NHRA NEWS: Newsmakers, Oct. 16, 2006

NHRA Newsmakers

Your inside glimpse at the world's fastest motorsport

 

 

WHO'S HOT!

*	MELANIE TROXEL WINS SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD: In yet
another sign of the NHRA POWERade Series' growth, and its recognition in
the mainstream, Melanie Troxel has been selected by the Women's Sports
Foundation as its Sportswoman of the Year - beating out an impressive
list of finalists that included Annika Sorenstam and Amelie Mauresmo.
Melanie will be recognized by the WSF at its gala Awards Dinner at the
Waldorf-Astoria in New York City tonight.

Melanie has a busy media schedule today and Tuesday, highlighted by her
featured appearance on CBS's The Early Show Tuesday morning at
approximately 8:30 a.m.

Other finalists included: Cindy Klassen (speedskating); Janica Kostelic
(skiing); Jessica Long (swimming); Amelie Mauresmo (tennis); Chellsie
Memmel (gymnastics); Sanya Richards (track and field); Annika Sorenstam
(golf); Laurie Stephens (skiing); and Hannah Teter (snowboarding). 

The Women's Sports Foundation, founded in 1974 by legendary tennis
champion Billie Jean King, is dedicated to advancing the lives of girls
and young women through sports and physical activity. 

For more information on the award, go to http://www.nhra.com or
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org. To contact Melanie, please call
Michael Padian at 626-250-2217.

 

NEWS NUGGETS

*	KALITTA, LINE CLOSE IN ON FIRST-EVER CHAMPIONSHIPS: It ain't
over 'til it's over, but Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta and Pro Stock
driver Jason Line helped their causes tremendously at the just-completed
Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at Richmond. Line ran the table for
the maximum 138 points - beating second-place Greg Anderson in the semis
- to extend his points lead to 119 with two events remaining. Kalitta,
meanwhile, won a critical quarterfinal round matchup with Brandon
Bernstein to extend his lead to 83 points over Bernstein and 89 over
three-time and defending champion Tony Schumacher. Either driver
(Kalitta or Line) would need a lead of 139 points leaving Las Vegas to
clinch the POWERade Series championship before the final event in
Pomona.

 

*	CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS AVAILABLE TO MEDIA: The championship
contenders in Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be made available
to media this Wednesday as part of NHRA's year-long series of point
leaders teleconferences. On Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. ET/Noon PT Top
Fuel drivers Doug Kalitta (leader), Brandon Bernstein (-83), and Tony
Schumacher (-89) will be joined by Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Antron
Brown (leader), Andrew Hines (-27) and Angelle Sampey (-64). To access
the call, dial 1-800-793-6775 and enter the pass code 8964-7712. Please
contact Michael Padian at mpadian@nhra.com or 626-250-2217 with any
questions.

 

*	GO WEST, NHRA: After a rain-delayed march through the east, the
NHRA POWERade Series heads back west for the final two events of the
2006 season, Oct. 26-29 at Las Vegas and Nov. 9-12 at Pomona. The silver
lining in all of the rain was the show the NHRA drivers put on for fans
when racing resumed, most notably in Pro Stock. Jason Line first set the
national elapsed time record at the delayed Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals
and then he one-upped himself by doing it again (6.558 seconds) as he
ran the table (No. 1 qualifier, national record, event title) at the
delayed Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at Richmond. 

 


COMING ATTRACTIONS


*         NITTO NHRA SPORT COMPACT WORLD FINALS, POMONA, CALIF., OCT.
21-22: NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Series racers come to Auto Club Raceway
at Pomona to settle the rights to NHRA World Champion in all
professional categories.  The points are so close that it may go down to
the final round.

*        ACDELCO LAS VEGAS NHRA NATIONALS, LAS VEGAS, OCT. 27-29: The
POWERade Series' top performers in Top Fuel battle it out in the
lucrative Budweiser Shootout, a bonus event for NHRA's fastest category,
as battles for 2006 world championship titles build for the last event
of the year.

*        AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS, POMONA,
CALIF., NOV. 9-12: All questions about the 2006 season will be answered
in the hotbed of drag racing. World champions will be crowned and feted
at the end of the year banquet, scheduled for the evening after race day
in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

*	.051: That's the time shaved off of the national elapsed time
record in Pro Stock by Jason Line in just one week. Line set the
national record of 6.609 at Reading and he didn't wait long to lower it
by an astounding five hundredths at Richmond, to 6.558.

 

DRIVERS TELL ALL

*	MELANIE TROXEL, Sportswoman of the Year: Melanie Troxel, who's
advanced to a Top Fuel-best eight final rounds and led the Top Fuel
standings through the first 12 of 23 events: "It's really an honor for
me to be named the Sportswoman of the Year (by the Women's Sports
Foundation) against a field of such high achievers in a variety of
sports. To be the first race-car driver to win this award, to be
recognized among these outstanding female athletes, is personally
rewarding to me. It also indicates the continuing growth of awareness of
the unique sport of drag racing with all sports fans."

 

For more information, contact NHRA Media Relations at (626) 914-4761 or
visit the NHRA MEDIA CENTER online at http://media.nhra.com
<http://media.nhra.com/> .

 

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