"News"
NHRA Newsmakers
4-04-06
Your inside glimpse at the world’s fastest motorsport
WHO’S HOT!
· CAPPS EXTENDS POWERADE SERIES LEAD: Ron Capps raced to his second consecutive victory and posted his third final round appearance of the season at Houston and in the process extended his POWERade Series points lead to 68 over John Force. Capps, who drove his Brut Dodge to a second-place series finish in 2005, is enjoying the moment. “I'm still kind of in shock when I hear that,” Capps said in the media center after being announced as the points leader and winner of the last two events. “We all saw (teammate Gary) Scelzi DNQ at this race and it reminds you that you're only as good as your last pass, not even your last race. I mean, if the defending series champ can DNQ, anything can happen to any of us. We just took what the track gave us all day. That's pretty much what we've done all year. The car was perfect until the final when I hurt the motor on the burnout. I told the guys we were in trouble when I was backing up but I still ran it down through there to try and get the win. I guess Bob (Gilberston, runner-up) had trouble, so we got a break there. This is going to be a long year. I know that, so I'm just trying to enjoy every minute of it right now.”
· WOMEN ON THE DRAG STRIP: For the second consecutive POWERade Series event multiple females advanced to the final round in their respective categories. Angelle Sampey earned her second consecutive victory in Pro Stock Motorcycle and increased her series lead. Sampey, a three-time world champion in the two-wheel category, moved to 10th on the NHRA’s all-time wins list for professional drivers and her 39 career victories is the most for a female in NHRA history and second all-time among Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors. In Top Fuel, points leader Melanie Troxel advanced to her fifth straight final round appearance (dating back to the ’05 Auto Club NHRA Finals) and increased her series lead to 128 over Larry Dixon with the runner-up finish. Troxel’s five straight finals is a record for women in NHRA professional category racing. In Pro Stock, Erica Enders just missed her third shot at a final round appearance, as the Houston native lost a close one in the semis to two-time world champ Jim Yates. Meanwhile, at the NHRA Xplōd Sport Compact Racing Series season-opener at Moroso Motorsports Park in South Florida, Stephanie Eggum earned the victory in Hot Rod. Eggum joined sport compact racing pioneer Lisa Kubo as the only women to win an NHRA Sport Compact Series event in the Hot Rod category.
NEWS NUGGETS
-
NHRA FEATURED IN FHM MAGAZINE:
FHM Magazine invites its readers to “Enter the gut-quivering world of pro drag
racing” in its May 2006 issue, which is currently available on newsstands. The
five-page spread, with words by veteran auto racing journalist Rob Edelstein
and photos by Patrick Giardino, showcases NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series’
Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock categories. In one segment, on the page
highlighting Top Fuel, U.S. Army crew chief Alan Johnson reveals the power of
nitromethane: “It’s nasty stuff,” he tells Edelstein. “You can put a drop on
the counter and put a match to it and it won’t light. But if you hit it with a
hammer, it’ll blow a hole in the counter. You could say it’s somewhat
volatile.” The article features excellent photography, cool graphics, and
interviews with Johnson, John Force, Gary Scelzi, and team owner Don
Schumacher.
·
GET YOUR
AUTOGRAPHS AT LAS VEGAS ESPN ZONE: Many top NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series stars, including David Grubnic, three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion
Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel rookie Hillary Will, three-time Pro Stock world
champion Greg Anderson, Jason Line, David Baca, Del Worsham, Phil Burkart, Mike
Ashley, Doug Herbert, Las Vegas resident Rod Fuller, Mark Pawuk, Cory
McClenathan, Jim Yates, and Mike Thomas, will be available to meet with fans and
sign autographs on Thursday, April 6 from 7-8 p.m. at the ESPN Zone at the New
York, New York Hotel & Casino. KKLZ-FM will broadcast live from the event and
will interview drivers. Tickets for the seventh annual NHRA SummitRacing.com
Nationals, April 6-9 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, may
be purchased by calling the LVMS
ticket office at 702-644-4444 or at
www.lvms.com.
·
NHRA FOUNDER
PARKS TO BE HONORED: NHRA founder
Wally Parks and ZZ Top guitarist and
car collector extraordinaire Billy F. Gibbons will be the honored celebrated
guests of California Car Cover during the 11th annual National Street
Rod Association Appreciation Day. The respected single-day celebration is
scheduled for Sunday, May 7, at California Car Cover Co.
headquarters, 9525 DeSoto Ave., Chatsworth, Calif., from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parks,
a legend in the hot rodding community and the man who is known as the father of
the National Hot Rod Association, guided NHRA through its formative years and
created an outlet for drag racing enthusiasts that features safe, spirited, and
wildly entertaining competition, from its grassroots levels to its professional
ranks. Gibbons, renowned both as a musician and an avid car collector, has
supported the hot rodding and collector car hobbies for countless years. His
sleek and seductive CadZZilla custom, based on a vintage 1940s Cadillac, with
its long, low, streamlined silhouette, is one of the most famous and coveted
vehicles in the world. With approximately 500 custom and rodding vehicles of
every color and style expected, hobbyists and auto enthusiasts will also be
treated to a day of extraordinary automotive design and innovation, food, music,
and behind-the-scenes tours of the California Car Cover Co. facilities and
showroom.
·
NITTO TIRE NAMED
OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF NHRA XPLOD SPORT COMPACT SERIES: NHRA officials
announced recently that Nitto Tire has been named the official tire of the NHRA
Xplōd Sport Compact Racing Series, and event title sponsor of NHRA Xplōd Sport
Compact Series events at Moroso Motorsports Park and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
. In addition, Nitto Tire will present the Nitto Diamond Tree Rings to each of
the NHRA Xplōd Sport Compact World Champions (Pro RWD, Pro FWD, Modified, Hot
Rod, and Honda Tuning All Motor) at the NHRA Sport Compact Series awards
ceremony. The awards ceremony will be held at the conclusion of the season on
Oct. 22 at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona. The sponsorship
increases Nitto’s commitment to NHRA Sport Compact Racing Series. The company
will maintain its current sponsorship of the Nitto NHRA Sport Compact
Springnationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., May
6-7. “Nitto is excited to increase our involvement with the NHRA Xplōd Sport
Compact Series,” said Jonathan Ozeretny, marketing and event coordinator for
Nitto Tire North America, Inc. “After being involved with the NHRA Xplōd Series
for five years, Nitto has found the series to be a great platform to promote the
Nitto line of high performance radials and slicks.”
·
POWERADE FAN
NATIONALS WINNER AT HOUSTON: Sulphur, La., resident Nicholas
Truett, 11, beat out hundreds of participants at the 19th
annual O’Reilly Spring Nationals to become the POWERade Fan Nationals Event
Champion. Truett will now travel to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona at the end of
the season to compete for the national championship. Truett, an NHRA Jr. Drag
Racing League competitor, will ultimately be one of 23 event champions from
dragstrips across the country to compete to become the series champion. He and
one guest will travel to the 42nd Annual Automobile Club of Southern
California NHRA Finals in Southern California the weekend of Nov. 9-12, 2006.
