VMP GOING BACK TO NHRA?

The Agent saw several of the principals of Virginia Motorsports Park huddled with some of NHRA's management team at the recently completed Gatornationals. One of our operatives was told that the original family that built the track no longer owns any part of the racing plant. According to sources, VMP in is the last year of a five-year contract with the IHRA and the word coming out of that area is that the current management really, really wants to return to the NHRA family.

The reason the track changed sanctioning bodies in the first place is rumored to be a contract that Tom Compton sent when he first came to power that changed the revenue sharing from the NHRA National Event from a 50/50 split to a 60/40 split with NHRA getting the larger part. Then the management took a hike to IHRA. The Agent wonders how the Clear Channel folks will respond to the chance of losing that track back to the NHRA?

Remember when NHRA and Billy Meyer went head to head over track sanctioning? NHRA offered everything but the kitchen sink to keep tracks from going to IHRA. [3-29-2005]

REV-LIMITERS WORKING IN TOP FUEL

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At the Gatornationals the buzz was about Tony Schumacher's 333/4.51 lap on Saturday. Under absolutely premium conditions Friday night (600-foot air, air temp 60 degrees, track at 54) the best lap by a fuel car was Grubnic's 4.481. Robert Hight ran a best of 4.79. Fast forward to Sunday with 1000-foot air, air temp of 72 degrees and a 106-degree track. Most would consider that to be killer conditions for nitro cars, right? Wrong evidently.

After the first round in Funny Car the best ET was a 4.851/320.51 by Gary Scelzi. It was worse in Top Fuel: Grubnic's 4.53 first round lap was low for eliminations and no car got close to the 4.40's. The previous race at Phoenix (not known as a killer track) saw a forty in all but one round in Top Fuel. In the final, Schumacher won with a 4.485/329.50 and he did that in 79 degrees of heat on a 96-degree track and 2800 feet of air. The only real difference between Phoenix and Gainesville? Rev limiters in fuel cars. [3-29-2005]

JANIS CRUISING TO SAN ANTONIO

Mike Janis and his family started a 10-day cruise six days before the IHRA season opener April 1-2 -- yet the defending Pro Mod champ still will compete in the first event of the season. The upstate New Yorker will leave the ship at a port in Mexico and fly to San Antonio, Texas where his crew and his new 2005 Eaton-sponsored Dodge Stratus will be ready. The Agent bets that this is a first. [3-29-2005]

CARPENTER READY FOR IHRA SEASON OPENER

Charles Carpenter, owner/driver of the Embee Performance "World's Fastest '55 Chevy" says he is rested, tested, and ready for the San Antonio race. Carpenter admits the Pro Mod team had a tough season last year.

"It's not that we made that many changes over the winter, we just got a chance to catch our breath, so to speak," Carpenter said. "I think one of the biggest things we did was a lot of testing to improve our 60-foot times. It looks like we finally have turned the corner on that issue."

Returning as crew chief on the nitrous-powered 1955 Chevrolet is Carpenter's son, Michael. He will be joined this season by former crew member Bryan Knight, who traveled with the team for four years during the 1990s. Knight will be back in the pits for most of the IHRA season. (Jeff Burk photo) [3-29-2005]