NHRA News: Hartman Motorsports unveils new look (2/4/2004)

Hartman Motorsports unveils new look

2/4/2004

Hartman recovering from heart procedure

NHRA.com has learned that team owner and crew chief Virgil Hartman is recovering from an elective bypass procedure performed Feb. 3 at the Anderson Area Medical Center in Anderson, S.C. Hartman will remain in the hospital for the duration of the week and continue a six- to nine-week recovery at his residence in nearby Williamston.

"We are relieved the surgery went so well," said his daughter Rhonda Hartman-Smith. "The doctors said the operation went smoothly and that dad will be back to his usual self in no time. Our biggest challenge will be to keep him in the house and away from the racetrack for the next six weeks."

In Hartman's absence, his son, Richard Hartman, will serve as the team's tuning consultant. If all goes according to plan, Virgil will be back in action at the Gatornationals in Florida.

Coming off a pair of career-best seasons in NHRA Top Fuel competition, the husband and wife duo of Rhonda Hartman-Smith and John "Bodie" Smith is revving up for the 2004 POWERade Drag Racing Series with bold new looks on their high-horsepower dragsters, which are both sponsored by the Honeywell Consumer Products Group.

Unveiling the biggest change, Hartman-Smith's Fram dragster will "Hog the Road" with the company's new AirHog Filters logo emblazoned on the side of her ride. Fram is the Official Filter of NHRA. Across the pit, third-year pro Smith adds edgy graphics and bold signage to his traditional yellow and black Prestone machine, which carried him to an eight-place finish last season.

"We're really excited about debuting our new look and being an intricate part of the Fram AirHog product launch this spring," Hartman-Smith said. "Between the new dragster paint schemes, new driver firesuits, and new crew uniforms, both teams will be totally decked out for Pomona."

While excited about their new image, each driver is equally anxious to see an increase in the performance of their "his and hers" rocket ships this season, no small feat for a pair of drivers coming off the best years of their racing lives.

"With three cars in the Kalitta camp, Schumacher's group, and the Dick LaHaie/Larry Dixon combination, it's painfully obvious the Top Fuel field is going to be tough every race," Smith said. "The competitive bar keeps moving up and runs in the 4.5-second range are becoming ordinary. Teams really need to nail the numbers in the first few qualifying sessions if they want to play on race day and we like to play."

In order to remain competitive, Hartman Motorsports plans to test extensively at the PRO Warm-ups in Tucson, Ariz. The team goal is to push the envelope of performance with minimal damage to mechanical parts and components.

A sneak peek at the Fram AirHog and Prestone dragsters of Rhonda Hartman-Smith and John Smith.

Recognizing an extremely tough Top Fuel field, Hartman-Smith and Smith are eager to challenge for their first POWERade world title this year. With a personal-best elapsed time of 4.523-seconds posted at the second Chicago event in 2003 already in the books, Hartman-Smith, a.k.a. The World's Fastest Female, knows she has a hot rod that can run with the big boys.

Meanwhile, in three short years, Smith already has become a prominent top-10 driver in the sport of NHRA drag racing. His quick reaction times and innate ability to pedal a racecar down the quarter-mile make him a worthy opponent every run. And after racing to runner-up honors at his hometown race, the 2003 Mac Tools Gatornationals, in Gainesville, Fla., Smith is confident in his group's ability to take home the hardware at any event.

Although he isn't the quickest driver in his immediate family with a best of "just" 4.540-seconds carded in Houston last year, Smith does have some bragging rights having earned an invitation to the annual Budweiser Shootout, a special race for $100,000 that invites only the top-eight qualifiers from the previous 12 months.

Like many of the top teams in NHRA drag racing, Hartman Motorsports recognizes the importance of keeping their sponsors in the forefront and helping them sell product, a job they won't take lightly in 2004.

"We encourage everyone to check out the new Fram AirHog, not just because they're sponsoring us or because they're a big part of the NHRA, but because the product really works," Hartman-Smith said.

Brian Holliday, Vice President for Fram, explains. "The Fram AirHog features a rugged washable and reusable air filter that's designed to last the life of their vehicle. One AirHog air filter is equal to 20 disposable filters or 250,000 miles, an estimated savings of more than $200 in regularly scheduled filter changes over the life of a vehicle.

"It's designed for car enthusiasts and race fans alike that are looking to save money while maintaining optimum engine performance on their sport and muscle cars."

Available in most major automotive retail outlets this spring, the Fram AirHog air filter offers applications for nearly 85 percent of today's passenger cars and light-duty trucks. Unlike disposable air filters made with paper, the Fram AirHog features a quadruple layer of precision weaved cotton gauze media held in place with a screen-back mesh designed to increase airflow, which can result in greater horsepower and acceleration for better vehicle performance.

Aside from the new product launch and team look, Hartman-Smith also plans to launch a line of racing-inspired women's wear.

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