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

COUGHLIN FINISHES RUNNER-UP

After five grueling yet fun-filled days of E.T. bracket racing action, Jeg
Coughlin earned a runner-up finish in the overall points competition at the 25th
annual Moroso 5-Day E.T. Championships. Coughlin turned in a strong performance,
but ultimately finished a close second to Gary Williams of Bradenton, Fla.
 
On the final day of the competition, Coughlin needed to win the race to
pass Williams for the overall championship and the $5,000 bonus that accompanies
it, but came up three rounds short, finishing in the quarterfinal round.
 

NOTHSTEIN REPLACES TOWNSEND AS DRIVER

Frank Parker, owner of ParkerTech Racing Services, and his co-crew chief father,
Dan Parker, announced that Marty Nothstein has signed a two-year agreement
to drive their Top Alcohol Funny Car.

Nothstein replaces
Danny Townsend, the multi-time NHRA TAFC champion who successfully piloted the
ParkerTech Dodge for three seasons.  Townsend elected to sit out the 2007 season
after a final-round accident in September. 
He will remain with the team as a valued and highly skilled
advisor.

VANCE & HINES OPENS SHOP

andrews.jpg

On Tuesday, Vance & Hines celebrated their third straight POWERade 
Pro Stock Motorcycle championship with Andrew Hines, rider of the 
Screaming Eagle V-Rod, together with Craig Treble, winner at the Auto 
Club Finals at Pomona, Karen Stoffer, Geno Scali and Michael 
Phillips, among many others.  The shop was open for tours, great 
barbecue was served and Hines received his own personal conveyance as 
a prize for winning the title, matching brother Matt and Angelle 
Sampey as the sole riders to accomplish a three-peat.

Hines was presented with the beautiful H-D bike that has its demure 
paint scheme in an Aston Martin factory mint green.  The team also 
presented Terry Vance with a huge new, rolling toolbox, complete with 
requisite flames.

ELLEN WATTS PROMOTED AT IHRA

IHRA, a division of Live Nation Motor Sports, has promoted Ellen Watts to
Marketing Manager – Norwalk Properties. She will be responsible for establishing
and executing programs to increase ticket sales for all Norwalk Properties,
including the eMax Nitro Jam™ National Event Series and the Kumho Street Warriorz and Thunder Jam events.

 

"Ellen's
promotion is well deserved and I look forward to working with her to grow the
IHRA properties," stated vice president of marketing Jim Marchyshyn. "Her
passion, energy, positive attitude and competitive spirit is exactly what we
need to reach our goal of selling more tickets.”

 

DONNIE CROWDER UPDATE

Please keep IHRA parking Director Donnie Crowder in your
prayers.  He is recovering from surgery that removed a nodule from his vocal
cords.  He came through the surgery this morning fine and is recovering. 
We're praying for a clean biopsy.

NORM GRIMES TO TUNE WHITELEY IN 2007

normgrimesprphoto.jpgJim Whiteley, owner and driver of the YNOT Racing Team Top
Alcohol Dragster, announced that championship tuner Norm
Grimes has agreed to come aboard the YNOT Top Alcohol Dragster Team.

 

Grimes, of Burbank, California, has previously guided Rick
Santos to five consecutive World Championships with the Jack O’Bannon-owned
Oakwood Homes TAD, and has also had a very large hand in the development of
rising top fuel star Morgan Lucas, while Lucas was in the alcohol ranks, along
with current sensation, Sean O’Bannon who finished number two in the nation for
2006.  Grimes has also had experience in
the fuel ranks, most notably with Jerry Toliver, in the Toyota Funny
Car.

 

PERLEY LEAVES KB RACING

At Monday's NHRA POWERade Awards Ceremony, Ken Black, team owner of the KB
Racing LLC team, made official the resignation of Jeff Perley, co-crew chief for
the two Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTOs driven by Greg Anderson
and Jason Line.

Perley, who joined KB Racing LLC prior to the 2003
season, will enter the business world as owner of an 8-bay Goodyear Tire and
Service Center, in downtown Charlotte (N.C.), on Eastway at Central, which will
handle light and medium (cooling systems, transmissions, brakes, suspensions,
etc.) duty repairs and, of course, tires.

NATIONALS IN NEW ORLEANS?

Could the Cajun
Nationals return to Louisiana?
If one investment group has their way this could come to pass in 12 to 15 months.

The New Orleans city
government’s Industrial Development Board gave preliminary approval last
weekend for two local developers to create a national event potential drag
strip. According to the Times – Picayune, the $36 million project would be
financed primarily with tax-exempt bonds that would be paid off with revenue
from the operation.

JEGGIE GRABS DOUBLE VICTORY

Continuing his record-breaking season at big money E.T. bracket races, Jeg
Coughlin claimed a double victory yesterday during the prestigious 25th annual
5-Day E.T. Championships at Moroso Motorsports Park. The three-time NHRA world
champ and current Pro Stock driver began a busy day by winning the JEGS Race of
Champions, a special invitation-only event that was open only to past overall
champions, individual event winners, and racers who have competed in all 24
previous Moroso 5-Day events. Coughlin, who won the overall points championship
at the 2003 event, stopped five-time NHRA champ Scotty Richardson in the final
round to claim the $5,000 first-place prize. A short time later, Coughlin won
Wednesday’s main event, pocketing an additional $10,000 after beating Al
Stafferi of Tewksbury, Mass., in the final round.
 
“We had a very good day today,” said Coughlin. “I don’t feel like I did
anything spectacular as a driver, but it was just good enough to get the job
done. It’s hard to explain but sometimes you get on a roll and it’s hard to stop
and today was one of those days.”

NHRA PRO MOD RULES ANNOUNCED

AMS Staff Leasing Pro Modified Challenge 2007 Rules
Revisions

After reviewing the rule changes from IHRA, we are of the
opinion that while pairity is critical to competition, we feel the racers have
paid enough money to try to balance the series. We have addressed the proposed
changes, and will abide by the published 2006 IHRA rules, with the following
amendments. These changes are pending final review and acceptance by the series
Board.

Pages