SEMA News—February 2013

Wheels Up

HERITAGE
By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archive

The third annual Hot Rod Magazine Championship Drags, held in June 1966, was a scorcher. On the track, that is. All the big names in drag racing came to Riverside loaded for bear: McEwen, Chrisman, Landy, Leal, Ongias, Swingle—and records tumbled.

Ron Rivero made a 7.33-second pass at 221.66 mph in AA/Fuel Dragster, notching both top speed of the meet and the fastest time ever logged at a major drag race to that date. Rivero may have been fastest, but it was Tom “Mongoose” McEwen who came away as the Top Fuel Eliminator of the meet, earning the right to appear on Hot Rod’s cover.

The odd-looking, altered-wheelbase, full-bodied dragsters that would soon evolve into Funny Cars were there, too, running in blown and unblown Experimental Stock classes. In his topless GT-1 Comet, Jack Chrisman would see speeds in excess of 184 mph on his way to winning the Exhibition Stock Eliminator battle on Sunday.

Yet even with all the serious racing going on, there was some goofing off, too. Petersen Publishing Company’s Fred Enke grabbed this shot of some of the fastest men on wheels—(from left) the weekend’s Top Gas winner Billy Scott, “Dandy” Dick Landy and Gary Gabelich—grabbing air (some more successfully than others) during a pause between races.

Compiled by SEMA Staff

2013 International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Dinner Anticipates Huge Crowd
According to Donna Garlits, general manager and CFO of the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, demand for tickets has been high for the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame’s latest class induction dinner and ceremony, presented by the National Hot Rod Association and Summit Racing Equipment. The event is to be held March 14 at the Gainesville, Florida, Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites.

The inductees and presenters for the 23rd class to the Hall of Fame include:

Inductee			Presenter
Dave Boertman			Allen Johnson
Wally Booth			John Jodauga
Bernie Fedderly			John Force and Robert Hight
Harry Hibler			Ed Pink
Hirata, Hobbs & Vodnik			Jack Beckman
K.S. Pittman			Greg Sharp
Dick Rosberg			Steve Earwood
Louis Senter			Antron Brown
Dr. Robert Post, Ph.D. (Founders Award)			Bruce Larson

The induction ceremonies begin with a cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m., with dinner served at 7:00 p.m. (EST). Legendary NHRA Announcer Bob Frey will serve as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies.

Ticket details and additional information are available by contacting Donna Garlits at 352-245-8661 or 877-271-3278, fax 352-245-6895 or e-mail donna@garlits.com.

Irwindale Opening Night March 27, 1999. Credit: Long Photography

Announcer Bruce Flanders Returns to Irwindale Speedway for 2013 Season
After a few years away (and the Speedway at Irwindale Event Center being dark for the 2012 season), the iconic Bruce Flanders will once again inform and entertain fans at the San Gabriel Valley speedway. Pasadena-born, Flanders' announcing credits run from the classic Hangtown motorcycle races to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and from Mickey Thompson's stadium off-road races, to being "type cast" in a number of blockbuster movies as a racing announcer. Flanders' daughter Megan will be up in the booth with him acting as his engineer, key grip and accomplice.

Hawk Performance Begins 12th Season of SCCA Partnership
Sports Car Club of America, Inc. (SCCA) and Hawk Performance have announced the continuation of their partnership, which names Hawk Performance the Official Brake Products of the SCCA for the 12th straight year.

In 2013, Hawk Performance will expand its Runoffs Hawk Hot Lap award into every SCCA SafeRacer National Racing Series event in addition to its finishing award certificates. Eligible drivers will earn a $50 product credit for each Hawk Hot Lap, with the first-, third- and fifth-place finishers also earning $75, $50 and $25 certificates, respectively.

In 2012, Hawk Performance awarded SCCA racers more than $22,500 in product certificates and 139 individual axle sets through its contingency prize program.

	Andrew Myers and Ross Savage won Class 1000.

FOX Athletes Capture Numerous Victories at BITD Season Opener
FOX athletes won in the Best in the Desert racing series' classes 1500, 1000, 1100, 6100 and 2000 at the Parker (Arizona) 425 race course.

In the unlimited open wheel class, (1500) Corey Keysar took the win and fifth-place overall ahead of FOX athlete Brian Parkhouse in second.

Class 1000 had 42 cars entered. The winning team of Andrew Myers and Ross Savage was the 32nd car in their class to leave the line but passed 18 other cars in the first 30 miles. The team just won the HDRA South Point 250 two weeks before the Parker race.

FOX athletes also took the top two spots in classes 1100 and 2000. In 1100, it was the Banning Motorsports team that dominated with Bryan Folks, (defending class 1100 champion) in his number 1178 taking first and teammate Ali Banning driving the Autism Speaks number 1123 in second place. The two were in a heated battle amongst themselves on the last lap, finishing within one minute of each other.

In 2000, (Limited 1600cc open wheeled buggies) the Mattox brothers Ryan and Ross were able to run flat out in the nearly dust-free conditions to take the victory over second-place FOX athlete Max Hanberg.

The 6100 class had only eight starters, but with several new trucks making their debut, the future of the young class looks very promising. Fox athletes swept the podium with the win going to the Camburg team with Jerry Whelchel behind the wheel.

	The MINI Mania team of 4 Classic MINI Coopers will race against some of the best Vintage race cars in the annual Premiere Vintage race event.

Team MINI Mania to Race at Sonoma Raceway
The MINI Mania team of 4 Classic MINI Coopers has been chosen to race against some of the best Vintage race cars in the annual Premiere Vintage race event. The team will be led by Don Racine racing both his Classic Yellow ’61 MINI Cooper #61 and the now-famous Aardvark. Dennis Racine will race his father's famous ’67 "Monty MINI" #177. Julie Racine will race a ’60 Green MINI originally built 20 years ago by her brother (Dennis). John Burnham (Don's son-in-law) will race another of Team MINI Mania's cars—a ’65 Silver MINI Cooper S.


The annual race draws from around the world more cars and drivers than can be accepted in any one event. Heritage of the cars and drivers are foremost in the selection as well as presentation at the event. Don Racine has been accepted since the first of these events 25 years ago. This will be the first year that all four of the Team MINI Mania MINI Coopers have been accepted for this event.


This year's Wine Country Classic Vintage Car Races (aka Sonoma Historical Motorsports Festival) will be held May 18–19, 2013, at the 12-turn, 2.52-mile Sears Point Raceway.

Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels Returns as 2013 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Sponsor
Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels has returned to the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) as a 2013 series sponsor. Through this program, Mickey Thompson will provide the Baja Pro tires and trackside support to racers, and will continue to work collaboratively with teams in the Pro 2 Unlimited, Pro 4 Unlimited, SuperLite, Pro Lite Unlimited and Pro Buggy Unlimited classes to test and prove off-road tire products.

