TEAM ARUBA’s US Street Nationals Recap

(02-07-10) UNION, SC - During the week of January 25th 2010, TEAM ARUBA traveled from their home base in Union, SC to Bradenton, Florida. On their way there they stopped near Orlando to pick up the driver of the www.Aruba.com Pro Stock Race car, Trevor Eman, who attends the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando.

At the Bradenton track testing started on Tuesday the 26th of January 2010. The race car and motor were completely revised during the off-season. The race motor went to Jon Kaase Race Engines, Inc. and the racecar went to Rick Jones Race Cars, Inc. On Friday, January 29th the US Street Nationals started at the Bradenton speedway.

TEAM ARUBA participated at this race, although they were not supposed to, as all other racecars which TEAM ARUBA competed against, were running with either big engines, NOS (Nitrous oxide systems), Turbo or Super chargers. Even so, Trevor managed to qualify # 5 with a 4.10 ET running the 1/8th mile. During eliminations Trevor went to the second round losing with a 4.08 sec. against his competitor that ran a 4.07 sec. It was a close side-by-side run. After the official races were over, there was an opportunity to test, but this time the ¼ mile. This is where TEAM ARUBA surprised everyone. Trevor ran the ¼ mile in 6.26 sec. with a top speed of 222.99 m/ph.

TEAM ARUBA is ready to compete this year against competitors in the ADRL as well as the new association called MMPSA (Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association). TEAM ARUBA will participate in 15 races this year and also will participate at the AUTISM SPEAKS Walk in Charlotte, NC at the Nascar track (Lowe’s Motor Speedway).

TEAM ARUBA’s goal is not only to win a World Championship, but moreover to continue to promote their island ARUBA, by talking to people of the USA “one-on-one”, meaning on a personal basis. TEAM ARUBA would like to thank the people of Aruba for their support and would like them to know that they will continue to promote Aruba abroad with pleasure and pride.

PRO STOCK SOPHOMORE GRUNINGER READY FOR NEW SEASON

Courtesy of Tim Charlet

Denver, Colo. – 23-year old NHRA Pro Stock driver Danny Gruninger is race ready and mentally prepared for the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series to begin.

The sophomore Pro Stock driver from Denver, Colo. enters the 50th Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., Feb. 11-14, with a rejuvenated spirit and freshly built 500-cubic inch Mopar Hemi engine prepared by former NHRA Pro Stock Truck champion Bob Panella. His Jerry Haas built 2007 Dodge Stratus will hit historic Auto Club Raceway in Pomona on Thursday afternoon in attempt to qualify for a very tough 16-car Pro Stock field.

Danny Gruninger's 2010 Hero Card

A four-time competitor in the Little League World Series representing the State of Colorado, and a former Colorado high school state golfing champion who earned his PGA tour card shortly after graduating from high school, Gruninger brings his lust for competition and athletic mental attitude to the NHRA behind the wheel of the six-second, 200 mph Gruninger Motorsports US RECOGNITION.COM Pro Stock Dodge. Outside of drag racing, Gruninger is a graphic artist for his family’s owned and operated business, US Recognition, a one stop shop for awards, embroidery, screen printing, promotional products and more.

“Last season we got our feet wet in this ultra-tough Pro Stock division and made some significant gains to our program,” noted Gruninger, who prior to entering the NHRA professional categories last season captured two NHRA Wally’s in the Super Gas and Competition Eliminator divisions respectfully. “We are confident our USRECOGNITION.COM Pro Stock Dodge will pick up the performance this season. If we can crack this field at Pomona and race on Sunday, it will be a significant accomplishment.”

Gruninger and his USRECOGNITION.COM team are aware how competitive the Pro Stock division can be. At last year’s season ending NHRA World Finals, the Pro Stock number one qualifier Mike Edwards ran a stellar 6.56 second elapsed time, nearly two tenths of a second quicker than the Gruninger Motorsports weekend best elapsed time of 6.741 seconds. However, the Colorado team is not intimidated in the slightest bit.

“Our goal is to race with the best in the world,” stated Gruninger. “With every pass down the track our car gets that much quicker. We learn more about how to adjust the clutch, the suspension and all the moving parts on this hot rod. With a fresh Bob Panella prepared power-plant under the hood, we are hoping to step it up quite a bit. If nothing else, we’re going to have fun at the 50^th NHRA Winternationals. It’s a historic race and we are honored to be able to compete this weekend.”

