FUN FORD WEEKEND ANNOUNCES THE VMP SUPERCHARGERS TRUE STREET SHOOTOUT FOR 2013 SEASON
February 13, 2013 by Benjamin Tuttle (Ticketing Manager)
Filed under Latest News
TEXAS MOTORPLEX TO HOST FIRST EVER JOB FAIR FOR ALL EVENT POSITIONS
February 12, 2013 by Benjamin Tuttle (Ticketing Manager)
Filed under Latest News
TEXAS MOTORPLEX TO HOST FIRST EVER JOB FAIR FOR ALL EVENT POSITIONS
Motorplex Looking to Hire Concessions, Track and Ticketing Employees
ENNIS, Texas (Feb. 13, 2013) – Texas Motorplex will host its first ever job fair on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Champion’s Club. The Motorplex is looking to hire part-time seasonal employees to work weekly and feature events from March through November.
The job fair is free and open to everyone. Motorplex management is seeking individuals that want to be part of a highly professional team focused on providing exceptional customer service for our spectators, participants, vendors, sponsors and staff during more than 60 events each season.
The Motorplex will be looking to hire people for the track crew team, security, concession stand workers, gate and ticketing workers, facility staff and more. Those hired for the weekly events will have schedule priority for the specialty and feature events including the Cinco de Mayo festival and the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals.
Potential candidates will have the chance to meet face-to-face with our team and hiring managers from all departments. Candidates will have the opportunity to begin the application process, ask questions and meet members of our seasonal team.
All Texas Motorplex employees receive merchandise discounts and free tickets to events.
Dress professionally and be sure to bring plenty of resumes.
Texas Motorplex Job Fair
Saturday, February 23, 2013
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Champion’s Club – Texas Motorplex
7500 W. Hwy 287
Ennis, TX 75119
www.texasmotorplex.com
Texas Motorplex was the first all-concrete stadium-style drag racing facility ever constructed. Built in 1986, Texas Motorplex has been the place of many drag racing milestones and world record performances. The Billy Meyer-owned facility hosts a number of racing and car show events between March and November each year and also features the Champion’s Club – an 11,000 square-foot facility – that serves fully catered events throughout the year.
TEXAS MOTORPLEX GEARS UP FOR FULL SLATE OF CAR SHOWS IN 2013
February 12, 2013 by Benjamin Tuttle (Ticketing Manager)
Filed under Featured Articles, Latest News
ENNIS, Texas (Feb. 12, 2013) – All makes. All models. All years. All are welcome at Texas Motorplex as the historic facility welcomes and plays host to four different car shows and specialty events in 2013.
The specialty car show season kicks off April 27 with the Mega Mopar Action Series, followed by the Super Chevy Show on May 4, Fun Ford Weekend on Sept. 7 and the season finale for the car shows will be the Manufacturer’s Cup on Oct. 5.
Each event will feature a car show, racing with guaranteed payout, specialty vendors and more. All participants for the Mopar, Chevy and Ford events will be invited to participate in the Manufacturer’s Cup event in October.
Car show and racing categories will be announced shortly and registration will begin by March 1 for each event.
The Mega Mopar Action Series will host the Mopars at the Motorplex, featuring drag racing for all Dodge and Jeep makes, swap meet, a model car show, car corral and more as the biggest car clubs in North Texas are expected as all Mopars are invited to flex their drag racing muscles in the ECA Modern HEMI Shootout, Nostalgia Super Stock, Super Pro, Pro, LX Sportsman and other Dodge and Jeep activities.
The Super Chevy Show is a celebration of one of America’s most popular brands. The Motorplex will be filled with a car show, swap meet, car corral, kid’s activities area and of course, drag racing with the region’s top bracket racers as well as other family-fun entertainment. The Super Chevy Show always kicks off with a cruise with editorial staff from Super Chevy Magazine on Saturday mornings. The cruise location will be announced soon.
