Leanders Captures 4th FIA TMFC Title

Courtesy of Leanders Brothers Racing

Sunday, September 11th was a day all of the team members of Leanders Bros. Drag Racing will long remember as Ulf Leanders captured his fourth Top Methanol Funny Car title in the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. That is more than anyone else has ever achieved in this class.

The 2011 season started in the US where Leanders Bros. Drag Racing had the funny car based for about a year at our great friends Todd and Denise Tutterow's shop in Yadkinville, NC. We went to Valdosta, GA and did some testing with a new fuel system from Randy Anderson at APS, we saw right away that this made a huge difference in our performance. From there we went to the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL. This was our last stop in the states before we sent the car home to Sweden. The FIA series always begins at Santa Pod in England. Next stop on the tour was Tierp Arena, every racer in Europe has waited for this so long, a brand new state of the art facility built in just 8 months in Tierp, Sweden. The race however was not that good for us when we lost in the first round to our great friend Jonas Staflund who went on to win the race. Next stop, Alastaro, Finland and this would be our only win this year. The Nitrolympx at Hockenheim in Germany are always a great race with a lot of spectators but a second round exit was not what we needed before we headed back to the legendary Santa Pod track in England, which was this past weekend.

With 12 points behind, we knew that every point was very important so the goal was to qualify at the top and just do what we could to grab every point that was available. What we did not count on was that after qualifying was over on Saturday night the championship was going to be decided in the first round on Sunday when we qualified #1 and Arvid Grodem, who was the points leader qualified #8.

The FIA Championship title was our's after winning the first round. We went on to the final but lost to Rob Turner, this made his first win since they switched over from the dragsters to funny car.

As many involved in drag racing know, we design and manufacture our own clutches and that has helped us and many other racers to win a lot of races for many years now. This year we have been #1 qualifier and we had low ET at every race, we also have both the European speed and ET record at 5.687 sec and 406.85 kmh (252.86 mph). In testing at the excellent all concrete Tierp track we have been as low as 5.62 @ 411.6 kmh (255.8).

We also would like to send a big Thank you to our sponsors:

IRONCAD
HAAS AUTOMATION
76 LUBRICANTS
HALI
SWEDHANDLING
ENGCON
PERSAKERS SPEED SHOP
NORDTRAFIK
ARE PRODUKTION
FEATURECAM
NORDEN & CO
SPEEDY ENGINEERING
SVETEK
SYSTEM EDSTROM
CUSTOM PARTS AB

LEANDERS BROS. AB

FIA Top Methanol Funny Car

http://www.leandersbros.se/

Q&A With Stefan Kontos

Prior to the Big O Tires Nationals, we spoke with Stefan Kontos of the Spiro Kontos-owned Kon Rodz Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team.

Stefan Kontos

Top Alcohol News-What is your title at Kon Rodz Racing?


Stefan Kontos-Officially, I'm the owner's son, and I tend to stay closer to the behind the scenes stuff like Marketing, Branding, and pretty much as much as I can that involves the day to day management of the team, whenever my time away from school allows. Unofficially, I'm the team joker. I'm the one that tries to find as much fun stuff to both around the track and in the towns that are usually near us. So like I find hotels with pools that we can use, or theme parks. All that kind of stuff.


TAN-Give us a brief history of the team.


SK-We started out in 2005 doing some local Top Sportsman racing. After my dad got in a car accident, he revisited his passion of collecting cars while recovering. So eventually we picked up a Firebird and we did some local stuff. We never really did too much with that car, a couple weekends, but it was really fun, which is what racing really is all about to us. We ended up jumping straight to nitro and put together both a nostalgia car and a big show car.


After a few outings, we realized that without much financial support, you can't really compete at such a pro level in Nitro, so we sold that all to Australia and bought a Pro Mod 1963 'Vette. I begged my dad not to go Pro Mod racing, so we ended up trading the 'vette for a 2006 Monte Carlo FC from Bruce Mullins out of Virginia.


We went IHRA racing for a bit, then they disbanded the class due to lack of funding. We headed to NHRA and are we're going in to our 4th season with NHRA next year. We have Randy Anderson of Advanced Power Systems as our tuner and really had a great year this year. We reset our personal best twice, ran very consistantly, and got our first round win ever as a team in any class. We're really excited for next year. Hopefully we'll make a run for the Top 10, or even Top 5 nationally.


TAN-What does the future hold for Kon Rodz Racing?

SK- Well, just like any other team, right now were putting together equipment for next year and trying to find that part or piece that adds to the car’s performance. So we’re working hard at doing that at the moment. We are going to be running a 1 car team next year once again with Cassie Simonton driving. I’m sure as everyone has seen, my dad is looking for a Nostalgia Front Engine Dragster, so hopefully him and I can put something together that works with my schedule with school, I can do some licensing and maybe some match racing mid to late next year. The ultimate goal for me is to drive an alcohol funny car, but collectively we all feel that I should try something that’s a little less aggressive and safer for me to learn in at first.


TAN- What are your thoughts on the current and future state of alcohol racing?


SK- Hmm, that’s definitely something that everyone has been discussing lately. To be honest, other than division 1 and 3, I have never been to any other divisionals. So I can't really say that I know a lot about those other divisions, other than the usual reading I do on Drag Race Central. But what I do know about division 1 and 3 is that they are 2 extremely competitive divisions.  I’m not trying to take anything away from any other divisions. Right now, the Alcohol class is so competitive, and there are multiple cars that can win on any given Sunday. I think that Division 3 has a really good program put together with Norwalk and the Bader family. They treat every single racer, spectator, and guest of the track as if they are family, which is something that we all enjoy.