There, Truett will compete in a series of qualifying rounds for the chance to
claim the title of POWERade Fan Nationals Series Champion. “The POWERade Fan
Nationals are just awesome,” Truett said. “I’ve driven a Jr. Dragster since I
was 8 and have been coming to the drag races for most of my life, so this is
really neat to win here at our home track.” The second season for the POWERade
Fan Nationals Series, the competition is a dream come true for NHRA fans like
Truett who have longed to race behind the wheel of an NHRA Funny Car. The
competition lets fans power a simulated Funny Car to feel what it’s like to roar
down the track. Each simulator is equipped with a high-performance, hydraulic
racing simulator system that creates a realistic experience for fans. Similar
to NHRA drag racing rules, contestants tear down a virtual quarter mile drag
strip to compete for the best time. Drivers are eliminated in a series of
qualifying rounds throughout the race weekend until one ultimate POWERade Fan
Nationals Event Champion is crowned. At the end of the NHRA season, each of the
Event Champions, along with two “Wildcard Winners,” will meet in Pomona to face
off in a series of side-by-side races until one driver emerges victorious and
becomes the POWERade Fan Nationals Series Champion. “The Fan Nationals event
lets NHRA fans like Nicholas take the wheel in our specially-designed POWERade
Funny Cars and feel what it’s like to roar down the track at 300 mph,” said Ben
Reiling, senior manager, sports marketing, Coca-Cola North America. “Nicholas
raced hard and we’re excited to crown him as our Houston champ. He is in for an
incredible experience at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and we wish him the
best of luck competing for the overall POWERade Fan Nationals Championship
title.”
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- DIXON GOES FOR “FIVE OF A KIND” AT VEGAS: Miller Lite dragster pilot Larry Dixon has advanced to the last four Top Fuel final rounds at the NHRA SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, winning the race three times during that stretch, including last season. “We’ve tested twice at (Las) Vegas before the season and we’ve run well there in the past, so I’m confident that we can go in there and run well,” Dixon said. “I’ve got a great team, a great car, everything it takes to be able to win.”
HE SAID, SHE SAID
· SCELZI DNQ ‘WORRIES’ FORCE: John Force, 13-time NHRA POWERade Series world champion who has qualified for an NHRA record 373 consecutive races got an uneasy feeling after defending Funny Car champ Gary Scelzi failed to qualify for eliminations last weekend at Houston. Scelzi is the first defending Funny Car world champion to post a DNQ during a title defense season in 21 years (Mark Oswald, 1985 at Indianapolis). “I'm sick about Scelzi not qualifying,” Force said. “I'm sure he's hurting but all it does is scare me because now they're gonna come back that much madder.”
DRIVERS TELL ALL
· TIMING IS EVERYTHING FOR BERNSTEIN: After starting the season with three consecutive first round losses, Brandon Bernstein put the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster back in the POWERade Series winner’s circle with a victory in Houston. The native Texan said that the victory was extra-special, considering that his legendary drag racing father Kenny will be inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame on Wednesday evening at the Texas Motor Speedway. “This has turned into an amazing weekend,” Brandon said. “Being a Texas boy, to come home and do well for this team is great. Dad's going into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Wednesday and now we can go in there with a trophy in hand. That's my present to him right there. These guys never gave up. We just stayed positive even through these stupid little mechanical failures we had earlier this year. Dad told us that he had many stretches where stuff like this happened to him and there was nothing to get down about. We know what kind of team this is and what we're capable of. We just had to be patient. Tim (Richards, crew chief) tuned us to a 4.51 in the first round and I knew he had a handle on this racetrack. Once he gets like that he's very tough to beat. It was like I had a bracket car.”
VANDERGRIFF READY TO ROCK HOUSTON
BAYTOWN, Tex. (March 27)- Bob Vandergriff gets up each day and has two passions
on his mind. His thoughts very rarely drift away from drag racing and golf.
Although a scratch golfer, he hasn't had any time lately to devout to the game.
The dogwood trees are in bloom in Atlanta and it's a wonderful time to be
outdoors, on the links. His energy is being applied to getting the UPS Top Fuel
dragster into race mode for this weekends O'Rielly NHRA Springnationals at
Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas.
The Jim Dupuy-led crew is eager to get the 7,000 horsepower monster out of
the shop and back to the racetrack. "We felt that after we ran a 4.52 blast in
the first round of elimination's in Gainesville last weekend, we had a car that
could have won the race," Vandergriff said. "Unfortunately, we succumbed to
parts failure. We have remedied that situation and we can't wait to get on the
track in Houston."
Even though the team began the season a little behind from their late start
in finishing the United Parcel Service racecar, they are ready to be back in the
winners circle. Dupuy and company have been working together for a few years now
and are used to the dedication it takes to be a championship contender. They
provided 5 time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Joe Amato the power for the late Darrell
Russell's wins and number one qualifier awards as well as Morgan Lucas' visits
to 7 final round appearances and two number one qualifying awards.
"Jim and the guys are giving me a strong racecar and I'm anxious to rock
Houston," Vandergriff said. "I'm ready to watch them work hard through 4 rounds
on Sunday."
On Friday, March 31, Professional qualifying sessions are scheduled for 4
PM and 7 PM. On Saturday, April 1, Pro qualifying continues at 12:30 PM and 3
PM. Final eliminations are scheduled for Sunday at 11 AM.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-29-06
O'REILLY AUTO PARTS EXTENDS SPONSORSHIP OF NHRA SPRING NATIONALS
GLENDORA, Calif. (March 28, 2006) - O'Reilly Auto Parts has extended its partnership with NHRA as the title sponsor of the NHRA Spring Nationals at the Houston Raceway Park through the 2009 season, NHRA Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Gary Darcy announced.
The 19th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil is scheduled for March 31-April 2, at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas. The race, which features some of the quickest and fastest racing on the circuit, is the fourth of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Series season and it will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.
"O'Reilly Auto Parts is extremely excited to have the opportunity to continue the title sponsorship of the O'Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park," said Kevin Greven, Director of Sports Marketing for O'Reilly Auto Parts. "We've enjoyed our relationship with NHRA and Houston Raceway Park over the years and we certainly welcome an extended relationship with this fine event. We look forward to increased opportunites to expose our customers to the excitement of NHRA Drag Racing through a variety of promotions and discount coupons for tickets that will be available through O'Reilly Auto Parts stores."
The commitment maintains O'Reilly's major presence in NHRA Drag Racing as an event title sponsor. The company is the title sponsor now of six NHRA POWERade Series events, including the O'Reilly Midwest Nationals at Gateway Raceway near St. Louis; the O'Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway; the O'Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka (Kan.); the Mid-South Nationals at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park; and the O'Reilly Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas.
"O'Reilly Auto Parts has become a major player in the world of NHRA Drag Racing," Darcy said. "By renewing their title sponsorship of one of our most exciting and tradition-rich events, O'Reilly continues to prove that it has the right formula for utilizing NHRA national event sponsorships as a part of their marketing direction.
We're thrilled to have such an outstanding partner in growing our fan base."
O'Reilly Auto Parts is one of the largest specialty retailers of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories in the United States, serving both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets. Founded in 1957 by the O'Reilly family, the company operates more than 730 stores within the states of Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska and Illinois.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 23 national events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA has 80,000 members nationwide and 140 member tracks.
NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series' provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series, NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series, the NHRA Street Legal Program presented by AAA and the NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17.
NHRA Newsmakers
Your inside glimpse at the world’s fastest motorsport
3-29-06
NEWS NUGGETS
· ‘AMERICAN DRAGSTER’ DEBUTS SUNDAY: “American Dragster,” a 30-minute reality show that features Don Schumacher Racing teammates Tony Schumacher and Ron Capps, will air for the first time at noon on Sunday (April 2), following the popular news magazine show NHRA 2Day on ESPN2. New Rule Productions announced Tuesday that it will produce a series of six 30-minute programs with the NHRA POWERade Series as the backdrop. Ryan Johnson, director/executive producer for New Rule Productions, has spent the last two years preparing for the show. “I’m grateful for the tremendous support we’ve received from NHRA as well as the exclusive access granted us by Don Schumacher Racing,” he said.
· O’REILLY NHRA SPRING NATIONALS ON ESPN2: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise: two hours of qualifying highlights from Houston at 8 p.m. on Saturday; NHRA 2Day at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday; and three hours of final eliminations at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
· DEBUT SET FOR ‘DRIVING FORCE’: “Driving Force,” a reality show based on the lives of 13-time NHRA Funny Car world champion John Force and his drag racing daughters Ashley, Brittany and Courtney, will air at 9 p.m. on July 10. Check out www.JohnForceRacing.com to see the trailer, see the Force family’s most recent photos and get the latest news on the family.
· JOHNSON, TROXEL SPREAD NHRA LOVE TO NASCAR: Motorsports’ fastest couple – Tommy Johnson Jr. and Melanie Troxel – visited the Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend for NASCAR’s Food City 500. Their mission? To promote the O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals coming to Bristol Dragway April 28-30. “Then, we headed over to the press room to meet with all the reporters covering the NASCAR race. They knew a lot about drag racing and had an interest in our sport. It’s great to see, and proves that our sport is heading in the right direction … Before the race, we had the opportunity to walk the garage and chat with some of my buddies who work on the pit crews for Cup teams. Those guys are big drag racing fans. Several of the NASCAR crew guys will be coming to both Bristol and Atlanta to check us out. Perhaps we’ll let a Cup guy do a blog about their drag racing experience.” Read more about the couple’s trip to Bristol in Tommy Johnson Jr.’s blog at www.nhra.com.
· SCHNITZ’ HOPES FOR CHAMPIONSHIP ALIVE: In Gainesville, Ryan Schnitz should have been celebrating his No. 1 qualifying effort. Instead, he was afraid that despite qualifying No. 1, that event would be his last. But on Tuesday Schnitz, who is currently fifth in the POWERade point standings, announced he will continue his chase for his first world championship with the support of primary sponsor Trim-Tex Drywall Products.
“(Trim-Tex Drywall Products’ owner Joe Koenig) is adamant about winning the championship,” Schnitz said. “I’m really excited and glad to see him on board because I know how great a person he is and what a great competitor he is. I told Joe that if he had been sitting next to me when I heard about the sponsorship deal, I would have given him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.”
· PALMER, AREND ANNOUNCE NEW SPONSORS: This year, new sponsors have inked their support of POWERade Series teams in 3’s – and with Schinitz’s new deal, another round is complete. Von Dutch, Serta and Jagermeister signed up early this year. Last week, Grand Crowne Resorts announced they will be a major sponsor of Scott Palmer’s Top Fuel team. Grand Crowne Resorts, a popular family vacation destination in the entertainment district of Branson, Mo., will give away a trip to a national event at the end of the season as part of a nationwide promotion of NHRA drag racing. This week, Canadian Funny Car driver Jeff Arend announced Erie Educational Services, an innovative student loan company, will support his ride with an abbreviated ’06 schedule. He plans to make the full 23-race circuit next season.
· SPORT COMPACT SERIES OPENS IN SOUTH FLORIDA.: The fourth annual Nitto NHRA Sport Compact Nationals presented by RJ Gators, Buzz 103.1 and Palm Beach Mitsubishi will stage its diverse blend of drag racing with a hip culture vibe at Moroso Motorsports Park this weekend – the first of 11 events in the $2.5 million Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series in 2006. The event will be telecast on ESPN2 on April 9. “I have a strong car with more horsepower this year and feel terrific about the upcoming season,” said Jesus Padilla, the defending series champ in the Honda Tuning All Motor category. “This is my home track and I consider it a good one.”
· FLORIDA STUDENT WINS GAINESVILLE FAN NATIONALS: Timothy Mays, 19, of Florida City, Fla. earned a different kind of Spring Break party when he dominated Nitro Alley at the 37th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals.
Mays, a second-year student at Miami Dade College, defeated hundreds of other local fans in ultra-realistic Funny Car simulators designed to mimic the shakes and sounds of NHRA’s fastest dragsters.
Fans at each national event battle to qualify and race in a 16-person bracket elimination, just like the pros. Each event winner earns a “POWERade Wally” trophy, stands in the Winner’s Circle with the POWERade Series’ event winners and earns a trip to the 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals to compete against the Series’ other fan champs for the 2006 POWERade Fan Nationals Series championship title.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
· HOT MARKS: Larry Dixon became the first driver to eclipse the 4.5-second mark when he posted a 4.486 at Houston Raceway Park in 1999 in his Miller Lite dragster. He has two career wins at the Baytown, Texas facility (1999, 2000). Gary Scelzi has his own claim on the track – he owns one of the oldest track records in the books (4.480 seconds, Oct. 1999) at Houston.
HE SAID, SHE SAID
· SCELZI SOUNDS OFF ON START TO SEASON: Last November, the eyes of drag racing faithful everywhere were riveted on the three men mired in the closest Funny Car battle in NHRA history: Don Schumacher Racing teammates Scelzi and Ron Capps, and 13-time world champion John Force. Scelzi walked away with the world championship title – but he hasn’t had much luck so far in 2006. In fact, he currently sits No. 9 in the POWERade point standings. Did he use all of his luck up in ’05? “I do care (about points), but there’s nothing I can do about changing the results of the first three races. The way you fix it is by winning and by going rounds. Our goal right now is to go as many rounds as we can, if not win the race.”
DRIVERS TELL ALL
· ROD FULLER AND ‘DEMOLITION MAN’: When Rod Fuller made his national event debut in Gainesville in 1992, he did it with the help of “Demolition Man” – a “good luck” troll his mother gave to him when he was a teen. “That guy is famous, my troll,” Fuller said. “My mom gave him to me as a kind of protector … He’s been with me through so many experiences. When I ran in Top Fuel in ’95 at the Gatornationals, I had a really big engine explosion. I was putting him out with one hand while I tried to get the car stopped. Now he’s all burned up with one eye, but he sits to my left in the dragster, right by my shoulder. He’s always on ESPN2.” A Q&A with Top Fuel’s Rod Fuller is available at media.nhra.com. Recent photos are also available on the site
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WHERE THERE’S A WOMAN, THERE’S A WAY IN NHRA
THREE OF FOUR FINAL-ROUNDS AT ACDELCO GATORNATIONALS INVOLVE A WOMAN;
TWO OF FOUR POWERADE SERIES POINTS LEADERS ARE WOMEN
GLENDORA, Calif. – Thriving in NHRA’s gender-blind environment, cultivated by
the trailblazing Shirley Muldowney, a new generation of young women are
flourishing in a way never before seen in NHRA or any other motorsport.
