ALAN BRADSHAW AND TUTTLE MOTORSPORTS PART WAYS
After ten races of NHRA Top Fuel competition under the Tuttle Motorsports / Vis Viva banner, former Lucas Oil champion Alan Bradshaw and team owner Dexter Tuttle have decided to part ways, citing "chemistry" issues with Bradshaw and car chief, Tony Shortall.
"I really felt like we had huge potential with Dexter's race program and past successes, but unfortunately it just didn't work out for either one of us," Bradshaw said. "Dexter and Tony had a different view point with regard to safetyequipment than I did. I want to be perfectly clear on this point: I am not saying the car was unsafe in any way. They met all of the minimum requirements as required by NHRA.”
During Sunday eliminations at the Joliet NHRA event Bradshaw went out in the first round to Morgan Lucas.
The Agent hears that a recent former NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champ may be at the top of the list as a replacement to be in the seat by the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Englishtown. (Darr Hawthorne photo) [6/10/2008]
TWO SPORTSMAN RACERS CASH-IN BIG WITH JEGS 'DOUBLE-UP' BONUS
Super Comp racer Ron Erks and Super Stock driver Anthony Bertozzi enjoyed landmark weekends in Joliet with both men scoring wins in the 24th annual JEGS Allstars event Saturday and the Route 66 NHRA Nationals on Sunday. The exceptional feat was rewarded with a "Double-up" bonus from JEGS High Performance that pushes their weekend winnings to impressive levels.
Racing against seven of the best Super Comp racers in the country, Erks survived three tough rounds in the Allstars event, beating Sherman Adcock Jr. in the final on a double-breakout race that favored the Division 3 star and defending event winner. The victory was worth $4,500 for the racer from Clinton, Ohio.
On Sunday, Erks fought through seven rounds of eliminations to win his second race of in as many days after Joe Serena fouled-out by -.003 seconds in the trophy round. The JEGS "Double-up" bonus kicked in at that point and, combined with the $1,800 he won Sunday, Erks pocketed a total of $10,800 this weekend plus contingency postings.
It was a similar story for Super Stock world champion Bertozzi, who first claimed the $6,000 top prize for his class in the JEGS Allstars race when he eliminated fellow world champion Michael Iacono in the final round when Iacono broke out by -.003 seconds.
Bertozzi's $6,000 top prize was then matched by JEGS when he clinched Sunday's race title with a final-round victory over Darren Smith, who also broke out. All told, Bertozzi claimed $14,500 in winnings plus additional contingency postings.
For complete coverage of the JEGS Allstar event see our Race Coverage. (Ron Lewis photos) [6/10/2008]
NOWLING, CORZINE TO BE ON TEXAS SPORTS TALK SHOW SUNDAY
Kenny Nowling, ADRL president, and Bubba Corzine, VP of Competition, will be talking on the Racing Sports Live radio show Sunday, June 15. Also on the show will be Thomas Myers, the 2007 Texas Outlaw Pro Mod champion. Catch them online at 10:00 a.m. (Central) at www.racingsportslive.com or www.live1053.com or call in to the talk show on Texas station 105.3 FM at 214-787-1053. And then take your dad to lunch – it’s Father’s Day, ya know. (You have bought him a present, haven’t you?) [6/10/2008]
NICHOLSON AND ROEDER BUILDING AN ARK
To say that it’s been raining in the Midwest this spring is an understatement. On Sunday, editor Jeff Burk had to detour around parts of three closed Interstates on his drive from the Goodguys race at Indianapolis back to DRO headquarters just west of St. Louis.
Word comes today from Iowa contributors Jok Nicholson and Jay Roeder that they have been filling sandbags and watching the water edge ever closer to their homes and (more important) race shops. Both have moved their race cars to safety, but the water is still rising. Nicholson has managed to write his column, but we’ll have to wait on his tech story and Roeder’s Project Muscrate update until the water goes down. Hang it there, guys! How about some drag boat racing? [6/10/2008]