NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
driver Melanie Troxel, who has advanced to a Top Fuel-best seven final rounds
this season, has been nominated by the Women’s Sports Foundation as a finalist
for its prestigious “Sportswoman of the Year” award, it was announced today.

She will join nine other finalists at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in
New York City on Monday, Oct. 16 for the WSF Awards Dinner, where the 2006
Sportswoman of the Year will be announced.

The other finalists include: Cindy Klassen (Speedskating), Janica
Kostelic (Skiing), Jessica Long (Swimmer), Amelie Mauresmo (Tennis), Chellsie
Memmel (Gymnastics), Sanya Richards (Track & Field), Annika Sorenstam
(Golf), Laurie Stephens (Skiing), and Hannah Teter (Snowboarder).

With one race to go, Funny Car
driver Del Worsham is ninth on the list for the Sept. 3 Skoal Showdown bonus
race's eight-car lineup. Considering his high-powered performance last year at
Indianapolis, in which he won $225,000 as winner of both the specialty race and
the U.S. Nationals, the Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo driver said he
"can't really think about it at all."
 

Whit Bazemore’s failure to qualify for the Lucas Oil Nationals at
Brainerd International Raceway left he door slightly open for the defending
Skoal Showdown champion to join the elite eight.However, at this weekend’s
O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals at Memphis, Worsham will need to qualify fifth or
better -- and Bazemore would have to DNQ again, a scenario highly unlikely.

Worsham said he didn't expect any help from current No. 7 seed
Tony Pedregon, either. "They're running awfully well over there, so I don't
really see them messing up and handing it to us. If they run like they're
capable, we probably have no chance of catching them," he had said before
Brainerd, when Pedregon was No. 8. Pedregon and Bazemore since have traded
places.  

Calvary Baptist Church and God
Speed Ministry are hosting Vacation Bible School at Norwalk Raceway Park during
the World Nationals.  Calvary Baptist Church has been doing VBS every year at
the national event at Norwalk on the Pro side of the drag strip.   This year
Calvary Baptist Church and God Speed Ministry have joined forces to make this
the largest Vacation Bible School Norwalk has ever seen!!  

Pastor Jo Grof and his ministry team from Calvary Baptist Church
have exciting things planned for this year’s VBS. Pastor Jo has great love and
enthusiasm for children.  All children are invited to be a part of the fun and
excitement of this year’s event.

Tim Henson, a longtime IHRA Stock
eliminator racer, was murdered Saturday afternoon in Greenville, South Carolina,
during a robbery of his pawn shop. An employee was shot during the commission of
the crime but their injuries were not fatal. A $20,000 reward is being offered
for information that leads to the arrest of the individual responsible for this
cowardly crime.

Longtime Lee Callaway crewmember
and family friend Kenny Ruthart, 33, was killed Saturday in a work related
accident at a Houston chemical plant. Ruthart, also known as 'Mini Me' by his
friends, was the bottom end specialist for Callaway since he entered the TAD
ranks in 1993.

Pro Modified racer Billy Harper
filed papers recently to begin raising money to challenge Gov. Ernie Fletcher in
a Republican primary for governor next year. Harper had said earlier this week
that he was getting closer to a decision about running for governor.

Bob Gilbertson probably is hearing
that "I've Been Everywhere, Man" song that the phone book ads have resurrected.
The Funny Car driver has been just about everywhere, criss-crossing the
continent several times already as he competes in both IHRA and NHRA competition
-- and back home to Gastonia, North Carolina.

Since July 4 alone, he has been to Milan, Michigan; Denver;
Seattle; Sonoma, California; Martin, Michigan; and Brainerd, Minnesota, and this
week he's heading to Memphis.

By the end of the drag-racing season, he'll be able to sing, "I've
been to Norwalk (Ohio), Indy, Epping (New Hampshire). Reading (Pennsylvania),
Budds Creek (Maryland, Richmond, Rockingham, Vegas, and Pomona." Oh -- and throw
in either a trip to Dallas for the NHRA race or the make-up of the IHRA's
rained-out event at Cayuga, Ontario, Canada.

And marathon travels are not without their share of problems. Such
was the case at Brainerd this past weekend for the Autolite XP Spark
Plugs/Prestone Antifreeze team.

Nicky Boninfante Jr., co-crew chief with Tommy Delago, was
sidelined with food poisoning for Sunday's eliminations.

Angelle Sampey, making her 145th
consecutive bike event, was disqualified following her first-round victory over
Ryan Schnitz. Sanctioning-body officials said her bike was too light, but an
angry Sampey denied the charge.

"They're throwing me out and I don't understand it," she said. "We
didn't do anything wrong. Now everybody's going to say my team cheating, and my
team is not cheating. They're working so hard."

Sampey said she met the post-race minimum weight requirement of
615 pounds. "I was 615 pounds without the helmet," she said.

Brandon Bernstein upset three-time
series champion Tony Schumacher Sunday in the Top Fuel final of the $1.6 million
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals for his third victory of the season. Bernstein's
4.510-second pass at 329.34 mph was enough to dismiss the hottest driver on the
NHRA tour, who smoked his tires a few hundred feet down Brainerd International
Raceway.

Rounding out the Sunday winners were Tommy Johnson Jr. in his
Skoal Racing Chevy Monte Carlo (Funny Car), Dave Connolly in his Skull Shine
Chevy Cobalt (Pro Stock) and Antron Brown on his U.S. Army Suzuki (Pro Stock
Motorcycle).

Point standings (top 10) for
NHRA professional categories following the 25th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
at Brainerd International Raceway, the 16th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series -