We really do have a great program to offer and it is a shame that not all tracks do what the Bader family does at SMP. In Division 3 we race on some truly spectacular facilities, ith Chicago, Indy, and Norwalk in the top 3 on my personal list. I think that those races are ones that the majority of D3 racers look forward to the most, and look forward to throwing down on. Unfortunately we have the fact that Norwalk is really the only track we get an apparent turnout from. They absolutely PACK those stands and fences with people. Obviously they’re doing something right. But, Norwalk isn’t the only track that the divisional series offers. Weekend upon weekend we have cars going to races that only have 2 or 3 cars, and hardly any fan turn out, which in my mind is a shame. I think that the proposed program that the NHRA is discussing with racers is a really solid program. Of course, there needs to be some revisions to it, but with the current situation we’re all in, something needs to be done for sure.

I haven't really read too much further into the new situation, but what I can say is that something definitely needs to be done. Take division 3 for example. We had so many cars that were top hitters all in one division. It was really difficult for you to qualify for the 8 car field at times. That’s what made it so much fun and why you had so many out of division cars coming to race with the d3 hitters at times.

Take Chicago for example... last year the bump was a 6.30 and we didn’t get in because we ran like a 6.56...this year you had cars running low 50's and the bump was a 5.69 I believe. It just shows you how much things have changed and how competitive and developing this class really is. I just hope that for the sake of the class, the NHRA realizes this and also that the economy turns around. There are too many good teams sitting on the sidelines that we all miss as being part of our big family. It’s a shame that you have such talented people on the sidelines because of the economy. We’re just hoping that things turn around so they can be back out there.

TAN- In your opinion, what improvements could be made to alcohol racing?

SK- How do I think that Alcohol Racing can improve….Well first there is the obvious. Well to me it’s obvious at least. Unfortunately, the turnout at divisionals as far as fans isn’t the greatest. As racers, we all love and appreciate the support that we get from the fans that turn out. However, I think that in order to improve the class, we need to go to an all national level. From a business standpoint, nationals are the logical decision. The payouts are higher, there is more exposure for the companies that sponsor you, and your team gets so much more attention from both the media and fans. In today’s economy, that is what we need; More exposure for the teams and sponsors. So to me, I think that if we eased away from the divisional format, the class would improve incredibly. Besides, who doesn’t like running all out on the nation’s best tracks, having the field separated by the smallest fractions of time possible. That is what racing is all about.

TAN- What do you enjoy most about going to the track?

SK- The track is really a place that I call home. For the past 6 or so years, I have not stopped thinking about racing. It’s really a sickness, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. To narrow down on one thing is pretty hard. I’d have to say being around the people is probably my favorite thing. And when I say people, I mean the racers, fans, and NHRA officials. At the track, we all have a common goal to make Drag Racing the largest recognized motorsport in the world. Unfortunately, it's taking a little longer for that to happen, but hey, all in time. Everyone we race with is a class act. You have so many people that root for you, support you, and are there for you if you need an extra part to finish your servicing, or an extra hand in between rounds. It’s truly a family and that’s what I really enjoy most about the racers. You will never find a better group of people then what we have right now.

The fans that support NHRA Drag Racing are the best fans in the world. I think that we put on a great show for them and it really shows when you have people coming up to you and thanking you for giving them or their family members such an amazing experience. That’s something that the NHRA does really well in my opinion.

The NHRA officials are really cool as well. You have a bunch of people that truly care about the sport. I have my buddy Coop who is the NHRA National Event Coordinator. Coop and I met a few years ago and he always makes the time to stop by and say hi to us whenever he’s not running around. He works with a guy named Jason who is also a great guy, I believe it ia his first year with the NHRA. They're both really super guys that have a passion for the sport and you see that in their work. You then have all of the division directors that treat us like gold. Similar to Jason & Coop, they have a passion for the sport and want to make sure that as racers, we have the best time racing.

TAN- Who are your favorite teams to race with in TAFC?

SK- That’s a tough one. There are so many great teams out there with amazing people. It’s a pleasure and honor to be racing with every single team out there. In Alcohol it truly is one big family out there and we all have lots of fun doing what we do. We’re very fortunate to say the least. In funny car, I'd have to say that I really enjoy racing with the Fosters, Paul Gill and Team, Wayne Butler, Tom Carter and his team, the Parker Family & Brent Henry, The Lombardo's (thank you for helping us out in Indy!). The Pomponio's are a great group as well. I also really enjoyed racing against Steve Harker and his family, as they were always really great to us and are truly a great group to be around. I also have to say I really enjoy racing against the Larry Dobbs team as they are fellow Canadians and are about 2 hours away from us. They have a great team, and can be a threat on Sunday. That team car was piloted by Paul Noakes, who used to race with us in the IHRA, so it was nice to have him and a few guys that crewed for him out there racing with us again. And of course, the Mickey Ferro team is a great group of guys. And last, but certainly not least, "Uncle Frank" Manzo. Frank is a tremendous competitor and I am both happy and honored to say that he is a friend of ours. Frank is truly a class act and is someone that truly makes the Top Alcohol Funny Car class what it is. He really is someone that will take the shirt off his back for you and help you to the best of his ability. We had a second round match up with him in Indy and even though he beat us, we really enjoyed racing him. He has really tried his best to help Cassie and offer some advice whenever she needs it.

