NEWS NUGGETS

DEFENDING EVENT WINNERS HOPING FOR ADDITIONAL SEASON WINS WHILE ONE LOOKS FOR FIRST AS NHRA FULL THROTTLE SERIES HEADS TO CHICAGO: For Top Fuel pilot Larry Dixon, Pro Stock driver Mike Edwards and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider LE Tonglet, the path down the 2011 season hasn’t been what they had hoped. As the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to its 11th stop of the season, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway just outside of Chicago, these defending event winners hope that a return to a track that brought them so much success just one year ago might be the push they need in the point standings with just five races left until the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. After all, it was here that the road to success for two of those drivers began last year; Dixon and Tonglet went on to win world championships at season’s end.

While Dixon and Tonglet look for their second wins of the season and Edwards hopes for his third, another defending event winner, Funny Car driver Matt Hagan, hopes that familiar territory will bring him the one thing he’s been craving all year—a win. Hagan’s 2010 win at Route 66 Raceway was the second of his career, and he scored it in the hometown of his title sponsor, DieHard, in front of a crowd of executives and employees who were excited to see their DieHard Dodge Charger race to the victory. The win also helped Hagan finish the season second in the point standings. But with a fifth-place standing entering the race, Hagan knows that the Chicago event is a do-or-die situation to find success in the Countdown playoffs.

“We want to win some races and get on a roll going into the Countdown,” Hagan said. “We did that last year, winning in Chicago, and then made a good run for the championship. We want to put the DieHard car back into that position as this season moves into its later stages.”

For tickets to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals, call 815/727-RACE or log on to route66raceway.com.

FORCE, ANDERSON NOMINATED FOR BEST DRIVER ESPY AWARD: NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series champs John Force and Greg Anderson earned two of the four coveted spots in the ESPY award voting for Best Driver. Force, who won his 15th NHRA Funny Car championship last season, and Anderson, who won his fourth NHRA Pro Stock championship, have both been nominated for the award but have not won. Also included in the nominations this year are NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and IndyCar competitor Dario Franchitti. Previous NHRA drivers nominated include Top Fuel champ Tony Schumacher, Ashley Force Hood, Melanie Troxel and Tony Pedregon. To vote, log on to www.espn.com/espys. Voting ends July 9 at 11:59 p.m. (EDT).

COMING ATTRACTIONS

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS, ROUTE 66 RACEWAY, July 7–10: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Chicago and the Windy City for its 11th stop of the season. Defending event winners are Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 815/727-RACE or log on to route66raceway.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.

MOPAR MILE-HIGH NHRA NATIONALS, BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY, July 22–24: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to the Rocky Mountains of Denver and the first of three stops in the historic Western Swing. Defending event winners are Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/664-UWIN (8946) or log on to ticketreturn.com. For media credentials, please contact Media Relations Manager Zak Elcock at zelcock@nhra.com.

FRAM-AUTOLITE NHRA NATIONALS, INFINEON RACEWAY, July 29–31: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Sonoma and the second of three stops in the historic Western Swing. Defending event winners are Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Michael Phillips (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/870-RACE (6223) or log on to infineonraceway.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

HOMETOWN TRACK EQUALS HOMETOWN FEEL: Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher on what it means to race this weekend at his hometown track, Route 66 Raceway, where he has three wins: “It’s the race that is located right in my backyard. I love staying at home. I get to have all my family and friends come out. When you have that many people cheering you on, you naturally want to do everything in your power to bring home the winner’s trophy.”

60 YEARS IN NHRA HISTORY

1976, ‘SNAKE’S’ NEAR-PERFECT SEASON: After winning six of eight events in 1975 en route to his first of four straight NHRA Funny Car championships, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme raced to seven wins in eight races the very next season, and he made a final-round appearance at the race he didn’t win, the U.S. Nationals. His second world-championship season is not only one of the most successful seasons he ever had, but also one of the most amazing seasons in NHRA history.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Ford Funny Car drivers Mike Neff, Robert Hight, John Force, Bob Tasca and Tim Wilkerson at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway .

199: With his recent victory at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Funny Car driver Mike Neff notched the 199th Funny Car win for Ford Racing. At this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals, Ford Racing will be looking for one more in its race to the 200 mark.

DID YOU KNOW…

Mike Edwards defeated Jason Line in the final round of the 2010 O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

…that in the past three years, there have been three different Pro Stock winners at Route 66 Raceway (2010: Mike Edwards, 2009: Jeg Coughlin, 2008: Kurt Johnson)? Will this weekend’s race bring a different winner as well?

For more information, contact NHRA Media Relations at 626/914-4761 or log on to the NHRA Media Center.

NEWS NUGGETS

DEFENDING EVENT WINNERS HOPING FOR ADDITIONAL SEASON WINS WHILE ONE LOOKS FOR FIRST AS NHRA FULL THROTTLE SERIES HEADS TO CHICAGO: For Top Fuel pilot Larry Dixon, Pro Stock driver Mike Edwards and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider LE Tonglet, the path down the 2011 season hasn’t been what they had hoped. As the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to its 11th stop of the season, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway just outside of Chicago, these defending event winners hope that a return to a track that brought them so much success just one year ago might be the push they need in the point standings with just five races left until the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. After all, it was here that the road to success for two of those drivers began last year; Dixon and Tonglet went on to win world championships at season’s end.

