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

CARPENTER SIGNS NEW SPONSOR

In this era of constant shuffling of teams, drivers, crews, and sponsors in the
sport of drag racing, a long-term partnership can be a rarity. This makes Pro
Modified legend Charles Carpenter’s re-signing of major associate sponsor Custom
Autosound Mfg. for an almost unheard of 17th
consecutive season all the more special.
 
“We are thrilled to have Carl Sprague and Custom Autosound
back on board with us, just as they have been for the better part of two
decades,” said Carpenter. “We are excited about this season’s new direction, and
I am extremely happy Custom Autosound has made the decision to support us for
yet another season.”

DE JORIA GAINS VALUABLE EXPERIENCE

NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car rookie Alexis De Joria gained valuable experience
from this past weekend's CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals at Auto Club
Raceway in Pomona.  The rookie missed the cut in her first start behind the
wheel of the Tequila Patrón/Jack
O'Bannon Racing Camaro, but posted career-best numbers along with collecting
valuable seat time.
 
De
Joria, 29, of Venice, Calif., ran a career best 5.990 second elapsed time at
230.33 mph in her Randy Anderson tuned machine.  Despite missing the 5.788 bump
to make the quick 16, De Joria feels the weekend was a big step in her
development.

NEAL, HERNANDEZ SET PRO MOD RECORDS AT SGMP TEST

Speedtech Nitrous Systems arranged a Pro Mod test session for their
customers as well as all interested race teams at South Georgia
Motorsports Park this past weekend, and the track outside of Valdosta
proved once again why is is considered one of the best facilities in
the Southeast for preseason testing.

LARRY MORGAN'S PROBLEM

Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan started the 2006 season well, but slumped going
in the second half and ended up 11th in
the final standings, after two DNQs.

GREG ANDERSON'S USED CAR

Who said it's not a good idea to buy a used car? Certainly not Anderson, whose
winning Pontiac GTO was one he purchased from a
Competition Eliminator competitor in the off-season.

ABOUT DOUBLE A DALE'S RETURN

Okay, you read the news item that Jerry Tolliver’s crew chief for his new
Rockstar-backed Funny Car will be Dale Armstrong, but have you really considered
its meaning?  Armstrong is one of the most talented tuner/innovators in the
sport’s history.

DUPUY'S GIG SHOULD BE A KEEPER

Wayne Dupuy
appears to have found a home with Cruz Pedregon’s operation.  He was frantically
thrashing on the car’s engine moments before Saturday's first session after a valve
spring broke while they were warming up.

SCELZI JOINS EXCLUSIVE CLUB

The champions list of the Winternationals features
a who's who of drag racing. But of the countless numbers of winners at the
season-opening event, only two competitors before today had ever scored
victories in both Top Fuel and Funny Car.

You can make that three. Gary Scelzi joined the exclusive club, surviving a trek into the sand pit in the semifinals to score victory at the 47th CARQUEST Winternationals
at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

FOLEY AND CASSEL SPLIT

In a sport where time is measured in thousandths of a second, making
snap, and sometimes tough, decisions is the name of the game.

It was announced today that recently named crew chief, Rick Cassel, has
split from the Foley & Lewis, Torco-sponsored Top Fuel team.

Doug Foley said, “We went through two weeks of testing in Las Vegas and
Phoenix, and after this weekend’s race in Pomona, we all sat down and
agreed that we weren’t happy with the direction we were going in. It
was an amicable split and I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but
nevertheless, it was one of those snap decisions we had to make.”

JR TODD'S EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION

JR Todd's a little lighter in the wallet today.
But the second-year Top Fuel driver doesn't seem to mind, not after scoring the
fourth win of his young career with a victory in the 47th CARQUEST Winternationals
at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. "I had a deal with (crew chief Jimmy Walsh) that
every time we ran a 4.50, I would pay him a
dollar," Todd said. "I told him, if it runs a .40,
I pay him a 100 bucks. It was expensive today."

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