Current news will not be posted for the next few days on GeorgiaDragRacing.com due to my trip to the National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Stay tuned to GDR for reports and photos from the NHRR. David

HAYES / MOPAR TUNERFEST SHOOTOUT COMING TO ATLANTA DRAGWAY JUNE 19

Hayes Family Dealerships, Mopar and ImportAtlanta.com are teaming together
to bring the Tunerfest Shootout to Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA on
Saturday, June 19, 2004.

Imports, domestics, bikes, trucks and models will be competing for a portion
of the thousands of dollars in cash, prizes and awards that will be given
out for winners in several different events, including, but not limited to a
Test and Tune, Car Show, Sound Off and Bikini Contest.

Racing awards will be given to the racers who go closest to the dial in five
classes, or racers who score the best reaction time, fastest mph, and
quickest ET. In addition to drag racing on the quarter mile, there will be
decibel drag racing in the pits at the S.L.A.P. Sound Off, a stereo
competition that can drown out even the noisiest racecar.

An onsite chassis Dyno will be available to everyone interested in seeing
what kind of power their cars really deliver to the road, and is included in
the price of Gate Admission. A new set of tires will be given away to the
burnout contest winner, and there will also be special appearances by Team
Mopar drag racing stars Shaun Carlson and Mike Crawford.

Gates open for spectators at 9 AM Saturday, with drag racing action
beginning at 10 AM and "import lifestyle" activities throughout the
afternoon. The event concludes after the Awards Ceremony, which is
scheduled for 5 PM.

Gate Admission for the TunerFest Shootout will be $15, with opportunities to
make runs on the dragstrip for $25, including car and driver entry. The Car
Show and S.L.A.P. Sound Off will each require a $25 entry fee in addition to
Gate Admission, while the Dyno will be available at no additional charge on
a "first-come, first-served" basis.

For those who want to get an early start on the weekend, the Year One Fast
Friday program is scheduled for Friday, June 18, and will feature another
round of the Hayes Sport Compact Challenge, in addition to the Year One
Power Hour. Gates will open at 6:00 PM for both racers and spectators, with
racing action beginning at 6:45 and the Hayes Sport Compact Challenge
starting at 11:15 PM.

For more information on both events, call Atlanta Dragway at 770-682-3782,
log on to ImportAtlanta.com, THE source for import culture and scene, or log
on to AtlantaDragway.com.

Ten Years Later, Kurt Johnson Aims to Add to His History in "E-town"

Confidence is high on ACDelco Racing team heading into NHRA SuperNationals

Sugar Hill, Ga., June 15, 2004 - Ten years ago, Kurt Johnson was just
starting his NHRA Pro Stock career. In just over a year, he had already
shown signs of his future prominence, with three national event wins and a
Rookie of the Year title in 1993. To the casual spectator, however, he was
most often associated with being the son of Warren Johnson, who at the time
was the two-time and defending Pro Stock champion.

All that would change on a cool Friday evening in May at Old Bridge Township
Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. On his second qualifying attempt, at
8:30 p.m. on May 20, 1994, Johnson rocketed down the Garden State
quarter-mile in 6.988 seconds, becoming the first Pro Stock driver to record
an elapsed time in the six-second range.

Now firmly established as one of the stars of the highly competitive Pro
Stock division, Johnson took time as he prepared his ACDelco Cavalier for
this weekend's Supernationals to revisit that day and the run that
permanently etched his name in the NHRA history books.

"Everything went the way I had planned it," deadpanned Johnson. "Actually,
I remember flying into New Jersey on Thursday, and it was very cold and
hailing. I knew that if the weather cleaned itself up a little and it
stopped raining, someone would definitely be going into the sixes.

"We went out for the first session at four o'clock in the afternoon loaded
for bear, and it hooked and shook and was half sideways going down the
track, so that going into the Friday night session we weren't even in the
show.

