NHRA News: NHRA.com Notebook (March)

3/28/03

K.J. to appear on NHRA2Day: Pro Stock standout Kurt Johnson will be a featured guest on this weekend's edition of NHRA2Day. Johnson is coming off an exciting win at the Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

The Gatornationals marked the debut of the 2003 bodywork on Johnson's ACDelco Cavalier, and any questions about its performance were quickly answered. In qualifying, K.J. placed third with an elapsed time of 6.794 seconds at a top speed of 203.71 mph, which establishing a new Gainesville Raceway speed record.

On race day, Johnson and his ACDelco crew made all the right decisions, starting with posting the low elapsed time of eliminations in the first round against Mike Edwards, and ending by defeating reigning Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the final. This was Johnson's 24th national event win, but first at the prestigious Gatornationals. Johnson now stands second the 2003 POWERade point standings, 42 behind leader Greg Anderson.

NHRA2Day is ESPN's half-hour weekly magazine show chronicling the events of the world's fastest motorsport. Hosted by Bill Stephens, it brings viewers up-to-date on the latest news from the NHRA, either from the site of that weekend's national event, or from the show's Charlotte, N.C., studios. The show airs from 11-11:30 a.m. (EST), Sunday, on ESPN2.

3/27/03

New Nitro Fish design for Geoffrion: The city of extremes, Las Vegas, is where Nitro Fish will be debuting the new retina-burning paint theme created by Chuck Beckler and applied at Banshei Studios in Maryland for Hurley Blakeney's Nitro Fish Ford Escort ZX3, driven by Scott Geoffrion. Buckler reports he used "every color in the shop" on the car.

"It's going to look like a peacock in a blender," said Bob Fisher, founder of Nitro Fish, who shared this sneak preview of the front fender with NHRA.com readers. "This is what we want at Nitro Fish, extreme products on and off the track. So don't forget your sunglasses when you come to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the SummitRacing.com Nationals. Just remember the Nitro Fish theme: 'Attack the Track.' "

3/26/03

Matco Tools to host charity golf tournament in Englishtown: In conjunction with the NHRA Matco Tools SuperNationals, held at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., on May 16-18, Matco Tools will host the Matco Tools SuperNationals Charity Golf tournament on Thursday, May 15. The cost to participate is $250 per person ($200 per person for a foursome), with all proceeds to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Corporate hole sponsorships are also available at the golf tournament for a donation of $300.

The tournament will be held at Knob Hill Golf Course, 360 State Highway 33 West, Manalapan, N.J. 07726. It will have a "Florida" scramble format, with a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start. Registration and a Continental breakfast will take place between 8-9 a.m.

To enter, please contact Vicki Teggart, Matco Tools, 4403 Allen Road, Stow, Ohio, 44224 (telephone 330-926-5485, fax 330-926-5325.)

3/26/03

Kalitta partners with Technicoat Management, Inc.: Kalitta Motorsports and the Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster team are proud to announce a new marketing partnership with commercial and industrial waterproofing specialists, Technicoat Management, Inc.

"Technicoat companies is proud to be part of the Kalitta Motorsports/Mac Tools Top Fuel drag racing team," said Bob Coffman, chief executive officer, Technicoat Management, Inc. "The entire team has welcomed us with open arms and has made us a part of their family of racing."

"We would like to extend a special thank you to Mr. Garran Soohoo of Nitro Street Rods, Reno, Nev., for introducing us to Mr. Jim Oberhofer, team manager/co-crew chief of Kalitta Motorsports. Jim 'O,' as he is known to everyone, has especially gone out of his way to extend a hand of welcome and friendship to us here at Technicoat and for that, we say thank you."

With locations in Southern California and Las Vegas, Technicoat has been in the business of waterproofing specialty for over 12 years at both sites. A construction industry leader in sealant management, Technicoat is unsurpassed in its development and utilization of the most efficient and up-to-date technologies available in roofing, waterproofing and flooring systems.

Technicoat decals for associate sponsorship are currently in place on the Kalitta Motorsports/Mac Tools dragster.

