Programs added to Jeg's SPORTSnationals events

National Dragster, Apr 8, 2005

Two NHRA national event bonus programs, Strange Engineering's NHRA Perfectly Strange Performance Award and VP Racing Fuels' VP 30/30 Award, have been added to the Jeg's.com NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals, to be held April 22-24 at Louisiana's No Problem Raceway Park, and the Jeg's NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals, to be held July 2S-31 at Ohio's National Trail Raceway.

The NHRA Perfectly Strange Performance program, which awards bonus money to the first Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street driver who wins a round of eliminations with a perfect run, will fall into place on the NHRA POWERade national event schedule by event dates. For award payout purposes, the Northern SPORTSnationals, which will be contested on the same weekend as the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma, will be placed on the schedule after the Sonoma national event. If the award is not claimed at a particular event by any category, the award carries over to the next event on the schedule.

The VP 30/30 program awards the 30th qualifier in a select category a 30-gallon drum of VP racing fuel. Comp is the designated class for the Cajun SPORTSnationals and Super Stock for the Northern SPORTSnationals.

In addition, three sponsors have been added to the Mopar Super Stock Hemi Challenge that will be contested during the Cajun SPORTSnationals. Southland Performance Parts & Machine has added $1,000 to the purse, Harry Holton Super Stock Hemis will award $1,500 to the No. 1 qualifier, and Fred Henson Racing will present $200 bonuses to the Nos. 2 through 6 qualifiers.

Spitzer alky bonuses: Spitzer Race Cars, a leading manufacturer of full-size and Jr. dragsters, altereds, roadsters, and racing composites, will sponsor $500 low-qualifier bonuses for Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car racers at the six NHRA Lucas oil Drag Racing Series events in the North Central Division. Spitzer also has posted year-end bonuses of $1,000 and a special trophy for the driver who accumulates the most qualifying points in each category in the six races and $500 for each new track e.t. record set in the two classes.

Happy anniversary: The Jeg's Foundation Racing for Cancer Research program recently celebrated its second anniversary. The Foundation, which benefits the Ireland Cancer Center in Cleveland and The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute in Columbus, has received far-ranging support from the drag racing community in its first two years, something that humbles two-time NHRA POWERade Pro Stock world champ Jeg Coughlin. From the start, the Racing for Cancer Research program has been recognized as an official NHRA charity. The foundation's multicolored ribbon logo, which brings attention to 30 types of cancer, graces the entries of Cory McClenathan, Whit Bazemore, Gary Scelzi, Ron Capps, Ken Koretsky, Richie Stevens, the Coughlin brothers, Karen Stoffer, Steve Johnson, and several Sportsman racers. In addition, team owner Don Schumacher placed the ribbon on the crew uniforms of all eight of his teams. Engine builder Jon Kaase donated his winning Engine Masters powerplant to the foundation, which auctioned it for $48,000 at the recent BarrettJackson Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz. Further, all monies raised through the sales of Jeg's Racing merchandise is committed to the cause.

Circuit news: The East Coast Gassers Association has announced its schedule for the 2005 season. The series will make stops at New Jersey's Island Dragway (May 1, June 26, Aug. 7, and Sept. 11), Atco Raceway (Sept. 24 and Nov. 6), and Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (July 31). For information, log on to www.eastcoastgassers.com or send e-mail to oldgassers@comcast.net.

The Mike's Transmission Top Comp Series has secured additional sponsorship from Edelbrock for the remainder of the 2005 season. Edelbrock will pay contingency money to racers who use the QwikData dataacquisition systems, intakes, and cylinder heads. The next Top Comp event is scheduled for June 4-5 at California Dragway in Fontana. All races feature a guaranteed $2,500 purse and $125 entry fee per day. For information, log on to www.socaltopcomp.com.

The next K&N Fitters Southern California Super Eliminator Association event will be held April 23-24 at California Dragway in Fontana. Parcorp will award $1,000 to the April 23 winner, and Team C High Performance will pay $1,000 to the April 24 champion. Events are open to all competitors and feature a 12-car minimum and 7.90 index.

Open for business: Joe Barszcz, a former member of the Schick Quattro Funny Car team and employee at McKinney Corp. and Advanced Chassis, has opened Joe Barszcz Race Craft, a full-service chassis shop, at 288 G Gasoline Alley in Indianapolis; phone, (317) 243-2004.

Divisions 3, 6 chassis certifications: The following dates and locations have been established for chassis certifications in Divisions 3 and 6. Racers must call and book appointments prior to the date of the event. April 16: RH Racecars, Kelowna, B.C., (250) 765-9404 or (250) 765-1989; April 23-24: Mid-Michigan Motorplex, Stanton, Mich., (989) 762-5043; April 3O: More Power, Sparta, Mich., (616) 785-8888; May 14: Fair Fabrication, Belvedere, Ill., (815) 547-1148.