NHRA

Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Press Conference Transcript


A press conference was held on Friday at Infineon Raceway, which is hosting the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals this weekend. The press conference was held to discuss the increased involvement in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series by Speedway Motorsports Inc., as well as the inaugural NHRA national event at zMAX Dragway @ Concord at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, Sept. 11-14.



Members of the panel were:

Marcus Smith: Chief Operating Officer and President of SMI, President and General Manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Steve Page: President and General Manager of Infineon Raceway.
John Force: Driver of the Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang Funny Car.


SMI has enhanced its investment in NHRA with the addition of zMAX Dragway @ Concord. Talk about your inaugural event and what you have planned.

MS: I don't feel right about going before the king of drag racing (John Force), it doesn't seem right. We're looking forward to having John Force there and the rest of the NHRA, Sept. 11-14, and we've got a really monumental facility ready to go for everybody here and all the drag racing fans around the world. It's going to be fantastic and the John Force grandstand is filling up quick, so all your friends need to call 1-800-455-FANS to get their seats.


Can you talk about what makes your drag strip unique?

MS: Well, we have just a great team that shows up every day at Lowe's Motor Speedway, about 130 people who work hard to make it the most fan-friendly place on earth, next to Infineon Raceway, of course. I really feel like when I'm here in Sonoma that it feels like Southern hospitality, it feels like home, people are so nice and we love coming out here. We've got some extra-special things ready to go for people: 30,000 seats, tons of paved parking areas in the pits, four concrete lanes at zMAX Dragway and one of the longest run-off areas in the sport, and we're really excited to have John and all his friends there come race with us.


John, talk about the new Dragway and what you're expecting.

JF: Well, Bruton Smith and his family, with his son coming along, they're paving the way for a lot of good things. I go back to when we bulldozed Bristol and they made all the changes at Bristol, and Las Vegas, I still have the chrome shovel that Bruton gave me. To see the investments and the millions they're investing, like they have here at Infineon, a multi-purpose park they give the fans a place to go and media a great way to enjoy NHRA drag racing. At the end of the day, they're investing in NHRA drag racing, and that's the key. If we're ever going to catch NASCAR, we need these types of facilities to grow our sport like this that are fan friendly, they can eat and have good seats, have elevators for old guys like me. I'm excited about it, to have Bruton's group keep investing and investing. I went down to Charlotte and the tracks that he builds just get better and better, and this place is state of the art. And, this place they put right in the heart of NASCAR country. The NASCAR fans come over, so I think it's a win, win situation. I see a four-lane highway, Bruton just couldn't get enough, and I know some racers question two race tracks, but if you go back 30 or 40 years ago, someone had that concept before, but somehow it faded out, and I'm glad they brought it back. If you have a bad situation, it may not be the track you ran the round before, but at least there will be another track to race on, and what we need to do is produce TV and oil downs kill us.


MS: I heard earlier today that in Rockford, Ill., where I was born and my dad spent about 10 years of his life, there was a four-lane dragway there, and I think that's where he got the idea.


JF: What is really cool is to see a stadium going up, and it's really beautiful, it's really nice and it's got everything you need, grandstands, plenty of shut-off area. Just like this place here. Infineon is my place like I own it. We've got plenty of room to grow, and, you know, NHRA is addressing the issues of 1,000-foot for pro cars for now, but when you know you've got room to grow, that makes a lot of things possible and you know you've got hope for the future. All my buddies in NASCAR are down there, and I know the money lays around in those areas, but at the end of the day I think it's going to be neat. Another thing, Rockingham, which was north or south, I don't remember which, we used to pack it in there, and it's a huge marketplace. Nothing gets bigger than Charlotte. The real cool thing that really turned me on… When I went to Charlotte for the NASCAR race, what was really neat is it was so busy that day and I thought, 'I'm going to take a break and get away from the people, and go downtown and get me a steak.' I went downtown and the whole town was on fire and the city opens its arms to NASCAR. I went right down where they were at, and I loved it. There's a big opportunity and that will only grow the sport of NHRA drag racing.


NHRA has enjoyed an incredible amount of growth over the last few years, and Infineon Raceway has enjoyed a lot of that growth. Steve, can you talk about that growth?

SP: When you look at the economic backdrop and the fact that we're adding seats because we're selling out of reserved seats. As John has been saying nice things about us, I want to say something nice about him. One of the things that helps this sport develop a loyal following is the racers and their understanding of how important it is to interact with the fans and do publicity events and meet fans and do charity events, like the Eric Medlen Nitro Night. The racers understand how important it is to have that interaction with the fans. I think that has a lot to do with how successful we are.


Marcus, you mentioned the John Force Grandstand in Concord. Did John buy that grandstand?