"Back then, qualifying was not done in designated pairs as we do now, so we
waited until the very end to run. Actually, I think we may have even had a
problem with the car. All the heavy hitters of the time, (Scott) Geoffrion,
(Darrell) Alderman and Dad, had a shot to do it before we even ran.
However, Dad had an ignition problem, and Scott and Darrell had mechanical
issues of their own, so the six-second barrier still hadn't been broken when
we rolled to the line.

"I let the clutch out and that thing was on a string. It left with the
front wheels in the air, and when I put it in second gear, it set them down
and just headed for the finish line. I didn't even have to touch the
steering wheel the whole way down.

"I knew it was a good run, but you never really know just how fast it is
until you get to the top end. As soon as I turned off, I could see Steve
Evans (the late, legendary racing announcer) running towards my car, so I
knew something special had happened, and that we had gone in the sixes. To
say the least, it was quite a night."

Ironically, as Johnson arrives at Raceway Park for this year's race, he
remains in search of his first national event win in New Jersey. Although
the second-generation driver has had his share of success at this legendary
speedplant, with three wins in the non-points paying Pro Stock Shootout
(currently known as the King Demon Crown), and two No. 1 qualifying
performances, he is still looking for his first visit to the Englishtown
winner's circle on Sunday, an oversight he looks to correct this weekend.

"I guess I won too much in 1994," said Johnson. "I won the shootout, and
the $25,000 for the first six-second run, so maybe that was supposed to tide
us over for a while. But, for whatever reason, Englishtown has just been
one of those races that I have yet to win.

"Maybe we can put it all together this year. We certainly have the right
parts. I'm really pleased with the way our ACDelco Cavalier is running
right now. It's just a matter of putting it in the winner's circle again.
When we won in Phoenix earlier this year, we were still learning about the
car. But now we've hit on a combination that's pretty sweet, which gives me
tremendous confidence every time I let the clutch out. I see no reason why
we can't celebrate the tenth anniversary of the first six-second run in the
winner's circle in Englishtown on Sunday night."

Facts on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team entering the
NHRA SuperNationals:

* KJ at Raceway Park: This will be Kurt's 12th appearance at Old Bridge
Township Raceway Park, where he has one final round appearance in 1993 and
two No. 1 qualifying performances in 1994 and 1998.

* One year ago: Kurt qualified fourth with an elapsed time of 6.716 seconds
and a top speed of 206.57 mph, and advanced to the semi-finals.

* Winning percentage: Kurt's .643 elimination round winning percentage
(354-197) ranks 10th among all active NHRA professional drivers.

* National event wins: Kurt's 28 national event victories ties him for 14th
on the all-time NHRA professional win list, and tie him for fourth on the
all-time Pro Stock win list. Kurt's most recent win came at this year's
Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, AZ.

* Career best elapsed time: 6.716 seconds, Englishtown, NJ. 2003

* Career best top speed: 206.61 mph, Englishtown, NJ. 2003

Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

BAZEMORE SAYS RECORD RUNS NOT LIKELY IN ENGLISHTOWN

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 16, 2004) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny
Car points leader and defending event champion Whit Bazemore doesn't think
that his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus or any other Funny Car will
break records this weekend at the K&N Filters Supernationals at Old Bridge
Township Raceway Park.

Bazemore, who established the national elapsed-time record of 4.713 seconds
at Route 66 Raceway last month at the same time he was rocketing down the
quarter-mile at the fastest speed ever for a Funny Car, 333.25 mph, says the
date change to a month later from last year will definitely affect
performance at a track where records were broken in every pro class in 2003,
except Pro Stock Bike.

"I think the forecast is for heat this weekend," said Bazemore, who
qualified fifth here last year and defeated Ron Capps for his first victory
of the 2003 season. "This time of year at Englishtown it can be either
fairly hot or maybe you could get a day or weekend with a cold spell, but
right now it doesn't look like that's likely. It's kind of unfortunate
because if it were cool, this is really the last chance we have until next
fall for record-setting performances.

