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ROUND-BY-ROUND PRO RESULTS FROM VEGAS2

Final round-by-round results from the Seventh annual ACDelco Las
Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 22nd
of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

SCHUMACHER'S DISQUALIFICATION

If your name is Tony and you race at Las
Vegas, bypassing the scales after a good run isn’t a recommended
action. Last year Tony Pedregon had a 4.79 run thrown out and that
caused him to DNQ after 114 consecutive starts. Pedregon complained
that he was conducting business as usual.

Tony Schumacher said the same thing Sunday as he bypassed the scales
after beating Melanie Troxel in the second round of the $100,000-to-win
Technicoat Shootout. NHRA officials denied that claim and disqualified
the defending world champion and reinstated Troxel.

Schumacher alleges that he stopped and offered to weigh.

“There’s a green light and a red-light at almost every track scales
that we race at,” Schumacher said. “After we passed the scales, I got
out to do the number one deal and Rich said, ‘Hey you passed the
scales.”

“We had been 40 pounds over all day and I said, ‘There are my guys, if
you want to weigh them, then grab them and weigh. Graham Light asked me
why I passed the scales and I told him that I had told Rich to grab my
guys if he wanted them to weigh.”  

MULDOWNEY HOSPITALIZED

Top Fuel legend Shirley Muldowney, who was at The Strip at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway on Friday, was hospitalized Saturday after complaining
of possible food poisoning.

VEGAS FINAL QUALIFYING

‘COUNTDOWN’ DRIVERS EARN TOP QUALIFYING POINTS; FULLER EARNS FIRST TECHNICOAT TITLE IN LAS VEGAS

Tony
Schumacher, Robert Hight, and Chip Ellis held on to their No. 1
qualifying positions Saturday at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals,
each earning eight vital points in their quests for NHRA POWERade
Series world championship titles, while Countdown contender Dave
Connolly usurped Justin Humphreys to keep his historic momentum going
in Pro Stock.

Local favorite Rod Fuller also made headlines,
earning his first $100,000 winner’s share of the Technicoat Top Fuel
Shootout after a runner-up finish last season.

Schumacher
piloted his U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster to a 4.482 at 327.59 for his
11th No. 1 qualifier of the year, the 46th of his career and his third
at The Strip.

“We've run so well here the last few years but
that does not in any way, shape, or form mean we'll run good tomorrow,”
Schumacher said. “I do feel a lot better getting down the track today
because we'll see these same sort of conditions tomorrow. If we get
beat, we'll have gotten beat by a great car, no matter when it happens,
because there are a lot of great cars out there.

FULLER WINS TECHNICOAT SHOOTOUT

The first four events
of the Countdown to the Championship haven't been good for "Hot" Rod Fuller. But
that changed a bit Saturday after the former Super Comp competitor scored his
biggest victory of his young career - winning the $100,000 Technicoat
Shootout.

Fuller, who
comes into this event second in the Countdown to One, used a slight
reaction-time advantage to beat Melanie Troxel in the final of the Top Fuel
special event, beating Troxel to the finish line as his 4.527 edged Troxel's
4.526.
"My team told me
they needed me," said Fuller who used 0.23-second advantage off the line. "They
said we have a good race car, but we really need to you today. I said, 'Don't
worry, I got your back.'

TINDLE WINS PM CLASH

After rattling off consistent 6.0-second runs in qualifying, Santa Rosa Fla.
resident Tim Tindle took the cash the $50,000 ProCare Rx Pro Mod Clash with a
tire-shaking, back and forth wild ride down the quarter-mile in the final
against Jay Payne. Tindle also earned the No. 1 qualifying spot in the ACDelco
Vegas NHRA Nationals on the strength of his first round Clash time of 6.023
seconds.
 
"I can't even explain how this feels," Tindle said as he
hoisted the $25,000 cash over his head and shouted. "We've worked so hard all
year, and Chuck [Ford, Tindle's tuner] found the sweet spot on this Mustang. I'm
overwhelmed."
 
ProCare Rx Chairman and CEO Roger Burgess said, "I know
Tim has put a lot into this series, and it makes me really happy to hand him
this cash and award him this trophy for all of his hard work."
 
In
addition to the cash prize, Tindle also received a two-and-a-half foot tall
statue of a knight in armor riding a war-horse, made of silver and gold overlaid
on exotic wood.

OFFERED WITHOUT COMMENT

The NHRA tech department
issued the following memo to Top Fuel and Funny Car teams Saturday at the NHRA
ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals in Las
Vegas
.

TORCO GIVES AWAY CHOPPEER

PIC00017.jpgTorco Race Fuels owner Evan Knoll has commissioned SINFUEL Choppers to build a
custom chopper in remembrance of those members of the U.S. Military POW-MIA and
their families as well as the veterans past and present. To honor them, Knoll
has committed to a year-long raffle of the bike and will donate 100% of the
proceeds to the National League of POW-MIA Families and select veterans
groups.
 
Knoll has been an advocate for the veterans and donated sponsorship of the
Top Fuel dragster driven by Melanie Troxel in 2007 as a tribute to POW-MIAs and
Vietnam Veterans as well as those who have served in the U.S. Military. He’s
also partnered with Ken Black on a Top Fuel dragster that honored our current
deployed military and their families.
 
Knoll has also committed 100% of the proceeds from souvenir sales related
to the veteran cars to veterans groups.
 
“I am honored to be a part of such a worthwhile project,” Knoll said. “You
think about all the great freedoms we enjoy in this lifetime and then you look
at our brave soldiers and their families, and it’s the least we can do for them.
 
“Dan and Deecan have created a bad-to-the-bone bike and I urge the racing
community to help us in supporting this incredible cause.”

GEICO JOINS NHRA PROGRAM

GEICO, the fastest-growing auto insurance company in the United States,
has signed a multi-year marketing partnership with the NHRA (National
Hot Rod Association), officials from the world’s largest motorsports
sanctioning organization announced today during a press conference at
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

As part of the agreement, GEICO will receive multiple exposure and
promotional opportunities at NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events.
The GEICO Gecko, the company’s popular mascot and advertising icon,
will be a familiar figure roaming the NHRA Manufacturers Midway. The
GEICO Trackside Entertainment Team will entertain spectators during
appropriate breaks in the racing action. In addition, GEICO will
receive display space and have television advertising rights.

DSR SIGNS NAPA AUTO PARTS

NAPAAUTOPARTSFC.jpgDon Schumacher today announced at a press conference during the NHRA Nationals
at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that NAPA AUTO PARTS will expand its
motorsports presence in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series by becoming a
primary sponsor of the Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driven
by Ron Capps in the 2008 season and beyond.
 
NAPA AUTO PARTS, which
joined DSR in 2007 as an associate sponsor, will remain an associate sponsor on
most of the DSR teams competing in 2008. Brut, which had joined DSR as a primary
sponsor in 2005, will continue to play a role at DSR as a major associate
sponsor on all DSR teams.
 
"This is a great day for Don Schumacher Racing
and for NHRA drag racing," said DSR president Schumacher. "To have a company
like NAPA AUTO PARTS, with its deep-rooted racing history, join our team as a
primary sponsor is a true honor.  
 
"Through a business relationship with
Schumacher Electric Corporation (of Mt. Prospect, Ill.), NAPA AUTO PARTS came on
board with us earlier this year as an associate sponsor to test the NHRA
drag-racing waters. I believe they liked what they saw as they have signed a
multi-year, primary sponsorship agreement with our team.

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