AEM's Infinity stand-alone programmable engine management system was selected by Olsbergs MSE for use in its new Global Rallycross (GRC) SuperCar Lites program.

AEM Infinity ECU Selected for Engine Control in 
Olsbergs MSE Global Rallycross SuperCar Lites
AEM has announced that its Infinity stand-alone programmable engine management system was selected by Olsbergs MSE for use in its new Global Rallycross (GRC) SuperCar Lites program. The Infinity ECU was chosen by Olsbergs MSE for its power, flexibility and durability, as these purpose-built Rallycross cars are specifically designed to withstand the abuses incurred in Global Rallycross competition. The Infinity’s tuning power and processing speed, combined with a fully sealed enclosure able to withstand harsh environments made it the ideal engine management system for these cars.

In addition to the tuning capability of the ECU, the teams will also rely on the Infinity’s data-logging capabilities and on-board wideband air/fuel controllers for accurate air/fuel readings and calibrations. The cars are also using AEM’s 4-Channel Coil Driver to drive the ignition coils.

 AEM worked directly with Olsbergs MSE on the integration of the Infinity onto the SuperCar Lites.

According to AEM, the Infinity EMS delivers high-end engine control for the racing masses, providing technology, durability and capabilities that are typically found only in engine control units used at the top echelons of Motorsports, but at a price level that makes state-of-the-art ECU technology attainable to both professional teams and amateur racers. Built around a latest-generation 200MHz automotive processor, the Infinity is capable of processing 400 MIPS (millions of instructions per second).

	In his Duramax Powerflow Rail, Jeff Dean of Lancaster, Ohio, was the 2012 Top Diesel drag-racing champion.

2012 DIESEL Motorsports Year and Year-End Points Champions
DIESEL Motorsports had a great year with lots of diesel trucks and fans turning out for the events during 2012. New records were set and there were many new faces among the competitors.

At the Thunder in Muncie (Indiana) event, the late Dave Mitchell of Enterprise Engine was first DIESEL Motorsports Hall of Fame award recipient. Mitchell was one of the first Modified Diesel Pickup champions during the 1990s and early 2000s.

During the drag-racing portion of Thunder in Muncie, Jarid Vollmer with his BullyDog-sponsored ’07 Dodge pickup broke a world record in the Unlimited Drag Racing Class with a 9.69 at 148 mph.

At the East Coast Nationals in Numidia, Pennsylvania, Wade Moody in his S-10 Pro Stock truck broke the old record set by Gale Banks. At Numidia Dragway’s ¼-mile track, Moody ran a 7.73 at 178.76 mph, backed with a 7.56 at 181 mph. Moody again ran a 7.56 at 181 mph at Rocky Mountain Raceway in Salt Lake City at the Rocky Mountain Diesel Shootout.

In other news, Flowmaster Inc. of Santa Rosa, California, has announced that it has signed a multi-year official VIP tItle sponsorship agreement with DIESEL Motorsports, and will be the official VIP title sponsor of the diesel race and pulling sanctioning organization.

DIESEL Motorsports 2012 Point Champions

Workstock Kyle Harness, Frankfort, Indiana ’05 Chevy			2.6 Class Corrie Baker, Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania ’06 Chevy			3.0 Class Bryan Baker, New Carlisle, Ohio ’01 Dodge
Super Street Wayne Greier, Salem, Ohio ’97 Dodge			Modified Class Van Haisley, Fairmount, Indiana ’00 Dodge

Drag Racing

ET Bracket Doug Branens, Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania ’39 Rat Rod			Quick Diesel Steve Bohatch, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania ’99 Dodge			Unlimited Jarid Vollmer, Chubbuck, Idaho ’07 Dodge BullyDog Truck
Pro Stock Wade Moody, Mechanicsville, Maryland ’02 S-10 Chevy			Top Diesel Jeff Dean, Lancaster, Ohio Duramax Powerflow Rail

Compiled by SEMA Staff

2013 International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Dinner Anticipates Huge Crowd
According to Donna Garlits, general manager and CFO of the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, demand for tickets has been high for the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame’s latest class induction dinner and ceremony, presented by the National Hot Rod Association and Summit Racing Equipment. The event is to be held March 14 at the Gainesville, Florida, Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites.

The inductees and presenters for the 23rd class to the Hall of Fame include:

Inductee			Presenter
Dave Boertman			Allen Johnson
Wally Booth			John Jodauga
Bernie Fedderly			John Force and Robert Hight
Harry Hibler			Ed Pink
Hirata, Hobbs & Vodnik			Jack Beckman
K.S. Pittman			Greg Sharp
Dick Rosberg			Steve Earwood
Louis Senter			Antron Brown
Dr. Robert Post, Ph.D. (Founders Award)			Bruce Larson

The induction ceremonies begin with a cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m., with dinner served at 7:00 p.m. (EST). Legendary NHRA Announcer Bob Frey will serve as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies.

Ticket details and additional information are available by contacting Donna Garlits at 352-245-8661 or 877-271-3278, fax 352-245-6895 or e-mail donna@garlits.com.

Irwindale Opening Night March 27, 1999. Credit: Long Photography

Announcer Bruce Flanders Returns to Irwindale Speedway for 2013 Season
After a few years away (and the Speedway at Irwindale Event Center being dark for the 2012 season), the iconic Bruce Flanders will once again inform and entertain fans at the San Gabriel Valley speedway. Pasadena-born, Flanders' announcing credits run from the classic Hangtown motorcycle races to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and from Mickey Thompson's stadium off-road races, to being "type cast" in a number of blockbuster movies as a racing announcer. Flanders' daughter Megan will be up in the booth with him acting as his engineer, key grip and accomplice.

Hawk Performance Begins 12th Season of SCCA Partnership
Sports Car Club of America, Inc. (SCCA) and Hawk Performance have announced the continuation of their partnership, which names Hawk Performance the Official Brake Products of the SCCA for the 12th straight year.

In 2013, Hawk Performance will expand its Runoffs Hawk Hot Lap award into every SCCA SafeRacer National Racing Series event in addition to its finishing award certificates. Eligible drivers will earn a $50 product credit for each Hawk Hot Lap, with the first-, third- and fifth-place finishers also earning $75, $50 and $25 certificates, respectively.

In 2012, Hawk Performance awarded SCCA racers more than $22,500 in product certificates and 139 individual axle sets through its contingency prize program.

	Andrew Myers and Ross Savage won Class 1000.

FOX Athletes Capture Numerous Victories at BITD Season Opener
FOX athletes won in the Best in the Desert racing series' classes 1500, 1000, 1100, 6100 and 2000 at the Parker (Arizona) 425 race course.

In the unlimited open wheel class, (1500) Corey Keysar took the win and fifth-place overall ahead of FOX athlete Brian Parkhouse in second.

