We’re winding down for the Thanksgiving holiday here at the Phlegm Building, but want to give you something extra to look at before we start brining that turkey. We’ll be back on Monday.

Photographers Joel Gelfand and his son Wes were at the In-N-Out Burger/Hot Rod 70th Anniversary event last weekend at the Pomona, CA, track. Reports were that there was almost non-stop racing all day along with a large crowd on hand. (Maybe even larger than at the NHRA Finals on Friday or Saturday?)

Enjoy! And thanks for coming out of retirement, Joel, for this special assignment.   [11/20/18]

The Agent was reading Sunday’s New York Times, when a front-page story caught his eye. With disasters coming thick and fast these days, it’s easy to forget that each one takes its victims weeks or months or longer to recover. The recent Camp and Paradise wildfires in California have been devastating, but a year ago there was another fire that still has lasting effects.

Last year the Thomas Fire destroyed many homes and businesses in the town of Ojai, CA, location of Titan Speed Engineering. As the Times article reported, owner Bob Sanders and his wife, Heather, are still living in a trailer on their property while waiting for government approval to rebuild their home.

The Agent hopes that we will all be thankful for what we have and remember that behind the ‘big’ stories are people just like ourselves who have to continue to deal with the aftermath long after the TV camera crews have moved on.

And just a reminder that the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF) is accepting applications for help from aftermarket families affected by the California fires. Aftermarket families in need are asked to complete the simple application on the AACF website. For those wanting to contribute, donations can be made online or by calling 772-286-5500. [11/20/18]

Street-legal sanctioning bodies NMRA and NMCA will bring their own in-house safety team to the drag strip next season. TNT Rescue has been named the Official Safety Equipment of NMRA/NMCA.

The NMRA/NMCA Safety truck – a Ford F-350 Super Duty – is equipped with an extensive amount of gear for motorsport-specific fire and rescue operations. The trained safety crew will utilize TNT Recuse hydraulic tools -- a cutter, a ram, and a spreader that are powered by a TNT power unit along with a battery-operated combi tool. The safety company also outfitted the Safety Truck with an assortment of other products and tools. Additionally, the truck is equipped with fire suppression tank, hose and reel from Total Venue Concepts, designed for motorsport use by Rollie Miller, National Event Director and General Manager of ProMedia Events and Publishing, parent company of the series.

The NMRA/NMCA Safety truck will be ready for action beginning with the season openers at Bradenton Motorsports Park. The Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout is Feb. 28-Mar. 3 and the following weekend, March 7-10 is the NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem season opener.   [11/20/18]

Atlantic Oils will be the naming rights partner of the East Coast Thunder event to be held next year at Sydney Dragway.

For seven years Atlantic Oils has been an associate sponsor of the multi-car Top Fuel team of Rapisarda Autosport International and the JSS Racing Pro Slammer team of Sam Fenech, among others.

“We have been impressed with the growth of Sydney Dragway and the 400 Thunder Series over the past few seasons,” Atlantic Oils Managing Director Steve Kalamvokis said. “Being involved at a team level with the Rapisarda family and others has shown us just how exciting Drag Racing can be, and we can’t wait to showcase it on a massive scale to our customers, distributors and employees at the Atlantic Oils East Coast Thunder next season!”

The Atlantic Oils East Coast Thunder will be held the first weekend in November 2019. [11/20/18]

Strange Engineering  Chrome Moly Driveshafts orders with trans yoke are now available online. Strange driveshafts are constructed from seamless heat-treated chrome moly tubing. The optimized .083” wall thickness tubing is offered in both 3” and 3.5” Outer Diameter to suit various applications. Custom designed fixtures ensure the 1350 or 1480 series weld ends are properly phased to eliminate driveline vibrations.   [11/20/18]