I really didn't mean to forget anyone if I did. To summarize, everyone we race with is a class act. We never have any problems with anyone and we really do enjoy racing against each and every person we have lined up against. When Cassie first got into the car, the amount of people that offered help and support was really amazing. It just shows you the camaraderie in the Funny Car class.

TAN- What about in the Dragster class?

SK- Now Top Alcohol Dragster is another class that is full of my favorites. Obviously, we don’t race TAD, but that class is full of so many great teams and competitors. You have the Booher Construction Team with the Spitzer car piloted by Brandon Booher. To say that they came a long way this year is truly an understatement. We have been friends with the Booher’s ever since we came to the NHRA and I am so proud of what they did this year. Every single person on that team is someone I am proud to call a friend. They had great runs this year and even got the record for the world’s fastest and first converter car into the 5.3 second range. So I definitely have to say that the Booher team is my overall favorite.

But like I said, that class if full of great people. You have the Chris Demke-driven Peen Rite car owned by Jerry Maddern. Chris, Jerry, Kevin, Mike, and Ronald are all a really great group of guys that know how to win. That car is a beast and is a threat anywhere it goes. So they’re definitely one team that I’m constantly rooting for.

Then you have a bunch of other teams like the Reichert team, Duane Shields' team, Doug Foley & the Tom Conway Dragster, Mike Manners in the "Shredder" car, the Pickett Racing team, and the Randy Meyer Racing team,  whom I am proud to say I  beat in the unofficial "avoid the rain" pit-bike challenge in Norwalk this year. Once again, if I missed anyone, I apologize. You all know that I consider you friends and great people that I’m so lucky to be around on the weekends!

TAN- Is there anyone that you would like to thank?

SK- I have to thank my family and team for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to be part of such an amazing organization. My father, Spiro, is the reason that this is all happening. I'm living the dream, even though I'm not driving....yet! My stepmother, Fay, is someone I have to thank for putting up with all my shenanigans when I'm at home and dad is away racing.

Last but not least, my team. Cassie is like a sister to me and she really wants to see me do well in racing one day, so I am very lucky to have her in my corner. Marquis, I don't think I could go racing without Marquis on my side. He is an amazing part of this family; he works a mean clutch as well. I also have to thank a great friend and someone that I really look up to, Pat. He joined us this year doing bottom end. Immediately he fit in to our team and family. Pat is a tremendous asset to our team; it wouldn't be the same without him. Cory, who is like a brother to me. He and I are always the two guys finding some fun at the track; I couldn't go racing without him, as well. Our truck driver, Jeff, who recently joined us at Indy, is our newest part of the family. I can't forget my buddy, Mike, for always being there for me and constantly providing comic relief. Last but not least, our tuner, Randy. He'll be the one that will help me get in to a race car, making sure I have a safe and competitive ride underneath me one day.

I want to thank Top Alcohol News for this opportunity and for taking the time to do this interview. I hope the next time we speak, I will be discussing my plans for my own racing.

TAN- Thanks for speaking with us, good luck!

Feel free to contact Stefan Kontos via Facebook or on Twitter (@StefanKontos).

Ahten Ready to Light the Fires in Vegas

Courtesy of THR5 Communications

Las Vegas, NV. - Johnny Ahten spent the summer fighting wild fires as a Fire Department Captain. Now it's time to light some. Ahten and his Top Alcohol dragster is looking to set the strip ablaze this weekend at the Big O Tires Nationals at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The last time down the track for the CleanBoost Performance Oil sponsored team was back in May at Bakersfield. Since then, they have been refining their attack. Going back to what they know, Crew Chief Al Ahten has sorted out the fuel system and it's fine-tuned and ready to rumble.

"It's looking to be a tough field because they have been running all year," said Ahten. "It's like cramming for an exam. We have been looking at our notes and we are playing catch-up, but we'll be there."

The National race at Las Vegas is the start of a three race weekend plan for Johnny Ahten and the team. Crew member Howard Katano is making the trip in from Hawaii, and along with Bob Ahten, Kevin Colvell and Todd Rockwell, they all look forward to the task.

"We are looking forward to running in the heat and we get good wheel speed up," added Ahten.

Being surrounded by fire all summer long, Johnny Ahten and the CleanBoost look to have some fun and keep the fire in the pipes lit all the way down the quarter-mile.

Courtesy of John Rogers



Based in Sandy, Utah, CleanBoost PERFORMANCE MOTOR OIL is a subdivision company of Combustion Technologies USA, http://www.combustionusa.com/ a privately held corporation, owned and operated by drag racers and automotive enthusiasts, who provide specialized products and services focused towards equipment performance and maintenance solutions coupled with measurable improvements in the operating costs of your equipment. They specialize in the Trucking, Construction, Mining, Oil & Gas, Automotive, Motorsports, Marine Industries and private label licensing of their products. They accomplish this by providing customers with the latest and most advanced products and service available in the industry today, while focusing on developments and new technology to improve the quality of their products to reduce the pollution effects of our environment. Please visit us at: http://www.cleanboostoil.com/



It's All Good for Cody Perkins in Vegas

Courtesy of THR5 Communications

Las Vegas, NV. - Cody Perkins and the 801 Racing Team are planning for a good time in Vegas this weekend. The town itself is known to be exciting and a bit wild. This weekend, the good times will be down the track, and in the pits.

The party starts with the debut of Perkins' new 801 Racing firesuit and helmet. The crew also will be sporting new crew shirts to keep it going all weekend. The gang from 801 Racing will also be there in support of their new runway model. Not all glitz and glam, the race is where Perkins really wants to shine.

