Cory McClenathan picked up his third win of the season at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.

NEWS NUGGETS

McCLENATHAN, WILKERSON, ANDERSON GRAB WINS IN SEATTLE; FIRST STOP OF THE WESTERN SWING: Cory McClenathan showed why he’s a world championship contender when he drove his FRAM dragster past teammate Antron Brown to pick up his third win of the season Sunday at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways just outside of Seattle, Washington, the first stop of the famed Western Swing. With the win, McClenathan leap-frogged over his other teammate, defending world champion Tony Schumacher, to take the second spot in the Top Fuel point standings. The win also put McClenathan in the running to sweep the Western Swing, a feat he accomplished in 1997 and something that was on his mind Sunday when he pulled up to the line next to Brown.

“Before the final, I thought ‘Antron and I have both won this thing (the Western Swing)’, and I wanted to be the first to do it two times,” said McClenathan. “It’s a lot to ask for, and you can’t get there unless you win this one, which is what we did.”

In Funny Car, Tim Wilkerson was able to hold off the fast-charging NAPA Dodge Charger of Ron Capps to earn his third win of the season, second consecutive on the year and second consecutive in Seattle. Wilkerson drove his Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Shelby Mustang past the likes of Bob Tasca, Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan and Capps to grab his 16th career victory. A victory that also moved him from seventh to fifth in the Funny Car point standings.

“We seem like we’ve come into our own in this kind of weather,” said Wilkerson. “I looked stupid on Saturday (during qualifying). I got back to the pits, and my guys had glum faces, saying, ‘I can’t believe we smoked the tires two times in a row. We’re going to get our butts kicked tomorrow.’ I had to tell them we were trying something.”

In Pro Stock, former Western Swing Sweeper Greg Anderson carried his string of success in Norwalk over to Seattle as he drove his Summit Racing Pontiac GXP past Johnny Gray to grab his second consecutive win of the season and 62nd of his career. Anderson is the only Pro Stock driver to have swept the Swing (2004) and looks to become the first driver to sweep it twice.

“We haven’t operated this smoothly in about three or four years. We’re looking forward to the rest of the year and certainly for the rest of the Western Swing. I guess I’m the only one left who has a chance to sweep the Swing because everybody else lost today. That would be an awesome accomplishment because each of the racetracks is so different with their conditions, and that’s what makes the Swing such a challenge.”

To see how your favorite drivers did at the NHRA Northwest Nationals, visit www.NHRA.com.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

FRAM-AUTOLITE NHRA NATIONALS, INFINEON RACEWAY, July 16–18: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Northern California for the 15th of 17 races in the NHRA Countdown to 10 and the second race of the three-race Western Swing. Defending event winners include Antron Brown (Top Fuel); Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car); Jason Line (Pro Stock); and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

MOPAR MILE-HIGH NHRA NATIONALS, BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY, July 23–25: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to the Rocky Mountains for the 16th of 17 races in the NHRA Countdown to 10 and the third and final race of the grueling three-races-in-three-weeks Western Swing. Defending event winners include Antron Brown (Top Fuel); Ron Capps (Funny Car); Allen Johnson (Pro Stock); and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS, BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, August 12–15: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to northern Minnesota for the final race of the Countdown to 10 regular season. Defending event winners include Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel); Tony Pedregon (Funny Car); Greg Anderson (Pro Stock); and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Jeff Arend	Tony Pedregon

HE SAID, SHE SAID

NO SWEEP!: Top Fuel pilot Larry Dixon on his plans heading into the second race of the Western Swing, the FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California:

“Our chance to sweep the Western Swing is gone, but you still want to try and do well at the next race. If we can win at Sonoma, that means there’s no sweep. Everyone except Cory [McClenathan] is trying to work on their own setups to try and keep him from sweeping. It’s nothing personal, we just want our own teams to rebound and do well for ourselves.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

31: That’s the number of points in Funny Car that separates 11th-place driver Jeff Arend from 10th-place driver Tony Pedregon. There are only three more races in the Countdown to 10 regular season before the Top 10 in the point standings advance to the Countdown to 1 playoffs to compete for the World Championship.