To learn more about Danny Gruninger and the USRECOGNITION.COM Pro Stock Dodge team, please visit their website at http://www.usrecognition.com or at http://www.crxpromotions.com

Justin Humphreys, near lane, defeated Johnny Gray to win the Pro Stock Showdown at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

On a day when cold and overcast conditions made full runs a rarity, Justin Humphreys was crowned the winner of the annual Pro Stock Showdown at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After making just one qualifying attempt, Humphreys was the star of Sunday’s event, making a three runs in the 6.7-second zone aboard his Pontiac GXP including a 6.74, the quickest pass of the day. In the final round, Humphreys posted a 6.79 while Johnny Gray, like many other drivers before him, shook the tires as soon as he dumped the clutch.

“It wasn’t pretty but I’ll take it,” said Humphreys, who credited his ability to get down the tricky surface to the tuning abilities of 10-time Pro Stock champion Bob Glidden. “We only make one qualifying run because my truck wasn’t here and then we had to put the car together. Considering how rushed we were, it turned out pretty well. It’s great to have ‘Mad Dog’ [Glidden] back out here with us. He’s going to be a big help this year.”

The chilly conditions made it difficult for many Pro Stock racers to get down the LVMS quarter-mile and there were multiple aborted runs. Several drivers, including reigning Full Throttle champ Mike Edwards, Allen Johnson, Ron Krisher, and V. Gaines, decided to sit out eliminations altogether.

“Believe me, I came here to race and I want to race, but there is just too much at stake to risk something going wrong, especially this close to Pomona. I appreciate the effort [of the LVMS staff] to prep the track but it’s just too cold out there. Even if you can make a full run, you won’t learn anything useful.”

Rodger Brogdon, who won his first round race when Bob Yonke was a no-show, would have had a bye run into the semifinals, but also elected to retire for the day. Brogdon had qualified seventh with a 6.74 in his Attitude Apparel entry.

“I’d like to make some runs because we’re still sorting out our new car but I’m going to wait for Monday and hope that the sun comes out and the track warms up a bit. I’ll also stay Tuesday if I need to because we’ve made some progress, but we’re not close to where we need to be.”

The absence of several of the top qualifiers juggled the ladder as the final round between Humphreys and Gray was actually supposed to be a semifinal pairing. Earlier, Humphreys got a single run when Ron Krisher was a no-show and he later defeated Greg Stanfield’s new Nitro Fish entry. Gray did not have to race anyone until the final round but made three half-track passes in his new GXP, a twin to the car that will be races by his son, Shane.

“We were more interested in gathering data and making runs that we were in winning this race,” said Gray. “Now, don’t get me wrong. I would like to have won but we’ve got a lot of work to do before Pomona so that was our main focus.

 

CHILLICOTHE, MO (Feb. 5, 2010)—The brand-new, Jerry Haas-built Ford Racing 2010 Mustang of ADRL Extreme Pro Stock rookie Cale Aronson (left) may already look familiar to PRI show goers after making its debut as a display vehicle for Ford Motor Company last December just outside the main entrance to the annual motorsports trade show in Orlando, Florida.

It didn’t take long for the car’s Jon Kaase mountain motor to get its first taste of racing fuel, however, as upon conclusion of the show the Aronson Motorsports team headed a little farther south to West Palm Beach Raceway where Aronson, son of former AHRA Pro Stock World Champion Chuck Aronson, was able to make the inaugural test laps in his new ride.

First, though, came the no-small-task of completely wiring and plumbing the car, but Aronson and crew worked long hours over less than a week to get it ready. When the time came, it was more than capable of clicking off some impressive times.

“Jerry Haas built us the best car I have ever had the privilege to work with,” the second-generation driver stated. “Our first pass on the car was good enough to have qualified well at every event last year, so I was very pleased and can’t wait to get the updated engine in the car.”

Fresh off a recent trip to Qatar as a tuning consultant to an Arabian Drag Racing League Extreme 10.5 team, Aronson said he and his Aronson Motorsports teammates are now looking forward to taking on the stateside ADRL schedule and showcasing their new Ford Racing Mustang at every ADRL event. 

“We are getting ready to make our way over into the ADRL where there is some super stiff competition, and we have been working to upgrade our operation to a level we feel is more than capable of making a good performance on race day,” he said. “We are going to have a lot of great friends to run with, and ADRL Extreme Pro Stock is a quality show with extreme professionalism at every turn. I can’t wait to get on the track!”

“We would like to take this time to thank all of our supporters and sponsors, because without them I would not have the opportunity to do what we have done,” ADRL Extreme Pro Stock rookie Cale Aronson said. “Ford Racing has been a great partner in this project, and I would like to thank Jesse Kershaw, Brian Wolfe, Jamie Allison, Moes Nolan, and Wayne Geoffrey. Mark Walser is a long-time family friend and supporter and I want to thank him the most! Jon Kaase and Jerry Haas have given us the best equipment possible and a big thank you also goes to UPR Products, Mickey Thompson, Ram Clutches, Barry Grant, Arch Haslar (body man), DJ Safety, Orme Brothers, Innovators West, ProBell and many more!”

