NHRA NEWSMAKERS: Feb. 19, 2007

* FORCE VISITS DAYTONA: John Force, 14-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car world champion and one of the greatest ambassadors for all motorsports, visited Daytona International Speedway Feb. 16 to meet with media and many NASCAR personalities, including Mark Martin, who said Force is his racing hero. In addition to touring the garage area and meeting with many of his friends who compete in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, Force addressed media during a press conference in the infield media center, made a guest appearance in the pit area for an interview with Allen Bestwick during ESPN's coverage of NASCAR Busch Series qualifying, and was a guest with the Motor Racing Network's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody on Sirius Satellite Radio. Force ended his day as a special guest host of Speed TV's popular Trackside show, and joined regular hosts Steve Byrnes, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Hammond, and Larry McReynolds for an hour of lively discussion. During his press conference he was asked about what happens if you get caught cheating in NHRA. Force: "You get fined. And the trick is, I guess, if you're going to cheat, don't get caught, at least that's how we look at it over there in drag racing. But, to be honest, I've never cheated. And I've even asked my crew chief because I'm not a real motor head, I'm just a driver and a promoter and an owner, but I said to my drivers, I've got 30 years in this sport, and I've got 14 championships, 15 championships overall with one of my other drivers, and I said it's no time in my career to cheat and I don't ever want to go down that road, and my boys say OK." To view a transcript containing highlights from his press conference, click here http://www.nhra.com/content/news/18474.htm; to see a photo gallery of his visit, click here http://www.nhra.com/content/news/18476.htm

* CSK/NHRA FAN FEST SET FOR WEDNESDAY IN PHOENIX: The annual Checker Schuck's Kragen/NHRA Fan Fest will take place Wednesday, Feb. 21 from 5-8 p.m. in the Arizona Mills Mall parking area in Tempe to give race fans attending the NHRA Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals, Feb. 23-25 at Firebird International Raceway a chance to meet some of the stars of NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series and experience other drag racing-related attractions. Among the all-stars on hand will be four-time Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher; 2006 rookie of the year J.R. Todd; top 10 Top Fuel drivers Melanie Troxel, Hillary Will, Cory McClenathan, and "Hot Rod" Fuller; Checker Schuck's Kragen Funny Car pilots Del Worsham and Jeff Arend, national event-winning Funny Car racer Eric Medlen, and Pro Stock ace Erica Enders. Several NHRA race cars will be on display during the Fan Fest, including the Checker Schuck's Kragen Funny Cars of Worsham and Arend. In addition, a variety of NHRA sportsman race cars and NHRA Jr. Dragsters also will be on display. All of the display cars will fire up their engines at once, allowing visitors to experience the sight and sounds of NHRA POWERade Drag Racing at one time. The POWERade Funny Car Simulators also will be on hand, allowing fans to experience the feel of driving a 7,000 horsepower Funny Car. Compete against NHRA drivers or other members of the media for bragging rights in these sophisticated video simulation machines of actual Funny Cars. The Arizona Mills Mall is located at 5000 Arizona Mills Circle, Tempe, AZ 85282. The Fan Fest will take place in the southwest corner next to the Baseline entrance.

* TORCO SPONSORS CHICAGO EVENT: Torco Racing Fuels, a leading manufacturer of high-performance fuels, has signed a multiyear agreement with NHRA to become the title sponsor of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event held in the Chicagoland area. The 10th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals, June 7-10, is the 10th of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The event, at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., has produced some of the quickest times and fastest speeds in motorsports history. It will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD. This sponsorship increases Torco Racing Fuels' involvement in NHRA. The company also sponsors a POWERade Series national event in Virginia, as well as provides support to a stable of talented drivers, including Melanie Troxel, J.R. Todd, Mike Ashley, Morgan Lucas, Clay Millican, and Dave Connolly.

* NHRA JR. DRAG RACER IN NBC "GREASE" AUDITION: When the Broadway production of "Grease" opens in June, a former NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League participant may be front and center in the role of Danny Zuko, the car-loving bad boy who falls for good girl Sandy. Derek Keeling, who raced Jr. Dragsters in the mid-1990s, is one of five finalists for the role of Danny on the new NBC reality series "Grease: You're the One That I Want." Using viewer votes each week, the show will cast a pair of newcomers into the roles of Danny and Sandy for the Broadway production. Keeling along with the other four "Danny" finalists are still in contention for the title role. Keeling, known as "Wholesome Danny" on the show, grew up in Charleston, W.Va. The 26-year-old performer has six years of vocal training and five years of theatre training, including earning a bachelor of arts degree in theatre from the University of Kentucky. His father, Roger, continues to race in NHRA competition in the Super Stock category. Please visit http://www.nbc.com/Grease/. The show airs Sunday nights on NBC at 8 p.m. (ET).

