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NHRA: Romine Returns to NHRA Action at Virginia Pennzoil Nationals

23 April 1999

DINWIDDIE, VA. - The CARQUEST Auto Parts Top Fuel Dragster with pilot Paul Romine returns to NHRA Winston Drag Racing competition April 29 - May 2 when it travels to Virginia Motorsports Park and the NHRA Pennzoil Nationals presented by Advanced Auto.

Virginia Motorsports Park has been a successful venue the past three years for the Indianapolis native. In 1996, Romine along with crafty nitro tuner Clayton Harris traveled to the Virginia facility to compete at the Super Stock Reunion with their front-engine nitro dragster. Driving the dragster he guided to the first five-second nostalgia run, Romine won the event. At the 1997 NHRA Pennzoil Nationals with his independent Dealers Engine Sales, Inc. dragster, Romine earned his first career NHRA round victory, defeating five-time World Champion Joe Amato in the opening round before losing in to Mike Dunn in round two. Last season at the wheel of the CARQUEST Auto Parts dragster, Romine qualified 9th and reached the final four at the Pennzoil Nationals. He used a hole-shot to upset the event sponsored dragster of Eddie Hill in round one, then disposed Shelly Anderson in the second round before losing in round three to eventual event winner Cory McClenathan.

"The Pennzoil Nationals has always been a good event for us to race," says Romine, who is 3-2 in final eliminations at the event. "In the past, the event has presented everyone with some tricky track and weather conditions. I think our ability of racing with different variables in IHRA has helped us be successful at the Pennzoil Nationals. Hopefully our experience will work in our favor again this year."

This season in NHRA Winston Drag Racing competition, Romine, the two-time IHRA Top Fuel Champion, has competed in two of the first five NHRA national events. At the CARQUEST team's first NHRA event, the Checker, Schuck's & Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, Romine qualified 16th and lost in the opening round to Joe Amato, who went on to win the event. Romine's last NHRA event was the Mac Tools Gatornationals Nationals in Gainesville, Fla. There he qualified with a 4.69 and career-best 307 mph speed in the quickest Top Fuel field in NHRA history, then was defeated in the opening round by Larry Dixon.

"We have not gotten our first NHRA round victory yet this year so we would like to accomplish that at Virginia," said Romine, who will compete in 10 NHRA national events in 1999. "At Gainesville we ran a .69 in qualifying, then smoked the tires in the opening round. We cannot let that happen. A lot of the time out here, the first step is not beating yourself. If we can get down the track and run a respectable number, good things will happen, it has in the past at Virginia."

Following the Pennzoil Nationals, Romine will bypass the next two NHRA events, returning to the series at the Fram Route 66 Nationals near Chicago. His next event will be the resumption of the IHRA Prolong Super Lubricants Winter Nationals, May 8th in Darlington, S.C. 

EVENT RECORDS:  4.637/314.79 (Kenny Bernstein 1998)
TV SCHEDULE: May 9, 1999 12 noon - 1:30 p.m. (TNN)
EVENT SCHEDULE: Qualifying:    Friday, April 30 3:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Qualifying:    Saturday, May 1 12 noon & 4 p.m.
Final eliminations: Sunday, May 2 11 a.m.
Coverage of the event can be obtained on the World Wide Web at the NHRA web site (WWW.NHRAONLINE.COM). For more information about Paul Romine and CARQUEST Racing, please visit the CARQUEST Racing homepage (WWW.CARQUEST.COM/MOTORSPORTS.HTM) CARQUEST Corporation began almost 25 years ago with 100 auto parts stores. Today there are over 3,800 CARQUEST Auto Parts stores across North America. CARQUEST supplies the professional automotive service repair industry as well as do-it-yourselfers with replacement parts, tools and equipment. CARQUEST is committed to providing auto parts and services of the highest quality and greatest value to help people repair their cars. CARQUEST is a Gold Sponsor of the Special Olympics World Games to be held in North Carolina June 26 through July 4, 1999. For the location of the CARQUEST Auto Parts store nearest you call 1-800-492-PART or visit WWW.CARQUEST.COM CARQUEST is the Official Auto Parts of IHRA Motorsports.

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