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

HAGAN TO FLY FREIGHTLINER COLORS IN ETOWN

Freightliner Trucks will be featured on the Dodge Funny Car that rookie
Matt Hagan will drive for Don Schumacher Racing this weekend hagan.jpgat the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J., the 11th round of 24 of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Freightliner Trucks, a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC,
has been a DSR associate sponsor for five years and DSR has used
Freightliner tractors since 2004. The team currently counts eight
Freightliner tractors among its fleet

POPPELL SHINES IN ATV DEBUT; BROCK SETS NATIONAL PRO MOD RECORD

Normally, Kenny Poppell rides motorcycles for a living as a regular in
the American Motorcyclist Association Dragbike Series.  Sunday at 
Rockingham Dragway, the Jesup, Ga., resident proved that the addition
of a couple more wheels presents no additional challenge.

Driving competitive four-wheel ATVs for the first time, Poppell
qualified No. 1 in three different classes, won two titles and was
runner-up for a third in the inaugural Spring Pro ATV Warz.

AUSSIE RACER CROKER JOINS PMRA TOUR

The Pro Modified Racing Association will have an overseas Pro Modified
racer at its Fifth Annual Family Weekend Spectacular this croker_01.jpgweekend.
 
Australian Adam Croker will be at the Cayuga Dragway at Toronto Motorsports Park testing his new G-Force Race Cars Camaro.
 
“I’ve been to North America before, but this is the first time I’ll be
on a race track,” said the native of Perth, Australia, who has raced
since 1996.

K&N TEAMS WITH TAFC RACER TAYLOR

K&N Engineering has partnered with Dennis Taylor’s Top Alcohol
Funny Car for the upcoming Northwest Tour. The initial three-race deal
consists of the late June Division 6 contest at Pacific Raceways
outside Seattle, the Woodburn, Oregon, Division 6 race in early July,
and the NHRA Northwest Nationals in mid July at Pacific Raceways.

JOHN FORCE RACING TEAMS WITH FREEHOLD FORD

Freehold Ford of Freehold, New Jersey, is providing support vehicles
the weekend of June 11-14, 2009, for John Force Racing drivers, crew
chiefs and executives including John Force and his drag racing
daughter, Ashley Force Hood as part of a multi-faceted marketing
partnership.

LOADED TOP FUEL FIELD ON TAP FOR IHRA EVENT IN TULSA

Through the first half of the 2009 Nitro Jam season, one of the most competitive classes in all of the IHRA has been Top Fuel.
Bruce_Litton.jpg
And it doesn’t look like that trend will change anytime soon.

A full field of Top Fuel teams will head to Tulsa next weekend for the
annual IHRA Sooner Nationals June 13-14 at Tulsa Raceway Park and after
what was seen through the first three races of the season – it appears
anything goes.

Unlike previous seasons where the same handful drivers meet week in and
week out in the finals, five different drivers have filled the six
final round spots through three races so far this year leaving the 2009
championship battle wide open entering Tulsa.

WATCH NHRA NYSE BELLRINGING

NHRA has been invited to ring the Opening Bell on the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE) today. Antron Brown leads a banner list of NHRA stars
that will be at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony. Matco Tools Vice President Tim
Gilmore will attend the opening bell ceremony on behalf of Danaher
Corp. and Matco Tools.
 
NHRA president Tom Compton will be joined in ringing the bell by
Coca-Cola/Full Throttle executives Bea Perez and Ben Reiling and IMG
President George Pyne.

Other NHRA drivers expected to participate in the Opening Bell and/or
the day's Car Show/Fan Fest in front of the NYSE include Morgan Lucas
(Geico/Berkshire-Hathaway), Bob Tasca (Ford), Tony Pedregon (Q
Horsepower/Royal Dutch Shell), Eddie Krawiec (Harley-Davidson) and
Karen Stoffer (Geico/Berkshire-Hathaway).

IHRA REGULAR CHOOSES NHRA THIS WEEKEND

When Terry McMillen bumps his Amalie Oil / Wolverine Boots and Apparel Top Fuel Dragster into the staging beams at Old Bridge mcmillen.JPGTownship
Raceway Park it will mark his fifth start in NHRA competition. While
McMillen holds a perfect 5-0 qualifying record as owner/driver, he's
looking for a little more this weekend.

TROXEL TO MAKE PRO MOD DEBUT IN ETOWN

Melanie Troxel, a veteran of Top Fuel Funny Cars and Dragsters as well
as their alcohol-burning cousins, will be making her debut in Pro Mod
competition driving for R2B2 Racing and ProCare Rx during the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J. Having earned the
title of the NHRA's quickest woman, Troxel said she completely respects
the power and unpredictability of these cars.

NASCAR LEGENDS AND NITRO

It started with a phone call. Where it will end is anyone's guess.
6_9_2009_woodbros.jpg
Bob Tasca, III was looking for a building in the Charlotte are where he
could house his NHRA Funny Car operation. Given his connections with
Ford, it only seemed appropriate that he would call on the Wood
Brothers for advice.

It was from those conversations that an invitation to attend an NHRA
event was extended. Amazingly, even with a 65 year background in
motorsports, neither of two second generation Wood Brothers had ever
attended a drag race event of any kind. Then again, neither had the
third generation of Tasca's attended a NASCAR event.

One half of that scenario has now been resolved. The other will be
cleared up before the end of the year. You can bet your Tasca on it.

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