Columns - Agent 1320

IHRA NITRO RUMORS

Before the news that IHRA had adopted the NHRA's Top Fuel rules Agent 1320 had heard several rumors concerning the possibility that IHRA would allow NHRA A/FD teams to compete in IHRA's Top Fuel class. Now the rumor is that IHRA may bring those cars in as their own eliminator. The Agent thinks that would be a very good move. He'd pay to watch those beasts run. Besides if IHRA opened up the rules just a little, we could have the first four-second, 300-mph injected nitro pass happen at an IHRA track. [1-14-2003]

Lou Novotny has been elected president of the United Drag Racing Association. Novotny has been involved in the Top Alcohol Dragster circuit for many years and was an NHRA Top Fuel driver. Brian Pfiefer is the new vice president. [1-14-2003]

Here is a photo you won't see for a while - Mike Dunn in a driver's suit. Dunn has signed a three-year extension to continue as a member of the NHRA telecast team in presenting the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series on ESPN's family of networks.

Dunn, 46, will join lead play-by-play announcer Marty Reid in the booth as the NHRA heads into the third year of a five-year partnership with ESPN. Dunn, who earned 22 NHRA national event victories during a career that has included stints in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, used a combination of on-track experience as well as technical knowledge to inform and entertain viewers during 2002, his first full season as an NHRA drag racing analyst for ESPN.

"This is certainly the next best thing to actually being a part of the competition and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to be involved with NHRA Drag Racing through the ESPN telecasts for the next three years," said Dunn, a native of Southern California who now resides in Wrightsville, Pa. "I was surprised at how much I really liked working in the booth and being a part of the process by conveying some of my knowledge of the sport to the fans watching at home to help make their experience more enjoyable. As the season went on I became more comfortable with my role and I am really looking forward to working with Shawn (Murphy, producer) and the entire production crew to develop creative ways to make the show more entertaining for our hard-core fans, as well as educational for all the new viewers that are tuning in. It's going to be a lot of fun." (DRO file photo by Jeff Burk) [1-14-2003]

John Force made history off the track as the first four-time winner of the Jerry Titus Memorial Award presented each year to the driver earning the most total votes in balloting for auto racing's official All-America Team as selected by the membership of the American Auto Racing Writers, Broadcasters Association (AARWBA).

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Winner of 10 consecutive NHRA Funny Car Championships and a record 106 races in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Force broke a tie with former CART and Formula 1 Champion Mario Andretti and current Winston Cup standout Jeff Gordon. Each had won the Titus award three times.

An All-America selection for a record 10th consecutive year and for the 11th time in his career, Force has earned the greatest number of All-America votes four times in the last seven seasons. He previously won the Titus Award, named for the late Jerry Titus, a former journalist and racer, in 1996, 1999 and 2000. Gordon won the award in 1995, 1998 and 2001 and Andretti was the Titus winner in 1977, 1978 and 1984.

Force is one of three drag racers to have won the Titus Award in the last 33 years. The first was Don "the Snake" Prudhomme, who led the All-America balloting after winning the 1976 NHRA Funny Car Championship, and Shirley Muldowney, who, in 1982, became the only woman to win the award after claiming her third NHRA Top Fuel title. [1-14-2003]