DPR Sports & Racing News

TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE SHELBY MUSTANG TEAM

SEE ST. LOUIS AS A GATEWAY TO VICTORY
 

Bob Tasca III used his off race week to reflect on past success of Gainesville, focus on the future, and get ready for the remainder of the season.  A trip home to Motorcraft and Quick Lane headquarters refreshed the second year driver.

Dearborn Homecoming. Tasca fulfilled his goal set in November 2007, win a Wally and bring it home to Dearborn, MI.  Tasca completed the first part of the promise in Gainesville and last week he delivered on the second part by visiting the sponsors’ headquarters.  Tasca recognized the loyal sponsorship of Motorcraft and Quick Lane since the program launched nearly two years ago and presented Ford Customer Service Division with a Wally commemorating his first career win in Gainesville.

“I was privileged and honored to visit Dearborn and give back to all the people that believed and invested in our program,” said Tasca.  “Our foundation is ‘Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday’ and we’ve accomplished the win on Sunday, so now we got to keep going. I’m certain that there’s more wins in our future but the first is one of the sweetest and to give them the trophy and have Ford put it up in their case is a very rewarding experience.”

Wilkerson’s Home. In order to bring another trophy back home to Dearborn, Tasca seeks to return to his Gainesville form this weekend at Gateway International Raceway, the home race track of technical alliance teammate Tim Wilkerson.

“Tim considers Gateway International Raceway his home track and is the defending race winner, so I know he’s got a lot of fans and friends coming out to that track,” said Tasca. “We’re still learning about our Shelby Mustangs, but we think St. Louis is as good a place as any to get a few rounds under our belt.  We had one of our quickest runs ever in St. Louis last year. When the weather conditions are right, and they look like they’re going to be right, temperature-wise, it will be a fast race track.”

Bring Home Your Own Mustang.  Enter to win your own 2010 Ford Mustang GT equipped with a Ford Racing Performance Parts package and upgrades courtesy of Ford Custom Accessories in the Ford Customer Service Division ‘Race Hot to a Mustang Sweepstakes.’  Enter online until November 23, 2009, at www.motorcraft.com, www.quicklane.com, and www.bobtasca.com.  The Race Hot Sweepstakes is open to all licensed U.S. citizens over the age of 18.

Full Throttle Points Standings – Funny Car

1. Ron Capps, 464; 2. Jack Beckman, 395; 3. Ashley Force Hood, 394; 4. Tony Pedregon, 365; 5. Matt Hagan, 356; 6. Del Worsham, 327; 7. Bob Tasca III, 321; 8. John Force, 310; 9t. Robert Hight and Mike Neff, 305;

St. Louis Race Notes

-         Tasca qualified 9^th during last spring’s event at Madison and lost to Del Worsham in first round eliminations.

-         Tasca dropped one position in the points standings after Las Vegas.  He sits in seventh heading into race seven of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Tasca Funny Car Achievements

-         First round win, defeated Melanie Troxel, February 10, 2008, NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, CA

-         First time in the semi-finals, April 27, 2008, NHRA Southern Nationals, Atlanta, GA

-         First No. 1 qualifier, March 14, 2009, Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL

-         First win, March 15, 2009, Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Notes

-         2009 marks the second year Ford Customer Service Division brands Motorcraft and Quick Lane sponsor Bob Tasca III and Tasca Racing.

-         Motorcraft® continues its relationship with NHRA, having sponsored Hall-of-Fame NHRA driver Bob Glidden and drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein, among others, in the late 80s and early 90s.

-         Motorcraft® products strike the perfect balance of precision, quality and pricing. Manufactured to strict specifications, they install quickly and give the confidence of doing a job right the first time. Motorcraft is the preferred choice of Ford Motor Company.

-         Quick Lane Tire® & Auto Centers provide the services your car or truck needs most, performed by factory-trained experts and on your schedule.  You’ll never need an appointment and you’ll get service while you wait, even on evenings and weekends.  They’ll take care of any make, or model using quality Motorcraft® parts.  Give them a try and see why life is better in the Quick Lane®.

-         Quick Lane® offers routine maintenance and light repair services, such as oil and filter changes, brake repairs and tire replacement for all makes and models.

-         Quick Lane celebrated the opening of its 500^th tire and auto center in 2008. Visit www.quicklane.com to find any of the 13 Quick Lanes in the greater St. Louis area.

Television

Saturday, May 2 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 6 p.m. (ET).

Sunday May 3 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 11 a.m. (ET).

Sunday, May 3 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).

Satellite (Analog feed)

Friday, May 1 – 10-10:30 p.m. (ET) - AMC 15 / Transponder 3K (11760 MHz, vertical)

Saturday, May 2– 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) - AMC 15 / Transponder 3K (11760 MHz, vertical)

Sunday, May 3 – 7-7:30 p.m. (ET) - AMC 15 / Transponder 3K (11760 MHz, vertical)

About Motorcraft

Motorcraft® offers a complete line of original equipment-approved parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood and powertrain repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available locally and are backed nationwide by Ford Motor Company's Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane

Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models.  Quick Lane's® nationwide network of over 500 facilities provides the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians).  Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents.   With more than 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.  For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com

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MCCLENATHAN RACES TO SEMIFINAL FINISH IN NORWALK  
 
NORWALK, Ohio (June 29, 2008) – FRAM Top Fuel dragster driver Cory McClenathan raced to his third semifinal finish in the last four races at the Second Annual NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, today. McClenathan lost to Brandon Bernstein in the semis when he red-lighted, but still moved up to fifth in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings.
 