While Dixon and Tonglet look for their second wins of the season and Edwards hopes for his third, another defending event winner, Funny Car driver Matt Hagan, hopes that familiar territory will bring him the one thing he’s been craving all year—a win. Hagan’s 2010 win at Route 66 Raceway was the second of his career, and he scored it in the hometown of his title sponsor, DieHard, in front of a crowd of executives and employees who were excited to see their DieHard Dodge Charger race to the victory. The win also helped Hagan finish the season second in the point standings. But with a fifth-place standing entering the race, Hagan knows that the Chicago event is a do-or-die situation to find success in the Countdown playoffs.

“We want to win some races and get on a roll going into the Countdown,” Hagan said. “We did that last year, winning in Chicago, and then made a good run for the championship. We want to put the DieHard car back into that position as this season moves into its later stages.”

For tickets to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals, call 815/727-RACE or log on to route66raceway.com.

FORCE, ANDERSON NOMINATED FOR BEST DRIVER ESPY AWARD: NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series champs John Force and Greg Anderson earned two of the four coveted spots in the ESPY award voting for Best Driver. Force, who won his 15th NHRA Funny Car championship last season, and Anderson, who won his fourth NHRA Pro Stock championship, have both been nominated for the award but have not won. Also included in the nominations this year are NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and IndyCar competitor Dario Franchitti. Previous NHRA drivers nominated include Top Fuel champ Tony Schumacher, Ashley Force Hood, Melanie Troxel and Tony Pedregon. To vote, log on to www.espn.com/espys. Voting ends July 9 at 11:59 p.m. (EDT).

COMING ATTRACTIONS

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS, ROUTE 66 RACEWAY, July 7–10: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Chicago and the Windy City for its 11th stop of the season. Defending event winners are Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 815/727-RACE or log on to route66raceway.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.

MOPAR MILE-HIGH NHRA NATIONALS, BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY, July 22–24: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to the Rocky Mountains of Denver and the first of three stops in the historic Western Swing. Defending event winners are Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/664-UWIN (8946) or log on to ticketreturn.com. For media credentials, please contact Media Relations Manager Zak Elcock at zelcock@nhra.com.

FRAM-AUTOLITE NHRA NATIONALS, INFINEON RACEWAY, July 29–31: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Sonoma and the second of three stops in the historic Western Swing. Defending event winners are Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Michael Phillips (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/870-RACE (6223) or log on to infineonraceway.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

HOMETOWN TRACK EQUALS HOMETOWN FEEL: Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher on what it means to race this weekend at his hometown track, Route 66 Raceway, where he has three wins: “It’s the race that is located right in my backyard. I love staying at home. I get to have all my family and friends come out. When you have that many people cheering you on, you naturally want to do everything in your power to bring home the winner’s trophy.”

60 YEARS IN NHRA HISTORY

1976, ‘SNAKE’S’ NEAR-PERFECT SEASON: After winning six of eight events in 1975 en route to his first of four straight NHRA Funny Car championships, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme raced to seven wins in eight races the very next season, and he made a final-round appearance at the race he didn’t win, the U.S. Nationals. His second world-championship season is not only one of the most successful seasons he ever had, but also one of the most amazing seasons in NHRA history.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Ford Funny Car drivers Mike Neff, Robert Hight, John Force, Bob Tasca and Tim Wilkerson at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway .

199: With his recent victory at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Funny Car driver Mike Neff notched the 199th Funny Car win for Ford Racing. At this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals, Ford Racing will be looking for one more in its race to the 200 mark.

DID YOU KNOW…

Mike Edwards defeated Jason Line in the final round of the 2010 O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

…that in the past three years, there have been three different Pro Stock winners at Route 66 Raceway (2010: Mike Edwards, 2009: Jeg Coughlin, 2008: Kurt Johnson)? Will this weekend’s race bring a different winner as well?

For more information, contact NHRA Media Relations at 626/914-4761 or log on to the NHRA Media Center.

NEWS NUGGETS

DEFENDING EVENT WINNERS HOPING FOR ADDITIONAL SEASON WINS WHILE ONE LOOKS FOR FIRST AS NHRA FULL THROTTLE SERIES HEADS TO CHICAGO: For Top Fuel pilot Larry Dixon, Pro Stock driver Mike Edwards and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider LE Tonglet, the path down the 2011 season hasn’t been what they had hoped. As the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to its 11th stop of the season, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway just outside of Chicago, these defending event winners hope that a return to a track that brought them so much success just one year ago might be the push they need in the point standings with just five races left until the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. After all, it was here that the road to success for two of those drivers began last year; Dixon and Tonglet went on to win world championships at season’s end.

