NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series Moves East For Virginia Nationals in Richmond
29 April 2000
NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series Moves East For Virginia Nationals in Richmond
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 28 Anything can happen when
you're drag racing in April in Virginia, so the hundreds of NHRA Federal-Mogul
Drag Racing Series teams heading to this weekend's Virginia Nationals in
Richmond can expect more than a few surprises, on and off the track.
The NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series, established in 1997, covers all
Sportsman competition in eight racing classes. Racers compete for national
and divisional titles and more than $400,000 in annual championship award
bonuses. The series is sponsored by Federal-Mogul Corporation (NYSE: FMO), a
global manufacturer of automotive, small engine, heavy-duty and industrial
components and systems.
Mother Nature was the dominant player at Virginia Motorsports Park in
1999, with rain forcing cancellation of Thursday qualifying and Sunday
eliminations in the Federal-Mogul categories. Speed was another major
variable, with the cool springtime temperatures boosting horsepower and
creating unpredictable track conditions.
Regardless of this weekend's ambient temperatures, there will be plenty of
heat on the track, especially in the Federal-Mogul Funny Car category, which
will see the renewal of one of the fiercest rivalries in all of drag racing --
between three-time defending NHRA Federal-Mogul Funny Car Champion Frank Manzo
and 1999 Series runner-up and 1996 champion Tony Bartone. Manzo got the best
of Bartone earlier this season in winning the Mac Tools Gatornationals, and in
doing so ran the second-, third- and fourth-quickest times ever -- 5.52, 5.54
and 5.59 seconds, respectively.
Bartone, who beat Manzo in four head-to-head meetings last year and
already has raced in two national and five divisional events in 2000, leads
the defending champion by approximately 300 national championship points.
"It's very early in the season for Frank, but he clearly has brought a lot
of new power to the track this year," said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Manager
Shelley Pepmeier. "The points battle in the Federal-Mogul Funny Car class is
representative of all of the Federal-Mogul categories -- the competition is
getting tighter and the cars faster. And that's exactly what the fans like to
see."
This weekend's event -- the sixth of 23 national stops on the NHRA
schedule -- will feature competition in all eight NHRA Federal-Mogul
categories: Federal-Mogul Dragster, Federal-Mogul Funny Car, Competition,
Stock, Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street.
"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 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
Sportsman competitors, many of whom are professional technicians and engine
builders by trade.
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. For more information on Federal-
Mogul's Motorsports involvement, visit the company's web site at
http://www.federal-mogul.com . Federal-Mogul's press releases are available by fax
through Company News On-Call, at 800-758-5804, ext. 306225.