Steve Dweck, last year’s Friday winner. Last year’s other winners were Trey Brunner, Bobby Johns and Randy Folk, all probably assured of returning to defend their titles. (John DiBartolomeo photo)

Four years ago, Scott Richardson and Scott Weney came together to recreate the “racing in Florida in November” feeling that was so prevalent in the ‘80s, ‘90s and early 2000s. It wasn’t uncommon back then for hundreds of racers to make the trek south and east each year to escape the winter weather and enjoy some sun and racing with families and friends.

Unfortunately, Scott Weney passed away at that very first race in 2014, but together with Jeff Stange of Strange Engineering, Richardson has continued the tradition and while unofficially known as the Scott Weney Memorial Race, the annual Fun In The Sun bracket race has flourished.

Contested on the eighth mile, big buck bracket racing typically involves dragsters and the like with a heavy emphasis on electronics. Only recently though, door cars have been making headway when it comes to race wins, as several have broken through for wins at certain big buck events. The reasons might be many, but the separation of door cars and dragsters until the later rounds has certainly helped the issue, a separation that continues at Fun In The Sun.

This year’s event, with presenting sponsors Lucas Oil, Strange Engineering and Drag Racing Edge magazine, will open this Friday with the first of three $10,000-to-win races. On Saturday, two races will take place with the second being the Brown & Miller Racing Solutions $20,000-to-win affair. But it’s not all about the purse money, which is all guaranteed, also thousands of dollars in prizes will be randomly handed out throughout the weekend in addition to Best Losing Package awards.  [11/07/17]

Steve Torrence takes his championship quest back to the track on which it began nine months ago when he competes this week in the fifty-third annual auto club finals at Pomona, CA.

The NHRA has made point adjustments at the final event to keep more drivers in contention for the $500,000 championship.

Torrence leads Brittany Force by twenty points going into a race in which each round won adds thirty to a driver's total, one-and-a-half times the regular award for all event except the U.S. Nationals.

“Bottom line, we want to run well in qualifying, go rounds, try to win the race and have fun while we’re doing it,” Torrence said. “We’re already in a position no one expected us to be in. We just need to take care of business on our end and everything’ll be okay.”

Torrence is trying to become the first driver in NHRA history to win series championships in both the Alcohol and Fuel categories. He was the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster champion in 2005.  (Ron Lewis photo)   [11/07/17]

Greg “Jake” Jacobsmeyer was the winner of the Goodguys Nostalgia Nationals at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, KY, on Oct. 14. Jacobmeyer’s Allstar Dodge Challenger AA Funny Car ran 5.910 at 242.98 mph to take the win over the 6.481/220.40 for Kevin Lennon’s “Shake and Bake” Arrow. This marked the third event win of the season for the St. Louis team.  [11/07/17]

Wilson Manifolds has released its new Pro Port and Pro Port EFI for 18-degree Small Block Chevy engines.  [11/07/17]