DID YOU KNOW…

…that the first 10 years of the famed Western Swing, the Sonoma race was the second stop on the three-races-in-three-weeks stretch? It wasn’t until 1999 that the races were moved to the final stop on the circuit, where it stayed for another 10 years until it was moved back to the second stop this season.

The SEMA Show is the premier destination for buyers in the specialty-equipment industry looking to find new products and services for their customers. In 2009, 25,086 buyers went to Las Vegas specifically to bring the newest restyling and car care offerings from the SEMA Show floor into their own retail shops. Exhibitors in the Restyling & Car Care section registered 105 products in the New Products Showcase, and buyers scanned those entries more than 4,874 times.

The SEMA Show is the premier destination for buyers in the specialty-equipment industry looking to find new products and services for their customers. In 2009, 25,086 buyers went to Las Vegas specifically to bring the newest restyling and car care offerings from the SEMA Show floor into their own retail shops. Exhibitors in the Restyling & Car Care section registered 105 products in the New Products Showcase, and buyers scanned those entries more than 4,874 times.

The SEMA Show is the premier destination for buyers in the specialty-equipment industry looking to find new products and services for their customers. In 2009, 25,086 buyers went to Las Vegas specifically to bring the newest restyling and car care offerings from the SEMA Show floor into their own retail shops. Exhibitors in the Restyling & Car Care section registered 105 products in the New Products Showcase, and buyers scanned those entries more than 4,874 times.

The SEMA Show is the premier destination for buyers in the specialty-equipment industry looking to find new products and services for their customers. In 2009, 25,086 buyers went to Las Vegas specifically to bring the newest restyling and car care offerings from the SEMA Show floor into their own retail shops. Exhibitors in the Restyling & Car Care section registered 105 products in the New Products Showcase, and buyers scanned those entries more than 4,874 times.

	Ernie Silvers

Ernie Silvers, CEO of Egge Machine Co. Inc., has replaced a departing SEMA Board member from the manufacturers category. As per SEMA bylaws, the Board candidate receiving the next highest vote total assumes the vacated Board position. Silvers will be sworn in at a SEMA Board meeting later this month and has a long, tenured history with the association. He has served on the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) Select Committee since 2001 and chaired the council from 2006–2008, receiving the organization’s Person of the Year Award in 2008. He has also been a member of the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Committee since 2006. With more than 25 years of aftermarket sales, marketing and management experience, Silvers joined Egge Machine in 1995. “I sincerely believe in SEMA’s mission and firmly believe we can prepare your company for a successful and prosperous future in the automotive aftermarket,” Silvers says.

Street Rodder magazine’s Janeen Webb was named 2010 Goodguys Woman of the Year.

Street Rodder magazine’s Janeen Webb was named 2010 Goodguys Woman of the Year during a special ceremony at the Goodguys 13th PPG Nationals presented by Bridgestone. Throughout her career at Street Rodder, Webb has not only designed and maintained marketing partnerships with manufacturers and suppliers, but has also contributed to the automotive aftermarket as a whole by serving multiple years on SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) council as well as organizing consumer and industry events.

Pirelli Tire North America's motorcycle division launched a social media website to serve as a gathering place for enthusiasts so that they can better connect with the brand. The site, www.getpirelli.com, has information on brand news, forums, blogs, products and promos.

JATO Dynamics appointed Paul Stokes vice president of sales. Stokes, who brings with him 20 years of sales and marketing experience gained with carmakers around the world, will be responsible for growing key global markets for JATO.

	Rick Ross was promoted to sales supervisor for Scosche Industries.

Rick Ross was promoted to sales supervisor for Scosche Industries. Ross, who was hired last year by Scosche as a national trainer, has more than 25 years of senior-level experience in the automotive aftermarket industry. In his new position, he will oversee the entire nationwide sales force dedicated to specialty dealers.