"We know our car will run competitive," said Perkins. "The trailer is packed full of all our good stuff. We have worked long and hard to make the good times come to us."

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is know as a great track with traction galore. It can also be rough on motors. The last time Perkins raced here, a small piece of aluminum from the tank plugged a nozzle. The team ended up having to build three motors out of two. This year the plan is to keep it all together.

"The track is so awesome," added Perkins. "We run stuff hard here and the track will take all you can give it. We plan on going rounds without having to totally rebuild it every run."

Once again Perkins will be supported by his Mom, Dad, Grandmother, and even the dogs. They are planning on having a family party and with the group from 801 Racing along for the ride, the good times will roll for Cody Perkins in Vegas.

Courtesy of Images LTD

801 Racing is a privately held company based in Salt Lake City, Utah that produces a unique and innovative 'solid fuel technology'. Named Pulse Power Boost, it comes in a solid red ball and is a fuel boost catalyst that completely dissolves in the fuel tank. The increase in power is next to immediate as it fully dissipates once dissolved. The product works in gas, alcohol, and diesel engines. Pulse Power Boost will come packaged in a sealed pouch or in an embossed display tin. 801 Racing's, Pulse Power Boost is targeted at the racing community for all forms of motorsports that need an edge against the competition in the other lane or to get out ahead of the pack and stay there. For more information on 801 Racing, please visit: http://www.801racing.com/

Ashwell Racing Heads to Las Vegas with Heavy Hearts

Oregon-based Jeff Ashwell will be racing at Las Vegas and Pomona this year for the first time, with one goal; honor their late crew chief, Norm Christensen.

"Unfortunately we lost Norm to cancer a couple weeks ago. He was instrumental in our program. At a race several years ago, I asked Norm if he could help us dial the car in. He's been our crew chief since then. It's amazing how the car has been since he's been with us. Even through his hard-fought battle with cancer, we were always on the phone trying to come up with a better tune-up. So we're going to Vegas and Pomona with his tune-up in the car, trying our best to honor him," said Ashwell.

Jeff and the Wilson's NAPA Stores/Walery Pizza Top Alcohol Funny Car team head to two tracks that they've never raced at; The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Raceway. Ashwell is looking forward to the opportunity to try new tracks.

"They're both stellar tracks and we know the car can run 5.60s, so that will be the goal for each pass. The top guys from most of the divisions will be at these last few races, so it'll be tough just to qualify. I'll have to make some pretty stout runs to get in, and that's the main goal," Jeff claimed.

"The next few weeks will be our way of saying good-bye to Norm. We hoped that he could make them with us, but sadly it won't work out that way. He meant a lot to us and to a lot of people on our level that he helped. So the biggest part of our trip is to honor Norm," declared Ashwell.

The first race in the three-race trip is the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas, which take place this weekend, October 27-30.

To follow Jeff and the Ashwell Racing TAFC team on their tribute to Norm Christensen, visit them on Twitter and Facebook.

Jeff would like to thank Wilson's NAPA Auto Parts Stores, Walery's Premium Pizza, and G & S Machine Inc. for their support.

Big O Tires Nationals-Las Vegas Preview

Previous Winners
2010-Jim Whiteley/Mickey Ferro
2009-Shawn Cowie/Daniel Oliver

Car Counts (As of 10-24-11)
TAD-18
TAFC-16

Drivers to Watch

Joey Severance (TAD)- The most potent blown alcohol dragster in 2011, Joey Severance is a good pick to win both the race and the overall national championship. After winning 5 of the 6 division races that he's attended (runner-up at the other) and a win and two runner-up finishes on the national event tour, Severance still has three national events and two divisions that he can claim, while #1 and #2 in points are out of races to claim. A semifinal finish here would secure the championship for Joey.

Roger Bateman (TAFC)- Team driver for Jim Whiteley's Ynot Racing team, Roger Bateman is on a roll heading in to Vegas. Coming off a runner-up at the Dallas national and a win at the Noble divisional, Bateman has potential to win this race. Though he didn't impress in his appearances at this track earlier in the year, he made up for it through 3 overall divisional wins, 2 runner-up finishes, and a national event runner-up later in the year.

Booher Caps off Career-Best Season with Semifinal Appearance

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

Champaign, IL – Brandon Booher entered the recent Reynolds NHRA Division 2 race with one goal in mind: move up in national and divisional points. Thanks to a semifinal finish, he did just that.

“The overall goal was obviously to win the race, but we knew there would be a lot of heavy hitters there, so a runner-up finish would suffice. That would’ve moved us up to 9^th in national points and 3^rd in Division 3. If the car would’ve started in the semi’s, I think there was a good chance that we could win the round and go to the finals,” claimed Booher.

Something as simple as dead starter batteries ended Brandon’s chances of making the finals.

“We started the car 45 minutes before the run and it started just fine. The crew went to start the car (for the run) and it wouldn’t turn over. It hurt the starter, because it wasn’t getting enough power from the battery pack on the cart. Duane (Shields) had already fired and began his burnout, so there wasn’t enough time to find another power source. It’s just another thing that we’ll improve on for next year. We’ll have two battery packs and two starters on the cart next year so that doesn’t happen again,” Brandon said.

