DIXON ON 'WIND TUNNEL' TONIGHT

Two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon will be a call-in guest to Speed Channel's popular Wind Tunnel program on Tuesday, Nov. 9. Dixon will discuss the Darrell Russell Memorial Auction, along with his 2004 season and the 40th annual Auto Club Finals at Pomona Raceway. Wind Tunnel airs at 10 p.m. (ET). (Jeff Burk photo) [11-9-2004]

ATHEY CAR DISPLAYS FOR MARCH OF DIMES

The Mohegan Sun Top Fuel team of Paul Athey and Grant Flowers will display their car at the Gourmet Gala in Hartford, CT on Nov. 11.

Premier chefs from the Hartford area will prepare signature dishes along with local wines and beers. The event, held at the Hartford/Windsor Marriott from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., will benefit the March of Dimes. An auction will also be held, with Red Eagle Racing donating a weekend package including race tickets, starting line credentials, and a crew uniform signed by the team.

For more information on the event go to www.marchofdimes.com/
connecticut/5145_13471.asp. (photo courtesy Paul Athey) [11-9-2004]

IHRA CHANGES DIVISIONS, SCHEDULES

The IHRA Competition Department has restructured the NorthStar Division 3, geographically combining Division 3 and 5 for 2005. This new region will now encompass Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Kentucky.

"To ensure continued growth of the Mr. Gasket Pro-Am events, we needed to restructure this division so that we had a series that stopped at our best facilities in geographic locations that best suited our sportsman competitors," said IHRA Director of Racing Operations Skooter Peaco. "The tracks on the West end of the old Division 5 did everything possible to build their events and develop members in their respective areas.

"My hat is off to Thunder Valley, Eddyville and Cedar Falls for doing a great job with these events over the years. Those events on the outer fringe of our markets were tough to pull off. They are all successful tracks in their own right, so I hope when IHRA gets bigger in that part of the country, we can go back with the events we were trying to build," said Peaco.

The new Division 3 will be a six race series, with stops on the tour at
US 131 Motorsports Park and Milan Dragway, both of which also currently
host an IHRA Hooters' Series national event.

The 2005 IHRA Mr. Gasket Pro-Am schedule is Tri-State Dragway (1/8 mile), April 29-May 1; Cordova Dragway Park (1/4 mile), May 13-15; US 131 Motorsports Park (1/4 mile), June 3-5; Milan Dragway (1/4 mile), June 17-19; Mountain Park Motorplex (1/8 mile), July 1-3; Byron Dragway (1/4 mile), July 22-24. [11-9-2004]

POWERADE GETTING A BIG BANG FOR ITS NHRA BUCK

A tip of the Agent's fedora to NHRA. One of the trade publications
recently noted that although Coca Cola, the parent company of POWERade,
had a 20% decline in product shipment (sales) in the last reporting
period that wasn't the case with their energy drink POWERade. The publication didn't cite a number but said that shipments of POWERade products were up year-to-year. That trend has to make NHRA prez Tom Compton and POWERade Sr. Manager of motorsports Ben Reiling very happy. [11-9-2004]