Like many car fanatics, Marc Shankweiler got hooked on drag racing from early on, although his parents didn’t quite like it. His first car was a ’66 Nova that he had in high school. It was a garage project with a 327 – enough to put a smile on any kids face.
Cody Norris Junior Staff Writer
Cody has been around motorsports his whole life - from boating all the way to off-roading and everything in between. When he decided he wanted to turn his hobby into a career, he found himself helping out in the PowerTV shop. With a thirst for knowledge, Cody turned himself into a sponge to everyone on the PowerTV crew, in hopes to gain a little something from everyone. He soon drifted into the office as a writer in order to broaden his learning capabilities, and be able to talk face to face with the great people in this industry.
Everything You Need To Know About Choosing The Right Thermal Barriers
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 05/06/10
Heat is a common monster every hot rodder has a tough time battling under their hood. The heat gremlin tries to burn spark plug wires, vacuum lines, or just decrease the performance of your vehicle. By adding insulators or heat barriers to different components under your hood to protect them from high temperatures will help increase the longevity and performance of your parts.
Bluebaugh Racing is pleased to announce that DJ Safety Racing Equipment has joined us as a sponsor for the 2010 racing season. Bluebaugh’s Marketing Director, Deborah Woodard, said we are proud to carry the DJ Safety name and a company that believes in supporting the racer. We recently received a new 3-2A/15 Fire Suit, which is the best quality suit we have had in all our years of racing.
New 2010 Camaro Adjustable Fuel Pump Voltage Booster from Vortech Superchargers
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 05/05/10
Vortech Superchargers just released a new product to help those high powered 5th Gen Camaros get more fuel. The new programmable fuel pump voltage booster is perfect for Camaros that are making 500+ rwhp, especially those running forced induction.
Fredy Scriba Wins in Nitrous Pro Mod and Dina Parise wins The Blower/Turbo Pro Mod at NEOPMA
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 05/04/10
The Northeast Outlaw Pro Mods “1320 Pro Mod Warrior Series” season opener at Virginia Motorsports Park was a huge success with over 20 Pro Mods contesting eight qualifying positions in each of the two classes. Read more to see who won the classes.
Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels have announced their Racer Rebate program will be going on from May 1st till June 15th. If you purchase a set of two ET drag tires in sizes of 26″, 28″, or 29.5″ between the set dates, than you will receive a $50 Mickey Thompson gift card. If you also buy a set of ET Front tires they will throw in an extra $20.
Chris Tynan and the Century Batteries 55 Chev are living proof that “Murphy’s Law” is alive and well! Despite a sensible maintenance program, all 3 qualifying runs were not fast enough to get into what turned out to be a relativity slow bump spot in Top Doorslammer at Sydney Dragway. With the final “bump” (slowest qualifying time in an eight car field) in the 6.40’s, Chris only had to run what the Century Batteries Chev has already run and he would be racing on Sunday – but mechanical gremlins and “Murphy” had other ideas!
New ATI Super Dampers for ’07 and Newer GT500s and Super Cobra Jets
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 05/03/10
ATI Performance Products has just broaden their Super Dampers by adding on the ’07 and newer GT500 and Super Cobra Jet. They have both a 10 groove and six groove super charger pulley. The 6 groove is offered in the OEM size only while the 10 groove is available in both OE and a 15% overdrive.
Dixon goes for third straight 2010 win at track where he has struggled
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 04/30/10
For the last 13 seasons, Gateway Int’l Raceway has been Larry Dixon’s own personal Bermuda Triangle on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series circuit. His racing history at the multipurpose motorsports complex just across the Mississippi River from the famed St. Louis Arch is at best an unexplained mystery.
COMP Cams has just released their new 3-Bolt Camshaft Retaining Plate Kit. This retaining kit is made from high strength aluminum bronze alloy, that will help lower the friction over a stock piece.
Just one more round win. That’s all ADRL Pro Nitrous legend Charles Carpenter has needed at the first two races of the 2010 championship season to go from two second-place finishes in a row to two huge wins in a row. There hasn’t been a Pro Nitrous final round contested thus far in 2010 without Carpenter’s unmistakable ’55 Chevy Bel Air in one of the lanes, and while a win would be nice, Carpenter is thrilled to be going rounds and consistently going down the track.
Gruninger to drive Cunningham Motorsports Mustang for next two races
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 04/29/10
NHRA Pro Stock sophomore racer Danny Gruninger is about to fulfill a dream thanks to Pro Stock team owner Jim Cunningham. Gruninger, 24, has been selected to drive the Cunningham Motorsports Pro Stock Ford Mustang for the next two NHRA Full Throttle national events, beginning this weekend at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Int’l Raceway in Madison.
