Drag-racing veteran Richard Hogan was one of the first crew-chief casualties of the 2013 National Hot Rod Association season, but he’ll be back in action this weekend, at least for the Toyota Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park at Englishtown, N.J.
 
He’ll be helping the Rapisarda Autosport International Top Fuel team and longtime friend Larry Dixon, driver of the team’s American arm of the organization.
 
The move came at Dixon’s invitation.
 
“Richard Hogan and I have been friends for a long time,” Dixon said Wednesday. “We worked together mid-’90s at Snake’s [Don Prudhomme’s Snake Racing]. As a favor to me, he — along with Tony Shortall and Brian Shipman — has agreed to come in and help us at Englishtown.”
 
Top Fuel owner-driver Steve Torrence dismissed Hogan, who also is his longtime friend, following the O’Reilly Springnationals at Houston and before the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals at Atlanta. Torrence hired Lee Beard to replace Hogan.
 
So it’s a bit of a turnabout, as Hogan will step in to help the Rapisarda team, filling in the void left by Beard’s sudden resignation. His job will be to work with RAI tuners Santo Rapisarda Jr. and brother Santino Rapisarda.
 
It’s unclear what Rapisarda Autosport International will do to address its staffing. But Dixon said the team already had planned to by pass the Bristol, Tenn., even two weeks form now, then resume Mello Yello Drag Racing Series action at Joliet, Ill., and Norwalk, Ohio.
 
The RAI team, without Dixon, will dash back to Australia following the Englishtown race to compete at Willowbank Raceway in the Fuchs Winternationals, a premier event in the Australian National Drag Racing Series ANDRA). Tommy Johnson confirmed Tuesday he will drive the second Rapisarda dragster as a teammate to Damien Harris in that event.