Breaking News from Denver 7-16-06

Breaking News from
David Powers Motorsports
Valvoline / Louisiana-Pacific / 84 Lumber / Mac Tools


David Powers Motorsports Crew helps driver in distress
 
Denver (July 16) - After putting his dragster deep into the sand trap at the
end of Bandimere Speedway this afternoon, crew members from the
Valvoline/David Powers Motorsports team rushed-in to help part-time Top Fuel
competitor J.R. Todd's crew prepare his car for a final round appearance at
the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. 
 
The Powers crew was in their pit preparing the Valvoline Top Fuel dragster
for next week's race in Seattle when they heard public address announcer Bob
Frey report that after Todd defeated Larry Dixon in the semi final match-up,
Todd's car-slowing parachute failed to deploy, sending his dragster into the
sand.
 
 NHRA rules give Fuel teams 75-minutes to prepare their cars for the next
round of final eliminations and it was apparent Todd's team wouldn't be able
to perform all of the clean-up work necessary before the final-round call. 
 
"These guys are awesome," Todd said. "We knew there was no way we could make
it back to the line in time to face Tony Schumacher without help. The Powers
team was there waiting for us in our pit after we got the car out of the
sand. We couldn't have made without them".
 
Todd, with the help of the David Powers crew directed by Lee beard, helped
the Skull Shine crew make the call for the final run of the day in a grand
manor, defeating the Army machine of Schumacher's.
 
 J. R. Todd is the first African America to win a Top Fuel event.