Cory McClenathan ranks Houston Raceway Park
high on his favored list of tracks and the reasoning should be obvious.

McClenathan has reached the
Top Fuel final round four times at HRP, winning in 1998 and 2000 (at the
discontinued fall event) and finishing runner-up in 2003 and 2005. He also
qualified No. 1 in 2006. Reunited with former crew chief Mike Green and racing
under the Don Schumacher Racing umbrella in 2008, Top Fuel's most tenured
driver is off to a solid start this season.  

"Sometimes you go to
these race tracks where you've done well and you're not exactly sure why,"
said McClenathan. "Houston
would be one of those places for me. It doesn't matter what kind of year I'm
having. For some reason when we get to Houston
all of a sudden things turn around. We've won there a couple of times and we've
lost there in the final a few times. It's one of those places on the tour I
like strictly because we've run well there and we've enjoyed lots of
success."

Mike Ashley entered Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas, four years
ago with a point to prove. He’s experiencing a bit of déja vu headed
into this weekend’s NHRA O’Reilly Springnationals.

Ashley, a two-time NHRA Pro Modified champion, wants the world to know
he’s still got the team to beat despite a two-year absence from the
class. His No. 1 qualifying effort during the recently completed NHRA
Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., went a long way to prove his point.

“I knew I had the team and car to do what we did in Gainesville,” said
Ashley, who won this weekend’s event in 2004. “I think it’s been just a
matter of getting the driver back in the routine of doing what he’s
supposed to. We left a little on the table with the run that led
qualifying but this experience was exciting and invigorating.”

Hillary Will has been having so much fun in Top Fuel that a milestone crept upon her.

“I can’t believe we’ve already raced in 50 events in Top Fuel,” Will, a
27-year old native of Fortuna, Calif., said. “It seems like yesterday that I was
getting strapped into the car to get my Top Fuel license.

Pro Stock driver Erica Enders has taken control of her racing future by assuming
the responsibilities of vice president of marketing of Master Formula Xtreme
Polishes, Waxes, Cleaners, and Sealers. The agreement will allow Enders to resume her driving career in an
Allen Johnson-powered Dodge Stratus R/T.

Unlike traditional motorsports marketing programs that promise sales
results in exchange for up-front sponsorship dollars, Enders plans to
use her familiarity with race fans and the business community to
bolster the Southern California-based company's bottom line. As sales
of Master Formula products increase, a percentage of gross revenue will
be allocated to funding her on-track activities.

"We are delighted to associate ourselves with a proven
professional like Erica," said Clarence Larkins, CEO and Founder of Master
Formula. "After meeting with Erica and her father Gregg, along with their team
of business and marketing professionals, we're confident Enders Racing can help
us take our company to the next level very quickly.

A year after being the first Caterpillar dealer to support the NHRA dealer
recruitment program, Houston-based Mustang Cat has again partnered with David
Powers Motorsports. Hot Rod Fuller will race the Mustang Cat dragster during the
21st annual O’Reilly Spring Nationals, March 28-30, at Houston Raceway Park. Texas State Technical College Waco,
Mustang Cat’s Think Big partner, and Cat Global Petroleum also are involved at
the Houston NHRA event.

The relationship between David
Powers Motorsports, Caterpillar and the Cat Dealer Groups 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. Mustang Cat
is the southeast Texas authorized sales, parts and service
dealer for Caterpillar construction equipment and engines.

“We’re excited to
have Mustang back on the car this year,” Fuller said. “They helped get things
started last spring, so we’re forever indebted to everyone at Mustang for making
this program work. Our goal is to go some rounds this year and redeem ourselves
after going out early last year. I’m looking forward to visiting everyone at the
dealership on Thursday afternoon.”

Last year at the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park in
Baytown, Tex., just east of Houston, native Australian Dave Grubnic, driver of
the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, made a semi-final showing in the Lone
Star state.

“We felt like we let the win in Houston slip through our fingers last year,”
Grubnic, a 45-year old resident of Ennis, Mont., said. “Our car was certainly
one of the best there last year, but we just barely missed a chance at getting
the win (Grubnic was defeated by Joe Hartley, 4.661 seconds, 307.72 mph to 4.623
sec., 316.15 mph, in the semifinals).

Sekurus Inc. and its iLocate GPS brand were named an associate partner of David
Powers Motorsports, team owner David Powers announced today. The iLocate GPS
logo will be located on the Matco Tools dragster driven by Antron Brown
beginning at the O’Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.

The iLocate/DPM partnership
provides an opportunity for Sekurus representatives to invite key accounts in
race markets to the NHRA events for hospitality entertainment at the team’s Iron
Eagle Club hospitality area, as well as the opportunity for iLocate
representatives to speak with other race team sponsors about
business-to-business networking in the pit area. In addition to the networking
opportunities for iLocate products at the track, Sekurus representatives also
will make a nationwide push with iLocate products for promotions with the David
Powers Motorsports race team, including show car and driver appearances at car
dealerships, trade shows, and conventions throughout the U.S.

In 2007, iLocate National Sales
Manager Michael Southerland connected with former NHRA Funny Car driver Jim
Epler to explore possibilities for Sekurus Inc. They developed the sponsorship
model that attracted Sekurus and its iLocate GPS brand to become a first-time
NHRA sponsor. Epler, the first Funny Car driver to exceed the 300-mph barrier,
will work with Southerland and focus on national motorsports
accounts.

In all my almost forty years of attending races, I have never known
such arctic conditions that befell the season opener at Santa Pod
Raceway. Dedicated nitro starved fans arrived regardless of weather
predictions and struggled in muddy fields, some even succumbing to
hypothermia overnight as temperatures dipped well below freezing. How
race teams managed to even start motors let alone get down track on the
two days that did not suffer rain, sleet and snow is beyond me.
Everyone at the racetrack over that weekend needs an endurance medal
and help in thawing out. Many teams decided the weather too adverse and
wisely sat out or went home to keep warm whilst the slightly depleted
fields managed to complete the eliminations between show showers on
Easter Monday.