THE ROYAL TREATMENT

Royal Purple will be associate sponsor of Greg Stanfield'S Pro Stock for the 2006 NHRA series and Clay Millican's Top Fuel entry for both the IHRA and NHRA schedules.

New to the NHRA Pro Stock Series, Stanfield completed his first season in 2005. With just a two-man team, Stanfield and his brother managed to qualify for 22 out of the 23 events and finish 7th overall in the points last year. Stanfield even built all three of his own engines for last season. The 2006 racing season marks the first time Stanfield will race his new Pontiac GTO. [1-11-2006]

LADWIG TO FIELD OWN TEAM

Two-time NHRA Hot Rod-category champion Marty Ladwig (shown here with Lisa Kubo) will embark on a new venture in 2006 as the San Antonio, Texas-based driver becomes an owner/driver. Marty Ladwig Racing will campaign a Roush Industries-built 2006 Chevy Cobalt in the Pro FWD division of the NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series.

GM Racing will provide Ladwig with three Ecotec engines for the season. He competed as a hired GM Racing driver the past four seasons during which he captured 12 NHRA event wins and two series championships (2003-04).

"Last year was a transition year where we went from running for the NHRA title to racing in five events in both series

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(NHRA and NOPI)," Ladwig said. "The 2005 season was a year for us to set records and do more research and development on the car and motor.

"This is just another phase in going from a full factory-backed race team to where GM will now act in a support role to a few sport compact racers."

The NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series season opener will be April 1-2 at Moroso Motorsports Park in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Zak Hawthorne photo) [1-11-2006]

PMRA ADDS SANAIR TO SCHEDULE

The Pro Modified Racing Association has added a race at Sanair, near Montreal, as part of this year's PMRA tour. The Eaton PMRA Challenge will be held on August 19. Three other Canadian events presently are on the schedule: Toronto Motorsports Park, Cayuga, Ontario (June 24); St. Thomas Dragway, Sparta, Ontario (Aug. 12-13); and Grand Bend Motorplex over the Labor Day weekend. In addition, the PMRA is negotiating with U.S. tracks in New York, Ohio and Michigan, planning to present a total of six events in 2006. [1-11-2006]