Hight (Funny Car); Larry Morgan (Pro Stock); and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/644-4444 or online at lvms.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.

 

AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS, AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, November 11–14: The 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series comes to an end where it all began: in sunny Southern California for the final event of the season and the crowning of the NHRA Full Throttle world champions. Defending event winners include Antron Brown (Top Fuel); Mike Neff (Funny Car); Greg Anderson (Pro Stock); and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/844-NHRA or online at NHRATIX.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Public Relations Michael Padian at mpadian@nhra.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

ANYBODY’S GAME: 14-time world champion and current Funny Car points leader John Force on the battle for the world championship with just three races remaining in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship: “That Full Throttle championship is just out there. It is out there for Robert Hight, Ashley (Force Hood) and myself. Plus there are a whole bunch of other kids out there gunning for it. There are three races left. Yeah, we moved out another round but that ain’t enough. [Two finals to start the Countdown] ain’t enough momentum if you are going to win a championship.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

2: Of the current point leaders in the four Full Throttle Series categories, only two, Top Fuel’s Larry Dixon and Funny Car’s John Force, have won at Maple Grove Raceway, the next stop on the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Of those two, Dixon has only won once (2009), while Force has the most wins of any driver at the track with six, though his last came nine years ago (2001). Pro Stock points leader Mike Edwards and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Andrew Hines have yet to win at Maple Grove Raceway.

 

DID YOU KNOW…

…that Copart, Inc., an online vehicle auction, has announced that the company will be the primary sponsor for Kenny Bernstein’s Top Fuel team for three more years? Copart CEO Jay Adair and Kenny Bernstein signed a contract extension last Sunday at the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex. For more information, contact NHRA Media Relations at 626/914-4761 or visit the NHRA Media Center online.

NEWS NUGGETS

 

SCHUMACHER GETS FIFTH WIN OF SEASON; HAGAN GRABS THIRD WIN OF SEASON AT DALLAS: Defending Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher moved even closer to Top Fuel points leader Larry Dixon when he drove his U.S. Army dragster past Shawn Langdon in the final round of the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Dallas Sunday to pick up his fifth win of the season and 66th of his career. Schumacher held off teammate and second-place driver Cory McClenathan in the semifinal round, then drove past Langdon in the final to give “The Sarge” his fifth victory at Texas Motorplex.

“I wish we could have done this a race or two earlier,” said Schumacher after the win. “But we didn’t, and Dallas is a great place to start. It’s the site of my first career Top Fuel win. We’re only down 80-some points with three races to go. I’ve been down a lot further than that.”

Top Fuel points leader Dixon kept his points lead, despite a second round loss to Langdon. Schumacher was joined in the Winner’s Circle by fellow Don Schumacher Racing teammate and Funny Car driver Matt Hagan. Hagan drove his DieHard Dodge Charger past points leader John Force in the final round to secure his third win of the season and move from the third to second spot in the point standings with just three races left in the 2010 season.

“Coming in here (qualified) 14th and having to do a pedal job just to get into the show, it’s great to get the win,” said Hagan. “We definitely stepped up and did what we had to do, because coming in 14th you have to wonder how long your day is going to be, but we had confidence in (crew chief) Tommy DeLago tuning the car. He watched video all last night so I knew he was going to figure it out.”

With the win, Hagan was able to move around teammate Jack Beckman to secure the second spot in the point standings. Beckman fell in the second round to Ashley Force Hood, while defending world champion Robert Hight was unable to get around teammate John Force in the first round of eliminations. For more results from the 25th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals, visit NHRA.com.

 

ANDERSON GETS SECOND CONSECUTIVE WIN, TONGLET GETS THIRD CONSECUTIVE OF THE SEASON AT DALLAS: Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson held off defending world champion and current points leader Mike Edwards in the final round of eliminations at Texas Motorplex to pick up his second consecutive win and fourth of the season at the recently completed O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals. Though Edwards posted a near-perfect reaction time of .001, Anderson was able to power his Summit Racing Pontiac GXP around Edwards to pick up his second win of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs and 64th of his career.

