NHRA: Martino tends to more than racing in Columbus
16 June 2000
Racing pilot has twin tasks while in town for the Pontiac Excitement Nationals Parsippany, New Jersey, June 16, 2000 - As one of the stars of the NHRA's Winston Drag Racing Series, Tom Martino has many responsibilities. Naturally, most revolve around preparing and racing his CENTURY 21 Pro Stock Firebird. For example, between events he will spend long hours at Jesel Valvetrain Innovation handling the requirements of his job as well as working on his racing engines. Once in town for the race, Martino will spend little time away from the track as he and the crew ready their racecar for competition. There are times, however, when the demands for Martino's time come far from the quarter-mile, but the significance is even greater than posting a quick elapsed time. Such is the case this weekend, when the drag racing circuit winds its way to Columbus, Ohio for the Pontiac Excitement Nationals. As the 1997 winner of this event, Martino knows full well what it takes to succeed at National Trail Raceway and the entire team will be focused on repeating that accomplishment on Sunday. But a few days before the event, Martino will be participating in something that for the moment will put on-track activities in the backseat. On Thursday, June 15, Martino will be part of a small group of Pontiac drivers that will visit the Columbus Children's Hospital, one of the nation's foremost facilities in pediatric care. They will spend the afternoon with the children and their families, distributing gift bags, signing autographs and talking about racing. In addition, the kids will have the opportunity to see an NHRA Pro Stock racecar, as the CENTURY 21 Firebird will also be on hand. As a father of three, Tom Martino realizes just how important such distractions can be to a sick child. "My family and my children mean the world to me. My wife Robin and I try to bring our three kids to as many races as possible without interfering with their schooling or other activities. I know that whenever any of them are ill, I do anything I can to make them feel better. The way I see it, if taking one afternoon to visit with these kids in Columbus helps them in any way, it will have already been a great weekend for the CENTURY 21 racing team," explained Martino. As for the upcoming race, Martino said, "This is an important race for the CENTURY 21 Racing Team. We've had a car capable of winning the race a couple of times this year, but have yet to make it to the winner's circle. We'd really like to put it all together this weekend in Columbus. But before we even turn a wheel on the track, I'll be joining some fellow Firebird racers in something that I think will make winners out of everyone involved." Century 21 Real Estate Corporation (www.century21.com) is the franchisor of the world's largest residential real estate sales organization, providing comprehensive training, management, administrative and marketing support for the CENTURY 21Ò System. The System is comprised of more than 6,300 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in more than 28 countries and territories worldwide. CENTURY 21 Real Estate Corporation is a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE:CD) and is part of the move.com family of relocation, real estate and home-related service companies. MARTINO MOMENTS: Tom Martino will be making a personal appearance from 4 -7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14 at Dave Gill Pontiac-GMC, 4700 Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio. For directions, please call (317) 843-5447 ….This will be Tom Martino's fifth Pro Stock appearance at National Trail Raceway, where he looks to duplicate his winning performance from 1997…Martino's best qualifying performance in Columbus is 7th, which he accomplished in 1997… Martino currently sits 10th in the Winston Points Standings. Fast Facts WHAT: 36th annual Pontiac Excitement Nationals, the eleventh event on the 23-race 2000 NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Schedule. WHEN: June 15 -18, 2000 WHERE: National Trail Raceway, Hebron, Ohio SCHEDULE: Pro Stock qualifying sessions start with two rounds on Friday, June 16 at 2:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m., concluding on Saturday, June 17 with another two rounds at 11:00 a.m. and 5:3o p.m. Final eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 18. TV: ESPN2 will air two hours of qualifying highlights from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 17, followed by two hours of final eliminations coverage on Sunday, June 18 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. (Times given are Eastern. As always, please consult your local listings)