Class 1000 had 42 cars entered. The winning team of Andrew Myers and Ross Savage was the 32nd car in their class to leave the line but passed 18 other cars in the first 30 miles. The team just won the HDRA South Point 250 two weeks before the Parker race.

FOX athletes also took the top two spots in classes 1100 and 2000. In 1100, it was the Banning Motorsports team that dominated with Bryan Folks, (defending class 1100 champion) in his number 1178 taking first and teammate Ali Banning driving the Autism Speaks number 1123 in second place. The two were in a heated battle amongst themselves on the last lap, finishing within one minute of each other.

In 2000, (Limited 1600cc open wheeled buggies) the Mattox brothers Ryan and Ross were able to run flat out in the nearly dust-free conditions to take the victory over second-place FOX athlete Max Hanberg.

The 6100 class had only eight starters, but with several new trucks making their debut, the future of the young class looks very promising. Fox athletes swept the podium with the win going to the Camburg team with Jerry Whelchel behind the wheel.

	The MINI Mania team of 4 Classic MINI Coopers will race against some of the best Vintage race cars in the annual Premiere Vintage race event.

Team MINI Mania to Race at Sonoma Raceway
The MINI Mania team of 4 Classic MINI Coopers has been chosen to race against some of the best Vintage race cars in the annual Premiere Vintage race event. The team will be led by Don Racine racing both his Classic Yellow ’61 MINI Cooper #61 and the now-famous Aardvark. Dennis Racine will race his father's famous ’67 "Monty MINI" #177. Julie Racine will race a ’60 Green MINI originally built 20 years ago by her brother (Dennis). John Burnham (Don's son-in-law) will race another of Team MINI Mania's cars—a ’65 Silver MINI Cooper S.


The annual race draws from around the world more cars and drivers than can be accepted in any one event. Heritage of the cars and drivers are foremost in the selection as well as presentation at the event. Don Racine has been accepted since the first of these events 25 years ago. This will be the first year that all four of the Team MINI Mania MINI Coopers have been accepted for this event.


This year's Wine Country Classic Vintage Car Races (aka Sonoma Historical Motorsports Festival) will be held May 18–19, 2013, at the 12-turn, 2.52-mile Sears Point Raceway.

Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels Returns as 2013 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Sponsor
Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels has returned to the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) as a 2013 series sponsor. Through this program, Mickey Thompson will provide the Baja Pro tires and trackside support to racers, and will continue to work collaboratively with teams in the Pro 2 Unlimited, Pro 4 Unlimited, SuperLite, Pro Lite Unlimited and Pro Buggy Unlimited classes to test and prove off-road tire products.

AEM's Infinity stand-alone programmable engine management system was selected by Olsbergs MSE for use in its new Global Rallycross (GRC) SuperCar Lites program.

AEM Infinity ECU Selected for Engine Control in 
Olsbergs MSE Global Rallycross SuperCar Lites
AEM has announced that its Infinity stand-alone programmable engine management system was selected by Olsbergs MSE for use in its new Global Rallycross (GRC) SuperCar Lites program. The Infinity ECU was chosen by Olsbergs MSE for its power, flexibility and durability, as these purpose-built Rallycross cars are specifically designed to withstand the abuses incurred in Global Rallycross competition. The Infinity’s tuning power and processing speed, combined with a fully sealed enclosure able to withstand harsh environments made it the ideal engine management system for these cars.

In addition to the tuning capability of the ECU, the teams will also rely on the Infinity’s data-logging capabilities and on-board wideband air/fuel controllers for accurate air/fuel readings and calibrations. The cars are also using AEM’s 4-Channel Coil Driver to drive the ignition coils.

 AEM worked directly with Olsbergs MSE on the integration of the Infinity onto the SuperCar Lites.

According to AEM, the Infinity EMS delivers high-end engine control for the racing masses, providing technology, durability and capabilities that are typically found only in engine control units used at the top echelons of Motorsports, but at a price level that makes state-of-the-art ECU technology attainable to both professional teams and amateur racers. Built around a latest-generation 200MHz automotive processor, the Infinity is capable of processing 400 MIPS (millions of instructions per second).

	In his Duramax Powerflow Rail, Jeff Dean of Lancaster, Ohio, was the 2012 Top Diesel drag-racing champion.

2012 DIESEL Motorsports Year and Year-End Points Champions
DIESEL Motorsports had a great year with lots of diesel trucks and fans turning out for the events during 2012. New records were set and there were many new faces among the competitors.

At the Thunder in Muncie (Indiana) event, the late Dave Mitchell of Enterprise Engine was first DIESEL Motorsports Hall of Fame award recipient. Mitchell was one of the first Modified Diesel Pickup champions during the 1990s and early 2000s.

During the drag-racing portion of Thunder in Muncie, Jarid Vollmer with his BullyDog-sponsored ’07 Dodge pickup broke a world record in the Unlimited Drag Racing Class with a 9.69 at 148 mph.

At the East Coast Nationals in Numidia, Pennsylvania, Wade Moody in his S-10 Pro Stock truck broke the old record set by Gale Banks. At Numidia Dragway’s ¼-mile track, Moody ran a 7.73 at 178.76 mph, backed with a 7.56 at 181 mph. Moody again ran a 7.56 at 181 mph at Rocky Mountain Raceway in Salt Lake City at the Rocky Mountain Diesel Shootout.

In other news, Flowmaster Inc. of Santa Rosa, California, has announced that it has signed a multi-year official VIP tItle sponsorship agreement with DIESEL Motorsports, and will be the official VIP title sponsor of the diesel race and pulling sanctioning organization.

DIESEL Motorsports 2012 Point Champions

Workstock Kyle Harness, Frankfort, Indiana ’05 Chevy			2.6 Class Corrie Baker, Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania ’06 Chevy			3.0 Class Bryan Baker, New Carlisle, Ohio ’01 Dodge
Super Street Wayne Greier, Salem, Ohio ’97 Dodge			Modified Class Van Haisley, Fairmount, Indiana ’00 Dodge

Drag Racing

ET Bracket Doug Branens, Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania ’39 Rat Rod			Quick Diesel Steve Bohatch, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania ’99 Dodge			Unlimited Jarid Vollmer, Chubbuck, Idaho ’07 Dodge BullyDog Truck
Pro Stock Wade Moody, Mechanicsville, Maryland ’02 S-10 Chevy			Top Diesel Jeff Dean, Lancaster, Ohio Duramax Powerflow Rail

By SEMA Staff

	Four auctions to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project have begun on eBay. Each auction will consist of a race-car hood autographed by Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and/or Ray Evernham.

