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Feb. 8, 2004

Pictures and results from the weekend at Firebird start here for funny car and here for Top Fuel and Pro Stock. Follow all the links on those pages for the rest of the coverage

Jan. 31, 2004

All Saturday Pro numbers and pictures are here.

All Saturday Sportsman numbers and pictures are here.

Jan 30, 2004

Testing from the Strip @ Las Vegas

Friday photo highlights (courtesy Mark King and Gale Frank and are copyright speedzonemagazine.com and deepstage.net) There are 25 shots here so it will be slooowww to load for you dial up dudes. Sorry

Top Alcohol is and Pro Mod are here as well. Bottom of this page has sportsman classes, nostalgia and TF Harley

The Floppers

Tony Pedregon was 2.33 to the 330. Note the Larry Miner on the side of the car.

Eric had perhaps the quickest debut in history as he went 4.79 and 4.81 with a 324 best speed. Like a kid to a candy store!!!

Whit had nothing to write home about

The Force mini city in the pits

Gary Densham and the whole force team showed they are going to be a FORCE this season!! when 4.78/319

Johnny went a 329 best with three 4.70 laps. WOW!

Denshams car had a bunch of color this year

Awesome!!

Scelzi went .895 best and smoked from 100 on for all three attempts

TJ jr. went 2.31 for his best 330 shot

Del 's best was 2.35 to the 330

Top Fuel

Baca was one of three tf cars on the grounds. Never had a good lap

Arley Langlo did not look good. A big boomer from what I hear

Pro Stock

Just one shot of Ben Watson. Mike Corvo was there as well.

 

Top Alcohol

Ashley Force went 5.41/262. Her only good one of the day

No Numbers on Darryl Hitchman

Same with Dennis Taylor

Ditto for this unnamed alky flopper

Dave Wilson from England is here for a couple months

 

Pro Mod

Kip Dupuis with a nice 100 foot wheelie. No numbers

Jay Syvertsen is on a racing holiday. Must be nice!

This truck is all Carbon Fibre. No paint on it except for where the flames are. Very cool!

Rick Distefano went to 800 feet and card a low 7 for the only number I got

Rick has a new car coming. Will be out in March.

Shelly Andeson's ride is bitchin

another look

 

TF Harley

Canada's bad ass Harley champ Ron Houniet is out for a strong launch. No real numbers though!

 

Nostalgia

Chuck Tanko in a Nostaglia TF car.

The Withers family Altered from Washington had Victoria's Doug Murray tuning

Another pic. Not real numbers though. Sorry Brent!!

Another blown altered

Sportsman

Nice super comp 57

cool S-10

 

 

Jan 28, 2004

The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals celebrates 50 years on Labor Day in 2004 (courtesy NHRA marketing)

Throughout the 53 years of NHRA racing, the number of national events sanctioned by the largest motorsports organization in the world has varied. But one thing has never changed. The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park crowns its event champions with the most coveted trophies in drag racing.
There was a time when the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals was simply referred to as The Nationals. It was the only national event on the schedule. It was the first race that brought a nation of racers together in one spot, competing for the ultimate in bragging rights.
Now, 50 years later, the race still holds the same sentiments.
There are 23 national events on the schedule as the quickest form of motorsport racing blazes into 20 major U.S. cities each season. The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals will be held Sept. 1-6, at Indianapolis Raceway Park. It is the 18th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. ESPN and its family of networks will air more than 10 hours of U.S. Nationals race coverage throughout Labor Day weekend.
If a driver has a wish list, winning the U.S. Nationals is always at the top.
"If you could pick only one race that you were ever going to win in your entire life, it would be Indy," said Larry Dixon, two-time NHRA POWERade Top Fuel champion and two-time U.S. Nationals winner. "When I started driving, Indy was one of the races that I wanted to do well at. I think it's the only race that I ever won that brought tears to my eyes. That race means so much to my family and me and to be able to do well there, with all the history, is very special.
"That race means more to me than any other race we go to."
Dixon may be the son of a racer and may even call Indianapolis home. Dixon isn't, however, the only driver to hold the U.S. Nationals in such high esteem.
The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals has meant different things for different people. The common beliefs are what bring everyone together in Indianapolis each season.
No other race in the history of the NHRA has brought racers together for so many consecutive seasons. No other race has produced such key moments - not just key moments in Indianapolis, but key moments in NHRA history. No other NHRA national event lasts longer and requires more energy and focus from a race team. No other race attracts 1,000 competitors every year. Those attributes belong to one race - the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

The season may begin and end at Pomona (Calif.) Raceway. The national records may fall at tracks such as Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (Englishtown, N.J.) and Maple Grove Raceway (Reading, Pa.). But the season is defined by winning or losing in Indianapolis.
Greg Anderson earned the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock championship in 2003. He also has two U.S. Nationals victories to his credit. He said winning at Indy just once wasn't enough.
"Your toughest critics are bound to consider your first Indy win a fluke until you come back and validate the original win with a second victory," Anderson said. "Indy means that much to people that they put more emphasis on your performance there. No one can say that we didn't earn the second win. I won the championship, but I wanted to have Indy on the list of wins in the same season. If you win the championship but don't win Indy, it still feels like you left something on the table." Racers are already looking ahead to the anniversary celebration and Indianapolis Raceway Park is preparing for the biggest, most prestigious race in NHRA history too. The facility has undergone a three-part upgrade that modernized the facility over the last few years. Some of the improvements include adding new corporate suites, resurfacing the track and increasing the length of the concrete launch pad at the starting line.
The U.S. Nationals will continue to be one of the most important stops on the NHRA circuit. This year, however, means just a little more. Drivers who have not graced the stage in winner's circle in Indy before will be trying a little more in 2004. Winning the 50th annual event will surely be something to tell future generations about.