McClenathan roared past his first two opponents, defeating Morgan Lucas in the first round with an elapsed time of 4.640 seconds at 308.64 mph to Lucas' 4.668/298.07, and J.R. Todd with a 4.638/305.77 to a 5.048/238.13. He was two-thousandths of a second too quick in the semis, turning on the red light to disqualify his 4.636/275.00 pass and giving Bernstein the win with a 4.654/300.93.
 
"I'm trying to rebound from last weekend," said McClenathan, referring to his holeshot loss in Englishtown. "Sometimes when you get beat on a holeshot like that it sets you back and it's not something that you fix overnight. I realize now that after having my eyes done (Lasik eye surgery prior to Englishtown) it takes some time for them to come back to where I want them to be. Everyone I've talked to about it, including my doctor and people who have had it done, have told me to be patient, but I'm not a very patient person.
 
"I tried to be patient coming in here this weekend and I just tried to steadily improve on my lights. And that worked and we did exactly that. I think my biggest problem was that I went into this semifinal against Brandon thinking that these guys are going to step up, we're going to step up and this is going to be a very close drag race, so I need to be on my game. When it was time to leave I left. It just happened to be a little bit too early.
 
"The biggest thing for me right now is that this is not hurting us that much other than winning races," added McClenathan, "and winning races is what I'm here to do. But I don't want the FRAM guys to lose their confidence in me because I haven't lost confidence in myself as much as I feel like I let these guys down the last couple of races. What I'm trying to do is condition myself for the Western Swing and from Indy on and that's really the most important thing here. The best thing I can do for myself is keep working and be on my game when it comes to Indy (U.S. Nationals, following which the Countdown to the Championship begins) and that's what I plan on doing. The biggest thing is that I know I have a consistent, safe race car beneath me."
 
The next race for McClenathan and the FRAM team will be the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver, July 11-13.    
 
Unofficial NHRA TOP FUEL point standings following 12 of 24 events:

1. Tony Schumacher, 1067
2. Antron Brown, 809
3. Larry Dixon, 791
4. Rod Fuller, 746
5. Cory McClenathan, 710
6. Brandon Bernstein, 705 (runner-up today)
7. Hillary Will, 655
8. Doug Herbert, 613 (winner today)
9. David Grubnic, 531
10. Doug Kallita, 514

CAPPS GOES TO SEMIS, MOVES UP IN POINTS IN NORWALK

NORWALK, Ohio (July 29, 2008) - Ron Capps is just one point out of seventh place in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings following today's run to the semifinals in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T at the Second Annual NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

Capps is No. 8 in the rankings after falling to Tony Pedregon in the semifinal round in a day filled with intermittent rain delays. Having lane choice by virtue of his No. 2 qualifying effort, Capps first dismissed his DSR teammate Jerry Toliver in a tire-smoking first-round duel with a 5.688-second elapsed time at 241.41 mph, then disposed of Del Worsham in the second round with a 4.936/301.13.

He faced reigning Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon in the semifinal match-up. Both launched nearly even at the starting lights, but a dropped cylinder slowed Capps to a 5.084/284.08 finish, while Pedregon cruised to a 4.967/291.82 victory.

"You get that late in the day and you're in the semifinals, you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, which is the final," said Capps, "and you just expect to be in the final when you've gone that far.

"Throughout today, with the rain coming, rain leaving, it was just an unbelievable day of attrition, basically. I probably got in and out of the car more today than I have all year up until now.

"It hurts that we lost. It put a cylinder out right at the hit of the throttle, and it's just so hard to make that up. Then when you get back to the trailer, you sit down and see what happened and you realize that there's some things that could have been a lot worse and hurt the car a lot worse. It could have been on fire. A lot of things could have happened. But we got out of the day with a move up in points, and we're a little more solid in the top 10. And nothing was hurt on the car. That's a bonus, especially nowadays.

"This morning I would have told you just getting past first round was everything in the world, which it was, and then you get past the second round and the next thing you know you're in the semis and you expect to win. So, it's a little disheartening for all the NAPA guys.

"We're going to sit down and watch Michael Waltrip and see how he's doing in the NASCAR race in New Hampshire today an hopefully he has a good finish.

"We're excited to have a weekend off. I'll spend it with the family going down the road in the motor home and then we'll go to Denver, where Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) is one of those crew chiefs who can adapt, and Denver is a place where you have to adapt, so it's something we look forward to.”

Next up is the Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver, Colo., July 11-13.