(Photos Richards/courtesy Aronson Motorsports)

LAS VEGAS - Thursday's best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Pro Stock at the Last Chance Pre-Season Test:

Psn---Num-Driver, Home Town, Car Type-----------------TT-ET----TT-Spd-Top Spd

  1    1 Jeg Coughlin, Delaware OH,                      6.713  206.42  206.42
  2    8 Greg Stanfield, Bossier City LA,                6.715  205.94  205.94
  3   41 Rodger Brogdon, Tomball TX,                     6.738  204.82  204.91
  4  317 Rickie Jones, Galesburg IL,                     6.759  204.48  204.48
  5  406 Bob Yonke, Burleson TX,                         6.813  202.82  202.82
  6   31 Johnny Gray, Artesia NM,                        6.847  202.27  202.27
  7  730 Shane Gray, Artesia NM,                         7.405  201.31  201.31

BERNER UNVEILS NEW SUMMIT PAINT SCHEME

CRETE, Ill. February 5, 2010: Pete Berner’s Pontiac GXP has never looked better as it now flies the familiar red, white and blue of Summit Racing Equipment in a unique and eye-catching design by Greg Ozubko. With its new look, the GXP is sure to cause a stir with onlookers as well as with opponents.

LAS VEGAS - Final order after 4 rounds of qualifying in Pro Stock at the Las Vegas, Pro Stock Showdown:

Psn---Num-Driver, Home Town, Car Type---------------Qual-ET--Qual-Spd-Top Spd

  1    1 Mike Edwards, Coweta OK, '09 GXP                6.681  206.95  206.99
  2    7 Allen Johnson, Greeneville TN, '10 Avenger      6.684  206.73  206.73
  3    6 Ron Krisher, Warren OH, '09 Cobalt              6.685  206.32  206.32
  4 7406 Vinnie Deceglie, Rancho Cucamonga CA, '10 Aven  6.709  205.47  205.47
  5   50 Jeg Coughlin, Delaware OH, '09 Cobalt           6.712  206.70  206.70
  6    4 Greg Stanfield, Bossier City LA, '09 GXP        6.715  205.66  205.79
  7   41 Rodger Brogdon, Houston TX, '10 GXP             6.742  204.60  204.82
  8  406 Bob Yonke, Burleson TX, '08 GXP                 6.758  204.54  204.54
  9   55 V. Gaines, Lakewood CO, '10 Avenger             6.769  203.74  204.08
 10   10 Rickie Jones, Galesburg IL, '10 GXP             6.771  203.86  204.17
 11  730 Shane Gray, Artesia NM, '10 GXP                 6.774  204.39  204.39
 12   32 Justin Humphreys, Monrovia MD, '09 GXP          6.786  204.11  204.11
 13    9 Johnny Gray, Artesia NM, '10 GXP                6.897  201.70  201.70

Interstate Batteries Partners With  2009 Pro Stock Champ Edwards

Mike Edwards Motorsports has established a new partnership with Interstate Batteries for the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock season. Interstate Batteries will serve as a predominant sponsor for the 24 race season on the 2009 NHRA Pro Stock world champion Mike Edwards Pontiac. The partnership with Mike Edwards Motorsports marks Interstate Batteries return to NHRA competition. "Our racing organization shares Interstate Batteries core values ... and with that alliance behind our team, we believe this is will be a winning combination in 2010," Edwards said. The distinctive Interstate Batteries logo will grace the front hood of Edwards' car. The partnership will also carry outside the NHRA circle as Edwards will be part of Interstate Batteries marketing approach in other arenas in 2010. "Interstate Batteries has been a familiar brand in motorsports for almost 20 years and we're pleased to return to NHRA to be a part of Mike Edwards Motorsports continued success this season," said Interstate Batteries Chairman Norm Miller. "Mike's outrageous dependability as a competitor fits Interstate Batteries' promise to consumers.  This sponsorship is also a great opportunity to build upon the excitement of the I Am Second campaign that continues to spread virally." After finishing fourth in the NHRA Pro Stock championship standings in 2008, Edwards rewrote the record book in 2009, not only did he earn five victories, he become the first Pro Stock driver to eclipse the 212 mph barrier, set the national e.t. record at 6.509, and qualified on the pole at 16 events, including the last 9 of the season. With the additional support, expect Edwards and the entire team to be in contention for the 2010 championship. Edwards and the team plan to begin preseason testing in preparation for the defense of the NHRA title during this weekends Pro Stock Shootout at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including additional days following the event, before heading to the NHRA Kragen O'Reilly Winternationals the following weekend in Pomona.