"It is great to have Technicoat come on board with our Kalitta Motorsports/Mac Tools dragster team," Oberhofer said. "We hope we can represent them well in winners' circles throughout the NHRA POWERade drag racing tour. Technicoat has proven to be a leader in their industry for several years. We look forward to having a great partnership."

3/26/03

Several NHRA stars to appear at Club Nitro: Some of the NHRA's biggest stars will appear at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's Club Nitro hospitality area during the NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals April 4-6. Club Nitro is a public hospitality area with meals served during set hours and driver appearances.

Tony Schumacher, driver of the Army-sponsored Top Fuel Dragster, and Funny Car standout Whit Bazemore (pictured) are scheduled for Friday at 5:30 p.m. Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser King Top Fuel Dragster, will appear Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Funny Car driver Gary Scelzi will be at Club Nitro at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. There will be other drivers and surprise guests on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

All drivers will participate in question and answer sessions that will be moderated by members of the speedway staff. Club Nitro members will have patio viewing near the start line, a cash bar with discounted pricing, closed circuit television and private restrooms.

Club Nitro memberships are divided into two categories. A Platinum Club Nitro membership is a three-day pass for the hospitality area and a four-day reserved seat in the upper section of the grandstands. Club Nitro memberships without grandstand tickets are $124 for a three-day membership, $25 for Friday only and $70 per day for Saturday or Sunday. To purchase a Club Nitro membership, call 1-800-644-4444 ext. 8285.

3/24/03

ESPN Zone to host driver party: Some of the biggest names in professional drag racing will once again kick off the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by participating in an autograph session at the ESPN Zone at the New York New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, from 7-8 p.m., Thursday, April 3, The autograph session is free to the public.

The Las Vegas autograph session has become the most popular event of its type on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series circuit. Last fall's autograph session attracted 20 drivers and riders from the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Drivers scheduled to participate this time around include Pro Stock veteran Warren Johnson, Darrell Russell, 1999 Top Fuel Dragster champion Tony Schumacher, Summit-sponsored Pro Stock star Mark Pawuk (pictured), husband-and-wife Top Fuel dragster teammates Rhonda Hartman-Smith and John Smith, Del Worsham, Johnny Gray, David Baca, and Terry Haddock.

Last year's winners at LVMS' NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel Dragster), Gary Densham (Funny Car), and Ron Krisher (Pro Stock). Dixon also holds the track's elapsed time record of 4.509 sec. (set in 2001).

Tickets are now on sale for the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals and Club Nitro fan hospitality area and may be purchased by calling LVMS' ticket office at (702) 644-4444 or online at LVMS.com.

3/20/03

Paul Howard in good condition: Dr. Paul Howard, husband of Top Alcohol Dragster racer Shelly Howard, is in good condition after experiencing cardiac difficulty during qualifying at the Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. He underwent a successful open heart operation on Wednesday, and is walking around and in good spirits. Shelly describes him as being in "excellent" condition. He is expected to be released next week and the team will return to competition at the O'Reilly Spring Nationals in Houston, Texas.

Get well wishes can be sent to Will.Hanna@InsideTopAlcohol.com, and will be forwarded to the family.

3/16/03

Harley time: Vance & Hines rider Andrew Hines posted the first Harley-Davidson win in the history of Pro Stock Bike with his Round 1 holeshot win over Fred Collis. Hines powered his Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod through a 7.368 at 175.26 mph against Collis' quicker 7.339 at 181.48 mph, but his .017 to .157-second starting line advantage gave him the victory with air to spare.

Led by two-wheel legends Byron Hines and Terry Vance, the Harley-Davidson V-Rod program is just in its second year of competition. The group currently fields two bikes with the other entry captained by GT Tonglet.

3/16/03

Capps' has another boomer: Ron Capps was winded by a big explosion that caused his Skoal Racing Camaro to broadside the left-side retaining wall. Fortunately for Capps, he hit the wall after the finish line so he was credited with a Round 1 win over the higher qualified car of Tim Wilkerson.