Unofficial NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car points, after 12 of 24 events:

1. Tim Wilkerson, 862
2. Ashley Force, 708
3. Tony Pedregon, 716 (winner today)
4. Robert Hight, 686 (runner-up today)
5. John Force, 661
6. Cruz Pedregon, 644
7. Gary Densham, 581
8. Ron Capps, 580
9. Mike Neff, 548
10. Bob Tasca III, 494
11. Del Worsham, 485
12. Jack Beckman, 438
13. Gary Scelzi, 430
14. Melanie Troxel, 397
15. Jim Head, 395
16. Jerry Toliver, 383

WOMEN IN THE WINNER’S CIRCLE FOUNDATION DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM


TWENTY-THREE SUCCESSFUL FEMALE RACERS COMPLETE PHASE 2 OF WOMEN IN THE WINNER'S CIRCLE FOUNDATION DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

INDIANAPOLIS (March 12, 2008) - A full "field" of 23 female racing drivers, ages 12 to 26, completed Phase 2 of the 14th annual Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation Driver Development Program, held at the National Institute of Fitness and Sport in Indianapolis on March 1-2.  

Founded by Lyn St. James, the 1992 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year and a motivational speaker, the Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation Driver Development Program has graduated over 200 female race-car drivers since 1994. The drivers go through an intensive schedule of fitness and motivational programs, as well as seminars and instruction in the business of auto racing, including public relations, sponsorship, money management, and media training.

Last week's program followed Phase 1, which was held in Phoenix, Ariz., in Nov. 2007, at Athlete's Performance, an elite athlete fitness facility. In the beginning phase, 26 drivers from countries as far away as England, Switzerland, Jamaica, the Philippines, and more than 13 U.S. states went through fitness, mental and physical exercises and testing to help prepare these already proficient drivers for an even more successful future in motorsports.

Each driver from Phase 1 was invited back to Phase 2. The 23 drivers who returned for the business programs in Phase 2 were also re-tested for all the fitness and mental exercises they learned in Phase 1 by Dr. Jacques Dallaire of Prime Performance. All results will be reviewed and drivers will learn if they are invited to attend Phase 3, which will focus on the technical and on-track elements of racing. Phase 3 is scheduled for June of 2008.

"We definitely saw some maturity and improvements in Phase 2," said St. James. "These drivers are all very young. The youngest is 12, the oldest is 26. It's amazing in about four months' time how much you see the drivers, as individuals, mature. They were all very committed to the regimen that we established in November. We saw their ability to absorb a lot of information about media training, about the sponsorship and financial aspects of the sport, and how important this is as a business."

Internationally renowned race-car driver Derek Daly presented an entire pyramid of the different elements and talents a race-car driver has to have to be successful, which are outlined in his just released book, "Driven to Win."

"All these aspects are trainable, except the top of the pyramid: desire," said St. James, "so we focus on these trainable elements and look for that last piece: desire.”

Other experts who presented included: Linda Conti of Wachovia Securities; Mike Giannamore of BKD, LLP; Darren Hickey of Gregory & Appel; Doug Boles of Ignition-Inc.;  Deb Turner of NCAA;  media expert Judy Stropus, of JVS Enterprises; and Mike Camosy provided a tour of the Auto Research Center in Indianapolis.

"At the end of this I would like to see race-car drivers who are not only successful at whatever level they happen to be racing," added St. James, "but hopefully this information will improve their ability to be more successful in whatever they do in their lives. It will help them decide how committed they really are and find out if they are ready to go down the path of being a fully-prepared professional race-car driver.

"There's a lot of people who race for fun and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, fun is important. But I think it can be difficult to understand that there's more to it than just getting sponsors. They are going to have to work extremely hard; harder than they ever realized. This program teaches them the things that will help them be more successful at whatever level they choose to race, but they will also know what they need to do to be prepared for the professional levels of racing."

Lyn St. James selects the students by processing resumes and referrals she receives and personally perusing race results from around the world. "Thank you, Chris Economaki (publisher emeritus of National Speed Sport News)," she said. "I get National Speed Sport News and read all the race results and look for the female drivers, because if they're in there, they're probably at least top-10 finishers. I also contact sanctioning bodies such as WKA, USAC, NHRA, and the racing schools and ask who stands out and who they see has potential."

The drivers invited to the program come from a variety of disciplines, including stock-car racing, road-racing, open-wheel racing, quarter-midget and go-kart competition, among many others.

The primary criteria for being invited to the Driver Development Program is that St. James personally looks at each resume and determines the person who has a lot of experience, has established some success and appears to have the ingredients and potential to be successful.
 

WOMEN IN THE WINNER'S CIRCLE FOUNDATION

New Scholarship Program for
Female Race Car Drivers – Project Podium
 
Founder Lyn St. James Opens Online Application; Deadline March 31
 
Young women who test their mettle each week on race tracks may be able to enhance their competitive performance through an innovative new scholarship program exclusively for race car drivers. Project Podium, founded by entrepreneur and former Indy 500 driver Lyn St. James, is the newest program of Women in the Winners Circle Foundation, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, and is designed to empower active young female race car drivers to help further their early professional careers.
                                                                                                             
Up to $50,000 in scholarships are available to young women drivers who compete in all forms of motorsports: karting, quarter midgets, drag racing, sports car and oval track racing. Project Podium is unique in that an applicant will only be considered eligible if there is proof that funds equal to the scholarship amount requested have been raised from sponsorship for her racing. This approach exposes drivers to the business aspect of the racing industry.
 
