During the NHRA Division 3 meetings and banquet held in Indianapolis, IN. on January 9,  Beech Bend Raceway was chosen as the 2009 Div. 3 Track of the year, the other nominees where Norwalk, Joliet, and IRP all of which are very nice racetracks. During the banquet on Saturday night there we're three local racers honored Tracy Crutcher from Pleasant View, Tn., Edmond Richardson, from Greenbrier, Tn. and Timmy Elliot, from Portland, Tn.

Tracy Crutcher was honored for being the NHRA Division 3 Sportsman Champion as well as the 2009 NHRA Sportsman Bracket World Champion. Tracy was also nominated and chosen by his fellow racers as the NHRA Division 3 Bracket Racer of the Year award.

Edmond Richardson was honored for his Division 3 Stock Eliminator Championship as well as his Runner-up finish in the Division 3 points in Super Comp. Edmond was also honored at the NHRA banquet for his Stock Eliminator World Championship.

Timmy Elliot was also honored for winning the 2009 VP Racing Fuels Race of Champions in the Pro Bracket.

For the first time in NHRA national event history, qualifying and eliminations for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle at an NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event will be conducted four-wide instead of two, NHRA officials announced.

The inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals is scheduled for March 25-28 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C. NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competition will be conducted in the traditional two-lane format, running some classes in the left two lanes and others in the right two lanes to assist with lane preparation and consistency.