While Dixon and Tonglet look for their second wins of the season and Edwards hopes for his third, another defending event winner, Funny Car driver Matt Hagan, hopes that familiar territory will bring him the one thing he’s been craving all year—a win. Hagan’s 2010 win at Route 66 Raceway was the second of his career, and he scored it in the hometown of his title sponsor, DieHard, in front of a crowd of executives and employees who were excited to see their DieHard Dodge Charger race to the victory. The win also helped Hagan finish the season second in the point standings. But with a fifth-place standing entering the race, Hagan knows that the Chicago event is a do-or-die situation to find success in the Countdown playoffs.

“We want to win some races and get on a roll going into the Countdown,” Hagan said. “We did that last year, winning in Chicago, and then made a good run for the championship. We want to put the DieHard car back into that position as this season moves into its later stages.”

For tickets to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals, call 815/727-RACE or log on to route66raceway.com.

FORCE, ANDERSON NOMINATED FOR BEST DRIVER ESPY AWARD: NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series champs John Force and Greg Anderson earned two of the four coveted spots in the ESPY award voting for Best Driver. Force, who won his 15th NHRA Funny Car championship last season, and Anderson, who won his fourth NHRA Pro Stock championship, have both been nominated for the award but have not won. Also included in the nominations this year are NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and IndyCar competitor Dario Franchitti. Previous NHRA drivers nominated include Top Fuel champ Tony Schumacher, Ashley Force Hood, Melanie Troxel and Tony Pedregon. To vote, log on to www.espn.com/espys. Voting ends July 9 at 11:59 p.m. (EDT).

COMING ATTRACTIONS

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS, ROUTE 66 RACEWAY, July 7–10: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Chicago and the Windy City for its 11th stop of the season. Defending event winners are Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 815/727-RACE or log on to route66raceway.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.

MOPAR MILE-HIGH NHRA NATIONALS, BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY, July 22–24: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to the Rocky Mountains of Denver and the first of three stops in the historic Western Swing. Defending event winners are Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/664-UWIN (8946) or log on to ticketreturn.com. For media credentials, please contact Media Relations Manager Zak Elcock at zelcock@nhra.com.

FRAM-AUTOLITE NHRA NATIONALS, INFINEON RACEWAY, July 29–31: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Sonoma and the second of three stops in the historic Western Swing. Defending event winners are Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Michael Phillips (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800/870-RACE (6223) or log on to infineonraceway.com. For media credentials, please contact Director of Media Relations Anthony Vestal at avestal@nhra.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

HOMETOWN TRACK EQUALS HOMETOWN FEEL: Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher on what it means to race this weekend at his hometown track, Route 66 Raceway, where he has three wins: “It’s the race that is located right in my backyard. I love staying at home. I get to have all my family and friends come out. When you have that many people cheering you on, you naturally want to do everything in your power to bring home the winner’s trophy.”

60 YEARS IN NHRA HISTORY

1976, ‘SNAKE’S’ NEAR-PERFECT SEASON: After winning six of eight events in 1975 en route to his first of four straight NHRA Funny Car championships, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme raced to seven wins in eight races the very next season, and he made a final-round appearance at the race he didn’t win, the U.S. Nationals. His second world-championship season is not only one of the most successful seasons he ever had, but also one of the most amazing seasons in NHRA history.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Ford Funny Car drivers Mike Neff, Robert Hight, John Force, Bob Tasca and Tim Wilkerson at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway .

199: With his recent victory at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Funny Car driver Mike Neff notched the 199th Funny Car win for Ford Racing. At this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals, Ford Racing will be looking for one more in its race to the 200 mark.

DID YOU KNOW…

Mike Edwards defeated Jason Line in the final round of the 2010 O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

…that in the past three years, there have been three different Pro Stock winners at Route 66 Raceway (2010: Mike Edwards, 2009: Jeg Coughlin, 2008: Kurt Johnson)? Will this weekend’s race bring a different winner as well?

For more information, contact NHRA Media Relations at 626/914-4761 or log on to the NHRA Media Center.

NHRA Unleashed and NMCA to Join Forces
The NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals series has announced that the Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed program will combine forces with the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) to deliver fun and close side-by-side racing for fans and competitors alike. The NHRA Unleashed program, which was formed in 2010, will be featured at five NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals events for the remainder of the 2011 season.
 


The NHRA has revised the 2011 NHRA Unleashed class rules and official schedule. Moving forward, the Unleashed classes will be featured at the following NMCA Flowmaster events: Auto Club Dragway at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (July 8–10); Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky (August 5–7); Milan Dragway in Milan, Michigan (August 26–28); Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, (October 6–9); and Royal Purple Raceway in Houston (November 11–13).
 


NMCA will waive NMCA membership fees for NHRA Unleashed racers, unless they want to compete for NMCA Series points. 
 


Aerospace Components and Trick Flow Specialties will continue to sponsor NHRA Unleashed, providing added benefits, including more than $3.1 million purse and cash contingencies for all five events, given the new association with NMCA Flowmaster series.
 


