NHRA MIDSEASON CALL: Troxel, Capps, Anderson, Sampey (June 28)
NOTE: Please Reply If You Will Be Participating In The Call. Thank You. M E D I A A D V I S O R Y THE NHRA POWERADE SERIES POINTS LEADERS AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE 2006 SEASON WILL BE AVAILABLE VIA TELECONFERENCE AT 3 P.M. ET ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28 ESPY “Female Athlete of the Year�?? and “Driver of the Year�?? Nominee Melanie Troxel will be joined by Ron Capps, Greg Anderson and Angelle Sampey WHAT: NHRA is making its POWERade Series point leaders available to media on a quarterly basis during the 2006 season. This is the second of three scheduled teleconferences with the points leaders. WHEN: Wednesday, June 28, 2006, beginning at 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT / Noon PT and lasting approximately an hour. Each driver will be made available for approximately 15 minutes. TO JOIN: Media can join the teleconference by calling 1-800-793-6775 and then entering 8964 7712. Once signed in you will be instructed to hit *1 on your phone pad to ask a question. You will be put in a queue and must wait to be introduced before asking your question. NOTE: Operator will be available 15 minutes before the first driver is introduced to sign in media. WHO: �?? MELANIE TROXEL, SKULL SHINE/TORCO RACE FUELS DRAGSTER (TOP FUEL): NHRA’s first-ever double-nominee (Best Female Athlete, Best Driver) at the ESPY Awards <http://www.espn.go.com/espy2006> has gone from out of work a year ago at this time to leading the POWERade Series points in Top Fuel. She is bidding to become only the second woman ever to win a Top Fuel championship and the first since the legendary Shirley Muldowney won the last of her three world championships in 1982. Troxel has been to seven final rounds and won twice, and the season-long POWERade Series points leader maintains a narrow 24-point lead over Doug Kalitta. For more information on the ESPYs, please click here <http://www.espn.go.com/espy2006> . �?? RON CAPPS, BRUT DODGE CHARGER (FUNNY CAR): After coming up less than a round-win short of earning his first POWERade Series world championship in 2005, Capps has taken out his frustration on the track in 2006 with already a career-high five wins and two runner-up finishes to carry a 44-point lead over NHRA icon John Force into the midseason break. Capps’ 22 career victories place him in a select (if undesired) fraternity of “Best Drivers to have Never Won a Championship.�?? Kurt Johnson leads that group with 33 wins while Capps and Del Worsham’s 21 Funny Car wins are the most in the category by a non-champion. �?? GREG ANDERSON, SUMMIT RACING PONTIAC GTO (PRO STOCK): Anderson has won three straight POWERade Series world championships and is once again leading the way in Pro Stock. Although, it has hardly been a walk in the park as Pro Stock has seen eight different winners in the 12 events so far and Anderson has a razor-slim two-point lead on teammate Jason Line. Four other drivers are within 120 points in the tightest of the four NHRA POWERade Series categories. �?? ANGELLE SAMPEY, U.S. ARMY SUZUKI (PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE): The three-time POWERade Series world champion (2000-02) opened the 2006 season with back-to-back wins and with her critical quarterfinal win over Andrew Hines in St. Louis she will carry a 28-point lead over the 2004-05 champion into the midseason break. Sampey’s 40 career wins are the most ever by a woman in any category, the second most all-time in Pro Stock Motorcycle behind only Dave Schultz (45 wins), and tied for eighth all-time among all pro drivers in NHRA history. PLEASE RSVP: Michael Padian at (626) 250-2217, (626) 278-0312 (cell) or mpadian@nhra.com. -30- * NOT FOR PUBLICATION, MEDIA INFORMATION ONLY *