A note in the mayo jar high atop the Phlegm Building’s second-story penthouse porch says Iowa Pro Mod racer Monte Grace has purchased Paul Romine’s “Man O’ War” Nostalgia Funny Car and will be competing in the Funny Car Chaos series this season.

Grace will miss the Mo-Kan track event on April 26-27 because he will be driving a Pro Mod at England’s Santa Pod Raceway.  [01/08/19]

The Agent is sad to report that Paul Schmitz of Reflections of Photography and a long-time contributor to DRO, succumbed on Jan. 2.

There will be a Celebration of Life at his and wife Sherry’s home at 22912 Clover Spring Place, Tehachapi, CA 93561 on Saturday, Jan. 12, from noon to 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers the family would like donations to Relay for Life at here.  (photo courtesy of Sherry Schmitz)   [01/08/19]

Paton Racing and driver Shawn Reed have amicably parted company and will not be racing together in 2019, although both parties plan on competing in Top Fuel this season.

The Paton team will continue to prepare their car for the Gatornationals. Although they have not yet named a new driver, team owner Barry Paton’s son Todd has driven the car in the past.

The new team for Reed is expected to be announced soon. He was a championship-winning drag boat racer who licensed in Paton’s Top Fuel dragster in 2015 and has run part-time since.   [01/08/19]

The brand new “Kahuna” Nitro Funny Car will headline the Winter Rod and Speed Show, Jan. 18-19, at the Linn County Fair and Expo Center in Albany, OR. The tribute car salutes the racing career of Alaska’s Jim Moore who was a fixture on the Northwest funny car scene in the late 1970s and early ’80s. The Plymouth Arrow is owned by the WSR Racing Team of Hal Westerlund and Derek Snelson, who will also drive the car.

In addition, there will be a Motorsports Expo where the four-time NHRA World Champion Joey Severance will be signing autograph cards along with a panel of VIP guests that includes famed automotive artist Kenny Youngblood, “Snake and Mongoose” movie screenwriter Alan Paradise, and Top Dragster racer Steve Hamilton.     [01/08/19]

In advance of Rockingham Dragway’s upcoming March opener, track owner Steve Earwood has announced a couple of tweaks to the 2019 schedule including an earlier date for the Spring Twin 5s bracket race and the addition of a major Jr. Dragster event.

The Twin 5s, paying a daily $5,000 winner’s share in a combination of Top Eliminator and Footbrake now will be contested March 9-10 as the first major race of the season. Its companion, the Fall Twin 5s, is scheduled Nov. 9-10.

Earwood also announced that the Jr. Dragster Summer Sizzler will make its debut June 21-23 with a $3,500-to-win main event and the Apple Chill Car and Bike Show will moved back one week from May 4 to April 27 to allow more set-up time for the May 10-12 Epicenter Music Festival.

The track will open officially the week before the Twin 5s with an all-motorcycle grudge racing event on March 2 followed a day later by Blood, Sweat and Gears.

See the entire 2019 schedule here 2019 Rockingham schedule  [01/08/19]

A double-race weekend on March 22-24 at Xtreme Raceway Park in Ferris, TX, will complete the 16-race IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular schedule.

Box, No Box/Footbrake, and Jr. Dragsters will compete for the Ironman trophy and oversize checks. Class runners-up will receive the limited-edition Summit Sportsman Spectacular silver medals in addition to their winnings. Prizes will be awarded for the best losing packages in the first, second and third rounds.  [01/08/19]

Computer designed and milled billet aluminum with options for Dart 14 degree and Brodix 14.5 degree heads. This new tunnel ram from Wilson Manifolds features dual mounting bungs for fuel injection, nitrous or a combination of either and includes the distributor mounting flange. Offered for 10.2” deck with additional options available including single or dual carburetor top plate, volume spacer, anti-vibration and a variety of shear plate choices.   [01/08/19]