David Prickett, owner of Western Performance Parts and Neverlift Motorsports in Fresno, California, has announced that four auctions to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project have begun on eBay. Each auction will consist of a race-car hood autographed by Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and/or Ray Evernham, as well as a photo of the car as it competed in the 2013 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals and a photo of Stewart, Evernham or Kahne signing the hood.

"I am extremely excited about these auctions, and I hope we can raise a lot of money for the Wounded Warrior Project," said Prickett. "This whole deal has been a lot of fun and I've had the pleasure of talking with some great people."

The auctions will last 10 days on eBay, and at the completion of the auctions, Neverlift Motorsports will make the donation to the Wounded Warrior Project. Direct links to the auctions are:

• Navy hood
• Marines hood
• Air Force hood
• Army hood

The following individuals and companies are involved in this project: Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Ray Evernham, Tony Stewart Racing, Fabozzi Motorsports, Kassik Motorsports, Jesse Frazier, Crysalli Artesian Water, Mt. Rose Mixes, Western Performance Parts, Wunder-Bar, Millican Farming Service, Frazier Construction, TK All State, Memorial Machine, Pro Screen Signs and Graphics, Top Shelf Design, Afco Racing, Hoosier Tire, Simpson Race Products, K&N Engineering, Shell Shock Design, Wilwood Engineering, Moose Motorsports, SpeedTech Chassis, Caps Jet-Hot Coatings, XRP, MPD Racing, Schoenfeld Headers, Royal Purple and MaxiLube.

NEWS NUGGETS

SCHUMACHER COMMITS TO THIRD TOP FUELER WITH FULL SPONSORSHIP FROM SCHUMACHER ELECTRIC CORP.: Don Schumacher Racing (DSR), with financial backing from Don Schumacher's Schumacher Electric Corp., will start the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series with the same number of teams it ended with last year, including the third-ranked Top Fuel team. In addition to reigning world champion Antron Brown and the Matco Tools Top Fuel team and Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team, which finished seven points behind Brown last season, DSR will field a third team with crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler and driver Spencer Massey when the season begins February 14–17, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries in Pomona. The dragster that finished last season ranked third in points with four event titles will carry the banner of Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher. The status of DSR’s third-ranked team from last year was left in limbo for 2013 when longtime NHRA and DSR sponsor FRAM/Prestone opted last summer to not continue motorsports sponsorships upon the conclusion of the 2012 season. For more on this story, visit www.nhra.com.

DEFENDING NHRA MELLO YELLO WORLD CHAMPS READY TO BEGIN TITLE DEFENSES: The off-season couldn’t slip by quick enough for NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world champions Antron Brown, Jack Beckman and Allen Johnson. All three drivers can’t wait to get out to drag racing’s birthplace in Southern California in less than two weeks and get the 2013 season started. The three drivers will officially begin defense of their respective world championships in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock at the 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries, February 14–17, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race, which will be televised on ESPN2HD, is the first of 24 events in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Brown, who became the first African-American to earn a major auto-racing championship last year over seven-time champ Tony Schumacher, says he’s eager to begin working on becoming a two-time champ.

“Last year now is pretty much done and over with,” Brown said. “So we’re back at work, just like usual. We’re putting those hours in. The effort is definitely going forward. We want to contend for a championship again, and we want to defend our title.”

Visit www.nhra.com for more on this story.

MAIL TERMINAL SERVICES, BECKMAN CAR TO DELIVER SUPPORT FOR AMERICAN HEROES: Mail Terminal Services (MTS), owned by avid drag racers Rodger and Karen Comstock, has expanded its role for 2013 on the Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car driven by NHRA Funny Car world champion Jack Beckman. MTS will use exposure on Beckman's record-setting Dodge to promote the Mail for Wounded Warriors and Hire a Hero programs. MTS will have postcards at Beckman's pit area and in Don Schumacher Racing hospitality pavilions at each of the 24 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national events for fans to write notes to America's heroes. The Mail for Wounded Warriors/Hire a Hero MTS Dodge will debut its primary sponsorship February 22–24, at the NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix and run at six other national events. At the other 17 NHRA Mello Yello events, the Mail for Wounded Warriors message will be prominently displayed on Beckman's car. MTS not only will deliver the cards to wounded warriors, but also will donate $1 to the Wounded Warriors organization for each postcard that fans complete at NHRA Mello Yello events. The postcards and a kiosk at Beckman's pit will be available at all 24 events beginning February 14–17 at the season-opening O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries in Pomona.

"MTS will have a kiosk available for NHRA fans to participate in this worthwhile program," said Rodger Comstock, president and chief executive officer of Mail Terminal Services. "We will supply postcards for fans to express gratitude, support, encouragement and thanks to those who sacrificed for our freedom. Mail Terminal Services, with the support of our partner Don Schumacher Racing, will honor service members injured while on duty fighting for our country. Postcards with words of encouragement and support will be sent to wounded warriors in areas hosting the 24 NHRA national events.”

Visit www.nhra.com for more on this story.

DSR HIRES VETERAN VENABLES TO TUNE HAGAN’S MOPAR/ROCKY FUNNY CAR: Don Schumacher Racing has announced that veteran NHRA crew chief Dickie Venables has been hired to lead the Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driven by Matt Hagan. Venables, 48, has worked for some of the top teams in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and won world championships as a crew chief and assistant crew chief.

“I don’t know Dickie real good, but he sure seems like a nice guy, and I know he can tune a race car,” Hagan said. “I’m ready to rock and roll.”

Veteran DSR crew chief Todd Okuhara, who helped tune Hagan’s Dodge to a 4.03-second run during testing last month, will help Venables adjust to the DSR operation.

“I helped Rob [Wendland] with Johnny Gray’s Funny Car at the end of 2011, but I left before I really got to know most of the other crew chiefs,” said Venables, a Houston native who has lived in Avon, Indiana, for the past 15 years.

In Venables, team owner Don Schumacher has found a talented team leader who he knows will fit into his system.

“An advantage to having seven teams is having a wealth of talented, knowledgeable crew chiefs who want to work together and share data that helps the entire DSR operation,” he said. “I’ve watched Dickie work in NHRA Drag Racing for a long time, and after he joined DSR to help us a couple years ago, I saw he would be perfect with other crew chiefs.” Venables added, “Team owners in our sport don’t have multicar operations because it’s cool. The more data you have leads to how much better your cars run.”

COMING ATTRACTIONS

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS, Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, February 14–17: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series returns to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for the start of the 2013 season with new colors. After a dramatic ending to the 2012 season, drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock are looking to pick up where they left off and bring more heat to the track for the season-opener. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATix.com.

NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS, Firebird International Raceway, February 22–24: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series makes its second stop of the 2013 season just south of downtown Phoenix. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will earn points towards the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season points standings. The 2012 winners of the event are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 602-268-0200 or visit firebird.ticketforce.com.