“I had a big weekend last weekend (in Charlotte) and got myself back in the Countdown,” said Anderson. “Every race you go is sudden death out here. If you have a really bad race you can knock yourself completely out of it. You just can’t make a mistake, and my team has been flawless for two races now and I’m so proud of them. They’ve got a heck of job on their hands trying to keep me positive all the time because if my car’s not the fastest car out here, I’m not happy.”

With the win, Anderson closed the gap to first-place Edwards by just 16 points. Anderson was joined in the Winner’s Circle by Pro Stock Motorcycle rider LE Tonglet, who held off current points leader Andrew Hines for the third consecutive time in the final round to pick up his fourth win of the season on his NitroFish Gear Suzuki. Tonglet picked up his third consecutive win of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs when Hines red-light in the final round of eliminations.

“It’s just unreal,” said Tonglet. “When I saw the red-light and knew I was the winner even before I reached the finish line was really great. I try not to think too much about the pressure, but it’s there. I’m just glad that my dad and GT are there to keep me calm. I think that we’d be happy with a top-three finish, but my dad reminds me that he needs the money.”

The win moved Tonglet even closer to Hines in the point standings and now the second-place driver is within 44 points of the three-time world champion. For more results from the 25th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals, visit NHRA.com.

WORSHAM WILL DRIVE SECOND AL-ANABI TOP FUELER IN 2011: The Al-Anabi Racing Team will terminate its Funny Car program and add a second Top Fuel dragster for the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Season. Veteran driver Del Worsham will pilot the new Al-Anabi Top Fuel car. Larry Dixon’s existing Al-Anabi Top Fuel team will continue. Funny Car crew chief Dickie Venables and assistant Funny Car crew chief Kurt Elliott were released after Sunday’s O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex. Current second assistant crew chief Rod Centorbi has been named the team’s interim crew chief for the remaining three races of the 2010 season.

“We have been talking about going to two Top Fuel cars for some time,” Al-Anabi Racing team manager Alan Johnson said. “With all that has happened this season, we decided to move forward with the change. We are announcing this change now to give Dickie and Kurt time to find a new opportunity for next year. We appreciate all of their efforts and wish them the best of luck in the future.”

“I’m excited about driving a Top Fuel car again,” Worsham said. “If you think about it, I’ve been racing the same people for 20 years. I’m looking forward to racing some different people and starting a new chapter in my career; there’s a lot of potential with this move, and I’ll be ready to get started.” For more information on this story, visit NHRA.com.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

TOYO TIRES NHRA NATIONALS, MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY, October 7–10: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads back to the East Coast and Pennsylvania for its fourth stop in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Defending event winners include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel); Bob Tasca (Funny Car); Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock); and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 610/856-7200 or online at maplegroveraceway.com. For media credentials, please contact Senior Communications Manager Scott Smith at ssmith@nhra.com.

NHRA LAS VEGAS NATIONALS, THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, October 28–31: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads back to Sin City for its fifth stop in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Defending event winners include Spencer Massey (Top Fuel); Robert Hight (Funny Car); Larry Morgan (Pro Stock); and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/644-4444 or online at lvms.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.

 

AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS, AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, November 11–14: The 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series comes to an end where it all began: in sunny Southern California for the final event of the season and the crowning of the NHRA Full Throttle world champions. Defending event winners include Antron Brown (Top Fuel); Mike Neff (Funny Car); Greg Anderson (Pro Stock); and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/844-NHRA or online at NHRATIX.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Public Relations Michael Padian at mpadian@nhra.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

ANYBODY’S GAME: 14-time world champion and current Funny Car points leader John Force on the battle for the world championship with just three races remaining in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship: “That Full Throttle championship is just out there. It is out there for Robert Hight, Ashley (Force Hood) and myself. Plus there are a whole bunch of other kids out there gunning for it. There are three races left. Yeah, we moved out another round but that ain’t enough. [Two finals to start the Countdown] ain’t enough momentum if you are going to win a championship.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

2: Of the current point leaders in the four Full Throttle Series categories, only two, Top Fuel’s Larry Dixon and Funny Car’s John Force, have won at Maple Grove Raceway, the next stop on the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Of those two, Dixon has only won once (2009), while Force has the most wins of any driver at the track with six, though his last came nine years ago (2001). Pro Stock points leader Mike Edwards and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Andrew Hines have yet to win at Maple Grove Raceway.

