:::::: News ::::::

VIETNAM WAR VET AWARDS KNOLL MEDAL

Drag racing sponsor icon and Torco Race Fuels founder Evan Knoll presented the
Vietnam Veterans with a tribute during the 2007 season. An appreciate veteran
has returned the favor.
 
Denny Fenstemaker of Valdosta, Ga., fought back the tears as he opened a
tattered blue gift box. Inside the box was his Vietnam Service Medal. He
presented the medal to Knoll as a taken of appreciation for Knoll’s
generosity.
 
“This means a lot to Vietnam veterans,” said Fenstemaker. “This provides
not only a homecoming for us but one for our 58,000 brothers who didn’t make it
back. I just feel that he is one of us for doing this. The feeling that has gone
into this and the feeling the veterans get out of it … by just looking at it,
gets to you. It’s like seeing the Vietnam Veterans wall for the first time. It
makes that much of an impact.

LEGENDS COMING TO NHRR

82IvoAWD.jpgIn the golden years of drag racing two of the most notable names were
"TV Tommy" Ivo and "Big Daddy" Don Garlits. Those two legends in the
sport will join together at the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion,
presented by SoffSeal – and they're bringing their cars to the
three-day fanfest, June 15-17 at National Trail Raceway near Columbus,
Ohio.

"Garlits and Ivo match raced hundreds of times in the 1960s and '70s,"
said Tony Thacker, executive director of the Parks Museum, "often
racing at one track, then towing 500 miles overnight to get to the
next. "We're very pleased that they've chosen to come and bring their
cars to the event so that their fans old and new can see them 'up close
and personal.'"

Garlits, who has participated in each of the past four National Hot Rod
Reunions, will bring one of his famous Swamp Rat front engine dragsters
to the event, which is produced by and benefits the non-profit Wally
Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Auto. Club of So.
Calif. He was the No. 1 driver in the NHRA's list of the top 50 drag
racers of all time. Garlits was the first to exceed 200, 240, 250, 260
and 270 mph in the quarter mile. He was also the first to win three
NHRA U.S. Nationals titles and three world championships. His event
victory total is a staggering 144. Garlits built at least 30 cars with
the "Swamp Rat" name and he's brought different versions to the
Reunion.

PATRICK WINS MIR MOUNTAIN MOTOR NATS

patrick_mountainmotorswin.jpg

 

Robert Patrick and crew celebrates victory at Maryland International
Raceway's Mountain Motor Nationals. Patrick, from Fredericksburg, Va.,
defeated Rickie Smith in the final rounds.

EVENT PHOTO GALLERY 

ADRL BATTLE FOR THE BELTS UPDATE

Joshua Hernandez and Johnny Pilcher not only won event titles last
weekend at the Flowmaster American Drag Racing League's Camp
Motorsports Georgia Drags, they also emerged as the big winners in the
ADRL's AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts points competition.

With
his win Saturday afternoon at the rain-delayed ADRL World Finals (which
were completed at the Georgia Drags), Hernandez moved from third place
to first in the Battle for the Belts Pro Extreme standings. Later that
night, Pilcher claimed his second career ADRL title with a win over
Rickie Smith in the Georgia Drags Pro Nitrous final to jump from fourth
to first in the class' standings.

In Extreme 10.5, Rodney Rosenstiel reached the Georgia Drags semifinals and maintained his lead in the points chase.

The
2007 AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts eliminators, scheduled for Friday,
Oct. 12 in Kennedale, Texas, will determine the ADRL's season
champions. The top eight points-earners in each of the ADRL's
professional classes at the completion of the ADRL Eastern Race Fuels
DRAGSTOCK IV event (Sept. 14-15) automatically qualify for the
championship eliminators. For a complete breakdown of how drivers earn
points in ADRL competition, visit http://www.adrl.us/rules.html.

Following
is a look at the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts competitions through
three of eight events on the 2007 points-scoring calendar.

NO TRUTH WHATSOEVER TO BRISTOL RUMORS

Earlier today rumors began circulating that Bristol
Dragway’s surface had been somehow compromised, and that next weekend’s NHRA
O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals would be either cancelled or
re-scheduled.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  The race will take place as scheduled, and if the new
concrete pad performs up to predictions, you can expect record-setting elapsed
times and speeds.

GOT SOME ROCKERS?

A message was forwarded to us from Steve Gibbs. Gibbs is putting
together a new 392 engine for the Howard Cams Rattler. He is trying to
locate a set of Donovan exhaust rockers. Contact us with your name and
number and we will ensure that he gets it. - DONOVAN EXHAUST ROCKERS

MAURO MOTORSPORTS JOINS WITH OCEANS OF LOVE

Tommy Mauro of Mauro Motorsports has joined forces with Ocean of Love to collect
toys for children with cancer at the upcoming NSCA New Jersey Drags on May
19-20. The team will be racing in honor of these kids and request that all
racers and attendees help support them by bringing a new unwrapped toy to the
event. All toys will be collected at the Mauro Motorsports trailer and then
distributed to the children through Ocean of Love.

MAYSE CONTINUES HOT STREAK

robbieabilenewin.jpgIn the world of sportsman drag racing, it’s got to be good to be a Mayse.  The
Frost, TX based family racing team earned two DragRaceResults.com/Goodyear
Bracket Series national championships last fall, with eighteen-year-old Rustin
Mayse taking the Super Pro title, and his sister Misty Mayse earning the Junior
Dragster Crown, while family patriarch Robbie Mayse finished the season in third
place in the Super Pro Standings.
 
Already in 2007, Robbie earned a $5,000 Super Pro victory at the
DragRaceResults.com/Goodyear Bracket Series event at the Texas Motorplex, and
just weeks ago Rustin earned a whopping $50,000 payday for claiming the main
event of the Big Bucks Bracket Bonanza at Farmington Dragway in Farmington, NC. 
Last weekend at the DragRaceResults.com/Goodyear Bracket Series event at Abilene
Dragway, Robbie Mayse kept the family hot streak going with an impressive 8
round $5,000 triumph in the CSR Super Pro class.
 
“I‘m just trying to keep up with Rustin‘s winning ways,” joked the elder
Mayse.  “Seriously, we’ve had a good run of luck lately,” he explained. 
“Watching Rustin win the $50,000 race last weekend was one of the proudest
moments of my life.  He couldn’t make it here this week because he had his
senior prom, but it feels great to come out with a win here as well.”

BERNSTEIN - HIGHT INTERVIEW

This week's NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series teleconference featured two of the
season's hottest drivers, Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil
dragster in Top Fuel, and Robert Hight, driver of the Auto Club Ford Mustang
Funny Car. Both drivers are currently second in the NHRA POWERade Countdown to
the Championship in their respective categories. Only 10 races remain until the
Countdown to Four begins at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals and championship
contenders are established as the top eight racers in each Pro category and
championship points are reset.

JEG JR'S NEW RIDE

Race guys are car guys and three-time NHRA champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. is no exception. The winner of 47 national events, who is currently third in the POWERade rankings, recently took delivery of a car he has been searching for in his spare time -- a 1960 Cadillac Series 62 four-window sedan. The car is one of only 9984 made.

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