TIRE SHORTAGE?

With many teams having a difficult time adapting to the new Goodyear 2420 tire, as evidenced from the past weekend's National Time Trials at Firebird Raceway near Phoenix, the NHRA announced Tuesday that both the 2420 and last season's 1430 Goodyear tires will be allowed at both the season-opening Winternationals and the CSK Nationals. Apparently Goodyear doesn't have enough of either tire for the sanctioning body to mandate one tire.

The Agent also doesn't think fans are too keen to pay $60 a ticket to watch tire shake, 6-second fields, and pedal-fests. (Brian Losness photo) [2-1-2006]

BURK'S BACK

After the Agent wrote a cute little note about DRO editor Jeff Burk's boo-boo in his current Burk's Blast about "foreign" cars in the Pro Stock ranks, while Burk was out of town the column disappeared and reverted to the previous one. We now have the correct (incorrect) one in place. We're switching servers and updating some systems here at DRO and we've just found a small bug that needs to be fixed. Ah well, we all learn from our mistakes, don't we? [2-1-2006]

CRANE, NGK EXPAND McMILLEN SPONSORSHIP

Crane Cams and NGK Spark Plugs have expanded their partnerships with Hoosier Thunder Motorsports to include both the Top Fuel dragster and the Alcohol Funny Car of Terry McMillen. McMillen added a TF dragster last year and will campaign the entire IHRA circuit this season along with a limited NHRA schedule.

The "InstaGator" Funny Car has one of the Agent's favorite paint jobs and we just like running this photo. (dragster photo by Steve Gruenwald. Funny Car photo by Ian Tocher) [2-1-2006]

KORETSKY, TEUTULS FORM PARTNERSHIP

Kenny Koretsky’s KPK Motorsports and Orange County Choppers have formed a marketing partnership that will see the OCC logo prominently displayed on Koretsky’s Nitro Fish Wear Pro Stock Dodge and the Werner Enterprises/Nitro Fish Wear/Motel 6 Top Fuel dragster driven by Clay Millican during the 2006 drag racing season.

From left, Paul Jr., Paul Sr. and Mikey Teutul

This is the Teutuls’ first involvement in drag racing. Paul Sr. has built custom motorcycles for more than 30 years and began doing it on a regular basis when he opened Orange County Choppers in 1999 as an extension of his burgeoning Orange County Ironworks steel fabrication plant. Their shop is also featured on the television show, American Chopper, which can be seen on the Discovery Channel on Monday nights at 10 p.m. (ET).

Mike Thomas will be driving Koretsky's Nitro Fish Wear Dodge. Millican will be looking to extend his record five consecutive IHRA Top Fuel championships and 46 career race victories. Koretsky also expects Millican to compete in 12 to 14 NHRA races. [2-1-2006]