Contact: NHRA Communications, (626) 914-4761

NHRA POWERade SERIES DRIVERS SET TO TAKE IT TO THE DIAMOND IN READING

READING, Pa. - Drivers in the NHRA POWERade Series will compete against each other in the NHRA Softball Classic, a special softball game that will benefit the Drag Racing Association of Women (DRAW), on Aug. 14.

The Classic will be held at FirstEnergy Stadium, the home of the Reading Phillies, the Double-A affiliate of MLB's Philadelphia Phillies, on the Thursday before the 24th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals, Aug. 14-17 at Maple Grove Raceway, race No. 17 in the 24-event NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Gates for the NHRA Softball Classic will open at 5 p.m. and fans are welcome to meet their favorite drivers in a pre-game autograph session from 5 to 6 p.m. The first pitch is slated for 7 p.m.

Top Fuel rookie Antron Brown and Funny Car favorite Gary Scelzi will coach the two teams that will feature drivers from all four NHRA POWERade Series professional categories. Drivers are still signing up to participate, but those currently scheduled to play include Hillary Will, Bob Vandergriff, Mike Neff, Dave Grubnic, Rod Fuller, Tommy Johnson, Dave Connolly, Bob Tasca, Morgan Lucas, J.R. Todd, Del Worsham, Allen Johnson, Jim Yates, Cory McClenathan, Brandon Bernstein, Ron Capps, Greg Anderson, Steve Johnson and Larry Dixon. Umpiring the game will be NHRA's own Chris Hill, who doubles as an NCAA official in his spare time. Calling the action will be NHRA announcer Bob Frey and Bob Wilber, a former ball player who now serves as PR representative for Worsham.

A draft will be held during the FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma, Calif., so that Brown and Scelzi may select players for their teams.

Tickets may be purchased through the Reading Phillies ticket office at FirstEnergy Stadium, by visiting readingphillies.com or by calling (610) 375-8469.

-30-

7/22/08

Special Events

The Staff race originally scheduled for July 5th will finally happen August 2nd, along with a 330' pit vehicle race, all to take place immediately following Money Trail #18. All the racers who've been dying to prove that their golf cart/moped/quad can kick everyone else's butt, finally have their chance.

The pit vehicle race will be open to everyone who races in Money Trail #18. The entry fee will be $20, with 50% going to purse, winner take all. Pairing will be random all the way through. You can sign up as early as 9:00am Saturday morning with Kathy in the Boat N RV tower

We had a lot of racer step up to the plate and volunteer for the last staff race, so hopefully everyone is still available!

Racers, if you can no longer volunteer in the above spot, send an email to jwelch@maplegroveraceway.com

6/16/08

Special Events

Saturday, July 5th will be a unique day at Maple Grove Raceway.  Immediately following the Money Trail Series eliminations two special races will start for a fun early evening show. 

Junior dragster parents will take over the driver's seats of the family dragsters and face off for  the first annual “Junior Mom and Dad Night” at Maple Grove Raceway.  Either the mother or father may enter the race (or both if they each have their own Jr. Dragster to drive) and after two quick time trials the entries will be paired on a regular sportsman ladder for eliminations based on best reaction time. Entry fees for this race will be $20. 

Also included will be the first annual staff race.  Our staff will race their street vehicles in a special bracket.  Paul “Shorty” Thimm has volunteered to be the starter for the race and will be joined in the burnout box by Kara Stricker and Sean Steffy.  We’re also looking for a number of our Money Trail racers to volunteer to work the staging lanes and time slips for this special eliminator.   We also need two announcers, Tom Henry has volunteered, maybe Andy Anderson will step up?

Each winner will receive a beautiful 4’ trophy and earn bragging rights for a year!

One can only wonder the outcome of these two unique and fun eliminators.  So plan on staying after the Money Trail event to see who captures the crowns. 

6/16/08

Super Eliminator Gambler’s Race Added to Street Battles

Starting at the next Street Battles on Sunday June 29th, Super Eliminator entries may participate in a Gambler’s Race.  Entry fees will be $25.00 for car and driver and crewmembers will be $15.00. 

The Gambler’s Race entry will be $50.00 per car and will offer a 100% “payback”.  The purse will be split in percentages., 50% to the winner, 25% to the runner up and 12.5% to the semi's.  In the case of an odd number of entries in the semi's, the 12.5% will be split and added to the winner and runner up’s share of the purse.

Gates open at 8AM with time trials starting at 9AM.  Eliminations are set for 1PM. 

Street Battles will also be contested on Sunday, July 27th and August 24th.  Super Eliminator will also be included in these events.

6/2/08

We will host a special “Burnout Contest “on Friday evening.  The contest is sponsored by Frank FM and will offer a 4 foot trophy to the winner and a 3 foot trophy to the 2nd place finisher.  To compete you must sign up on the first floor of the Boat N’ RV tower no later than 7PM.  We will only accept the first 10 drivers who register.  The contest is set for 8:30PM.  The winners will be selected based on the best crowd response.  Come on out and join us for some fun and smoke!

Don’t forget Roger’s Picks awards.  Our announcer, Roger Leister, will again select his favorite motorcycle and favorite car for Friday evening.  Roger’s Picks receive a beautiful 2 foot trophy courtesy of Auto Locator. 

We started a new system last Friday for junior dragsters and vehicles with open exhaust and slicks.  We run these entries in “session format”.  We will offer three sessions and please  don’t report to the staging lanes until the respective session is called.  The scheduled session times are 6PM, 7PM and 8PM. 

