ROOKIE OF THE YEAR NEFF LOOKING FOR FIREBIRD SUCCESS

John Force RacingNeff Pre-Race PackageEvent: 25th annual Lucas Slick Mist NHRA Nationals, 2nd of 24 events in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.Site: Firebird International Raceway, Chandler, Ariz.Dates: Feb. 20-22, 2009* * * *ROOKIE OF THE YEAR NEFF LOOKING FOR FIREBIRD SUCCESS“I feel a whole lot better going into this season than I did last season. I feel a lot more comfortable. Now I can try and start concentrating on being a better driver. Now that I am more familiar with everything you try and do those little things that make a good driver.�??– Mike Neff* * * *Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing****The DriverMike Neff, 42, driver of the John Force Racing Ford Mustang, is entering his second season with high expectations. In his rookie year he reached three finals, was No. 1 qualifier twice and finished in 9th place in the Countdown to 1 championship race. Neff took over the driving duties for the late Eric Medlen, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a testing accident in March of 2007. A racing veteran Neff grew up in Hemet, Calif., racing dirt bikes and off-road trucks.* * * *Mike Neff By the Numbers:2 – Qualifying position the last time Mike Neff raced at Firebird International Raceway3 – Number of finals Neff reached in rookie season3 – Number of JFR drivers who have been named Auto Club Road to the Future Award winners, most recently Mike Neff was honored as the professional rookie of the year (Robert Hight, 2005 and Ashley Force Hood, 2007)* * * *Full Throttle Point Standings (After 1st event of 24 Full Throttle events)Funny Car1. Ron Capps, 111; 2. Jim Head, 92; 3. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 78; 4. Gary Densham, 73; 5. Del Worsham, 57; 6. Ashley Force, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 56; 7. Bob Tasca III, 54; 8. Jack Beckman, 53; 9. John Force, Castrol Edge Ford Mustang, 35; 10. Tony Pedregon, 34. Also, 11. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Auto Club Ford Mustang, 32; 11. Jeff Arend, 32; 11. Cruz Pedregon, 32.Top Fuel1. Doug Kalitta, 110; 2. Antron Brown, 90; 3. Brandon Bernstein, 70; 3. Morgan Lucas, 70; 5. Tony Schumacher, 50; 5. Steven Chrisman, 50; 5. Cory McClenathan, 50; 5. Mike Strasburg, 50; 9. Del Cox, 30; 9. Shawn Langdon, 30; 9. Andy Carter, 30; 9. Joe Hartley, 30; 9. Urs Erbacher, 30; 9. David Baca, 30; 9. Spencer Massey, 30; 9. Steve Faria, 30.Pro Stock1. Jason Line, 117; 2. Greg Anderson, 98; 3. Mike Edwards, 95; 4. Allen Johnson, 76; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 54; 6. V Gaines, 52; 6. Johnny Gray, 52; 6. Jim Yates, 52; 9. Warren Johnson, 34; 10. Kurt Johnson, 33; 10. David Beckley, 33. ****Track Records:Top Fuel* - 4.430 sec. by Tony Schumacher Feb. '07; 334.32 mph by Hillary Will, Feb. '08.Funny Car* - 4.636 sec. by Robert Hight, Feb. '07; 330.88 mph by Tommy Johnson Jr., Feb. '07.Pro Stock - 6.629 sec. by Allen Johnson, Feb. '08; 209.49 mph by Greg Anderson, Feb. '07.
