KENNEDY SAYS 'SKOAL'

Crew chief Garry Kennedy tuned Cory Lee to a runner-up finish at last season's NHRA World Finals. For a week before the resumption of racing at the Winternationals the third Worsham & Fink machine carried the #2 qualifying position on the funny car sponsored by Pantera International and driven by Cory Lee, but apparently the week off also gave Snake Racing an opportunity to approach Kennedy.

On Sunday morning of the Winters the Agent confirmed that Aussie Garry Kennedy had in fact agreed to join the ailing Skoal Blue funny car team alongside Mike Green and Tommy DeLago in support of driver Tommy Johnson Jr. TJ commented on the addition of Kennedy, "It can't hurt. It's an extra set of eyes and the car he was tuning (Cory Lee's) this week ran really good."

It looks to the Agent that both of the Snake's Skoal teams may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in their new Monte Carlo-bodied coupes.

Kennedy ran doorslammers in Australia, worked with clutch specialist Bob Brooks and has crewed on various cars including Shirley Muldowney's top fueler. [3-1-2004]

NO BLING-BLING

Sport Compact driver/tuner Shawn Carlson flew to Las Vegas to test in Allen Johnson's Mopar Stratus prior to the Winternationals since Dodge stalwart Darrell Alderman had injured himself in a work-related accident. Little did he know that he'd manage to qualify into the tough Pomona Pro Stock field with a 6.801 in the #14 slot. The bleached blonde driver even had to remove his piercings and bling-bling before making passes in the Mopar racer as well as switch over from his normal FWD burnout routine.

Carlson is trying to get his new factory-backed Dodge ready to debut at the NHRA Sport Compact opener at California Dragway on March 13-14, but has had little time. He was working in the morning at his local shop on the front wheel drive car and heading to Pomona to make the qualifying sessions in the afternoon. Carlson was the first front wheel drive builder to run in the 9's and the 8's. Although it may be impossible to do both, the innovative racer will stay on board the Stratus Pro

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Stock operation as long as he's needed.

Checking the record book we found that his predecessor, Darrell Alderman, runner-upped at Englishtown, but missed the bump nine times in 2003. The three-time champ may be ready to return as early as Phoenix or probably Gainesville.

The Agent would like to point out that Shawn Carlson seems to be the absolutely perfect demographic to help bring in the Gen X crowd to the NHRA Big Show's grandstands. However, not much was made of his triumph of just making it to the second round of Pomona eliminations where he lost to WJ. (Zak Hawthorne photo) [3-1-2004]