By combining resources, NHRA and NMCA will provide an opportunity for racers to take advantage of both organizations’ many benefits and services. The same opportunities can be extended to sponsors providing the opportunity to reach out to a larger group of participants and fans alike.

	The Yokohama-sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s electric-drive system won the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb's Exhibition Class and set a new EV record with a time of 12:20:084.

AC Propulsion Powers Yokohama-Sponsored Electric Vehicle to New Record at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The Yokohama-sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s proprietary electric-drive system broke its own 2010 record at the 89th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The AC Propulsion-equipped vehicle won the hill climb's Exhibition Class and set a new EV record with a time of 12:20:084, besting last year's record-breaking time of 13:17:575 by nearly one minute. It was also the race’s fastest EV among both cars and motorcycles.

For Team Yokohama’s winning EV race car, AC Propulsion engineers developed a high-performance cooling system for the vehicle’s 200-kW induction motor so it could operate at maximum output throughout the ascent up the mountain and break the record set last year with the same motor. (That motor powered the Yokohama-sponsored EV that beat the previous EV record set by Jeri Unser in 2003 by 65 seconds.)

This year's Yokohama EV, a rear-wheel-drive, open-wheel race car, was built by Summit Motorsports and driven by Japan’s Ikuo Hanawa. It used fuel-efficient Yokohama BluEarth tires and SANYO Electric Co. lithium-ion batteries. The Pikes Peak AC-180 motor, rated at 268 hp at 6,000–7,000 rpm and 258 lb.-ft. of torque from 0–5,000 rpm, is a high-performance version of the AC Propulsion AC-150 motor found in the BMW MINI E. The drive system utilizes the proprietary tzero-technology that also powered the MonoTracer MTE-150 to a first place victory in its category and achieved the highest efficiency overall in the 2010 Progressive Automotive X PRIZE.

AST Suspension – USA Sweeps Podium for Third Straight GRAND AM Continental Tire Challenge Race
AST Suspension swept the podium for the third straight GRAND AM Continential Tire Challenge race at the Road America 200. The Stevenson Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro RS.R driven by John Edward rocketed to the point position and eventually slid past Billy Johnson is his No. 61 Roush Performance Mustang Boss 302R before a full course caution and a heavily damaged retaining wall caused the race to end under yellow flag conditions. Johnson and Edwards traded the lead four times in the final 20 laps. Many times throughout the race, the two were running side-by-side and Edwards’ winning pass was made with a daring power slide through Turn 1. The Rum Bum Racing team in their No. 13 BMW M3 took the final podium position.

In addition to sweeping the top three finishing positions, nine teams running AST Suspension finished in the top 12. AST Suspension currently holds eight of the top nine positions in the 2011 season team standings for the Grand Sport class.

GRAND-AM Continental Tire Challenge teams utilizing AST dampers include: Turner Motorsport, Roush Performance, Stevenson Motorsports, Fall-Line Motorsports, BimmerWorld Racing, Rum Bum Racing, DeMan Motorsport, CKS Autosport, Subaru Road Racing Team, Finlay Motorsports, A.M. Performance, i-MOTO, Trade Manage Racing, BGB Motorsports, Doran Racing and Compass 360 Racing.

Round 8 of the Continental Tire Challenge will take place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California, on July 9.

	The new GT3 car, based on McLaren’s MP4-12C high-performance road car, appeared in its revised form at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, honed during a recent intense period of development.

Revised McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Debuts at 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed
The first McLaren car built for racing outside of Formula 1 since the McLaren F1 GTR made its public dynamic world debut at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, held June 30–July 3. The new GT3 car, based on McLaren’s MP4-12C high-performance road car, appeared in its revised form, honed during a recent intense period of development.

New components designed to optimize the car’s aerodynamic performance include a front radiator, which increases the maximum ambient temperature at which the car can run, along with a new gearbox cooler mounted on the rear Aerodeck. These features complete an aerodynamics package incorporating a new front splitter, door blade, rear wing, diffuser and louvres in the front fenders, all of which is produced entirely from carbon fiber by McLaren Racing, following design input from McLaren Automotive.

Led by McLaren Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh and CRS Racing Team Principal Andrew Kirkaldy, McLaren GT is spending the 2011 race season developing the 12C GT3 before delivering 20 cars to privateer teams for GT3 racing in Europe in 2012.

Like the 12C road car, the MP4-12C GT3 features a one-piece carbon-fiber chassis, the ‘MonoCell’. McLaren introduced a carbon-fiber monocoque to Formula 1 in 1981, and the 12C GT3 will feature several other Formula 1-derived technologies. The 12C GT3 will be supplied with the same steering wheel design used by Lewis Hamilton in his MP4-24 Formula 1 car. Formula 1 suppliers past and present, including Akebono, Mobil 1, McLaren Electronic Systems, Ricardo and Michelin, are working with McLaren GT to create a race car specification technologically superior to the GT3 competition in 2012.

Drivers of the GT3 car for the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend were Andrew Kirkaldy, 2010 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes test driver Oliver Turvey and McLaren Automotive Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin.

