Brittany Force was back on the track
Sunday, despite spending some time at University Medical Center in Las Vegas
with a slight concussion the evening before.

Doug Foley, co-owner of the Foley & Lewis Top Fuel team, said
Sunday that Rick Cooper would not return in 2007 as the driver of the
second Torco-sponsored dragster.
 
"We'll have a second car, but it won't be with Rick Cooper in the
seat," Foley said during NHRA testing at the Nitro Blast-Off at The
Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Just 18 months and 27 national events since his first pass in a nitro Funny Car,
Mike Ashley is thrilled to be back as a team owner and driver. After having
competed under the umbrellas of two of the top teams in drag racing, the
two-time champion has broken out on his own to set a course for the
top.
 
Since his announcement of his new role at the Finals in Pomona in
November, Ashley has assembled an all-star team including crew chief Brian
Corradi, veteran and world champion Mark Oswald, "blower wiz" Chuck Ford (crew
chief on Ashley's championship-winning Pro Mod), even  past champion Frank
Hawley, known for his mentoring and training to the sport’s top stars.

Brittany Force crashes -- Ashley Force's first test run since turning professional Tuesday (a 10.824-second elapsed time at 71.88 mph) looked to be the hot family topic of the day. But 20-year-old younger sister Brittany later got the attention in a way nobody wanted to see.
 
Brittany Force suffered a slight concussion Saturday evening after her Brand Source-sponsored Super Comp dragster hit the left retaining wall during her second run of the day. She was conscious and sitting up following the accident but reportedly had a temporary memory loss.
 

Kenny Bernstein's Monster Energy Dodge Charger rolled off the trailer
around nine o'clock Saturday morning, but it didn't roll down the
track. In fact, according to an NHRA technical official, it didn't pass
the tech inspection because the rods were too narrow underneath. So the
crew, under the direction of veterans Ray Alley and Johnny West, worked
the rest of the day to make adjustments.

Bernstein, who has four Funny Car series titles among his six
championships, said he knew "we had a lot of work to do." Still, he
said he had hoped to "try to go make something happen today."

Super Comp standout Lindsey Wood
completed her A/Fuel dragster licensing process at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
today.  Following Friday’s 400’ shakedown
pass of 7.43,115 mph, Wood jumped in the saddle Saturday to make her first full
pass of 5.42, 237 mph.  To finish up
licensing, Lindsey made a second run of 5.64,201 mph.

The rookie into Top Alcohol
Dragster ranks is no stranger on the drag racing scene.  Beginning with Jr. Dragsters in ‘94, Wood
compiled an astounding 57 bracket/index wins, 17 heads-up style wins, along
with 22 low-e.t. qualifying spots before her final season in 2002.  The 2004 year marked the beginning of her
entry to the Super Comp racing where she scored a Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
quarter-final finish in Gainesville, a
semi-final finish in Orlando, and a win at Montgomery to end the
season 4^th in Division 2 competition.

Top-five Funny Car finisher Tony
Pedregon registered his disappointment at not receiving one of the first Chevy
Impala SS bodies, because he "felt like we had earned" the right. But he
indicated he's a GM team player and nevertheless is excited about the
aerodynamically improved shell.

EVENT PHOTO GALLERY

Growing
up outside of New York City, both Doug Foley and Bobby Lagana knew all
too well the concept of racing for “pink slips”. Two people race and
the loser hands over the ownership of his vehicle to the winner.

Foley, a native of Mamaroneck, NY; now living in New Jersey; and
Lagana, a resident of Scarsdale, NY, also understood that street racing
is not drag racing. The two have grown up to earn their livings as
professional drag racers on the NHRA/POWERade and IHRA/eMAX Drag Racing
tours. Success has found both, as Foley was poised to win the IHRA
Torco Pro Nitro Top Fuel Dragster championship last year after
finishing No. 2 in 2005. An unfortunate on-track accident in September
sidelined him for the final two races, but for 2007, he’s back with a
new car and a new ultimatum: Beat Bobby Lagana!

In 2007, the Garlets
Motorsports A-fuel dragster team will be teaming up with the “Official Technical
School” of the NHRA as
their major sponsor.  The team, which is
based out of Lowell, Indiana, will be traveling to over 20 races
throughout the season in an effort to bring attention to WyoTech, which
currently has over 10,000 students in 7 different locations nationwide.

Dick Garlets, owner and
driver of the new Hadman chassis dragster, couldn’t be more excited about the
opportunity.