Backstretch Motorsports

MADISON, Ill. – The NHRA Full Throttle Series officials and the staff of Gateway International Raceway put up a valiant fight, but in the end, Mother Nature won out. After on-and-off raining at the track, the first day of the O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals Presented by Castrol was called after heavy rains hit the area during the first round of Pro Stock qualifying.

“Like our fans, we’re disappointed that we couldn’t see a full day of great NHRA Full Throttle Series racing,” said GIR Vice President and General Manager Lenny Batycki. “However, the great thing about this sport is the fact we still have two days of NHRA stars and hotrods at Gateway.” [read more...]

ST. LOUIS (March 16, 2009) – Anheuser-Busch today announced the 2009 season will be Budweiser’s last as official beer sponsor of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and as primary sponsor of Kenny Bernstein Racing and the Budweiser Top Fuel dragster.

Budweiser has sponsored the NHRA since the early 1980s and is celebrating its 30th season with Kenny Bernstein Racing. The Budweiser-Bernstein relationship is the longest running in motorsports history, eclipsing Scientifically Treated Petroleum’s (STP) 28-year sponsorship of Richard Petty in NASCAR. Kenny Bernstein Racing, one of the sport’s most consistent winners, aims to continue racing if new sponsorship is secured for 2010.

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POMONA, Calif. – After five days of inclimate weather in Southern California, Mother Nature finally decided to play nice.

Doug Kalitta raced to his first Top Fuel victory in more than a year Tuesday at the rain-delayed Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Ron Capps and Jason Line also were winners in their respective categories at the first of 24 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events in 2009. The season-opening event, which had been plagued by five straight days of rain delays, was finally completed under clear blue skies.

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POMONA, Calif. – Rain continued to soak the grounds of Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Monday, forcing NHRA officials to postpone the continuation of eliminations for the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals until Tuesday. It is the fifth straight day where a series of winter storms off the Pacific have brought heavy rain to the Southern California region and continued to delay the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season-opener.

The second round of Top Fuel and Funny Car eliminations will open Tuesday’s racing, starting at 11:30 a.m., and will be followed by the continuation of the first round of Pro Stock.

Tickets will be available for Tuesday’s racing for $26. Fans holding tickets for any of the rain-delayed days (Thurs., Fri., Sun. or Mon.) may redeem those tickets on Tuesday for entry.

ESPN2 coverage for the race now will be televised in a 30-minute show tonight at 9:30 p.m. (ET) and another 30-minute highlight show on Sunday, Feb. 15 in a yet to be determined time slot.

Brian Wolfe, director, Ford North America Motorsports, took over the top job at Ford Racing mid-way through the 2008 season. As both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series get their 2009 seasons going this weekend, Wolfe took a few minutes to answer 10 questions.

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POMONA, Calif. – The popularity of NHRA Championship Drag Racing has been framed throughout the years by dynamic on-track rivalries that have kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Though there have been many great rivalries in the one-on-one world of this high-speed, side-by-side, performance-driven sport, several instantly come to mind:

• Don “the Snake” Prudhomme vs. Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen in Funny Car
• Don Garlits vs. Shirley Muldowney in Top Fuel
• Bob Glidden vs. Lee Shepherd in Pro Stock
• John Force vs. Cruz Pedregon in Funny Car

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POMONA, Calif. – The famed Winged Express fuel altered of Al “Mousie” Marcellus and driver Mike Boyd, one of the most recognizable cars in NHRA history, will make exhibition runs at the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, in conjunction with a series of exhibition runs by cars from NHRA’s Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series.

The Winged Express, originally driven to great fame by the late “Wild Willie” Borsch, recently was voted the top exhibition car in an online poll of NHRA.com visitors and was ranked second overall among all cars from drag racing history.

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Randy Moss Motorsports taps Rookie-of-the-Year Contender Tayler Malsam and former Truck Series Champion Mike Skinner to drive for RMM in 2009

STATESVILLE, N.C. – As the 2008 NFL season comes to a close, New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss is getting ready to kick off his first full season as a NASCAR team owner. Moss and co-owner David Dollar have tapped Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender Tayler Malsam to drive the No. 81 RMM truck and former Truck Series Champion Mike Skinner to drive the No. 46 RMM truck in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

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Alex Job Racing signs Mitch Pagerey for 2009 Patrón GT3 Challenge season

TAVARES, Fla. - Alex Job Racing today announced that it added Mitch Pagerey to its Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama driver lineup for the 2009 season.

Pagerey, a Deerfield Beach, Fla. resident, enters his third full season of road racing after completing a successful 2008 campaign that included five PCA national club wins, four SCCA national wins, and two NASA of Florida victories. Pagerey enters the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama as a rookie and will drive the No. 45Alex Job Racing Porsche GT3 Cup.

Alex Job Racing made a successful return to IMSA racing last season with a driver who narrowly missed winning the IMSA Challenge Drivers’ Championship by six points. This year, AJR looks to continue those winning ways with Pagerey behind the wheel.

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GLENDORA, Calif.– As the investigation continues into the tragic accident that took the life of driver Scott Kalitta, NHRA announced today that beginning at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado, both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will race to 1,000 feet instead of the traditional 1,320 feet or one-quarter mile. This is an interim step that is being taken while NHRA continues to analyze and determine whether changes should be made to build upon the sport’s long standing safety record, given the inherent risks and ever-present dangers associated with the sport.

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