Drivers can apply for a scholarship by submitting their biography, racing resume, driver/team sponsorship information and a written request in 250 words or less. Applications can be downloaded from www.lynstjames.com <http://www.lynstjames.com/> . The deadline to submit applications is March 31.
 
"The scholarship program is designed to increase the support for women in racing to help them win races and championships as they work towards the top level of professional racing,” explains St. James. "In today’s competitive environment, it takes more than natural driving skills to climb the motorsports ladder, it takes a special understanding of all aspects of motor racing, including how to obtain and manage sponsorships. We’re here to help these drivers fast-track their racing dreams."
 
Applicants will be reviewed by a volunteer panel of motorsports and business professionals. In addition to Lyn St. James, the reviewing committee consists of: Vicki O’Connor, managing director of the Atlantic Championship; Linda Conti, financial advisor at Wachovia Securities; Amy Rosewater, sports writer; Angelique Chengelis, The Detroit News motorsports writer; and Erin Crocker, WWC driver development graduate.
 
Project Podium joins the Women in the Winners Circle Foundation’s highly successful Driver Development Program. It is the most comprehensive educational and training program of its kind, covering such areas as fitness and mental preparation, business and media training, and on-track and technical courses. The Driver Development Program has graduated more than 200 drivers since its inception in 1994, including Danica Patrick, Sarah Fisher and Melanie Troxel.
 
Project Podium is actively supported by a number of partners, including Newman’s Own, IndyCar/Indy Car Pro Series, Grand Am, NHRA, Rolex, Toyota Motorsports, Mazda USA, VW Motorsports, Mike Helton and the NASCAR Foundation.
 
For additional information on Women in the Winners Circle Foundation and its programs, visit www.lynstjames.com <http://www.lynstjames.com/> .

BRUT NHRA STATEMENT

INDIANAPOLIS - After a three-year run as a primary sponsor of the Ron Capps-driven Don Schumacher Racing nitro Funny Car, and as an official National Hot Rod Association series sponsor, BRUT will exit the sport effective as of the 2008 race season.

In explaining the rationale for BRUT’s NHRA departure, Marc Broccoli, Director, Men’s Category Marketing, Idelle Lab’s, Ltd. stated:

"While the NHRA sponsorship provided new visibility to BRUT, it is still, in the context of sports marketing sponsorships, a comparatively small brand. As the price of competitive, high-profile sponsorship in the Top Fuel classes of drag racing escalates, it has become very difficult for BRUT to remain as active and visible a participant as we want it to be. This was truly a difficult business decision, and made even more so by the fact that Don Schumacher Racing, Ron Capps and the NHRA all have proven to be truly outstanding partners and great friends. Our experience with the NHRA and its racing teams and the millions of fantastic drag racing fans has truly been a privilege for us. We will always look upon the era in which we reintroduced America to the BRUT brand through NHRA drag racing with great pride.”

BECKMAN OUT OF COUNTDOWN AFTER RICHMOND QUARTERFINAL FINISH

PETERSBURG, Fla. (Oct. 7, 2007) - Jack Beckman came into the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park third in the Countdown to Four playoffs with high hopes of benefiting from the consistency the Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car has demonstrated in the last half of the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

But an intense challenge from his own teammates Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps, who were on the outside of the top four, did him in, dropping Beckman out of the Countdown and into fifth in the standings.

Beckman had a solid qualifying effort, posting a No. 5, while his teammates struggled. He then defeated Jeff Arend in the opening round of eliminations. While his teammates continued to advance, Beckman's day ended early when he was eliminated by Tony Bartone in the second round and his teammates reached the final. With Tony Pedregon and Robert Hight solidly in first and second, there was only room for two of the three DSR drivers vying for the final positions. They went to Scelzi in No. 2, and Capps in No. 4.

"We came in here; it was like a storybook," said Beckman, who was living his dream in his first full season of Funny Car competition. "We qualified well, Capps and Scelzi both got in (the 16-car field), which is exactly what we wanted. We really would have liked to have seen all three cars in (the Countdown), so you're not rooting against your teammates...unless they're in the other lane.

"And we all three got past first round. It looked good. We needed to beat Bartone second round. We had lane choice. Didn't get the job done. Now if the thing had gone out there, knocked the rods out of it or the blower belt had come off, that's a mechanical issue. The thing made a big move toward the wall and you need to wrestle it back in there and I didn't do it. So, it actually hit the rev limiter further down track and spun (the tires).

"I don't know that it decided the race, but it stings. So, we still had a chance, so we sat and watched. Well, God, now who do you bet against? The only time I ever bet against Capps or Scelzi is if they're in the other lane.

"It's devastating, because it's not just me. There's 10 guys whose livelihood is to make that car run as good as possible. They've been giving me a great car all year; we've had great momentum lately. And so there's 11 disappointed people on that crew, including myself, and it hurts them as much as it hurts me.

"You always want to control your own destiny. You always want it decided on the race track with you strapped in the car. To have to sit there for two rounds is agonizing. It's tough to put a good spin on this right now. We'll race for fifth now instead of first."

