 |
 |
||||
 |
 |
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|||
 |
MILLICAN MOVING TO NHRA FULL-TIME?
The persistent question to team owner Peter Lehman over the Pomona Finals weekend was, "When are you guys making the move to NHRA?" Lehman hedged his bets by saying, "We are keeping our options open and have not yet made a decision which series we will be running." An operative close to Lehman Racing, however, told the Agent that the decision has been made to move the Werner Enterprises-backed team to NHRA competition rather than run in IHRA next season. If the move happens, it will mark another major defection from the IHRA fold for a championship caliber driver. Shirley Muldowney, Doug Herbert, Jim Head, and Paul Romine may then add Clay Millican to the growing list of ex-IHRA Top Fuelers. (Photo by Zak Hawthorne) ROBERTA LEIGHTON DIES Roberta Leighton, 70, who had been with NHRA for many years as a racer and a track worker, died November 15 after a battle with cancer. Just a week earlier she had been at the World Finals at Pomona and received a Lifetime Achievement Award and a kiss from John Force.
She was the sister of P.J. Partridge, wife of former NHRA announcer and Division 7 Director Bernie Partridge. Donations may be made in Roberta's name to Racers for Christ, P.O. Box 1208, Gilbert, AZ 85299-1208. (Tim Marshall photo) FAA SAYS 'NO' TO RIALTO SoCal's Rialto Raceway has ceased operation on its eighth-mile strip with its last event for 2002 held on October 19. According to Rialto Airport officials, the Federal Aviation Agency has determined that they could not accept the drag strip's location on the airport property. Until a plan can be enacted to move the eighth-mile to some surplus land on the north side of the airport, the strip will be closed and the guard rail has been removed. Rialto has been home to Jr. Dragsters West, the 1997 national champions and 1998 Division 7 champions. Typically attendance at the track brought 100 to 150 racers, lower than past years since the opening of adjacent Irwindale Drag Strip and Fontana's California Dragway. LOOK OUT FOR THOSE 'SNAKES' IN THE JUNKYARD
Penske, and an NHRA team from Snake Racing composed of two members from Larry Dixon's Top Fuel Championship squad and two members of Ron Capps' and Tommy Johnson's Skoal Funny Car teams. The "build" will commence in the Sun Valley TV junkyard and then move to a local SoCal racetrack where each newly-built vehicle will compete on a variety of courses and conditions. Veteran nitro Funny Car pilot Pat Foster (pictured) is the official judge overseeing the build and competition. One of the Agent's Operatives will be lurking, but must be sworn to secrecy until this episode of Junkyard Wars gets closer to air-time. In the meantime tune into the show on Wednesdays at 9PM ET/PT.
|
||||
Copyright 1999-2002, Drag Racing Online and Racing Net Source |
A
pioneer in breaking the ban on female drivers participating at NHRA
national events, Leighton worked with NHRA founder Wally Parks to lift
the ban and became the first female driver to win a trophy at the Nationals
with her J/S class victory at the 1962 Indy event.
The
popular Learning Channel Show (TLC) Junkyard Wars will host a unique
competition for a rare professional motorsports special. This year's
contest will pit a NASCAR team from Penske South, an IRL team from Marlboro
Team