NHRA Pre-Race: Hammonds' High-Speed Education Continues in Memphis

Crestview, Fla., September 18, 2002 - For the third time in his career, Tom 
Hammonds finds himself acquiring an education.  The first instance came as a 
freshman at Georgia Tech University, where the Crestview, Fla. high school 
standout learned the basics of a major college basketball program.  Four 
years later, the learning process renewed itself as Hammonds made the 
transition from college to the highest level in basketball - the NBA.  

Now, having hung up his sneakers after twelve years, Hammonds' schooling 
starts anew as he works to establish himself in NHRA POWERade Drag Racing 
Series as the owner, driver, and crew chief of the Winnebago/GM Vehicle Care 
Pro Stock Cavalier.  Throughout the year Hammonds has used lessons learned in 
the first two stages to ease the burden in his latest endeavor.  

"All through our first full year in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, I 
have drawn on my experience from my freshman year at Georgia Tech and rookie 
season with the Washington Bullets to help me through it," explained 
Hammonds.  "For example, just as I worked to continually better my skills as 
a player, so have I tried to do with my racing program.  I'm always looking 
for ways to improve, as a driver and, more recently, the tuner of my 
Winnebago/GM Vehicle Care Cavalier.  This not only includes our on-track 
performance, but also my interaction with my teammates and sponsors.

"I also try to equate everything we've gone through this year with my 
experiences in the NBA.  We haven't been running well of late, and the end of 
the season is rapidly approaching, which reminds me of teams fighting to end 
the year on a high note and maybe make the playoffs.  Some of the lesser 
teams will just mail it in, while others keep battling.  We have five races 
left, and there's plenty of fight left in us."

The season has provided the Hammonds crew with performances at both ends of 
the spectrum.  Six times Hammonds has qualified in the top half of the field, 
including his second place efforts in Gainesville and Chicago.  Once in 
eliminations, he has also fared well, with only one first round loss to go 
with two semi-final finishes and a runner-up performance at Route 66 Raceway 
in June.  However, more times than the former power forward would like to 
admit, he has been a reluctant spectator on Sunday.  Even so, he views this 
year's events as laying the groundwork for a long-term, successful operation.

"We've had some great times and some tough moments this season," detailed 
Hammonds,  "but those are all part of the learning curve you have you to go 
through when you participate in the most competitive division in all of 
motorsports.  I'm sure we've had situations where our collective inexperience 
might have prevented us from bouncing back from adversity as quickly as we'd 
like. The one common denominator between the teams competing for the 
championship and national event wins on a weekly basis is experience, and 
that is what this Winnebago/GM Vehicle Care team is gaining throughout the 
year.  

"But we're not going to make excuses.  We're just going to go out, give one 
hundred and ten percent, and if things don't work out in our favor, we'll 
work even harder.  As long as we continue to learn and improve as a team, 
we'll finish the season in strong fashion and put ourselves in position for 
an even better showing next year.  Our time will come."

This weekend, the Hammonds crew heads to Memphis for the O'Reilly Midsouth 
Nationals.  Armed with encouraging data from recent runs and a pre-race test 
session in St. Louis, they look to begin what they hope will be a strong end 
to the season.  However, as Hammonds acknowledges, there are other reasons 
besides racing fueling their pre-race anticipation.

"I'm definitely looking forward to going to back to Memphis," stated 
Hammonds.  "Not only is it Elvis and barbecue country, but we've run well at 
Memphis Motorsports Park.  It also brings back memories of a year ago, when 
that race was our first after the September 11 tragedies.  I will never 
forget all the drivers during the pre-race ceremonies unfurling that huge 
American flag.  That's an occasion I'll never forget, and I'd certainly like 
to add another special Memphis moment with our Winnebago/GM Vehicle Care 
Cavalier this weekend."

Hammonds Highlights: Tom is looking to qualify for the second time at Memphis 
Motorsports Park… One year ago, Tom qualified 5th at the Midsouth Nationals, 
but was upset by Larry Morgan in the first round …Tom is currently 15th in 
the NHRA POWERade Points standings with 532 points.

Fast Facts

WHAT:   15th annual O'Reilly Midsouth Nationals,                              
      
the nineteenth race on the 23-race 2002 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 
Schedule.

WHEN:   September 20-22, 2002

WHERE:  Memphis Motorsports Park, Millington, Tennessee

SCHEDULE:   Professional qualifying begins with two sessions on Friday, 
September 20 at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m., and concludes with two final sessions on 
Saturday, September 21 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.  Final eliminations will 
start at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 22.

TV: ESPN2 will air coverage from Memphis, starting with two hours of 
qualifying highlights from 10:00 p.m. - 12:00 midnight on Saturday, September 
21.  Final eliminations coverage will be broadcast on Sunday, September 22, 
with three hours from 4:00  - 7:00 p.m.  The NHRA's weekly magazine show, 
NHRA2Day will on Sunday, September 22 from 11:00-11:30 a.m. (Times given are 
Eastern.  As always, please check your local listings.)