 

DID YOU KNOW…

…that Copart, Inc., an online vehicle auction, has announced that the company will be the primary sponsor for Kenny Bernstein’s Top Fuel team for three more years? Copart CEO Jay Adair and Kenny Bernstein signed a contract extension last Sunday at the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex. For more information, contact NHRA Media Relations at 626/914-4761 or visit the NHRA Media Center online.

NEWS NUGGETS

 

SCHUMACHER GETS FIFTH WIN OF SEASON; HAGAN GRABS THIRD WIN OF SEASON AT DALLAS: Defending Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher moved even closer to Top Fuel points leader Larry Dixon when he drove his U.S. Army dragster past Shawn Langdon in the final round of the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Dallas Sunday to pick up his fifth win of the season and 66th of his career. Schumacher held off teammate and second-place driver Cory McClenathan in the semifinal round, then drove past Langdon in the final to give “The Sarge” his fifth victory at Texas Motorplex.

“I wish we could have done this a race or two earlier,” said Schumacher after the win. “But we didn’t, and Dallas is a great place to start. It’s the site of my first career Top Fuel win. We’re only down 80-some points with three races to go. I’ve been down a lot further than that.”

Top Fuel points leader Dixon kept his points lead, despite a second round loss to Langdon. Schumacher was joined in the Winner’s Circle by fellow Don Schumacher Racing teammate and Funny Car driver Matt Hagan. Hagan drove his DieHard Dodge Charger past points leader John Force in the final round to secure his third win of the season and move from the third to second spot in the point standings with just three races left in the 2010 season.

“Coming in here (qualified) 14th and having to do a pedal job just to get into the show, it’s great to get the win,” said Hagan. “We definitely stepped up and did what we had to do, because coming in 14th you have to wonder how long your day is going to be, but we had confidence in (crew chief) Tommy DeLago tuning the car. He watched video all last night so I knew he was going to figure it out.”

With the win, Hagan was able to move around teammate Jack Beckman to secure the second spot in the point standings. Beckman fell in the second round to Ashley Force Hood, while defending world champion Robert Hight was unable to get around teammate John Force in the first round of eliminations. For more results from the 25th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals, visit NHRA.com.

 

ANDERSON GETS SECOND CONSECUTIVE WIN, TONGLET GETS THIRD CONSECUTIVE OF THE SEASON AT DALLAS: Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson held off defending world champion and current points leader Mike Edwards in the final round of eliminations at Texas Motorplex to pick up his second consecutive win and fourth of the season at the recently completed O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals. Though Edwards posted a near-perfect reaction time of .001, Anderson was able to power his Summit Racing Pontiac GXP around Edwards to pick up his second win of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs and 64th of his career.

“I had a big weekend last weekend (in Charlotte) and got myself back in the Countdown,” said Anderson. “Every race you go is sudden death out here. If you have a really bad race you can knock yourself completely out of it. You just can’t make a mistake, and my team has been flawless for two races now and I’m so proud of them. They’ve got a heck of job on their hands trying to keep me positive all the time because if my car’s not the fastest car out here, I’m not happy.”

With the win, Anderson closed the gap to first-place Edwards by just 16 points. Anderson was joined in the Winner’s Circle by Pro Stock Motorcycle rider LE Tonglet, who held off current points leader Andrew Hines for the third consecutive time in the final round to pick up his fourth win of the season on his NitroFish Gear Suzuki. Tonglet picked up his third consecutive win of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs when Hines red-light in the final round of eliminations.