MS: He had to have a place for all of his friends. John Force is drag racing. He is the king of drag racing and we had to have a special place to honor him. So, we've got, right at the starting area, the prime grandstand at zMAX Dragway is the John Force Grandstand.


JF: I saw the sign for it when they sent it to me, and I wanted to make sure my picture was perfect, and there was no picture. So, I called up Bruton and I said 'Where's my picture? Earnhardt got his picture in Vegas on the wall.' He said, 'He's a lot cuter than you, and we don't want to scare anyone away, so we figured the name would be good enough.'


Marcus, there has been talk for a long time about SMI purchasing the NHRA. Where does that stand now?

MS: We have had an interest for some time in making an acquisition, but right now the front burner is zMAX Dragway and what we're doing there. We want to grow the sport, make it better and really put a lot back into it because the fans deserve it and the sport deserves it. If the time arrives, we never say never, but for now we're focused on zMAX Dragway.


What is the status of the track now in terms of your progress?

MS: We started in February with construction, that's when we broke ground, and we'll be ready to go in about three weeks. We've got all four lanes paved, and we've got some furniture to move in, and we're ready to go. We're actually going to have a special Open House event for our neighboring fans around the Speedway and invite some folks in a few weeks. It's going to be a fun event to give the fans a chance to go and see the Dragway before we open it up for the big event, Sept. 11-14.


JF: Just for the record, I talked to some of the contractors and I thought 'How is this going to happen?' And, one of the contactors said, 'Bruton and his son, Marcus, they're sparing no expense, they were going to deliver this race track for the NHRA.' I'm excited because this is a new ballpark in a huge, new market to go play. We took our Old Spice hot rod there for the Coke 600 earlier this year, and Mike Neff did a big old burnout in the Old Spice car and those NASCAR guys were lined up. They loved it, and the fans loved it. We wanted to give them a little taste of what we do. If you get a chance, look at the pictures because they've really outdone themselves on this track.


MS: The NHRA has just the greatest fans and the greatest drivers. You guys do the best job of being fan friendly and that's what it's all about. Everything we do at all of our speedways is about the fans first. That's why we're spending $60 million in Concord to make the best Dragway we can.


With the declining state of so many of the drag strips around the country, is there any interest in purchasing those tracks and renovating them to the level of this facility?

MS: I hadn't thought about that. It's a good idea. We like the speedways where we're at, but we're always interested in opportunities, so never say never. Right now we're completing zMAX Dragway, and making things better in New Hampshire and we've got another acquisition to close in Kentucky.


With a four-lane track like the one at zMAX Dragway, would that have helped with an oildown situation like we had tonight?

JF: You have to give it to the NHRA guys because they were going back and fourth, and working hard to fix the situation. The hard part with the four-lane is they have to be prepped, maybe you run the pro guys on one side and the other guys on the other, but if you got into a situation where water happened to come up in the track, but with this track, it's elevated, so the water will run off this racetrack. The problems we've had at other tracks, we won't have here. We've evolved these tracks and we've seen all the mistakes made in the past. Without a doubt, you're going to have racers that argue that 'I like that lane, but you're going to make me go in that lane.' But, at least you have a lane where the race can go off. So, if there is a catastrophic oildown, you salvage TV and we all grow, that's the key to this.


MS: We think it can help keep the show moving, there's not doubt to that. Maybe you put the Pro Stock guys in one pair of lanes where they have different rack prep needs, and you put the other guys, or you put nitro guys in the other pair of lanes, there's a good opportunity to keep the show moving.
 

NHRA SHORTENS RACE DISTANCE FOR TOP FUEL AND FUNNY CAR CLASSES TO 1,000 FEET
AS INTERIM SAFETY STEP WHILE KALITTA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

GLENDORA, Calif. (July 2, 2008) -- As the investigation continues into the tragic accident that took the life of driver Scott Kalitta, NHRA announced today that beginning at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado, both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will race to 1,000 feet instead of the traditional 1,320 feet or one-quarter mile. This is an interim step that is being taken while NHRA continues to analyze and determine whether changes should be made to build upon the sport's long standing safety record, given the inherent risks and ever-present dangers associated with the sport.

This interim change was made by NHRA in collaboration with professional race teams. NHRA believes that racing the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet will allow NHRA and the racing community time to evaluate, analyze and implement potential changes based on the safety initiatives outlined last week.

With the change, fans will still be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and thrill of NHRA nitro racing with speeds around 300 mph and quick elapsed times to 1,000 feet.

Over the years, NHRA has implemented many initiatives to enhance safety including measures to limit speeds from increasing, personal protective gear, vehicle improvements, and track enhancements such as sand traps, catch nets and concrete barriers the entire length of the drag strip.

