Stevens Jr. collects third career No. in Chicago qualifying, is King Demon Crown semifinalist

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 10 of 23
CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals
Route 66 Raceway
Joliet, Ill.
Race Date: June 9-11, 2006



JOLIET, Ill. (June 10, 2006) - Richie Stevens Jr. held on to the No. 1 spot
he claimed on Friday for Sunday's CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at
Route 66 Raceway through two more rounds of qualifying, before NHRA
cancelled the final round because of a long rain delay.

The track-record-breaking and career-best 6.635-second pass at 207.40 mph
Stevens posted Friday night earned him his first No. 1 of 2006, the second
for Don Schumacher Racing and the third of his career. It is also the second
quickest Pro Stock pass in NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series history, topping
this weekend's quickest field in NHRA history.

Stevens also competed for a $50,000 first prize in the three-round King
Demon Crown today, an NHRA special bonus event. He advanced the Team
Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T to the semifinals before being knocked out
with a 6.701/206.48 pass by eventual event winner Greg Anderson's
6.664/206.89. 

Stevens handily dismissed Kurt Johnson in the first round with a stellar
6.677/206.20 lap to Johnson's losing 6.695/206.83. The pair's reaction times
were outstanding: .020 for Stevens, .018 for Johnson. Stevens was past
Johnson by the 60-ft. mark, then led to the finish stripe.

The run doubled as a qualifying attempt and Stevens' two qualifying passes
on Friday produced the pole-setting 6.635/207.40, and a 6.685/206.61.

"The track was real good out there, and we were going for it," said Stevens
of the run against Anderson. "It picked the front end up and gradually it
kept getting higher and higher, so it unloaded the chassis on the
wheelie-bars and went into tire shake down low. It made a hard move towards
the center line and I just kind of chased it back the rest of the way. Greg
made a good run, and when it's your day, it's your day, and when it's not,
it's not.

"All in all, it's been a good weekend. We're on the pole and we've got a
great car for tomorrow. We really think we can win the race," says the
27-year old New Orleans native. "It would have been awesome to have won the
King Demon Crown, but we're definitely focused on the race win. It would
really mean a lot for this program right now."

Stevens takes home $3000 for his semifinal finish.

"We'll see what tomorrow is like. I'm pumped up to get it going," he added.
"We have lane choice and we'll probably be last or second-to-last pair, so
we should have a good handle on the track before we run. I'm feeling pretty
good about it; the car has been running awesome and it's so consistent right
now. We're definitely getting our stuff together here at Team
Mopar/Valspar."

Stevens faces Steve Schmidt in the first round of Sunday's final
eliminations.

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