Is there a slow-down in Top Fuel?  (Ron Lewis photo)

Word coming out of Southern California is that the defending Top Fuel champion, Steve Torrence, his father Billy, Mike Salinas and Scott Palmer will not be racing at this week’s NHRA season opener.

Seems that after the Countdown rule change announced by the NHRA, some of the teams were not happy with the fact that now almost every team will make the playoffs.

The Agent predicted that while more teams and their sponsors would now be in Countdown contention, the leaders would rather have fewer competitors.

Evidently, you just can’t please everybody at the same time.   [02/05/20]

Justin Lamb, a five-time NHRA world champion in the sportsman ranks, will start the 2020 season with a new look on his Silver State Plumbing Chevy Cobalt Super Stock entry. The new two-tone blue paint job is one of several changes in the Lamb Motorsports camp going into the new season.

“Shane Thompson and Brian Peterson have been longtime supporters of our racing,” Lamb said of the Silver State Plumbing owners. “This year we decided to get the car painted in the colors of Silver State Plumbing. Jerron Settles painted it, Teran Marsell at Team Acme laid down the graphics, and Logan Staab designed the new look. We’re really happy with it and can’t wait to hit the track.”

RAD Torque Systems will be primary sponsor on Lamb’s Cobalt in Super Stock and his COPO Camaro in Factory Stock. Liqui Moly is new to NHRA and produces motor and gear oils, fuel and oil additives and care products.

Lamb’s teammate to start the season at the Winternationals is Ryan Mangus, Lamb’s longtime friend and former Jr. Dragster competitor. Mangus has driven for Lamb Motorsports in the past, and he will take to the seat of the MadCap Racing Engines-powered, Redback Boots-backed ’19 Race Tech dragster in Super Comp at NHRA nationals and divisionals. The duo will be joined by longtime Lamb Motorsports driver Kyle Seipel once he recovers from his cancer battle.

According to Lamb, Seipel is eyeing a potential return to the seat in the summer. In the meantime, Seipel is working with co-promoter Peter Biondo to promote the Spring Fling line of big-money bracket races.

“His cancer is definitely getting better,” Lamb said. “It's way better than they anticipated as far as how the cancer is reacting to the chemo. He's doing great, he's super positive, but he's still thinking June or July before he wants to try racing again. He wants to get his immune system back up and mentally get prepared to drive again.”   [02/05/20]

Eight Heritage Series Nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters will join Nostalgia Funny Cars and throwback Pro Stockers for multiple exhibition sessions and a “Parade of Champions” at the season opening 60th NHRA Winternationals this weekend.  [02/05/20]

Nostalgia racer John Lawson’s race shop and nine vehicles inside, including three race cars, were destroyed on Monday night, Feb. 3.

It took Joliet, IL, firefighters 12 hours to put out the fire, but they kept it from spreading to the Lawson’s family home and a neighbor’s garage only three feet away. Adding to the urgency of the situation were about 300 gallons of nitromethane stored in the building.  [02/05/20]

Hagerty a membership, insurance and media organization, will be the presenting sponsor for the 2020-21 IHRA Sportsman Spectacular Series. In addition, Hagerty will be the official and exclusive car insurance provider for IHRA.  [02/05/20]

After a productive off-season, Lizzy Musi and the Musi Racing team didn’t waste any time showing the results, winning the first race of the 2020 season at the U.S. Street Nationals in Bradenton.

It was a wire-to-wire performance in the Frank Brandao-owned Edelbrock / Lucas Oil “King Kong 7” 2018 Dodge Dart, as Musi qualified No. 1 in Pro Mod and raced to the event victory in impressive fashion, going 3.651-seconds at 206.67 MPH in the final round.

Musi finished the 2019 PDRA Pro Nitrous campaign with a semifinal finish at Virginia, but the team noticed a glitch in the nitrous system at the finale. They found the issue over the winter and that work paid off immediately in Bradenton.

Next on her schedule are the No Prep Kings March 20 in Tuscon, AZ, with Musi campaigning the Edelbrock-equipped “Aftershock,” while the 2020 PDRA season kicks off on April 2-4 with the East Coast Nationals at GALOT Motorsports Park.  (Tony Morgan photo)   [02/05/20]

Mark Pawuk at the 2019 U.S. Nationals. (Chris Haverly photo)

In addition to her duties in the seat of the Don Schumacher Racing Top Fuel dragster, Leah Pritchett will be driving a fourth-generation Challenger Drag Pak in the Factory Stock Showdown this year. Mark Pawuk will also return to the class for the third year.

The Factory Stock Showdown will make its first NHRA tour appearance at the Gatornationals March 12-15.  [02/05/20]

In 2019 Tii Tharpe claimed the title for the second straight year.  (Ron Lewis photo)

The Mickey Thompson Tires Top Fuel Harley Drag Racing Series will be featured at 10 events during the 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series: Pomona, Feb. 6-9; Phoenix, Feb. 21-23; Charlotte 1, April 24-26; Topeka, June 12-14; Chicago, July 9-12; Brainerd, Aug. 13-16; Epping, Aug. 21-23; Indianapolis, Sept. 2-7; Reading, Sept. 17-20; and Dallas Oct. 15-18.

This marks the fourth year MT Tires has sponsored the series.    [02/05/20]

North Star Dragway in Denton, TX, is for sale. Owner Gene Nicodemus is seeking $5.9 million for the eighth-mile strip. The drag strip will continue operating as usual for this season.

The Central Illinois Dragway in Havana, IL, is also for sale. Price for the eighth-mile track located on 64 acres has been reduced to $650,000.   [02/05/20]