Four-time drag racing champion Gary Scelzi is still having a blast at
the 22nd annual Dodge Chili Bowl Nationals, driving the Jegs/K&N
Filters/Scelzi Enterprises/Mopar USAC midget. The Fresno, Calif.,
native finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in his two qualifying
races Wednesday night on the Tulsa Expo Raceway clay oval, but it did
not get him into the A-main and final event on Saturday night.

Scelzi,
whose usual mount is the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car in
the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, still has one chance -- although
extremely remote -- to make the field, in another qualifying event on
Saturday.

"I'm guaranteed to race on Saturday," he said,
"because there are several 'Mains' (or consolation races). The A-main
is obviously the main deal, but there isn't a chance in hell of my
making that. I knew that going in. There's no way a guy is going to
come from as far back in the field as I am and get up front. I don't
think Tony Stewart could make the A-main from where I'll be starting in
the field.

Jason Sharp, of Speedtech Nitrous, will field this Mullis Built dragster driven by Anthony
Jones of Tuscaloosa , Alabama to be run in NHRA Div 2 as well as
the big money bracket promoters like George Howard events. The car will be
powered by a Sunset Racecraft 582 cid, Speedtech Nitrous-enhanced combination
along with a Hughes Performance built Powerglide. The exquisite design has been applied by
the talented staff at Illusions Paint and Body in Bristol, TN
.

The following are the pre-entries received for the 8th annual Eastern Spring Test Nationals presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com hosted by South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Ga. 

NHRA POWERADE COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT CHANGES FOR 2008

NHRA also announces Auto Club NHRA Finals moved to Nov. 13-16, 2008

NHRA announced today modifications to the NHRA POWERade Countdown to
the Championship designed to build upon the excitement and success
generated from last year’s inaugural season.  In addition, NHRA also
announced that the final race of the season, the Automobile Club of
Southern California NHRA Finals, has been moved one week later to Nov.
13-16, 2008.

The 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series will feature an 18-race
regular season, followed by a six-race NHRA POWERade Countdown to the
Championship playoff to determine POWERade world champions in Top Fuel,
Funny Car and Pro Stock.   The fields for the championship playoffs,
which will be set at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend,
will be expanded to the top 10 in each class, up from eight in 2007.  

In the Pro Stock Motorcycle category, the season will feature a 12-race
regular season and a five-race playoff. The top 10 riders will advance
to the championship playoffs following the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

 Similar to last year’s format, and after the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals,
championship playoff competitors will have their points readjusted and
separated in 10 point increments.  However, points leaders in each of
the four professional classes after the regular season will be awarded
with a 20-point bonus, increasing their leads over the second place
qualifiers to 30 points.  Thus, first place in the standings will begin
the Countdown to 1 with 2,090 points; second place with 2,060 points
and so on to 10th place starting with 1,980 points.

With Evan Knoll out of
racing while recovering from the affects of a head injury, a special email has
been established so race fans can extend their well-wishes during this recovery
period. These emails will be delivered to Evan’s family as well as posted on
Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com.

SEND EMAIL 

Team owner Don Prudhomme and owner/driver Tim Wilkerson announced an
alliance for the upcoming 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season. While
Snake Racing will field a car in the Top Fuel category and Tim
Wilkerson will campaign a Funny Car, the new coalition will create the
ability for the two teams to share resources and discuss tuning
decisions, while generating new opportunities for their sponsors.

"Tim has always been a really good guy and a solid competitor,"
Prudhomme said. "I know he has a good relationship with (Snake Racing
crew chiefs) Donnie Bender and Todd Smith and both teams have always
been quick to lend each other a helping hand. For 2008, I wanted to
strengthen the relationship between our teams and create opportunities
for our dragster and Tim's Funny Car program."

Team Wilkerson Racing has been one of the few remaining single-car
teams on the NHRA circuit, while amassing five national event wins,
including the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Wilkerson has the
unique distinction of being team owner, driver, and crew chief of his
team, earning him high respect from his peers.

Matt Smith knows the ups and down of racing, from winning his first race at Indy in 2005 then just two
days later having it taken away to winning his first NHRA Championship in dramatic style in 2007.
Therefore when Matt Smith along with all other Torco backed teams received a phone call letting him know
that Torco Race Fuels would be suspending their funds for the 2008 race
season, Smith put on his game face and started looking at what he could
do to get his winning team out there in 2008.

For 20-year racing veteran Sam Andreacchi, winning one of the Pro
Modified Racing Association’s events in 2007 was the highlight of his
season, and he hopes to add some more wins this year.
 
“The PMRA is a great series,” said Andreacchi, who has raced a Pro
Modified for the past six seasons, but joined the PMRA only last year.
“And winning one of the races was certainly nice.”
 
New for this year, will be a carbon fiber body on the Sam Andreacchi /Domenic Calabria-owned entry.
 
The team that is sponsored by Paul Wolf Electric & Lighting Supply
Ltd. has been running a steel 1969 Chevy Nova body, but he said the new
body has finally arrived, and getting that on the car will be the main
focus of activity before racing begins in 2008.

Torco Racing Fuels has announced an interruption for their 2008 racing
season.  The break will include sidelining all Knoll Gas
Motorsports’ teams, including those owned by Evan Knoll and sponsored by Torco
Racing Fuels, Inc. for the 2008 season.  However, the break will
not affect event sponsorship in NHRA, IHRA, and other sanctioned bodies.

At the center of the
interruption is the long-term health of Torco President and founder, Evan
Knoll.  Knoll, who suffered major injuries in a serious motor
vehicle accident in November of 2004, has stayed at the helm of operations with
Torco.  Knoll has been in and out of Mayo Clinic and has also been
working with several Neurologists.  He continues to have in-home,
state-of-the-art medical care when treatment is necessary and Knoll is currently
unable to travel. 

In taking a season
off from the rigorous duties of being a primary sponsor and team owner of more
than a dozen teams, Knoll will be able to concentrate on furthering his
recovery.  Additionally, the organization is hoping to plan,
strategize, and regroup their team efforts throughout drag racing, thus
strengthening their chances of world championships.