Free Republic

Leader of New Congress Promises to Preserve, Build Affordable HousingPublished: November 06, 2008 By Anuradha Kher, Online News Editor Boston--U.S. Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, recently laid out affordable housing legislative priorities for the 111th Congress during the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NH&RA) Fall Developers Forum held recently in Boston. Representative Frank emphasized that an affordable housing preservation bill will be a top priority when the Congress convenes in January. Congressman Frank delivered his remarks after accepting NH&RA’s 2008 Affordable Housing Vision Award. “We are certainly happy that the chairman of the House...

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. -- He was strong and determined, wearing a name that exemplified the tough and unforgiving attitude drag racing demands from its winners. Scott Kalitta lost his life in a top-end accident at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park while driving his DHL-sponsored nitro Funny Car on Saturday. The violence of the crash and the stultifying devastation that ended his life at 46 years of age was a sobering shock to the drag-racing world at a time when much is being made about the safety advances that have recently enhanced the level of protection Funny Car drivers can count on....

Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta was killed today in a fiery crash during a drag race at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, race officials said. Kalitta, 46, was pronounced dead at Old Bridge Township Hospital after his car lost control during the fourth and final round of qualifying at the National Hot Rod Association Super Nationals, according to statement by the association.

CHARLOTTE -- Lowe's Motor Speedway and its multi-million dollar NASCAR events could soon drive away from Concord or even the entire Charlotte region. That’s if speedway owner Bruton Smith sticks by his words. Smith is threatening Concord leaders that he will pursue plans to annex LMS out of city limits. He could also pack up shop and move the speedway elsewhere. Smith is fuming over the Concord City Council’s decision to halt construction on land for a drag strip. Speaking with News 14 Carolina, Smith said, "Maybe the mayor and Council don't like racing anymore. I have people right now...

2nd Annual NHRA Torco Racing Fuels NationalsVirginia Motorsports Park – Richmond, Virginia October 5 - 7, 2007 NHRA.com's Torco Racing Fuels Nationals homepage      The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series returned to Virginia last year with a race that shattered Pro performance barriers, especially in Pro Stock with Jason Line setting the National record that helped him capture the World Championship. This is the last 2007 “Countdown to 4 Championship” race. After this Sunday’s final elimination rounds the field of eight drivers eligible for the championship in each category - Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock - is...

Wally Parks, the driving force behind the National Hot Rod Association, died Sept. 28 at the age of 94."An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in a collection of essays 166 years ago. He could have been talking about the NHRA. Emerson's quote was stitched on a quilt presented to Parks by Louise McClelland, wife of longtime NHRA announcer Dave McClelland, at Park’s 90th birthday party four years ago. Parks' shadow stretched much taller than his six-foot four-inch frame across drag racing, lakes racing, automotive publishing and the aftermarket speed parts industry. Parks was...

Drag racing's biggest star, 14-time champion John Force, was alert and conscious after suffering two broken legs and an injured arm in a nasty top-end collision Sunday with fellow straight-line legend Kenny Bernstein in the second round of eliminations at the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex outside of Dallas. Force has been airlifted to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas for further treatment. Their Funny Cars got together just as they crossed the finish line after Bernstein clipped the final timing cone. The numbers, although unofficial, showed Force crossing with a 4.863 at 315.34 mph to Bernstein's 4.904...

Send me a Freep if you would like to start an NHRA ping list. (also some one needs to tell me how to build one)

Back-to-back Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher posted a 4.476-second pass at 331.53 mph Friday night to highlight a record-setting opening day of Pro qualifying at the 42nd annual Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals presented by Summit Racing. Seven of eight National Trail Raceway records fell by the wayside in the opening two sessions of the $1.5 million race, the eighth of 23 on the POWERade tour. The elapsed times of Funny Car's Robert Hight (4.715), Pro Stock's Dave Connolly (6.693), and Pro Stock Motorcycle's Andrew Hines (7.038) placed them atop their respective fields, although they had to share the spotlight with...

COMMERCE, Ga. (Army News Service, May 8, 2006) – The Army-sponsored Youth and Education Services Program left its mark on busloads of young adults at the National Hot Rod Association Drag Racing Championship in Commerce, Ga., May 5. Created in 1989, YES uses drag racing to focus youth on education, the importance of setting goals and the realization of career opportunities. Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Henderson, noncommissioned officer in charge of the U.S. Army Drag Racing Program, Accession Support Brigade, Mission Support Battalion, said he feels that programs like YES are very important to the Army and to growing youth....

This is a new track record, just a shade off the current national record of 4.66 333.58, also held by Force "Living legend John Force celebrated his 57th birthday with a No. 1 qualifying effort at the 26th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. Force (pictured) used a track-record 4.686 at 329.58 mph to make himself the early favorite at a race he's won seven times in the past. Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) joined Force on the low qualifier's podium." snip Look at all the people who qualified in...

Top fuel driver Cory McClenathan talks about how he cheated death and survived a fiery crash (May 2) Crash video

BRISTOL – Cory McClenathan cheated death Friday night during the second round of Top Fuel qualifying for the NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals when he walked away from what looked like a devastating crash. Near the end of his run at more than 330 mph McClenathan’s dragster snapped in two right behind the cockpit, went up the air, erupted into a fireball and slammed into the retaining wall. Amazingly and in a testament to the engineering put into an NHRA dragster, McClenathan climbed from the smoldering pile of wreckage himself and was talking to track safety officials before all the...

Drag racer, son die in accident at Tulsa Raceway Park Canadian Press Sunday, April 03, 2005 TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A top female drag racer and her son were killed when her car went out of control and struck a support vehicle at Tulsa Raceway Park, police said Sunday. Michelle (Shelly) Howard, 59, and Brian Howard, 36, were pronounced dead following the Saturday night accident, Sgt. Tim Bracken said. "When she started off, she lost control of the vehicle and somehow it went airborne, spun itself around and raced back up the speedway," Bracken said. Her car then hit the...

Operation Interdependence is sponsoring a 'support the troops' event during the NHRA race on April 8-10 -- Ron Chaffee wants to have his OI funny car here (spring/houston) and we (OI spring shipping center) will be getting it together--Who would like to help us? judy hile,OI area manager jhile@oidelivers.org

MADISON, Ill. -- Drag racer Darrell Russell died Sunday after his car broke up while traveling about 300 mph and burst into flames during a Top Fuel race at Gateway International Raceway. Russell had crossed the finish line on the quarter-mile strip and deployed his parachute when his dragster came apart in the second round of eliminations at the Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals. The car rolled to a halt near a guard wall and the fire was quickly put out. The 35-year-old from Hockley, Texas, was unconscious when he was cut from the wreckage, immobilized with a brace and placed...

MADISON, Ill. - National Hot Rod Association drag racer Darrell Russell died Sunday night from injuries suffered in a violent crash during the Sears Craftsman Nationals at Gateway International Raceway. Russell, a 35-year-old native of Hockley, Texas, had just lost to Scott Kalitta in the second round of eliminations when his Top Fuel dragster crashed while running about 300 mph at the end of the quarter-mile strip at Gateway International Raceway. The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. Central time. Just less than two hours later Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president of racing operations, announced to the media that Russell...