NHRA Unleashed and NMCA to Join Forces
The NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals series has announced that the Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed program will combine forces with the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) to deliver fun and close side-by-side racing for fans and competitors alike. The NHRA Unleashed program, which was formed in 2010, will be featured at five NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals events for the remainder of the 2011 season.
 


The NHRA has revised the 2011 NHRA Unleashed class rules and official schedule. Moving forward, the Unleashed classes will be featured at the following NMCA Flowmaster events: Auto Club Dragway at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (July 8–10); Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky (August 5–7); Milan Dragway in Milan, Michigan (August 26–28); Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, (October 6–9); and Royal Purple Raceway in Houston (November 11–13).
 


NMCA will waive NMCA membership fees for NHRA Unleashed racers, unless they want to compete for NMCA Series points. 
 


Aerospace Components and Trick Flow Specialties will continue to sponsor NHRA Unleashed, providing added benefits, including more than $3.1 million purse and cash contingencies for all five events, given the new association with NMCA Flowmaster series.
 


By combining resources, NHRA and NMCA will provide an opportunity for racers to take advantage of both organizations’ many benefits and services. The same opportunities can be extended to sponsors providing the opportunity to reach out to a larger group of participants and fans alike.

	The Yokohama-sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s electric-drive system won the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb's Exhibition Class and set a new EV record with a time of 12:20:084.

AC Propulsion Powers Yokohama-Sponsored Electric Vehicle to New Record at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The Yokohama-sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s proprietary electric-drive system broke its own 2010 record at the 89th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The AC Propulsion-equipped vehicle won the hill climb's Exhibition Class and set a new EV record with a time of 12:20:084, besting last year's record-breaking time of 13:17:575 by nearly one minute. It was also the race’s fastest EV among both cars and motorcycles.

For Team Yokohama’s winning EV race car, AC Propulsion engineers developed a high-performance cooling system for the vehicle’s 200-kW induction motor so it could operate at maximum output throughout the ascent up the mountain and break the record set last year with the same motor. (That motor powered the Yokohama-sponsored EV that beat the previous EV record set by Jeri Unser in 2003 by 65 seconds.)

This year's Yokohama EV, a rear-wheel-drive, open-wheel race car, was built by Summit Motorsports and driven by Japan’s Ikuo Hanawa. It used fuel-efficient Yokohama BluEarth tires and SANYO Electric Co. lithium-ion batteries. The Pikes Peak AC-180 motor, rated at 268 hp at 6,000–7,000 rpm and 258 lb.-ft. of torque from 0–5,000 rpm, is a high-performance version of the AC Propulsion AC-150 motor found in the BMW MINI E. The drive system utilizes the proprietary tzero-technology that also powered the MonoTracer MTE-150 to a first place victory in its category and achieved the highest efficiency overall in the 2010 Progressive Automotive X PRIZE.

AST Suspension – USA Sweeps Podium for Third Straight GRAND AM Continental Tire Challenge Race
AST Suspension swept the podium for the third straight GRAND AM Continential Tire Challenge race at the Road America 200. The Stevenson Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro RS.R driven by John Edward rocketed to the point position and eventually slid past Billy Johnson is his No. 61 Roush Performance Mustang Boss 302R before a full course caution and a heavily damaged retaining wall caused the race to end under yellow flag conditions. Johnson and Edwards traded the lead four times in the final 20 laps. Many times throughout the race, the two were running side-by-side and Edwards’ winning pass was made with a daring power slide through Turn 1. The Rum Bum Racing team in their No. 13 BMW M3 took the final podium position.

In addition to sweeping the top three finishing positions, nine teams running AST Suspension finished in the top 12. AST Suspension currently holds eight of the top nine positions in the 2011 season team standings for the Grand Sport class.

GRAND-AM Continental Tire Challenge teams utilizing AST dampers include: Turner Motorsport, Roush Performance, Stevenson Motorsports, Fall-Line Motorsports, BimmerWorld Racing, Rum Bum Racing, DeMan Motorsport, CKS Autosport, Subaru Road Racing Team, Finlay Motorsports, A.M. Performance, i-MOTO, Trade Manage Racing, BGB Motorsports, Doran Racing and Compass 360 Racing.

Round 8 of the Continental Tire Challenge will take place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California, on July 9.

	The new GT3 car, based on McLaren’s MP4-12C high-performance road car, appeared in its revised form at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, honed during a recent intense period of development.

Revised McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Debuts at 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed
The first McLaren car built for racing outside of Formula 1 since the McLaren F1 GTR made its public dynamic world debut at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, held June 30–July 3. The new GT3 car, based on McLaren’s MP4-12C high-performance road car, appeared in its revised form, honed during a recent intense period of development.

New components designed to optimize the car’s aerodynamic performance include a front radiator, which increases the maximum ambient temperature at which the car can run, along with a new gearbox cooler mounted on the rear Aerodeck. These features complete an aerodynamics package incorporating a new front splitter, door blade, rear wing, diffuser and louvres in the front fenders, all of which is produced entirely from carbon fiber by McLaren Racing, following design input from McLaren Automotive.