Falken Tire expanded its increasingly popular interactive social website at www.wegetyougoing.com by introducing a new section called www.falkenfanatic.com. Designed to be highly interactive, the new section allows visitors to build their own profiles, share experiences and upload race-related information and material. Participants also have a chance to win products and other motorsports items.

HRE Performance Wheels will hold an open house on Saturday, July 31, 7:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m., at 2611 Commerce Way, Suite D, in Vista, California. The company will provide a tour of its factory so participants can see how HRE's wheels are designed, manufactured and finished in-house. For more information, call 760/598-1960.

BIG IN ENGLAND: Mark Webber bagged his third Formula One triumph of the year during the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit.

FATALITY: Mark Niver, 60, of Scottsdale, Arizona, died Sunday during a top-end accident during the semifinal round of eliminations for the Top Alcohol Dragster class during the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington. He is the second driver to die during an NHRA-sanctioned event in the last month.

TRUST IN NASCAR: NASCAR and most of the sport's top teams have come together to form the NASCAR Teams Licensing Trust, with the focus on merchandising in several key areas, including apparel, collectibles, toys and trackside retail.

SO LONG, AUDIE: Audie Swartz, a pioneer racer who finished second in the first Knoxville Nationals in 1961, died June 30. He was 84.

NEW CHAIRMAN: Adam Parr has been promoted from his role as CEO of the Williams F-1 team to chairman, a position held by team founder Sir Frank Williams since 1977. Williams will remain as team principal and have final say on all major decisions.

BACK IN BUSINESS: Veteran promoter John Soares is reopening California’s Merced Speedway this Sunday (July 18). Soares is also the promoter of California’s Antioch Speedway.

A POSSIBLE RETURN: Media outlets are reporting that the ill-fated A1GP racing series could return with backing from a new group of investors as early as 2011.

NEW IN THE U.S.A.: Cypher Group, which includes various factions of the defunct U.S. F1 effort, has reportedly filed a bid to join Formula One next year.

NEW FROM BELLEVILLE: The National Championship Racing Association will serve as the sanctioning body for the annual Belleville Midget Nationals, scheduled for August 6–7 at the Belleville (Kansas) High Banks.

GET WELL, SCOTT: Scott Bonnell, a veteran sprint-car racer from Girard, Pennsylvania, suffered fractures to his T3 and T4 vertebrae during a crash in the ASCS Patriot Region event at Little Valley (New York) Speedway July 3.

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

BIG IN ENGLAND: Mark Webber bagged his third Formula One triumph of the year during the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit.

FATALITY: Mark Niver, 60, of Scottsdale, Arizona, died Sunday during a top-end accident during the semifinal round of eliminations for the Top Alcohol Dragster class during the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington. He is the second driver to die during an NHRA-sanctioned event in the last month.

TRUST IN NASCAR: NASCAR and most of the sport's top teams have come together to form the NASCAR Teams Licensing Trust, with the focus on merchandising in several key areas, including apparel, collectibles, toys and trackside retail.

SO LONG, AUDIE: Audie Swartz, a pioneer racer who finished second in the first Knoxville Nationals in 1961, died June 30. He was 84.

NEW CHAIRMAN: Adam Parr has been promoted from his role as CEO of the Williams F-1 team to chairman, a position held by team founder Sir Frank Williams since 1977. Williams will remain as team principal and have final say on all major decisions.

BACK IN BUSINESS: Veteran promoter John Soares is reopening California’s Merced Speedway this Sunday (July 18). Soares is also the promoter of California’s Antioch Speedway.

A POSSIBLE RETURN: Media outlets are reporting that the ill-fated A1GP racing series could return with backing from a new group of investors as early as 2011.

NEW IN THE U.S.A.: Cypher Group, which includes various factions of the defunct U.S. F1 effort, has reportedly filed a bid to join Formula One next year.

NEW FROM BELLEVILLE: The National Championship Racing Association will serve as the sanctioning body for the annual Belleville Midget Nationals, scheduled for August 6–7 at the Belleville (Kansas) High Banks.