"I've never hit the wall that hard," Capps said. "That rang my bell pretty good. I'm okay. The doctors want to look me over but I'm more worried about the car. It's a Sunday thing. You have to stay in the throttle. I could see Tim for a little while so I was doing everything I could to stay with him. Then right as he disappeared (after losing traction) my engine exploded. It was just like last year in Dallas. The explosion was that big."

3/15/03

No respect, I get no respect: Dick LaHaie, whose many accomplishments include tuning Larry Dixon to last year's POWERade Top Fuel championship and driving to the 1987 title himself, enjoyed his induction into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Thursday evening, even if his own daughter gave him a hard time about his team's sponsor Miller Lite.

"It's always better to receive these honors when you're still alive," the 61-year-old LaHaie said with a laugh. "Of course I was quite honored. My daughter Kim and my son Jeff were there. Kim gave my induction speech and she started with, 'Dad, this Bud's for you!' I knew I was in for a long night right there."

Kim Richards, nee LaHaie, is the co-crew chief with her husband Tim Richards on the rival beer-sponsored car of Budweiser pro Brandon Bernstein.

3/14/03

Mr. Starcher, I believe you know Mr. Garlits: Colhart Motorsports Top Fuel newcomer Josh Starcher, 18, made his NHRA debut in the first round of qualifying at the 34th annual Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals against none other than 71-year-old legend "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, who was voted as the No. 1 drag racer of all-time in 2001.

"I'd like to thank the schedulers for that one," Starcher said. "What a way to be introduced into the NHRA. I was just glad I didn't get in his way. The whole time up there I was thinking that if someone gets a picture of the two of us lined up side-by-side it would be great because I could show it to all my friends and prove it actually happened. Man, how cool was that?"

As one might expect, Garlits schooled his younger counterpart, running a near career-best elapsed time of 4.778 seconds during a 291.45-mph pass. Starcher posted a 13th-best 5.839 at 156.19 mph after aborting his run just past half-track.

Although he's got a long way to go before he can be compared to Garlits, Starcher is making his mark as the first Top Fuel driver in history to have graduated from the NHRA's Junior Drag Racing League. Pro Stock driver Richie "The Kid" Stevens was the first graduate of the junior circuit to turn professional and win a national event.

"I went straight from a 35-horsepower Junior Dragster to a 6,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster," Starcher said. "Now I've got people from all over telling me they're rooting for us because their kids drive Junior Dragsters or the kids themselves are out here pulling for us. I hope I don't let them down."

3/14/03

Too hot for his own good: Levi, Ray, and Shoup Funny Car driver Tim Wilkerson opened with a 4.822 at 311.74 mph, which would have placed him atop the qualifying ladder, but the Illinois-based pro was subsequently disqualified when his fuel mixture was found to be over the 90-percent maximum allowance of nitromethane.

"I was at 91 percent," Wilkerson admitted. "We checked it a bunch of times down there and I even had the guys come check our stuff in the pits to see if my equipment was off, but it was 91 also. It's a goof-up, what can you say? I mix the fuel and we play it safe usually, somewhere around 89.5 is what I shoot for. But one of the guys topped the tank up before we left and the jug he grabbed to top it off with was too hot.

"We'll be fine. We just need to go run what we did there one more time. I'm just wondering if there any way I can blame this on John Force. He was in the other lane and he came over and looked under the hood at the top end. Maybe he fiddled with it."

3/12/03

Hoop it up: Mopar's Darrell Alderman always has torn loyalties during the annual Mac Tools Gatornationals. While he'll be trying to win a second-straight Pro Stock race at Gainesville Raceway, the 53-year-old veteran will also keep an eye on his beloved Kentucky Wildcats over the weekend.

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Gainesville is home to the Florida Gators – Kentucky's main rival heading into the Southeastern Conference (SEC) tournament. Both teams are considered heavy favorites to reach the finals and battle it out for a coveted No. 1 seed for this year's NCAA College Basketball tournament.