In the wake of the tragic series of events that took Kalitta’s life, the following technical issues are currently under investigation: 1) what might be done to reduce engine failures; 2) parachute mounting techniques and materials as well as identifying a parachute material that could be more fire resistant; 3) exploring whether there is a way to increase brake efficiency when cars lose downforce due to the loss of the body; 4) analyzing additional methods that might be developed at the top end of the race track to help arrest runaway vehicles; 5) considering whether current speeds should be further limited or reduced to potentially improve safety.

“The board members of the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) wholeheartedly and unanimously support this decision,” said its president Kenny Bernstein. “We want to thank NHRA for listening to our input and suggestions to incorporate these changes. It is not lost on any of us that this constitutes a change in our history of running a quarter-mile, but it’s the most immediate adjustment we can make in the interest of safety which is foremost on everyone’s mind. This may be a temporary change and we recognize it is not the total answer. We will continue to work hand in hand with NHRA to evaluate other methods of making Top Fuel and Funny Car competition safer so that we might return to our quarter-mile racing standard. We also want to thank Connie Kalitta for his invaluable input. He has been a rock through these difficult times.”
 

ASHLEY FORCE AND TONY SCHUMACHER NOMINATED FOR 2008 ESPY AWARDS

GLENDORA, Calif. (July 2, 2008) -- Second-year Funny Car phenom Ashley Force has been nominated for the ESPY Hummer Like Nothing Else Award and five-time NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher was nominated for the ESPY Best Driver Award, it was announced this week by ESPN.

The ESPY Awards, for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly, was created by ESPN in 1993. Sports fans can vote for Force, Schumacher and other sports heroes in each category via an online poll at: http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/specialsection/espys2008/

Force, 25, who won the 2007 NHRA Auto Club Road to the Future Award as NHRA’s best performing rookie for the year and was voted “Hottest Athlete” in a nationwide poll on AOL over finalists Tom Brady and Danica Patrick, made history on the dragstrip earlier this season when she became the first woman in NHRA history to win a race in the 7,000 horsepower Funny Car category that her legendary father – John Force -- has dominated for much of the past two decades.

During the memorable season, Force also became the first woman to lead the POWERade Series point standings, and has been ranked in the top five for most of the season. She is currently third with two runner-up finishes to compliment her lone victory. She seems poised to not only make the Countdown to 1, NHRA’s championship playoffs, but be a major contender for the world championship title.

“I’m really excited and surprised to be nominated,” said Force, driver of the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. “It’s neat to be in a category with athletes from other sports and I am glad (the ESPYs) thought of me. I hope this opportunity will bring more awareness to NHRA Drag Racing, which is just an incredible sport that has a great mix of competitors of different ages, genders, ethnic backgrounds and personalities. I just love being a part of it.”

Boston Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez, Pittsburgh Penguins scoring machine Sidney Crosby and former NFL player George Martin also are nominated alongside Force in the Hummer Like Nothing Else Award category.

This is the second year that the ESPYs will present the Hummer Like Nothing Else Award, which recognizes athletes who have attained unique accomplishments in their respective sports. San Diego Chargers running back LaDanian Tomlinson was the inaugural winner.

Schumacher, 38, driver of the U.S. Army dragster, finished the 2007 season once again in dramatic fashion, by winning his record-breaking fourth consecutive and fifth overall Top Fuel championship on the final run of the season. On that final pass at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California, Schumacher won the race and in the process the championship title over season-long leader Rod Fuller. The previous season, Schumacher used a national record-setting run in a final round win over Melanie Troxel to claim the championship title at the last instant from Doug Kalitta.

Schumacher's mythic world championship-winning runs the last two seasons, along with his six victories in the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, have solidified his legend in the world of NHRA Drag Racing.

“Yet again, I’m excited that I’m being considered for such a prestigious award,” said Schumacher, who has raced to five victories this season, holds a commanding points lead in his category and has already clinched a berth in the Countdown to 1. “Hopefully, this time around, I can bring home an ESPY for our Soldiers. Without their hard work and sacrifice each day, we wouldn’t be enjoying these events.”

Joining Schumacher on the ESPY Best Driver ballot are NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Dario Franchitti (formerly IRL), Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and IRL driver Scott Dixon.

“That’s a pretty stout group of guys,” said Schumacher. “I’m honored to be included in such a select circle.”

Past ESPY Best Driver winners include last year’s winner, Jeff Gordon, and fellow stock car racers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, and Dale Jarrett, and open-wheel drivers Jimmy Vasser, Al Unser Jr., Nigel Mansell, and Michael Schumacher.

It is the second time Schumacher, from Chicago, has been nominated for the ESPY Best Driver Award. Force, from Yorba Linda, Calif., is a first-time nominee for the ESPYs. They join Melanie Troxel, Tony Pedregon, Greg Anderson, and John Force as the only professional drag racers to be nominated for the prestigious ESPY Awards. No drag racer has ever won an ESPY Award.