Fun Ford Weekend is a celebration of everything Ford – racing, car shows, live music, great food and plenty of Ford merchandise to choose from. Fans of one of the most beloved automotive brands in American history will have plenty of entertainment options and Fords of all makes and models to gaze adoringly at throughout the day.
Check the Texas Motorplex website for more information as car show and event details will be announced soon.
Texas Motorplex was the first all-concrete stadium-style drag racing facility ever constructed. Built in 1986, Texas Motorplex has been the place of many drag racing milestones and world record performances. The Billy Meyer-owned facility hosts a number of racing and car show events between March and November each year and also features the Champion’s Club – an 11,000 square-foot facility – that serves fully catered events throughout the year.
NEW ANCHOR, FRESH APPROACH FOR NHRA ON ESPN IN 2013
February 7, 2013 by Benjamin Tuttle (Ticketing Manager)
Filed under Latest News
NEW ANCHOR, FRESH APPROACH FOR NHRA ON ESPN IN 2013
GLENDORA, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2013) — NHRA will enter the 2013 season with a new anchor on its ESPN telecasts and a fresh approach to the television coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opens Feb. 14-17, with the 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Dave Rieff, who has been a pit reporter since ESPN began its NHRA coverage in 2001 and a staple of NHRA television for 17 years, will move into the anchor announcer position for the 2013 season. In addition to hosting coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Rieff will continue his lead role on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts.
Joining Rieff in calling the action from the booth will be former NHRA racer Mike Dunn, who is beginning his 12th year with ESPN as a color analyst for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Gary Gerould will return as a pit reporter at all 24 events. Veteran announcer John Kernan, who joined the NHRA telecast team in 2007, will split pit reporter and trackside duties with Jamie Howe. Howe has served as a pit reporter for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts since 2011 and this year she will increase her presence in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series telecasts.
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series viewers can anticipate a fresh approach to the telecasts in 2013. As ESPN and NHRA constantly work together to bring viewers the highest-quality coverage, programs will capture even more of the drama of NHRA, showcase the stars of the sport, and incorporate new format changes to both the qualifying and race day telecasts.
ESPN will look to deliver more stories and analysis on the strategy of the sport, a stronger focus on head-to-head matchups and more technical pieces. The stars of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing will be showcased with all-access wired segments, features on the drivers and the development of power rankings in the categories. ESPN and NHRA also will work to make more use of social media platforms during the telecasts.
In all, ESPN will dedicate more than 110 hours of original programming to the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, the world’s quickest, fastest and most intense motorsport, on a same-day basis.
NHRA and ESPN will experiment with live coverage of qualifying and finals during the year. The first weekend to feature live racing action is the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals from Royal Purple Raceway in Houston, April 27-28. The final session of qualifying will air live on Saturday, April 27, from 3-5 p.m. (ET). In addition, NHRA and ESPN will telecast live on Sunday, joining the racing action beginning with the semifinals in the professional categories. The Sunday telecast will be begin at 2 p.m. (ET) on April 28.
The prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Aug. 28 – Sept. 2, will again feature 11 hours of wall-to-wall coverage including complete coverage of final eliminations on Monday, Sept. 2, from noon to 6 p.m. ET.
All telecasts will air in high definition on ESPN2HD or ESPNHD. ESPN2/ESP2NHD and ESPN/ESPNHD are available in nearly 100 million households nationwide. The telecasts will feature competition from all four classes in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
The NHRA will be televised on NHRA networks in 182 countries and territories to more than 56.5 million homes, including coverage in Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Middle East, Mexico, New Zealand and South America. In addition, U.S. troops and their families serving around the world in 175 countries and on Navy vessels at-sea can watch NHRA on the American Forces Network.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 24 national events featuring the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates five racing facilities: Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville in Florida; National Trail Raceway in Ohio; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Television Schedule
Event Air Time (ET), Date
O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals Qualifying, 10 p.m.– Midnight, Sat., Feb. 16
presented by Super Start Batteries Eliminations, 8–11 p.m., Sun., Feb. 17
Pomona, Calif.
NHRA Arizona Nationals Qualifying, 1-2:30 a.m., Sun., Feb. 24
Phoenix Qualifying re-air, 8-9 a.m., Sun., Feb. 24
Eliminations, 8-11 p.m., Sun., Feb. 24
Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals Qualifying, 1:30-3 a.m., Sun., March 17
Gainesville, Fla. Qualifying re-air, 8-9 a.m., Sun., March 17
Eliminations, 7-10 p.m., Sun., March 17
SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals Qualifying, 10 p.m. – Midnight, Sat., April 6
Las Vegas Eliminations, 11 p.m. – 2 a.m., Sun., April 7
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Qualifying, 5–7 p.m., Sat., April 20
Charlotte, N.C. Eliminations, 7–10 p.m., Sun., April 21
O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals Qualifying, 3-5 p.m., Sat., April 27
presented by Super Start Batteries Eliminations, 2-5 p.m., Sun., April 28
Houston
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals Qualifying, 8-10 p.m., Sat., May 4
Atlanta Eliminations, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Sun., May 5
NHRA Kansas Nationals Qualifying, 5 – 7 p.m., Sat., May 18
Topeka, Kan. Eliminations, 8-11 p.m., Sun., May 19
Toyota NHRA Summernationals Qualifying, 5-6 p.m., Sat., June 1 (ESPN)
Englishtown, N.J. Qualifying, 1-2 a.m., Sun., June 2
Eliminations, 4:30–7 p.m., Sun., June 2
Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Qualifying, 7–9 p.m., Sat., June 15
presented by Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers Eliminations, 1-3 p.m., Sun., June 16
Bristol, Tenn. Eliminations, 11 p.m. – Midnight, Sun., June 16
NHRA New England Nationals Qualifying, 8-10 p.m., Sat., June 22
Epping, N.H. Eliminations, 7-10 p.m., Sun., June 23
O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals Qualifying, 5-7 p.m., Sat., June 29
presented by Super Start Batteries Qualifying, 11 p.m. – Midnight, Sat., June 29
Chicago Eliminations, 9 p.m. – Midnight, Sun., June 30
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Qualifying, 6 – 8 p.m., Sat., July 6
Norwalk, Ohio Eliminations, 7 – 10 p.m., Sun., July 7
Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals Qualifying, 10 p.m. – Midnight., Sat., July 20
Denver Eliminations, 6 – 9 p.m., Sun., July 21
NHRA Sonoma Nationals Qualifying, 7 – 9 p.m., Sat., July 27 (ESPN)
Sonoma, Calif. Eliminations, 8 – 11 p.m., Sun., July 28
O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals Qualifying, 10:30 p.m. – Midnight, Sat., Aug. 3
presented by Super Start Batteries Eliminations, 8 – 11 p.m., Sun., Aug. 4
Seattle
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Qualifying, 11 p.m.–1 a.m., Sat., Aug. 17
Brainerd, Minn. Eliminations, 9 p.m. – Midnight, Sun., Aug. 18
NHRA U.S. Nationals Qualifying, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Sun., Sept. 1
Indianapolis Qualifying, 5–7 p.m., Sun., Sept. 1
Eliminations, Noon–6 p.m., Mon., Sept. 2
NHRA Nationals Qualifying, TBD
Charlotte, N.C. Eliminations, 8:30–11:30 p.m., Sun., Sept. 15
AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals Qualifying, TBD
Dallas Eliminations, 8:30 –11:30 p.m., Sun., Sept. 22
AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals Qualifying, TBD
St. Louis Eliminations, 8 – 11 p.m., Sun., Sept. 29
Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals Qualifying, TBD
Reading, Pa. Eliminations, 8 -11 p.m., Sun., Oct. 6
NHRA Nationals Qualifying, TBD
Las Vegas Eliminations, 8 – 11 p.m., Sun., Oct. 27
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals Qualifying, TBD
Pomona, Calif. Eliminations, 7–10 p.m., Sat., Nov. 10
* All telecasts on ESPN2 except where noted. All times Eastern. Schedule subject to change, please check local listings.
