NEWS NUGGETS
TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2012 O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS: Tickets for the 52nd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries—the season-opening event of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, February 9–12—are available for purchase. NHRA’s tradition-rich season-opening event will be contested at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California, and will be every NHRA fan’s first opportunity to see all of the new cars and new paint schemes and meet all of the drivers who will be racing at speeds of more than 320 mph in an attempt to add their names to the record books as O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals champions. A win at this event can mean great momentum for every driver on the circuit in the chase for NHRA Full Throttle world-championship glory during the 23-event season that crisscrosses the United States. To purchase tickets for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATIX.com.
 |
 |
2011 NHRA FULL THROTTLE TOP FUEL CHAMPION WORSHAM JOINS KALITTA MOTORSPORTS AS TEQUILA PATRON FUNNY CAR CREW CHIEF: 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Top Fuel world champion Del Worsham has joined the Kalitta Motorsports team as the crew chief for Alexis DeJoria and the Tequila Patron Toyota Camry Funny Car team. Worsham raced 21 years in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and collected 25 wins in Funny Car and eight wins in 2011 racing full time in the Top Fuel category behind the wheel of the Al-Anabi Racing dragster.
“I started working on Funny Cars before I was 10 years old,” said Worsham. “My dad (Chuck) and I tuned our family-owned Funny Car from 1990 until I joined the Al-Anabi team in 2009. Dad and I won 22 races together, so hopefully I can draw from that experience and knowledge in this next phase of my career.”
DeJoria, who competed in four NHRA national events in 2011 for Kalitta Motorsports after five successful years of driving in Top Alcohol Funny Car, will vie for the 2012 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, which recognizes the top-performing rookie of the season. DeJoria will compete at all 23 races on the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season schedule. For more on this story, log on to NHRA.com.
 |
BROOKS, CENTORBI TO TUNE GEICO/LUCAS OIL TOP FUEL DRAGSTER: Aaron Brooks and Rod Centorbi have taken over tuning duties on Morgan Lucas’ GEICO/Lucas Oil dragster. Both men have extensive experience in drag racing, most notably alongside multi-time world champion Alan Johnson. Brooks, whose most recent stint was as crew chief of the In-N-Out Funny Car driven by Melanie Troxel for R2B2 Racing, will head the operation. Before his time with R2B2 Racing, Brooks served as the crew chief for the Al-Anabi Racing Funny Car driven by Del Worsham. He also worked as assistant crew chief on Gary Scelzi’s Funny Car when he won the world championship in 2005 with Don Schumacher Racing. Centorbi, who will serve as assistant crew chief, recently served as assistant crew chief for the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel world-championship Al-Anabi Racing dragster driven by Worsham. The 20-year pro also worked at Don Schumacher Racing with Brooks. For more information on this story, log on to NHRA.com.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS PRESENTED BY SUPER START BATTERIES, AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, February 9–12, 2012: The 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series kicks off in Southern California. Defending event winners are Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATIX.com. For media credentials, contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.
NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS, FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, February 17–19, 2012: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its second stop of the season in Phoenix. Defending event winners are Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 602-268-0200 or log on to firebirdraceway.com. For media credentials, contact Media Relations Manager Alex Baca at abaca@nhra.com.
TIRE KINGDOM NHRA GATORNATIONALS, GAINESVILLE RACEWAY, March 8–11, 2012: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to historic Gainesville Raceway for the third stop of the series and season-opening race for the Pro Stock Motorcycle category. Defending event winners are Del Worsham (Top Fuel), Mike Neff (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATIX.com. For media credentials, contact senior communications manager Scott Smith at ssmith@nhra.com.
HE SAID, SHE SAID
 |
DEFENDING THE CROWN: NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Eddie Krawiec on defending his title in 2012: “It’s the start of a new season, and I’m getting ready to go and just get ready for our first race. For (Pro Stock Motorcycle) it’s Gainesville. I’m looking forward to it. As they say, there is nothing to lose. Just go out there, do the best you can, and hopefully we’re in the same position next year at this race.”
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
 |
23: With the return of the NHRA Midwest Nationals, September 28–30 at Gateway Motorsports Park, the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season will include 23 national events across the United States.
DID YOU KNOW
 |
…that this weekend, 15-time NHRA Funny Car world champion John Force will hold his 14th annual Holiday Car Show at the John Force Racing headquarters and museum in Yorba Linda, California? The event will benefit California Highway Patrol’s CHiPs for Kids toy drive and will be open to the public Sunday, December 4, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Spectator admission is a new $10 unwrapped toy. For more information, log on to NHRA.com.