In 2006, Troxel became the first NHRA driver to be nominated in multiple categories, for Best Driver and Best Female Athlete. Anderson, a three-time Pro Stock world champion (2003-'05) was nominated in 2005. Pedregon, the 2003 and ‘07 Funny Car world champion, was nominated in 2004. John Force, a 14-time Funny Car world champion and winner of an NHRA record 126 events, was nominated for the ESPY Best Driver award in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003.

The 2008 ESPY winners will be announced during the ESPY Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. on July 16 and hosted by Justin Timberlake, who will be joined by a wide variety of the world’s premier athletes and Hollywood’s biggest stars. The ESPYs will be televised on ESPN July 20 at 9 p.m. ET.

Ashley Force career highlights
* First woman to win a Funny Car race in NHRA history
* First woman to lead the Funny Car point standings in NHRA history
* First woman to advance to a final round in Funny Car in NHRA history
* Named 2007 Auto Club Road to the Future Award winner, which recognizes NHRA’s best-performing rookie driver for the season
* She has advanced to four final rounds in Funny Car, winning once and posting three runner-up finishes
* Voted “Hottest Athlete” during a 2007 nationwide poll conducted by AOL, where she defeated many notable athletes for the title, including New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for the overall title and IRL racer Danica Patrick in the female category
* During her sportsman career, she earned her first career victory in Top Alcohol Dragster at the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis in 2005
* Later in 2005, she shared an emotional winner’s circle with her father, John Force, at Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., as she won in Top Alcohol Dragster and he won in Funny Car at the same event; They remain the only father-daughter to win the same NHRA event

Tony Schumacher career highlights
* Five-time NHRA POWERade Series world champion, including last four in a row (1999, 2004-'07), an NHRA Top Fuel record
* First driver in NHRA history to earn four consecutive Top Fuel world championships, also tied Joe Amato for most Top Fuel championships in NHRA history (five)
* Six-time winner of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the world's most prestigious drag race
* Holds national records for time (4.428 seconds) and speed (336.15 mph) in Top Fuel
* Has earned 46 NHRA victories
* Has earned 50 NHRA No. 1 qualifying awards
* Son of Funny Car pioneer Don Schumacher

Past ESPY Hummer Like Nothing Else Award winners
2007 – LaDanian Tomlinson, NFL

Past ESPY Best Driver Award winners
2007 – Jeff Gordon, NASCAR
2006 – Tony Stewart, NASCAR
2005 – Michael Schumacher, F1
2004 – Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR
2003 – Tony Stewart, NASCAR
2002 – Michael Schumacher, F1
2001 – Bobby Labonte, NASCAR
2000 – Dale Jarrett, NASCAR
1999 – Jeff Gordon, NASCAR
1998 - Jeff Gordon, NASCAR
1997 – Jimmy Vasser, IRL
1996 – Jeff Gordon, NASCAR
1995 – Al Unser Jr., IRL
1994 – Nigel Mansell, F1
1993 - Nigel Mansell, F1
 

Scott Kalitta, two-time NHRA POWERade Series
Top Fuel champion, dies from injuries

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. – Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta, 46, died Saturday from multiple injuries suffered after his car went out of control and crashed in a high-speed racing accident at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park during the fourth and final round of qualifying at the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals.
Kalitta was extracted from his car by NHRA emergency services officials and transported to Old Bridge Township Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Kalitta, a two-time NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel champion and one of only 14 drivers in NHRA history to earn victories in both premier nitro categories, earned 18 victories during his career, his last coming in Chicago in 2005 in Top Fuel.

Kalitta earned most of his racing success in Top Fuel, where he claimed back-to-back world championship titles in 1994 and 1995. He retired from racing in 1997, sitting out most of two seasons before returning for a 10-race campaign in 1999. He sat out three more seasons following that brief stint and then returned again in 2003, joining cousin Doug as a second driver for the family's two Top Fuel dragsters.

Kalitta started his pro career in Top Fuel in 1982, running limited events for four seasons before moving to Funny Car in 1986 for his first full-season of competition. He returned to that category fulltime in 2006. He posted a runner-up finish two weeks ago in Chicago, his 36th career NHRA final round appearance.

Kalitta is survived by his father, legendary NHRA racer and team owner Connie Kalitta; wife, Kathy; and sons Corey, 14, and Colin, 8.
 

STATEMENT FROM NHRA:

On behalf of everyone at NHRA, we are deeply saddened and want to pass along our sincere condolences to the entire Kalitta family.