Coughlin prepping for busy year at Pro Stock Showdown

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 3) -- Five-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. is headed to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for a quick tune-up to the 2010 Full Throttle Drag Racing season, which begins Feb. 11-14 in Pomona, Calif.

Coughlin, the most prolific driver on tour in 2009 with seven national event wins and 13 races atop the championship standings, will be fine-tuning his reworked JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt Pro Stock car and a new JEGS.com Dodge Challenger Stock Eliminator hot rod at the fifth annual Las Vegas Pro Stock Showdown.

"I'm excited to get back in a racecar and get that feeling back," Coughlin said. "This will actually be the third test of the off-season for the team but my buddy Richie Stevens filled in for me before so this will be my first time back in the cockpit since last November. It definitely gets your blood pumping.

"Our team owner Victor Cagnazzi, crew chiefs Roy Simmons and Tummy Utt, car builder Todd Bevis, and everyone else at Victor Cagnazzi Racing have been working around the clock this off-season to get the car and motors where they need to be. We were thrilled with our effort last year until the playoffs started and we fell back at bit. That didn't sit well with anyone and it's been a motivating factor for all of us."

In earlier testing in Florida, Stevens guided Coughlin's car through several 6.5 and 6.6 second passes. He was usually the quickest of each session at a test that included most of the top teams in the sport.

"We've worked a lot on getting the car to respond more aggressively at the hit and to accelerate faster through those first few feet of the run, which are so critical," Coughlin said. "Todd and his crew have reworked several areas of the car itself and the guys in the engine shop have successfully developed more horsepower.

"We have a simple goal this year that we think will take us to where we want to be -- we just don't want to have any issues. Of course, that's easier said than done."

Coughlin's Challenger Drag Pak racer also will keep him busy at numerous races this year, and he'll be an active supporter of fiancé Samantha Kenny's Super Comp efforts as well.

"We're going to be at the strip a lot this year and that suits us well because we love racing," Coughlin said. "My nephew Troy Jr. will be racing with us at times and his dad, my brother Troy Sr., is running all 10 Pro Mod races so it will be a real family affair in 2010. Of course, Pop will be around quite a bit as well.

"It all starts this weekend in Vegas. This is an important test for all of us and it really gets you up to speed for Pomona. We've won the Vegas Showdown in the past and we'd love to do it again."
 

TOMMY DUPREE NAMED DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR MMPSA

(01-28-10) CRETE, IL - Tommy Dupree, a well-known face to many for his work in the drag racing industry, recently signed on to become the Director of Business Development for the Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association. Dupree left his position with the IHRA to fire up the newly founded MMPSA. He will also be working with Pete Berners Performance Mechanical Contracting business.

Dupree is excited about this new endeavor and feels the MMPSA has a lot to offer. I am very excited to be a part of this new group. These are great bunch of guys and I am very happy to dedicate my time and experience to help out. We have come a long way very quickly and we have all the tools we need to be successful.

Dupree also added, I am very thankful to Pete for thinking of me to be a part of this organization and his personal business. His time is better spent concentrating on his business and his racing. I am thrilled the guys chose me to manage this new organization for them.

Berner is equally excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and feels that Dupree is the right man for the job. Ive gotten to know Tommy really well over the past several years, and Ive seen what hes capable of. He knows how to get the job done, and I truly feel hes the best man for this position. Hes already been hard at work in both my contracting business and the MMPSA. We have hit the ground running and Tommy has jumped right into the mix, even picking up the pace. We received a good bit of support regarding the formation of the MMPSA right from the start, but Tommy has already begun expanding our support and endeavors. Were very excited about this first year and for the many years to follow.

For MMPSA business opportunities contact Tommy Dupree at tdupree@pmchvac.net. The MMPSA website is currently under construction, but you can check out the 2010 schedule at www.mmpsa.org.

Western Motorsports and driver V. Gaines will continue the teams marketing partnership with 10-4 Magazine for the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle season.

MMPSA SCHEDULE REVAMPED TO MEET RACERS’ NEEDS

(01-22-10) CRETE, IL - The previously released Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association schedule has been revised in order to allow racers to run all available Mountain Motor events. One major goal of the MMPSA is to give Pro Stock racers the chance to compete at more events than they previously have had available. In order to accomplish this, the MMPSA chose to have no conflicting events with the American Drag Racing League, which is the only current sanctioning body to offer a Mountain Motor class.