AMALIE OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS, Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, March 14–17: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series makes its third of 24 stops of the 2013 season in the sunshine state of Florida. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points towards the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800-884-6472or log on to NHRATix.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

DEJORIA EMBARKS ON NEW YEAR WITH NEW CREW CHIEF, NOT-SO-NEW TEAMMATE: During the 2012 season, Alexis DeJoria was a devoted student, experiencing the highs and lows of a rookie year. She qualified for all but three events on the 23-race schedule and earned a season-high start from the No. 5 position at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis to cap a memorable summer that began with a visit to her first final round as a professional Funny Car driver in Bristol.

"Last season didn't disappoint, I'll tell you that much," said DeJoria, who climbed steadily through the sportsman ranks before going pro, first driving a ’63 Corvette roadster in Super Gas and then a Super Comp dragster prior to transitioning into a Top Alcohol Funny Car. "I had pretty even expectations in the beginning just hoping to qualify, hoping to get past first round. Of course, every time we go out there, we always want to win, and that's my goal and motivation, but I didn't right off the bat expect that we would get to a final. We were building for the future really, so it was definitely exciting. These cars are so amazing in the amount of power and every little thing that happens on a run. Every time you go down the track, you learn something new.”

For more on this story, visit www.nhra.com. 


INSIDE THE NUMBERS

5: NUMBER OF STOPS DURING NHRA LOS ANGELES MEDIA TOUR WITH TOP FUEL ROOKIE BRITTANY FORCE AND FUNNY CAR FAN-FAVORITE COURTNEY FORCE: To preview the start of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, Courtney and Brittany Force visited with several media outlets in the Los Angeles area, Tuesday, February 5. The first stop was at the John Force Racing shop in Yorba Linda where the duo had a photo shoot and interview with the Orange County Register. You can’t have an all-day event without a little food, so during a quick lunch break at The Derby restaurant in Arcadia, the Forces met with reporters from the Los Angeles Times, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and Hot Rod magazine, as well as a few local radio personalities. In the afternoon, the Force sisters were interviewed by KABC anchor John Hartung and KCBS/KCAL sports anchor Gary Miller as they talked about the upcoming O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, February 14–17. The final stop of the NHRA LA Media Tour was at LA’s FOX affiliate KTTV for a live segment on the Studio 11 show with anchor Liz Habib.

DID YOU KNOW…

NEW ANCHOR, FRESH APPROACH FOR ESPN’S NHRA COVERAGE IN 2013: The NHRA will enter the 2013 season with a new anchor on its ESPN telecasts and a fresh approach to the television coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opens February 14–17, with the 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Dave Rieff, who has been a pit reporter since ESPN began its NHRA coverage in 2001 and a staple of NHRA television for 17 years, will move into the anchor announcer position for the 2013 season. In addition to hosting coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Rieff will continue his lead role on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts. Joining Rieff in calling the action from the booth will be former NHRA racer Mike Dunn, who is beginning his 12th year with ESPN as a color analyst for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Gary Gerould will return as a pit reporter at all 24 events. Veteran announcer John Kernan, who joined the NHRA telecast team in 2007, will split pit reporter and trackside duties with Jamie Howe. Howe has served as a pit reporter for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts since 2011, and this year she will increase her presence in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series telecasts.

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series viewers can anticipate a fresh approach to the telecasts in 2013. As ESPN and the NHRA work together, programs will capture even more of the drama of the NHRA, showcase the stars of the sport and incorporate new format changes to both the qualifying and race-day telecasts. ESPN will look to deliver more stories and analysis on the strategy of the sport, a stronger focus on head-to-head matchups and more technical pieces. The stars of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing will be showcased with all-access wired segments, features on the drivers, and the development of power rankings in the categories. ESPN and the NHRA also will work to make more use of social media platforms during the telecasts.

In all, ESPN will dedicate more than 110 hours of original programming to the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series on a same-day basis. The NHRA and ESPN will experiment with live coverage of qualifying and finals during the year. The first weekend to feature live racing action is the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries from Royal Purple Raceway in Houston, April 27–28. The final session of qualifying will air live on Saturday, April 27, from 3:00–5:00 p.m. (EDT). In addition, NHRA and ESPN will telecast live on Sunday, joining the racing action beginning with the semifinals in the Professional categories. The Sunday telecast will begin at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) April 28. The NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, August 28–September 2, will again feature 11 hours of wall-to-wall coverage, including complete coverage of final eliminations Monday, September 2, from 12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. (EDT).

NEWS NUGGETS

SCHUMACHER COMMITS TO THIRD TOP FUELER WITH FULL SPONSORSHIP FROM SCHUMACHER ELECTRIC CORP.: Don Schumacher Racing (DSR), with financial backing from Don Schumacher's Schumacher Electric Corp., will start the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series with the same number of teams it ended with last year, including the third-ranked Top Fuel team. In addition to reigning world champion Antron Brown and the Matco Tools Top Fuel team and Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team, which finished seven points behind Brown last season, DSR will field a third team with crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler and driver Spencer Massey when the season begins February 14–17, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries in Pomona. The dragster that finished last season ranked third in points with four event titles will carry the banner of Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher. The status of DSR’s third-ranked team from last year was left in limbo for 2013 when longtime NHRA and DSR sponsor FRAM/Prestone opted last summer to not continue motorsports sponsorships upon the conclusion of the 2012 season. For more on this story, visit www.nhra.com.

DEFENDING NHRA MELLO YELLO WORLD CHAMPS READY TO BEGIN TITLE DEFENSES: The off-season couldn’t slip by quick enough for NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world champions Antron Brown, Jack Beckman and Allen Johnson. All three drivers can’t wait to get out to drag racing’s birthplace in Southern California in less than two weeks and get the 2013 season started. The three drivers will officially begin defense of their respective world championships in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock at the 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries, February 14–17, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race, which will be televised on ESPN2HD, is the first of 24 events in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Brown, who became the first African-American to earn a major auto-racing championship last year over seven-time champ Tony Schumacher, says he’s eager to begin working on becoming a two-time champ.

“Last year now is pretty much done and over with,” Brown said. “So we’re back at work, just like usual. We’re putting those hours in. The effort is definitely going forward. We want to contend for a championship again, and we want to defend our title.”

Visit www.nhra.com for more on this story.