"It's all right," he added. "We have a good hot-weather setup and we have to
try to get back on track after our second-round loss last weekend." Bazemore
has reached the final round in five of the last seven races, won two, but
exited early last week in Columbus, Ohio. He has also qualified in the top
two in seven of the 10 events so far.

Bazemore is now 21 points ahead of last week's winner Del Worsham and 83
ahead of his longtime nemesis John Force. Capturing his first Funny Car
championship after two runner-up finishes in his 15-year career is the goal,
but the season is not quite half over. "It's way too early to even think
about the championship," he said. "Right now the idea is to go out and just
try to be as perfect as we can, do the best possible job that we can and let
the results come to us and hopefully we're in the semis or the final or the
winner's circle.

"You have to minimize mistakes and you have to optimize the performance of
the car and the Matco Tools team has done a perfect job so far this year,
especially the last couple of months. We're very, very competitive. So we
feel very good.

"But the competition is awfully tough, as it usually is. Force still has the
team to beat and Worsham looks strong, so we're right there with them. And
we have to make sure that we stay with them and we beat them when we need
to."

The Indianapolis resident who was born in New York City still pinches
himself at times when he sees how his career has escalated since his early
days struggling as a penny-pinching team owner. "You work your entire career
to have opportunities like what we have right now with Schumacher Racing,
Matco Tools and Dodge and the team that we've put together," he said. "It's
really fantastic. We have huge opportunities this year. I can remember when
I wondered how people ever get into the position that we're in now. To be
here feels good and we just have to keep going, stay focused, and try to do
the most perfect job that we can do."

WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Quickest and fastest Funny Car driver in NHRA history: 4.713-second ET
(national record) at 333.25 mph
* Qualified No. 5 at K&N Filters Supernationals in 2003, won event against
Ron Capps
* No. 1 in NHRA Funny Car points after 10 races, with two wins, five final
rounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* 2003 Funny Car points runner-up
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 17 career Funny Car event wins
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an
exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was also second in the NHRA Funny Car championship in 2001, third in 1997
and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 11 times in the top
10 since 1992
* Age 41, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with
wife Michelle, a semi-pro cyclist
* 2004 is his fourth season with Don Schumacher Racing
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion

Contact: Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING

G2/S&S/Star Racing Buell Receives Best Engineering Award

HEBRON, Ohio, (June 13, 2004) - After months of hard work, Star Racing and G Squared Motorsports debuted their S&S powered V-twin Buell at the 40th annual NHRA Pontiac Excitement Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment.

To the delight of everyone involved with the project, the bike performed well by qualifying No. 2 (7.12 sec.) and was awarded the Hedman Hedders-sponsored NHRA Columbus event Best Engineered Vehicle award, which is selected from all the vehicles (over 500) attending the event. (See attached photo.)

"This is the first time Star Racing and S&S Cycle have received the NHRA Best Engineered vehicle award," said Star Racing owner George Bryce, who along with George Smith, part owner of S&S Cycle, Incorporated, are partners in G Squared Motorsports.

"To have this bike win is a great tribute to the innovation and engineering that S&S Cycle put into that new V-Twin engine package. I welcome anyone to stop by and see the engine and bike. Yes, unlike our competition that keeps their engines secret and hidden, this engine is available for everybody to see."

"Another thing that I'm real proud of is the new Kosman chassis that we helped develop. A tip of the hat goes to Ken Johnson, from Star Racing/G Squared Motorsports, for the workmanship and assembly of this bike to enable it to do a 7.12 second pass on its first outing. The tech guys were proud of their choice for Best Engineered since they reached their decision prior to our 7.12 run."

"In closing, I want to thank Hedman Hedders for the $1000 check. It was a welcome surprise for the weekend. We bought all our pipe from Hedman in Alpharetta (Ga.), so the money came back home."

