NHRA Summit Racing Series Northwest Division Finals-Sunday from Pacific Raceways

            KENT, Wash. - Although racers in four of the seven classes competing at the
NHRA Summit Racing Series Northwest Division Finals will have to wait
another day to crown champions, racers in the High School, Junior Lightning
and Junior Thunder classes have their trophies.  Because of the sheer number
of cars competing in the event and the curfew regulations at Pacific
Raceways, the Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle/Snowmobile classes
did not complete eliminations and they will continue Monday.

            In the High School class finals, Michael Peck Jr. of
Woodinville, Wash., racing for the Pacific Raceways team, drove his 1999
Tahoe to the win.  He beat out Eugene, Ore., resident Jim Pappel and his
1957 Chevy.  Pappel represents Woodburn Dragstrip in Oregon.  In five rounds
of eliminations, Peck's worst light of the day was a .077.

            Casey DePeel of Gladstone, Ore., took the win in the Junior
Lightning category.  Racing for Madras Raceway Park in Madras, Ore., DePeel
beat out Sean McMasters of Edgewood, Wash., in the final round.  McMasters
is another member of the team from Pacific Raceways.

            In the Junior Thunder category, Covington, Wash., racer Austin
Calhoun took the win for Bremerton Raceway in Washington.  He beat out
Nicholas Carrington of Meridian, Idaho, who races for Team Firebird Raceway
in Boise, Idaho.

            In team championship competition, Woodburn Dragstrip will go
into the final rounds of eliminations with a 10 point lead over second place
team Mission Raceway Park from Mission, B.C.  

            In addition to crowning the team and individual winners on
Monday, the Race of Champions will also be decided.  The Race of Champions
is a race within a race that pits the top points earning drivers from each
track against each other in head-to-head competition.  Race of Champion
winners in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle/Snowmobile will advance
to a national run-off in November at the NHRA Auto Club of Southern
California Finals at Pomona Raceway in Pomona, Calif.  There, they will
compete for a national championship and a winner-take-all purse of $5,000
for each class.  Each driver who advances will receive an additional $3,500
for competing in Pomona.