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HIGHT LOOKS TO MAKE HISTORY AT ROYAL PURPLE RACEWAY: The hottest Funny Car driver on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series circuit is Robert Hight. The California native has won the last four races and holds a commanding lead in the points standings as the series moves to ultrafast Royal Purple Raceway near Houston for the 25th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries, April 27–29. With his fourth consecutive win, Hight joined some elite company in the NHRA record books. Only four other Funny Car drivers have claimed four wins in a row: Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, John Force and Cruz Pedregon. Prudhomme’s mark of seven wins in a row in ’75–’76 stands as the record in the category. The most consecutive Funny Car wins in a single season is five, held jointly by Prudhomme, Pedregon and Force.
NHRA ORIGINALS NOW AVAILABLE AT WALMART STORES NATIONWIDE: NHRA and JEM Sportswear have announced that Walmart stores nationwide are stocking the NHRA Originals vintage T-shirts for men. This marks yet another expansion of the classic line of NHRA Originals vintage men’s T-shirts that debuted last fall. Walmart is the largest retail outlet currently participating in the NHRA Originals program, operating 629 stores across the United States. Depicting a class front-engine dragster and the NHRA Championship Drag Racing logo, the gray-heather color men’s shirt is exclusively available at all Walmart stores nationwide. Sizes range from small to XXL.
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TRAXXAS HITS IGNITION ON 1/8-SCALE RC FUNNY CARS: NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing fans around the country have been awaiting a John Force Racing RC Funny Car model since the new partnership between Traxxas and JFR was announced in early January. At the third-annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals last weekend, fans got their first peek at the four JFR Traxxas Funny Cars during a photo shoot beside the Traxxas fan experience zone. Traxxas earlier revealed a collection of fully assembled, ready-to-race Traxxas RC Ford Mustang Funny Cars; the new models run 70-plus mph and are designed to convey realistic effects of the class. The cars have all the current logos and paint schemes from the 2012 JFR Ford Mustang Funny Cars.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA SPRING NATIONALS PRESENTED BY SUPER START BATTERIES, ROYAL PURPLE RACEWAY, April 27–29: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its first stop of the season in the Lone Star State for the sixth race of the season. Winners from 2011 were Del Worsham (Top Fuel), Jeff Arend (Funny Car), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 281-383-RACE (7223) or log on to RoyalPurpleRaceway.com. For media credentials, contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.
SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS, ATLANTA DRAGWAY, May 4–6: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Georgia for the seventh race of the season—one of NHRA’s long-established events. Defending winners are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock). 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.
DOLLAR GENERAL NHRA SUMMERNATIONALS, HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA, May 18–20: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its eighth stop of 23 events in the 2012 season, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will earn points in the battle for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. Defending winners are Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Shane Gray (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.
| HE SAID, SHE SAID | INSIDE THE NUMBERS | ||
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HOTTEST DRIVER IN TOP FUEL: Spencer Massey and his FRAM/Prestone
Top Fuel team have won three of five races this season and became the
national speed record holder after a pass of 332.18 mph Sunday at the
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Said the points leader, “It’s unbelievable. We
blistered a 330 mph right after Tony Schumacher ran 330 in front of us
and we did it twice. I can’t believe it right now. It just shows how
awesome my team is right now.” Schumacher became the first driver to
break the 330-mph barrier, but Massey set the record with his 332.18 mph
pass during the final round of eliminations. |
330: SCHUMACHER FIRST TO BREAK THE BARRIER: Tony Schumacher became the first Top Fuel driver to crack the 330-mph mark he ran 330.23 mph during the opening round of eliminations Sunday at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina. |
DID YOU KNOW …
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GETTING CLOSER TO MAKING HISTORY: Erica Enders made her sixth final-round appearance during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals but fell short of earning her first win in Pro Stock. When Enders scores that victory, she will make history as the first woman to triumph in Pro Stock. Enders’ first wins in Super Gas and Jr. Dragster both occurred at her home track, which happens to be Royal Purple Raceway near Houston—site of the next stop in the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.