Led by McLaren Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh and CRS Racing Team Principal Andrew Kirkaldy, McLaren GT is spending the 2011 race season developing the 12C GT3 before delivering 20 cars to privateer teams for GT3 racing in Europe in 2012.

Like the 12C road car, the MP4-12C GT3 features a one-piece carbon-fiber chassis, the ‘MonoCell’. McLaren introduced a carbon-fiber monocoque to Formula 1 in 1981, and the 12C GT3 will feature several other Formula 1-derived technologies. The 12C GT3 will be supplied with the same steering wheel design used by Lewis Hamilton in his MP4-24 Formula 1 car. Formula 1 suppliers past and present, including Akebono, Mobil 1, McLaren Electronic Systems, Ricardo and Michelin, are working with McLaren GT to create a race car specification technologically superior to the GT3 competition in 2012.

Drivers of the GT3 car for the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend were Andrew Kirkaldy, 2010 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes test driver Oliver Turvey and McLaren Automotive Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin.

NHRA Unleashed and NMCA to Join Forces
The NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals series has announced that the Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed program will combine forces with the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) to deliver fun and close side-by-side racing for fans and competitors alike. The NHRA Unleashed program, which was formed in 2010, will be featured at five NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals events for the remainder of the 2011 season.
 


The NHRA has revised the 2011 NHRA Unleashed class rules and official schedule. Moving forward, the Unleashed classes will be featured at the following NMCA Flowmaster events: Auto Club Dragway at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (July 8–10); Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky (August 5–7); Milan Dragway in Milan, Michigan (August 26–28); Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, (October 6–9); and Royal Purple Raceway in Houston (November 11–13).
 


NMCA will waive NMCA membership fees for NHRA Unleashed racers, unless they want to compete for NMCA Series points. 
 


Aerospace Components and Trick Flow Specialties will continue to sponsor NHRA Unleashed, providing added benefits, including more than $3.1 million purse and cash contingencies for all five events, given the new association with NMCA Flowmaster series.
 


By combining resources, NHRA and NMCA will provide an opportunity for racers to take advantage of both organizations’ many benefits and services. The same opportunities can be extended to sponsors providing the opportunity to reach out to a larger group of participants and fans alike.

	The Yokohama-sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s electric-drive system won the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb's Exhibition Class and set a new EV record with a time of 12:20:084.

AC Propulsion Powers Yokohama-Sponsored Electric Vehicle to New Record at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The Yokohama-sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s proprietary electric-drive system broke its own 2010 record at the 89th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The AC Propulsion-equipped vehicle won the hill climb's Exhibition Class and set a new EV record with a time of 12:20:084, besting last year's record-breaking time of 13:17:575 by nearly one minute. It was also the race’s fastest EV among both cars and motorcycles.

For Team Yokohama’s winning EV race car, AC Propulsion engineers developed a high-performance cooling system for the vehicle’s 200-kW induction motor so it could operate at maximum output throughout the ascent up the mountain and break the record set last year with the same motor. (That motor powered the Yokohama-sponsored EV that beat the previous EV record set by Jeri Unser in 2003 by 65 seconds.)

This year's Yokohama EV, a rear-wheel-drive, open-wheel race car, was built by Summit Motorsports and driven by Japan’s Ikuo Hanawa. It used fuel-efficient Yokohama BluEarth tires and SANYO Electric Co. lithium-ion batteries. The Pikes Peak AC-180 motor, rated at 268 hp at 6,000–7,000 rpm and 258 lb.-ft. of torque from 0–5,000 rpm, is a high-performance version of the AC Propulsion AC-150 motor found in the BMW MINI E. The drive system utilizes the proprietary tzero-technology that also powered the MonoTracer MTE-150 to a first place victory in its category and achieved the highest efficiency overall in the 2010 Progressive Automotive X PRIZE.

AST Suspension – USA Sweeps Podium for Third Straight GRAND AM Continental Tire Challenge Race
AST Suspension swept the podium for the third straight GRAND AM Continential Tire Challenge race at the Road America 200. The Stevenson Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro RS.R driven by John Edward rocketed to the point position and eventually slid past Billy Johnson is his No. 61 Roush Performance Mustang Boss 302R before a full course caution and a heavily damaged retaining wall caused the race to end under yellow flag conditions. Johnson and Edwards traded the lead four times in the final 20 laps. Many times throughout the race, the two were running side-by-side and Edwards’ winning pass was made with a daring power slide through Turn 1. The Rum Bum Racing team in their No. 13 BMW M3 took the final podium position.

In addition to sweeping the top three finishing positions, nine teams running AST Suspension finished in the top 12. AST Suspension currently holds eight of the top nine positions in the 2011 season team standings for the Grand Sport class.

