IHRA INCREASING TOP FUEL PURSE FOR 2006

The Agent ran across IHRA prez Aaron Polburn who, along with his wife, Becky, was in attendance at the just completed

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NHRA event at the Strip at Las Vegas. Polburn told the Agent that his sanctioning body is going to increase the purse for their eight-car Top Fuel field for the 2006 season. Polburn wouldn’t reveal just how much the increase would be, but did indicate that it would be substantial and that most of the increase would be going to the qualifiers and first round runner-up spots.

A tip of the Agent’s hat to Mr. Polburn and the IHRA for a move which will be well received in the Top Fuel ranks. [10-25-2005]

 

KEPNER RECIPIENT OF WALTER HENRY AWARD

Each year at the AMS/TLR NHRA Pro Mod banquet at Las Vegas they give the Walter Henry award to an individual who has contributed to the Pro Mod class over the period of the life of the class. This year the award went to DRO contributor, FOB (friend of Burk) and the man that actually named the class, Bret Kepner.

A tip of the Agent’s hat to the AMS guys for the selection and to Bret Kepner for his dedication to the class. (file photo by Charles Jolliff) [10-25-2005]

BAZEMORE GOES TO BLAZES

In Monday testing at Las Vegas, Whit Bazemore's Matco Tools Funny Car burned in a top end fire. According to a Vegas eyewitness the chassis appears to be salvageable but the body is burned toast. The Strip at Las Vegas top end fire safety crew was on the spot and Bazemore was not injured. According to our operative, the Mopar flopper (seen here in pre-test form) dropped cylinders, nosed over at about 1,000 feet and the car caught fire before going into the lights. Bazemore's crew had to go back to the pits and grab a set of slicks to get the car back since the tires had burned off. (Zak Hawthorne photo) [10-24-2005]

KNOLL JOINS WOOD TO SPONSOR NHRA PRO MODS

With financial help from Torco's president Evan Knoll, AMS Staff Leasing president Dave Wood has signed a three-year contract with the NHRA to continue the Pro Mod exhibition series. According to an AMS source, the series will operate with the same rules that were used this year, will continue to be an invitation-only series, and will not be a NHRA professional class. [10-24-2005]

NO PRO CARS FOR JEGS IN 2006?

The Agent has been hearing rumors for a while that the Jeg's High Performance Parts folks would be leaving the Pro class scene next year. There is no official word yet, but one of the Agent's most reliable sources is confident that in 2006 -- for the first time in a couple of decades -- there won't be a full-time Jeg's-backed professional car on the NHRA tour. Of course, that doesn't count a Troy Coughlin-driven Pro Mod in the invitational AMS/Torco exhibition series that shows at selective NHRA national events. [10-24-2005]