POWERADE SERIES ADVANCE PACKAGE FOR COLUMBUS
CONTACT: NHRA Communications
(626) 914-4761
fax (626) 914-1491
PONTIAC PERFORMANCE NHRA NATIONALS PRESENTED BY SUMMIT RACING
WHAT: The 42nd annual Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals
presented by Summit Racing Equipment, the eighth of 23 events in the $50
million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Professional competitors in
four categories earn points leading to 2006 NHRA POWERade Series world
championships.
Sportsman competitors in five categories
earn points leading to 2006 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world
championships.
WHERE: National Trail Raceway, Hebron, Ohio. The track is
located about 20 miles east of Columbus on old U.S. Highway 40, one mile
north of Interstate 70 at the Kirkersville exit. From Columbus, take
I-70 to Highway 158 north and follow the signs, or take I-70 to Highway
37 north to U.S. Highway 40 and follow the signs.
WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, May 18-21.
PURSE: Cash and contingency awards of more than $1.5
million.
SCHEDULE: THURSDAY, May 18 - Sportsman qualifying and time trials,
9 a.m.
FRIDAY, May 19 - Sportsman qualifying and eliminations begin at 9 a.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS begin at
4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
.
SATURDAY, May 20 - Sportsman qualifying and
eliminations, 9 a.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at noon and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, May 21 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin
at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION: Saturday, May 20, ESPN and ESPN2 HD will televise two
hours of qualifying highlights at 10 p.m. (ET).
Sunday May 21, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will
broadcast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, May 21, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will
televise three hours of eliminations at 8 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE: Friday, May 19, 10-10:30 p.m. (ET) - SBS 6 /Transponder
17K (12117 MHz, horizontal)
Saturday, May 20, 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) - SBS 6
/Transponder 17K (12117 MHz, horizontal)
Sunday, May 21, 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) - SBS 6
/Transponder 17K (12117 MHz, horizontal
Feeds include action with natural sound of
Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, plus interviews
with qualifying leaders on Saturday and
winners on Sunday.
2005 EVENT
WINNERS: Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel; John Force, Funny Car; Greg
Anderson, Pro Stock; Ryan Schnitz, Pro Stock Motorcycle
TRACK
RECORDS: Top Fuel - 4.489 seconds by Brandon Bernstein, June '04;
336.15 mph by Schumacher, May '05
Funny Car - 4.762 seconds by Whit Bazemore,
May '05; 327.11 mph by Gary Scelzi, May '05
Pro Stock - 6.723 seconds by Warren Johnson,
May '05; 205.13 mph by Johnson, May '05
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 7.066 seconds by
Andrew Hines, May '05; 194.52 mph by Hines, May '05
NATIONAL Top Fuel -- 4.437 sec. (Sept. '05,Joliet, Ill.) and
336.15 mph (May '05, Columbus, Ohio) by Tony Schumacher
RECORDS: Funny Car -- 4.665 sec. and 333.58 mph (Oct. '04,
Joliet, Ill.) by John Force
Pro Stock -- 6.633 sec. and 208.23 mph
(March '05, Gainesville, Fla.) by Greg Anderson
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.968 sec. (July '05,
Sonoma, Calif.) and 197.45 mph (March '05, Gainesville, Fla.) by Andrew
Hines
TICKETS: For tickets, call (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Tickets also
available at Ticketmaster, ticketmaster.com, and nhra.com.
GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) - Thursday: Adult, $10; Junior
(6-12 years), free. Friday: Adult, $31; Junior (6-12 years) $10.
Saturday: Adult, $41, Junior (6-12 years), $10. Sunday: Adult, $41,
Junior (6-12 years), $10. Children 5 years and under free in general
admission areas.
RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) - Friday: Adult, $39; Junior (6-12
years), $20; Child (5-under), $10. Saturday: Adult, $51; Junior (6-12
years), $21; Child (5-under), $11. Sunday: Adult, $54; Junior (6-12
years), $23; Child (5-under), $13.
CONTACTS: NHRA Communications Department, (626) 914-4761. Lachelle
Seymour, (626) 253-6337, cell
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: NHRA Communications Dept., (626) 914-4761
DEFENDING PRO STOCK CHAMP LOOKS TO DEFEND FOUR-YEAR WINNING STREAK AT
PONTIAC PERFORMANCE NHRA NATIONALS IN OHIO
HEBRON, Ohio - Greg Anderson has a stranglehold on the Buckeye State.
