The Agent hears that retired Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson will be moving into the expanded Factory Stock class next season. There are seven NHRA national events that will run the Factory Stock Showdown.

Other pro drivers who have already driven in some of the FS events include Erica Enders (shown), Bo Butner and Leah Pritchett. Other drivers reportedly are planning on driving the COPO Camaro, Ford Cobra Jet and Dodge Challenger Drag Pak cars.

Butner, Enders and Johnson will have engines by Elite Motorsports.

The Agent is happy to see the class expand and hopes it stays with cars that the general public can more easily identify as “stock.” A real rivalry between the auto makers would bring a lot of excitement and fan interest to the class. (Ron Lewis photo)  [12/05/17]

Carl Tasca at this year’s U.S. Nationals against David Barton. The Tasca family has had a Ford dealership for many years.  (Chris Haverly photo)

If you’re a fan of the Cobra Jet, put the weekend of Aug. 23-26 on your calendar. The NMCA will host the 50th Anniversary Cobra Jet Reunion presented by TascaParts on Aug. 23-26 at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH.  [12/05/17]

Justin Lamb receives two trophies.  (Bob Johnson photo)

Justin Lamb began the 2017 season with hopes of winning a second NHRA Super Stock national championship in his trusty Silverstate Plumbing Cobalt. He also planned to make a mid-season debut in his new Redback Boots ’17 COPO Camaro in Stock. By the time all the points were counted at the end of the season, Lamb earned the NHRA Lucas Oil Series national championships and Division 7 titles in Super Stock and Stock. Teammate Kyle Seipel also scored a Top-10 finish in NHRA Top Dragster national standings.

In Super Stock, Lamb appeared in three national-event final rounds, winning his first Wally of the season at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona. He won all three of his final-round appearances on the divisional level, including a double-up at Woodburn. Lamb raced to two Stock runner-up finishes in national-event competition, finally scoring the new Camaro’s first big Wally at the NHRA Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas. His divisional scorecard in Stock was highlighted by the Super Stock/Stock double-up at Woodburn.

Lamb is now a two-time world champion in Super Stock and Stock. He previously won the Stock championship in 2013 and the Super Stock championship in 2015.

“It's hard to say what's next after this,” Lamb admitted. “I guess I don't picture ever having a year like this again – it's almost unbelievable – but that's the same thing we said in 2015 when I won the world, Kyle [teammate Seipel] finished Top 10 in Top Dragster, we both won a bunch of races – it was a great season. We all thought it would be hard to top, and here we are two years later and we absolutely topped it.”

In addition to his four championship honors, Lamb was selected as the Driver of the Year at the NHRA Division 7 Celebration of Champions at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Kyle Seipel (near lane) and Grant Durie. (Tim Marshall photo)

Seipel, Lamb’s teammate and co-tuner, also enjoyed a rewarding 2017 season that saw him score a pair of runner-up finishes on both the national-event and Division 7 levels. Seipel and the Palmer Electric Top Dragster finished the season ranked seventh in national points and third in the Division 7 standings.

Seipel was recently named the new Drag Racing Manager at Sonoma Raceway. The position was previously held by Seipel’s mother, Georgia, who’s worked at the northern California facility since 1988. Seipel will juggle his new duties along with co-promoting a series of big-money bracket races – the Spring Fling Million in Las Vegas, the Spring Fling in Benson, NC, and the Fall Fling in Bristol, TN – and racing a redesigned schedule with Lamb Motorsports in 2018.  [12/05/17]