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GLIDDEN, JENKINS HELP PAWUK OFF OF THE SCHNEID

A couple of the real legends of Pro Stock racing helped Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock racer Mark Pawuk out of a severe slump at the just completed NHRA national event at Firebird Raceway. Pawuk qualified his Pontiac Grand Am into the 6th hole and beat Terry Adams in the first round. It was his first round win in NHRA competition in over a year. Much of the credit has to go ten-time NHRA Pro Stock champ Bob Glidden and legendary engine builder Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins.

Said Jenkins of Glidden , "I'd never worked with Glidden before this. Now I know why he won all of those championships. He works harder than anyone I've every been involved with." [2-24-2003]

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FORCE, JOHNSON GETTING SURGERY

John Force is finally going to get that pesky gallbladder that gave him problems last season taken care of. He will undergo a laproscopic procedure. According to a team spokesman it's a similar procedure to have a knee "scoped" and it won't keep Force out of action more than a few days. Another fuel funny car driver, Tommy Johnson Jr. will also go under the knife. He tore some ligaments in his middle finger during his Sunday pass against Whit Bazemore when he had a flash fire.

"I must have done it when I was trying to get to the fire bottles," Johnson told the Agent. He will have Dr. Terry Trammel repair the digit when he returns to his home in Indianapolis, Ind. The finger isn't expected to impair his driving ability. [2-24-2003]

MO MONEY FOR MILLICAN?

A source who shall remain unnamed whispered into the Agent's ear at Phoenix that there was a strong rumor that the Werner Enterprises Top Fuel team would be getting some additional funding so they could attend a few more NHRA events. Could the increasing exposure and outstanding performances from Mike Kloeber and Clay Millican have loosened up someone's purse strings? If Peter Lehman's team gets the funding, the Agent thinks that Bernstein and Prudhomme will have their hands full. These guys are for real. [2-24-2003]

NEW PAINT, ENGINE PROGRAM FOR BUDWEISER PRO MOD

Bill Hill's '69 Nova has been converted from a nitro coupe to a Pro Mod over the winter. Hill, whose Nova has major corporate backing from Anheuser-Busch and AMS will run all 10 of the NHRA AMS Staff Leasing events, had the Nova draped with a new paint scheme this season and will be using engines built by Troy Critchley. The team will be testing extensively prior to the NHRA event at Gainesville where the new car will debut.

Driver/tuner Bill Hill worked with Rusty Wallace as a crewman on his early St. Louis-based stock car teams before Wallace went NASCAR racing and Hill moved to NHRA competition. [2-24-2003]