Wed, 30 Jan 2002, 10:04 PM AMS Staff Leasing to Sponsor Pro Mod Challenge

Courtesy of NHRA Communications All 10 Exhibitions to be Televised on ESPN2

GLENDORA, Calif. -- NHRA will expand its Pro Mod exhibition schedule to 10 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national events in 2002, officials from the drag racing sanctioning body announced today. AMS Staff Leasing, the nation's largest professional employee organization specializing in the construction industry, is sponsoring NHRA's expanded 10-event Pro Mod exhibition, known officially as the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge. In addition, the Pro Mod exhibitions will be aired on ESPN2 as tape-delayed, stand-alone shows produced by Masters Entertainment Group.

Drag racing's popular Pro Mod vehicles made exhibition runs at five NHRA national events in 2001, the first year that the vehicles participated in NHRA competition. The 2002 AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge will be contested at the Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals, O'Reilly Spring Nationals, Mac Tools Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals, NHRA Southern Nationals, Matco Tools SuperNationals, Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals, Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, O'Reilly Midsouth Nationals, O'Reilly Fall Nationals, and ACDelco NHRA Nationals.

The exhibitions will feature eight-car fields as set during two qualifying sessions (Friday and Saturday). Sunday's final eliminations will feature three rounds to determine a winner.

AMS Staff Leasing, with headquarters in Dallas and 50 offices nationwide, provides workers' compensation insurance, payroll services, and employee benefit programs to 5,000 customers that employ approximately 60,000 people.

AMS STAFF LEASING PRO MOD CHALLENGE SCHEDULE

March 14-17       Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville, Fla.
                  TV: April 5, 6-6:30 p.m. (ET), ESPN2

April 11-24       O'Reilly Spring Nationals, Houston
                  TV: May 2, 6-6:30 p.m. (ET), ESPN2

April 26-28       Mac Tools Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol, Tenn.
                  TV: May 17, 6-6:30 p.m. (ET), ESPN2

May 2-5           NHRA Southern Nationals, Atlanta
                  TV: May 23, 4-4:30 p.m. (ET), ESPN2

May 16-19         Matco Tools SuperNationals, Englishtown, N.J.
                  TV: June 11, 3:30-4 p.m. (ET), ESPN2

June 27-30        Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals, Madison, Ill.
                  TV: July 20, 9:30-10 p.m. (ET), ESPN2

Aug. 28-Sept. 2   Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis
                  TV: Sept. 23, 6-6:30 p.m. (ET), ESPN2

Sept. 19-22       O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Memphis, Tenn.
                  TV: Oct. 10, 6-6:30 p.m. (ET), ESPN2

Oct. 10-13        O'Reilly Fall Nationals, Dallas
                  TV: Oct. 31, 6-6:30 p.m. (ET), ESPN2

Oct. 24-27        ACDelco NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas
                  TV: Nov. 18, 6-6:30 p.m. (ET), ESPN2