"I have always loved my Wildcats," said Alderman, a resident of Morehead, Ky. "Lexington is only about 35 minutes away and I try to make it to as many games as possible. This year has been a great one."

Kentucky is currently ranked No. 2 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 College Basketball poll.

"(Head coach) Tubby (Smith) has done a great job this year," Alderman said. "I think we have a good shot at the Final Four. I know teams like Arizona and Maryland will be tough - but I think Kentucky is as good as any of them."

3/12/03

Scelzi could join distinguished list: Gary Scelzi, a three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion, is seeking his first Funny Car victory at the Mac Tools Gatornationals. With a victory, the 25-time TF winner could join an elite list of drivers who have earned national event victories in both nitro categories.

Scelzi would become the 13th member of that exclusive club, joining Kenny Bernstein, Don Prudhomme, Jim Head, Mark Oswald, Frank Hawley, Ed McCulloch, Gene Snow, Ron Capps, Tommy Johnson Jr., Mike Dunn, Tom McEwen, and Scott Kalitta.

During his career, Scelzi has amassed a 228-92 career record in eliminations, ranking him in the top 10 among active drivers for highest winning percentage (.713). Additionally, with that much-sought-after victory, Scelzi would become the only driver in NHRA history to earn victories in the four quickest categories – Alcohol Funny Car, Alcohol Dragster, Top Fuel, and Funny Car. Scelzi has three national event victories each in Alcohol Funny Car and Alcohol Dragster.

3/11/03

New designs for Scelzi, Bazemore Team Schumacher racers Gary Scelzi and Whit Bazemore will sport new designs at the 34th annual Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals. Scelzi will drive the special-edition "Grab Life By The Horns" Dodge Stratus R/T shown here on the left, while Bazemore will unveil a new Matco Tools "Iron Eagle" scheme on his Stratus R/T. Click the image for a larger photo.

3/11/03

Scali re-signs Craftsman: With the season set to begin for NHRA's Pro Stock Bike class, Geno Scali's Team Trim-Tex has additional leverage in their championship quest as Craftsman Tools signs on as an associate sponsor.

"I am thrilled about Craftsman's involvement with this team," Scali said. "Craftsman has supported me professionally for the past three seasons, so I'm glad that they're coming aboard with Team Trim-Tex."

Team owner Joe Koenig echoed Scali's thoughts. "I am very pleased to have Craftsman in the very important associate sponsor position. I am proud of Geno's long standing relationship with Craftsman, and we are happy to use their high quality tools on our race team," he said.

Craftsman is the official tool of NHRA and event sponsor of the NHRA Sears Craftsman Nationals in St. Louis, to be held June 26-29. The tool company is the primary sponsor of Dale Creasy Jr. and the Craftsman Funny Car with associate sponsorships, in addition to Scali, for Top Fuel racers Rhonda Hartman-Smith and John Smith, and Pro Stock racers Jim Yates, Warren Johnson, and Kurt Johnson.

"Like many Craftsman tool users, Geno and Team Trim-Tex depend on Craftsman under the most demanding circumstances," said Tour� Claiborne, Motorsports marketing manager for Sears. "As an official sponsor of the NHRA, Craftsman looks forward to Geno contending for the 2003 Pro Stock Bike championship."

In addition to signage on the Suzuki, Craftsman will promote their venture with Team Trim-Tex in a variety of ways throughout the race season, including Scali making personal appearances at Sears stores for promotions and autograph sessions. "I love doing appearances," Scali said. "It's a great way to get the word out about the race team and Craftsman's support, plus I get to spend time with the fans."

Scali, who is from Sears' hometown of Chicago, will also run a Craftsman paint scheme at two events, the Sears Craftsman Nationals and the U.S. Nationals.

Recently Scali, who is naturally an animated person, found himself exercising his acting skills when Craftsman invited him to participate in a commercial to promote a Craftsman-brand motorcycle jack. The national commercial, currently airing on a variety of cable networks, features Scali in an action shot leaving the starting line of a drag track then shows him in a shop using the bike jack to lift up the motorcycle body.