“It’s just unreal,” said Tonglet. “When I saw the red-light and knew I was the winner even before I reached the finish line was really great. I try not to think too much about the pressure, but it’s there. I’m just glad that my dad and GT are there to keep me calm. I think that we’d be happy with a top-three finish, but my dad reminds me that he needs the money.”

The win moved Tonglet even closer to Hines in the point standings and now the second-place driver is within 44 points of the three-time world champion. For more results from the 25th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals, visit NHRA.com.

WORSHAM WILL DRIVE SECOND AL-ANABI TOP FUELER IN 2011: The Al-Anabi Racing Team will terminate its Funny Car program and add a second Top Fuel dragster for the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Season. Veteran driver Del Worsham will pilot the new Al-Anabi Top Fuel car. Larry Dixon’s existing Al-Anabi Top Fuel team will continue. Funny Car crew chief Dickie Venables and assistant Funny Car crew chief Kurt Elliott were released after Sunday’s O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex. Current second assistant crew chief Rod Centorbi has been named the team’s interim crew chief for the remaining three races of the 2010 season.

“We have been talking about going to two Top Fuel cars for some time,” Al-Anabi Racing team manager Alan Johnson said. “With all that has happened this season, we decided to move forward with the change. We are announcing this change now to give Dickie and Kurt time to find a new opportunity for next year. We appreciate all of their efforts and wish them the best of luck in the future.”

“I’m excited about driving a Top Fuel car again,” Worsham said. “If you think about it, I’ve been racing the same people for 20 years. I’m looking forward to racing some different people and starting a new chapter in my career; there’s a lot of potential with this move, and I’ll be ready to get started.” For more information on this story, visit NHRA.com.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

TOYO TIRES NHRA NATIONALS, MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY, October 7–10: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads back to the East Coast and Pennsylvania for its fourth stop in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Defending event winners include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel); Bob Tasca (Funny Car); Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock); and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 610/856-7200 or online at maplegroveraceway.com. For media credentials, please contact Senior Communications Manager Scott Smith at ssmith@nhra.com.

NHRA LAS VEGAS NATIONALS, THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, October 28–31: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads back to Sin City for its fifth stop in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Defending event winners include Spencer Massey (Top Fuel); Robert Hight (Funny Car); Larry Morgan (Pro Stock); and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/644-4444 or online at lvms.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.

 

AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS, AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, November 11–14: The 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series comes to an end where it all began: in sunny Southern California for the final event of the season and the crowning of the NHRA Full Throttle world champions. Defending event winners include Antron Brown (Top Fuel); Mike Neff (Funny Car); Greg Anderson (Pro Stock); and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/844-NHRA or online at NHRATIX.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Public Relations Michael Padian at mpadian@nhra.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

ANYBODY’S GAME: 14-time world champion and current Funny Car points leader John Force on the battle for the world championship with just three races remaining in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship: “That Full Throttle championship is just out there. It is out there for Robert Hight, Ashley (Force Hood) and myself. Plus there are a whole bunch of other kids out there gunning for it. There are three races left. Yeah, we moved out another round but that ain’t enough. [Two finals to start the Countdown] ain’t enough momentum if you are going to win a championship.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

2: Of the current point leaders in the four Full Throttle Series categories, only two, Top Fuel’s Larry Dixon and Funny Car’s John Force, have won at Maple Grove Raceway, the next stop on the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Of those two, Dixon has only won once (2009), while Force has the most wins of any driver at the track with six, though his last came nine years ago (2001). Pro Stock points leader Mike Edwards and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Andrew Hines have yet to win at Maple Grove Raceway.

 

DID YOU KNOW…

…that Copart, Inc., an online vehicle auction, has announced that the company will be the primary sponsor for Kenny Bernstein’s Top Fuel team for three more years? Copart CEO Jay Adair and Kenny Bernstein signed a contract extension last Sunday at the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex. For more information, contact NHRA Media Relations at 626/914-4761 or visit the NHRA Media Center online.