One of the true good guys in the sport of professional drag racing has inked a multi-year deal to keep himself out on the road and chugging nitro for seasons to come. Scott Palmer Racing announced the signing of a contract extension with Cat Spot car litter for the 2018 season and beyond. Additionally, Dominic Lagana will fly the Cat Spot colors for 6-10 races as well. This is huge news on multiple levels. Firstly, we’re of the opinion that Palmer may be one of the greatest modern day nitro hero stories going. The guy has clawed his way to where he is and was a top 10 finisher in the 2017 Mello Yello points. It is kind of amazing and awesome. We mentioned how The Whack Is Back and that simply means that Palmer will be giving the throttle his signature whack in the pits when warming the car. He is the last man standing to do it and the fans go ape every time it happens.
The Lagana addition is awesome and while we do not know what the number of races hinges on, the more anyone sees Dominic, the better. He and his brother Bobby are, like Palmer two men who truly bleed and love the sport of drag racing. They were raised in it, lived it on levels few of us could ever understand, and came out the other side as smart, scrappy, and hard ass racers. Oh, they also came out as awesome people.
Other big news yesterday included the announcement that Ritchie Crampton will run the entire 2018 season with Kalitta Motorsports in a top fuel car. This is cool because Ritchie is again, an awesome guy and a hardcore member of the sport. He works for Morgan Lucas Racing as a chassis fabricator and he has run drag week, competing in the 1957 Chevy wagon that he built with his own two hands.
These announcements, combined with the full time addition of Mike Salinas to the tour, a second top fuel car from John Force Racing, a potential fourth DSR top fuel car, and other positive news points to a good direction for nitro racing in 2018. There’s a better than average chance that the NHRA will have at lest 16 full time nitro teams in the top fuel ranks. Adding in regional and semi-regular competitors, fields should be interesting next season! The race to make the top 10 will be pressure filled right from the first hit in Pomona come February.
Here’s the announcement from Scott Palmer Racing – Click to enlarge!
Good for these guys. It is nice to see a non automotive manufacturer helping out in the sport. Given how expensive it is to run a race car, it is good to hear that there will be more fuel cars out next year.
who ?
You don’t follow the TV coverage very closely, eh?
CatSpot Kitty Litter,, not Car Spot…….Not only is the throttle whack back, Scott never let it die.
Scott is a genuine grass roots, salt of the earth racer. Where he’s at today he totally earned and worked his way there. He races for the pure love of the sport.
He always has fun, and always tries to ensure everybody around him has fun.
He has not changed for the nearly 30 years I’ve known him. The team are a great bunch of guys too. Go Homeboy!