Danny Rowe made a fast turnaround to his race program following an uncharacteristic DNQ at the season-opening NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series event at Florida’s Gainesville Raceway in mid-March.
Stuart Bishop is hoping to steer his Diamond Doorslammer up the Top Doorslammer points ladder at the Sydney Dragway’s Nitro Champs this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Heading in to the penultimate round of the ANDRA Pro Series Top Doorslammer championship, the world’s fastest jeweller is currently sixth in the standings, behind Robin Judd (leading), Maurice Fabietti, John Zappia, Ben Bray and Peter Kapiris.
Diamond Pistons just released a set of pistons with their new Diamond double-coating. These pistons can benefit any engine but they shine the most in power adder applications, by adding together a hard-coat anodizing with a moly-skirt coating. The coating on these pistons will help with decreasing heat, corrosion, and wear.
Field is set, stage is ready – bring on the Tournament of Champions
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 04/27/10
After a grueling wait and months spent staring at the April 30 date the drivers making up the 2009 Tournament of Champions have less than a week left before returning to Rockingham Dragway where the first champions under the new format will be crowned giving the IHRA its first ever sportsman champions decided via on-track competition.
Northeast Outlaw Pro Mods Season Opener this Saturday May 1st at VMP
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 04/27/10
This Saturday, May 1st the hottest Pro Mod Club on the East Coast, the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mods will bring the “Real Deal ” to Virginia Motorsports Park. The Northeast Outlaw Pro Mods “Pro Mod Warriors Series” season opener featuring Extreme Pro Mod and quarter mile racing will consist of two classes, Blower/Turbo’s and Nitrous. Gates open at 8 AM, and Eliminations start at 5 PM.
Perth-based Allan Dobson will be looking to win his second Nitro Champs title when the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) Pro Series Top Fuel championship returns to Sydney Dragway (SD), Eastern Creek, this weekend, Friday to Sunday, April 30-May 1…
Perth-based Chartered Accountant, Robin Judd, will be looking to build on his Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) Pro Series Top Doorslammer championship lead at this weekend’s (Friday to Sunday, April 30-May 2) seventh annual Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway, Eastern Creek.
The TCI Permanent Magnet Starter turns over the high performance LS3 engine in our Nova with ease time after time. With applications for both LS-style and traditional mouse motors, there’s no excuse for owning a small block Chevy of any vintage that goes “RRRRRrrrrrRRRRRrrrrr” instead of “Vroom!”
Sydney Dragway Managing Director, Tony Beuk, has announced changes to the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Tribute following the rained-out Summernationals event at SD in February. The Louie Rapisarda Tribute was established by long-time Top Fuel stalwart Santo Rapisarda, the Rapisarda family and Sydney Dragway to mark the 20th Anniversary of Santo’s son Louie’s passing in a tragic race accident at Willowbank Raceway in July 1990.
Perhaps no track in the history of the International Hot Rod Association holds more history than Rockingham Dragway. Rockingham Dragway was the site of the very first national event held by the sanctioning body in 1971 and, minus a brief absence in the mid-90s, “The Rock” has been a part of every IHRA season since.
Ferrea Racing Components has just released a 2 part silicone that dries in only 15-20 minutes. This kit comes with two tubes, 6 nozzles, and a gun, but the tubes and nozzles are sold separately. We’ve tried this stuff and boy is it strong once it dries!
Last weekend’s ENZED Australian Top Fuel Championships round at Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway also presented Round Five of the 2009/2010 Rocket Allstars Racing Series for the eleven ANDRA Sportsman brackets. The Rocket Allstars Racing Series (RARS) is run over seven rounds in Perth, Sydney, Ipswich and Mackay. Prior to the final round at the Winternationals in June, racers may keep their two best results, for a maximum of 200 prior to the finals. These are added to points accrued at the final round to determine the Australian Champions.
Virginia Motorsports Park is familiar territory for the Parise Racing team. Super Chevy has significant meaning to the team. So it seemed fitting that the team would be in attendance for the Super Chevy Show held last weekend at VMP. “The Super Chevy Show holds a close place in our hearts.” states Andrew Parise. “Super Chevy is where I decided to race again, where Dina decided she wanted to begin racing and where the Parise Racing team began…”
ModuLine has just released their new “Combo” Garage Cabinets. There are 15 different styles to choose from, and they include everything from cabinets, tool chests, and closets. These cabinets can either be installed by the ModuLine team or they can be easily installed by the owner.
ADRL Pro Extreme racer Ellis Vial finally got his brand-new, K&K Precision-built ‘68 Firebird out for its initial outing this past weekend during an event at Virginia Motorsports Park and it didn’t take long for him to put its handling characteristics to a fittingly extreme test.