MAIL TERMINAL SERVICES, BECKMAN CAR TO DELIVER SUPPORT FOR AMERICAN HEROES: Mail Terminal Services (MTS), owned by avid drag racers Rodger and Karen Comstock, has expanded its role for 2013 on the Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car driven by NHRA Funny Car world champion Jack Beckman. MTS will use exposure on Beckman's record-setting Dodge to promote the Mail for Wounded Warriors and Hire a Hero programs. MTS will have postcards at Beckman's pit area and in Don Schumacher Racing hospitality pavilions at each of the 24 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national events for fans to write notes to America's heroes. The Mail for Wounded Warriors/Hire a Hero MTS Dodge will debut its primary sponsorship February 22–24, at the NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix and run at six other national events. At the other 17 NHRA Mello Yello events, the Mail for Wounded Warriors message will be prominently displayed on Beckman's car. MTS not only will deliver the cards to wounded warriors, but also will donate $1 to the Wounded Warriors organization for each postcard that fans complete at NHRA Mello Yello events. The postcards and a kiosk at Beckman's pit will be available at all 24 events beginning February 14–17 at the season-opening O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries in Pomona.

"MTS will have a kiosk available for NHRA fans to participate in this worthwhile program," said Rodger Comstock, president and chief executive officer of Mail Terminal Services. "We will supply postcards for fans to express gratitude, support, encouragement and thanks to those who sacrificed for our freedom. Mail Terminal Services, with the support of our partner Don Schumacher Racing, will honor service members injured while on duty fighting for our country. Postcards with words of encouragement and support will be sent to wounded warriors in areas hosting the 24 NHRA national events.”

Visit www.nhra.com for more on this story.

DSR HIRES VETERAN VENABLES TO TUNE HAGAN’S MOPAR/ROCKY FUNNY CAR: Don Schumacher Racing has announced that veteran NHRA crew chief Dickie Venables has been hired to lead the Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driven by Matt Hagan. Venables, 48, has worked for some of the top teams in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and won world championships as a crew chief and assistant crew chief.

“I don’t know Dickie real good, but he sure seems like a nice guy, and I know he can tune a race car,” Hagan said. “I’m ready to rock and roll.”

Veteran DSR crew chief Todd Okuhara, who helped tune Hagan’s Dodge to a 4.03-second run during testing last month, will help Venables adjust to the DSR operation.

“I helped Rob [Wendland] with Johnny Gray’s Funny Car at the end of 2011, but I left before I really got to know most of the other crew chiefs,” said Venables, a Houston native who has lived in Avon, Indiana, for the past 15 years.

In Venables, team owner Don Schumacher has found a talented team leader who he knows will fit into his system.

“An advantage to having seven teams is having a wealth of talented, knowledgeable crew chiefs who want to work together and share data that helps the entire DSR operation,” he said. “I’ve watched Dickie work in NHRA Drag Racing for a long time, and after he joined DSR to help us a couple years ago, I saw he would be perfect with other crew chiefs.” Venables added, “Team owners in our sport don’t have multicar operations because it’s cool. The more data you have leads to how much better your cars run.”

COMING ATTRACTIONS

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS, Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, February 14–17: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series returns to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for the start of the 2013 season with new colors. After a dramatic ending to the 2012 season, drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock are looking to pick up where they left off and bring more heat to the track for the season-opener. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATix.com.

NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS, Firebird International Raceway, February 22–24: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series makes its second stop of the 2013 season just south of downtown Phoenix. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will earn points towards the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season points standings. The 2012 winners of the event are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 602-268-0200 or visit firebird.ticketforce.com.

AMALIE OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS, Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, March 14–17: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series makes its third of 24 stops of the 2013 season in the sunshine state of Florida. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points towards the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800-884-6472or log on to NHRATix.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

DEJORIA EMBARKS ON NEW YEAR WITH NEW CREW CHIEF, NOT-SO-NEW TEAMMATE: During the 2012 season, Alexis DeJoria was a devoted student, experiencing the highs and lows of a rookie year. She qualified for all but three events on the 23-race schedule and earned a season-high start from the No. 5 position at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis to cap a memorable summer that began with a visit to her first final round as a professional Funny Car driver in Bristol.

"Last season didn't disappoint, I'll tell you that much," said DeJoria, who climbed steadily through the sportsman ranks before going pro, first driving a ’63 Corvette roadster in Super Gas and then a Super Comp dragster prior to transitioning into a Top Alcohol Funny Car. "I had pretty even expectations in the beginning just hoping to qualify, hoping to get past first round. Of course, every time we go out there, we always want to win, and that's my goal and motivation, but I didn't right off the bat expect that we would get to a final. We were building for the future really, so it was definitely exciting. These cars are so amazing in the amount of power and every little thing that happens on a run. Every time you go down the track, you learn something new.”

For more on this story, visit www.nhra.com. 


INSIDE THE NUMBERS

5: NUMBER OF STOPS DURING NHRA LOS ANGELES MEDIA TOUR WITH TOP FUEL ROOKIE BRITTANY FORCE AND FUNNY CAR FAN-FAVORITE COURTNEY FORCE: To preview the start of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, Courtney and Brittany Force visited with several media outlets in the Los Angeles area, Tuesday, February 5. The first stop was at the John Force Racing shop in Yorba Linda where the duo had a photo shoot and interview with the Orange County Register. You can’t have an all-day event without a little food, so during a quick lunch break at The Derby restaurant in Arcadia, the Forces met with reporters from the Los Angeles Times, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and Hot Rod magazine, as well as a few local radio personalities. In the afternoon, the Force sisters were interviewed by KABC anchor John Hartung and KCBS/KCAL sports anchor Gary Miller as they talked about the upcoming O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, February 14–17. The final stop of the NHRA LA Media Tour was at LA’s FOX affiliate KTTV for a live segment on the Studio 11 show with anchor Liz Habib.

DID YOU KNOW…

NEW ANCHOR, FRESH APPROACH FOR ESPN’S NHRA COVERAGE IN 2013: The NHRA will enter the 2013 season with a new anchor on its ESPN telecasts and a fresh approach to the television coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opens February 14–17, with the 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Dave Rieff, who has been a pit reporter since ESPN began its NHRA coverage in 2001 and a staple of NHRA television for 17 years, will move into the anchor announcer position for the 2013 season. In addition to hosting coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Rieff will continue his lead role on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts. Joining Rieff in calling the action from the booth will be former NHRA racer Mike Dunn, who is beginning his 12th year with ESPN as a color analyst for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Gary Gerould will return as a pit reporter at all 24 events. Veteran announcer John Kernan, who joined the NHRA telecast team in 2007, will split pit reporter and trackside duties with Jamie Howe. Howe has served as a pit reporter for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts since 2011, and this year she will increase her presence in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series telecasts.

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series viewers can anticipate a fresh approach to the telecasts in 2013. As ESPN and the NHRA work together, programs will capture even more of the drama of the NHRA, showcase the stars of the sport and incorporate new format changes to both the qualifying and race-day telecasts. ESPN will look to deliver more stories and analysis on the strategy of the sport, a stronger focus on head-to-head matchups and more technical pieces. The stars of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing will be showcased with all-access wired segments, features on the drivers, and the development of power rankings in the categories. ESPN and the NHRA also will work to make more use of social media platforms during the telecasts.

