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

KATE HARKER AND TOM CONWAY TO RACE TAD

Australian Top Alcohol Dragster driver Kate Harker will team up with Team Owner
and Crew Chief, Tom Conway in 2007 to challenge the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster
Championship. This is not the first time this pair has lined up for competition,
in late 2006, Conway and Harker made three event starts and earned a semi-final
finish at the Snowbird Nationals at Bradenton Motorsports Park in
November. However, this will be Harker's first season
competing as a driver in the NHRA Lucas Oils Sportsman Drag Racing
Series.

AN EMOTIONAL UNVEILING

DSA_2384.jpgTom Hohmann knows how to spot them and he spotted quite of few during Thursday’s
qualifying at the NHRA CARQUEST Winternationals in Pomona, Ca. He admits that
he’s become proficient at spotting a Vietnam Veteran. After all, he is
one.

 
“A lot of times you will see people our age, 55
through 60, and they will see the POW-MIA logo and they’ll stop,” Hohmann said.
“They will look, not say anything and just take in the experience. It’s sort of
a trait you see a lot.”
 
Hohmann was one of nearly 30 Vietnam veterans who
made it out to the Auto Club of Southern California to witness the unveiling of
a car dedicated to them – the Vietnam veterans and the families of the POW-MIA
servicemen. The common phrase amongst these warriors was a simple, “Welcome
Home.” Melanie Troxel drives their high-horsepower welcome wagon.
 
That is the standard greeting among those who
served regardless of military branch, rank or area stationed.

THURSDAY POMONA QUALIFYING

Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein opened the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series season Thursday at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with a class-leading
4.494-second pass at 331.61 mph in his Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster.

Two other racers with title aspirations -- Funny Car's Robert Hight
and Pro Stock's Greg Anderson -- also took early leads in their
respective categories at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals. The
$2 million race is the first of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series.

BECKMAN'S WILD RIDE

Jack
Beckman had what he hopes is his last wild ride of the season this afternoon in
his first qualifying session with the MTS flopper from Don Schumacher Racing's
stables. Beckman's car dropped a cylinder about a third of the way down the
track and caught fire.

PRUDHOMME ANNOUNCES SKYTEL PROGRAM

SkyTel, a nationwide wireless service provider and division of Bell Industries,
Inc. (AMEX:  BI)
announced today that it is a primary sponsor of the SkyTel/Don Prudhomme Racing
Top Fuel dragster, driven by two-time NHRA top fuel champion Larry
Dixon.

 

SkyTel
is the only wireless brand sponsoring an NHRA POWERade Series team in 2007,
replacing long-time sponsor Miller Lite on
Dixon’s
car.  The alliance with Don Prudhomme
“Snake”
Racing is designed to fuel rapid growth of SkyTel’s SkyGuard™ vehicle
reassurance system.

 

“We
see the NHRA as a tremendous platform for building SkyTel’s brand awareness and
sales,” said Brad Richards, executive vice president of sales and marketing for
SkyTel.  “By partnering with Don
Prudhomme, we have associated our brand with not only the best team owner in the
business, but one of its finest drivers – Larry Dixon.  I have every confidence that the SkyTel
dragster will be competing for a Top Fuel championship from the very first
race.

CARRIER BOYZ PARTNERS WITH SCOTT GRIFFIN

Scott Griffin, a longtime friend of Mark and Andy Carrier, has become a partner
in Carrier Boyz Racing. 
 
The Carriers, owners of the FRAM/Torco Top
Fuel team featuring driver Cory McClenathan, have expanded their presence at
NHRA POWERade Series races this season with the addition of a hospitality area
that will be in use at all 23 events.  Griffin, of Wilmington, N.C., will
oversee hospitality in addition to working with sponsors.

EDDIE KRAWIEC NAMED SECOND SCREAMIN' EAGLE RACING RIDER

Eddie Krawiec has been named as the second rider on the Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson factory supported NHRA team, it was announced today.

Krawiec, 30, will join Andrew Hines, 23, on the team that is coming off
a third consecutive NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle
championship-winning season.

NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES ENTERS SIXTH YEAR ON TSN

NHRA announced today that The Sports
Network (TSN) in Canada will televise the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series' entire 23-event schedule in 2007, dedicating nearly 60 hours of
programming to NHRA, the fastest and most exciting motorsport in the
world. It is the sixth consecutive year that TSN has featured NHRA
POWERade Series programming.

Highlighting TSN's 23-event, 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
telecast schedule will be coverage of the final round of eliminations
from each event.

WOLVERINE PRESENTING SPONSOR FOR TULSA

IHRA has announced outdoor footwear and apparel company Wolverine and sporting
good retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors will be the presenting sponsor of the
Tulsa, Okla., Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series event. The inaugural event, the
Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports +
Outdoors, will be held May 25 – 27 at
Tulsa
Raceway
Park.

 

“We at Wolverine
are very excited about being a first-time sponsor of the Skull Shine Sooner
Nationals,” said Christina Vernon, marketing manager for Wolverine. “Wolverine’s
footwear and apparel lines are made for those who live relentless, full-out
lives, and that category certainly includes drag racing enthusiasts.”

AMERICA DRAGSTER RETURNS

ad_logo.gifThe popular NHRA professional drag-racing behind-the-scenes show, "American
Dragster," will begin airing10 episodes of its second season on ESPN2
starting with Episode 1 on Feb.11, at 11:30 a.m. ET. Episode 2 will air on
Feb. 25, at 11:30 a.m.
Subsequent Episodes 3 through 7 will air on March 3,
March 18, April 1, April 29 and June 2. Air dates for the final three are to
be determined. The entire schedule is listed below.

The show, which
featured Brut Revolution Dodge Funny Car driver Ron Capps and U.S. Army Top
Fuel pilot Tony Schumacher in its first season, adds Jagermeister Pro Stock
Driver Max Naylor and Pro Stock Driver Erica Endersto its lineup for the
second season.

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