Ashley Force Hood is knocked up again, ADRL is sold, XDRL is going after them with the old ADRL management staff, Moran has an all billet engine that makes 4400 horsepower with turbos, Mello Yello is the new NHRA sponsor, Duquoin is bringing back the Street Machine Nationals for 2013, and we’ve still got almost a month before we even get to next year!
Surprised that Ashley Force Hood is knocked up again? Don’t be. You must not have been listening to me. The moment that she got married I said that she wouldn’t race another season, and I was right. She went straight into Mommy mode, which there is nothing wrong with, and announced she wouldn’t be racing back in January of 2011. This week her sister, 2012 NHRA Rookie of the Year Courtney Force, announced that Ashley was once again expecting. Ashley, who is now the President of John Force Entertainment, may never get behind the wheel of a nitro burner again. Or maybe she will. Who knows. Maybe the kids get old enough not to need mommy carrying them around, and she steps back into the seat. It’s not like she won’t always have that option. My two cents: Mike “Zippy” Neff has done a stellar job behind the wheel of the John Force Racing Funny Car and should keep doing what he’s doing. Ashley can come back when John retires. Which probably won’t be as soon as a lot of guys would like.
Kenny Nowling buys back the ADRL. Yep, after being gone for a couple years following his sale of the ADRL, Kenny Nowling has bought back the name, website, and brand for a six figure sum. And during the press conference at the 2012 PRI show, he said that no amount of money will ever make him sell again because he can’t stand being away from drag racing again. He wouldn’t comment on it specifically, although he did tell everyone in attendance never to sign a non-compete agreement, but it’s been pretty common knowledge that his non-compete agreement from the original sale of the ADRL precluded him from attending races, organizing races, or working at races. That had to suck. I would have been the guy fighting that tooth and nail, but I guess it’s a mute point now anyway. Will Kenny be successful? We think so. He’s bringing back free entry by paying to park by the carload just like the old days, but racing will be on Saturday and Sunday rather than Friday and Saturday. No Extreme 10.5 will be contested in 2013, because Kenny believes that the screw blowers being allowed have ruined the class. He did say that Pro Mod will be full NHRA legal rules, but made no other rules announcements at this time. Look for more info as we get it.
Former ADRL management starts XDRL to go head to head with Knowling. Apparently Kenny didn’t require them to sign the same bullshit non-compete he had to fill out when he sold the ADRL to them a few years ago, because the ADRL management is now starting their own XDRL series. We don’t have much info except that they are supposed to run 10 races in 2013. We are not sure on classes or specifics yet, but we do know that this will probably be the biggest sanctioning body rivalry since the old AHRA vs NHRA and NHRA vs IHRA battles back in the day. Will it get ugly? Will ADRL let XDRL competitors run? Will XDRL let ADRL racers run? Our guess is yes because they will both want the car counts, but it will be interesting to see how all this pans out. Maybe we should do an XDRL vs ADRL UFC type of fight at one event! We’ll sponsor it! We can call it the BangShift Brawl.
Moran throws down the gauntlet of big boy turbo power. For the last year or so Turbo Pro Mod guys have been willing to say that their combos make 2500-3000 horsepower. But Mike Moran, turbo Pro Mod pioneer, has now thrown it all out there with a new All Billet Moran Racing Engines hemi that is designed and built specifically with big boost turbo combos in mind. Capable of anything from 500-800 cubic inches and beyond, this bad boy is one helluva hunk of billet. Being as Moran’s crew started from scratch on this one, the thing is built for the ultimate in serviceability, and is capable of upwards of 10,000 rpm in 785 cubic inch trim. YES PLEASE!!! Santa, I’ve been a good boy. Please put one of Moran’s big ass engines in my stocking. Please please please.
There are a couple of Moran’s engines already out there running, and we’ve talked to two of the teams with them. They have both said the thing is ultra nice to work on, the machine work is second to none, and that nothing looks cooler. Given Moran Racing Engines growth into more and more products over the past few years, we can only imagine what’s next. Anyone have a top fuel car laying around we could slam one of these things into? We’d like to see what kind of ET a funny car could run with one of these bad boys set on kill. We also happen to know a guy that knows a little something about Nitro and turbochargers. Teee heee heee.