The five women competing full-time in NHRA in 2006 – Melanie Troxel and Hillary
Will in Top Fuel, Erica Enders in Pro Stock and Angelle Sampey and Karen Stoffer
in Pro Stock Motorcycle – went a combined 11-3 in final eliminations at the 37th
annual ACDelco Gatornationals Sunday with three final-round appearances and one
victory.
Troxel and Enders were runners-up in their respective classes while three-time
POWERade Series world champion Sampey was victorious on her U.S. Army Suzuki to
take the early points lead in Pro Stock Motorcycle. It was the 38th career win
for Sampey, placing her in a tie for ninth (with Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon) on
the all-time NHRA POWERade Series victory list and first among women.
“It was awesome to see three girls in the finals,” said Sampey, a 10-year NHRA
veteran and the senior member of this group of women. “I thought Melanie and
Erica would win too the way they were running. It didn’t happen this time but
it’s going to happen, and not just one time. And once Ashley (Force, daughter of
NHRA icon John Force) gets into Funny Car we’ll have an all-girl winner’s
circle.”
Ashley Force, by the way, won the Top Alcohol dragster (Lucas Oil Series) class
in Gainesville this past weekend to mark the ninth time in NHRA history (full
list available upon request) that two women have won at the same national event.
The first time it happened was at Columbus, Ohio in 1980 when Muldowney won Top
Fuel and Amy Faulk won Super Stock.
To be sure, Gainesville is not an anomaly, but rather a trend. After three of 23
events (one in Pro Stock Motorcycle) in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Series
season:
· Women lead in two of the four POWERade Series classes: Troxel leads in Top
Fuel; Sampey leads in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
· Troxel has advanced to four consecutive final rounds (dating back to the final
event of the 2005 season).
· Erica Enders has two No. 2 qualifiers in three events in 2006 and has advanced
to one final round (her second career final round).
· Will qualified 4th at the season-opening event with a 4.515-second pass at
324.67 mph.
· Stoffer returned to action at the Gatornationals by qualifying No. 6 qualifier
and advancing to the quarterfinals. She has won back-to-back events in Houston,
site of NHRA’s next event, the O’Reilly Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil
(March 31-April 2).
Consider too that women comprised 37.5 percent of the final-round drivers at the
Gatornationals and 25 percent of the winner’s circle. For the 2006 season, 20
percent of the seats in NHRA POWERade Series final rounds have been occupied by
a woman.
“Seeing all the women in the final round is great for the sport,” said Dave
Grubnic, who defeated Troxel at the ACDelco Gatornationals. “Of course, Shirley
Muldowney, who is on our team (Kalitta Motorsports, which includes Will), got it
all started and she’ll tell you just like these girls today will tell you that
they just want to be thought of as competitors. That's how I look at them.”
The next race on the schedule is the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by
Pennzoil.
NHRA Newsmakers
Your inside glimpse at the world’s fastest motorsport
WHO’S HOT!
THE WOMEN: Angelle Sampey (Matthews, La.) continued the winning trend of the
women drivers that Melanie Troxel (Avon, Ind.) started in the Top Fuel Dragsters
by winning the first Pro Stock Motorcycle event of the year at Gainesville, Fla.
Sampey won the event when her teammate Antron Brown (Indianapolis) fouled at the
starting line. She won the race with a time of 7.138 seconds. Other women that
did well were Troxel, who finished second behind Dave Grubnic (Ypsilanti,
Mich.), but kept her points lead; and Erica Enders (Houston), who finished
second in the Pro Stock category behind Tom Martino (Farmingdale, N.J.). There
was one other female winner at the event, and that was the daughter of Funny Car
driver John Force (Yorba Linda, Calif.), Ashley Force (Yorba Linda, Calif.), who
won in Top Alcohol dragster. The last time two women won at a POWERade Series
event was at Pomona, Calif. in 2004 when Sampey won Pro Stock Motorcycle and
Force won Super Gas.
NEWS NUGGETS
MAKING THE MOST OF HIS CHANCES: Tom Martino, who only races select Pro Stock
events, took advantage of his opportunity at the Gatornationals. Racing against
Erica Enders in the final round, Martino showed that he should be racing more
events. He claimed his fifth career victory when he made sure that Enders could
not recover from severe tire shakes at the start by racing to the finish line
with a time of 6.677 at 205.80 mph. This was his first event of 2006 and his
first win in five years. Last year, Martino was the runner-up at the
season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif.
GAINESVILLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Immediately following the finish of the ACDelco
NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville Raceway will begin working on a multi-million
dollar facelift. Included in the expansion are new luxury VIP Skybox Suites that
will be built atop the South Side Grandstands. In all, eight individual suites
will be built offering suite holders both inside and outside seating and
unparalleled views of both the drag strip and the open pits. Also included in
the expansion is a brand-new Top Eliminator Club. The club will be a permanent
15,000-square-foot facility that will feature removable side curtains that will
protect against inclement weather. As part of the master renovation of
Gainesville Raceway, plans also call for a new race control building with a
state of the art media center and 360 degree race control center on the top
floor. The suites will be finished in time for the 2007 Gatornationals event.
RINGERS GLOVES RAISES THE STAKES: Pro Stock Motorcycle racers have an added
incentive to do well. Ringers Gloves has extended its sponsorship into the 2010
season. Ringers Gloves will boost the series purse to $76,000. The Ringers
Gloves Pro Bike Battle, a race-within-a-race bonus program for the season’s best
Pro Stock Motorcycle racers, is contested during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at
Indianapolis Raceway Park, the world’s most prestigious drag race. The eight Pro
Stock Motorcycle riders who qualify for the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle will
have the opportunity to earn more money through an increased awards payout,
which includes a $61,000 race payout and $15,000 in qualifying bonuses
throughout the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle series. With the increased payout
structure, the winner of the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle will earn $25,000;
the runner-up $10,000; the two semifinalists $6,000 each; and the four first
round finishers $3,500 apiece.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
38 AND GOING STRONG: Angelle Sampey claimed her 38th career Pro Stock Motorcycle
victory over the weekend. The win increases her position as the winningest
female racer in a major motorsports series. She is ninth among victory leaders
in NHRA, tied with Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon.
HE SAID, SHE SAID
· WHO IS THAT MAN?: Rob Geiger reports on nhra.com that John Force has his name
in large text on his firesuit. Does he like it? “Oh he hates it,” Force’s PR guy
Dave Densmore said. “It was an idea the marketing people came up with and he was
totally against it but that's how his suit came back from the factory. We all
tease him about it.”
DRIVERS TELL ALL
· THE BATTLE IS ON: The No. 1 and No. 2 leaders in Pro Stock points had a clever
exchange of words last week before the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals. Greg
Anderson, No. 1 in points, drew some extra motivation and chuckles from the
comments of former boss Warren Johnson, No. 2 in points, who beat him in the
final of Phoenix when his car jumped out of second gear and he couldn't complete
the run. Among other things, Johnson jabbed at Anderson's engine program when he
said that “If [Anderson] isn't ahead of me by the eighth mile then he's toast.”
“I guess he's got to talk when he gets a chance because he doesn't have that
many moments in the sun any more,” Anderson said. “He shouldn't have been too
proud to walk out of there with a trophy. I wouldn't have been. He got an easy
one. He should've lost in the first round, the second round, and the final. He
just got lucky, bottom line. We had a little tire shake and the car jumped out
of second gear. When I slammed it back in there the teeth weren't perfectly
lined up. It happens probably once every 200 runs. There was no damage other
than losing the round. It was just bad timing for it to happen in the final.
“Let Warren talk. If he really and truly thinks he's the guy to beat then that's
perfect for us.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORCE, GRUBNIC, ANDERSON AND BROWN PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALFIERS AT GAINESVILLE
RACEWAY
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Thirteen-time NHRA POWERade Series world champion John Force
raced to the qualifying lead in Funny Car Friday at the ACDelco NHRA
Gatornationals at historic Gainesville Raceway.
Dave Grubnic (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Antron Brown (Pro Stock
Motorcycle) also opened strong at the $2 million race, becoming the early
leaders in their respective categories of the 37th annual event, the third of 23
events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Force capitalized on the data gathered by his two teammates to post his top
performance. By the time he made it to the starting line for his second round
attempt his crew chiefs had five runs of information to peruse.
"Getting that extra data was really good," Force said. "We saw what Robert (Hight)
did (4.789) in front of us and just stepped it up from there."
Force powered his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang to a leading run of
4.751 seconds at 323.62 mph to pace the Funny Car lineup.
Defending event champion Whit Bazemore ran a second-best 4.769 at 321.88 mph in
his brand-new Matco Tools Dodge Charger. Hight was third with a 4.789 at 319.14
mph in the Auto Club Mustang.
Like Force, Top Fuel leader Grubnic also benefited from having a pair of
stablemates to share info with before posting a 4.555 at 323.62 mph in his
StriVectin-SD dragster in the afternoon session. Grubnic's teammates, Doug
Kalitta and Hillary Will, grabbed top-half spots.
"We want to hold onto that top position," Grubnic said. "If the conditions
warrant the opportunity to step it up then we will. Jon (Oberhofer, crew chief)
seems to have a handle on what the car wants."
Defending race winner Kalitta was fourth in the Mac Tools dragster with a 4.575,
while Will posted a 4.646 in the KB Racing dragster. Defending series champion
Tony Schumacher has yet to make the starting order in his U.S. Army dragster.
Anderson's 6.664 at 206.80 mph in his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO was
two-hundredths of a second ahead of the pack.
"We're right where we need to be," Anderson said. "We'd love to go for the
record (6.633) but it's going to need to drop at least five or six degrees and
we'll need some cloud cover to even have a shot at it."
Former track and field star Brown opened the 15-race Pro Stock Motorcycle season
by leading the opening day action with a 7.046 at
189.19 mph on his Suzuki.
There are nine racers in the 7.0-second range -- four Suzukis, four Buells, and
one Harley-Davidson, that of defending series champion Andrew Hines, who is
seventh overall with a 7.072.
"I'm surprised with our run a little bit because it didn't feel that
spectacular," Brown said. "It's pretty slimy out there and I drifted right, so
that lost some time, but a 7.04 is a good start.
Angelle (Sampey, teammate) ran a 7.13 but she didn't have high gear.
Otherwise she would have been right there with me or maybe even a hundredth
quicker.
"We'll see some sixes if the front half of the track gets better. You need those
early numbers to get in the sixes."
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Results Friday after qualifying for the 37th annual ACDelco
NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, third of 23 events in the $50
million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for
Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. David Grubnic, 4.555 seconds, 323.62 mph; 2.
Morgan Lucas, 4.555, 321.88; 3. Brandon Bernstein, 4.559, 326.91; 4.
Doug Kalitta, 4.575, 328.22; 5. Rod Fuller, 4.601, 322.11; 6. Larry Dixon,
4.618, 316.23; 7. Hillary Will, 4.646, 309.38; 8. Doug Foley, 4.647, 293.82; 9.
Clay Millican, 4.670, 312.60; 10. Bob Vandergriff, 4.740, 325.85; 11. Scott
Weis, 4.849, 301.40; 12. Cory McClenathan, 5.006, 323.39; 13. Bruce Litton,
5.063, 277.00; 14. Doug Herbert, 5.338, 218.18; 15. Melanie Troxel, 6.608,
120.36; 16. David Baca, 7.073, 115.14.
Funny Car -- 1. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.751, 323.62; 2. Whit Bazemore, Dodge
Charger, 4.769, 321.88; 3. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.789, 319.14; 4. Gary Scelzi,
Charger, 4.812, 325.61; 5. Gary Densham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.848, 318.47; 6.
Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.863, 318.58; 7. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo,
4.866, 322.58; 8. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.866, 283.64; 9. Jeff Arend, Monte
Carlo, 4.900, 316.23; 10.
Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.900, 314.46; 11. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo,
4.906, 316.45; 12. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.940, 312.93; 13.
Scott Kalitta, Monte Carlo, 4.972, 308.43; 14. Jim Head, Dodge Stratus, 4.974,
303.54; 15. Bob Gilbertson, Stratus, 4.974, 304.36; 16. Ron Capps, Stratus,
4.999, 259.29.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.664, 206.80; 2.
Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.683, 206.28; 3. Jason Line, GTO, 6.693, 205.76;
4. Mike Edwards, GTO, 6.695, 206.42; 5. Warren Johnson, GTO, 6.696, 206.80; 6.
Erica Enders, Chevy Cobalt, 6.697, 206.56; 7. V.
Gaines, Stratus, 6.702, 206.13; 8. Rickie Smith, Cobalt, 6.703, 205.57; 9.
Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.705, 205.57; 10. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.708, 206.70;
11. Jim Yates, GTO, 6.710, 205.80; 12. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.712, 205.29; 13.
Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.712, 205.24; 14.
Mark Pawuk, GTO, 6.720, 205.29; 15. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.722, 205.05; 16. Dave
Northrop, Stratus, 6.729, 204.63.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.046, 189.19; 2. Ryan Schnitz,
Buell, 7.048, 192.26; 3. Tom Bradford, Buell, 7.064, 193.88; 4. Chip Ellis,
Buell, 7.069, 185.52; 5. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.072, 190.63; 6. Geno Scali,
Suzuki, 7.072, 190.55; 7. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.072, 188.75; 8. Matt
Smith, Buell, 7.079, 188.28; 9.
Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.094, 189.31; 10. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.115, 186.06;
11. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.122, 188.16; 12. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki,
7.136, 177.02; 13. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.165, 185.10; 14. Steve Johnson, Suzuki,
7.176, 185.26; 15. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.179, 181.74; 16. Wesley Wells, Suzuki,
7.183, 183.41.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-15-06
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY ANNOUNCES MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION
Multi-phase project will include luxury VIP box suites on the pit side of the facility;
construction of permanent Top Eliminator Club; new race control tower complex
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 14, 2006) -- Fans heading to Gainesville Raceway this weekend for the 37th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals will see the beginning of a multi-million dollar, multi-phase project designed to upgrade the entire facility.
NHRA announced today that Gainesville Raceway will undergo a major redevelopment including luxury VIP box suites atop the South Side Grandstands on the pit side. Also part of the facelift at one of the most well-known drag racing facilities in the country will include construction of a permanent Top Eliminator Club in its current location and a complete overhaul of the current race control tower and suites.
“The NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals and Gainesville Raceway have become one of the premier stops in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series and the East Coast kick-off for the 23-race season,” said Peter Clifford, executive vice president and general manager, NHRA. “This expansion project will not only enhance the fan experience for our Top Eliminator Club seat holders, but current and future suite holders.”
The first phase of the project, which will be completed in time for this year’s NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals, is a 15,000-square-foot permanent Top Eliminator Club structure located on the south side of the TEC Grandstand. The new steel framed structure with removable side curtains for inclement weather is equipped with permanent lighting and available throughout the year for hospitality functions, shows, festivals, vendor use, classroom space, display space and banquets, in addition to being the primary structure for Top Eliminator Club guests at the national event.
Immediately following the conclusion of the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals, construction will begin on luxury VIP Skybox Suites on the south side of the main pit side, reserved seat grandstand. In all, eight individual suites will be built offering suite holders both inside and outside seating and unparalleled views of both the drag strip and the open pits. Similar in design as the sky boxes recently built at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and currently being constructed at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.), the suites will have full glass front walls and individual chair back seating outside in front of each suite. The suites will be completed in time for the 2007 season.
As part of the master renovation of Gainesville Raceway, plans also call for a new race control building with a state of the art media center and 360 degree race control center on the top floor. In addition NHRA will, in coming years, remodel the permanent restroom facilities throughout the facility and install new permanent grandstands on the spectator side (north side) with remodeled gates and entrance areas to connect spectator side guests to the pit side, as well as remodel the existing ticket buildings
In addition to Gainesville Raceway, NHRA currently owns and operates four drag racing facilities across the country. Other facilities include Indianapolis Raceway Park, which recently went through a multi-million dollar renovation including trackside suites along the West Side Grandstands; National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio; Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga., just outside Atlanta; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, which recently announced a similar renovation project including trackside suites along the East Side Grandstands at the historic facility in Southern California.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., the NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 23 national events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The NHRA has 80,000 members nationwide and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series’ provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series, NHRA Summit Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Street Legal Program presented by AAA. The NHRA also offers the O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17
NHRA Newsmakers March 14, 2006
Your inside glimpse at the world’s fastest motorsport
WHO’S HOT!
- MELANIE TROXEL: With a win and a runner-up finish to open the 2006 season, the POWERade Series points leader in Top Fuel – the first woman to lead the Top Fuel standings after back-to-back events since Lori Johns in 1990 – is certainly enjoying her time on the track. Off the track, she’s been just as hot if not hotter with an almost around-the-clock schedule of media appointments. From national motorsports writers to The George Michael Sports Machine, Melanie (with husband Tommy Johnson Jr., who won the Checker Schuck’s Kragen Nationals in Funny Car) has been as hot a commodity as you’ll find in auto racing circles. She’ll be looking to continue her white-hot start to the 2006 season this weekend at the 37th annual ACDelco Gatornationals.
NEWS NUGGETS
- CLOSING THE DEAL: Steve Johnson (Birmingham, Ala.), who turned a pretty impressive daily double in 2005 with wins at the prestigious Gatornationals and U.S. Nationals, signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Snap-on Tools. “This is a dream come true,” Johnson said from a press conference at his Birmingham, Ala. Shop last Thursday. “I’ve been racing with Snap-on Tools support for 14 years, but this takes our relationship to a new level. I thought winning the U.S. Nationals was my personal highlight, but this tops everything. (A major sponsor) is something I’ve worked so hard to secure and for it to be a company with which I have so much history makes it all the better.” For more information on the deal or Steve Johnson Racing, click here.
- DODGE CHARGER DEBUT: The Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car teams will be rolling out the shiny new Dodge Charger bodies this weekend at the ACDelco Gatornationals. Ron Capps (Carlsbad, Calif.), Gary Scelzi (Fresno, Calif.) and Whit Bazemore (Indianapolis) will debut the Charger bodies in the first round of Funny Car qualifying, scheduled for a little after noon on Friday, March 17. “The Dodge Charger is a perfect fit for the next generation of NHRA Funny Cars,” said John Fernandez, Director of Dodge Motorsports Operations. “Dodge has an incredible heritage in racing and the Charger name is synonymous with power and performance – two key ingredients to winning in any form of racing.” Capps, who is currently leading in the Funny Car standings, may not be so eager to make the move but no doubt Scelzi (9th place) and Bazemore (12th) are welcoming the change of scenery to potentially alter their early-season fortunes.
- HARLEY-DAVIDSON MAKES IT ‘OFFICIAL’: Four years after its entry into the world of NHRA, Harley-Davidson upped the ante significantly when it signed a multi-tiered sponsorship deal with NHRA prior to the 2006 season that included its designation as the Official Motorcycle of NHRA. The full scope of the deal will be unveiled for the first time this weekend in Gainesville as the Pro Stock Motorcycles make their 2006 debut at the ACDelco Gatornationals. Among the highlights will be an interactive simulator display which will feature real live Harley-Davidson motorcycles propped up on dynos.
- A TESTAMENT TO NHRA SAFETY: The George Michael Sports Machine ran a piece this past Sunday (March 12) chronicling the spectacular Kenny Koretsky/Bruce Allen crash in Dallas back in October of 2005. The two veteran Pro Stock drivers suffered relatively minor injuries given the magnitude of the crash, a fact that pays tribute to the safety of the vehicles and the performance of the NHRA Safety Safari, which was on the scene almost immediately. (NOTE: The Sports Machine is also working on a piece on Melanie Troxel and Tommy Johnson Jr. that will air in the next several weeks.)
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- SO LONG, SEVEN: It was at the Gatornationals one year ago that the 7-second barrier was broken for the first time in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Under ideal conditions, Andrew Hines pushed his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a run of 6.991 seconds (at a track-record speed of 197.45 mph). He proceeded to lay down an even lower 6.968-second pass at Sonoma, but it’s the 6.991 at Gainesville that will be remembered most.
HE SAID, SHE SAID
· LARRY DIXON, who drives the Miller Lite dragster for NHRA legend Don “Snake” Prudhomme, on returning this week to one of the most historic and well-known venues on the POWERade Series circuit: “I always like running at Gainesville. I think that more people show up for the Gatornationals than any other race on the circuit. It’s such a historic venue and I always get excited when we return to Gainesville.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
OAKLEY ANNOUNCES REVOLUTIONARY FIRE-SAFETY
INNOVATION FOR FUNNY CAR DRIVERS
All-in-one Boot Utilizes Company’s Proprietary O-CarbonX
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., March 13, 2006 – Oakley, Inc. (NYSE: OO) today announced the latest invention in its motor sports racing arsenal – the O-CarbonX boot – an all-in-one footwear design that virtually eliminates the need for the multi-layer fire-protection currently used by NHRA
Funny Car drivers. The Oakley O-CarbonX boot combines a racing shoe and a
fire-retardant boot into one state-of-the-art, safety feature
ensuring ultimate protection and dexterity. Since Funny Car competition began in
the 1970s, drivers have used a two-piece, cumbersome combination of a racing
shoe worn underneath a knee-high protective boot.
“Now, Funny Car pilots can slip on one layer of footwear and have the best fire safety available thanks to Oakley’s revolutionary O-CarbonX material,” Gary Scelzi, 2005 NHRA Funny Car Champion said. “The boots hug your calves and fit just like a comfortable shoe, not a bulky fire-retardant boot. It’s no surprise that Oakley has re-invented the wheel again – it’s an ingenious design that’s simple and functional.”
O-CarbonX is a proprietary blend of fibers developed by Chapman Innovations specifically for Oakley. The fabric offers unsurpassed protection against heat and flame, yet can still be worn comfortably next to the skin. O-CarbonX flame-resistant material provides a persistent protective barrier when exposed to direct flame reaching temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 seconds without shrinking, charring, or losing structural integrity.
Oakley’s O-CarbonX protective motor sports apparel is available in long-sleeve tops, bottoms and high performance racing gloves. The products are distributed by Speedware Motorsports, the largest distributor of motor sports apparel in North America. More information is available at http://oakley.com/racing.
About Chapman Innovations
Chapman Innovations develops and markets CarbonX® non-flammable fabrics. Everyday, people that work in extreme environments, including race car drivers and crews, firemen, and industrial workers depend on CarbonX® products to protect themselves from heat and flame. For more information, visit www.chapmaninnovations.com.
About Oakley, Inc.
Oakley, Inc. designs, manufactures and distributes high-performance sunglasses, prescription lenses and frames, goggles and technology-enabled eyewear that utilize the company’s High Definition Optics® (HDO®), a collective platform of patented technologies that offer unbeatable optical performance. The company also produces technical and active apparel, footwear and accessories. For more information please visit www.oakley.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3-08-06
U.S. ARMY CONTINUES SPONSORSHIP OF NHRA’S
YOUTH AND EDUCATION SERVICES PROGRAM IN 2006
GLENDORA, Calif. – The U.S. Army will continue to sponsor the NHRA Youth and Education Services (YES) program presented by the U.S. Army during the 2006 POWERade Series season, NHRA officials announced this week.
The YES program demonstrates to young men and women the variety of career opportunities within motorsports and the Army. Headlined by the U.S. Army team of three-time and defending Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher and the Pro Stock Motorcycle duo of Angelle Sampey and Antron Brown, speakers encourage students to think about how the decisions they make today will affect their career opportunities later in life. Schumacher, Sampey and Brown are all teammates under Don Schumacher Racing.
“Since becoming the presenter of the YES Program in 2000, the Army has encouraged hundreds of thousands of young men and women to identify and strengthen their individual talents to achieve life-long success,” said Col. Thomas Nickerson, director of strategic outreach for the U.S. Army Accessions Command. “We’re proud to continue this program with a new generation of young Americans.”
The U.S. Army offers a variety of experiences for NHRA fans of all ages – from an impressive interactive display complete with simulators and a rock climbing wall in Nitro Alley to its marquee series of special programs offered in the classroom or at the track.
NHRA’s Youth and Education Services Department was founded in 1989 and is one of the premier education programs in motorsports that provides quality programs and activities for schools and youth organizations nationwide. Since its inception, the department has worked directly with more than a million youngsters in free trackside and classroom programs.
At the track, students attend a 45-minute presentation by officials from NHRA, Don Schumacher Racing and the U.S. Army before receiving complimentary tickets to watch a full day of POWERade Series Drag Racing action.
In 2005, nearly 25,000 youth attended YES at events around the country. This year two Funny Car drivers, ’05 Auto Club Road to the Future award winner Robert Hight and former high school teacher Gary Densham will inspire youth with stories of their own ascents to the top ranks of the world’s fastest motorsport.
“The YES program has been invaluable to NHRA’s efforts at youth outreach,” said Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president, sales and marketing. “Our partnership with the U.S. Army has given us the chance to give youth the motivation and ability to spot their unique talents and choose a career path that makes the most of those abilities – all against the exciting backdrop of NHRA POWERade drag racing.”
As one of NHRA’s fastest growing programs, YES develops track site and classroom programs for students in kindergarten through college. Staff members team with teachers and youth leaders to focus on four themes: the need for continued education; the value of job specific training; the relevance of establishing clear, attainable goals; and awareness of the tremendous variety of career options.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 23 national events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA has 80,000 racers and members nationwide and 140 member tracks. NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series’ provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series and the Street Legal Program presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3-06-06
LEND AMERICA NAMED OFFICIAL MORTGAGE SOURCE OF NHRA
GLENDORA, Calif. (March 6, 2006) – NHRA officials announced today that Lend America, a nationwide leader in the home mortgage industry, has signed a multi-year agreement to become the Official Mortgage Source of NHRA.
The official sponsorship is Lend America’s first involvement with NHRA. In addition to the official sponsorship, Lend America also will serve as an associate sponsor for the SKULL Gear Chevy Monte Carlo Funny Car, driven by Mike Ashley, who is also a vice president with Lend America.
“As NHRA continues to welcome more non-traditional sponsors into the sport, we are happy to announce Lend America as the Official Mortgage Source of NHRA,” said Gary Darcy, senior vice president of sales and marketing, NHRA. “Our relationship with Lend America is a unique association that will provide value and benefits to all NHRA members through access to hundreds of home loan programs. Coupled with the race team sponsorship, Lend America will have a significant presence on-site at NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events.”
Lend America will be highly visible at all NHRA national events and its mortgage professionals will be available to racers and fans to answer questions and provide consultation. Lend America will introduce “NHRA Member Exclusive” loan programs, such as its AcceleRATE loan series. With its official status, Lend America will have the opportunity to utilize the NHRA logo in advertising and promotional campaigns.
“Lend America is extremely pleased to be a sponsor of the most rewarding, tradition-rich drag race venue in the world, NHRA,” Ashley said. “As a businessman, I look at NHRA and its demographic and know Lend America can provide a valuable home loan service to fit the needs of the audience. I think it’s a win-win all the way around. Being a racer myself, I look forward to continuing our high-profile association with NHRA and the increased brand awareness through the maximum exposure that each national event provides.”
Ashley, a multiple race winner in the NHRA Pro Mod Challenge in past seasons, says his goal through the official sponsorship is to get NHRA applicants the best possible terms for their purchase or refinance needs, while at the same time maximizing Lend America’s exposure and cultivating more clients for the growing company.
Lend America, with headquarters in Melville, N.Y., services clients nationally through a centralized call and control center. As a direct lender specializing in residential financing for 1- to 4-family homes, their “common sense” lending approach has benefited thousands. Clients can apply by phone, by calling toll-free 877-4-RACE-LOAN for more information or online at www.lendamerica.com.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 23 national events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA has 80,000 racers and members nationwide and 140 member tracks. NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series’ provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series and the Street Legal Program presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17
NHRA Newsmakers
Your inside glimpse at the world’s fastest motorsport
March 6, 2006
WHO’S HOT!
· NHRA TEAM OWNER FORREST LUCAS: Lucas Oil Products, a California-based motorsports industry leader with strong ties to Indiana, has won the naming rights for the new Indiana stadium in downtown Indianapolis. Beginning with the 2008 season, Lucas Oil Stadium will be home to the Indianapolis Colts, the NCAA men’s and women’s Final Four tournaments and other major sports events. Lucas Oil Products is the official oil of the NHRA and the sponsor of NHRA’s Sportsman drag racing series. In addition, Lucas Oil is the primary sponsor for Morgan Lucas’ Top Fuel dragster and the sponsor of a POWERade Series event in Brainerd, Minn. “We were drawn to the Colts organization because their leadership has the same high standards we embrace,” said Forrest Lucas, president and CEO of Lucas Oil Products. “As a worldwide company, we see Lucas Oil Stadium as an exciting investment that also makes good business sense.” He confirmed that the deal is valued at $122 million over 20 years. Lucas Oil Stadium will be a three-deck, seven-level multi-use building with a retractable roof that will seat 63,000 for football and 70,000 or more for NCAA basketball, concerts and other special events. The stadium is being built on a downtown site bounded on the north by South Street, on the east by Capitol Avenue, on the south by McCarty Street and on the west by Missouri Street. The stadium is scheduled to be open for the Colts 2008 season.
NEWS NUGGETS
- MULDOWNEY ON BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL: The Biography Channel's feature on drag racing icon Shirley Muldowney, the First Lady of Racing, will air at 8 p.m. ET, on Wednesday, March 8. No one has changed the world of drag racing like Muldowney. She broke the gender barrier, withstood discrimination and hostility, and an almost-fatal bone shattering 250-mph crash. Despite it all, Muldowney, competing in drag racing's ultimate category, Top Fuel, achieved 18 victories, nine runner-up finishes and three NHRA Top Fuel world championship titles.
- PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE SEASON OPENS IN GAINESVILLE: NHRA’s 190 mph two-wheelers will open the 2006 NHRA POWERade Series season at the upcoming ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals, March 16-19 at historic Gainesville Raceway in Florida. The first of 15 races, Gainesville Raceway seems to always bring out the best in Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors. Last season Andrew Hines rode his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to the first quarter-mile run quicker than seven seconds. His performance of 6.991 seconds earned him a $10,000 bonus from Mickey Thompson Tires for the milestone effort. Veteran rider Steve Johnson powered his Suzuki to the victory and will try to defend his title as Hines, GT Tonglet, Angelle Sampey, Antron Brown and a host of others look to open the season with a victory.
-
LEND AMERICA NAMED OFFICIAL
MORTGAGE SOURCE OF NHRA: NHRA officials announced today
that Lend America, a nationwide leader in the home mortgage industry, has
signed a multi-year agreement to become the Official Mortgage Source of NHRA.
The official sponsorship is Lend America’s first involvement with NHRA. In
addition to the official sponsorship, Lend America also will serve as an
associate sponsor for the SKULL Gear Chevy Monte Carlo Funny Car, driven by
Mike Ashley, who is also a vice
president with Lend America. Lend America will be highly visible at all NHRA
national events and its mortgage professionals will be available to racers and
fans to answer questions and provide consultation. Lend America will introduce
“NHRA Member Exclusive” loan programs, such as its AcceleRATE
loan series. With its official status, Lend America will have the opportunity
to utilize the NHRA logo in advertising and promotional campaigns. Ashley, a
multiple race winner in the NHRA Pro Mod Challenge in past seasons, says his
goal through the official sponsorship is to get NHRA applicants the best
possible terms for their purchase or refinance needs, while at the same time
maximizing Lend America’s exposure
· CAPPS CROWNED INFINEON’S KING OF THE TRACK: Ron Capps took bragging rights among the NHRA drivers participating in the fourth annual NHRA Tour de Charity at the Infineon Raceway Karting Center Saturday, turning the best lap over the circuit at 55.718 seconds. He was followed by Cory McClenathan (56.112) and Gary Scelzi (56.565). Capps has been dubbed King of the Track three of the event’s four years, with McClenathan taking the honor in 2004. The event, which coupled race fans with top NHRA drivers for a day of karting on the three-quarter mile, 16-turn kart course, raised $11,000 for Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway. All proceeds will benefit needy youth organizations in Sonoma County. Approximately 200 people attended the event overall. “I’ve come to this event three of the four years and it keeps getting better and better,” Capps said. “We’re supporting a great cause with Speedway Children’s Charities, but at the same time we got to kart all day and hang out with the fans. It’s been great.”
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- RARE DOUBLES: In the history of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, eight drivers have won multiple category titles at the same national event. David Rampy accomplished the feat at the recent Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird International Raceway by winning Comp Eliminator and Stock. It was the third time Rampy had turned a ‘double’. The complete list of drivers who have earned ‘doubles’ at NHRA national events includes: Pat Austin: Topeka 1991, Phoenix 1992; Edmond Richardson: Atlanta 1992, Phoenix 1993, Memphis 1997, St. Louis 1999, Brainerd 1999; Scotty Richardson: Phoenix 1995; Jeff Taylor: Denver 1995, Memphis 2001; Gary Stinnett: Denver 1998; Rampy: Sonoma 1998, Las Vegas 2005, Phoenix 2006; Kevin Helms: Denver 2005; Peter Biondo: Columbus (NHRA SPORTSnationals) 2005.
HE SAID, SHE SAID
· FULLER READY TO CHALLENGE FOR TF CROWN: Rod Fuller, who raced to the Top Fuel victory at the Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals at Phoenix, sits in second place in the POWERade Series standings entering the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals March 16-19 at historic Gainesville Raceway. Last season Fuller raced to a victory in three final round appearances during a limited 15 race schedule. He is running the 23 race schedule this year and feels confident about his chances for winning races and perhaps the world championship title. “A few people said maybe we'd run for a top-five spot," Fuller said. “But mostly we heard we're an unproven team. Well people are starting to see what we're capable of. This team has everything it needs to win. (crew chief) Lee Beard is the best, (team owner) David Powers gives us everything we need, and Valvoline is behind us.”
DRIVERS TELL ALL
· AND SHIRLEY SAID TO HILLARY: Rookie Top Fuel driver Hillary Will has a solid team owner in Ken Black, a proven crew chief in Jim Oberhofer and also a great mentor in legendary driver Shirley Muldowney. Will told NHRA.com reporter Rob Geiger about the best advice she received prior to her first race as a pro. “When it came down to my first race day in Pomona I had so many people giving me advice my head was spinning,” Will said. “I got strapped in the car and all these things are going through my head and I see Shirley walking back from the starting line. I didn't think she was coming to talk to me but sure enough she came straight over, leaned down in the cockpit and looked me in the eye and said, 'You just drive this car the way Hillary knows how to drive.' It's the best advice I've ever gotten because she was basically telling me to trust myself. Then I thought, 'Oh my God, Shirley Muldowney just walked all the way over here for me.' It's unreal.”
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