Hundreds of NHRA Federal-Mogul Racers Ready to Inaugurate Las Vegas Motor Speedway
7 April 2000
Hundreds of NHRA Federal-Mogul Racers Ready to Inaugurate Las Vegas Motor Speedway
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 6 One of the world's best-known
streets -- the Las Vegas "Strip" -- will see plenty of competition this
weekend from nearby Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which kicks off its inaugural
drag racing season with the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.
For the hundreds of Sportsman competitors who have come to town to battle
for national points in the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series, the stakes
will be at least as high as those found on the gaming tables of many local
casinos.
"This is a critical point of the season for NHRA Division 7 competitors in
the Federal-Mogul categories," said Shelley Pepmeier, motorsports manager for
series sponsor Federal-Mogul Corporation . "They've already had
the opportunity to race on the national level at Pomona and Phoenix, and this
weekend will allow a few to establish themselves as the cars to beat for a
national title."
One of those drivers -- one few would bet against any weekend -- is three-
time defending Federal-Mogul Dragster Champion Rick Santos, of San Leandro,
Calif. Santos' Oakwood Homes-sponsored, alcohol-fueled dragster has dominated
the field in each of its first three events -- at the Pomona and Phoenix
national races and a divisional points battle in Tucson, Ariz.
"Rick ran a 5.39 e.t. in testing prior to the 1999 season and was
consistently in the 5.40s and low 5.50s over the course of last year's
series," Pepmeier said. "This year he's run only one or two passes that
haven't been in the 5.30s, so he's definitely the man to beat. Somehow, he
keeps coaxing more power and speed out of his car."
The battle in the popular Federal-Mogul Funny Car class should be wide
open, however, as archrivals Tony Bartone and three-time defending champion
Frank Manzo -- both based on the East Coast -- aren't expected to compete in
Las Vegas. The two took their national title chase to the next-to-the-last
event of the 1999 racing season, with Manzo surviving the challenge in spite
of four head-to-head losses to Bartone throughout the year.
"Last year's battle in the Federal-Mogul Funny Car class represented the
very best of Sportsman competition," Pepmeier said. "Frank and Tony couldn't
have been more evenly matched, and it certainly appears as though they're both
ready to take it up a notch in 2000."
This weekend's event -- the fourth of 23 national stops on the NHRA
schedule -- will feature competition in six of the eight NHRA Federal-Mogul
categories: Federal-Mogul Dragster, Federal-Mogul Funny Car, Competition,
Stock, Super Comp and Super Gas. The Super Stock and Super Street classes
will not compete in Las Vegas.
The NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series covers all Sportsman competition
on the national and divisional levels. Racers compete for national and
divisional points titles and more than $400,000 in annual championship award
bonuses.
"The Federal-Mogul Series was established at a time when Sportsman racing
was ready to step up in terms of prestige and fan involvement," Pepmeier said.
"Federal-Mogul was in a similar position -- we had assembled many of the best-
known brands and product lines in the automotive industry, and we were looking
to generate greater awareness of our engineering and manufacturing
leadership."
By all accounts, both parties are stronger as a result of the Federal-
Mogul program. Sportsman competitors have enjoyed significantly larger prize
purses, increased television exposure and greater print media coverage. And
Federal-Mogul, which has tied its racing involvement to its best-known engine
brands and product lines -- Champion(R) spark plugs, Fel-Pro(R) gaskets and
Sealed Power(R) engine parts -- has won the hearts of the more than 30,000
competitors.
Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, Federal-Mogul Corporation
is an automotive parts manufacturer providing innovative solutions and systems
to global customers in the automotive, small engine, heavy-duty and industrial
markets. The company was founded in 1899.