Cannon Looking to Repeat in Denver (NHRA)

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Round 13 of 23
MOPAR MILE-HIGH NHRA NATIONALS
Bandimere Speedway
Denver, Colorado
Race Date: July 18-20, 2003

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501, cell 203-243-2438

CANNON SEEKS TO REPEAT IN DENVER

DENVER, Colo. (July 14, 2003) - John Denver's song "Rocky Mountain High"
tells about a certain state of mind a Colorado fan might enjoy when visiting
the mile-high city of Denver and the mountains West of the city. But when
you talk about Rocky Mountain highs to an NHRA Funny Car driver, his mind
turns immediately to the unique Bandimere Speedway. This weekend's Mopar
Mile-High NHRA Nationals at the track that's located dramatically on the
side of a mountain presents new challenges for Scotty Cannon and his Oakley
Pontiac Funny Car team.

Cannon, who qualified No. 1 at last year's event here - his second low
qualifying effort in a row of the 2002 NHRA season - is making headway in
his struggle to get his new team organized and running strong. He's looking
for a repeat performance at Bandimere this weekend, and would like to add a
win to his resume, but he knows it's not going to be easy.

"One thing about Denver is it's tricky because the altitude is so high.
Unlike some places, you have trouble making power here and there's not much
air up here so you have trouble making downforce," he says.

"I think my teammates (Whit Bazemore and Gary Scelzi) with the new Dodges
are going to probably have somewhat of an advantage when it comes to
downforce and getting down the track. "

The fan-friendly Mohawk-wearing restaurant owner from Lyman, N.C., is not
discounting his car, however. "I think the Pontiacs are still in the hunt
pretty good. It's going to take a lot of tuning tricks to get the car to not
just perform but to stay stuck at the same time. It's going to be a whole
different scenario. You have to build all different motors. We're coming
here with eight completely different motors than we've run all year, which
I'm sure all the rest of the teams are doing too."

Just about everything changes on a Funny Car when you race in Denver, but
it's the same for everyone, Cannon concedes. "The car will be set up
completely differently. The spoilers will be max height so they provide the
most downforce. It's a tricky race track. Like I always say, we all race on
it. What's good for one is good for the others. It's going to come down to
whoever's got the best tune-up and gets a grip on the track the best."

With the season half over, Cannon's goals remain the same, as he seeks his
first Funny Car win in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. "We need to go
some rounds and win a race or two. That's what we need to do."

Cannon has finished 11th, sixth, 12th and eighth in the final point
standings since he entered NHRA Funny Car competition in 1999, and would
like nothing better than to move into the top 10 in points from 14th. "We
have to sneak into the top 10 somehow and that should have been a goal
completed at this point, but we fell so far behind. The car has qualified
every race and it's showing some promise, knock on wood. It's moving up
slowly but surely on the qualifying charts." His highest qualifying results
this season have come in the last five races, where he qualified in the top
half of the field three times.

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