DEFENDING NHRA MELLO YELLO WORLD CHAMPS READY TO BEGIN TITLE DEFENSES AT O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
February 1, 2013 by Benjamin Tuttle (Ticketing Manager)
Filed under Latest News
POMONA, Calif. – The off-season couldn’t slip by quick enough for NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world champions Antron Brown, Jack Beckman and Allen Johnson. All three drivers can’t wait to get out to drag racing’s birthplace in Southern California in less than two weeks and get the 2013 season started.
The three drivers will officially begin defense of their respective world championships in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock at the 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries, Feb. 14-17 at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race, which will be televised on ESPN2 HD, is the first of 24 events in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
Brown, who became the first African-American to earn a major auto racing championship last year in dramatic fashion over seven-time champ Tony Schumacher, says he’s eager to begin working on becoming a two-time champ.
“Last year now is pretty much done and over with,” Brown said. “So we’re back at work, just like usual. We’re putting those hours in. The effort is definitely going forward. We want to contend for a championship again and we want to defend our title.”
Brown says he has been busy working out during the winter to keep his physical fitness in order and his crew has been hard at work fine-tuning his Matco Tools dragster. He says it is critical to have every component in peak condition to battle week in and week out with the likes of Schumacher, Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, Morgan Lucas, Brandon Bernstein, Steve Torrence and Bob Vandergriff, just to name a few. This season three high-profile Top Fuel rookie drivers also will be jumping into the fray: Brittany Force, Sidnei Frigo and Leah Pruett.
“If you want to compete at the level we are now at NHRA racing, you have to have an A-plus game every week if you plan on just trying to win a race and also trying to compete for a championship,” Brown said. “You have a lot of people coming out there this year and they want to win. This is going to be another year where the competition level is going to be at an all-time high. Top Fuel pound-per-pound is a rough category.”
In Funny Car, Beckman has enjoyed celebrating his unlikely championship title, as his Valvoline/MTS Dodge crew led by Todd Smith rallied during the Countdown to the Championship playoffs and outlasted Ron Capps’ NAPA Auto Parts team in another dramatic championship battle.
“Nobody would have bet on us to win the championship five races in last year,” Beckman said. “What we did was relatively unheard of in motorsports, to take a partially assembled team, bring in a dragster crew chief, go out and do what we were able to accomplish.”
Beckman, a San Fernando Valley native who now lives in Norco, is ready for the tough competition he expects to face as he sets into title-defense mode. The veteran driver, who will need to hold off Capps, 2011 champ Matt Hagan, Robert Hight, Cruz Pedregon, an unretired Del Worsham, top rookie Courtney Force, 15-time champ John Force and a host of others to become the champ once again, says he is ready to take on all challengers.
“Whoever’s in the other lane,” Beckman said about who he thinks will be the driver he’s going to focus on most during the season. “I think that was brilliant of Force to bring (Mike) Neff back (as crew chief). I think they were dynamic together when John won his last championship (2010). Then you have (crew chief Rahn) Tobler and Capps. For those guys to get that close last year, they’re going to be tough. I think we’ll be right back in the mix, too. I think Courtney’s car is going to be in the mix. If Tim Wilkerson figures out his clutch woes, the rest of us might be bothered by that. There’s at least four other cars out there that are absolutely lethal and capable of winning the championship. We’ll see how it ends up.”
Pro Stock’s Allen Johnson didn’t have too much drama last season in earning his first championship title after more than 17 years of trying. His Team Mopar Dodge Avenger was the class of the field last year in the 200 mph category. This year he will add a four-time Pro Stock champ as a teammate and he’s looking to build upon the successful run he started last year.
“First and foremost we’re looking forward to just getting to Pomona,” Johnson said. “This off-season has been a lot of work, a lot of additions to our team. Second thing is we have expanded our team. We brought Jeggy (Jeg Coughlin) onboard. We have three cars now to gather information from (also Vincent Nobile), expanded our team somewhat with some personnel that can add value.”