George Smith echoed Bryce's thoughts, "I'm very pleased and somewhat humbled by the Hedman Hedders Best Engineered Vehicle Award. The folks at S&S Cycle and the G Squared/Star Racing crew have worked hard to make this bike work. Sometimes when you're close to a project you have a tendency to focus on what's wrong, rather that on what's right."

"But the NHRA tech guys must have known what they were doing because the bike popped a 12 (7.12 seconds) on its first outing. That's amazing. On behalf of every one attached to this project, I'd like to thank Hedman Hedders and the NHRA for their recognition of our efforts."

The next outing for the G2/S&S/Star Racing Buell is the NHRA K&N Filters SuperNationals presented by Strauss Discount Auto, the 11th of 23 national events on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, being contested this weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.

Provided by Star Racing/G Squared Motorsports
Distributed here by:
Jerry Battle

Shifter malfunction ends Collis’ day at Columbus

STAR RACING/G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS
PRO STOCK BIKE: G2/S&S/STAR RACING BUELL
FRED COLLIS -- RIDER
NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
MEDIA CONTACT: Mickey Schultz

Qualified: # 2 (7.127 seconds at 181.30 mph)
Eliminations:
Round 1: Collis (10.666/76.46) lost to Keith Dennis (7.284/182.55)

HEBRON, Ohio, (June 13, 2004) – A shifter malfunction ended eliminations for Fred Collis and the G2/S&S/Star Racing Buell, powered by an S&S Cycle V-Twin.

During today’s eliminations at the NHRA Pontiac Excitement Nationals presented by Summit Racing, in the debut race for the G2/S&S/Star Racing Buell, Collis lost to Keith Dennis. After going through the first two gears, Collis tried to air shift into third but had no success.

“It was a surprise to me,” said Collis. “I pushed the air button to shift but nothing happened. I pushed several times with no success. I kept trying to get it into high gear, but nothing worked.”

Star Racing owner George Bryce, who along with George Smith, part owner of S&S Cycle, Incorporated, is a partner in G Squared Motorsports added, “We know we had a shifter problem but don’t know exactly what happened. We’ll go home to analyze the problem and get ready for Englishtown.”

“This is what they mean when they say the high and low of racing. We were high during qualifying, but definitely low today after the opening round of eliminations. We couldn’t hit third gear and we were done,” said George Smith.

“We’ll take the data we have from this weekend to Englishtown and do better. Preparation before Englishtown and St. Louis will be the key and help us to be more consistent. Time didn’t allow for us to be as prepared as we would have liked for this event.”

In a philosophical moment, Bryce said, “You can’t buy your way to the winner’s circle. You can’t will your way to the winner’s circle. You can only experience your way to the winner’s circle and we’re in the middle of experiencing.”

Smith quickly added, ”We’ve accelerated the learning experience and know the way to success is not without roadblocks. Today was one of those roadblocks.”

Provided by Star Racing/G Squared Motorsports
Distributed here by:
Jerry Battle

STAR RACING/G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS
PRO STOCK BIKE: G2/S&S/STAR RACING BUELL
FRED COLLIS -- RIDER
NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
MEDIA CONTACT: Mickey Schultz

HOGUE SCORES HAT TRICK, SHUBERT MAKES TWO FINALS IN A ROW, GILLEN WINS FIRST OF YEAR
by Tim Glover
Photos

(Commerce, GA -June 12) Yes, it rained on yet another Summet Series ET
Bracket race. Fortunately, this time the track was already hot (142 degrees
Fahrenheit surface temperature), and dried quickly after a torrential
downpour, leaving only the humidity behind. Little did racers know when
they left the April 24 bracket race that they would not have a points race
until today, as the May 22 race was cancelled due to rain. Rob Hogue won
his third event in a row, having won the April 24 Summit race, last week's
Super Chevy event and then tonight. Ashton Shubert made it to her second
final in as many races, and "Mad Matt" Gillen won his first race of the year
in 8-12 Jr. Dragster.

Former Super Pro champion Stacy Blanton dedicated his first win in 2-1/2
years to his son, Ryan Fitzpatrick Blanton. Blanton took the stripe first
with his Jefferson, GA based '04 Undercover dragster, running 5.20,
132.06mph (5.19 dial), .004 seconds in front of opponent Mike Romines from
Stockbridge, GA. Romines' '03 Horton dragster was also close, with a 4.83,
144.18mph pass (4.82 dial). "I've been trying to win this for Ryan for two
years now," stated a happy Blanton. With lightning brightening the skies in
the distance, Romines simply broke the beams for his semi-final bye so he
wouldn't heat up his engine, saying, "The good Lord has plans tonight. I
don't want to hold him up." Flowery Branch, GA racer Gary Dunn broke his
'82 S-10 recently at Macon, but friend Joe Rampley stepped up with his '78
Malibu, and helped Dunn to a semi-final finish, moving him up to the top
five in points. Another Flowery Branch racer, Billy Thigpen, moved to the
top of the Super Pro points today after a good outing.

Rob Hogue won his third event in a row, having won the April 24 Summit
race, last week's Super Chevy event and then tonight's Sportsman class with
his Loganville, GA based '84 Monte Carlo SS. Hogue met another Loganville
racer, Andrew Wheeler, and got the instant win when Wheeler left the
starting line .019 seconds too quickly in his '73 Charger, leaving the big
cherry colored bulb glowing. "That's a hard way to lose," added a very
tired Wheeler. Hogue thanked Sid Neal Transmissions, H&R Race Cars and
Nalley Racing Engines for all their help with his win. Hogue carded a .03
over 11.75, 116.41mph pass, while Wheeler broke out with an 11.19, 120.97mph
shot (11.23 dial). Kerry Arnold ('81 RX-7 - Commerce, GA) and Joe Haddon
('67 Chevy II - Oxford, GA) were the semi-final pair.

Terry Turpin took home the Atlanta Dragway Hayes Sport Compact Challenge
trophy on Friday, June 11, and earned yet another trophy after winning the
Sport Compact final round against current points leader "Buford Heavy".
Turpin's '03 Mitsubishi Evo was off the pace a little in the final, running
14.45, 100.05mph on a 13.68 target, but won after Buford's '97 Cavalier
broke out with a so close 19.55, 65.77mph effort (19.56 dial). Joseph
Thompson out of Alpharetta, GA was the lone Sport Compact semi-finalist.

John Snapp won Trophy Street earlier in the season with his Conyers, GA
based '68 Charger, and said tonight's win and his whole 2004 season was in
memory of his late father. Snapp took advantage of a great .518 reaction
time and tapped the brakes a little at the finish line, slowing to a 14.70,
86.24mph pass (14.65 dial). His final round opponent, first time finalist
George Peters from Lawrenceville, GA, was happy to make the final in his
first season of racing. Peters' '70 Cutlass went just a tad too quick,
running 13.10, 101.75mph on a 13.14 target. Toccoa, GA racer Doug Edmonds,
who was runner up on April 24, made it to the semi-final round tonight in
his '98 Camaro.

Ashton Shubert has been quietly winning rounds in 2004, winning the Jr.
Dragster portion of the Super Chevy Show last week, and then finishing in
tonight's 8-12 year old Jr. Dragster final against defending track champion
"Mad Matt" Gillen. Shubert and her family demonstrated what sportsmanship
is all about, giving Gillen time to get his engine repaired. During his
semi-final pass, the camshaft in Gillen's Valvoline race car broke into two
pieces. Gillen's dad quickly cleaned out the debris, installed another cam
and got the car back together again, unsure if there was any more internal
damage. The engine was fine, and Gillen used a holeshot advantage to win
his first race of the year with a 9.07, 70.31mph pass (8.99 guess), gaining
50 points on the current points leader. Shubert was actually a little
closer to the mark, running 9.13, 71.51mph (9.09 target). The younger
Gillen added, "First, I want to thank God. Next, I want to thank the
Shubert family for their show of sportsmanship way beyond what is expected."
Valerie Clements (11 years old - Central, SC) was the lone semi-finalist.

Fourteen year old "Wild Kyle" Denton from McDonough, GA didn't get the
tree, but he did get the all important win light in 13-17 Jr. Dragster
against PTI racer Lauren Turner (13 - Pendergrass, GA). Denton was close
with an 8.02, 79.83mph pass (8.00 dial) while Turner broke out with a close
8.29, 78.41mph effort (8.31 dial). Turner welcomed her new sponsor, Randy
Fain of Fain and Mitchell properties in Clarkesville, GA. Melissa Camp from Bremen, GA, who turns 16 on Tuesday, was the semi-final trophy winner.

------------------------------------------------
PRO / SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Stacy Blanton '04 Undercover dragster Jefferson,
GA 5.20 132.06 (5.19)
R/U: Mike Romines '03 Horton dragster Stockbridge, GA 4.83 144.18 (4.82)
Semi: Gary Dunn '78 Malibu Flowery Branch, GA
------------------------------------------------
SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Rob Hogue '84 Monte Carlo SS Loganville, GA 11.75 116.41 (11.72)
R/U: Andrew Wheeler '73 Charger Loganville, GA (foul) 11.19 120.97 (11.23)
Semi: Kerry Arnold '81 Mazda RX-7 Commerce, GA
Semi: Joe Haddon '67 Chevy II Oxford, GA
------------------------------------------------
TROPHY STREET CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: John Snapp '68 Charger Conyers, GA 14.70 86.24 (14.65)
R/U: George Peters '70 Cutlass Lawrenceville, GA 13.10 101.75 (13.14)
Semi: Doug Edmonds '98 Camaro Toccoa, GA
Semi:
------------------------------------------------
SPORT COMPACT CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Terry Turpin '03 Mitsubishi Evo Maysville, GA 14.45 100.05 (13.68)
R/U: "Buford Heavy" '97 Cavalier Commerce, GA 19.55 65.77 (19.56)
Semi: Joseph Thompson Sport Compact Alpharetta, GA
------------------------------------------------
JR. DRAGSTER 8-12 AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: "Mad Matt" Gillen 12 Gainesville, GA 9.07 70.31 (8.99)
R/U: Ashton Shubert 11 Homer, GA 9.13 71.51 (9.09)
Semi: Valerie Clements 11 Central, SC
Semi: Dylan Kent 9 Acworth, GA
------------------------------------------------
JR. DRAGSTER 13-17 AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: "Wild Kyle" Denton 14 McDonough, GA 8.02 79.83 (8.00)
R/U: Lauren Turner 13 Pendergrass, GA 8.29 78.41 (8.31)
Semi: Melissa Camp 16 Bremen, GA
Semi:

Millican, Stott, Thomas and Morton Win the Hooters IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol
Results

Russell, Worsham, Anderson and Hines Win at the NHRA POWERade Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals presented by Summit Racing
NHRA Recap

Warren Johnson Rebounds to Qualify Eighth in Columbus

For the second consecutive day, rain threatened to wash out the on-track activities at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. Fortunately, the skies cleared in the middle of the afternoon, allowing time trials to be completed, and GM Performance Parts Grand Am pilot Warren Johnson took full advantage of the opportunity.

Entering Saturday's action outside the top sixteen necessary to qualify, Johnson quickly eliminated any doubts of his participation on race day by covering the National Trail Raceway quarter-mile in 6.833-seconds with a top speed of 202.21 mph on his first attempt on Saturday afternoon to claim the eighth starting position for Sunday's eliminations.