Scott shared the same passion for drag racing as his legendary father, Connie. He also shared the same desire to win, becoming a two-time series world champion. He left the sport for a period of time, to devote more time to his family, only to be driven to return to the drag strip to regain his championship form.

Scott was a terrific driver and perhaps more importantly a better person and a great father to his two kids. He will be truly missed by the entire NHRA community.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Kathy, sons Corey and Colin, his cousin Doug and his father Connie.
 

NHRA STARS TO VISIT COCA-COLA 600
TO PROMOTE NHRA CAROLINAS NATIONALS IN CONCORD

CONCORD, N.C. – Several of NHRA’s elite drivers, including defending NHRA POWERade Series world champions Jeg Coughlin and Matt Smith, and John Force Racing’s John Force and Mike Neff, will attend next week’s Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR event to promote the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMAX Dragway @ Concord.

The NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMAX Dragway @ Concord, Sept. 11-14, will be the 19th of 24 events in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Series, and the first event in the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Next weekend’s activities include a tour of the Dragway construction site, where the track and state-of-the-art control tower are quickly taking shape. Force, Neff, Coughlin, Smith and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Angie McBride will wear logoed hard hats that will be autographed and donated to Speedway Children’s Charities, the philanthropy outreach founded by track owner Bruton Smith, for auction.

Neff’s Old Spice Ford Mustang will take center stage, literally, when he fires up his car at Lowe’s Motor Speedway before the Coca-Cola 600 begins with the help of JFR crew chiefs John Medlen and Dean “Guido” Antonelli.

Also scheduled to be on-hand for special events, autograph sessions and fan meet-and-greets, are Antron Brown, Cruz Pedregon, Doug Herbert and Hillary Will. A replica of Herbert’s SnaponFranchise.com Top Fuel dragster will be on display in Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s Speed Street fan area and a booth promoting Herbert’s BRAKES (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) drive-safe program will be on site as well.

Tickets are available for the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMAX Dragway @ Concord. For more information, call the track’s ticket office number, (800) 455-FANS (3267).

ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at www.nhra.com.
 

FULL THROTTLE ENERGY DRINK REVS IT UP
WITH TITLE SPONSORSHIP OF NHRA’S TOP SERIES
Brand’s First Major Sports Association Includes Extension of
Coca-Cola North America and NHRA Partnership Through 2013
Full Throttle to Succeed POWERade in 2009

Atlanta, April 25, 2008 -- In the world of heads-up professional drag racing, perhaps nothing exemplifies the dog-eat-dog nature of the sport better than words, “Go Full Throttle or Go Home!”

Beginning in 2009, that’s exactly how NHRA’s top professional series will be branded, as Coca-Cola North America’s Full Throttle energy drink succeeds POWERade as the title sponsor of NHRA’s premier professional drag racing series. It’s the first major sports marketing play for the beverage Company’s lead energy drink.

The association between NHRA and Coca-Cola North America, with support from Coca-Cola Enterprises, includes a two-year partnership extension through the 2013 season, representing one of the longest running series sponsorships in motorsports. The new series will be called the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

“It’s one of the great synergies of brand and sport,” said NHRA President Tom Compton, who orchestrated the original deal with Coca-Cola North America in 2001. “To have a title sponsor for what will be, at minimum, 12 years by the end of this current deal is a tribute to a great relationship between NHRA and Coca-Cola North America, Coca-Cola Enterprises, the POWERade brand and beginning in 2009, the Full Throttle brand.”

NHRA’s top professional series, the second most popular form of auto racing in America behind only NASCAR (source: ESPN Sports Poll), holds 24 races from February through November, all of which are broadcast by ESPN2 in HD.

“When you fuse the energy of Full Throttle with the speed and intensity of NHRA professional drag racing, you’ve got a combination that’s hard to beat,” said Rafael Acevedo, senior brand manager, Energy Drinks, Coca-Cola North America. “We mean it when we say, ‘Go Full Throttle or Go Home.’ We can’t wait to unleash the power of Full Throttle and cement the relationship between NHRA drag racing, NHRA fans and the ultimate energy drink.”

Full Throttle has been the official energy drink of NHRA since 2005 and currently sponsors the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship, which awarded prize money in excess of $250,000 in 2007. Fully integrated marketing plans for Full Throttle and NHRA will include at-track activation, out-of-home media support, online presence, retail programs and sampling.

NHRA professional drag racing presents races in virtually every major market in the United States, including New York, Chicago and L.A., and in recent years has added impressively to its inventory of Fortune 500 and/or mainstream sponsors, including UPS, Caterpillar, the U.S. Army, Harley Davidson, Wyndham Resorts, Brand Source, NAPA Auto Parts, Motorcraft, and Old Spice. Other sponsors include General Motors, GMC, Pontiac, FRAM, Budweiser, Motel 6, among others. Additional Coca-Cola North America brands affiliated with NHRA include Coca-Cola, POWERade and Dasani.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world's top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy and sports drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate exceeding 1.5 billion servings each day. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

About NHRA

Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 24 national events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series’ provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series, and the NHRA Street Legal Drags presented by AAA. The NHRA also offers the O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages
8 to 17.
 

