Forget Olympic Gold - Martino has his sights
set on a Pomona "Wally"
(Note: The following is attached in text format for your convenience.)
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
Phone: (704)
662-3121
Fax: (704)
662-3021
FORGET OLYMPIC GOLD…MARTINO HAS HIS SIGHTS SET ON A POMONA "WALLY"
Martino Racing Team looks to start POWERade era with a K&N Filters NHRA
Winternationals win
Farmingdale, N.J., February 5, 2002 - This weekend, many of the world's
finest athletes will congregate in Salt Lake City, Utah for the Winter
Olympics, mining for Olympic gold in events such as skiing, bobsledding and
ice-skating. However, those enthralled by high horsepower and the pursuit of
mind-boggling speed will opt for a much warmer location in Southern
California, as the world's quickest motorsport will kick off its 51st season
with the K&N Filters NHRA Winternationals at Pomona Raceway.
Much like their Olympic brethren, the winners in Pomona will be awarded a
medal. But of even greater significance to these competitors is the other
symbol of victory they will receive - the coveted winner's trophy nicknamed
the "Wally" after NHRA founder Wally Parks. For Pro Stock standout Tom
Martino, there is almost no comparison.
"I'm sure I'll follow the Olympics when I can, pulling for the American
athletes all the way," stated Martino. "I know my daughter Jessica can't
wait to watch the figure skating, and hopes to be there someday. But my
focus this weekend will be on our Jesel Motorsports Grand Am, a particular
quarter-mile in California, and extracting every ounce of performance from
the two. Just like the competitors in Salt Lake City, we're looking for the
thrill of victory, and we get the added bonus of taking home a Wally."
There are other similarities to the Games in Utah. Just as an amateur
athlete views an Olympic medal as a necessary validation of their
accomplishments, so do many racers consider their career incomplete without a
win at Pomona Raceway. Not only is this venerable racetrack one of the
landmark facilities on the NHRA circuit, but as the bookends to the season,
its two races are also among the most historic. There is even greater
significance this year, as this race will open a new era for the sport of
drag racing, the first under new series sponsor POWERade.
"You always want to win Pomona, but this year, it's even more important,"
explained Martino. "Every racer in the pits wants their name at the top of
the winners list in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. It's a chance to
establish a little piece of drag racing history, and we're going to
everything we can to make sure our name is the one up there."
It has been an off-season of highs and lows for the Martino team. On one
hand, their confidence is buoyed by their performance in testing, which has
seen their Jesel Motorsports Grand Am deliver bracket-racer consistency.
However, their optimism is somewhat tempered by the fact that for the first
time since 1996, the Martino doorslammer will open the season without a
primary sponsor. In a calculated gamble, Martino has opted to maintain a
business-as-usual atmosphere, hoping to reap rewards both on and off the
track.
"It's frustrating, because the team is really coming together," said Martino.
"We seem to have a good handle on the car, and I would be disappointed if we
don't qualify in the top half and contend for the win on a weekly basis.
We're fortunate to have some great associate sponsors in Pontiac and Jesel,
who make it possible for us to even make to Pomona. But without some added
support in the near future, we're going to have to scale back.
"We know the addition of POWERade as a series sponsor is going to create a
lot of interest in our sport. Our philosophy is that the best way to attract
a potential sponsor is with a fast race car. Once we get their attention, we
can show them everything we can do for them. We have always raced to win,
and we'll have more reasons that ever to do so this weekend in Pomona.
Besides, the four Wallys I have at home would like some company."
Martino Moments: This will be Tom Martino's 13th appearance at the Pomona
Raceway, and 7th at the Winternationals … Tom's previous best qualifying
performance at this season-opening event is 3rd, which he accomplished in
1996 & 2000…. Tom will be looking to improve upon his semi-final
Winternationals finish from 2000… Tom finished 13th in the 2001 NHRA Winston
points standings
Fast Facts
WHAT: 42nd Annual K&N Filters NHRA Winternationals, the first event on the
23-race 2002 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Schedule.
WHEN: February 7-10, 2002
WHERE: Pomona Raceway, Pomona, California
SCHEDULE: Professional qualifying begins with single sessions on Thursday,
February 7 and Friday, February 8 at 1:30 p.m., and concludes with two
additional attempts at 12:00 & 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 9. Final
eliminations begin at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 10.
TV: There will be three shows originating from Pomona, starting on Saturday,
February 9 with ninety minutes of early qualifying highlights on ESPN, with
an additional hour on ESPN2 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. On Sunday, February 10,
ESPN will provide two hours of coverage of final eliminations from 5:00 -
7:00 p.m. (Times given are Eastern. As always, please check your local
listings.)
# # #