As for his thoughts on the new Countdown format, "Well, if you're a fan I don't know that NHRA could make it any more exciting," said Beckman. "I would like to see some tweaks next year and maybe now is not a good time to comment on them; I don't want it to seem like sour grapes. But as far as maintaining that excitement level until late, late in the year, which is NHRA's goal, it's perfect. And Wally (Parks) was behind this deal, God rest his soul. We should all live to be 94 and be as bright as that guy was. It's going to be exciting all the way down to Pomona."

Next up is the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Oct. 26-28, the first of the final two Countdown to One events which will determine the Funny Car champion among the top four.

FUNNY CAR COUNTDOWN TO FOUR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Tony Pedregon, 2313
2. Gary Scelzi, 2299 (winner today)
3. Robert Hight, 2280
4. Ron Capps, 2279 (runner-up today)
5. Jack Beckman, 2267
6. Mike Ashley, 2212
7. John Force, 2191
8. Jim Head, 2082
 

RICHIE STEVENS JR., DON SCHUMACHER RACING'S TEAM MOPAR/VALSPAR DODGE STRATUS R/T:

STEVENS BUMPS OUT K.J. TO HELP A.J.
Driving the Team Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T, Richie Stevens Jr. was the quintessential teammate today when he bumped out Kurt Johnson in the second round of Pro Stock eliminations at the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, assuring his Team Mopar partner Allen Johnson a slot in the Countdown to One playoffs.

Stevens first defeated Kenny Koretsky in the opening round, using a 6.654-second elapsed time at 206.86 mph to do so, then ousted K.J. with a .030 reaction time (.000 is perfect) and a 6.670/206.39 pass.

Dave Connolly in the semifinals showed him the door, however, after Stevens red-lighted to the points leader's .018 reaction time. Connolly earned the win with a 6.647/207.66 to Stevens' disqualified 6.668/206.07.

The New Orleans native is ninth in the point standings, while A.J. locked in the valuable No. 4 spot.

"We had a good day," said Stevens. "I had to push it up there. Connolly had us covered a couple of hundredths (of a second) going into the semis and I had to go up there and kind of push it. I saw yellow, but it still went red. But we couldn't have beaten him with a perfect light, anyway. He was .018 on the tree. Even if we'd have been an .000 it still would have come up short.

"Overall, a good weekend. We took out Kurt, which we needed to do for Allen to help him out in the points, qualified well (No. 3), and gained some ground on Jim Yates in the standings. We stayed ahead of V. Gaines, who went to the finals today and was runner-up to Connolly. It's too bad he didn't win; he deserves to win.  

"We'll head to Vegas on a high note and go out there and try to defend the title."

ALLEN JOHNSON, MOPAR/J&J RACING DODGE STRATUS R/T:

ALLEN JOHNSON LOCKS IN NO. 4 IN COUNTDOWN TO ONE
When his teammate Richie Stevens Jr. knocked out Kurt Johnson in the second round of eliminations at the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, Allen Johnson locked in No. 4 in the Countdown to Four point standings. He will now vie with three others for the Pro Stock crown in the Countdown to One in the final two events of the season.

Johnson, who qualified No. 6, was defeated by Kurt Johnson in the opening round when K.J. ran him down despite a .020 reaction time by A.J. (.000 is perfect) to K.J.'s .029. K.J. took the win with a 6.645/207.50 to A.J.'s losing 6.658/206.51.

With his loss to Stevens, K.J. was relegated to No. 5 and out of the Countdown points.

"What a weekend," said A.J. "We did everything we were supposed to do on our side of the ladder. We qualified well, we made a really really good run first round. We would have beaten anybody else of the whole 16. Kurt just laid down the run of the century, as so often people do against me for some reason. Can't take nothing away from Kurt. He was flying today; he didn't qualify well. But we'll take this and it will make that trip to Vegas a lot better. I was looking pretty alone there for a minute.

"It was great that Richie could do it for me. That's why God made teammates. That might get him a little bit out of his driving slump, give him a little confidence.

"We'll go to Vegas hot as a firecracker and see if we can't get him to take out some of our competition for this Countdown."

Next up for the Mopar duo is the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Oct. 26-28, the first of two races in the Countdown to One to name the Pro Stock champion.

PRO STOCK COUNTDOWN TO FOUR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Dave Connolly, 2525 (winner today)
2. Greg Anderson, 2391
3. Jeg Coughlin, 2246
4. Allen Johnson, 2238
5. Kurt Johnson, 2211
6. Jason Line, 2202
7. Larry Morgan, 2171
8. Warren Johnson, 2112
9. Richie Stevens Jr., 948
10. V. Gaines, 922/942
11. Jim Yates, 830

Peggy Llewellyn Wins First Race 

Llewellyn needed to win her first NHRA national event to make it into the Countdown to One field and she delivered with a huge holeshot victory over points leader Andrew Hines. Hitting the Christmas Tree with a .010 reaction time in front of Hines' .045-second start, Llewellyn managed to hold off a hard-charging Hines to take the win with a 7.020 at 190.00 mph to Hines' quicker but losing 7.007 at 191.16 mph.

