NHRA (FRESNO) - NEWS NUGGETS (April 23)

· ‘PROFESSOR’ JOINS INT’L HALL OF FAME: Warren Johnson becomes the seventh drag racer to enter the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on Thursday, at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala. Other 2007 inductees include Bruton Smith, Junie Donlavey, Ray Hendrick, Jack Ingram and Wayne Rainey. “I guess I won’t really have a feel for the impact of it until I see all of the other members who were inducted previous to myself,” Johnson said. “Everybody who has been inducted has had more of a passion for motorsports than anything else. Once you have a passion to do something, you do whatever it takes to be successful, at least in your own right at it, and then, if you’re enjoying what you’re doing, that gives you longevity.” In 33 years of competition, Johnson has amassed 96 career wins in 149 final-round finishes, and 136 No.1 qualifiers in 506 races. NHRA notables who are already members of the hall include: NHRA founder and past president Wally Parks; Bob Glidden; Don Garlits; Shirley Muldowney; Don Prudhomme; and Joe Amato. Photos are available at http://media.nhra.com

· BUD PRINCE CELEBRATES KING OF ROCK ‘n ROLL: Brandon Bernstein takes the ride of his life at every NHRA POWERade Series race – but last weekend, the decorated young Top Fuel star took a different kind of ride on a Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe. Bernstein joined grand marshal Billy Bush, co-anchor of “Access Hollywood” and motorcycle customizer Arlen Ness, among others, in the 100-mile Elvis Rock ‘n Roll Ride for Life in Memphis, Tenn. “It was a weekend celebration,” Brandon said. “I got a VIP tour of Graceland on Saturday, signed autographs at Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson, did an interview on Elvis Sirius radio, and ended Saturday with a VIP party at the Gibson guitar factory. On Sunday, we posed for photos on the steps of Graceland and then approximately 400 of us left Graceland and went on a scenic 100-mile ride through the countryside before returning to Graceland. The ride was to benefit the American Diabetes Association. I had the opportunity to meet and ride with Bruce Rossmeyer, CEO of eleven Harley-Davidson locations as well as famed motorcycle customizer Arlen Ness. Following the ride, Bruce Rossmeyer unveiled the first motorcycle of the all-new Elvis Presley Anniversary Bike Signature Series. It was a very cool weekend."

· STAR RACING/G2 MOTORSPORTS NAMED SMALL MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR: Star Racing/G2 Motorsports was one of 100 Georgia companies recognized at the 2007 Georgia Manufacturing Appreciation Week Manufacturers of the Year Governor’s Award Luncheon in Atlanta. Governor Sonny Perdue was the keynote speaker for the event, which included a special video spotlight for each manufacturer honored. George and Jackie Bryce serve as co-owners of the mail-order business, which includes one of NHRA’s most successful NHRA POWERade Series Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing teams, a V-twin division, CNC milling equipment and a machine shop.

· LADWIG SCORES BIG WEEKEND IN VIRGINIA: Marty Ladwig posted a national record en route to the Pro FWD Winner’s Circle at the Virginia NHRA Sport Compact Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. Ladwig set the national record for elapsed time at 7.31, qualified No.1 and won the event for the maximum 138 points a competitor can earn at an NHRA race. Other winners included: Ken Scheepers (Modified); Kenny Tran (Hot Rod); Norris Prayoonto (Honda Tuning Magazine All Motor); and Brad Personett (Pro RWD). “For us to come out this weekend at a good track and use the full potential of the car was big,” Ladwig said. “The main thing was to get the maximum points as far as the championship. The icing on the cake was to run 200 mph. We are the only ones to do it in Pro FWD in the Lucas Oil Chevrolet Cobalt.”

· SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTSMEN AT JEGS.COM CAJUN SPORTSnationals: The best of the Lucas Oil Series’ contenders faced off in a special event designed to showcase their talents, the NHRA Jegs.com Cajun SPORTSnationals at No Problem Raceway Park, in Belle Rose, La. Craig Bourgeois, of Metairie, La. won his second consecutive victory in Comp Eliminator, while David Strain, of Kenner, La., brought home the crown in Top Dragster. Britt Cummings (Super Comp); Kevin Edmonds (Super Street); Brad Zaskoski (Super Stock); Gary Emmons (Stock Eliminator); T.J. Tracey (Top Sportsman); David Tatum III (Super Gas); and Keith Altazin (Sportsman Motorcycle) also earned first-place finishes. Lucas Oil Series drivers truly are the “men and women next door” – many of the competitors in this feeder series work regular day jobs and travel to race on the weekends. While events are scheduled for each of the country’s seven divisions, three major national events, including the Jegs.com Cajun SPORTSnationals, Jegs.com NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals (Sept. 28-30, Columbus, Ohio) and NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals presented by K&N Filters (Oct. 5-7, Fontana, Calif.) give the focus solely to the Lucas Oil Series’ best.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

· SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS, COMMERCE, GA., ATLANTA DRAGWAY, APRIL 26-29: Race No. 6 in the NHRA POWERade Countdown to the Championship moves to scenic Atlanta Dragway, often the site of some thrilling side-by-side finishes at more than 300 mph. Defending winners include Doug Kalitta, Tony Pedregon, Dave Connolly and Antron Brown.

· O’REILLY NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS, MADISON, ILL., GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, MAY 4-6: The NHRA’s annual visit to St. Louis comes nearly two months earlier this season, as Tony Schumacher, Tony Pedregon, Mike Edwards and Chip Ellis will try to defend their victories from ’06.

· O’REILLY NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS, BRISTOL, TENN., BRISTOL DRAGWAY, MAY 18-20: This favorite stop for drivers never fails to produce an exciting weekend for racing. Defending event winners include Doug Kalitta, Ron Capps and Jason Line.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

· 3: Three women are currently ranked in the top 10 in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category, with two inside the all-important top 8. If the first field for the POWERade Countdown to the Championship were set today, Angelle Sampey would make the cut at No. 1 with Karen Stoffer in the No. 2 position. Peggy Llewellyn sits just outside the standings at No. 10.

DRIVERS TELL ALL

· DAVE CONNOLLY DOES DOUBLE-DUTY: Pro Stock young gun Dave Connolly will pull double the work in Atlanta, driving a Super Comp dragster as teammate to his father Ray while piloting his own Torco Racing Fuels/Slammers Ultimate Milk Chevy Cobalt that he drove to a Pro Stock win there in 2006. “The Atlanta track can be a bit tricky,” Connolly said. “We’ve had a good (Pro Stock) car at Houston where the track also was tricky and we had a good car at Las Vegas when the track was real good, so we seem to be able to run well in both situations. We seem to have a well-rounded race car that has been making consistent runs week after week. And that’s what we’re going to continue doing in Atlanta.”