IHRA Pre Race: Harold Martin Looks to Extend His Points Lead in Edmonton While Remembering a Fallen Comrade

Contact: Jon G. Knapp
									TMG Sports Marketing 
									Phone: (704) 662-3121
									jgknapp@tmgsports.net
Team ACDelco Pre-Race
Harold Martin, Owner/Driver
ACDelco Pro Modified Pontiac Grand Am					

Event: Second Annual Rocky Mountain Nationals, the fifth event of the 12-race,
 2004 IHRA Hooters Drag Racing Series.
Location:  Budweiser Motorsports Park
       Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Dates:  July 2-4, 2004

Harold Martin Looks to Extend His Points Lead in Edmonton 
While Remembering a Fallen Comrade

For the first time in his Pro Modified career, Harold Martin will arrive at an IHRA national event as the leader in the championship standings.  It is an accomplishment achieved through Martin and his ACDelco Racing team's consistent performance in the first four races, including final round appearances in San Antonio, TX and the most recent stop on the circuit in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada.

Although the experience of being the frontrunner may be a new one for Martin, it is one he is determined to make last through the end of the season, culminating with the Hooters Drag Racing championship.

"It's a great feeling.  You set your goals high in the beginning of the season, looking to reach the position we are currently in, and to actually be there is a moment of celebration that we will enjoy on the fly.  We are tickled by our progress, not only at being the points leader, but also by our performance throughout the first four races.  

"We're really looking forward to the rest of the year.  We feel like we deserve to be where we are, and it has really pumped us up to work even harder to maintain this position, and to further our advantage in the points standings."

Martin will be tested on two fronts this weekend.  Naturally, his competitors will do everything possible to prevent him from extending his record of success.  In addition, the location of this weekend's race will present its own challenge, as this will be only the second visit by the IHRA to Budweiser Motorsports Park.  Even so, the "EFI Wizard" sees the Edmonton event as yet another opportunity to score his first national event win.

"We're heading into this race with a split personality.  On one hand, we have such confidence in our race program that we can't wait to get to the track and show our competitive performance, simultaneously hoping the racing gods will also go our way.

"Conversely, this race track is at an altitude and atmospheric conditions that are unlike what we are normally exposed to.  It is located at 2,200 feet above sea level, with the barometer around 27 inches of mercury, which will require a totally different set-up from what we normally run.  Although that does pose somewhat of a concern to our race team, our competitors will be facing the same challenge.

"Fortunately, we have a great asset in our ACDelco Pontiac.  It has been an outstanding race car all year, going down the race track, making consistent laps.  While we may have some engine tuning and drivetrain optimization to do to find the right set-up, we see ourselves having a huge advantage this weekend that we plan to capitalize on."

But even as the Martin Motorsports team proceeds with their pre-race preparations, their thoughts remained with the family and friends of Darrell Russell, one of the brightest young stars of the motorsports community who was tragically lost in a racing incident last weekend.

"Truly it gives you a very heavy heart knowing that our racing family has suffered a major loss.  Darrell was a great representative for motorsports of all types and he will be greatly missed.  Throughout the week, I have taken my copy of National Dragster that featured him on the cover and posted it high in my office.  It seems so unfair at times that such a good guy would be taken from us in such a tragedy.

"At the same time, I got such a warm feeling from discussions I've had with folks from all walks of motorsports, from NASCAR to Formula 1 who were aware of the situation and knew what a great loss it is.  It speaks to the person that Darrell Russell was."

However, Martin has also taken an analytical approach to the tragedy, calling on his technical expertise to find a way to prevent any reoccurrence in the future.

"Interestingly enough, ever since it happened, I've been fired up to question what truly was the root cause of the tragedy.  As my engineering mind looks at the accident, it seems to me that if racing community works together, we could design and implement other, secondary means of down force, either mechanically or through electronic control, that would allow the car to remain reasonably stable under the conditions we saw last weekend. 

"Clearly we have seen other Top Fuel drivers exposed to this same scenario, and it is truly time to come forward with new technology.  Having already lost an outstanding young man, the ultimate outcome we should now strive for is to implement a technical solution that would prevent such a failure from happening ever again."

Harold Martin Fast Facts:

	*	Career best elapsed time:  6.190 seconds, Rockingham, NC 10/03
	*	Career best top speed: 226.81 mph, Richmond, VA, 5/04
	*	Currently leads in the Hooters Drag Racing Series Pro Modified Championship Standings
	*	Harold finished fifth in the 2003 IHRA Championship Standings, his first career Top Five finish
	*	Nicknamed the "EFI Wizard" for his expertise in with electronic fuel injection, including the revolutionary system in his ACDelco Pro Mod Grand Am, which he designed.
	*	Former GM engineer and holder of 10 worldwide patents

Event Schedule:  
		Qualifying -     Friday, July 2 -     Two sessions at 2:00 & 8:00 p.m. 
				Saturday, July 3 -  Two sessions at 2:00 & 8:00 p.m.
            Final Eliminations - Sunday, July 4 - First Round at 11:00 a.m.

TV Schedule:  
	Saturday, July 24 - 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. - Speed Channel

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