The All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) President Craig Tharpe today announced the hiring of Karen Raffa of Corrales, NM, to administer the organization's contingency awards program. In addition, Raffa will handle advertising sales for Speed Magazine, the organization's official publication, which is published ten times each year.

"We are extremely pleased to have added Karen to our growing staff," said Tharpe from his offices in Pfafftown, NC. "She brings a wealth of experience to this position, and is extremely well thought of throughout the entire high-performance aftermarket industry. The addition of Karen to our staff is just one more move in our efforts to become the industry leader. As the All Harley Drag Racing Association continues expanding those efforts, we're convinced Karen will help us reach the next level."

During the mid-90's Raffa worked on the National Hot Rod Association's Junior Dragster program, assisting in the launch of Junior Drag Racer Magazine and rallying the manufacturers for the Junior National Championships, before joining the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA). When she began her efforts on behalf of IHRA, their contingency posted awards totaled $2.8M annually. Within four years she had increased that funding to $18.2 M. Raffa recently worked for COMP Cams/ProRacing Sim LLC and their AETC Conference, one of the industry leaders in the aftermarket community.

Raffa's interaction with the aftermarket community is well known throughout racing. "They're like family to me," she said from her home in New Mexico. "I try to understand the needs of each company in terms of exposure and then work to make their needs fit into what the racing organization's goals are. I always try to remember that when working on programs like these the ultimate goal is to increase the potential earnings of each and every competitor while at the same time protecting the aims of the companies providing those funds.

"I've been watching the AHDRA for over a year now, my husband is a competitor. They have some great people, a team that pulls together, the way I'm accustomed to working. I am excited about joining this team and I know I can help AHDRA to build productive relationships with the manufacturers for the organization and get more sponsors on board to build the racer programs."

Raffa will begin working with various AHDRA officials and sponsors immediately, making plans to represent AHDRA at industry trade shows. "Taking on a program like this isn't going to be a slam dunk," she said. "It's going to take some time to meet all of the players and bring everyone's goals into focus, but I'm confident that in the long run we'll be able to vastly increase AHDRA's contingency funding, magazine support, and relationships in the motorsports industry."