COMING ATTRACTIONS

* CHECKER SCHUCK'S KRAGEN NHRA NATIONALS, PHOENIX, FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, FEB. 23-25: The second stop on the POWERade Series tour offers intense side-by-side racing. The sport's first 330 mph run was logged at this quarter-mile track in 1999 by Tony Schumacher.

* ACDELCO NHRA GATORNATIONALS, GAINESVILLE, FLA., GAINESVILLE RACEWAY, MARCH 15-18: The third stop on the POWERade Series tour features the season debut for the Pro Stock Motorcycle category. An annual East Coast tradition, the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals features one of the biggest spectator crowds of the season. * O'REILLY

NHRA SPRING NATIONALS, HOUSTON, HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK, MARCH 30-APRIL 1: The fourth stop on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series will bring the competitors to the Lone Star state for what is always an ultra-fast event. Last season Melanie Troxel advanced to her fifth consecutive final round (dating back to the final event in 2005) setting an all-time NHRA POWERade Series record for consecutive final rounds by a woman in NHRA history.

INSIDE THENUMBERS

* 18: "Fast" Jack Beckman, driver of the Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, and his wife Jenna hosted 18 second-graders from Heritage Elementary School, Phelan, Calif., during the CARQUEST Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The students' field trip included a question and answer session for 2003 Super Comp champion Beckman and his wife Jenna, also a Super Comp racer who is expecting the couple's first child on March 28. Beckman, driver of the NHRA national record-holding Funny Car, with a performance of 4.662 seconds and 333.66 mph at last season's Auto Club Finals, also is an instructor at Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School, a cancer survivor, and former Air Force sergeant. "What a wonderful group," said Beckman. "They're curious; they're great with the questions. But the cool thing too was their parents all came out and chaperoned them and I think they had as good a time or better than the kids did. The kids had never been to a drag race. They knew their teacher raced and coming out here and seeing all the big cars I think made their teacher (also a sportsman drag racer, Ms. Joy Linehan) 10 feet taller in their eyes. So, it was a really neat experience."

DRIVERS TELL ALL

* BERNSTEIN SAYS '07 FUNNY CAR PROMISES MORE DRAMA: Six-time NHRA world champ Kenny Bernstein, who ended his nearly three-year retirement to return to competition this year, had to put his return to racing on Sunday on hold for one more week after failing to qualify at the ultra-quick season-opening Winternationals. His 4.847-second effort was good enough for 20th, which was well off the record bump spot of 4.795 seconds. Bernstein, who dominated Funny Car in the mid-1980s with four consecutive championships (1985-'88), hopes for better results in Phoenix this week. "This category promises to be filled with much drama," Bernstein said. "At Pomona, the qualified field was the quickest in NHRA history and there were big names bumping in and out of the starting line-up. Our team is dedicated and has been putting forth every effort to get this car running quick and fast."

HE SAID, SHE SAID

* FULLER LOVES THE ROLE OF SPOILER: Defending Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals Top Fuel winner Rod Fuller has no regrets for denying Melanie Troxel and Tommy Johnson Jr. a spot in NHRA history as the first husband and wife to celebrate in an NHRA winner's circle together, trophies in hand. Last season at Firebird International Raceway the married couple nearly pulled off the double victory, however Fuller maintained focus and upset Troxel in the Top Fuel final while Johnson was already waiting at the top end as the Funny Car winner. "I like playing spoiler," Fuller said. "I was sitting in the car and I could hear them over the PA system talking about the husband-and-wife win. I went there to win the race and I enjoy the underdog role. It was a big win for me. The victory also provided Fuller's team with a boost of early season confidence and let his peers know that he was for real. "We wanted to let everyone know that we were championship contenders," Fuller said. "A lot of people thought, yeah right. And in the second race out, we won the race and were second in the points. I think it opened some eyes. It was exciting to start my first full season in Top Fuel with a win early on."