After snow at Santa Pod during the Easter Thunderball, the Springspeed Festival at Shakespeare County Raceway took place at a critical point in the early season for those chasing championships. But, once again the British weather failed to play the game, with rain wiping out half of the three-day event, restricting competition to a single day of qualifications (terminated early when an errant Pro Mod demolished the Christmas tree) and a partially completed eliminations series (terminated by the curfew in place at the track). Here is Chris Hartnell in the Backdraft slingshot, part of the Wild Bunch. We'll have complete results and plenty of photos on Monday from our European correspondents Ivan Sansom and Rose Hughes. [5/9/2008]

The World Footbrake Challenge presented by Jeg's and Bill Taylor Engineering, which last year drew nearly 300 competitors, will be held May 23-25 at Bristol Dragway. The Saturday champion will win $50,000 with a total purse of over $125,000 and several prizes recently added.

Prizes in the first five rounds of competition each day will be awarded by Mickey Thompson Tire, CSR Performance Products, B&M Performance, Goodyear Tires, and Nitrous Express.

In addition, Jeg's will sponsor a "Duck" Race open only to entrants who fail to win a round all weekend. All will then compete against each other in a shootout and the winner will get a free entry to next year's World Footbrake Challenge. Huntsville Engine and Performance will give the "Safety Safari" award to the first competitor to cause a lengthy track cleanup due to an engine malfunction. (The Agent isn't sure how happy the track will be on this one.) For more details go to www.worldfootbrakechallenge.com. [5/8/2008]

According to a one of the Agent's very reliable sources, who asked not to be quoted due to legal issues, the nitro crisis is imminent because the "official" suppliers (like everyone else) get their 100% drums of nitro in 80 drum containers from Wego in China. But the fly in the ointment is that the Chinese reportedly are going to close down the factories that make nitro and stop shipping it during the months before and during the upcoming Olympics.

So the question then becomes, if the official supplier's pipeline dries up, where do they get nitro? The answer is simple. They have to buy it from sources that have already bought and stockpiled product from China or a source in the U.S., Dow Chemical. If that scenario happens, look for the price of nitro, if you can find it, to rise to the $30-40 a gallon price of the bad old days when a drum cost $1,500.

Of course it could always just be another rumor, but the Agent has heard from enough racers, owners, and investors to at least be a little concerned. Hopefully, all of the series "official" suppliers have a Plan B to get nitro this summer!