Top NHRA Drivers Highlight "Nitro Night at the Fior" Charity Dinner, July 27
Top NHRA POWERade Drivers Highlight 'Nitro Night at the Fior' Charity Dinner, July 27 SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) - Race fans will get to rub shoulders with top drivers of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, and at the same time, aid a very worthy cause at the inaugural "Nitro Night at the Fior" charity dinner in San Francisco on Thursday, July 27. The sit-down dinner will serve as the kickoff for the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals, presented by Supercuts, July 28-30, at Infineon Raceway and will feature star drivers Ron Capps, Robert Hight, Cory McClenathan, Eric Medlen and Gary Scelzi. Tickets to the affair, which will benefit Speedway Children's Charities, are available for purchase to the public and will include a sumptuous dinner at legendary Fior d'Italia Restaurant in historic North Beach, followed by a brief program with the drivers and an auction featuring one-of-a-kind NHRA packages. Cost is $125, with all proceeds benefiting qualified youth groups in Sonoma County. This action-packed night will be hosted by long-time NHRA announcer Bob Frey and will also include a nice video package of the drivers in attendance. Scelzi (Mopar/Oakley Dodge), a Fresno resident, is the defending NHRA Funny Car world champion and has won the Funny Car title in Sonoma two of the last three years. Capps is the current Funny Car points leader in his Brut Dodge and was the 1997 Funny Car winner in Sonoma. McClenathan (FRAM Boost Top Fuel Dragster) entered 2006 with 28 career wins and has been runner-up to the NHRA Top Fuel title four times. His lone win in Sonoma came in 1997 in Top Fuel. Hight enters his second season piloting the Auto Club Ford Mustang - he placed fifth in 2005 with two victories. Medlen (Castrol Syntec Mustang), meanwhile, placed fourth in Funny Car in 2005 with three wins. The evening will begin with a no-host cocktail reception at 6:30, followed by dinner and the program at 7:30. If interested in purchasing a ticket to this event, please email Denise Silver at dsilver@infineonraceway.com or call 707-933-3950. Only 100 seats are available, so act today. WHAT: Nitro Night at the Fior d'Italia Restaurant WHERE: Fior d'Italia Restaurant in San Francisco (2237 Mason St., 415-986-1886, www.fior.com <http://www.fior.com/> ). WHEN: Thursday, July 28, 7:30 p.m. (no-host cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m.) WHO: NHRA drivers Ron Capps, Robert Hight, Cory McClenathan, Eric Medlen and Gary Scelzi will be in attendance. IN ADDITION: There will be an auction featuring one-of-a-kind items. COST: $125 per ticket. All proceeds benefit Speedway Children's Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway. INFORMATION: Email Denise Silver at dsilver@infineonraceway.com or call 707-933-3950.