The pressure is on when you’re competing at an event where your sponsor is also the title sponsor of the race. Scott Palmer will be trying even harder to get the win this weekend at Seattle for Tommy Thompson, his friend and sponsor who owns Magic Dry Organic Absorbent and CatSpot.

“I said from the start of the year that winning a race is the goal —not points,” Palmer emphasized. “I want to do it for Tommy. Look at the opportunity he has given me. Nobody gets that opportunity when you come up like we did. I want to get him a trophy. That’s the goal.

“To have your sponsor-slash-friend be the title sponsor of the race you are going to is pretty impressive and a little bit overwhelming sometimes,” Palmer admitted. “We are doing a lot of the stuff that you see guys like Ron Capps doing like the media events and extra TV spots and radio call-ins. Let’s face it: without the big sponsor on the side of your car, they don’t go to you to do these kind of things. That’s a big deal. It makes you want to do good for the people who help you get here — the crew, Tommy, everyone who ever helped you get here.”  (Ron Lewis photo)  [08/02/19]

West Coast Pro Mod racer Ed Thornton is among the racers who will be taking part in the invitation-only World Series of Pro Mod held Aug. 9-10 at Colorado’s Bandimere Speedway.

Thornton and the turbocharged D Bar D Camaro owned by Derrol Hubbard will make their debut at the event instead of competing in the fourth race of the Xtreme Pro Mods West season. Perhaps the $100,000 to win was the deciding factor.

Other Pro Mod drivers ready to battle on Thunder Mountain include Alex Laughlin, Jose Gonzalez, Clint Satterfield, Sidnei Frigo, Michael Biehle, Rick Hord, Scott Oksas, and Doug Winters.

Mike Bowman won the inaugural event in 2017 and Carl Stevens Jr. is the defending champ.  (Dyan Lover photo) [08/02/19]

This week Clay Millican’s DENSO, Parts Plus Top Fuel dragster will again carry signage for BRAKES, the organization started by former driver Doug Herbert to promote teen defensive driving after the death of his two sons in 2008.

“What Doug and his team have done over the past 11 years is nothing short of incredible,” Millican said.  “Since the earliest stages, it’s been especially important for me to show my support, through hosting schools in Memphis to fundraising and public service announcements. It’s been my pleasure and my honor to help B.R.A.K.E.S. in every possible way.”

Car crashes are the number-one cause of death among teens. B.R.A.K.E.S. provides the foundational skills a new driver needs to make good decisions behind the wheel and reduce the risk of a crash. Courses include distracted driving awareness, panic braking, drop-wheel/off-road recovery, crash avoidance and car control/skid recovery – all of the biggest causes of crashes for new drivers. Other educational elements often include ‘Big Rig’ safety, first responder vehicle extrication demonstration, and what to do in the event of a traffic stop.  [08/02/19]

A source tells the Agent that TAD champion Joey Severence was 30 minutes late getting his entry in for the Seattle national event this week and was rejected by the NHRA.

If this is true, with only 10 entries for the class, the Agent must wonder why? Rules is rules?  (Ron Lewis photo)  [08/02/19]

After posting the quickest time during eliminations at last week’s Sonoma Nationals, John Force was left to ponder what might have been after a mechanical failure locked his PEAK Camaro in reverse as he prepared for a semifinal match with Matt Hagan. Unable to rectify the issue and compelled to abort the run, the 16-time champion could do nothing but watch while his rival made a solo into the final.

“I just couldn’t get the thing out of reverse,” Force said. “I tried everything. I neutralized the clutch, shoved it in, let it out. I was almost ready to whack (the throttle) to see if I could get it in gear. I bent the handle off, basically, and it still wasn’t going to go. Things happen, but my guys gave me a great race car. All you can do (after something like that) is regroup and get back in the game.”

This season Force has started three races from No. 1, gone to the semifinals or beyond in nine of 15 starts and been quickest on race day at four different events. Although he hasn’t yet achieved his sought-after 150th win, he is third in Funny Car points behind teammate Robert Hight and Tommy Johnson Jr. heading into Seattle.  (Ron Lewis photo)   [08/02/19]