NHRA Unveils Owner's Cup Program
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
March 27, 2001GLENDORA, Calif. - The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) announced today the creation of the first-ever NHRA Owner's Cup championship. The new season-long program will grant a separate championship award to individual team owners in three of NHRA's professional categories whose team earns the most points during the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series season.
Team owner point standings will be tabulated using the same points structure as drivers that compete in the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series. Team owners in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will earn points based on each NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series event entered (10 points for making at least one qualifying attempt), qualifying position (1-8 points), elimination rounds (20-100 points) and national elapsed time records (20 points). The maximum number of points that can be earned per event is 138.
"As our sport continues to evolve it has become necessary to establish this new and exciting championship points award program to recognize the dedicated team owners," said Graham Light, senior vice president of racing operations for NHRA. "The level of commitment demonstrated each season by those individuals responsible for fielding the awesome racing vehicles in the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series is tremendous and our Owner's Cup program is designed to reward the very best of the best each year."
Multiple-car owners such as John Force and Don Prudhomme will earn separate owner points for each entry, not combined points for all entries fielded in a single category. Owners Cup championship point standings will be published each week in National DRAGSTER and following each event on NHRA.com.
The NHRA Owner's Cup will be presented to winning team owners in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock at NHRA's season-ending awards ceremony.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., the NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 24 national events through its NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series. The NHRA has more than 80,000 members nationwide and more than 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series' provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series, NHRA Summit Import Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Street Legal Program. The NHRA also offers the NHRA Castrol GTX Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17.
Text provided by Anthony Vestal
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