NHRA THRILLS & SPILLS TO AIR ON ESPN2 THIS WEEKEND

GLENDORA, Calif. (Dec. 20, 2007) – This weekend ESPN2 will showcase the 2007 edition of “NHRA Thrills & Spills,” a 30-minute special that features the most spectacular on-track moments from 2007 and past NHRA POWERade Series seasons.

Hosted by veteran ESPN pit reporter Dave Rieff, NHRA Thrills & Spills is scheduled to air on Saturday Dec. 22 at 11 a.m. (ET), and will feature some of the most sensational fender-benders and wild rides from the 2007 season as well as a few from past seasons. The show will re-air on ESPN2 on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. (ET).
 

SCHUMACHER, PEDREGON, COUGHLIN LEAD DRAG RACING NOMINEES
FOR 2007 AARWBA AUTO RACING ALL-AMERICA TEAM

GLENDORA, Calif. (Nov. 26, 2007) - NHRA POWERade Series world champions Tony Schumacher, Tony Pedregon and Jeg Coughlin headline the Drag Racing nominees for the 2007 American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) Auto Racing All-America Team.

Two drivers from each of seven categories - Drag Racing, Open Wheel, Stock Car, Road Racing, Short Track, Touring Series and At Large - will be selected to the first team by the members of the motorsports press association. Two second team drivers from each category also will be named. The remaining drivers in each category receiving five percent of the vote will receive honorable mention status.

In addition to Schumacher, Pedregon and Coughlin, Pro Stock runner-up Greg Anderson also was nominated in the Drag Racing category and Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion Frank Manzo was nominated in the At Large category.

The driver receiving the most votes overall will be presented the prestigious Jerry Titus Award, recognizing AARWBA’s Driver of the Year. Schumacher won the coveted award last year, while 14-time NHRA Funny Car world champ John Force is a four-time winner (1996, 1999, 2000 and 2002). Shirley Muldowney (1982) and Don Prudhomme (1976) are the only other drag racers to ever win the Titus Award.

Schumacher won the final round of the final race of the season in his U.S. Army dragster to claim his fifth Top Fuel world championship and an NHRA-record fourth consecutively. Among Schumacher’s six victories on the season, he won the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis for the fifth time.

Pedregon claimed his second Funny Car world championship behind the wheel of his Q Horsepower Chevy Impala SS. Pedregon set a national record elapsed time in Phoenix and earned four victories in five final rounds. An emotional victory at Las Vegas in October during the Countdown to 1 positioned Pedregon to clinch his first POWERade championship as a team owner.

Coughlin earned his third Pro Stock title in his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt with four victories in eight finals, including an NHRA-best 7-1 eliminations record in the Countdown to 1.

Anderson drove his Summit Racing Pontiac GTO to a second place finish in Pro Stock with eight victories in 12 final round appearances and a national record elapsed time performance at the famed ACDelco Gatornationals in Florida.

Manzo received a nomination in the At Large category for securing his 11th NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car world championship in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series. He raced to four national event wins and six divisional event wins to take the crown.

IRL champion and Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti and CART champion Sebastien Bourdais lead the Open Wheel category, while NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon pace the Stock Car category.

AARWBA members have selected an All-America Auto Racing Team since 1970. Drivers selected to the first team will be honored at the 38th annual All-America Auto Racing Team banquet, held Jan. 12 at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis. For tickets and other information about the AARWBA All-America banquet, call (818) 842-7005 or write to AARWBA, 922 North Pass Ave., Burbank, CA, 91505.
 

NHRA FOUNDER WALLY PARKS, 1913-2007
Patriarch of Drag Racing Dies at Age 94

GLENDORA, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2007) – Wally Parks, the driving force behind the formation of NHRA, has died at the age of 94. It was Parks’ vision, goals and unconditional commitment to the need for speed and side-by-side racing in a safer, more controlled environment that created what is today the world's largest motorsports governing body.

"Today is a sad day in the world of NHRA and the sport of drag racing," said Tom Compton, president of NHRA. "Words simply can't describe the immeasurable impact Wally has had on the sport he created and the millions of people's lives he touched along the way. The name Wally Parks is synonymous with drag racing, and his vision and direction will guide NHRA for years to come. Everyone in drag racing, and the industries formed to service the sport, will forever be indebted to Wally, his vision, his focus and his desire to create, build and grow NHRA."

