National Dragster: From The Director's Chair

It's hard to believe that in a few weeks we will be wrapping up the NHRA season at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway. The final event in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which will be held at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, is even nearer. And before that, we will crown champions at the Pacific Division Summit Racing Series Finals at Famoso Raceway. The weekend prior, the Pacific Division will be gunning for its first championship in the Jeg's Allstars competition at Route 66 Raceway. From these events and the Pacific Division Jr. Championship winner-take-all runoffs at Pomona Raceway the weekend of the Auto Club Finals, many champions will "be crowned in Division 7 in the season's last two months.

The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Las Vegas, set for Nov. 4-7, has traditionally drawn racers from all seven divisions, making it the biggest event in the series. It has been and will continue to be the event where divisional and national championships are decided.

Given the geographic location of Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., this year's Pacific Division Summit Racing Series Finals could be the biggest ever. Seventeen tracks - the most to date - are sending teams to the event. A tip of the hat goes to our track operators who have worked hard to make the Summit Racing Series a success in the Pacific Division.

I strongly believe that the Pacific Division's Jeg's Allstars team is the one to beat this year. One look at our new lineup, and anyone would consider us a favorite.

As described in the article on the facing page, our Jr. series has been terrific this season. The bonus of being able to run for championships at Pomona Raceway during a POWERade national event happens only in the Pacific Division.

Speaking of championships, perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the year was Rick Beckstrom's Super Comp win at the 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Beckstrom battled through 163 Super Comp racers, heat, and humidity to win the event. Too often, the perception is that West Coast racers don't know how to handle heat and humidity. Rick put that to rest.

Each of our division champions will be feted at our Celebration of Champions awards ceremony and banquet in Las Vcgas (form on facing page). Wc have moved the banquet to January, but it will again be at the Gold Coast hotel and Casino.

We wish each of our racers good luck and safe racing in the next few weeks and look forward to crowning our champions in January. Who they will be is anyone's guess.

with Charlie Neilson, Pacific Division director