"It was an interesting experience since it was my first TV commercial," Scali said. "The acting part wasn't too hard, though, because I was selling a product that Team Trim-Tex uses for all our motorcycles."

3/11/03

Keeping the streak alive: Defending Funny Car champion John Force can tie Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson for the longest career qualifying streak with 303 consecutive NHRA events by qualifying for the 16-car field at the Mac Tools Gatornationals. Force has not posted a DNQ since the season finale of 1987 at Pomona, Calif.

3/11/03

Threepeat: Larry Dixon is trying to become the first Top Fuel driver to win three consecutive Gatornationals title in NHRA history. Shirley Muldowney, Don Garlits, Eddie Hill, and Darrell Gwynn all won the historic race back-to-back, but never three times in a row.

3/10/03

As soon as the prom's over: Josh Starcher, an 18-year-old high school senior, will be making his NHRA debut at the Gatornationals in Richard Hartman's Colhart Motorports Top Fuel dragster.

"As a team, all of the guys are looking forward to running," Hartman said. "Josh has nearly 70 runs under his belt and Gainesville is a great track to kick off our NHRA schedule. We'll look to be competitive right out of the box. We have a lot of decisions to make over the next few weeks in regards to our schedule. Josh still has to graduate from high school in June and we're still searching for the right sponsorship program."

3/10/03

Gator bait: Drag racing icon Shirley Muldowney will make her first appearance of the 2003 season at the 34th annual Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals. It's a special occasion as Muldowney has already announced that 2003 will be her last year of competition. Reflecting back on this historic race, which Muldowney won in 19981 and 1982, the three-time series champion remembers a unique experience.

"Aside from beating [Don] Garlits in the finals of the 1982 race, the thing I'll always remember about the Gators is when the top end crew attempted to feed my little dog to the alligator that lives down at the other end," Muldowney said. "I was not happy with them. That's a true story. I remember them saying, 'That's a cute little dog. Let's feed him to the alligator.'

"I like Gainesville. There are some things about the city that I like. There are some antique shops I go to every year for the last 30 years. There's things like that I really look forward to. One thing that is so interesting about this year's trip is that I'm not coming back. I'm not going to retire and then come back again. I'm not like that. This one is it."

3/8/03

Paton inks Chill Factor Performance for G-ville: Canadian Funny Car veteran Todd Paton will return to action behind the wheel of the Paton Racing/Chill Factor Performance 6,000 horsepower fuel flopper at the upcoming 34th annual NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. The historic Florida facility is where the 33-year-old Paton made his stunning transition from a successful stint in the Alcohol Funny Car class to Funny Cars in 2000.

Paton is returning to competition at the NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals with a major one-race sponsorship deal with Chill Factor Performance Inc., out of South Florida. Chill Factor is the major supplier of a full line of air/fuel temperature and body control products currently being used by some of the finest racers and firefighters in the world. Chill Factor Motorsports Director Ken Collins also secured one-race associate sponsorship from both Phil Deems Real Estate and All American Lube of Boca Raton for the Gatornationals.

Paton will receive additional co-sponsorship from Mac Tools, Lucas Oil Products and Crosbie Industrial Services Inc., throughout the season. The team will run the same Chevy Camaro body from last season with a fresh new paint scheme.

"We plan to run a selected number of events on the NHRA POWERade tour this year," Paton said. "We just have to figure out a good schedule that is beneficial to both our sponsors and all of our fans. We're excited to welcome Chill Factor as part of the Paton Racing heritage and we hope to put on a good show for everyone at the Gatornationals."

3/5/03

Geoffrion ready for Gators: Scott Geoffrion is confident he would be ready to drive in next week's NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., and that feeling was echoed by his physician Wednesday. Geoffrion, who injured his back in a racing accident at Phoenix, was told he no longer needed to wear a back brace. Then he underwent his first physical therapy treatment.

Scott Geoffrion's Escort ZX2.
Click for larger image.

"The doctor wants me to do physical therapy until I leave for Florida on Monday," Geoffrion said. "My back was sore because I had muscle and tissue damage from the accident, but I'm feeling much better now. My back has been getting better each day. I didn't think I'd have to miss the race."

