Long March to NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Titles Begins Again This Weekend in Pomona

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 2 More than 600 National Hot Road
Association Federal-Mogul category drag racers are assembling at legendary
Pomona (Calif.) Raceway this weekend to kick off NHRA's 50th anniversary
racing season at the NHRA AutoZone Winternationals.  This is the first stop in
a 10-month battle for national and divisional points championships and more
than $560,000 in prize money through the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series
during this historic season.  The Series is sponsored by Federal-Mogul
Corporation , a global manufacturer of vehicle components and
systems.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000525/DETH025LOGO )
    The AutoZone Winternationals began with qualifying action Thursday and
continue through final eliminations Sunday afternoon.
    The Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series covers all national- and divisional-
event racing in NHRA's largest classes: Federal-Mogul Dragster, Federal-Mogul
Funny Car, Competition, Super Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Gas and Super
Street.  More than 30,000 NHRA members are registered within the Federal-Mogul
sportsman categories.
    The AutoZone Nationals will feature many of the best-known and most
successful drivers in all of sportsman drag racing, including four-time
defending Federal-Mogul Dragster pilot Rick Santos; Federal-Mogul Funny Car
competitors Jay Payne, John Hyland and defending AutoZone Winternationals
champion Larry Miner; and former national Super Stock champion Jimmy DeFrank.
    "Pomona always brings out the best drivers along the West Coast as well as
many top teams from other NHRA divisions," said Federal-Mogul Motorsports
Coordinator Kent Chalfant.  "A win here says a lot about a team's off-season
preparation and engine-building program."
    In addition to Federal-Mogul's title sponsorship of all NHRA sportsman
racing, its Sealed Power(R) engine parts brand is an official brand of NHRA,
the first partnership of its kind between an aftermarket engine parts
manufacturer and the world's largest motorsports sanctioning body.
    Federal-Mogul also sponsors the new Sealed Power Low-Qualifier Award,
which pays out top-qualifier monies in five racing categories at every NHRA
national and divisional event.  Sealed Power joins Federal-Mogul's other
leading "underhood" brands -- Champion(R) spark plugs and Fel-Pro(R)
gaskets -- in a sponsorship package supporting 1999 NHRA Top Fuel Champion
Tony Schumacher.
    "These marketing partnerships make sense for our business and our brands,"
said Jay Burkhart, vice president of marketing for Federal-Mogul.  "Creating
maximum engine power is at the very heart of NHRA competition, and it's
exactly what Federal-Mogul's underhood brands do best."
    Federal-Mogul stepped forward in 1997 to become only the second title
sponsor in the 50-year history of NHRA sportsman competition.  As a result of
the company's involvement, prize purses have increased and fan and media
appreciation of the sportsman classes has exploded on both the national and
divisional levels.
    "As NHRA celebrates its 50th anniversary, Federal-Mogul is proud to take
its involvement to a new level, and we look forward to the exciting year
ahead," Burkhart said.
    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.  Visit the company's web site at
http://www.federal-mogul.com for more information.  Federal-Mogul's press
releases are available by fax through Company News On-Call; call 800-758-5804,
ext. 306225.