THIS DEAL REALLY DRAGS

Billy Leverentz is the crew chief for the Jim Oddy/Fred Hahn Summit Pro Modified, the shop foreman at Oddy's Racing Engines, and the only guy Agent 1320 knows that permanently stores a snow blower on his roof (he lives in the Buffalo, NY area). In his spare time he also happens to be a successful truck puller. He sent us this photo of his 6200-lb 1996 Ford F-150 truck. Billy and Jim Oddy built the big Chrysler wedge motor that made over 2000 hp on Alky. At the first pull Leverentz went to the Strawberry Fields Showdown. (Let's see, a tractor/truck pull in upstate New York in a place called Strawberry Fields... What's next, Billy, the Woodstock tractor pull and love-in?) Leverentz got a first and second place in his first outing.

Got a crew chief or crew member with an unusual motorsports hobby? Send a photo and some info to agent@racingnetsource.com and we will try to get it in 1320 notes.

MOROSO DRAGSTRIP TO BE RESURFACED

If you're planning on taking some pre-season practice laps in Florida, keep in mind that the Moroso Raceway Park dragstrip will be closed for resurfacing from January 9 through February 12.

DRAW TO HOLD PRE-GATORS GOLF TOURNAMENT

The Drag Racing Association of Women (DRAW) has announced that the Car Craft All Star Drag Race Team will be the sponsor of their 6th Annual Florida golf tournament. The tournament will be held prior to the NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida at the Ironwood golf course on Wednesday, March 13.

For details on playing in the tournament or making a donation, contact Tracy Winters at 321-632-6205, extension 13 or tracyw@digital.net.

NHRA CHANGES 'IMPORT' TO 'SPORT COMPACT'

The National Hot Rod Association has renamed its national import drag racing series in an effort to better recognize the overall participation from both foreign and domestic auto manufacturers. The NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series will kick off its 2002 season April 13-14 at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla.

"The name change was made to more accurately reflect the entire makeup of the series," said Gary Darcy, NHRA vice president of marketing. "The NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series not only features a wide variety of import makes and models, but has seen an increased involvement in domestic sport compact brands as well."

The 2002 NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series will feature 10 races at nine different tracks and has a guaranteed year-end bonus payout of $120,000 for competitors in five different categories. Also, ESPN2 will have a 30-minute program following each of the 10 stops on the circuit that features event highlights and elimination round coverage.

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