Thu, 12 Jun 2003, 06:33 AM Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals presented by Summit Racing

Courtesy of NHRA Communications

HEBRON, Ohio -- The 39th annual Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals presented by Summit Racing, the 11th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Professional competitors in four categories earn points leading to 2003 NHRA POWERade championships.

Sportsman competitors in seven categories earn points leading to 2003 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championships.

WHERE: National Trail Raceway, Hebron, Ohio. The track is located about 20 miles east of Columbus on old U.S. Highway 40, one mile north of Interstate 70 at the Kirkersville exit. From Columbus, take I-70 to Highway 158 north and follow the signs, or take I-70 to Highway 37 north to U.S. Highway 40 and follow the signs.

WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, June 12-15.

PURSE: Cash and contingency awards of more than $2 million.

SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, June 12 -- Gates open at 7 a.m. Sportsman qualifying and time trials, 8 a.m. to 6
p.m.

FRIDAY, June 13 -- Gates open at 7 a.m. Sportsman qualifying and eliminations begin at 8 a.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 4 and 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, June 14 -- Gates open at 7 a.m. Sportsman eliminations, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, June 15  -- Gates open at 7 a.m. Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS
begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:
Saturday, June 14, ESPN2 will televise one hour, 55 minutes of qualifying highlights at 7 p.m.
(ET).
Sunday, June 15, ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations at 4 p.m. (ET).

2002 EVENT WINNERS: Larry Dixon, Top Fuel; Ron Capps, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock; Craig Treble, Pro Stock Bike

WHAT TO EXPECT: The event will feature the return of "Big Daddy" Don Garlits to National Trail Raceway. It is one of a few scheduled appearances this season for the NHRA Top Fuel legend. The 71-year-old fan-favorite is a three-time winner (1979, 1971 and 1968) of the event and will compete against today's Top Fuel stars including 2002 POWERade champion and two-time defending event winner Larry Dixon in the Miller Lite dragster. Funny Car driver Tony Pedregon plans to keep up his winning ways in his Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang as he continues his pursuit of the elusive series crown, one that his boss, John Force, has had a stranglehold on for the past decade. Del Worsham, Whit Bazemore, and Gary Densham are among the Funny Car favorites for the win at Columbus. The action in Pro Stock will be heated, with hometown favorite Jeg Coughlin, current points leader Kurt Johnson, six-time champ Warren Johnson and fellow Pontiac drivers Greg Anderson, Jim Yates, and Mark Pawuk all contenders for the event win. The Pro Stock Bike riders will be nearing the half-way point of their 15-race schedule, Geno Scali along with three-time champion and as points leader Angelle Savoie, and past Columbus winners Craig Treble and Antron Brown set the pace for the two-wheel category.

FAST FACTS: The Columbus event is tied for the third longest running event on the NHRA circuit... National Trail's Top Fuel track record for elapsed time, set at 4.572 seconds by Joe Amato in June 1998, is the oldest track record on the circuit for any pro category... Larry Dixon, who is going for his fifth straight final round appearance this season, will try and become the first Top Fuel driver to win at Columbus in three consecutive seasons. No Top Fuel driver has ever won the event in three consecutive seasons. Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudhomme and Scott Kalitta all had attempts to win three straight TF titles at National Trail but came up short, with Muldowney losing in the first round in 1978, Prudhomme losing in the second round in 1993 and Kalitta losing in the semis in 1996... Shirley Muldowney has the most TF wins at National Trail, with four... John Force, Tony Pedregon, Frank Pedregon and Ron Capps are the only active full-time Funny Car drivers who have won at National Trail...Bob Glidden (1979-'83, '87-'89) and Ronnie Sox are the only Pro Stock drivers to win the event in consecutive seasons (Sox won the event in 1970 and '71 in Dallas)... The event featured the only all-female Top Fuel final in 1982, when Muldowney defeated Lucille Lee... Only three drivers have won at this event in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, including Kenny Bernstein, Don Prudhomme and Frank Hawley. Gary Scelzi, a TF winner here in 1997, could become the fourth this weekend should he earn his first career FC victory.

ABOUT THE TRACK: Using the premise 'build it and they will come,' Clark Rader Sr., along with sons Clark Jr. and Ben, broke ground for National Trail Raceway in the fall of 1963. It was a 320-acre facility and, at that time, was the fifth largest of its kind in the United States. In 1972, National Trail Raceway played host for the first time to the Springnationals, an event that has enjoyed strong support for more than 30 years. The Rader family built additional stands, restrooms, and a larger pit area and added more asphalt to the strip. In 1996, the NHRA purchased the track, bringing an end to the Rader era. In the last few years, the NHRA has made significant improvements to the historic facility. Some of those upgrades include the three-level timing tower and corporate suites, a TV production area, an asphalt pit area and staging lanes, concrete guardwalls that run the entire length of the racing surface and an extensive drainage project to control water runoff.

TRACK RECORDS:	
Top Fuel- 4.572 seconds by Joe Amato, June 1998; 323.81 mph by Kenny Bernstein, June 2002.
Funny Car-- 4.798 seconds by Whit Bazemore, June. 2002; 320.36 mph by Bazemore, June. 2002.
Pro Stock-- 6.862 seconds by Jim Yates, June. 2002; 200.92 mph by Greg Anderson, June. 2002.
Pro Stock Bike - 7.177 seconds by Matt Hines, June 2002; 191.27 mph by Shawn Gann, June 2002.

NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel-- 4.477 seconds (June 2001, Joliet, Ill.) by Kenny Bernstein; 332.75 mph (April 2002,
Las Vegas) by Larry Dixon
Funny Car-- 4.721 seconds (May 2003, Joliet, Ill.) by John Force; 328.06 mph (June 2003, Joliet,
Ill.) by Gary Scelzi
Pro Stock-- 6.670 seconds (May 2003, Englishtown), 207.18 mph (May 2003, Englishtown) by Greg
Anderson
Pro Stock Bike - 7.049 seconds (May 2002, Englishtown, N.J.) by Angelle Savoie; 194.10 mph (May
2001, Englishtown, N.J.) by Matt Hines

TICKETS: For tickets call NHRA at (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Tickets also available at
ticketmaster.com.

GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) -
Thursday: $10; Junior (6-17 years), free. Friday: Adult, $25; Junior (6-17 years), $10
Saturday: Adult, $38; Junior (6-17 years), $10
Sunday: Adult, $43; Junior (6-15 years) $10; Child (5 years and under), free with paying adult in
general admission and pit areas each day.

RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) -
Friday: Adult, $33-38; Junior (6-15), $18-23; Child (5 years and younger), $8-13
Saturday: Adult, $48-53; Junior (6-15 years), $20-25; Child (5 years and under), $10-15
Sunday: Adult, $53-58; Junior (6-15 years), $20-25; Child (5 years and under), $10-15.