There's no doubt that the three-time defending NHRA Pro Stock world
champion has dominated the historically competitive category in recent
years. This year, he's led the POWERade Series point standings since the
season-opener and has been the No. 1 or No. 2 qualifier at every event -
with one win in three final-round appearances.
But Anderson's record in Ohio is even more solid. He'll look to defend a
four-year winning streak when the world's fastest motorsport comes to
National Trail Raceway for the 42nd annual Pontiac Performance NHRA
Nationals. The event is the eighth of 23 events in the $50 million
POWERade Series.
Only two other active drivers have four career wins at the facility:
Anderson's former employer Warren Johnson, and 13-time world champion
John Force in Funny Car. And yet, Anderson won't roll into Ohio's
historic facility expecting to dominate once again. The first seven
races of 2006 have seen seven different winners, including Anderson and
Line; Mike Edwards, Tom Martino and the Summit team's rivals, the
father-son duo of Warren and Kurt Johnson; and Dave Connolly.
Line beat his teammate in Bristol, Tenn.
"Obviously Jason has a very good chance of winning in Columbus,"
Anderson said.
Balancing mounting pressure from teams who are hungry for their own
trips to the top of the standings with the demands of being a world
champion and the attention that comes with it makes staying focused
vital to Anderson's bid to defend.
"That is all part of the game and can be difficult sometimes," Anderson
said. "We, as a team, try to find the perfect balance that will work for
everyone."
In addition to being a driver, Anderson puts in 14 to 16 hours every day
working on the car with his team. Perhaps that's why he and Line are
always near the forefront of the points chase, if not leading it. Line
prefers it that way.
"(I would rather) be leading in the points," Line said. "Losing is one
of my biggest fears."
Line has yet to win at the Columbus-area facility.
"Hopefully this year will be my best memory from there," he said.
Top contenders in Top Fuel include points leader Melanie Troxel, who
made headlines by reaching the final round six of the first seven events
of the season in her Skull Gear/Torco Race Fuels dragster. She advanced
to five finals to open the season but her streak ended when she fouled
in the second round to eventual runner-up Rod Fuller in Bristol, Tenn.
Troxel's teammate, three time and defending world champion Tony
Schumacher made National Trail Raceway one of the fastest tracks in the
country when he set the national record for speed there in 2005 at a
blistering 336.15 mph in his U.S, Army dragster. Expect strong efforts
from title contenders Dave Grubnic (StriVectin-SD dragster) and Doug
Kalitta (Mac Tools dragster), who pulled off a sweep of Bristol and
Atlanta with back-to-back victories for the second year in a row.
Ron Capps is the one to watch in Funny Car. This season Capps came out
strong after finishing second in the '05 POWERade Series standings,
winning three of the first seven events of the year (Gainesville,
Houston, Bristol) in five final-round appearances in his Brut Dodge
Stratus R/T. He won at Columbus in 2002. Force, who stars in the A&E
reality series "Driving Force," set to debut in July, is No. 2 in his
Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, while his teammate and son-in-law Robert Hight
is No. 3 in the POWERade standings.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, teammates Antron Brown and Angelle Sampey, the
winningest female in NHRA history, will attempt to ward off the
Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson duo of Andrew Hines (the
defending world champion) and GT Tonglet. Brown and Sampey are No. 1 and
No. 2 in the standings, respectively, while Hines is third. Defending
event winner Ryan Schnitz is in the seventh spot.
SCHEDULE: Professional qualifying sessions are scheduled for 4:30 and 7
p.m. on May 19, and noon and 2:30 p.m. on May 20. Pre-race ceremonies
will begin at 10 a.m. on May 21, followed by the first session of
professional eliminations at 11 a.m.
TICKETS: For tickets, call NHRA, at (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Tickets also
are available at Ticketmaster, ticketmaster.com or nhra.com.
ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying at 10
p.m. (ET) on May 20. ESPN2 will telecast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly
news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET) and televise three hours of
eliminations at 8 p.m. (ET) on May 21.
ON THE WEB: Quick access to NHRA media relations department press
releases, electronic images and other information is available on the
Internet at http://media.nhra.com.
2006 NHRA POWERADE POINT STANDINGS
(Following seven of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERADE Drag
Racing Series)
UPDATED 5/7/2006 (Victories in parentheses)
TOP FUEL
Place Driver
Points
1. Melanie Troxel, Avon, Ind., Skull Gear/Torco Race Fuels
dragster (2) 636
2. Doug Kalitta, Ann Arbor, Mich., Mac Tools dragster (2)
504
3. Dave Grubnic, Ennis, Mont., StriVectin-SD dragster (1)
434
4. Rod Fuller, Las Vegas, David Powers Homes/Valvoline dragster
(1) 416
5. Brandon Bernstein, Lake Forest, Calif., Budweiser/Lucas Oil
dragster (1) 403
Larry Dixon, Indianapolis, Miller Lite dragster
403
7. Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif., Lucas Oil dragster
394
8. Tony Schumacher, Long Grove, Ill., U.S. Army dragster
373
9. Doug Herbert, Lincolnton, N.C., Snap-on Tools dragster
327
10. Hillary Will, Ypsilanti, Mich., KB Racing dragster
297
FUNNY CAR
1. Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., Brut Dodge Stratus R/T (3)
634
2. John Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
538
3. Robert Hight, Anaheim Hills, Calif., Auto Club of Southern
Calif. Ford Mustang (1) 416
4. Eric Medlen, Indianapolis, Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang
409
5. Del Worsham, Chino Hills, Calif., Checker Schuck's Kragen
Chevrolet Monte Carlo 376
6. Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon, Ind., Skoal Racing Chevrolet Monte
Carlo (1) 373
7. Cruz Pedregon, Santa Rosa Valley, Calif., Advance Auto Parts
Chevy Monte Carlo (1) 368
8. Phil Burkart Jr., Yorkville, N.Y., Checker Schuck's Kragen
Chevrolet Monte Carlo 344
9. Tony Pedregon, Chino Hills, Calif., Q Racing Chevrolet Monte
Carlo (1) 328
10. Whit Bazemore, Indianapolis, Matco Tools Dodge Charger
317
PRO STOCK
1. Greg Anderson, Charlotte, N.C., Summit Racing Pontiac GTO
(1) 504
2. Jason Line, Terrell, N.C., Summit Racing Pontiac GTO (1)
451
3. Erica Enders, Houston, Slammers Ultimate Milk Chevrolet
Cobalt 425
4. Mike Edwards, Coweta, Okla., Young Life Pontiac GTO (1)
414
5. Jim Yates, Alexandria, Va., SeaRay Boats Pontiac GTO
392
6. Greg Stanfield, Bossier City, La., PiranaZ Pontiac GTO
388
7. Larry Morgan, Newark, Ohio, zMax Micro Lubricants Dodge
Stratus R/T 370
8. Kurt Johnson, Sugar Hill, Ga., ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt (1)
349
9. Dave Connolly, Elyria, Ohio, Skull Gear Chevrolet Cobalt (1)
338
10. Warren Johnson, Sugar Hill, Ga., GM Performance Parts Pontiac
GTO (1) 336
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
(Following three of 15 events)
1. Antron Brown, Indianapolis, U.S. Army Suzuki (1)
272
2. Angelle Sampey, New Orleans, U.S. Army Suzuki (2)
266
3. Andrew Hines, Indianapolis, Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson
265
4. Chip Ellis, Americus, Ga., Drag Specialties S&S Buell V-Twin
164
5. Karen Stoffer, Minden, Nev., Geico Motorcycle Suzuki
160
6. Geno Scali, Chicago, Performance Machine Suzuki
156
7. Ryan Schnitz, Decatur, Ind., Trim-Tex Drywall Products Buell
V-Twin 143
8. Shawn Gann, Stoneville, N.C., Race Girl/Gann Speed Suzuki
141
9. GT Tonglet, New Orleans, Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson
134
10. Tom Bradford, Eagle, Wis., Hal's Speed Shop Buell V-Twin
120
Lachelle Seymour, media relations manager
National Hot Rod Association
W: (626) 250.2230
C: (626) 253.6337
Fax: (626) 914.1491
www.nhra.com <http://www.nhra.com/>
