FRIDAY QUALIFYING AT VMP CANCELED DUE TO
RAIN SHOWERS

Persistent rain showers forced NHRA
officials to cancel Friday's racing at the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at
Virginia Motorsports Park.The $1.6 million race, the 21st of 23 events in the
$50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, marks the first time NHRA has held
an event at the quarter-mile drag strip near Richmond, Va. since 2000. Larry
Dixon (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin( Pro Stock) earned
victories here that season.
Weather permitting, two rounds of pro qualifying
will be held Saturday (noon and 3 p.m.) to set the 16-car fields in the three
pro categories for Sunday's 11 a.m. eliminations.

The value of tickets
purchased for Friday's racing can be applied to tickets for Saturday and Sunday
or next season's event.

John Force seems always to
be in a tizzy.

For instance, at the U.S.
Nationals this Labor Day weekend, the rabid Indianapolis Colts fans heard
announcer Bob Frey (speaking on incorrect information given to him) say that
the paint job on the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang was a salute to the NFL’s Dallas
Cowboys. Frey later apologized over the PA system but not before entire
grandstands of Colts fans booed Force. Instead the scheme was a tribute to
event sponsor MAC Tools.

All nine Don Schumacher Racing drivers willparticipate in a special
fan autograph session on Thursday, Oct. 26, at theTI (Treasure Island) hotel
in Las Vegas in advance of the Las Vegas NHRA
Nationals at The Strip at Las
Vegas that weekend.

U.S. Army Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher and Skull
Shine/Knoll Gas-Torco
Race Fuels Top Fuel pilot Melanie Troxel - both
involved in a fierce battle
for the 2006 Top Fuel championship - will sign
from 5:30-6:00 p.m.

U.S. Army Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Angelle Sampey
and Antron Brown - also
in a fight for the class championship - will sign for
one hour between 6-8
p.m.

UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF IHRA WORLD FINALS

IHRA has announced Universal Technical Institute, Inc., (UTI) will sponsor the upcoming World Finals at Rockingham (N.C.) Dragway, October 20 – 22. With nine campuses and 22 dedicated training centers in the United States, Universal Technical Institute is a provider of technical education training for automotive, motorcycle and marine applications.

“Universal Technical Institute is proud to serve as title sponsor of the 2006 IHRA Nitro Jam™ World Finals, and like motorsport enthusiasts across North America, we’re looking forward to seeing the IHRA crown five world champions at this landmark event,” said Terry Emig, UTI’s Director of Event Marketing. “UTI’s commitment to turn our students’ passion for automobiles into rewarding careers as professional technicians has driven us to build a strong, mutually beneficial partnership with the IHRA.”

Mickey
Thompson promoted Carl Robinson to the position of Motorsports Manager. Carl is
a native of Smithtown, NY
and has previously been employed by Weld Wheel Industries, Inc. in Kansas City, MO
as the Director of Motorsports. Carl has over 20 years experience in motorsports
marketing and is the former President of Race Wheel Enterprises Inc. in Dania, FL. 

George Case, vice president and general manager at Maple
Grove Raceway, has accepted the Pro Stock Motorcycle challenge issued by
Infineon Raceway in Sonoma with open
arms.

Maple Grove Raceway and Infineon Raceway are considered the
two fastest quarter-mile dragstrips in the country for the Pro Stock Motorcycle
class in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

The International Hot Rod Association announced today
the 2007 eMax Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series schedule. After 11 races in
2006, next year’s schedule creates a 12-event series throughout the
U.S. and Canada.

Including new markets in Tulsa, Okla. and Mansfield,
Ohio, the series will again kick-off March 23 – 25 at San Antonio
Raceway with the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals and conclude October 19 –
21 at Rockingham (North Carolina) Dragway with the World Finals.
Mansfield Motorsports Park will become the new host of the World
Nationals on June 15 – 17, keeping the event in Ohio and in close
proximity to the sanctioning body’s headquarters in Norwalk. The new
event at Tulsa Raceway Park, the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals, will be
held Memorial Day weekend, May 25 – 27.