The 2011 season had its ups and downs, as Brandon explains. “There were a few races where I suffered first round losses, but we’ve learned from the little mistakes that caused those. Collectively, they cost us a few spots in points. It has been a great season however, with runner-up finishes at the Norwalk national event and Cordova divisional. As of right now, I’m sitting in 10^th in national points. We’re working on a few things already to try to improve that position next year. Now all I can do is wait and see how Chase Copeland does out west; that will ultimately decide where I finish in national points at the end of the year,”

Brandon would like to thank the crew members that helped at the Reynolds race; Aaron Booher, Phil and J.P. Gutierrez, and Rocky and Vanessa Flannigan. They join Shannon Pappas, Brian Booher, Pete Brady, Drew Fluehr, Ed Russell, John Halloran, and Nate Van Wagnen; the rest of the Booher Racing crew in 2011. Several companies assist the team with parts and equipment, including Goodson Tools, Victory Valves, Coan, Lenco, Total Flow Cylinder Heads, Spitzer Race Cars, and Ken at Motorsports Unlimited.

Fans can follow Brandon Booher and the AB Construction Top Alcohol Dragster team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/booherracing) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/booherracing). For results and press releases, visit http://www.dragracecentral.com/ and http://www.topalcoholnews.com/.

About Booher Racing-The NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team led by Brandon and Aaron Booher competes at national events across the United States, all of which are televised nationally on ESPN2. To become a sponsor with Booher Racing, contact NVW Motorsports Promotion (http://www.nitronate.com/).

Steve Will Wins Final Pacific ProComp Event of the Season

Courtesy of Rich Bailey

The final Pacific ProComp event of the season held in Redding was a great one with perfect California weather and a great ET's all weekend. As usual Butch Stroupe claimed the poll with a 6.63, Makinna Clevenger was second with a respectable 6.74. Steve Will was third with a solid 6.75 while Rich Bailey was fourth with a 7.090, Will Harrison was fifth with a 7.093. Rounding out the field was Curtis Clevenger who suffered some engine damage and was unable to compete in eliminations.

In the first round, Stroupe got the bye run and flew to a 6.59 at 211 MPH. Next, Will took care of Bailey as both drivers red lit but Will was closer to the green and was awarded the win. Regardless, it was a good race as Will stopped the clocks with a 6.72 at 207 MPH to top Bailey's respectable 6.82 at 199 MPH. In the final first round pairing, Makinna Clevenger ran a 6.71 @ 204 MPH to Harrison's 7.01 @ 190 MPH.

In the semi-finals, Will scored a 6.69 @ 209 MPH holeshot win over Stroupe's 6.60 @206 MPH. Meanwhile Makinna Clevenger got a bye run into the finals and made it count with a 6.63 @205 MPH.

In the finals Will scored his second victory of the year with a 6.68 @ 204 MPH blast over Makinna Clevenger who red lit but made it interesting with an identical 6.68 @ 204 MPH pass.

Final Points Standings

1 Butch Stroupe 234
2 Steve Will 205
3 Curtis Clavenger 177
4 Rich Bailey 165
5 Makinna Clavenger 145
6 Ed Wells 126
7 Steve Laburn
8 Gary Fauble 41
9 Will Harrison 41

Permatex/Follow A Dream Team Wraps Up 2011 With Another Final

Courtesy of Jay Blake

Marstons Mills, MA -- October 18, 2011- With a final-round appearance at the last race of the year, Jay Blake's Permatex/Follow A Dream team climbed to sixth in the national Top Alcohol Funny Car standings. Driver Todd Veney qualified second at the Division 2 Lucas Oil Series closer at Silver Dollar Raceway with a 5.66 and dropped a close final to Mickey Ferro, the second-ranked driver in the country last season, 5.64 to 5.73.

Veney had low e.t. of the two previous rounds, with a 5.69 win over Melinda Green-King and a 5.65 against Mark Billington, knocking both out of the Division 2 championship battle won by Ferro. "Hopefully this locks up a spot for us in the Top 10," Blake said. "If it does, it'll be the first time we've done it two years in a row. The car ran well all weekend, but in the final the track was a little better than we thought."

It was the team's first appearance at the Reynolds, Ga. facility. "This was a good way to end a good season," Veney said. "It really helped us in the national standings and almost was enough to get us second in the division." With 267 points apiece, Veney and Eric Lourie tied for second behind Frank Manzo in Division 1, but Lourie won the tiebreaker.

The Follow A Dream team finishes the 2011 season with a 21-13 record (.618 winning percentage) and five final round appearances - one at a national event, one at the Jegs Allstars race, and three in divisional competition.

"The best part is that every single member of the team is going to be back for 2012," Blake said. "I thank every one of them - Tom Howell, Todd Veney, Ed Parker, Scott Osborn, Scott Spencer, Joe Connelly, Charlie Connelly, Maura McGonigle, and Alan Hadfield - for the hard work and dedication that made this a good year for our team."

Duane Shields Goes to Final Round in Pursuit of the Championship

Courtesy of Rich Bailey

Reynolds GA - As the season winds down, the points towards the NHRA Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster Championship title becomes ever so important. Contenders can only claim a limited amount of points towards the Championship at both national and divisional events which means strategy comes into play on which races to run.

Duane Shields was down to just one LODRS divisional even to claim points and chose the race at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, GA. Duane's strategy seemd to work as he made it to the final round but lost the race to the reigning Champion Bill Reichert, who had been eliminated from contention two weeks prior in Maple Grove.

Duane qualified second with a 5.38 and faced Dan Page in round one. Page's 5.35 was close but not enough to get the win over Shields who nipped Page at the finish line with a victorious 5.31 at 273 MPH.