In all, ESPN will dedicate more than 110 hours of original programming to the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series on a same-day basis. The NHRA and ESPN will experiment with live coverage of qualifying and finals during the year. The first weekend to feature live racing action is the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries from Royal Purple Raceway in Houston, April 27–28. The final session of qualifying will air live on Saturday, April 27, from 3:00–5:00 p.m. (EDT). In addition, NHRA and ESPN will telecast live on Sunday, joining the racing action beginning with the semifinals in the Professional categories. The Sunday telecast will begin at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) April 28. The NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, August 28–September 2, will again feature 11 hours of wall-to-wall coverage, including complete coverage of final eliminations Monday, September 2, from 12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. (EDT).

NEWS NUGGETS

SCHUMACHER COMMITS TO THIRD TOP FUELER WITH FULL SPONSORSHIP FROM SCHUMACHER ELECTRIC CORP.: Don Schumacher Racing (DSR), with financial backing from Don Schumacher's Schumacher Electric Corp., will start the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series with the same number of teams it ended with last year, including the third-ranked Top Fuel team. In addition to reigning world champion Antron Brown and the Matco Tools Top Fuel team and Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team, which finished seven points behind Brown last season, DSR will field a third team with crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler and driver Spencer Massey when the season begins February 14–17, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries in Pomona. The dragster that finished last season ranked third in points with four event titles will carry the banner of Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher. The status of DSR’s third-ranked team from last year was left in limbo for 2013 when longtime NHRA and DSR sponsor FRAM/Prestone opted last summer to not continue motorsports sponsorships upon the conclusion of the 2012 season. For more on this story, visit www.nhra.com.

DEFENDING NHRA MELLO YELLO WORLD CHAMPS READY TO BEGIN TITLE DEFENSES: The off-season couldn’t slip by quick enough for NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world champions Antron Brown, Jack Beckman and Allen Johnson. All three drivers can’t wait to get out to drag racing’s birthplace in Southern California in less than two weeks and get the 2013 season started. The three drivers will officially begin defense of their respective world championships in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock at the 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries, February 14–17, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race, which will be televised on ESPN2HD, is the first of 24 events in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Brown, who became the first African-American to earn a major auto-racing championship last year over seven-time champ Tony Schumacher, says he’s eager to begin working on becoming a two-time champ.

“Last year now is pretty much done and over with,” Brown said. “So we’re back at work, just like usual. We’re putting those hours in. The effort is definitely going forward. We want to contend for a championship again, and we want to defend our title.”

Visit www.nhra.com for more on this story.

MAIL TERMINAL SERVICES, BECKMAN CAR TO DELIVER SUPPORT FOR AMERICAN HEROES: Mail Terminal Services (MTS), owned by avid drag racers Rodger and Karen Comstock, has expanded its role for 2013 on the Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car driven by NHRA Funny Car world champion Jack Beckman. MTS will use exposure on Beckman's record-setting Dodge to promote the Mail for Wounded Warriors and Hire a Hero programs. MTS will have postcards at Beckman's pit area and in Don Schumacher Racing hospitality pavilions at each of the 24 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national events for fans to write notes to America's heroes. The Mail for Wounded Warriors/Hire a Hero MTS Dodge will debut its primary sponsorship February 22–24, at the NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix and run at six other national events. At the other 17 NHRA Mello Yello events, the Mail for Wounded Warriors message will be prominently displayed on Beckman's car. MTS not only will deliver the cards to wounded warriors, but also will donate $1 to the Wounded Warriors organization for each postcard that fans complete at NHRA Mello Yello events. The postcards and a kiosk at Beckman's pit will be available at all 24 events beginning February 14–17 at the season-opening O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries in Pomona.

"MTS will have a kiosk available for NHRA fans to participate in this worthwhile program," said Rodger Comstock, president and chief executive officer of Mail Terminal Services. "We will supply postcards for fans to express gratitude, support, encouragement and thanks to those who sacrificed for our freedom. Mail Terminal Services, with the support of our partner Don Schumacher Racing, will honor service members injured while on duty fighting for our country. Postcards with words of encouragement and support will be sent to wounded warriors in areas hosting the 24 NHRA national events.”

Visit www.nhra.com for more on this story.

DSR HIRES VETERAN VENABLES TO TUNE HAGAN’S MOPAR/ROCKY FUNNY CAR: Don Schumacher Racing has announced that veteran NHRA crew chief Dickie Venables has been hired to lead the Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driven by Matt Hagan. Venables, 48, has worked for some of the top teams in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and won world championships as a crew chief and assistant crew chief.

“I don’t know Dickie real good, but he sure seems like a nice guy, and I know he can tune a race car,” Hagan said. “I’m ready to rock and roll.”

Veteran DSR crew chief Todd Okuhara, who helped tune Hagan’s Dodge to a 4.03-second run during testing last month, will help Venables adjust to the DSR operation.

“I helped Rob [Wendland] with Johnny Gray’s Funny Car at the end of 2011, but I left before I really got to know most of the other crew chiefs,” said Venables, a Houston native who has lived in Avon, Indiana, for the past 15 years.

In Venables, team owner Don Schumacher has found a talented team leader who he knows will fit into his system.

“An advantage to having seven teams is having a wealth of talented, knowledgeable crew chiefs who want to work together and share data that helps the entire DSR operation,” he said. “I’ve watched Dickie work in NHRA Drag Racing for a long time, and after he joined DSR to help us a couple years ago, I saw he would be perfect with other crew chiefs.” Venables added, “Team owners in our sport don’t have multicar operations because it’s cool. The more data you have leads to how much better your cars run.”

COMING ATTRACTIONS

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS, Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, February 14–17: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series returns to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for the start of the 2013 season with new colors. After a dramatic ending to the 2012 season, drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock are looking to pick up where they left off and bring more heat to the track for the season-opener. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATix.com.

NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS, Firebird International Raceway, February 22–24: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series makes its second stop of the 2013 season just south of downtown Phoenix. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will earn points towards the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season points standings. The 2012 winners of the event are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 602-268-0200 or visit firebird.ticketforce.com.

AMALIE OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS, Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, March 14–17: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series makes its third of 24 stops of the 2013 season in the sunshine state of Florida. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points towards the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800-884-6472or log on to NHRATix.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

DEJORIA EMBARKS ON NEW YEAR WITH NEW CREW CHIEF, NOT-SO-NEW TEAMMATE: During the 2012 season, Alexis DeJoria was a devoted student, experiencing the highs and lows of a rookie year. She qualified for all but three events on the 23-race schedule and earned a season-high start from the No. 5 position at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis to cap a memorable summer that began with a visit to her first final round as a professional Funny Car driver in Bristol.

