Thu, 24 Sep 2009, 05:28 PM Thiel's Mission...Have Fun In Medford

Courtesy of Tim Charlet

MEDFORD, Ore. -- Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Brian Thiel has two missions to accomplish this weekend at Champion Raceway in Medford, Ore. Although the down-to-earth rice farmer from Pleasant Grove, Calif. would love nothing more than to take home his first NHRA 'Wally', the biggest priority for Thiel is to have fun and put on a great show for the fans during the NHRA Northwest Division 6 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Northwest Championship contested Friday and Saturday September 25th and 26th.

"In these economic times I have realized how fortunate those of us who race are," noted Thiel, a former college football player at the University of Nebraska. "There are so many people who would love to be out here driving a 260 mile per hour Funny Car. The fans come out by the thousands to enjoy a great time at the races. We need to give these hard working people a great show this weekend." Thiel has enjoyed a very productive sophomore season in NHRA Drag Racing. He has appeared in two final rounds in 2009. During the Division 6 LODRS event in Woodburn, Ore., Thiel's Olympus Trailers sponsored 'flopper' was on the wrong end a very close final round against Jay Payne. At the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., he lost against 85-time NHRA National Event Champion Frank Manzo.

Not only is Thiel the owner and driver of the 2002 Chevrolet Camaro bodied TAFC, but he has competed in four events on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing tour in the 300 mile per hour Nitro Funny Car classification. His goal is to compete on the NHRA Full Throttle Tour full time in 2010. "We wanted to get our feet wet in the nitro car this season and we accomplished this goal," Thiel remarked. "Just like everybody out there, we are looking for marketing partners to join our team for the 2010 campaign. I am cautiously optimistic you'll see us out there in a Nitro car at the season opening race in Pomona, Calif."

Thiel enters this weekend's event fifth in the Pacific Division 7 point standings and 19th in the NHRA National point standings. With four more races on his schedule this year, a top 10 National finish is not completely out of the picture. "Sure, I'd like to be able to crack the top 10 in the World, who wouldn't," comment a smiling Thiel. "It will be a tall order for certain, but we have a few more races to claim points at and we will give it our best effort."

The Top Alcohol Funny Car category will have three attempts at qualifying for the elite-eight car field. The sessions are scheduled at 1:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Final eliminations will commence Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

For more information about this weekend's event, including ticketing information and track location, please visit http://www.web site name. Fans who can not attend the event can follow the race with up to the minute results provided by http://www.dragracecentral.com.

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