NHRA News: Newsmakers, Jan. 22, 2007
NHRA Newsmakers Your inside glimpse at the world's fastest motorsport Access to the latest NHRA releases, driver photos, credential requests, satellite coordinates and more available at http://media.nhra.com NEWS NUGGETS * HAPPY BIRTHDAY WALLY PARKS: Wally Parks, NHRA founder and Chairman of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsport Museum presented by Automobile Club of Southern California, celebrates his 94th birthday today (January 22, 2007). "When you're 94 and thinking like you're still 34, you have to credit it to something," Parks said. "In my case, I'm sure it has been my addiction to cars and all the things people can do to appreciate them. That and the fantastic following we have cultivated with our concentration on NHRA drag racing as a major player in world motorsports." Parks, who founded NHRA in 1951, remains very active in NHRA affairs today. To view the current exhibits at the museum visit http://museum.nhra.com <http://museum.nhra.com/> . * ASHLEY FORCE DEALING WITH CELEBRITY: Last Tuesday's announcement of Ashley Force's move to the pro ranks in Funny Car this season already is earning the second-generation driver huge amounts of ink in high places. The story was on the Yahoo! home page Thursday morning (direct story link <http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ap-jimlitke-011707&prov=ap&type=l gns> ) and also was featured on AOL's top news <http://sports.aol.com/news/articles/_a/racing-stars-daughter-will-drive -funny/20070116214009990001> . Ashley was yahoo.com's No. 1 searched subject on Friday ahead of Britney Spears and Beyonce Knowles. On Friday, USA Today ran a full-page ad featuring Force in the sports section. Force is dealing with the media crush well, as she told National DRAGSTER in an exclusive interview for the current issue, "Doing the reality show [Driving Force on the A&E Network] last year took me into a whole new realm. As much as it drove me crazy at times, it really helped prepare me. It threw me into a lot of stuff I'd never been through before. There were so many more fans at the ropes, more events and interviews during the week, more photo shoots, and all kinds of stuff that I hadn't experienced before. I'm glad I did it last year and didn't try to bring it on this year with everything else that's going on. I know it's going to be a little hectic, especially in the beginning." * NITRO BLAST OFF: Several NHRA drivers and riders participated in the first test sessions at the Nitro Blast Off at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past weekend. Kenny Bernstein climbed into a car for the first time in a few years. He drove his Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Dodge Charger through a few launches to become familiar with the car. The weekend's best runs were posted by Dave Grubnic, Hillary Will, and John Force. Grubnic, driving his Zantrex-3 dragster, led the way with a 4.483 at 322.27 followed closely by Hillary Will in her KB Racing dragster. She drove to two consistent runs of 4.492 seconds at 323.89 mph and 319.67 mph. In Funny Car, John Force in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang out drove teammate Eric Medlen with a time 4.783 seconds at 286.80 mph. Medlen in his Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang drove to time of 4.862 seconds at 260.49 mph. Two Funny Car newcomers, Ashley Force in her Castrol GTX/Auto Club Ford Mustang and Jeff Arend in his Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevy Impala SS, made partial runs. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Mike Berry on his MB Precision Machine Suzuki made some passes to re-familiarize himself with his bike and the track. His best time of the weekend came on Saturday with a 7.215 at 183.17. * EDWARDS ENJOYS HELPING KIDS: Mike Edwards with his sponsor Young Life has helped out kids through the "A Team on A Mission" program. During the second year of "A Team on a Mission," Edwards with the support of fellow racers, business executives, and team owners was able to send more than 175 kids to a Young Life camp after raising in excess of $70,000 for the program in 2006. To date the program has sent more than 300 kids to a Young Life camp. "This is what the racing family is all about," Edwards said. "We are out battling each other on the track, but when it came to helping the kids, we all came together as one team." For 2007, Edwards is hoping to reach even loftier heights by sending double the number of kids to camp as the program did in 2006. "The idea for the 'A Team on a Mission' is to have drivers from all levels of NHRA competition make the pledge to send a kid to camp," he said. "The key is getting everyone involved. As a racing family, the sky is the limit on how many lives can be impacted through such a program and I just hope my fellow racers, car owners, and the racing business world can join forces to achieve what this program can accomplish." As part of "A Team on a Mission," an individual can make a single donation, a set amount per event, or for every round of competition that each individual driver wins during the NHRA POWERade Series schedule donate in the amount needed to send a kid to a Young Life camp, or match what Edwards accomplishes on the track. For more information go to www.younglife.org/NHRA. * WHAT IS THE COUNTDOWN?: It is NHRA's new and improved system for determining its four POWERade Series world champions and it officially gets underway a month from now at the season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals (Feb. 8-11 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona), the first of 17 regular-season events in the 23-event schedule. The top eight drivers from each class after the 17-event regular season will advance to the playoffs and remain in contention for the 2007 POWERade Series world championship. Media will be kept abreast of the Countdown throughout the inaugural season via a Countdown-specific post-event wrap-up, identifying the most significant moves up and down in the POWERade Series standings, who's in and who's out, and what to look for as we move through the regular season, playoffs and championship rounds. Look for these updates via e-mail and on the Media Web site, which will be re-launched in February with a page dedicated to educating media about the Countdown and answering any and all questions related to the Countdown. COMING ATTRACTIONS * NATIONAL TIME TRIALS, PHOENIX, FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, JAN. 26-28: Pre-season action moves from Nevada to Arizona as the professional teams continue to tweak off-season changes at this second of three optional test sessions. Open to media. Please contact NHRA Media Relations at (626) 914-4761 for more information. * LAST CHANCE TEST SESSION AND PONTIAC PRO STOCK SHOWDOWN, LAS VEGAS, THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, FEB. 2-4: This aptly named test session is the final of three optional events that allow professional drivers the chance to test their rides before the 2007 NHRA POWERade Series Countdown to the Championship gets underway. The 200 mph NHRA Pro Stock cars also will race for bragging rights in the annual Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown. Open to media. Please contact NHRA Media Relations at (626) 914-4761 for more information. * CARQUEST AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS, POMONA, CALIF., AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, FEB. 8-11: Get a front seat as Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) begin the march to defend their POWERade Series world championship titles. INSIDE THE NUMBERS * 4: The number of pro categories (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle) that will have women competing after Ashley Force announced her plans to drive in the Funny Car category for 2007. This is the first time in drag racing history that all four pro categories will have women racing during the same season. As NHRA President Tom Compton said, "No one else in Motorsports can say that." DRIVERS TELL ALL * THE TOUGHEST THING ABOUT DRAG RACING: In the January 19 edition of National DRAGSTER Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon tells the fans what he believes is the toughest thing about being a drag racer. "No doubt, it's the finality of every single run. You work all day and - boom! - what's going to happen happens in an instant, and that scoreboard is going to tell you whether you're worthy or not. Your whole day - maybe your year or your whole life - might be judged on that one instant. It's the most cutthroat thing I can think of in life." 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/> .