Mello Yello? Really? That has been the most common thing we’ve heard about NHRA’s “new” sponsor for 2013. We say “new” because it isn’t really new. Coca-Cola is the sponsor, and has been for several years now. They just keep shuffling brands to the top of the heap so they can get exposure for themselves. Sounds smart to us. Powerade, Full Throttle, Mello Yello, whatever, it’s all the same checking account that is paying so we can have good racing, so bring it on Coke, errr Full Throttle, errr Mello Yello. We’ll drink them all. By the way bartender, I like my bourbon with Diet Coke, and my drag racing with whatever sponsor will foot the bill.
Duquoin is bringing back the Street Machine Nationals! Remember when Duquoin was THE show to go to? Well it will be again because June 28-30, 2013 will mark the return of the Car Craft Street Machine Nationals to Duquoin. And if you remember back in the day, this event was one of the hottest Pro Street shows on the planet so we expect a lot of cool big tire cars to be coming back. In fact, Bret Voelkel from Ridetech has already said that his famed 1970 Pro Street Mustang will be making it’s re-debute there at Duquoin for sure. The team is working on new tires, new EFI, and going through the entire car so it is ready to run. We can’t wait because we love that car with the 351, 8-71 blower and big tires. Plus, it’s the car that started it all for Ridetech. Will Matt and Debbie Hays be bringing something out? Will Rick Dobbertin’s cars show up? How about Scott Sullivan? Or The CARS Inc cars of Dyer, Scott, Kimmen, Carrier, and Treppa? How about Chuck Shroedel’s crazy Impala? We are going to do everything we can to have multiple BangShift photographers on site for this one folks, and hope you’ll join us there.
Want to add something to the “Can You Believe All This Crap” Chadmouth? Let us know in the comments section what you think should be a part of it!
Man, I loved Bret’s Mustang when it came out, even though it was on the tail end of the Pro Street era. Wish I was able to make it to the Street Machine Nats…I’m sure it’ll be a blast.
Ashley Force is knocked up again.
Would you say that face to face and would she laugh?
Or am I being too PC about the sexist term knocked up?
Otherwise, a newsy little column.
Considering the fact that I asked her dad face to face, while on camera announcing at an NHRA National Event, what he thought when she came home and told him she was “knocked up”, I don’t think I have anything to worry about. I didn’t realize knocked up was some bad term. Pregnant, with child, bun in the oven, whatever.
Her egg has been fertilized by her husbands sperm. No matter how you slice it her dad can’t be happy about that thought. It’s why grandparents love their grandkids so much. It’s so they don’t have to think about their daughters having sex.
Great response Chad, that is as PC as it needs to be.. Lots of good news this early for the upcoming season!
shes growing belly fruit down on the farm
Nah, she’s not offended… Hey Ashley, go make me a sandwich….
and as for the ADRL and XDRL, anybody remember the CART / IRL ….. yea
I know a couple Illinois BangShift photographers.
Bourbon with Diet Coke? I’ll have my Devil’s Cut served in a glass with nothing else thankyouverymuch.
Good to hear DuQuion is coming back.
That was an awesome car show .
Bangshift approved.
Did anyone see the chevy corvette in daytona prototype disguise? Did anybody care? Sure, its 90% daytona prototype with the vette’s nose piece and tail light glued on each end. Of course, it has some version of the LS pushrod engine attached to a tranaxle and its a true mid engine monster. I did like that they painted it LeMans Blue. What I cant answer is why. Could it a look into the future of Corvette model? In order to compete with all those high zooted, over priced Euro dream cars, the Vette needs to get the engine in the middle. It also needs to lose the knuckle dragging, club you over the head push rod V8 for the overhead valve variety. Why not build tiny bore V12 that has all the torque my old Toro two cycle snowblower too?
Personally, I would like to keep the Cromagnon brute of the American V8. Right now, the Vette can beat the snot out of all those high windy European go fast machines that are sold for a cool $1,000,000. You can drive it everyday if you want and you wont have to choose between your kid’s Harvard education and a brake job.
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Classic Chad…love it!
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