(*performance records will not be officially recorded in Top Fuel and Funny Car at this event)**** Race Schedule:Friday – FC Qualifying:               2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday – FC Qualifying:               12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.Sunday – Pre-race:                       10:00 a.m.Final eliminations:          11:00 a.m.* * * *Team PR and Marketing Contacts:Dave Densmore, PR                           Elon Werner, PR                                 
Denswood Sports                               John Force Racing, Inc.               214-244-0008                                    214-244-1184 denswood@aol.com                          Elon@johnforceracing.com       Chad Light                                            Kelly AntonelliJohn Force Racing, Inc.                      John Force Racing, Inc.714-921-8123                                      317-858-8900Chad@johnforceracing.com            Kelly@johnforceracing.comSponsor PR Contacts: Rick Lalor                              Lori Anne Gola                     Kevin KennedyAuto Club of SC                   BP Lubricants                       Ford Racing                
714-885-2085                      973-633-2393                      313-203-7108lalor.rick@aaa-calif.com    lorianne.gola@bp.com      kkennedy@pcgcampbell.com MIKE NEFFROOKIE OF THE YEAR NEFF LOOKING FOR FIREBIRD SUCCESSCHANDLER, AZ (February 17, 2009) --- Mike Neff is excited to be getting back to Firebird International Raceway. Last year in his rookie debut at the Phoenix area track Neff raced to the No. 2 qualifying position but was upended in the first round by No. 15 qualifier and veteran Jack Beckman. Beckman eventually won the event but the feeling of a missed opportunity stayed with the eventual rookie of the year.After the race Neff knew what he needed to do to improve.“All in all we were really excited about the performance and as quick as it was running. We still have a few more small changes but I feel like we are real close to being really good. Still getting more runs for me is the main goal. I get a little better every time,�?? said Neff last year.Neff is still very much in a learning mode. As the 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series gets underway with the second event of the year the 25th annual Lucas Slick Mist NHRA Nationals the second year driver knows that expectations are still high and he feels better about being behind the wheel of his John Force Racing Ford Mustang.“I feel a whole lot better going into this season than I did last season. I feel a lot more comfortable. Now I can try and start concentrating on being a better driver. I am more familiar with everything. I’ll be working on those little things that make a good driver better like staging shallow, being smooth and having good reaction times,�?? said Neff. “Last year was so overwhelming everything was new and it was hard to be able to concentrate on all the little things. I was just concentrating on the big things like keeping it in the middle of my lane and just trying to get it to the other end.�??With three final round appearances in 2008 Neff is gunning for his first win and he knows that it will be a tremendous accomplishment as well as an emotional event.“That will be a great moment (the first win) when we can do that. It will be awesome for me, but more for (crew chief) John Medlen and this team. Since the loss of Eric and everything they have been through it will be real special. The biggest thing is for John Medlen and Eric Medlen. We want to try and carry on where Eric left off and he was a winner. I think it will be a real emotional thing but also a great thing for this whole team,�?? added Neff.A new season means every team has a shot at the Full Throttle Championship and Neff knows his team will be right in the mix. Last year as the only rookie to make the Countdown to 1 he was in more of a support role for his John Force Racing teammates. At the first race of the season it was hard for the sophomore driver to get into a racing groove. He qualified in the No. 12 spot and made an early exit after an uncharacteristic red-light start versus Bob Tasca III. Following the red-light Neff went on a wild sideways ride that had him barely missing the guard wall.“When I hit the throttle it just took off and started spinning the tires that time. When I got back on it the tires still weren’t hooked back up yet. When I hit it again it was like it was on ice. It just kept spinning.  The next thing you know I am looking at the guard wall. Then I am thinking just keep it off the wall. Do not hit the wall. That was the last thing that I wanted to do at that point,�?? said the always calm Neff.  “I was surprised that I did it (red-lit). As I left I caught the red light out of the corner of my eye. I don’t know what it was. I haven’t seen the time slip. That caught me off guard. Maybe it was just that I was amped up and we’d been out there for a long time. Everybody had been shaking and maybe I was anticipating we would shake and I lost my concentration. I just didn’t wait long enough.�??####Did you know…            When Neff does capture his first win for John Force Racing he will become the seventh different drivers to have won Funny Car races on the NHRA tour – John Force, Tony Pedregon, Gary Densham, Robert Hight Ashley Force and the late Eric Medlen.            A strong 2008 rookie season for Neff allowed him to continue another John Force Racing tradition becoming the third John Force Racing, Inc., driver in four years to win the Auto Club’s Road to the Future Award as the NHRA Rookie of the Year following Robert Hight (2005) and Ashley Force (2007).#### Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing