McMILLEN LEAVES TORCO RACE FUELS;
HAS TORCO LEFT THE BUILDING?

After a five year relationship, as of June 9, 2008, Terry McMillen and Torco Race Fuels will no longer maintain a relationship, McMillen announced.

"I wish Torco the best of luck in the future," McMillen said. "It was just time for everyone to make a change.”

The Hoosier Thunder Motorsports owner and driver added, “This will provide the perfect opportunity for us to concentrate on the Amalie Oil Top Fuel Dragster and the Amalie Oil InstiGator Funny Car."

The Agent has heard from multiple sources that there are serious problems with the Torco organization, including legal action taken against the company. Dealers reportedly are unable to get shipments of gas. Even competitionplus.com has “released” Torco from their sponsorship of the online magazine, which was scheduled to run through 2012.

The Agent has to wonder how long it will take for the Torco troubles to impact IHRA and especially its Nitro Funny Car class, which was subsidized by Torco’s Evan Knoll. And where is Mr. Knoll?   (Ron Lewis photo) [6/10/2008]

CASTELLANA, JENKINS TEAM WITH QATAR RACING GROUP

AWESOME Motorsports partners Mike Castellana and Shannon Jenkins have announced an alliance with Al Anabi Racing, one of the leading drag racing teams in the nation of Qatar, an Arab emirate in Southwest Asia to form AWESOME Al Anabi.

This new partnership is the product of a relationship that started in the fall of 2007 through the purchase of two nitrous Pro Mods by Al Anabi Racing, Castellana and Jenkins’ Haas-built 2007 Ford Mustang and 2007 Pontiac GTO. It has grown from a business transaction to a racing collaboration after both of the veteran racers were employed to drive and tune the rapidly expanding stable of Al Anabi race cars. 

AWESOME Al Anabi will collaborate on the development of a supercharged Pro Modified program for competition in the NHRA JEGS ProMod Challenge, utilizing a 1957 Chevy Bel Air built by Tim McAmis (formerly owned by Glen Kerunsky) tuned by Howard Moon and driven by Von Smith.

Coming on the heels of Rickie Smith’s announcement, this could mean a definite change in the face of Pro Modified racing. [6/10/2008]