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IHRA: Harley Communications Motorsports and Barrs Competition Form Partnership

1 February 1999

SPARTANBURG, SC-- In a marketing move that is bound to make waves in the junior drag racing ranks, the entities of Barr's Competition and Harley Communications Motorsports will join forces in an attempt to produce a formidable team. Harley Communications Motorsports, which carries major sponsorship from the official Chevrolet trim parts manufacturer, Trim Parts, Inc., will be driven by Kelli Bennett.

Barr's Competition will build both the chassis and the motors that Bennett compete with during the 1999 season. According to shop owner Bobby Barr, he feels that joining up with the Harley Communications team will produce positive marketing results that will benefit his Shelby, N.C., based shop.

"They believe in promoting a junior dragster as if it were a full scale racing operation," explained Barr. "I like that approach and it impressed me. It didn't take long to realize that we could work hand in hand and each could reap rewards from involvement. I wholeheartedly believe that."

Harley Communications Motorsports team owner Bobby Bennett, Jr. explains that he never considered approaching his son's first racing venture by any less than the method that he would take to promote one of his professionally- classed, IHRA driver clients. He says, "How am I to teach my son the workings of the industry and how to market himself as a driver, if I fail to provide a proper example. It's unfortunate that the cost of the junior dragster division has skyrocketed over the last few years. Now is as good as any time to teach Kelli that sponsorships and deals are what make this industry tick."

Barr's Competition is a shop rich in performance history. Barrs co-owner, Rodney Barr, is a former AMA Supercross National Champion and rode under the dual banner of Team Kawasaki and Barrs Competition. Their junior dragster program, which was founded in 1993, regularly produces 7.9 second entries and claimed two IHRA track championships in 1998. The crafty shops clients have produced a total of 20 of these championships and have won numerous, heads-up junior dragster events since its inception.