Don Schumacher Racing Pro Stockers head to Topeka

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 9 of 23
O'REILLY NHRA SUMMER NATIONALS
Heartland Park Topeka (Kan.)
Race Date: May 26-28, 2006



TOPEKA, Kansas (May 22, 2006) - The Don Schumacher Racing Mopar-backed
Pro Stock team led by crew chief David Nickens aims to qualify well and go
rounds with both Richie Stevens Jr.'s Team Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T
and Rookie Shaun Carlson's Team Mopar/SRT Dodge Stratus R/T this weekend
at the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, Kansas.

Richie Stevens Jr. is looking for the consistency that has allowed him to
qualify in the top half of the highly-competitive 16-car Pro Stock field in
five of eight NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events this year. "We found
out in Columbus (Ohio, last weekend) how tough Sunday can be if you don't
have lane choice, so that is really our priority for Topeka," he says.
"Let's get in the top of the field and go from there. You can't look too far
ahead in this class.

"The car isn't very far off," continues Stevens, who was No. 1 qualifier
here in 1999. "David (Nickens, crew chief) has been working really hard on
getting it to be a top-five car, and to start winning some races. Don
(Schumacher, team owner) has brought in some really good people to do that,
and I would love for the results to start showing this weekend."

Stevens would like to become the ninth different winner in the Pro Stock
class this season.

Shaun Carlson is getting more comfortable in his rookie season. "We are
coming off a positive weekend for the Team Mopar/SRT Dodge Stratus team.
Granted, we didn't qualify for the event in Columbus, but we made four clean
passes down the track (in qualifying), which was the first time all year we
have done that," said the 32-year old California native. "I know I sound
like a broken record, but the things Terry (Adams, assistant crew chief) has
been doing with the four-link suspension has done wonders for me and this
car."

RICHIE STEVENS JR. QUICK FACTS:
* Fourteenth in 2006 Pro Stock standings after eight events
* At 2005 O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, he qualified No. 14, lost second
round to Greg Stanfield
* Qualified No. 1 here in 1999
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing after sending in a resume for 2005 season
* Eighth in 2005 Pro Stock points, reached final round twice, was No. 1
qualifier once
* Cut short driving career in 2002 to run family business while dad Richie
Sr. underwent open-heart surgery
* With dad Richie Stevens Sr. owns Stevens Collision Center in New Orleans
* Born and raised in New Orleans, is 27 years old (Sept. 27, 1978)
* His career-best ET and speed so far: 6.669 ET (Englishtown 2005) and
207.08 mph in Gainesville, Fla., 2005
* Has longtime relationship with associate sponsor Valspar
* Capped off rookie season in 1998 with a victory in his first final-round
appearance (Pomona 2)
* Is youngest Pro Stock driver to win a national event, at 20 and one
month, in 1998
* Has four career wins in nine final rounds, two No. 1 qualifiers to his
credit
* In 1999 he became the eighth member of the Speed Pro 200-mph Pro
Stock Club with a 200.08 mph run in Richmond, Va.
* Competed in Roy Hill's Pro Mod car in 2004, with a semifinal finish
at the U.S. Nationals his best result

SHAUN CARLSON QUICK FACTS:
* Qualified for his first event of 2006 in Las Vegas (No. 12)
* Has never competed at Heartland Park Topeka
* Rookie season in Pro Stock class
* First year with Don Schumacher Racing
* Was named second DSR Pro Stock driver after February '06 test session
at LVMS
* Quickest elapsed time to date: 6.740 seconds (Gainesville, Fla.)
* Fastest speed to date: 205.60 mph (Pomona 1)
* Owned and drove his Team Mopar SRT4 in the NHRA Xplod Sport Compact
Racing Series in 2005, grabbing one win and finishing fourth in points.
* Finished fourth in 2004 Sport Compact points standings
* Is a two-time Sport Compact event winner
* Subbed for an injured Darrell Alderman in the 2004 NHRA Winternationals
Pro Stock event at Pomona, grabbing an early round win and nearly advancing
to the semifinals in his Pro Stock debut
* Finished third in '03 Pro FWD points
* 2002 Xbox Cup champion in the Pro Outlaw class
* A famous engine builder and FWD performance guru, Carlson has worked
on projects such as the world record-holding import drag car driven by
Stephan Papadakis.
* First FWD builder to run in the 9s and 8s.
* Built the first Sport Compact drag car with a tube chassis
* Has been drag racing professionally since 1999
* President and founder of NuFormz, an 11-year-old company that builds
aftermarket components in Ontario, Calif.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE:     
Friday, May 26, Professional Qualifying Sessions are at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30
p.m. Saturday, May 27, Professional Qualifying Sessions are at noon and 2:30
p.m. Sunday, May 28, Final Eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
 
TELEVISION:     
Saturday, May 27, ESPN and ESPN2 HD will televise one hour of qualifying
highlights at 8 p.m. (ET). Sunday, May 28, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise
NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute magazine show at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Sunday, May 28,
ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations at 10 p.m.
(ET).
                           
SATELLITE:       
Friday, May 26, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) ­ SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (12117 MHz,
horizontal) 
Saturday, May 27, 9:30 -10 p.m. (ET) ­ SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (12117 MHz,
horizontal)
Sunday, May 28, 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) ­ SBS 6 / Transponder  17K (12117 MHz,
horizontal)
Feeds include action with natural sound of Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro
Stock, plus interviews with winners on Sunday.
 
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