GRAND-AM Continental Tire Challenge teams utilizing AST dampers include: Turner Motorsport, Roush Performance, Stevenson Motorsports, Fall-Line Motorsports, BimmerWorld Racing, Rum Bum Racing, DeMan Motorsport, CKS Autosport, Subaru Road Racing Team, Finlay Motorsports, A.M. Performance, i-MOTO, Trade Manage Racing, BGB Motorsports, Doran Racing and Compass 360 Racing.

Round 8 of the Continental Tire Challenge will take place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California, on July 9.

	The new GT3 car, based on McLaren’s MP4-12C high-performance road car, appeared in its revised form at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, honed during a recent intense period of development.

Revised McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Debuts at 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed
The first McLaren car built for racing outside of Formula 1 since the McLaren F1 GTR made its public dynamic world debut at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, held June 30–July 3. The new GT3 car, based on McLaren’s MP4-12C high-performance road car, appeared in its revised form, honed during a recent intense period of development.

New components designed to optimize the car’s aerodynamic performance include a front radiator, which increases the maximum ambient temperature at which the car can run, along with a new gearbox cooler mounted on the rear Aerodeck. These features complete an aerodynamics package incorporating a new front splitter, door blade, rear wing, diffuser and louvres in the front fenders, all of which is produced entirely from carbon fiber by McLaren Racing, following design input from McLaren Automotive.

Led by McLaren Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh and CRS Racing Team Principal Andrew Kirkaldy, McLaren GT is spending the 2011 race season developing the 12C GT3 before delivering 20 cars to privateer teams for GT3 racing in Europe in 2012.

Like the 12C road car, the MP4-12C GT3 features a one-piece carbon-fiber chassis, the ‘MonoCell’. McLaren introduced a carbon-fiber monocoque to Formula 1 in 1981, and the 12C GT3 will feature several other Formula 1-derived technologies. The 12C GT3 will be supplied with the same steering wheel design used by Lewis Hamilton in his MP4-24 Formula 1 car. Formula 1 suppliers past and present, including Akebono, Mobil 1, McLaren Electronic Systems, Ricardo and Michelin, are working with McLaren GT to create a race car specification technologically superior to the GT3 competition in 2012.

Drivers of the GT3 car for the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend were Andrew Kirkaldy, 2010 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes test driver Oliver Turvey and McLaren Automotive Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin.

NHRA Unleashed and NMCA to Join Forces
The NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals series has announced that the Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed program will combine forces with the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) to deliver fun and close side-by-side racing for fans and competitors alike. The NHRA Unleashed program, which was formed in 2010, will be featured at five NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals events for the remainder of the 2011 season.
 


The NHRA has revised the 2011 NHRA Unleashed class rules and official schedule. Moving forward, the Unleashed classes will be featured at the following NMCA Flowmaster events: Auto Club Dragway at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (July 8–10); Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky (August 5–7); Milan Dragway in Milan, Michigan (August 26–28); Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, (October 6–9); and Royal Purple Raceway in Houston (November 11–13).
 


NMCA will waive NMCA membership fees for NHRA Unleashed racers, unless they want to compete for NMCA Series points. 
 


Aerospace Components and Trick Flow Specialties will continue to sponsor NHRA Unleashed, providing added benefits, including more than $3.1 million purse and cash contingencies for all five events, given the new association with NMCA Flowmaster series.
 


By combining resources, NHRA and NMCA will provide an opportunity for racers to take advantage of both organizations’ many benefits and services. The same opportunities can be extended to sponsors providing the opportunity to reach out to a larger group of participants and fans alike.

	The Yokohama-sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s electric-drive system won the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb's Exhibition Class and set a new EV record with a time of 12:20:084.

AC Propulsion Powers Yokohama-Sponsored Electric Vehicle to New Record at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The Yokohama-sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s proprietary electric-drive system broke its own 2010 record at the 89th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The AC Propulsion-equipped vehicle won the hill climb's Exhibition Class and set a new EV record with a time of 12:20:084, besting last year's record-breaking time of 13:17:575 by nearly one minute. It was also the race’s fastest EV among both cars and motorcycles.

For Team Yokohama’s winning EV race car, AC Propulsion engineers developed a high-performance cooling system for the vehicle’s 200-kW induction motor so it could operate at maximum output throughout the ascent up the mountain and break the record set last year with the same motor. (That motor powered the Yokohama-sponsored EV that beat the previous EV record set by Jeri Unser in 2003 by 65 seconds.)

This year's Yokohama EV, a rear-wheel-drive, open-wheel race car, was built by Summit Motorsports and driven by Japan’s Ikuo Hanawa. It used fuel-efficient Yokohama BluEarth tires and SANYO Electric Co. lithium-ion batteries. The Pikes Peak AC-180 motor, rated at 268 hp at 6,000–7,000 rpm and 258 lb.-ft. of torque from 0–5,000 rpm, is a high-performance version of the AC Propulsion AC-150 motor found in the BMW MINI E. The drive system utilizes the proprietary tzero-technology that also powered the MonoTracer MTE-150 to a first place victory in its category and achieved the highest efficiency overall in the 2010 Progressive Automotive X PRIZE.

