NHRA: Team Amato and Russell ready to start new streak

BRAINERD, Minn. (August 13) – Top Fuel driver Darrell Russell and the
rest of Joe Amato’s Bilstein Engine Flush System racing team reveled in
their good fortune over the course of the NHRA’s recently completed
Western Swing. During consecutive weekends in Denver, Seattle, and
Sonoma, Calif., Russell and Co. became the hottest team in drag racing,
winning two events and streaking to a 10-1 mark.

Now, as the POWERade Drag Racing Series moves north for the 21st annual
Rugged Liner NHRA Nationals in Minnesota, the group – led by crew chief
Wayne Dupuy – hope to start another streak of victories that will keep
them in contention for a top finish.

“There is no reason to think this team will let off one bit,” Russell
said. “We had one of the best cars at the drag strip on the Western
Swing and if not for a few thousandths of a second in Sonoma, we might
have done even better than we did there. I think it’s impossible to
think of this Bilstein Engine Flush team as anything but a contender.”

The 33-year-old Russell raced to the finals of the Brainerd event last
year, taking runner-up honors against Larry Dixon in the final. Over the
years, Amato Racing has become the most prolific Top Fuel organization
at Brainerd International Raceway with team owner Amato winning the race
outright on six occasions (1983, ’84, ’88, ’89, ’90, and ’92) and
finishing in second place once, in 1992.

“Last year, almost every track was new to me so I leaned on Joe’s
experience a lot,” Russell said. “He obviously helped when we were in
Brainerd because we made it to the finals. This year, I’m asking him
different questions about the tracks we go to and I can tell you it
doesn’t hurt to have a five-time world champion on your side.

“Brainerd can be tricky because it’s an older track with a short launch
pad but we saw a track just like this a few weeks ago in Seattle and we
won the race. Wayne and the guys work hard at matching the car to the
track and the conditions so we can get from one end to the other every
pass. If we do that again this weekend I expect we’ll have a really nice
chance at going rounds on Sunday and putting ourselves in a position to
win.”

The ESPN2 television network will provide four hours of primetime
coverage of 21st annual Rugged Liner Nationals. Highlights of the
qualifying rounds will air from 7-9 p.m. (CST) Saturday with
elimination-round coverage running from 8-10 p.m. (CST) Sunday. A
rebroadcast of the entire race will occur from 2-4 a.m. (CST), Friday,
August 30.