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.

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

Don 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.

HIGHT SITS NO. 1 AFTER FRIDAY QUALIFYING IN LAS VEGAS; SCHUMACHER, HUMPHREYS, AND ELLIS ALSO LEAD

With father-in-law John Force watching from starting line and recently
added teammate Mike Neff making his first competitive runs in Funny
Car, Robert Hight took the role of team leader during the opening day
of qualifying at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.

While John Force looked on, Hight drove his Auto Club Ford Mustang to a
4.763-second provisional No. 1 qualifying effort at 322.58 mph at The
Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Justin Humphreys (Pro Stock), and Chip
Ellis (Pro Stock Motorcycle) joined Hight atop the charts with two
qualifying sessions remaining.

Hight was beaming after his second run of the day, mostly because he
saw how happy it made Force, who was sporting hard casts on his left
leg and arm as well as a number of bandages, in his first time back at
the track since his accident in Dallas.

Dennis Radford wows the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals crowd during
Friday Pro Modified qualifying with his one-wheel (well, two if you
count the wheelie bar) antics. (Photo by Roger Richards)