NHRA Top Fuel Driver Doug Herbert will participate in activities surrounding the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races held at Bristol Motor Speedway, March 21-22.  Herbert will compete in a celebrity amateur race as part of the Scotts Saturday Night Special Charity Event, and will start his dragster in front of nearly 160,000 spectators during the pre-race ceremonies prior to Sunday’s Food City 500.

Herbert’s Top Fuel Dragster will be on display outside Bristol Motor Speedway throughout the weekend, beginning Friday for Food City Race Night, but will be moved inside the .533-mile oval Sunday morning, when he will start the 8,000-horsepower machine on the track’s frontstretch.

“Bristol is one of my favorite races,” said Herbert, who scored his first Top Fuel victory at Thunder Valley in 1992.  “Before they built zMAX Dragway in Charlotte last year, Bristol was my home track.  I like going up there so I was excited when they asked me to be at the circle track.  When we start the dragster for all the NASCAR fans I’m sure they’ll love it!” NHRA Top Fuel Driver Doug Herbert will participate in activities surrounding the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races held at Bristol Motor Speedway, March 21-22.  Herbert will compete in a celebrity amateur race as part of the Scotts Saturday Night Special Charity Event, and will start his dragster in front of nearly 160,000 spectators during the pre-race ceremonies prior to Sunday’s Food City 500.

Herbert’s Top Fuel Dragster will be on display outside Bristol Motor Speedway throughout the weekend, beginning Friday for Food City Race Night, but will be moved inside the .533-mile oval Sunday morning, when he will start the 8,000-horsepower machine on the track’s frontstretch.

“Bristol is one of my favorite races,” said Herbert, who scored his first Top Fuel victory at Thunder Valley in 1992.  “Before they built zMAX Dragway in Charlotte last year, Bristol was my home track.  I like going up there so I was excited when they asked me to be at the circle track.  When we start the dragster for all the NASCAR fans I’m sure they’ll love it!”

During the Scotts Saturday Night Special Herbert will wheel a late model car in a 15-lap, celebrity amateur race.  Each celebrity is paired with a pro driver and the celebrity heats help determine the starting spots of their pro driver teammate, who will then run 35 laps.

“Driving in Saturday’s UARA event will be really fun,” said Herbert.  “When we were racing in Bristol last year the Speedway had a NHRA Circle Track Challenge, where a bunch of NHRA drivers raced in street stock cars, and I loved it.  My buddy Ray Evernham will be there racing too, maybe he can give me a little expert advice!”

Herbert, who is currently working with Evernham to build a land speed car to run at the Bonneville Salt Flats, will be at the dragster display on Saturday, March 21, from 1:30-2:30 p.m., to greet fans and sign autographs.  Although the veteran racer is not running the full 2009 NHRA schedule, he plans to compete in the upcoming NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, May 15-17.

"We're really happy to have Doug back at the round track at Bristol," said Jeff Byrd, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway.  "He's used to tearing it up at Thunder Valley but last May he got a little taste of the Speedway and we really thought he would enjoy taking part in the celebrity portion of the Saturday Night Special.  This is a big event for us and we're excited about him being in the race and also about him bringing his Top Fuel dragster here.  He's going to start it up in in front of a packed house on Sunday and believe me, the fans will go crazy."

B.R.A.K.E.S., Herbert’s nonprofit organization, will have a display near the dragster, where representatives from the organization will speak with race fans about the importance of safe and responsible driving.  The foundation, which was recently awarded the Safety Innovation Award by the North Carolina Motorsports Association for its work to promote safe teen driving, has announced its 2009 dates for the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School.  The school, which is ran by professional driving instructors and is free of charge to all participants, gives young drivers the dynamic experience of handling a vehicle in adverse driving conditions and a controlled environment.