Johnson Begins Final Two Races of Countdown to 4 While Stevens Looks for Repeat as Defending Champ at O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals

Two races remain in Countdown to 4 for Allen Johnson
Richie Stevens Jr. aims for second-straight win at O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals
Allen Johnson stats
Richie Stevens Jr. stats
O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals event details

Allen Johnson, the Team Mopar® Pro Stock veteran, has only two races remaining in the Countdown to 4 playoffs as he heads into the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas this weekend. Currently fourth in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock standings, Johnson needs to maintain at least the fourth position in the last two events of the playoff in order to qualify for the next step, the Countdown to 1. The Countdown to 1 whittles the field of drivers from eight to four. With just a two-point lead on the fifth-place driver Kurt Johnson, every qualifying spot and every round win this weekend in Dallas is crucial to Johnson’s championship hopes.

Johnson’s Mopar/HEMI®-powered teammate, Richie Stevens Jr., enters the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals as defending champion. Stevens had an encouraging outing at the previous event in Memphis, scoring a round win and moving up to ninth in points. The Louisiana native will look to ride that recent round win and his successful Dallas track record into his first victory lane appearance of the season.

Two races remain in Countdown to 4 for Allen Johnson
Johnson enters the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals with little room to spare in his championship quest. Only the top four drivers in the points will have the chance to move on to the Countdown to 1 two-race battle for the championship. The championship begins at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals that is scheduled for Oct. 25-28. Johnson and his Mopar/J&J Racing team are working hard to ensure a strong Dallas outing so their title dreams will be alive when the Las Vegas event rolls around.

“We haven’t got any room to spare now. We’re sort of in a ‘got to do it’ situation,” Johnson said. “We aren’t going to be very, very aggressive, but we do have to get down the track in the first round and second round. We’ve got the motor and we’ve got everything else.”

To that end, Johnson and company have held test sessions in the Dallas area to fine-tune the set-up on the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T.

“We just weren’t happy with the last two or three races,” remarked Johnson. “The car was shaking when the track was hot and grimy. We did some testing at a hot and slick track and tested some chassis components to try to fix that because we can’t afford another boo-boo. We just haven’t been making good runs since Reading. Our approach is the same. We just have to have a set-up for a hot, slick track.”

With just two races before the Countdown to 1 kicks off, Johnson knows the time is now to solidify his position in the title battle.

“We’ve got the set-up for it,” said Johnson. “We just need to do our thing.”

Richie Stevens Jr. aims for second-straight win at O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals
Last year, Stevens’ win at the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals began a stretch of two wins in the last five races. His 2006 Dallas performance is one the Don Schumacher Racing driver would love to repeat.

“Heading into this race in Dallas I’m the defending champ. It feels good,” Stevens said. “It’s the first time I could say that in a long time. Hopefully we can go out there and repeat our performance from last year. We had a real consistent car and that’s what led us to win the race. We’re just going to try to go back with that same mind set. Hopefully we can qualify in the top-half on Sunday and have lane choice. We just want to go out there and have a consistent car that can get down the track every time.”

Stevens also tested with Johnson earlier this week, working out any bugs that may hinder his goal of repeating as the Dallas champion.

“We worked on the first 300 feet of the track. That’s where we have had the most problems,” Stevens observed. “We worked on those issues to try to find the happy spot.”

Although out of the Countdown playoffs, Stevens continues to chase his goal of a sixth career top 10 NHRA Pro Stock points finish.

“We’re going to try to keep gaining ground,” said Stevens. “It’s going to be between V. Gaines, Jim Yates and myself, fighting for the last two spots in the top 10. I just need to keep ahead of them.”

Allen Johnson stats
€ Has 22-17 round record in 2007
€ Has fourth spot in the NHRA POWERade Countdown to 4 playoffs, only 27 points behind the third-place Jeg Coughlin Jr.
€ Posted 12 career final round appearances
€ Captured his 5th career win at the 28th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals in July
€ Took his third career No. 1 qualifier spot at the Mile-High Nationals and set the Bandimere Speedway track record
€ Has 12 quarterfinals, six semifinals, and three finals appearance in 2007 (to date)

Richie Stevens Jr. stats
€ Has the ninth spot in the NHRA Pro Stock points standings
€ Won the 2006 O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals, defeating Mike Edwards in the finals
€ Recorded a career best ET and speed of 6.598/209.20 in qualifying second at Englishtown in June
€ Had two wins (Dallas, Las Vegas) in the final five events of 2006
€ Finished in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock top 10 for the fifth time in his career in 2006
€ Has six career wins and 11 career final round appearances

O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals event details
The O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals is scheduled for Sept. 20 – 23 at the Texas Motorplex. Qualifying coverage will air on Sunday, Sept. 23 from 12:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. (EDT) on ESPN2. Three hours of eliminations coverage will air on Sunday, Sept. 23 starting at 7 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2. For more info on the NHRA, log on to www.nhra.com.

70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s – the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “Special Parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Today, Chrysler LLC’s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.

# # #

ON THE INTERNET
Visit Chrysler’s Media Services Web site at http://www.media.chrysler.com for additional Chrysler news. For additional information about Mopar, log on to http://www.mopar.com or http://www.moparspeed.com.

MORE EXCITEMENT ADDED TO FRIDAY'S DSR OPEN HOUSE


More   exciting   displays   and  activities  have  been added  to this Friday's Don Schumacher Racing Open House  benefiting  Riley Hospital for Children. For the second  straight  year, on Aug. 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,  DSR  will  open  its  doors to its 100,000-sq. ft. facility  at  1681  East  Northfield  Drive, Brownsburg, Ind., to racing fans.