Moving into the semifinals, the Shortline Express team took on Brandon Booher. Unfortunately for Booher, he was unable to fire so Duane got a single and charged to the finish line with a 5.42, but shuttered the tires on the run. "The car shook violently and we lost our data going into the final round because the cables shook loose. We knew we had to massage the car in order to negotiate the track so we took away some of the power. We just didn't know how much" Shields revealed.

In the finals, it was a classic Duane Shields vs. Bill Reichert match up. As the lights came down it was Reichert out first with a .070 to Shields' .082. At the finish line it was Reichert crossing the stripe first with a 5.35 at 265 MPH to Duane's 5.43 at 271 MPH. "The car didn't have enough horsepower to win but it still shuttered the tires a little bit so we were limited to what adjustments we could make and how much power we could take out" Shields said.

All Duane can do now is compete at the last three races and serve as a blocker by taking out the other still mathematically in contention. "The pressure is on them now. I'll go to the last three races and try to control my own destiny. If the Championship is meant to be, it's meant to be. If not it was still a great year. Duane would like to thank NGK Spark Plugs and Hussey Copper for their support.

In their Second Pro Race, the Alexis DeJoria Racing Team Makes the Field for the First Time

Courtesy of Allison McCormick

Venice, CA (October 18, 2011) -- Kalitta Motorsports' Alexis DeJoria Racing Team performed well in tough conditions at their second professional showing in Phoenix, AZ this past weekend at the 27th Annual NHRA Arizona Nationals.

The sweltering Arizona heat made for a very tricky track this weekend, and likely, the worst conditions creww chiefs have seen all year. The cars were smoking their tires left and right, and there was a lot of pedaling down the track. While Alexis, driver of the Tequila Patrón car for the Kalitta Motorsports team, had her own set of issues during qualifying, including breaking the tires loose at the top end of the track a few times, she was able to pull it out and make it to the elimination round for the first time in the Funny Car ranks. Her best qualifying run was during round two where she ran 4.320-second at 274.27-mph, which put her comfortably in the number eight spot going into the first round.

Sunday's elimination round was a big milestone for the Kalitta Motorsports driver, as it was her first time ever competing for the Funny Car trophy, and her first time being part of the pro driver introductions. "Just to race on Sunday was so huge," said DeJoria "We didn't just qualify; we qualified in the top half of the field. I'm so proud of our team and this race was definetely a step in the right direction."

Alexis started out strong in the first round against Bob Tasca, but the car dropped the cylinders on both sides, costing her the round. Alexis' Crew Chief radioed in and told her to lift off the throttle, in order to prevent more damage to the motor. Although Team Patrón was out after the first round, Alexis and the team count this weekend as a success. They displayed improvement since their previous race in Dallas, and worked well together as a team. Alexis, who handled the track well despite the rough conditions, said "I like to have these sorts of curveballs. They prodve for more lessons learned and only help to better prepare us for the future."

The team was scheduled to test today, but because of the extreme track conditions opted to test in Las Vegas the Monday after the Vegas Nationals. Alexis DeJoria and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car team will compete next at the 11th Annual Big O Tires NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas, NV, October 28th-30th. Before the weekend gets underway, Alexis will be signing autographs at the Fremont Street NHRA Driver Autograph Session on October 27th, 5PM-7PM.

On a seperate note, Alexis and the Tequila Patrón team would like to express their condolences for the loss of Dan Wheldon and Rick Huseman, On behalf of the entire team, Alexis says, "Our prayers go out to their families and loved ones. It's so hard to lose members of the racing community - we're such a family, and to lose one of your own out there, it affects everyone very deeply."

About Alexis DeJoria

Alexis DeJoria, daughter of the famed John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and proud owner of Tequila Patrón, is a professional NHRA race car driver, competing in the Nitro Funny Car class on the Kalitta Motorsports team. She is their second Nitro Funny Car driver and fourth member of the team. Alexis drives a Tequila Patrón-sponsored 2011 Toyota Camry.

Alexis had a successful career in the Top Alcohol Funny Car category where she co-owned and operated her team, and she was one of the few females ever to do so. She left the TAFC category holding the title of Top Female Top Alcohol Funny Car Racer and the 2011 NHRA Northwest Nationals TAFC event champion. Alexis made racing history when she competed in the first ever 'woman vs. woman' race in her class in 2010, and she is the 2nd woman ever to win a TAFC race. She is currently the female world record holder for the fastest and quickest TAFC speeds. Alexis is also well-known for her infamous 2009 Englishtown, NJ crash.

Alexis, who had all the opportunity in the would to pursue any type of career, felt strongly about following her passion. She is proud to encourage and inspire young women to go after their dreams. Alexis' need for adrenaline drove her to pursue the unlikely profession of auto-racing. The determination to 'blaze her own trail' continues to drive her and push her to higher levels in the dangerous, male dominated sport of drag racing.

About Kalitta Motorsports

Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie "the Bounty Hunter" Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different profession drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.

2012 TAN T-Shirts

The time has come to start planning our new t-shirts for next year. This post is just to generate interest and get a feel for how many shirts we'll need to order and in what sizes. We're still working on the design; it will be posted upon completion.

If you're interested in purchasing a t-shirt, please send an email to us at (topalcoholnews at gmail dot com) with your shirt size and how many you would like. Once again, this isn't a final order form, just a "census" so we have an idea of what to order. The shirts will be black short sleeve with white or lime green lettering on both sides. We don't have a price yet, but an estimation based on prior shirts is about $12 per shirt, regardless of size. If a few companies or individuals step up to sponsor the shirt, the price will be even lower.

