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FINAL NHRA PROFESSIONAL POINTS

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional
categories following the 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern
California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the final of 23
events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

ROUND-BY-ROUND PRO RESULTS FROM POMONA

Final round-by-round results from the 42nd annual
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway
at Pomona, the final of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series:

FINAL ROUND RESULTS FROM POMONA

Sunday's final results from the 42nd annual Automobile
Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
The $1.8 million race is the final of 23 in the $50 million NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series:


Top Fuel --
Tony Schumacher, 4.428 seconds, 327.98 mph def. Melanie
Troxel, 4.585 seconds, 308.50 mph.

SUNDAY POMONA RESULTS

SCHUMACHER COMPLETES GREATEST NHRA POWERADE SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP
COMEBACK;
Force and Hines also claim titles, while Anderson and Treble
take victories at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona

 

pro-winnersDSD_2575.JPG

 

Tony Schumacher completed the biggest comeback in NHRA drag racing
history Sunday at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and clinchedthe 2006
POWERade Series world championship with a national record final-round
run that has to be considered the greatest quarter-mile pass of all
time.

In Funny Car, John Force used a holeshot start to win his 122nd
racejust two rounds after clinching his 14th title. Greg Anderson
bettered new champ and teammate Jason Line by three hundredths of a
second in Pro Stock, while Craig Treble got his first Pro Stock
Motorcycle win in morethan two years on a day that featured Andrew
Hines winning his third
straight motorcycle championship.

NHRA FINES SCHUMACHER

NHRA officials have announced that Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher has
been fined $20,000 for failing to follow the commands of NHRA Chief Starter Rick
Stewart during Saturday’s final qualifying attempt at the Automobile Club of
Southern California NHRA Finals.


NHRA NAMES NEW DIRECTOR, TOP FUEL AND FUNNY CAR RACING

NHRA announced today that Dan Olson,
veteran crew chief most recently with
Don Schumacher Racing, has been
named as Director, Top Fuel and Funny Car
Racing.  Olson, who has more
than 40 years of experience in nitromethane
racing, starts his new
position on Dec. 1.

"We are excited to have
someone with Dan's knowledge and experience
working at NHRA," said Graham
Light, senior vice president of racing
operations.  "Dan is a tremendous
asset and will help us to provide
long-term solutions to advance our sport." 

SCHUMACHER ON SHUT-OFF - "I clearly saw him."

DSD_1404.jpgOfficial starter Rick Stewart spotted some fluid leaking onto the right lane
from Tony Schumacher's Army car, and he and Rick Shreck, assistant director of Top Fuel and
Funny Car racing (Ray Alley's replacement), clearly ordered the team to shut off
the car.

Schumacher's team ignored the order. Schumacher ran, and
his plans went up in smoke immediately. He lost traction at the first hit of the
throttle. So his 4.458 E.T. that had put him at the head of the list the
previous two days had to serve as his best.

NHRA officials are reviewing
the incident and a prepared statement indicated that they are considering
punitive action against the team.

NHRA LODRS SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

Divisional races at Bradenton, Florida, and Baytown, Texas, Feb. 16-18
will kick off the 2007 edition of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

In addition to the 44-race schedule of divisional events are four
specialty events spread out throughout the season. Jeg's will sponsor
the first three: the April 20-22 Jegs.com NHRA Cajun Sportsnationals at
Belle Rose, Louisiana; the June 9 Jeg's All-Stars at Joliet, Illinois;
and the Jeg's Northern Sportsnationals at Columbus, Ohio. The NHRA
Pacific Sportsnationals will be Oct. 5-7 at Fontana, California.

The series has expanded to two new markets. The North Central Division
has added Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio,
and the newest West Central Division venue is Cordova Dragway Park in
Illinois.

WORSHAM BRUISED BUT NOT BROKEN

DSC_0077.JPGDel Worsham was back at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona by eight this morning, ready
to defend his provisional pole slot in Saturday’s two qualifying
sessions. Although Worsham suffered a broken tail bone, there’s nothing doctors
can do to help the healing.

His Chuck Worsham-led Team CSK added a bit
of padding for Del’s seat and sent him out this morning with a repaired Chevy
Monte Carlo body shell on a former Mike Ashley chassis, which Ashley used when
he and Worsham were teammates. Worsham’s rear wing, destroyed in yesterday’s
wreck, was replaced by a spare from teammate Phil Burkart’s Havoline special
edition car.

BACK UP CAR WORKS FINE FOR KALITTA

kalittaDSD_0931.JPGDoug Kalitta's 4.452-second blast at 328.22 mph came in a back-up version of the
Mac Tools Dragster that replaced the one that was damaged in Saturday's opening
session. It was the car he drove for the first third of the season.

"Rahn
said if it feels good, just run it through. If it goes out and does anything
stupid, shut it off," Kalitta said.

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