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NHRA, IHRA: Kelli Bennett to Make Junior Dragster Debut

4 April 1999

SPARTANBURG, SC-- The day has come and like any other 9-year old getting their first shot in a junior dragster, Kelli Bennett is both excited and a little bit nervous. The second-generation drag racer and son of veteran freelance writer Bobby Bennett, Jr. will take his first laps at Greer Dragway, an IHRA sanctioned track located in Greer, S.C. Bennett will also roll to the starting line with several new associate backers for the Bobby Barr-prepared, Trim Parts-sponsored, 130-inch wheelbased junior dragster.

"I was in the car yesterday and when they fired it up, and it was an unreal feeling," explained Kelli, a third grader at Spartanburgs Pine Street Elementary. "When we took some practice laps in the car, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. All I can say is that Im thankful for my sponsors and Bobby Barr has built me a killer car."

Bennetts new ride is expected is to run 12-second runs as required by IHRA/NHRA rules for 9-year olds, but carries a motor capable of clicking off 11-second passes. The car will be a rolling billboard as it boasts the livery of new sponsors such as Mike Aiello Motorsports, RC Customs (Scott Chesney) and Brians Kustom Helmet Designs (Brian Morgan). They join a line-up of formidable backers such as Trim Parts, Inc., Barrs Competition, Awesome Motorsports and Autometer as they pursue IHRA/NHRA Junior Dragster events. All sponsorships stipulate that Bennett must maintain a B+ average in school or the deals become suspended or cancelled.

Trim Parts is located in Milford, Ohio. When you see the "GM Restoration Parts" emblem associated with a reproduction part, you can be assured that each part is licensed by Trim Parts. for reproduction and meets GM guidelines for quality and authenticity. is dedicated to manufacturing the highest quality products offered in the restoration industry. In most cases, they engineer and build their own tooling in-house to ensure our parts are manufactured "just like the General did it". When original GM tooling is available, Trim Parts, Inc. is licensed by GM to utilize this tooling to manufacture parts. If the tooling requires repair or reconditioning, they perform this work prior to manufacturing parts.

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 7.8 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 ince its inception. The shop is located in Shelby, N.C.

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