TOUGH NEW ERA OF COMPETITION MAY BEGIN AT PHOENIX

FROM NHRA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHANDLER, Ariz. -- If preseason test sessions are any indication, the rules may have changed to play the game this season at Firebird International Raceway.

Six Top Fuel drivers who tested at Firebird during the third weekend of January made passes quicker than 4.90 seconds. Two were in the 4.70-second range.

That performance during a test session -- usually reserved just for tinkering with new setups and shaking off a winter's worth of rust -- has sent a message to the world of NHRA Winston Drag Racing: If a driver wants to make the Top Fuel field at the ATSCO Nationals in February, a time in the 4.90-second range may not cut it.

A new era of unprecedented competition may start at the 12th annual, $1,411,550 ATSCO Nationals, Feb. 22-25 at Firebird International Raceway. The race is the second of 19 events in the $27-million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series in 1996.

Last year at Firebird, Rhonda Hartman earned the final qualifying spot in Top Fuel with a pass of 5.159 seconds, 284.00 mph. The final qualifier for the 16-car field this season should be at least two-tenths of a second quicker.

It's possible that the quickest field in NHRA Top Fuel history could be recorded during the ATSCO Nationals if weather conditions are favorable. The quickest field came in October 1994 at Pomona, Calif., when Shelly Anderson was No. 1 at 4.718 seconds and Scott Kalitta No. 16 at 4.887.

A leading contender for the top spot and victory at the ATSCO Nationals could be Kenny Bernstein. He recorded a pass of 4.708 seconds, 305 mph in the Budweiser King Dragster during the test session. That pass was quicker than the track record of 4.723 seconds set by Blaine Johnson at the 1995 ATSCO Nationals.

A victory by Bernstein would complete a dramatic turnaround from his fortunes in 1995 at Firebird. He struggled to qualify 14th at 5.130 and lost in the quarterfinals.

Other contenders should be 1993 NHRA Winston champion Eddie Hill, who made a test pass of 4.799, 299.60. Shelly Anderson, runner-up at the 1995 event, also should make a strong showing in the Western Auto Dragster. She made a test pass of 4.945, 297.71 at Firebird and followed the next weekend with a test pass of 4.758, 306.53 at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif.

Big numbers also could be enhanced by big drama.

That was the case in 1995, when Larry Dixon earned his first career victory in just his second race in the Miller Genuine Draft Dragster owned by Don "The Snake" Prudhomme.

John Force also earned a dramatic victory in the Castrol GTX Pontiac Firebird, as he qualified 12th for the Funny Car field on his last pass but recovered during final eliminations.

Force could face tough opposition from his shop this year, as he fields a two-car team for the first time. Tony Pedregon drove one of Force's cars to a stunning pass of 4.997, 297.52 during the testing weekend in January at Firebird.

Schedule: Pro qualifying starts at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 23 and continues with the first evening qualifying session of the season at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23. Qualifying ends with sessions at noon and 4 p.m. Feb. 24. Final eliminations start at 11 a.m. Feb. 25. Sportsman competition starts at 10 a.m. Feb. 22.

Tickets: Tickets are available for the ATSCO Nationals. Call Firebird International Raceway at (800) DRAG-INFO for ticket information 24 hours per day. Tickets can be purchased at Dillard's or by calling (800) 638-4253.

On TV: ESPN will televise a one-hour show of highlights from the ATSCO Nationals at 7 p.m. (MST) March 11.