MORE NHRA TRACKS FOR BRUTON SMITH?
Agent 1320 has heard from several very good sources that NHRA may be looking to shed itself of some of the tracks that it owns such as Gainesville, Columbus and Atlanta. Those sources told the Agent that the first person on their short list of potential buyers is Bruton Smith. If this were to happen and Smith were to build his proposed track in Ft. Worth, Texas he would own seven tracks with NHRA national events. Kind of boggles your mind, doesn't it?

WELCOME TO THE WEIRD WORLD OF DRAG RACING
Top Fuel driver Clay Millican and the Lehman Racing team had an outstanding season in 2000. Led by veteran crew chief Mike Kloeber, who was nominated for IHRA's 'Wrench of the Year' award, Millican and the rookie team matured into a dominant force by the end of the season. The Tennessee driver scored three wins and finished the year second in the Top Fuel point's chase, just seven points away from a championship. Millican was named the IHRA Professional Rookie of the Year.

Then, their sponsor decided not to return for the 2001 season. What's a team got to do? Lehman Racing is getting ready for the IHRA season opener at Rockingham and looking for a new major sponsor in the meantime.

MEDIA WATCH
Judy Stropus, who has been handling the PR for Chevy at NHRA events for the past three years is getting re-assigned by Chevy and will be taking her word processor and talent to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The brass at GM evidently decided that she was irreplaceable and instead decided to have Jeff Romack, who up to now has handled the Pontiac side of NHRA racers, do both Pontiac and Chevy. Rumor has it that IHRA prez Bill Bader was flown by the Diamond P corporate jet to their headquarters to convince him to hire them to do the IHRA television program in 2001. The Agent thinks Diamond P has the inside track and wonders if that means John Mullin will be producing IHRA television next year. That would be a coup for IHRA if it happens.

THIRD TIME THE CHARM FOR BAZEMORE CREW CHIEF?
When Frank Bradley lasted only a half-a-day (Thursday at the Winternationals) as crew chief on Connie Kalitta's dragster in the '90s, it was a record so awesome that many believed it never would be eclipsed. Wrong!

Thanks to Don Schumacher, Whit Bazemore now has the distinction of having had three different crew chiefs before turning a tire as driver of Schumacher's new Matco Tools Funny Car.

Bazemore came to camp believing he would be re-united with Tim and Kim Richards, for whom he drove while in the employ of Chuck Etchells. But Tim and Kim got the boot before the start of the new year and Schumacher announced that Jimmy Prock would be the new crew chief. Unh-unh.

Prock, it seems, now is occupying a new office at John Force Racing in anticipation of Force's addition of that long-rumored Top Fuel team.

So, after two false starts, Bazemore should roll to the line with Lee Beard as tuner. Stand by, this soap opera probably isn't yet over.

NHRA ADDS THIRD POMONA EVENT
The delay in NHRA's announcement of its special 50th anniversary event July 5-8 at the LA County Fairplex in Pomona apparently was the result of the sanctioner's fear that early announcement would adversely effect ticket sales for the AutoZone Winternationals coming up Feb. 1-4 because it would give Southern California race fans a third option at the Fairplex.

The special event, for which a sponsor has not yet been secured, reportedly will feature Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Bike classes plus a couple of nostalgia classes. Word is that the High Sheriffs are leaning toward fuel altereds and front-motored dragsters a la the Goodguys series.

As it stands right now, no sportsman cars for this one time only, one-of-a-kind event.