Team Press Releases

[coverattach=2]KEVIN PAYNE OF JOHNSON CITY, TENN., SELECTED AS 13TH NAPA AUTO PARTS HONORARY CREW MEMBER OF 2010 BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 20, 2010) - Kevin Payne of Johnson City, Tenn., was named the 13th NAPA AUTO PARTS Honorary Crew Member of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series at the 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Payne, 39, is responsible for outside sales and delivery for the NAPA AUTO PARTS store in Johnson City, which is individually owned by Judy Semplenski, and has been with the store since December of 2009. Prior to that, he worked for a competing auto parts store in Johnson City. "It's been awesome," he said of his joining the NAPA family. "Judy Semplenski is the best lady I...

Lagana, Sanders, Ahten among pro winners Saturday night WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (June 19, 2010) – When the Nitro Jam series traveled to Rocky Mountain Raceways for the first time in the spring of 2009 to test a brand new format little did the IHRA, or RMR, know it would turn into one of the largest motorsports events in Utah history. Fans poured into the beautiful Rocky Mountain Raceways facility Saturday night during the annual “Night of Fire,” some walking more than a mile to reach the track as cars lined both sides of the highway for miles and multiple lots surrounding the track reached capacity by mid-afternoon. “This is one of the most exciting nights of racing I have ever been a part of here at RMR. I have never seen so...

[coverattach=1]BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 19, 2010) - With temperatures in the 90's and high humidity to match, it's definitely air conditioning weather at this weekend's NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Trane-sponsored Rick Stivers is right at home in the heat, taking the 13th position in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series field and sending local-favorite 'Tricky' Rickie Smith to the trailer early in the first round of eliminations. Still struggling a bit with his 2006 Dodge Stratus Pro Mod, Stivers earned his spot on the strength of his Friday-night 6.102-second, 236.75 mph pass, much slower than his teammate Jay Payne's 5.998 at 237.13 mph. "I think we figured out what we had going on with my car...

Westcott Jr. Wins Hot Rod Reunion Mopar(r) HEMI(r) Challenge Wire-to-Wire Finals Battle With Rival David Barton another Classic Bowling Green, KY - Charlie Westcott Jr. had hopes that hard work in the offseason would pay off Saturday night in the finals of the Mopar(r) HEMI(r) Challenge Series at the 8th Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion at historic Beech Bend Raceway. Despite giving up a .64-second advantage to David Barton of Robesonia, Pa., off the starting line, the Parma, Mich. native used some of the horsepower he built into the engine of his new '68 Plymouth Barracuda last winter to drive around at the finish. Westcott's 8.512 pass at 157.63 mph bested Barton's '68 'Cuda run of 8.633 seconds at...

[coverattach=1]'Mr. Explosive' Mark Sanders wins loaded Prostalgia field on opening night at Salt Lake Nitro Jam Litton wins fourth in a row; Johnson takes Ironman in debut WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (June 18, 2010) – What a debut. With an entire state watching the new Nitro Jam made its debut at Rocky Mountain Raceways and the show certainly left fans walking away satisfied. From an incredible finish in the brutal Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car class to the debut of side-by-side jet trucks, a dominating showing in Top Fuel and an improbable first time winner in Pro Fuel, the first day of Nitro Jam in Salt Lake City was everything fans were looking for and then some. And when the dust finally settled three winners were left standing...

[coverattach=1]Race tire giant provides contingency funds for drag race series STOW, OHIO (June 18, 2010) - The Pro Modified Racing Association and the Quick 32 Sportsman Series is pleased to have the continued involvement of Mickey Thompson Tires and Wheels for 2010. The iconic drag racing tire company is once again providing contingency awards for both the Quick 32 Sportsman Series and the PMRA. "This is an excellent outlet for our teams to compete," noted Carl Robinson, Motorsports Manager for Mickey Thompson. "It's a pleasure to work with our customers in Canada." For each PMRA event, the winner receives $250 and the runner-up $150. Low qualifier for each race gets $250, and there is a randomly-drawn prize of $150...

[coverattach=1]Top Dragsters have 5-2 advantage for upcoming Grand Bend Motorplex event CAYUGA, ONTARIO (June 17, 2010) - Competition in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts offers a diverse range of cars and powerplants, but all cars must either race in the Top Dragster class or the Top Sportsman class. For each Quick 32 Sportsman Series event, all the Top Dragsters (T/D) and all the Top Sportsman (T/S) cars race among themselves, and then the winning entry of each class is pitted together for an overall winner. And to date, the Top Dragster class has the nod, with five victories in seven races to date. Winning the first race in the series was T.J. Schippling of Shakespeare, Ontario with his dragster...

Veteran New York team back with new Firebird and new screw blower MEDINA, NEW YORK (June 16, 2010) - Veteran Pro Modified racer Mike Stawicki has returned to the Pro Modified Racing Association for the 2010 season, and the New York native plans to run as many PMRA events as possible this year. "We will run as many as we can," mentioned Stawicki, who is presently second on the PMRA win list with four outright wins and a tie between 2005 and 2008. He also holds the PMRA quarter-mile elapsed time record with a 6.049-second pass at TMP in Cayuga, Ontario in 2008. Stawicki did not compete in the PMRA in 2009, but returned with a new Firebird-bodied Pro Modified for the season opener at the Cayuga Dragway, where qualified number...

(Bristol, TN) When the “Pistonator” team arrives in Bristol, Tennessee for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals this week it will be with renewed drive and enthusiasm after the team took a different course for Sunday’s elimination at Englishtown that proved positive. “We’ve been struggling for most of the season with our 60 foot times,” said Rodger Brogdon, driver of the Attitude Apparel / Kent Services Pro Stock Pontiac. “And for Sunday’s eliminations, we made wholesale changes to the setup that was in the car. Most normal teams try out changes during qualifying or testing, but we’re a little on the daring side and we figured the worst that could happen would be a first round loss, and that is something we’ve done far too often this...