For the first time in several years, Barklage Racing will field two cars in the ADRL’s Pro Extreme class this weekend at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Cecil, Georgia, as brothers Zach and Cody Barklage compete in the ADRL Hardee’s Georgia Drags VI. The Barklage boys are on a mission to jump to the top of the qualifying field and take some round wins on race day with oldest brother Zach driving a 1967 Camaro belonging to John and Sara Heath, and Cody driving the Barklage family-owned ‘67 Firebird he steered to a sixth-place finish in Pro Extreme points last year.
Extreme Pro Stock racer Pete Berner hits the eighth mile at South Georgia Motorsports Park this weekend in the ADRL Hardee’s Georgia Drags VI. With new motors and a unique setup needed for eighth-mile racing in his Summit GXP, Berner has been on a bit of a learning curve during his time on the ADRL circuit.
‘Mighty Mike’ Faser and ‘Chicago Fire’ team getting ready for Rockingham
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 04/21/10
“The ‘Chicago Fire’ Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car has been a work in progress this season” says Mike Faser, owner of the potent fueler based out of Plainfield, Illinois. In recent years the team has campaigned the car as an AA/Fuel Altered, running the car well into the 5-second zone at nearly 250 mph. That all changed for this season.
Crane Cams has just released their new Race Billet Distributors. This line of distributors features their “locked” models that were engineered specifically for drag racing applications. The billet aluminum lower housing covers a stainless steel shaft with gears made from Melanized steel.
Vortech Supercharged Dodge Magnum – Most Powerful Late Model HEMI Wagon?
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 04/20/10
Chris Dufresne is the owner of a 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8, but this isn’t your ordinary Dodge Magnum. Chris and his Magnum have been on TV shows, won a few nationals, and have made a ton of shocking passes down the dragstrip. It is the baddest HEMI Magnum rolling on the streets??
If there is one driver ready to get back to racing in the Pro Modified Racing Association, it is Eric Latino, driver of the 1938 Chevy Pro Modified. “I can’t wait to get the car out,” said Latino, who placed fourth in the PMRA Championship Point Award Series in 2009. “We plan to race in all the PMRA events this year. We have had a great time with the series.”
NHRA announced today that the 2011 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway will once again feature four-wide racing in all four Full Throttle categories. The spring event in Charlotte will be the only race on the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule that will showcase four-wide racing.
In a little over two weeks many of the best drivers from across the nation will converge on Rockingham Dragway for the running of the 2009 Sportsman Tournament of Champions. And of the dozens of drivers currently holding a spot on the championship ladder are five women itching for their chance to make history in trying to become the first female sportsman champion since Brenda Grubbs claimed the Stock title in 2002.
After rain cut short the opening round of the American Drag Racing League’s (ADRL’s) 2010 season last month at Houston, the eighth-mile drag racing series returns to action Apr. 23-24, with the ADRL Hardee’s Georgia Drags VI at South Georgia Motorsports Park (SGMP), near Valdosta. Several record-setting runs were recorded during qualifying at Houston Raceway Park before the wet stuff arrived and similar performances are expected at SGMP, known for its fast, all-concrete racing surface and as the only venue remaining on the ADRL tour since the series’ inaugural 2005 schedule.
Even though it was brief, the Pontiac GTO’s re-debut back in 2004 was a hit. With the option of an LS1 at the beginning stages and an LS2 later on, owners have had the help of the aftermarket to make either one a ground pounding machine. Two particular GTO’s that we found over on ProCharger’s Blog really caught our eyes. One was hopped up for driving around on the street, and the other to run down the dragstrip.
This weekend’s ENZED Top Fuel Championships at Willowbank Raceway in Ipswich, Queensland has changed the shape of the chase for the Top Fuel, Pro Stock and Pro Bike championships in the ANDRA Pro Series.
New JESEL Shaft Rockers For Small Block Chevy’s With The Ultra Pro Billet Heads
Posted by
Cody Norris
on 04/19/10
JESEL has just released new Shaft Rockers for the Ultra Pro Billet Small-Block Chevy heads. These rocker kits are an integral one-piece stand that bolts in with no modifications. JESEL can custom build a kit to your specifications with rocker ratios from 1.55” to 1.90”.
In anticipation of another history making event at South Georgia Motorsports Park during the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Hardee’s Georgia Drags VI, team owner and driver for Al-Anabi Racing, Sheikh Khalid Al Thani (KH) has organized a pre-race test session at the well-known facility that will be open to all ADRL competitors this coming Friday (Apr. 16).