NHRA  Funny  Car  driver  "Fast  Jack"  Beckman's primary sponsor Mail Terminal Services will have its popular  "Mail  from  Home"  kiosk  present  and available for fans to send notes of inspiration to the United States soldiers deployed overseas. The MTS kiosk is at all 23 national NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events, and MTS distributes these messages to the war zone camps through its Newark, N.J., terminal, free of charge.

Monster Truck Racing Association 2007 Champion driver Mark Hall will have the "Raminator" Monster Truck on display and will be signing autographs with the DSR drivers at 1 p.m. The 10-ft., 10,300-lb., 2000-plus horsepower monster truck is operated and maintained by Hall Brothers Racing, Inc, of Champaign, Ill. 

All seven DSR drivers - Tony Schumacher, Gary Scelzi, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Angelle Sampey, Antron Brown and Richie Stevens Jr. - will sign autographs at 1 p.m.

The final list of vintage cars has been set for the DSR "Cacklefest." Fans will be able to see and hear legendary cars from the 1960s and early 1970s, including the Howard Cams Rattler fuel dragster driven by Larry Dixon Sr. (photo attached), Tommy Ivo's "Barnstormer" dragster from 1961, the Croshier-Baltes-Lovato Top Fuel car from 1962, Jack McCloud's "Poachers" fuel dragster from 1969, Kenny Safford's "Safford/Gaide/Ratican" Oldsmobile dragster from 1962, the 1971 Gatornationals-winning King & Marshall Top Fuel dragster, and Justin Grant's 1972 "Stardust" Barracuda, once owned and driven by team owner Don Schumacher.  

All these cars and some late-comers will fire up at about 1:30 PM in the back lot of the DSR building. The DSR Cacklefest has been organized in large part by long-time NHRA Vice President Steve Gibbs and the Wally Parks Motorsports Museum staff.

The Open House will also feature the Indy Hi-Winder's Car & Motorcycle Show. Admission is free, and all voluntary donations go directly to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

Eric Medlin: 1973-2007

Eric was a rival on  23  Sunday  afternoons at  NHRA  races  but  a  great friend  to  all of us. We shared  many laughs and stories along the way with Eric,  his  dad  John and  his  teammates.  His  smile  was  easy  and genuine. He knew he was a lucky guy to drive one of the four John Force Mustang Funny Cars and to have his dad as his crew chief. He respected his responsibilities as a young ambassador for  John  Force  Racing,  his sponsors and for NHRA POWERade  Drag  Racing. Our hearts go out to the Medlen Family, the John  Force  Racing  organization and everyone who knew and loved Eric Medlen.

John Force at Joliet in 2006 (Below)

GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* Fifth in Funny Car points after qualifying No. 1 and winning the 2007 season-opening Pomona event, and again qualifying No. 1 and winning the Chicago event. His other results this season are first-round losses in Phoenix, Gainesville, Las Vegas, Englishtown and Denver, quarterfinal finishes in Houston, Atlanta, St. Louis, Topeka and Bristol, and a DNQ in Norwalk
* Is 286 points behind leader Ron Capps, 47 points short of third
* Two TF wins in Seattle (2000, 2001), one runner-up (1997)
* No. 1 qualifier four times in Seattle (1997, 2000, 2001 in TF, 2003 in FC)
* Qualified No. 11 in Seattle in 2006, lost second round to teammate Ron Capps
* Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points, with a win in Denver (three final rounds), runner-up in Englishtown, N.J., runner-up in Brainerd, Minn., and three semifinal finishes in Bristol, Tenn., Joliet, Ill., and St. Louis.
* Also had seven quarterfinal finishes and no No. 1 qualifiers in '06
* Claimed the 2005 Funny Car championship, his first, by eight points over his teammate Ron Capps, 32 over third-place John Force
* Won three times in 2005 (Bristol, Chicago 1 and Sonoma); was low qualifier six times (Las Vegas 1, Atlanta, St. Louis, Reading, Las Vegas 2, Pomona 2)
* Is a three-time Top Fuel champion (1997, 1998, 2000)
* Became only the second NHRA driver to have won crowns in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Kenny Bernstein is the first
* Has set 24 Funny Car top speeds since joining Don Schumacher Racing in 2003
* Is a member of the largest team in NHRA pro history: Don Schumacher Racing - one in Top Fuel, three in Funny Car, one in Pro Stock, two in Pro Stock Motorcycle (all four pro categories)
* Is first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier (330.15 mph at Route 66 Raceway in 2004)
* Career Funny Car bests: 4.690-second ET (Pomona 1 '07), 333.49 mph (Pomona 1 '07)
* Qualified in top five 19 times in 2005, No. 1 six times
* Age 46 (Aug. 11, 1960), born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Dominic, 10, races Restricted 600 Mini Sprints
* Runs Scelzi Enterprises, a custom truck body design and manufacturing business in Fresno with his two brothers
* Won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie
* Has 10 Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* 2007 is his fifth straight season racing for Don Schumacher Racing
* Is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. He accomplished this feat by winning Nitro Funny Car at Infineon Raceway in 2003
* Is one of the few Funny Car drivers who has a round winning record against the 14-time Funny Car champion John Force: 12-10, 3-1 in final rounds
* Says he's stepping away from NHRA competition at end of 2007, but not retiring