“Wally spent his lifetime doing what he loved,” said Dallas Gardner, chairman of the NHRA board of directors. “He marked the path and led the way for this incredible industry and the sport of drag racing. Wally was NHRA, and through his dream came a path to follow with lofty goals and ambition. He put the people in place and trusted in them. He has not abandoned us. He has left us with a road map that he knows will be followed.”

Parks, who founded NHRA in 1951, received countless awards in the motorsports world and played a pivotal role in the establishment of an entire industry devoted to speed and automotive aftermarket parts and accessories that today is a multibillion-dollar business. Yet Parks never implied that he did it all himself. His pride and joy, and where he spent most of his time in recent years while still serving on NHRA's board of directors, was The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by Automobile Club of Southern California at Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.

Details regarding arrangements and planned events will be released at a later date.

WALLY PARKS, 1913-2007
NHRA founder
Chairman of NHRA Motorsports Museum

The primary driving force behind the formation of the National Hot Rod Association, Wally Parks was the visionary whose early goals created what today is the world’s largest motorsports governing body.

Parks, who founded NHRA in 1951, never implied that he did it all himself. Reflecting on the tremendous growth and success of NHRA, he noted how fortunate he was that so many dedicated people had shared his outlook that almost anything is possible if you believe in it strongly enough. One of the most dedicated was unquestionably his late wife, Barbara Parks, who was regarded as the most influential behind-the-scenes force in the growth of NHRA. Mrs. Parks succumbed to cancer in late January of 2006 after a long battle with the devastating illness.

But without Parks’ vision and perseverance, much of what has happened may not have been achieved.

Born in Oklahoma and living in Kansas until age 8, Parks and his family then moved to California, where his automotive interests surfaced. In his high school years, he became active in building stripped-down Model-T Fords and Chevy fours for use on the street and in early speed trials conducted on dry lakebeds in the Mojave Desert, north of Los Angeles.

In 1937, Parks took part in the formation of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) – an organization focused on conducting land speed record events – serving as one of its officials until World War II began. In 1946, following military service in the South Pacific, Parks was elected president of the reorganized SCTA. In 1947, after 10 years of employment as a road test driver and process engineer for General Motors, Parks left GM to assume a new role as the SCTA’s general manager. It was his concept that produced America’s first Hot Rod Show, presented by the SCTA in 1948 at the Los Angeles Exposition Armory.

In 1948, Parks helped co-publishers Bob Petersen and Bob Lindsay in the introduction of Hot Rod magazine, which became one of the world’s largest-circulation auto-enthusiast publications, and later was named its first editor. In 1949, Parks organized the campaign that led to the opening of Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats for hot rod speed trials – a still-thriving annual activity.

In 1951, utilizing Hot Rod as a conduit to nationwide readership, Parks formed the NHRA. In 1963, he resigned his position as editorial director for all of Petersen’s automotive magazines – Hot Rod, Motor Trend, Car Craft, Sports Car Graphic and Motor Life – to assume full-time administrative duties as president of NHRA.

An early recipient of Car Craft magazine’s prestigious Ollie Award for his many contributions to motorsports, Parks was named Man of the Decade, 1962-1972 by Popular Hot Rodding magazine and was recognized as Man of the Year in 1973 by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). The American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) honored Parks in 1988 and again in 1994 for his pioneering efforts in motorsports. Parks received his highest honors in 1992 and 1993. He was drag racing’s first inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 in Talladega, Ala., and in 1993, he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in Novi, Mich.

In 1994, the tributes to Parks’ legacy continued to pile up. A large bronze statue of Parks was presented at NHRA’s Gainesville Raceway, which was eventually moved to its current location in front of the NHRA Motorsports Museum at Fairplex in Pomona, Calif. Later in 1994, Parks and wife Barbara were co-inductees into the Don Garlits International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in Ocala, Fla., for their pioneering efforts, which spearheaded NHRA’s success. Parks also was the first recipient of the Don Prudhomme Award, a trophy presented by NHRA to an individual who has made a profound impact on the growth and positive image of the NHRA POWERade Series.

At the 2001 NHRA Awards Ceremony, Parks was presented the prestigious Blaine Johnson Award for his dedication, perseverance and nurturing commitment to the sport throughout the years.

In 2002, Parks again was recognized for his many contributions to the sport of drag racing. He was presented with the inaugural Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award at the fourth annual Hot Rod & Performance Trade Show in Indianapolis. The late Petersen, a renowned automotive publisher and creator of multiple automotive magazines, then presented Parks with the all-bronze sculpture which was created to honor the entrepreneurs who have contributed to the history, growth and well-being of the hot rod industry.

In late 2003, Parks received another honor of distinction, as he was named the Dean Batchelor Lifetime Achievement Award winner by the Motor Press Guild in Los Angeles.

