Team Press Releases

Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team opened the 2010 Full Throttle season in tremendous fashion on Sunday, battling their way to a runner-up finish at the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals in Pomona, CA. Starting from the sixth position, the KB Racing crew opened with the second quickest time of the first round at 6.608-seconds to trailer rival Kurt Johnson, and following that success with subsequent victories over rookie Shane Gray and veteran Larry Morgan to advance to the final round for the 89th time in Anderson’s illustrious career. The final obstacle between Anderson and his fifth Winternationals win was defending Pro Stock champion Mike Edwards, who had posted the quickest elapsed time in each round of...

[coverattach=1]POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 14, 2010) - Ken Muranaka, equipment manager at Excel Paving of Long Beach, Calif., was named the first NAPA AUTO PARTS Honorary Crew Member of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series today at the 50th annual NHRA Winternationals. Muranaka, 45, of Chino Hills, Calif., has been a drag racing fan for 30 years, and has attended this event every one of those years. "I used to stand on the outside of the fence before there were seats on the right side of the track," he said. "I used to be able to ride my bicycle up here and stand on the seat of my bicycle and look over the fence. That's how I watched the race. I only got to see some of it, but that's what I got to do." Excel Paving, a...

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 14, 2010) - Matt Hagan, racing the all-new DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, started off the season in good form, reaching the quarterfinals and leaving the 50th annual NHRA Winternationals in sixth place in points. The 27-year-old Angus Cattle farmer from Christiansburg, Va., qualified fifth then dismissed Gary Densham in the opening round of eliminations with a 4.524/270.00 to Densham's 4.572/278.69. He was then defeated in the second stanza when Bob Tasca III pulled out a 4.196/301.00 to beat a tire-smoking 4.636/237.25 pass by Hagan. He didn't think not having lane choice made a difference. "I think both lanes were pretty tough no matter what you did in the...

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 14, 2010) - Ron Capps came from the bottom half of the field to almost win the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season-opening 50th annual NHRA Winternationals against 14-time Funny Car champion John Force. It was oh so close. Only seven feet (15 thousandths of a second) separated the pair at the finish line, but it was Force in front, grabbing his first victory in 40 races with a 4.124-second lap at 298.67 mph to Capps' quicker 4.123/305.08. En route to the final round from his No. 9 qualifying position, driving the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger Funny Car, defending event champion Capps beat Jim Head, Cruz Pedregon and Bob Tasca III to face the man he has defeated in their last three final-round...

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 14, 2010) - Jack Beckman opened up the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season with a semifinal finish at the 50th annual NHRA Winternationals, driving the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger Funny Car. After qualifying seventh with a 4.101/310.91 pass, Beckman dismissed Tony Pedregon in the opening round of eliminations with a 4.164/306.12, then defeated Del Worsham using a 4.183/304.32. Having enjoyed lane choice up to that point, he lost it to his semifinal round antagonist, 14-time Funny Car champion John Force. Beckman trailed Force by a tick at the launch but soon struck the tires, as Force cruised to the victory with a 4.125/305.56 run. Beckman crossed the finish line in 5.658...

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 14, 2010) - Cory McClenathan is hot, and it's not just because of the brilliant neon orange color of his fire suit and the FRAM Top Fuel dragster he's driving in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. He demonstrated heat on the race track as well at the season-opening 50th annual NHRA Winternationals. He stormed the field by qualifying No. 1 with a 3.787/320.05, then dismissed Steve Faria in the opening round of eliminations with a 3.843/318.77 (second quickest of the round). He followed that with a 3.855/314.39 (also second quickest) to take out Shawn Langdon in the quarterfinals. He met his match in the semifinal round against Doug Kalitta, whose previous laps of 4.518/254.14 and 3.929/309.84...

Pomona, Calif. (Feb. 14, 2010) – Team Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series driver Allen Johnson wrapped up his debut weekend in his brand new 2010 Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger in promising fashion, powering his new ride to a semifinals result at the 50th Annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals. Johnson claimed his 190th career round win during the event and is now third in the Pro Stock point standings following the season-opening action at Auto Club Dragway at Pomona, Calif. Johnson started his Mopar Dodge Avenger No. 4, gaining three bonus points overall during qualifying. The Greeneville, Tenn., native knocked off Steve Spiess in the opening round on the strength of a 6.637/209.49 run. Johnson dialed up another solid...

[coverattach=1]POMONA, Calif. (February 14, 2010) -- If the Chinese Proverb that says 'A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step' is correct, then Terry McMillen and his Amalie Oil Top Fuel dragster took two giant steps forward at the 50th running of the NHRA Winternationals this weekend. "We didn't get a chance to test over the winter," McMillen explained. "So, just getting our car in the show was a big first step." McMillen qualified his ride in the 13th spot, keeping his perfect qualifying record as team owner/driver intact. The Indiana based team made many changes in the off season, including the addition of new crew chief, Richard Hartman. "Richard did a great job," McMillan said. "He basically came in...

POMONA, Saturday: Life is moving very fast for Shane Gray. It was just one week ago, that he earned his Pro Stock license and now he is preparing to make his first professional start. He will join his father, veteran driver, Johnny Gray as the two take their new Pontiac GXP’s equipped with their newly developed Gray Motorsports power plants and try their hand against the competition at the 50th annual NHRA Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals. Gray joined his dad in building a new program for themselves in the off-season and weren’t sure what to expect when they rolled in to the famed Auto Club Raceway at Pomona complex a few days ago. But the two determined racers showed everyone what they were able to accomplish as they put both...