NHRA GOES NINE IN A ROW!

Due to weather related problems the NHRA tour raced on nine straight weekends before finally getting a break. If things hadn't been going badly enough with the weather the previous eight weeks, when the tour returned to Maple Grove PA for that make-up date, they not only got rained on again but also suffered an area-wide power failure during Sunday's final eliminations -- just to put the icing on the cake. Nonetheless, the NHRA staffers and racers did get all of the events in. The Nitro racers even managed to set a

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couple of records with a speed record going to Gary Scelzi at 329+ and Tony Schumacher lowering the ET record to 4.44 with help from Alan Johnson. Doug Kalitta also set the Top Fuel speed record at 333 flat.

A tip of the Agent's hat to all concerned for a great job under really trying circumstances. [10-7-2003]

GOOD NEWS IN NHRA TV LAND

One of the Agent's sources heard that despite the rumors he'd been hearing that ESPN might drop the Agent's favorite news show on ESPN, RPM 2nite, after this season, that quite the opposite is the case. ESPN has extended the contract for that show for the next three seasons with an option for a fourth. Agent 1320 really, really hopes this is more than rumor. John Kirnan and the whole crew on that show are a class act and good for auto racing. [10-7-2003]

BARKLAGE TAKING IT BACK TO THE STREETS

. . .The streets of Orlando, that is. A one-race sponsorship for the team got Zach Barklage enough money to attend the World Street Nationals at Orlando Speed World Dragway, just a short drive from downtown Bithlo, Florida this coming weekend. Darren Mayer has been signed on to tune the car for this event. Mayer's cars have set low ET the past several years in the Pro Street class at the event and Mayer feels that the team has a chance to be low qualifier this time. Barklage says that they will return to the AMS Pro Mod exhibition circuit at the NHRA race at Las Vegas. [10-7-2003]

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A SANCTIONING
BODY MAKES

At the recent NHRA event at Chicago NASCAR's Ron Hornaday brought his ACDelco backed Monte Carlo and posed it next to his fellow ACDelco racer Kurt Johnson's Cavalier. There's quite a difference in size and frontal area between these two "Stock" cars isn't there? [10-7-2003]