SCRUGGS, HANCOCK, GORMAN, AND VOSE CLAIM ADRL TITLES

Hancock is youngest
drag racing champion ever; Scruggs' win caps dominant season

The Flowmaster American Drag Racing League's 2007 season came to a close Friday
night at Texas Motorplex, with Jason Scruggs, Jamie Hancock, Steve Gorman, and
Bill Vose claiming ADRL world championships by winning their respective classes
in the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts eliminators.

Scruggs capped a
sensational season by beating Joe Baker for the Pro Extreme title, 3.850 to a
troubled 7.79. During the 2007 season, Scruggs won his first career national
event title (Huntsville), continually lowered the ADRL's Pro Extreme performance
records (which now stand at 3.703 and 205.22 mph), and finished third in the
AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts points standings. He was dominant during
Friday's three-round competition, posting runs of 3.781/203.80 and 3.768/203.65
to win his two preliminary rounds before the final.

Hancock, 17, won the
Pro Nitrous title from the eighth and final qualifying position, beating
top-seeded Johnny Pilcher and Terry Housley to reach the final. He had his best
run of the event in that race, posting a 4.029 to turn back 2006 ADRL world
champion Keith Baker's 5-second run and deny Baker consecutive ADRL
championships. With the Belts title, Hancock became the youngest-ever winner of
a major drag racing championship. Ironically, Hancock came dangerously close to
not qualifying for the Belts field at all, needing a semifinal finish at
Dragstock IV in Rockingham to finally clinch his spot.

The York Nostalgia tradition continues with the presentation
of Musclecar Madness at the York Reunion and Nostalgia Nationals for a giant
weekend of racing history on July 11-13, 2008.

 The Seventh Annual
event to be held at the Toyota Arena, York Expo Center, York Fairgrounds will have a
special “Tribute to Oldsmobile” as another trip down memory lane unfolds.  The Oldsmobile Club of America will
provide solid representation of many facets of Oldsmobile history with racing
legends and legendary race cars in attendance.

The show is the only one of its kind in this country and is
visited annually by racing buffs from all over the United States and abroad.  The show is featured in the December issue of
Hot Rod magazine, as well as other national magazines.

The Legends of Drag Racing will converge on the show for
their traditional visit to the show for their annual reunion celebrating the
many historic moments that occurred at the York Dragway one of the nation’s
greatest facilities in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s and site of the largest one day drag
race in 1965.

ACDelco officials today announced that they would be adding some extra muscle to
an already high-powered event, naming professional wrestling icon and reality TV
star Hulk Hogan as the Grand Marshal of this year’s ACDelco NHRA Las Vegas
Nationals.  Kurt Johnson’s ACDelco Cobalt will commemorate Hogan’s participation
by carrying a special paint scheme that will be unveiled on Thursday, October 25
as part of the NHRA FanFest, which will held at the Fremont Street Experience in
downtown Las
Vegas.  The addition of the flamboyant Hogan to the
ACDelco line-up continues the automotive replacement parts leader’s
long-standing tradition of having race dignitaries worthy of the Entertainment
Capital of the World.

“We are thrilled to welcome Hulk
Hogan as the Grand Marshal of the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals,” said Paul
Johnson, General Director for General Motors Service and Parts Operations’
Global Independent Aftermarket.  “We believe that the Hulkster’s
larger-than-life persona embodies two of the key elements of this weekend’s
event, namely the tremendous horsepower seen on the quarter-mile along with the
star quality of the world famous Strip, making him a perfect candidate for this
honor.  We’re certainly looking forward to seeing him pump up the crowd, and
having Hulkamania run wild on race day.”

Since first appearing on the public
scene in the 1970’s, Hogan has become one of the most popular and recognizable
figures in the world of sports and entertainment.  Starting as a professional
wrestler, this native Floridian captured the public’s imagination with his
high-energy and fast-paced style.  Appearing in countless marquee matches around
the world, the multi-time WWE champion developed a huge fan following that he
dubbed the “Hulkamaniacs.”

With
the leaves of fall turning a golden yellow, Scotty Cannon couldn’t believe his
own good fortunes. In just his first year of driving an IHRA Top Fuel dragster,
he had already won a second national event.

Cannon's
most recent victory came in Milan, Michigan during the IHRA Motor City
Nationals. And, just to think, this ultimate party all started in a restroom, in
January, during a Motley Crue concert in St. Louis.

That’s
when Cannon, a six-time Pro Modified world champion and one-time NHRA Funny Car
finalist, was offered a chance to drive a nitro car once again. Cannon said this
was the only proposition that he’d ever accept in a restroom.

Cannon
said the offer wasn’t the first time Evan Knoll, one of drag racing’s largest
sponsors, had provided an incredible opportunity for him.

Next
weekend Cannon would love to win an elusive nitro world championship during the
IHRA World Finals in Rockingham, NC. He's one of three Top Fuel drivers in
contention for the title.

David
Powers discussed his decision further regarding the dismissal of Top Fuel driver
Whit Bazemore yesterday with Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com.

Powers
released Bazemore through a phone call yesterday
afternoon.

Powers
said the dismissal was largely a change in business direction but there were
other factors that affected the decision.

“I
read in September in an article where he [Bazemore] had indicated that he
thought he had a good program with David Powers Motorsports but was also taking
a serious look at the vacant seat of Gary Scelzi and that would be a very good
ride and that no driver wants to limit his options,” Powers said. “Then he went
on to say – as I recall – that I keep my options open. Who knows what might
happen in the future I had a great relationship with Don Schumacher for the last
couple of years.

“That
creates a lot of insecurities with the team and our
sponsors.”

Veteran NHRA Top Fuel driver David Baca has been tabbed to fill the
recently-vacated Matco Tools dragster seat at the final two events on the 2007
NHRA schedule team owner David Powers announced today.

Baca, a native of Concord, Calif., earned
his NHRA Top Fuel license in 2002 and made his professional debut at the fall
Las Vegas race
that same year. He has reached the final round three times and has two career
pole awards, including the U.S. Nationals in 2003. The second generation Top
Fuel racer advanced to the final round at the 2006 Winternationals and raced to
a 12th place finish last season. Baca’s father, Dennis, won the U.S.
Nationals Top Fuel crown in 1977.

“What an opportunity,” Baca said.
“To sit at home and watch the NHRA on TV every weekend and to get a call from
Mr. Powers to run the car for Matco Tools is just an awesome feeling. I got
chills when he asked me to fill the seat at Las
Vegas and Pomona. Just to be remembered and considered is
a great feeling. I know I’ve still got it and I’ll do my best to represent the
team and sponsors. It’s really a dream come true.

Although the POWERade Drag Racing
Series will be idle this weekend, Hall of Fame racer Warren Johnson will still
be at a racetrack, evaluating the competition and taking an active role in the
on-track events. However, the six-time NHRA Pro Stock champion will not be
behind the wheel of his familiar GM Performance Parts Pontiac GTO.  In fact, any
runs he will make will be of an instructional or celebratory nature, as he will
serve as the Grand Marshal of the inaugural GM Performance Parts LSX Shootout,
which is being held in conjunction with the National Muscle Car Association
(NMCA) World Finals this weekend at Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, TN. 

Despite the role reversal, The
Professor is eagerly anticipating the specialty event, which will showcase the
revolutionary block he helped design

 “Although I’m normally not a very
good spectator, I am looking forward to attending this weekend’s GM Performance
Parts LSX Shootout,” said Johnson.  “Not only will I be reunited with the GMPP
team that I worked with in the development of the block, but it will also be my
first real chance to see what kind of performance the LSX can deliver.