"Although I didn't like it when it rained this morning, I wasn't concerned, simply because there was nothing I could do to stop it. The conditions prior to the downpour were excellent, and rose by about 3,000 feet of altitude after that, but they were the same for everyone. In fact, looking at the ladder, everyone in the field qualified with times run today, so overall, it worked out just fine.

"On our first run today, we overcompensated for the problems we encountered last night, costing us about a hundredth, which would have put us in the top five. However, it was still a fairly decent run, and it gained our GM Performance Parts Grand Am a position in the top half of the field, so I think we'll keep it."

Ironically, Johnson's first round opponent will be quite familiar, as he will be facing his son, Kurt Johnson, who qualified in the ninth position.

"The easiest way to explain our meeting Kurt in the first round is that it has been one of those years. I guess you could say that's the drag in drag racing.

"However, our preparations will be the same as if we were facing anyone else. I learned a long time ago not to concern myself with who is in the other lane, because I'm a little too short to reach over and drive that car, so I simply concentrate on doing the best job I can in my own lane."

Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

Kurt Johnson Starts Ninth in Columbus

Kurt Johnson completed a solid qualifying effort on Saturday at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. Improving with each pass, Johnson's ACDelco Cavalier powered down the quarter-mile on his fourth and final qualifying attempt at National Trail Raceway in 6.833 seconds with a top speed of 201.49 mph to earn the ninth starting position, as the second-generation driver seeks his second win of the 2004 POWERade Drag Racing season.

"We're pretty pleased, having made four decent runs so far this weekend. The clutch is still a little light, but this car continues to feel good going down the track. That 6.83 we ran in the last session is the run we needed this morning, when the atmospheric conditions were about 500 feet better. That would have worked out to a 6.81, which would have moved us up in the show, giving us lane choice and a better draw, but we will be fine starting where we qualified.

"We know we're No. 9, and don't have lane choice, but the ACDelco Cavalier has won from the back before, so we'll come out in the morning, let the clutch out, and see what happens."

Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

BAZEMORE QUALIFIES NO. 2 FOR FIFTH TIME THIS SEASON

COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 12, 2004) - Whit Bazemore, driver of the Matco Tools
Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car, qualified No. 2 for the fifth time this
season at National Trail Raceway and has now qualified in either first or
second in the last five races.

In today's third round of qualifying, Bazemore held on to his No. 1 status
from last night's record-breaking session (4.774/325.92), posting a
4.911/267.37 lap. In the final session, however, after smoking the tires to
a 10.902/78.26 run, he was bumped from No. 1 to No. 2 by Cruz Pedregon who
surpassed Bazemore's E.T. record with a 4.769-second pass. Bazemore, the
Funny Car championship points leader, still holds the track record for
speed.

"There's no shame in being second best," he said. "In both runs today we
were not really concentrating on our race-day setup because Lee (Beard, crew
chief) feels we have a pretty good handle on that.

"Instead, we were trying a few things this morning and then this afternoon
we were really trying to go for it. We just tried too hard for the
conditiions. We weren't trying to run 4.75, we were trying to run really
quick. We just overpowered the track a little bit, and that's the way it
goes.

"We'll be ready to race tomorrow. Its going to be a tough day, as it always
is and we'll try to get a good result."

Bazemore faces Jeff Arend in the first round of eliminations tomorrow, which
begin at 11 a.m.

Contact: Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING

Bernstein, Cruz Pedregon, Anderson and Hines Top Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals presented by Summit Racing

Brandon Bernstein is #1 in Top Fuel with a 4.489 @ 328.86 pass. Georgia's Bob Vandergriff qualified #7 ( 4.549 @322.58 ) and will face Rhonda Hartman-Smith in round one of eliminations.

Cruz Pedregon stepped up and blasted out a 4.769 @ 301.00 for the #1 spot in Funny Car. Whit Bazemore is #2 at 4.774 @ 325.92.

