ALDERMAN TO VACATE DRIVER'S SEAT?

The Agent has it on good authority that three-time Pro Stock Champion Darrell Alderman will be retiring from the seat of his Team Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T. Darrell, one of the original Dodge Boys, retires with an enviable 28 career wins, having been to 49 final rounds. There will be an official announcement during a July 15 press conference at the "Mopar Big Block Party" in downtown Golden, Colo.

The Agent hears from friends that 54-year-old Alderman has not felt the same since his fall from the roof at a construction site and is still having back pain from the freak accident.

The rumors are flying about who will fill the high profile seat and the list is long. Candidates range from Shawn Carlson, Billy Glidden, V. Gaines, Mark Pawuk, Bo Nickens, Kenny Koretsky, Nick Fratt, Vinny Barone, Scott Geoffrion, Greg Stanfield and Gene Wilson. A couple of sources say Mike Corvo already has the job in the Allen Johnson-owned Mopar. (Jeff Burk file photo) [7-14-2004]

AUTOGRAPH SESSION AT VEGAS 'HARD ROCK'

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will kick off its second annual Turbos By Garrett NHRA Sport Compact Nationals with a free driver autograph session and car show at the

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Hard Rock CafÈ in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 15, from 6-10 p.m. NHRA Summit Sport Compact Series stars Abel Ibarra, Kenny Tran, Leslie Durst, Ali Afshra, Ara Arslanian and Paul Efantis will sign autographs from 8-10 p.m. More drivers are expected to participate. The Hard Rock CafÈ is located at 4775 Paradise Road. The show also will feature 10 cars from the SONY Stylefest NHRA Xtreme Tuner Car Show. Fans will have the opportunity to register to win a prize pack that will include a free ticket to Saturday night's event, a position as a guest judge for the Xtreme Bikini Jam contest and a K&N Typhoon air intake system.

Xtreme Bikini Jam, eh? The Agent is beginning to see the appeal of this new kind of "racing." [7-14-2004]

SPORT COMPACTS REWARDED FOR PERFECT REACTION TIMES

Idemitsu Racing, the largest manufacturer of lubricants in Japan, will partner with the NHRA Summit Sport Compact Series for the remainder of the 2004 season, rewarding drivers for perfect reaction times off the starting line.

The Idemitsu NHRA Sport Compact Perfect Light Award will begin at the Garrett Turbos NHRA Sport Compact Nationals, July 16-17 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The first driver in the professional and sportsman/bracket categories to register a perfect light (.000, .400 or .500 depending on the track) will win the prize for that event. If no perfect reaction times are registered at a given race, the prize money will carry over to the following event on the schedule until the Nitto NHRA Sport Compact World Finals presented by Import Tuner in Pomona, Calif., Oct. 23-24, when the total amount will be given to the driver with the best overall reaction time, regardless of whether it is a perfect light. The prize money available per race for professionals is $250 and for sportsman/bracket racers is $125. [7-14-2004]