VANDERGRIFF ENDS FRIDAY IN 10th POSITION

2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 3 of 23
AC DELCO NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY
GAINESVILLE, FLA.
Race Date: MARCH 16-19, 2006


     GAINESVILLE, Fla., (March 17, 2006)- Bob Vandergriff, Jr., driver of the 
UPS Top Fuel dragster, is excited about his return to the AC DELCO NHRA 
Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla., this weekend. 
Vandergriff feels at home at Gainesville Raceway, the site where he accomplished his 
NHRA Competition license from Frank Hawleys School in 1999, and a week later he 
was back to upgrade that license to Top Fuel.

     Vandergriff started the first of Fridays two qualifying sessions by 
smoking the tires at the hit.
"We are not unlike the other teams here, struggling with the new tires," said 
Vandergriff. We are making changes trying to overcome the challenges that the 
new tire is bringing. 

     On Fridays second pass, the UPS Top Fueler launched hard and carried the 
front wheels while shaking the rear slicks. "The tires shook at 1.1 seconds 
into the run, so I pedaled it," Vandergriff explained. "I stepped back into it, 
but the clutch had already locked up. I carried the front wheels at   three 
feet high for about two seconds. They were just hanging there so I kept my foot 
in it since we weren't in the show, I wanted to gain info."

     The results of Vandergriff riding out the wheelstand produced a 4.740 
second pass at 325.85 mph to land the team in the number 10 position. "We are 
making changes in the right direction," added Vandergriff. "We hope to eliminate 
the tire shake. We'll see how we can improve on Saturday."

     Pro qualifying continues Saturday at 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM with final 
elimination's scheduled for Sunday, March 19, at 11 AM.