Whit Bazemore: Rat Fink=?ISO-8859-1?B?gQ==?= Redux and More

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 20 of 23
Ameriquest Mortgage NHRA Nationals
Route 66 Raceway
Joliet, Ill.
Race Dates: Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438;
jstropus@earthlink.net

WHIT BAZEMORE: RAT FINK??? REDUX IN CHICAGO

JOLIET, Ill. (Sept. 28, 2005) - For the second straight year at the
Ameriquest Mortgage NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, Whit Bazemore will
pilot the Rat Fink??? Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car to commemorate Ed "Big
Daddy" Roth and his drag-racing legacy.

Bazemore's longtime sponsor, Matco Tools, in cooperation with RC2
Corporation, one of the largest toy manufacturers in the U.S., which
produces die-cast vehicle replicas under the Racing Champions, Johnny
Lightning and ERTL brands, will introduce this new paint scheme this weekend
in honor of the man who is widely credited with having spawned the
pin-striper hot-rod and Kustom Kar Kulture that blossomed in the '50s and
'60s. 

Rat Fink??? was created in the early '60s by Roth, who died in 2001. The
designer of eye-popping custom hot rods and far-out monster illustrations,
Big Daddy brought a fantastic style and humor to the art and car cultures.
Since the early 1960s his work has inspired the outlook and attitudes of
young artists throughout the world.

"This is one of our most successful programs," said Bob Jacobsen, Vice
President of Sales for RC2 Corporation.

"It's cool to be driving the Rat Fink??? Dodge Stratus again this year in
Chicago," said Bazemore. "I'm excited about it because it certainly draws a
lot of fans to our pits."

The Rat Fink??? die-casts are available for purchase through local Matco Tools
dealers. For the name of a local Matco Tools dealer, call 866-289-8665. They
will also be available on the Matco Tools Franchised Distributor trucks in
the second week of October.

BAZEMORE RETURNS TO HIS RECORD-SETTING TRACK

Whit Bazemore is tied only with Del Worsham for most Funny Car victories
(three) at Route 66 Raceway, which began hosting the POWERade Drag Racing
Series in 1998. He is happy to be returning to this quarter-mile where he
set his career-best elapsed time and speed last year at the first event of
two here of 4.713 seconds at 333.25 mph, which at the time was the quickest
and fastest pass in NHRA history.

The national Funny Car record is now held by John Force at 4.665 seconds at
333.58 mph, established at this event in 2004.

"We always like coming to Route 66 Raceway," said Bazemore. "It's been a
magical track for us, really, having won the first race here in 1998 and
having had success here since then by winning two more times, taking
runner-up once, qualifying No. 1 twice and setting some records.

"The fact is, it's a great facility, and the weather is usually such that we
are able to go out and run the Matco Tools Dodge, or the Rat Fink??? Dodge, as
hard as we can.

"And, for any type of drag racer, that's what our sport is ultimately all
about. It's about raw horsepower and showing what you're made of, and that's
what you're able to do at Chicago, usually."

As for having an unexpected weekend off when the Dallas event was postponed
because of Hurricane Rita, the two-time U.S. Nationals champion who is
seeking his first Funny Car crown said, "It was great in that [the NHRA]
made the right decision at the right time. You could just look at the
weather and see it was going to be a waste of time and money. Plus, I don't
think it would have been right to have had a race, which is a celebration of
sorts, in light of the potential tragedy and hardship that Texans and people
on the Gulf were going to have.

"So, I think the NHRA definitely made the right decision, even if the
hurricane missed Dallas, 100 percent."

Bazemore is seventh in the Funny Car point standings, 208 points out of
first place. While Bazemore's chances of winning his first Funny Car
championship are a longshot, he is not out of the running. Strong results in
the upcoming events could vault him higher in the standings.

SCHEDULE:      
On Friday, Sept. 30, professional qualifying sessions are at 3:30 and 6:30
p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 1, pro qualifying continues at 12:15 and 3 p.m. On
Sunday, Oct. 2, pre-race ceremonies are at 10 a.m., final eliminations begin
at 11 a.m.
 
TELEVISION:     
On Saturday, Oct. 1, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights
at 5 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, Oct. 2, ESPN2 will telecast NHRA 2Day, a
30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET). On Sunday, Oct. 2,
ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations at 8 p.m. (ET).

WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Seventh in 2005 Funny Car point standings after 19 events, 208 points out
of lead, 126 points short of fifth place
* Won two events this year (Gainesville, Las Vegas), No. 1 qualifier once
(Columbus)
* Qualified No. 12 at 2004 Route 66 Raceway 2 Nationals, lost first round to
Gary Densham
* Won here in 1998, 2002 (2), 2003 (1), runner-up in 2004 (1), DNQ'd at
first event here this year
* No. 1 qualifier here in 2001 (2),  and 2003 (2)
* Qualified in the top two in nine events in 2004, four times in No. 1
* No. 6 in 2004 Funny Car points, with two wins, five final rounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* Career quickest ET is 4.713 seconds, career fastest speed is 333.25 mph,
both set at Route 66 Raceway in 2004 in what was at the time the quickest
and fastest speed in Funny Car history
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 19 career Funny Car event wins in 43 final rounds in 314 races
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an
exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was second twice in the Funny Car championship in 2001 and 2003, third in
1997 and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 12 times in the
top 10 since 1992
* Age 42, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with
wife Michelle, a competitive amateur cyclist, and son Dashiell Aidan, born
March 12, 2005 (same as Bazemore's birthday)
* 2005 is his fifth season with Don Schumacher Racing

***

Digital image of Rat Fink??? die-cast attached.