Greg Anderson hammers out another #1 qualiying run in Pro Stock. His 6.790 @ 203.06 bests were both track records. The good news is that Warren Johnson qualified #8 (6.833 @ 202.21 ) and Kurt Johnson qualified #9 ( 6.833 @ 202.18 mph ) - the bad news is that they will race in round one of eliminations Sunday. Mark Whisnant misses the cut by four thousandths of a second, ending up #17 with a best of 6.866 @ 200.83.

Andrew Hines is #1 in Pro Stock Bike qualifying with a 7.081 @ 187.99. Fred Collis is in the #2 position at 7.127 @ 181.30 with the new G Squared/S&S Buell that is powered by an S&S V-Twin. Angelle Savoie is #3 at 7.133-186.56 and 2003 Champ Geno Scali is #4 ( 7.134 @ 187.57 ). New Star Racing rider Matt Smith is # 8 with a 7.186 @ 185.89.
Qualifying Recap

Millican, Jenkins, Thomas and Nobile Are Top Qualifiers at the Hooters IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol
Qualifying Recap

TURPIN WINS HAYES SPORT COMPACT CHALLENGE KICK-OFF

FOR RELEASE: June 12, 2004
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Craig Armstrong (706) 654-1898


BANKS CROSSING, GA Aboard a quick 2003 Mitsubishi, Terry Turpin of
Maysville outlasted eight determined competitors, and took home the Atlanta
Dragway Hayes Sport Compact Challenge trophy on Friday, June 11.

"I wasn't even sure that I wanted to enter the Sport Compact Challenge,"
Turpin said after the contest. "Now I'm glad I did, and I'll definitely be
back. It's not going to be easy winning this deal. There were a lot of
good cars out here tonight, and the way the points are structured, the
season championship is pretty wide open."

The first 2004 showdown for street-legal sport compacts had been postponed
from May 21, but Friday's showing of racer and fan enthusiasm bodes well for
the 10-race series, part of an expanded Year One Fast Friday program.
Points are awarded on the basis of entering the event (1 point), running
closest to your "elapsed time" (ET) category (1 point), and winning the
"Fast Four" shoot-out, where the quickest four cars from two preliminary
time runs race heads-up for the trophy and final championship point.

With extremely hot and humid weather prevailing, street-legal racers also
gamely challenged the Year One Power Hour contest. Royston, GA driver Chuck
Stephens blistered the already steamy-hot track with a 121.02 MPH pass in
his 1977 Datsun 280 Z to take the "Fastest Pass" award, a $50 Gift
Certificate Voucher from Year One Automotive Restoration in Braselton. Matt
Leetch of Buford, a former Power Hour winner this year, picked up another
$50 Year One voucher for his Quickest Elapsed Time quarter-mile pass (11.39
seconds). Lawrenceville's Jonathan Brown copped the third $50 voucher for
his outstanding Reaction Time (.536 seconds) during the 9-10 PM competition
for strictly street-legal cars and pickup trucks.

The next Year One Fast Friday program is scheduled for Friday, June 18, and
will feature another round of the Hayes Sport Compact Challenge, in addition
to the Year One Power Hour. Gates will open at 6:00 PM for both racers and
spectators, with racing action beginning at 6:45 and the Hayes Sport Compact
Challenge starting at 11:15 PM.

Sponsored by Year One Automotive Restoration in Braselton, along with the
Hayes Family Dealerships in Lawrenceville, Gainesville and Cornelia, Atlanta
Dragway's Fast Friday show is primarily an opportunity for drivers of
street-legal vehicles to "race the strip, not the street." Racecars and
motorcycles are also welcome for Test & Tune and grudge match racing on most
Friday nights at "Georgia's House of Speed."


####


2004 CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
HAYES SPORT COMPACT CHALLENGE
ATLANTA DRAGWAY
(As of 6/11/04)



1. TIE - Terry Turpin
Keith Fortner
Steven Feren
David Draz
Jay Cerboraz
6. TIE - John Vang
Kris Adams
Troy Keyes