For the low price of $25, you can sponsor the 2012 Top Alcohol News shirts. Your company or race team's logo and website will be included on the back of the shirt, in an area roughly 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches. This is a great way to show your company's support for the Top Alcohol class. Contact us through the previously listed email address for further information.

Thank you for your continued support of Top Alcohol News!

The following companies or teams have stepped up to become sponsors:

Gutierrez Brothers Racing
John Halloran's Ballistic Motorsports
NVW Motorsports Promotion
JDP Motorsports
Kon Rodz Racing/SK Racing
SK Design
Shields Racing/Shortline Express

Permatex/Follow A Dream Team Eyes Top Five Heading into Reynolds

Courtesy of Jay Blake

Marstons Mills, MA -- October 12, 2011- Racing to get back in the top five in national standings, Jay Blake's Permatex/Follow A Dream crew heads to tiny Reynolds, Georgia, for the team's final race of the year, the Lucas Oil Series event at Silver Dollar Raceway. It'll be the first start ever at the Division 2 track for the team and driver Todd Veney.

"We're all looking forward to it," said Veney, currently ninth in the NHRA national Top Alcohol Funny Car rankings. "Sometimes, that last race can be good to you. We've won a couple of them, including last year at Atco, and the way the car was running at Maple Grove, I think we're ready to race anywhere,"

With a career-best 5.54 and two 5.56s, the team reached the semifinals two weeks ago at the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. "It was great to be back in the late rounds," Blake said. "We want to make sure we finish in the top 10 in the country again, and maybe even get back in the top five,"

Qualifying sessions are scheduled for 12:15 and 3 p.m. Saturday, and eliminations kick off that night at 6.

Booher Makes History in Converter-Equipped TAD

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

Champaign, Ill. – With all of the records that were broken and reset in the Pro categories this weekend, many failed to notice a milestone that was reached in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. Brandon Booher wheeled his Spitzer Race Cars-built blown alcohol dragster to a 5.39 pass in the second round of eliminations; the first converter-equipped car to run in the 5.30 range. The achievement was one that Brandon has been shooting for since last season.

“Finally! We’ve been working all year to get the car into the low 5.40 range, with the ultimate goal of running 5.399 or better. It was very exciting when I saw the 5.397 show up. I really thought that it didn’t run that well, as it broke a rocker towards the end of the run and I could see Duane (Shields) ahead of me at the finish line. The E.T. probably would’ve been a bit better if the rocker didn’t break,” claimed Booher.

Though the run didn’t result in a round win, the Illinois native still accomplished one of his goals for the weekend.

“After going from possible alternate to #10 qualifier during the third qualifying session, my goal was to make it to the semi-finals. We wanted to make it at least that far so I could hopefully finish in the Top 10 in national points. I got past Dan Page in round one, but ultimately fell to Duane Shields in the second round. But like I told the team, if I saw a 5.399 or better on the scoreboard, I would be fine with the win light being in the other lane,” Brandon said.

Brandon and the AB Construction Top Alcohol Dragster team have one divisional race left, unless a sponsor is willing to step up.

“If we find a sponsor or two soon, I would be more than willing to travel out west for the final races of the season; Las Vegas divisional, Las Vegas national event, and Pomona national event. We just don’t have the budget to do it on our own, as we fund the whole operation by ourselves. The car is an excellent tool for advertising, we just have to find a dedicated marketing partner that wants to take advantage of it,” added Booher. “As of right now, the Reynolds, Georgia Division 2 race is our next and final race for 2011,”

Brandon is appreciative of those who helped him reach his goal of running in the 5.30 range.

“My crew at Reading consisted of my dad, Aaron, as well as Pete, Drew, and Nate. They work to get the car turned around between rounds while I go over the run data. Also, there are a lot of companies that help us with parts; Goodson Tools, Victory Valves, Coan, Lenco, Total Flow Cylinder Heads, Spitzer Race Cars, Ken at Motorsports Unlimited, and Brad Anderson,” praised the former Pro Top Outlaw champion.

To follow Brandon Booher and the AB Construction team, visit them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/booherracing) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/booherracing). For results and press releases, check out www.dragracecentral.com and http://www.topalcoholnews.com/.

About Booher Racing-The NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team led by Brandon and Aaron Booher competes at national events across the United States, all of which are televised nationally on ESPN2. To become a sponsor with Booher Racing, contact NVW Motorsports Promotion (www.nitronate.com).

Kosky Earns Reading Win, Manzo Takes the Event Win and Locks 2011 Championship

Division 1 Top Alcohol legends Mike Kosky and Frank Manzo ended up on top after a rain-delayed final round at Maple Grove Raceway. Kosky's win was his first at the Pennsylvania track since 1999, while Manzo has won this event every year since 1999, aside from John Bojec winning it last year.

Mike Kosky's path to the Winner's Circle was rather unusual. His first round opponent, Tom Pickett, couldn't get the car into reverse, letting Kosky motor down the 1320 for the round win. Second round opponent Robin Samsel had to get back to Indiana for work before the delayed second round, so Mike got a bye run into the semi finals. Kosky ran 5.33 in the semifinals, against a tire-smoking Duane Shields. In the finals, Kosky would meet up with west coast competitor Joey Severance, who defeated Jared Dreher, John Finke, and Bill Reichert on his way to the money round. Severance's .017 light was enough to give him the holeshot over Kosky's .052, but Mike ran him down, 5.28 to Joey's 5.32.