JACK BECKMAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 7 in 2007 NHRA Funny Car point standings after 13 events and one season victory in one final round, in Denver
* Also has three semifinal finishes, one quarterfinal finish and a DNQ
* Set national elapsed-time record of 4.662 seconds and national speed record of 333.66 mph at final 2006 event in Pomona, Calif. The ET record has since been eclipsed. Beckman still holds the speed record
* As a Funny Car rookie in the last five races of 2006, he qualified No. 1 once (Pomona 2), reached two final rounds (Las Vegas 2 and Pomona 2), won once (Vegas), and set both ends of the national record (Pomona 2)
* Residence: North Hills, Calif.
* Hometown: Granada Hills, Calif.
* Date of birth: June 28, 1966
* Married, Jenna (wedding date 11/7/06), son Jason Russell (3/8/07)
* Height/weight: 6'0", 185 lbs.
* Serves as instructor at Frank Hawley's NHRA Championship Drag Racing School and has taught over 6,000 students since 1998; former Sergeant in U.S. Air Force (1984-88); cancer survivor; licensed in nine different NHRA categories
* First Start in TF: Las Vegas 1 2005
* First Start in FC: Reading, Pa., 2006
* Competed in only 12 TF events in 2005, ended season 15th in points
* Career-best FC elapsed time: 4.662 seconds (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best FC speed: 333.66 mph (Pomona 2 '06)
* Career-best TF elapsed time: 4.563 seconds (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* Career-best TF speed: 324.28 mph (TF, Brainerd 2005)
* In 2003 won Super Comp world championship in Lucas Oil Series and Division 7 Super Comp championship

John Force Seriously Injured In Dallas

The mood of the day was tempered greatly by an accident involving superstar racer John Force, who suffered two broken legs and injuries to his hands and arms in a high-speed collision with Dallas racing legend Kenny Bernstein. Force had to be airlifted to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

"I'm glad that [John Force is] alive," Dixon said. "From that point you can fix anything. A lot of credit goes to the Safety Safari, the medical team, and the rules package for the way the cars have to be built so that you can survive an accident like that. I feel safer in my car that goes 330 mph than I do in my rental car going 55 mph on the way to the track. I feel like I could run over a nuclear bomb, and I trust in that. He'll be back racing one day; you can count on that.

GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* Sixth in Funny Car points after qualifying No. 1 and winning the 2007 season-opening Pomona event, and again qualifying No. 1 and winning the Chicago event. His other results this season are first-round losses in Phoenix, Gainesville, Las Vegas, Englishtown, Denver and Sonoma, quarterfinal finishes in Houston, Atlanta, St. Louis, Topeka, Bristol and Seattle, and a DNQ in Norwalk
* Is 266 points behind leader Ron Capps, 72 points short of third
* One TF win in Brainerd, in 1998; two FC runner-ups, in 2004 and 2006
* No. 1 qualifier twice in Brainerd: in TF in 1999, in FC in 2003
* Qualified No. 6 in Brainerd in 2006, runner-up to Tommy Johnson Jr.
* Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points, with a win in Denver (three final rounds), runner-up in Englishtown, N.J., runner-up in Brainerd, Minn., and three semifinal finishes in Bristol, Tenn., Joliet, Ill., and St. Louis.
* Also had seven quarterfinal finishes and no No. 1 qualifiers in '06
* Claimed the 2005 Funny Car championship, his first, by eight points over his teammate Ron Capps, 32 over third-place John Force
* Won three times in 2005 (Bristol, Chicago 1 and Sonoma); was low qualifier six times (Las Vegas 1, Atlanta, St. Louis, Reading, Las Vegas 2, Pomona 2)
* Is a three-time Top Fuel champion (1997, 1998, 2000)
* Became only the second NHRA driver to have won crowns in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Kenny Bernstein is the first
* Has set 24 Funny Car top speeds since joining Don Schumacher Racing in 2003
* Is a member of the largest team in NHRA pro history: Don Schumacher Racing - one in Top Fuel, three in Funny Car, one in Pro Stock, two in Pro Stock Motorcycle (all four pro categories)
* Is first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier (330.15 mph at Route 66 Raceway in 2004)
* Career Funny Car bests: 4.690-second ET (Pomona 1 '07), 333.49 mph (Pomona 1 '07)
* Qualified in top five 19 times in 2005, No. 1 six times
* Age 46 (Aug. 11, 1960), born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Dominic, 10, races Restricted 600 Mini Sprints
* Runs Scelzi Enterprises, a custom truck body design and manufacturing business in Fresno with his two brothers
* Won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie
* Has 10 Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* 2007 is his fifth straight season racing for Don Schumacher Racing
* Is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. He accomplished this feat by winning Nitro Funny Car at Infineon Raceway in 2003
* Is one of the few Funny Car drivers who has a round winning record against the 14-time Funny Car champion John Force: 12-10, 3-1 in final rounds
* Says he's stepping away from NHRA competition at end of 2007, but not retiring