Fresno, Calif., native Gary Scelzi has his sights set on continuing
success at Infineon Raceway at this weekend's FRAM-Autolite NHRA
Nationals, the final leg of the three-race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series Western Swing (Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, Calif.).

The man who's won two Funny Car titles at this event (2003 and 2005),
was No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel in 2000 and who made history - after
his ‘03 FC victory here - by becoming the only NHRA driver to have won
in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car,
is ready to hoist the winner's trophy again.

"Wild Thing," as the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny
Car is known in Fresno, is aiming for his third triumph here as well as
a top-10 berth in the Countdown to the Championship, which begins for
the top 10 in points following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on
Labor Day weekend.

The
completion of NHRA’s demanding Western Swing is usually a cause for
celebration – and relief – for drivers and teams that have been
diligently pursuing POWERade Series points in three back-to-back
races.  It began with stops at Denver and Seattle and will wind up at
Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., in the heart of California’s famous
wine country.

The rejoicing for Melanie Troxel and the Gotham City Racing Funny Car
team will be well-deserved should they return to their round-winning
ways in the FRAM Autolite Nationals, Friday through Sunday. 

Troxel remains in contention for one of 10 playoff spots in NHRA’s
Countdown to 1 championship format, but the window of opportunity is
getting smaller and smaller.  Four more races remain in the regular
18-event season, and the top 10 are the only drivers advancing to the
six-race title showdown.

Following an impressive runner-up finish at the NHRA Mopar Mile-High
Nationals in Denver July 13th, Steve Johnson and his Snap-on
Tools/WyoTech Technical Schools Suzuki are primed and ready for the
Fram Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Ca. this coming
weekend.
           
In his last two outings Johnson has scored semifinal round and
runner-up finishes, which has moved him into 9th place in the NHRA
POWERade points standings.  If he can maintain or even improve his
points position in the four races remaining before the 10 finalists for
the Countdown to the Championship are determined he’ll make the cut and
be eligible for this year’s POWERade title.  That’s the goal of this
Irondale, Al. competitor, a 22-year veteran of NHRA Pro Stock
Motorcycle racing.
           
“Our team has really come together this year,” Johnson said on Monday. 
“This is the second year we’ve worked with crew chief Mark Peiser, and
it’s paying off every week.  We’re running more consistently now than
we have in a while, and I have a lot more confidence going to the
starting line right now than I did at the beginning of the season.

The NHRA races are dwindling to a precious few.  Now is the time for
Justin Humphreys and the RaceRedi Dodge Pro Stock team to make a bold
move if they want to be among 10 Pro Stock drivers advancing to NHRA’s
Countdown to 1 championship showdown.
 
His individual countdown begins in the FRAM Autolite Nationals, Friday
through Sunday, at Infineon Raceway.  This is the 15th of 18 races in
the Countdown to 10.  The title fight will be contested over the
season’s final six events.
 
Humphreys, of Monrovia, Md., has 527 points, putting him 69 out of 10th and 43 behind 11th place (570).
 
This race also is the last of three straight events.  It began in the
high altitude of Denver (July 13) and moved to Seattle and sea level
Sunday.

Since the nitro racers cannot test at NHRA national event tracks and the IHRA will not welcome them, the next logical choice is during national events.

Tim Wilkerson will race to win this weekend in Sonoma, but he'll also test for the future. 

That's what Wilkerson will likely do during this weekend's NHRA Fram-Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, Ca..

Wilkerson
heads into the weekend operating from a position a position of power by
leading the Funny car points, something he has never enjoyed in his
long and distinguished career. 

Ron Capps is fresh off a runner-up finish in Seattle last Sunday, his
first of the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, and hopes this new
wave of momentum will help him sail into the winner's circle at this
weekend's 21st Annual NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway.

Driving the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car for Don
Schumacher Racing, Capps moved into sixth place in the class rankings,
a position he expects to solidly improve upon in the last four events
before the Countdown to the Championship kicks in for the top 10
following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.

"Believe me, we don't want to go to Reading (Pa., Aug. 15-17), let
alone Brainerd (Minn., Aug. 8-10) and start thinking, Man, we need to
do this or that to get in. We don't want to be in that position," said
Capps.

If there were one race
that Cory McClenathan would love to win for his team's sponsor it would be this
weekend's 21st annual FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals, the final stop on the
Western Swing (Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, Calif.) and the 15th of 24 2008 NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series events. The driver of the FRAM Top Fuel dragster
wants to present the winner's trophy to FRAM and earn his second career victory
at Infineon Raceway.

He enters this weekend's
event fifth in the Top Fuel point standings following a quarterfinal effort
last Sunday in Seattle,
one victory this season in two final rounds, and four semifinal finishes in the
first 14 events of the year.

Peterson Holding has again partnered with David Powers Motorsports and
seven-time NHRA Top Fuel winner Hot Rod Fuller during the 21st annual
FRAM-Autolite Nationals, July 25-27, at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma,
Calif. it was announced today. Fuller’s Caterpillar dragster will fly
the colors of Peterson during the Sonoma NHRA race.

The relationship between David Powers Motorsports, Caterpillar and the
Caterpillar dealers was designed as a pilot program to increase
technician recruiting. Many Caterpillar dealers are experiencing a
shortage of technicians. After successful events in several NHRA
markets during the 2007 season, DPM and Caterpillar inked a multiyear
agreement last August to participate in the NHRA dealer recruitment
program. Peterson Holding is the parent company to Peterson Tractor
Co., Peterson Machinery Co. and Peterson Power Systems. Peterson has 19
locations in Northern California and Southern and Central Oregon and
employs more than 1,000 people.

“Peterson is one of our biggest supporters for the NHRA recruiting
program and were awesome to work with last year,” Fuller said.
“Needless to say, it’s great to have the Peterson logo on our dragster
again this year. Last year we went to the semifinals, now we want to
celebrate in the winner’s circle with all our friends at Peterson.”

Texas Motorplex has engaged Glenn Menard owner of GEM Consulting, an event and facility management firm, to provide
management services to the metro Texas Motorplex that is home to the
O’Reilly Auto Parts Super Start Battery Fall Nationals September 18-21,
2008.

Menard will provide on-site management services as interim General
Manager, prepare for this year’s NHRA event, and provide recruitment
services to identify a permanent General Manager.

With an extensive background in event and facility management for
events ranging from top-tier, live entertainment to professional,
collegiate and amateur sporting events, Menard has directed operations
for more than 100 concerts, Super Bowl XXXVI and NFL regular season
games, three NCAA Final Fours, BCS Championship, NBA basketball,
Olympic tennis in Atlanta and World Cup soccer in Dallas.

Dave Connolly lhopes a strong performance will punch him into the Pro Stock top ten.

Maybe the final stop on NHRA’s Western Swing will be where Dave
Connolly finally punches his way into the POWERade Series top 10.
 
The goal was established in April when he returned to Pro Stock
competition with new Cagnazzi Racing Chevy Cobalt sponsors Charter
Communications and LifeLock.
 
His chore was to do in just 13 races what his rivals did in 18:  score
enough points to be among the Countdown to 1 championship chasers over
the concluding six events.  And he’s almost there.
 
As Connolly prepares for the FRAM Autolite Nationals at Infineon
Raceway, Friday through Sunday, he knows making the top 10 is one
thing.  Then he must stay there until points are reset for those
Countdown finalists prior to the inaugural event at Charlotte, Sept.
11-14.