Frank Manzo is perhaps the most storied racer at the Auto Plus Nationals (formerly Keystone Nationals), having competed at all 27. He continued his winning ways at the cool eastern Pennsylvania track, starting off with a tire smoking battle against Wayne Morris, which "Uncle Frank" won. He then moved on to Round 2, where he got the win when Lou Sgro left the starting line too early. Todd Veney was the next driver to fall victim to The Ace, with Frank's stellar 5.411 topping Veney's tire shaking 11.53. Division 3 standout Andy Bohl would run for the money against Frank, after previous round wins over Dan Roman, D.J. Cox, and John Anderika. Andy would be denied his first national event win, as Manzo backed up his world record pass with another 5.41 rip down the track, over Bohl's still competitve 5.52.

When he defeated Todd Veney in the semi-finals, Frank Manzo locked up the 2011 TAFC National championship. This is the 15th time that Frank will finish in the #1 spot, meaning he'll be tied with John Force for the most NHRA championships. So when The Ace pulls through the waterbox for the first time in 2012, you can bet that (#1 TAFC) will be on the side of his Al-Anabi flopper.

TAD pilot Brandon Booher continued his record-breaking season with his family-owned blown alcohol dragster. His 5.39 pass against Duane Shields in the quarterfinals made him the first driver with a converter-driven race car to break the 5.3x range. Booher's pass reset the record that he already had from Indy, a run where Duane was also in the other lane. Running in the 5.3x range has been a goal of Brandon's since the beginning of last season. Congratulations to Brandon and his dad Aaron on their record-breaking performance!

Blake Alexander Qualifies in Pro Debut

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

MOHNTON, Pa – Blake Alexander can now say that he has done what very few people before him have done; he made the field in his NHRA Fuel Funny Car debut. Driving the Auto Plus-backed car owned and tuned by Paul Smith, Alexander ran 4.18 and 4.19 in qualifying, runs good enough to put him in the 14^th spot heading into eliminations at the Auto Plus Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

“It was great to see the result of all of my hard work. When the crew told me that I was locked in to the field, that’s when I realized that I’m a Funny Car driver, not just a kid with money and a funny car license,” said Alexander. 

Though he lost in a tire-smoking battle against Matt Hagan in round one of eliminations, the 23 year-old student is happy with his debut performance.

This past weekend’s race was Blake’s first and last Funny Car appearance of 2011, but it wasn’t his last appearance on track for the year.

“In a couple weeks I’ll head out to Las Vegas for the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals to race in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. I’ll be back behind the wheel of Larry Miersch’s A/Fuel Dragster, which receives primary backing from Exide Technologies. After that, I’ll stay in Vegas for the SEMA show, where I’ll meet with my marketing partners to discuss next year’s plans,” noted the former Jr. Dragster driver.

Blake is quick to note that his progressing career in drag racing wouldn’t be possible without the help of his sponsors.

“I want to thank all of the people at Uni-Select Auto Plus for giving me the opportunity to do this. Exide has also been instrumental in moving me up, along with Gates and Tenneco. They’ve been long time supporters of my career. I’d like to congratulate Gates Belts and Hose on their 100^th Anniversary, which is today (October 5, 2011). To last that long is truly impressive,” Blake said.

The next race for Blake Alexander is the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals, October 27^th-30^th at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Blake will be piloting Larry Miersch’s Exide-backed A/Fuel Dragster in the ultra-competitive Top Alcohol Dragster class.

Follow along with Blake Alexander Racing on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AFMRacing) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/afmracing).

Blake Alexander partners with the following high-quality companies: Auto Plus Parts Stores, Exide Batteries, Standard Motor Products, Gates Belts and Hoses, Wix Filters, Valvoline, Monroe Shocks, Thrush Exhaust, Rancho Lifts, and Pro Jack Race Car Stands. 

Permatex/Follow a Dream Team Back On Track With Semifinal Finish

Courtesy of Jay Blake

Marstons Mills, MA – October 5, 2011-With a career-best performance, Jay Blake's Permatex/Follow A Dream team reached the Top Alcohol Funny Car semifinals in its first national event appearance since the Chicago event in July. At the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, driver Todd Veney made three consecutive runs in the 5.50s, including a career-best 5.548, and advanced to the semifinals, where he fell to Frank Manzo, who clinched the national championship with a world-record run.

"We've got our race car back," Blake said. "The car made a solid run right out of the box, and it just got better from there."

Veney ran a 5.68 off the trailer, followed by a 5.66 and, in the final qualifying session, a 5.56 at 260 mph, the team's best run since the Charlotte event in April. In the first round, Veney recorded a 5.548, bettering the 5.549 the team ran in the same round of the same race last year, in a win over Division 1 rival Eric Lourie.

A 5.56 in the quarterfinals took care of veteran Dan Pomponio, setting up a match with Manzo, who needed to win that round to clinch his record 15th championship. Veney lost traction not far off the line and Manzo advanced with a 5.411.

"It was great to be back in the 5.50s again," Veney said. "So many little things have bitten us in the last few races, but no one on this team ever doubted that we'd be back, and now we are."

Television coverage of the event will be on ESPN2 Sunday, Oct. 9 at 3 p.m.

The team's final race of the season will be at the Division 2 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, Ga., Oct. 15-16. Veney remains ninth in the national standings, but is just two rounds out of the top five.