"Last season didn't disappoint, I'll tell you that much," said DeJoria, who climbed steadily through the sportsman ranks before going pro, first driving a ’63 Corvette roadster in Super Gas and then a Super Comp dragster prior to transitioning into a Top Alcohol Funny Car. "I had pretty even expectations in the beginning just hoping to qualify, hoping to get past first round. Of course, every time we go out there, we always want to win, and that's my goal and motivation, but I didn't right off the bat expect that we would get to a final. We were building for the future really, so it was definitely exciting. These cars are so amazing in the amount of power and every little thing that happens on a run. Every time you go down the track, you learn something new.”

For more on this story, visit www.nhra.com. 


INSIDE THE NUMBERS

5: NUMBER OF STOPS DURING NHRA LOS ANGELES MEDIA TOUR WITH TOP FUEL ROOKIE BRITTANY FORCE AND FUNNY CAR FAN-FAVORITE COURTNEY FORCE: To preview the start of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, Courtney and Brittany Force visited with several media outlets in the Los Angeles area, Tuesday, February 5. The first stop was at the John Force Racing shop in Yorba Linda where the duo had a photo shoot and interview with the Orange County Register. You can’t have an all-day event without a little food, so during a quick lunch break at The Derby restaurant in Arcadia, the Forces met with reporters from the Los Angeles Times, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and Hot Rod magazine, as well as a few local radio personalities. In the afternoon, the Force sisters were interviewed by KABC anchor John Hartung and KCBS/KCAL sports anchor Gary Miller as they talked about the upcoming O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, February 14–17. The final stop of the NHRA LA Media Tour was at LA’s FOX affiliate KTTV for a live segment on the Studio 11 show with anchor Liz Habib.

DID YOU KNOW…

NEW ANCHOR, FRESH APPROACH FOR ESPN’S NHRA COVERAGE IN 2013: The NHRA will enter the 2013 season with a new anchor on its ESPN telecasts and a fresh approach to the television coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opens February 14–17, with the 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Dave Rieff, who has been a pit reporter since ESPN began its NHRA coverage in 2001 and a staple of NHRA television for 17 years, will move into the anchor announcer position for the 2013 season. In addition to hosting coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Rieff will continue his lead role on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts. Joining Rieff in calling the action from the booth will be former NHRA racer Mike Dunn, who is beginning his 12th year with ESPN as a color analyst for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Gary Gerould will return as a pit reporter at all 24 events. Veteran announcer John Kernan, who joined the NHRA telecast team in 2007, will split pit reporter and trackside duties with Jamie Howe. Howe has served as a pit reporter for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts since 2011, and this year she will increase her presence in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series telecasts.

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series viewers can anticipate a fresh approach to the telecasts in 2013. As ESPN and the NHRA work together, programs will capture even more of the drama of the NHRA, showcase the stars of the sport and incorporate new format changes to both the qualifying and race-day telecasts. ESPN will look to deliver more stories and analysis on the strategy of the sport, a stronger focus on head-to-head matchups and more technical pieces. The stars of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing will be showcased with all-access wired segments, features on the drivers, and the development of power rankings in the categories. ESPN and the NHRA also will work to make more use of social media platforms during the telecasts.

In all, ESPN will dedicate more than 110 hours of original programming to the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series on a same-day basis. The NHRA and ESPN will experiment with live coverage of qualifying and finals during the year. The first weekend to feature live racing action is the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries from Royal Purple Raceway in Houston, April 27–28. The final session of qualifying will air live on Saturday, April 27, from 3:00–5:00 p.m. (EDT). In addition, NHRA and ESPN will telecast live on Sunday, joining the racing action beginning with the semifinals in the Professional categories. The Sunday telecast will begin at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) April 28. The NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, August 28–September 2, will again feature 11 hours of wall-to-wall coverage, including complete coverage of final eliminations Monday, September 2, from 12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. (EDT).

By SEMA Staff

It’s that time of year for SEMA Hall of Fame nominations. As a SEMA member, you have the opportunity to nominate a person for the 2013 SEMA Hall of Fame. The SEMA Hall of Fame Award has been established to honor outstanding persons in the automotive specialty-equipment industry whose creativity, dignity, integrity, industriousness and accomplishments on a national basis have enhanced the stature of and significantly contributed to the industry’s growth.

A rule of thumb to qualify could be the following question: “If this person had never existed, how would SEMA and the industry be different?”

Please take a moment to review the Hall of Fame website and SEMA Hall of Fame criteria and listings of past inductees. In order to assist the Hall of Fame Committee in making their selection, please provide a brief statement, including accomplishments and comments as to why, based on the award criteria, the individual is deserving of this honor. Your completed nomination form is confidential and vital to helping the Hall of Fame Committee make their selection for the 2013 SEMA Hall of Fame.

Please submit your 2013 SEMA Hall of Fame form by Friday, March 22, 2013.

By SEMA Staff

It’s that time of year for SEMA Hall of Fame nominations. As a SEMA member, you have the opportunity to nominate a person for the 2013 SEMA Hall of Fame. The SEMA Hall of Fame Award has been established to honor outstanding persons in the automotive specialty-equipment industry whose creativity, dignity, integrity, industriousness and accomplishments on a national basis have enhanced the stature of and significantly contributed to the industry’s growth.

A rule of thumb to qualify could be the following question: “If this person had never existed, how would SEMA and the industry be different?”

Please take a moment to review the Hall of Fame website and SEMA Hall of Fame criteria and listings of past inductees. In order to assist the Hall of Fame Committee in making their selection, please provide a brief statement, including accomplishments and comments as to why, based on the award criteria, the individual is deserving of this honor. Your completed nomination form is confidential and vital to helping the Hall of Fame Committee make their selection for the 2013 SEMA Hall of Fame.

Please submit your 2013 SEMA Hall of Fame form by Friday, March 22, 2013.

Are you hunting for a new job? The “Positions Available” section in the SEMA Member Classifieds lists more than 50 job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest classifieds posted to the website.

• Stillen, located in Costa Mesa, California, is hiring a performance specialist for its import performance division. The successful candidate must have knowledge of import performance, sales experience and computer skills.

• American Eagle Wheel Corp., located in Chino, California, is hiring a sales representative with exceptional communication skills, strong sales experience and excellent organizational skills. Aftermarket wheel and tire experience is a plus; a clean driving record is required.

• Autoplicity.com, located in Chicago, is hiring an order processing agent and buyer to send 300+ orders to the most appropriate vendor based on a variety of criteria. The successful candidate will have 2–4 years' experience in order processing, an accounting background and experience with Quickbooks.

• CFR Performance, located in Ontario, California, is hiring a sales representative to present and sell company products and services to current and potential clients and focus on new customer developments. The successful candidate must have customer service experience and knowledge of American V8 engines.

View more listings from SEMA's Automotive Classifieds listings.