Mopar NHRA News & Notes --- Funny Car Update

MOPAR PARTS & DODGE MOTORSPORTS NHRA NEWS & NOTES

DODGE STRATUS R/T NITRO FUNNY CAR UPDATE: THE NEW BODY

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 7, 2001) - Mopar Parts driver Dean Skuza is heading
into this weekend's 37th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA
Nationals at Pomona Raceway with one eye firmly placed on 2002.

Armed with a new Mopar Parts-sponsored Dodge Stratus R/T Nitro Funny Car
body for the season-opening 2002 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Skuza can't
wait to get started on next year's Funny Car title chase.

"We'll have a body that will allow us to compete for a NHRA championship,"
said Skuza, who has one final round appearance this season (Gainesville,
Fla.). "The new body that Mopar engineers have designed, along with Roush
Industries, will revolutionize how we design and develop Funny Car bodies in
the future. We want to be able to compete week in and week out for national
event titles. We haven't been able to do that this year, and a lot of that
has to do with how old our R/T body is. 

"When you look at it, even though we've tweaked it over the years, our body
was state-of-the art in 1992," Skuza added. "And we've been competitive with
that handicap. We have all the tools to be real contenders next season. If
you look at it closely, we're the only exclusively single-car operation that
will finish in the top 10 in points. It shows what kind of team that we
have.

"All of those other teams have an advantage now," Skuza continued. "There
have been many, many times this season when our body cost us a round of
competition. You have these well-funded teams out there, with all their new
equipment and technology, and we're right there with them. They have gotten
away from us a little here at the end of the season, but we're still right
there. One mistake over in that other lane and - before you know it - we
could be in another final. I'm tired of using the body as our excuse
however, even though it is a valid one."

Skuza was able to notch a career-best 4.794-second elapsed time during
qualifying at Route 66 Raceway earlier this year.

"This has turned out to be a formative year for the whole operation," Skuza
said. "We have put in place the components that will help us in next year's
title chase. Next year, it isn't or goal to just win races. We want to
challenge John Force and the other top teams 

Mopar NHRA News & Notes
for the title. We're going to have the tools to do that next season. The
Mopar engineers 
are seeing to that right now."

Mopar aero whiz Terry DeKonninck, who was instrumental in the design and
development if the Pro Stock Dodge Neon R/T, has been heavily involved in
the design of the new Funny Car body.

"Terry has done a fantastic job for us," said Brett Fischer, Mopar
Motorports drag racing program manager. "We've also been using the expertise
and experience of Roush Industries. I can't tell you the enthusiasm Mopar
has for this new body. Let's just say that all of the Mopar fans will be
pleasantly surprised."

OSBORNE VENTURES OUT

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 7, 2001) - When Mopar Parts driver Mark Osborne isn't
behind the wheel of his Hemi-powered Dodge Neon R/T Pro Stock entry, you
might catch the Abingdon, Va., resident at one of his son's motocross
events.

On Jan. 4, son Zach, who has won many junior-level motocross events and
titles, will watch his father take center stage on a motorcycle in the
Crossover Challenge at the 2002 EA Sports SuperCross season-opener at Edison
International Field in Anaheim, Calif.

"Zach's success and interest in motocross racing has gotten me really
interested in this great sport," said Osborne, who currently holds the
fastest speed in NHRA Pro Stock history at 204.35 mph. "They are completely
different disciplines, but are just as competitive. I'm really looking
forward to the challenge.

Osborne will be one of the many celebrities taking part in the annual event,
which pits non-riders against each other in a Supercross bike challenge.
Other celebrities taking part include musician Vanilla Ice and rock band
Godsmack member Robbie Merrill. Also competing will be skateboarding legend
Steve Caballero, Popular Hot Rodding Television and Popular Hot Rodding
Magazine editor Cameron Evans, CART FedEx Championship Series standout Memo
Gidley and Ironman Triathelete Scott Tinley, among others. 

"I have done some motorcross racing myself," Osborne continued. "I'm sure I
be just as competitive in that as I am when I line up on Sunday. When I take
on a challenge, I always want to win."

FACTORY WARS

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 5, 2001) - The 37th annual Auto Club of Southern
California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway will mark the end of another NHRA
Winston Drag Racing Series season.

For Team Mopar, it's been a year of record-breaking performances highlighted
by an exciting victory in Seattle. The Hemi-powered Mopar Parts Dodge Neon
R/T of Mark Osborne became the first and only Pro Stock car to eclipse the
204-mph mark after blistering the Maple Grove Raceway (Reading, Pa.) quarter
mile in 204.35 mph, while teammate Darrell Alderman posted the first sub
6.80-second run at the same event with a 6.788-second lap.

"I'm real pleased with what we've put together this season," said Alderman,
a three-time NHRA Winston Pro Stock World Champion. "We have the power and
now with the new Neon, we have the car. We've now had some time to work on
this combination, so we'll go all out for the championship next season. 

"I'm also pretty confident about this weekend," Alderman added. "I made the
finals here in the opener and that was with the older car."

The new Neons haven't disappointed since their debut at this year's Mopar
Parts Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo. Both
Osborne and Alderman dominated the Seattle event, lining up the first
all-Mopar Pro Stock final since 1995. Osborne not only won that race, but
also holds the second quickest lap in NHRA Pro Stock history when he posted
a 6.754-second run in eliminations.

"It's pretty amazing to see what these new cars have accomplished," Osborne
said. "When you look at how competitive this category is it makes what (team
owner) David (Nickens) accomplished in just two races. The potential for
great things is there."

"Now we just need to be consistent with that potential."

This will also be the final race for long-time NHRA sponsor Winston.

"We also can't forget our friends over at Winston," Alderman commented.
"They have been around for such a long time and have given a lot to those of
us in drag racing. They are truly going to be missed. It's hard to find a
sponsor that shares the same passion for the sport that the racers do."