Pete Berner has been a key player in getting the MMPSA off the ground and had this to say, “We’re really looking forward to these MMPSA events. It will be nice to have many of the Pro Stockers racing together again since many of us have been racing on opposite... [Read More]

ADRL Confirms Georgia Drags VI Date

(01-19-10) O’FALLON, MO — The American Drag Racing League (ADRL) is pleased to confirm its ADRL Hardee’s Georgia Drags VI will be held Apr. 23-24, at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Cecil, Georgia. The two-week move from the original date creates an ideal balance in the schedule for the 2010 ADRL tour.

“With this date change we now have only one race per month this year and at least three weeks between events, with only one exception in September when Dragstock VII at Rockingham (NC) Dragway is followed two weeks later by our return to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio,” ADRL Executive Vice President Jeff Fortune said. “We greatly appreciate all of our track partners working with us to create the best possible scheduling... [Read More]

ADRL Releases Updated 2010 Schedule

LATEST UPDATE OF THE 2010 Schedule as of 00:45AM 1/19/10

(01-19-10) O’FALLON, MO - Today, the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) released an updated 2010 schedule featuring a return to familiar territory and some date changes for established races.

“Creating a season schedule is one of the most challenging tasks we face every year as there are so many variables and individuals to consider,” ADRL President and CEO Kenny Nowling said. “Ultimately, every scheduling decision is reached based on how it affects our racers and track partners and our ability to put on the best show possible for ADRL fans. I think the scheduling changes we’re announcing today reflect that process well and will result in a stronger 2010 ADRL season all... [Read More]

BAYTOWN, TX (Jan. 4, 2009)—For the second year in a row, Houston Raceway Park will host the DragRaceHose.com Spring Warm Up presented by Goodridge Hoses and Fittings, March 5-7, offering American Drag Racing League (ADRL) teams a great chance to test their tune-ups just one week before the ADRL Safety-Kleen Dragpalooza VI, Mar. 12-13 at the Baytown, Texas, strip. 

The ADRL has designated the weekend-long Spring Warm-up as its official test session to kick off the 2010 racing season.

“It’s a perfect weekend for all ADRL race teams to come to Houston Raceway Park and test under what should be optimal conditions,” Houston Raceway Park General Manager Seth Angel said. “The track will be prepped to ADRL national-event standards, giving competitors valuable on-track data just one week before Dragpalooza VI.” 

For many ADRL race teams, the Warm Up will be their first time back on the track since the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals at Ennis, Texas, last October.

ADRL Executive Vice President of Competition Bert “Bubba” Corzine (right) also will be on hand, along with other ADRL officials, to answer any questions competitors may have.

“I always love a day at the track, so I’m looking forward to getting back to work and getting our 2010 season started with the ADRL Spring Warm Up at Houston Raceway Park,” Corzine stated, “It’ll be great to see our racers again, but I hope to see a lot of new teams and new faces out there, too. I think this offers a great opportunity for everyone to really get dialed in for the ADRL race just one week later.”  

Houston Raceway Park officials confirmed that 24-hour security will be onsite throughout the week following the test session for race teams wishing to leave their rigs at the track before parking begins at noon on Thursday, Mar. 10, for the Safety-Kleen Dragpalooza VI. In addition, the ADRL will host a Media Day Mar. 6, in the newly constructed Tower Club beside the Houston Raceway Park control tower.

DragRaceHose.com Spring Warm Up presented by Goodridge Hoses and Fittings

Directions: Houston Raceway Park is located off Interstate 10 in Baytown, Texas. Race teams and fans should take State Highway 99 (exit 799) and proceed south. Exit at FM 565, and turn right. Houston Raceway Park is located a quarter-mile mile down on your right. 

Classes: Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Flowmaster Extreme 10.5, Extreme Pro Stock and Pro Extreme Motorcycle.

Cost: $150 for teams registering before Feb. 22 or $200 at the gate. This fee includes car and driver plus two crewmen and is valid for entire weekend. For information please contact Seth Angel at 281-383-7223 or e-mail: seth@houstonraceway.com.

Spectators: The event will be open to spectators for $15 per day or a weekend pass for $25.

Schedule (suject to change):

Thursday, Mar. 4: Credential sales and pit parking from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.



Friday, Mar. 5 thru Sunday, Mar. 7: Credential sales and tech inspection begins at 8 a.m.; Professional testing 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day.

For additional information visit: www.houstonraceway.com.

Here is the link to our page:

http://racesgmp.com/schedule-dragstrip-detail.da?id=141