Geoffrion will be debuting a new Hurley Blakeney-owned Ford Escort ZX2 at the Gatornationals. The NitroFish-sponsored car will be the only ZX2 competing in the Pro Stock category.

"We hope to be testing the car at Bradenton, Fla., Tuesday and Wednesday, but it might be just Wednesday," Geoffrion said. "The crew should have the car in Florida no later than Tuesday. Fortunately for us, it's just a short drive from Bradenton to Gainesville."

3/5/03

Muelling passes away: Alcohol crew chief and mechanic Duane Muelling died of cancer early Friday Feb. 28. He was 66. Muelling tuned for and worked with numerous Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car drivers, including Jeff Craig, Chuck Baird, Al DaPozzo, Bob Gottschalk, Shad Wheeler, and Todd Veney. Last season, he helped Frank Parker's Mopar/Parkertech Top Alcohol Funny Car team and driver Craig to three divisional event finals and a third-place finish in Division 3. Muelling's greatest success came in 1994, when he was a part of three Top Alcohol Dragster national events victories with Baird.

3/4/03

Schumacher dragster on display at South Holland Dodge: The first Top Fuel dragster to eclipse the 330-mph barrier when it carried soon-to-be 1999 champion Tony Schumacher through the traps of Phoenix's Firebird International Raceway, which has since been on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, will make a special appearance this Saturday, March 8, at South Holland Dodge, in South Holland, Ill.

The dealership is a sponsor of Schumacher Racing's two NHRA Funny Cars, the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T of two-time U.S. Nationals champion Whit Bazemore, and the Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus R/T of three-time Top Fuel champion Gary Scelzi.

Located in the South suburbs of Chicago, a stone's throw from Schumacher Electric's home base in Mt. Prospect, Ill., the South Holland Dodge dealership will host an all-day motorsports program for NHRA Sportsman racers, which will feature the dragster.

"I think it's very exciting to have the dragster here on display at South Holland Dodge," said John Fitzgibbon, general manager. "It helps promote the performance of Mopar parts and we feel it's a wise marketing decision and a good way to help sell cars. We greatly appreciate Don Schumacher providing us with this car. When two top organizations get together, such as South Holland Dodge and Don Schumacher Racing, usually good things happen. We're pleased to be building a successful relationship with this team."

"We are proud to have the backing of South Holland Dodge," added Don Schumacher, the largest NHRA pro team owner in 2003, with three Funny Cars and one Top Fuel dragster. "And we are glad to be able to help promote the dealership by providing them the Mopar Dragster to put on display. This is a special partnership, and we look forward to maintaining a long relationship with the folks at South Holland."

3/3/03

Cruz happy with test session: Cruz Pedregon and the Advance Auto Parts Racing Team wasted no time during their latest test session, just after the Phoenix event. Crew members got down to business as they made four attempts down the track, giving the team much needed information as they prepare for the upcoming Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

Results from the test session included two passes in the 4.80's with speeds averaging over 300 mph. As crew chiefs Rob Flynn and Dave Fletcher headed up changes, namely to the fuel system, Pedregon's Firebird continued to show improvements. During his last attempt of the day, Cruz Pedregon posted a 4.83 at 296 mph before his planned, early shutdown. Strong incremental times predicted a 4.81 e.t. at a speed of 318 mph if he had gone the full quarter-mile.

"This was a very productive test session for us – much more so than in January," said owner/driver Pedregon, "We were able to verify some information and get answers to our questions. These four runs were probably the most important runs we will make all season, in terms of getting the car to respond the way we wanted and how we know it should."

With the Gainesville event just around the corner, Pedregon and the Advance Auto Parts Team continue to be well positioned for winning elimination rounds. As a former Gatornationals Funny Car champion ('98), Pedregon has high expectations and anxiously anticipates the 2003 national event.