Parks remained on NHRA’s board of directors and dedicated much of his time to his personal involvement with the cultivation and expansion of The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at Fairplex in Pomona, home of the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals and Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. Although much of the museum’s historical focus is on the evolution of NHRA and drag racing, it also features many other forms of motorsports that relate closely to the formative years of NHRA, including dry lakes, Bonneville, oval track racing, and allied performance industries.

These are elements that appealed most to Wally Parks, a guy who had been there, done that, and enjoyed and appreciated it for decades.
 

NHRA POWERADE SERIES POST RACE NOTES:
26th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Aug. 9-12, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn.

TOP FUEL
· Brandon Bernstein won his fifth event of the season in his seventh final round appearance of 2007, driving his Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster to a 4.525-second finish at 329.91 mph. It is Bernstein’s 17th career victory.

· Larry Dixon finished second in his fourth final round appearance this in his SkyTel dragster.

· It was a tough first round for many teams, with No. 1 qualifier Tony Schumacher, points leader Rod Fuller, J.R. Todd, Dave Grubnic, Hillary Will, Doug Kalitta, Doug Herbert, and Doug Foley all falling in the first round.

· Tony Schumacher earned the Technicoat Top Fuel Shootout award for qualifying No. 1 in his U.S. Army dragster with a performance of 4.548 at 328.54. It is Schumacher’s seventh No. 1 qualifying position of the season and 42nd of his career.

· Melanie Troxel and her Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA dragster crew earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award.


FUNNY CAR
· John Force drove his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang to his third season win and 125th career win in Funny Car. It was Force’s 11th victory at BIR.

· Force piloted his machine to a 4.794 at 316.60 over Kenny Bernstein’s Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Dodge Charger. It was the elder Bernstein’s first final round appearance of the season. Force and Bernstein last faced each other in a final round at the 1989 event in Englishtown, N.J. Bernstein holds a 6-2 edge over Force in career final round meetings.

· Force also collected the Motel 6 “Who Got the Light” award, defeating Bernstein by a .0048-second margin of victory in the final round of Funny Car eliminations.

· With his semifinal win against teammate Robert Hight, Force clinched his seventh-place spot in the Countdown to the Championship.

· Drivers Mike Ashley, Jack Beckman, Tony Pedregon, and Gary Scelzi all clinched berths in the Countdown to the Championship.

· Many Funny Car teams struggled in the first round, with No.1 qualifier Mike Ashley, points leader Ron Capps, Del Worsham, Jim Head, Gary Densham, Tony Pedregon, Scott Kalitta, and Jerry Toliver all falling in the opening session.

· Notable DNQs included: Ashley Force, Cruz Pedregon, and Tony Bartone.

· Mike Ashley earned the Skoal Showdown award for qualifying No.1 in his Torco/Skull Gear Dodge Charger with his performance of 4.781 at 327.51. It is Ashley’s fifth No. 1 qualifying effort of the season.

· Ashley’s Torco/Skull Gear Dodge Charger crew also earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award.


PRO STOCK
· Jeg Coughlin earned his third win of 2007 with a 6.667-second run at 205.94 mph over Greg Anderson. It was Coughlin’s 37th POWERade Series victory, and his 50th NHRA national event win (13 sportsman wins). Coughlin is the 11th driver in NHRA history to earn 50 national event wins.

· Anderson collected his first runner-up finish of the season in his eighth final round appearance.

· First round loses include Justin Humphreys, Allen Johnson, Kenny Koretsky, V Gaines, Tom Hammonds, Richie Stevens Jr., Ron Krisher, and Max Naylor.

· Jason Line earned the K&N Filters Horsepower Challenge award for qualifying No.1 in his Summit Racing Pontiac GTO with a 6.740 and 204.66 run. It is Line’s second No. 1 qualifying effort of the season and 13th of his career.

· Jeg Coughlin and his Jegs.com Chevy Cobalt crew earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award.


PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
· Andrew Hines grabbed his third win of the season in his fourth final round appearance with a 7.009-second run at 188.20 mph over teammate Eddie Krawiec. It is Hines’ 11th career victory.

· First round losers included defending event winner Antron Brown, Craig Treble, Karen Stoffer, Michael Phillips, Angelle Sampey, Steve Johnson, Mike Berry, and Steve Gann.

· Notable DNQs included: Geno Scali and Tom Bradford.

· Chip Ellis earned the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle award for qualifying No.1 in his Drag Specialties S&S Buell with a 6.990 and 191.08 run. It is Ellis’ first No. 1 of the season and eighth of his career.

· Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley Davidson rider Andrew Hines clinched a berth in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, qualifying third for the event.

· Ellis and his Drag Specialties S&S Buell crew earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award.
 

Back