GET WELL, SCOTT: Scott Bonnell, a veteran sprint-car racer from Girard, Pennsylvania, suffered fractures to his T3 and T4 vertebrae during a crash in the ASCS Patriot Region event at Little Valley (New York) Speedway July 3.

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

BIG IN ENGLAND: Mark Webber bagged his third Formula One triumph of the year during the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit.

FATALITY: Mark Niver, 60, of Scottsdale, Arizona, died Sunday during a top-end accident during the semifinal round of eliminations for the Top Alcohol Dragster class during the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington. He is the second driver to die during an NHRA-sanctioned event in the last month.

TRUST IN NASCAR: NASCAR and most of the sport's top teams have come together to form the NASCAR Teams Licensing Trust, with the focus on merchandising in several key areas, including apparel, collectibles, toys and trackside retail.

SO LONG, AUDIE: Audie Swartz, a pioneer racer who finished second in the first Knoxville Nationals in 1961, died June 30. He was 84.

NEW CHAIRMAN: Adam Parr has been promoted from his role as CEO of the Williams F-1 team to chairman, a position held by team founder Sir Frank Williams since 1977. Williams will remain as team principal and have final say on all major decisions.

BACK IN BUSINESS: Veteran promoter John Soares is reopening California’s Merced Speedway this Sunday (July 18). Soares is also the promoter of California’s Antioch Speedway.

A POSSIBLE RETURN: Media outlets are reporting that the ill-fated A1GP racing series could return with backing from a new group of investors as early as 2011.

NEW IN THE U.S.A.: Cypher Group, which includes various factions of the defunct U.S. F1 effort, has reportedly filed a bid to join Formula One next year.

NEW FROM BELLEVILLE: The National Championship Racing Association will serve as the sanctioning body for the annual Belleville Midget Nationals, scheduled for August 6–7 at the Belleville (Kansas) High Banks.

GET WELL, SCOTT: Scott Bonnell, a veteran sprint-car racer from Girard, Pennsylvania, suffered fractures to his T3 and T4 vertebrae during a crash in the ASCS Patriot Region event at Little Valley (New York) Speedway July 3.

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

BIG IN ENGLAND: Mark Webber bagged his third Formula One triumph of the year during the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit.

FATALITY: Mark Niver, 60, of Scottsdale, Arizona, died Sunday during a top-end accident during the semifinal round of eliminations for the Top Alcohol Dragster class during the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington. He is the second driver to die during an NHRA-sanctioned event in the last month.

TRUST IN NASCAR: NASCAR and most of the sport's top teams have come together to form the NASCAR Teams Licensing Trust, with the focus on merchandising in several key areas, including apparel, collectibles, toys and trackside retail.

SO LONG, AUDIE: Audie Swartz, a pioneer racer who finished second in the first Knoxville Nationals in 1961, died June 30. He was 84.

NEW CHAIRMAN: Adam Parr has been promoted from his role as CEO of the Williams F-1 team to chairman, a position held by team founder Sir Frank Williams since 1977. Williams will remain as team principal and have final say on all major decisions.

BACK IN BUSINESS: Veteran promoter John Soares is reopening California’s Merced Speedway this Sunday (July 18). Soares is also the promoter of California’s Antioch Speedway.

A POSSIBLE RETURN: Media outlets are reporting that the ill-fated A1GP racing series could return with backing from a new group of investors as early as 2011.

NEW IN THE U.S.A.: Cypher Group, which includes various factions of the defunct U.S. F1 effort, has reportedly filed a bid to join Formula One next year.

NEW FROM BELLEVILLE: The National Championship Racing Association will serve as the sanctioning body for the annual Belleville Midget Nationals, scheduled for August 6–7 at the Belleville (Kansas) High Banks.

GET WELL, SCOTT: Scott Bonnell, a veteran sprint-car racer from Girard, Pennsylvania, suffered fractures to his T3 and T4 vertebrae during a crash in the ASCS Patriot Region event at Little Valley (New York) Speedway July 3.

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