3/3/03

Programming reminder: The episode of Junkyard Wars featuring various crew member's of Snake Racing against mechanics from NASCAR and IRL teams finally has an official air date. The award-winning show will be broadcast by The Learning Channel (TLC) from 8-10 p.m. (PT), on Sunday, May 25.

3/1/03

It's just like Mopar heaven: Mopar fans can get the latest gear from the new Mopar Pro Stock gang at www.allenjohnson.com. The store section of the website now has T-shirts, wind breakers, hats, and other items trumpeting team members Allen Johnson, three-time champ Darrell Alderman, Larry Morgan, and reigning Auto Club Rookie of the Year Gene Wilson. The designs feature the new-look Mopar paint scheme as well as the new Dodge Stratus R/Ts currently used by Wilson and Morgan and soon to be unvieled by Johnson and Alderman.

3/1/03

Teens learn driving skills at Infineon Raceway: Nearly 400 high school students from eight Bay Area high schools learned some valuable driving skills this week at AAA's High School Safe Driver Program at Infineon Raceway. The four-day program was sponsored by the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School and the California Highway Patrol.

Each school had the opportunity to send 50 students to the raceway for a free four-hour session. Students got behind the wheel to learn important skills and techniques necessary to make them better drivers. The course, which exposed teens to extreme driving conditions – skidding, speeding, threshold braking, road obstacles, and spinning out of control – also included classroom instruction. The on-track instruction was administered by professional instructors from the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, which is based at Infineon Raceway. This marked the eighth year of the program, which ran from Monday-Thursday.

"This was a very good experience," said Al Bahn, dean of students at Vintage High. "This program teaches the kids how to handle potentially dangerous situations, and I think they learned a great deal."

Vintage senior Katie Priebe wished she had taken this class long ago. She was involved in a car accident just six months after getting her license while driving the Silverado Trail in Napa, Calif.

"I only had my license for six months before I got in that accident," Priebe said. "I wish I had this class before. I learned a lot of things today, especially to not panic when I'm behind the wheel."

"This was the best field trip I've had in my four years here," said San Marin High senior Andrew Walton. "I learned many things that will help me when I'm driving. What really stands out is now I feel confident that I can handle a skid properly. I had no clue how to handle that before I came here."

The students qualified for the program by implementing a safety project within their respective high school that stressed safety while on the roadways. AAA judged the safety projects before selecting the eight high schools.

3/1/03

Stoffer to run full 2003 schedule: Karen Stoffer's planned debut season of 2002 may have been abbreviated due to mishaps, but there was no shortage of excitement. In fact, with the glimpses of performance potential from last season, including a runner-up finish in Reading, Pa., coupled with Stoffer's driving ability and desire, the Jonco Motorsports Cope Racing Suzuki is excited about their 2003 prospects, which begin mid-March at the 34th annual Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals.

"I am committed to running the full schedule in 2003," team owner Doug Johnson said. "Greg Cope and I value our relationship with Karen and her husband Gary. Our test sessions were positive and the whole team is looking forward to the POWERade Drag Racing season."

Cope Racing has been developing three new Pro Stock Bike engines for a new customer who will debut them in Gainesville.

"The opportunity to build these new engines has allowed me to try some things that I have wanted to incorporate in our motor program for the Jonco Team," Cope said. "I am seeing great results through preliminary dyno runs in the shop. With each improvement and horsepower gain, I will apply these changes to all of my customer engines. We were all amazed when Karen ran as quick as 155 mph in the eighth and two additional runs in the mid one-fifties to support that speed. We also had our best ever 60-foot time and there is more in it."

"I am really excited about 2003 and ready to begin racing," Stoffer said. "My recent runs during testing in Florida are the smoothest and straightest since I joined up with Jonco Motorsports. Everyone worked extra hard in preparing and we have found a great chassis and clutch combination. I love the bike. It's very smooth to ride and pulls hard."

The team continues to pursue major sponsorship and is hopeful about the possibilities. "I will have three fresh engines when I pull into Gainesville," Johnson said. "I can only imagine how well this thing can run if we stepped on the tune up with the support of a corporate partner. I know by the way we are running that we can win some rounds."

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