Stevens qualifies No. 7 in Pomona

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 23 of 23
AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS
Pomona (Calif.) Raceway
Nov. 3-6, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

STEVENS QUALIFIES NO. 7 IN SEASON FINALE

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 5, 2005) - Richie Stevens Jr. is in good shape to
finish in the top 10 in NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Pro Stock points,
after qualifying No. 7 at the Automobile Club of Southern California
Nationals today with a 6.707-second ET at 205.60 mph.

Stevens will end his first season with Don Schumacher Racing driving the
Team Mopar/Valspar HEMI-powered Dodge Stratus R/T having qualified in the
top half 13 times and No. 1 once.

His 6.707-second pass was posted in Friday's second session. His other
passes included a 6.729/205.57, a tire-smoking 11.260/79.82 and a
6.740/204.91 in the final run.

The New Orleans native is still looking for his first win for DSR and hopes
to end the 2005 season with that result in Sunday's final eliminations. He
will face V. Gaines in the first round.

"I'm definitely glad it's over," he said of his tough season. "We've come a
long way this year, but we ended up in the top half today, which is good. I
think lane choice is definitely a plus for tomorrow. The left lane seems to
be preferred and quicker times came out of the left.

"We did have some good luck in the last one. Ron Krisher didn't qualify,
neither did Jim Stanfield and Jim Yates, so that's guaranteed us a spot in
the top 10. If we can go some rounds tomorrow we can possibly improve and
maybe move up to the sixth or seventh spots."

Stevens entered this event ninth in points. The No. 10, No. 7 and No. 6
drivers did not qualify today.

"It's looking good for tomorrow. Hopefully we can go some rounds and pick up
some spots. That would be good," he said.

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