BARKLAGE SETS JR. DRAGSTER RECORD

While everyone knows that the Agent doesn't have much use for Jr Dragsters he couldn't resist bringing this bit of information to the readers. After all a drag racing record is a record especially if it is a record set using nitrous and alky. Cody Barklage, younger brother of Pro Mod racer Zach Barklage, set what we believe to be record for Jr Dragsters with an eighth-mile lap of 6.5227/98.77.

Cody's Jr Dragster was built by Sean Belt Motorsports. The motor has a PM-1 block, Polor clutch, McGee valve train, crank and cam, Venolia pistons and a Racepak. The engine burns alky with a single stage of nitrous. Rumor has it that nitro is the next step. When Jr Dragsters start running the eighth that quick and fast they start getting the Agent's attention. [10-2-2002]

MAUNEY WILLYS COMING AND GOING

The Agent recently got a little information about a couple of Tommy Mauney Willys. Seems like NMCA Pro Street/Outlaw street hitter Mark Dantoni is going to debut a Tommy Mauney '41 Willys soon that will replace the Camaro that he is currently terrorizing NMCA competition with. According to the Agent's source, Dantoni has been working on the Willys for about a year.

The Agent also hears that Shannon Jenkins' team owner, Mr Mike Castallana, is going to sell his Tommy Mauney-built '41 Willys and have another '67-69 Camaro built. Word is that either Castallana will drive the new car or Jenkins will get the new car and Castallana will drive the Camaro that Jenkins is now shoeing. [10-2-2002]

CODY MAC CRASHES AT COLUMBUS

Pro Mod racer Cody McManama brushed the wall at Columbus in his Rick Jones-built '57 Chevy while the team was testing their new Pat Musi engines for the AMS Pro Mod Challenge finale at Las Vegas during the NHRA ACDelco race Oct 24-27.

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"The car was just making a lot more horsepower than it used to, the track was slick, I got crossed up and couldn't save it," McManama said. "It's not a big deal. If you race these kinds of cars, these things happen. We're going to fix the car and get back on the track as soon as we can just like any other professional racer and team does after they have an accident."

Cody took the '57 directly from Columbus to RJ Race Cars in Galesburg, Illinois, where the car was originally built, and the repairs to the car were started immediately. [10-2-2002]

TOO MANY RACERS AT IHRA RACES?

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The Agent got a call from a couple of racers who told him the rumor going around at the IHRA event at Maryland, where there was an overflow of entries, was that IHRA is getting too many entries at their National Events and is running out of room to park them. The rumor is that the solution being considered is to raise the entry fee and cut down on the number of entrants. Evidently building bigger facilities to house more cars isn't being considered. It's a hell of a problem for a sanctioning body to have, the Agent thinks. [10-2-2002]

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