AST Suspension – USA Sweeps Podium for Third Straight GRAND AM Continental Tire Challenge Race
AST Suspension swept the podium for the third straight GRAND AM Continential Tire Challenge race at the Road America 200. The Stevenson Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro RS.R driven by John Edward rocketed to the point position and eventually slid past Billy Johnson is his No. 61 Roush Performance Mustang Boss 302R before a full course caution and a heavily damaged retaining wall caused the race to end under yellow flag conditions. Johnson and Edwards traded the lead four times in the final 20 laps. Many times throughout the race, the two were running side-by-side and Edwards’ winning pass was made with a daring power slide through Turn 1. The Rum Bum Racing team in their No. 13 BMW M3 took the final podium position.

In addition to sweeping the top three finishing positions, nine teams running AST Suspension finished in the top 12. AST Suspension currently holds eight of the top nine positions in the 2011 season team standings for the Grand Sport class.

GRAND-AM Continental Tire Challenge teams utilizing AST dampers include: Turner Motorsport, Roush Performance, Stevenson Motorsports, Fall-Line Motorsports, BimmerWorld Racing, Rum Bum Racing, DeMan Motorsport, CKS Autosport, Subaru Road Racing Team, Finlay Motorsports, A.M. Performance, i-MOTO, Trade Manage Racing, BGB Motorsports, Doran Racing and Compass 360 Racing.

Round 8 of the Continental Tire Challenge will take place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California, on July 9.

	The new GT3 car, based on McLaren’s MP4-12C high-performance road car, appeared in its revised form at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, honed during a recent intense period of development.

Revised McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Debuts at 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed
The first McLaren car built for racing outside of Formula 1 since the McLaren F1 GTR made its public dynamic world debut at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, held June 30–July 3. The new GT3 car, based on McLaren’s MP4-12C high-performance road car, appeared in its revised form, honed during a recent intense period of development.

New components designed to optimize the car’s aerodynamic performance include a front radiator, which increases the maximum ambient temperature at which the car can run, along with a new gearbox cooler mounted on the rear Aerodeck. These features complete an aerodynamics package incorporating a new front splitter, door blade, rear wing, diffuser and louvres in the front fenders, all of which is produced entirely from carbon fiber by McLaren Racing, following design input from McLaren Automotive.

Led by McLaren Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh and CRS Racing Team Principal Andrew Kirkaldy, McLaren GT is spending the 2011 race season developing the 12C GT3 before delivering 20 cars to privateer teams for GT3 racing in Europe in 2012.

Like the 12C road car, the MP4-12C GT3 features a one-piece carbon-fiber chassis, the ‘MonoCell’. McLaren introduced a carbon-fiber monocoque to Formula 1 in 1981, and the 12C GT3 will feature several other Formula 1-derived technologies. The 12C GT3 will be supplied with the same steering wheel design used by Lewis Hamilton in his MP4-24 Formula 1 car. Formula 1 suppliers past and present, including Akebono, Mobil 1, McLaren Electronic Systems, Ricardo and Michelin, are working with McLaren GT to create a race car specification technologically superior to the GT3 competition in 2012.

Drivers of the GT3 car for the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend were Andrew Kirkaldy, 2010 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes test driver Oliver Turvey and McLaren Automotive Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin.

SEMA Show exhibitors can now get their news and announcements to editors and reporters by utilizing the online media center located at www.SEMAShow.com.

The service allows exhibitors to upload press releases to a single site where media will be able to access for comprehensive news from SEMA Show exhibitors. Exhibitors interested in uploading a release should visit www.SEMAShow.com/node/add/press. Media interested in viewing the press releases that have been submitted should visit www.SEMAShow.com/press.

SEMA Show exhibitors can now get their news and announcements to editors and reporters by utilizing the online media center located at www.SEMAShow.com.

The service allows exhibitors to upload press releases to a single site where media will be able to access for comprehensive news from SEMA Show exhibitors. Exhibitors interested in uploading a release should visit www.SEMAShow.com/node/add/press. Media interested in viewing the press releases that have been submitted should visit www.SEMAShow.com/press.

 

	The CarCareONE consumer credit card allows members to offer their customers more time to pay with 6- and 12-Month Special Financing options.

SEMA offers many benefits that can help members save money and grow their business, including consumer credit solutions. SEMA has partnered with GE Money on the CarCareONE consumer credit card, which allows participants to offer their customers more time to pay with 6- and 12-Month Special Financing options. It’s a win-win program for participating members and their customers. CarCareONE participants can:

• Create loyalty that translates to repeat customers, referrals and steady business.
• Demonstrate care for customers, their cars and their safety.
• Build customer trust in their business.

According to GE Money, a customer’s first credit card purchase averages $1,210 for the 12-Month CarCareONE card and $658 for the 6-Month CarCareONE card while other bank cards average only $180.

For more information or to enroll, go to www.SEMA.org/ConsumerCredit or contact Monica Terlouw, SEMA's senior director of member development, at 909/978-6695 or monicat@sema.org.