Johnson, who set personal bests for wins (seven), final rounds (11) and No. 1 qualifying positions (10) last season, figures he’ll need to improve on those stats in order to hold off a who’s who list of challengers.
“I see it as the most competitive season in Pro Stock ever,” Johnson said. “You have three people on my team, you’re going to have three people on the KB team, you’re going to have (Mike) Edwards, Erica (Enders-Stevens) and Dave (Connolly) at times with Cagnazzi Racing. There is your top 10 gone. Those eight, nine cars right there are going to be pretty darn equal. It’s going to come down to decision making, lane choice, and how well the driver lets his foot off the clutch.”
Johnson expects a big rally from the KB Racing tandem of multi-time world champs Greg Anderson and Jason Line, who have had more time to fine-tune their Summit Racing Chevy Camaros during the last few months. Anderson and Line have accounted for six of the world championships since 2003.
“We made them mad. I guarantee you, they’ll be after our title,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to fight them with all we’ve got, like always. We plan on the same thing: go out there and try to be offensive, but be consistent. I think we’ve got the manpower and the steam to do it.”
As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful motorsports attraction on the planet. While visiting the pits, interactive NHRA Nitro Alley and the NHRA Manufacturers Midway, fans will also want to check out NHRA’s popular Hot Rod Junction presented by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum that offers a spectacular display of many nostalgic dragsters, vintage race cars and classic hot rods on display.
Fans also will want to take advantage of the popular Championship Sunday Track Walk, which is free to all Sunday ticket holders. This popular event gives fans the opportunity to walk down the legendary drag strip alongside some of the NHRA’s biggest stars.
As NHRA continues its Nitro Generation celebration, NHRA is offering free general admission for kids 12 and under with a paying adult. Tickets are available online at www.NHRATIX.com or by calling the NHRA Ticket Sales Center at 800-884-NHRA (6472).
• SCHEDULE: Mello Yello Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15 and continue at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17.
• TICKETS: Tickets are available online at www.NHRATIX.com or by calling the NHRA Ticket Sales Center at 800-884-NHRA (6472).
• TELEVISION: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 10 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Feb. 16 and on Sunday, Feb. 17, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 8 p.m. (ET).
• ON THE WEB: Get instant results, access to photos, video and audio clips, and the latest news updates from every NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at www.NHRA.com.
* * *
O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS presented by Super Start Batteries FACT SHEET
WHAT: 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries, the first of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Drivers in three categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock – earn points leading to 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships
WHERE: Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Pomona, Calif. Track is located off I-10 at Fairplex Drive. Go north on Fairplex drive.
WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 14-17
SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, Feb. 14 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying
MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 2 p.m.
FRIDAY, Feb. 15 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations
MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 2 p.m.
SATURDAY, Feb. 16- LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations
MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at noon and 2 p.m.
SUNDAY, Feb. 17 – Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, Feb. 16, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 10 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Feb. 17, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 8 p.m. (ET).
2012 EVENT WINNERS: Spencer Massy, Top Fuel; John Force, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock
MOST VICTORIES: Bob Glidden, PS – 7; John Force, FC – 6; Greg Anderson, PS- 5; Warren Johnson, PS – 5; Don Garlits, TF- 5; Don Prudhomme, TF/FC – 5; Larry Dixon, TF- 4
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel – 3.730 seconds by Shawn Langdon, Nov. ’12; 328.62 mph by Spencer Massey, Feb., ’12
Funny Car – 4.007 seconds by Ron Capps, Nov. ’12; 319.75 mph by Jack Beckman, Nov. ’12
Pro Stock – 6.495 seconds by Jason Line, Nov. ’12; 213.13 mph by Line, Nov. ’12
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel – 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.
Funny Car – 3.986 sec. by Jack Beckman, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 320.58 mph by Beckman, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.
Pro Stock – 6.477 sec. by Jason Line, Oct. ’11, Reading, Pa.; 214.35 mph by Line, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.
TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Tickets also available online at www.NHRATIX.com.