Grudge race participants are reminded to utilize the lane that the car was assigned in tech.  No lane jumping is permitted.  Please help us in this matter. 

UTI High School Challenge Champion to receive $1,000 savings bond from FLOWMASTER® Mufflers

4/18/08

MOHNTON, PA - High School competitors this weekend have even more to race for now that Flowmaster has announced their support of the UTI high School Drags on April 27, 2008.  In addition to earning bragging rights among other area high schools, the overall event winner will also receive a $1,000 savings bond among other prizes from Flowmaster Mufflers. 

Flowmaster has recently created a new program aimed at promoting safe and sensible teenage drag racing called the Safe Streets™ High School Drag Racing Program.  This new program seeks to reward youth racers across the country for their competitive spirit while promoting safety on the streets. It will involve over 20 tracks for 2008 reaching across the U.S. and provide special rewards to high school racers who win local events.

“Drag racing is grass roots competition for the masses,” Said Flowmasters’ Cam Benty. “An affordable entry-level style of competition, drag racing is a sport young racers can do for a reasonable investment in their daily driven cars and trucks. Today, American drag strips are dedicated to not only providing competitive racing programs for locals, but a way of showing high school kids the proper and safe place to race - rather than on the street. Over the years, many tracks have successfully created and promoted youth racing programs. Flowmaster Mufflers has decided to help keep those programs going by creating their first ever Flowmaster Safe Streets High School Drag Racing Program.”

Other prizes that will be awarded at the UTI High School Challenge event include a special champions’ t-shirt for the winner as well as Flowmaster gift certificates and other product prizes.

For more information about the Flowmaster Safe Streets™ High School Drag Racing Program, a listing of participating tracks and a look at the impressive prize package, go online to www.flowmastermufflers.com or cal1 (800) 544-4761.

Pontiac Crowned Presenting Sponsor of The 2008 NHRA Northeast Division King of the Track Series

PONTIAC has forged a partnership with the Northeast Division NHRA Track Operators as the presenting sponsor of the 2008 King of the Track Series. As presenting sponsor, Pontiac will work with NHRA to bring excitement to racing fans through the display of Pontiac’s hottest vehicles, a consumer Ride & Drive event featuring vehicles from Buick, Pontiac and GMC and by providing prizes to each King of the Track Champion at 15 NHRA tracks in the Northeast.

The King of the Track Series is a one-time special event held in conjunction with 15 NHRA weekly racing events occurring from May through September. Each member track will host an event crowning a King of the Track Champion. The track will then send that champion to race in the King of the Track Challenge presented by Pontiac at the Summit ET Finals at The Maple Grove Raceway in late summer. The grand-prize winner, or King of the Track, will receive $5000, the runner-up $2500 and each semi-finalist $1250.

“Pontiac has a deeply-rooted connection with motorsports because of the brand’s high-performance vehicles, and the company’s presence at NHRA events will illustrate this synergy to racing fans across the region,” said Bob Milot, Marketing manager for Buick Pontiac GMC’s Northeast region. “This is an action-packed series and we are eager to see who will be crowned King of the Track!”

Pontiac will also provide a unique opportunity to put the pedal to the medal on May 23 at The Maple Grove Raceway through a Ride & Drive event. Race fans will have the chance to test drive the Buick, Pontiac or GMC vehicles of their choice in a non-sales environment, with the assistance of trained product specialists. They will also get a closer look at the new Pontiac G8, the first rear-wheel drive performance sedan introduced by Pontiac in more than 20 years.

For more information about the King of the Track Series and for a full race schedule, visit www.nhra.com.

(MORE)
About Pontiac
Pontiac is a division of General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) and markets the Vibe, Solstice roadster, G5 sports coupe, Torrent compact utility vehicle and the G6 family of   sedans, coupes and retractable hardtop convertibles. For the 2008 model year, Pontiac expands its GXP performance series with the introduction of the G6 GXP and Torrent GXP, and will launch the all-new rear-wheel drive G8 performance sedan in early 2008. Pontiac sold more than 410,000 vehicles in 2006, ranking third among GM divisions in total sales. More information on Pontiac and its products can be found on the division’s website at www.pontiac.com, and in Spanish at www.pontiac.com/espanol.

In addition, each event winner will receive $700 for the Track Championship from Pontiac.” 

The event dates and locations are as follows,

2008 Spring Flea Market 

Maple Grove's Spring Flea market is officially in the books. Contrary to earlier predictions about rain , it was sunny and beautiful with hardly a cloud in the sky.  From 8:00 am on, there was a constant flow of people in the gates, contributing to a very large overall turnout, possibly even a record crowd. The pits were full of vendors selling every kind of auto part imaginable and there were plenty of cars displayed for sale, too. 

Down at the end of the pits in the garage, Tech officials were busy inspecting race cars and issuing Extended Technical Inspections and Chassis Certifications to racers meeting all the criteria.  The ETI comes in handy all year, and is essentially a "speed pass" through the tech line at any NHRA sanctioned event.

Our next flea market will be Saturday, October 18!

NHRA ANNOUNCES THREE AFFILIATED EVENTS
ADDED TO HOT ROD HERITAGE SERIES FOR 2008

NHRA has announced that three affiliated events will be added to an already impressive 2008 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series schedule, increasing the schedule from seven to 10 events.
The events to be added are the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky.; the ACDelco NostalgiaFest presented by RM Distributing, June 20-21 at Cordova Dragway Park in Cordova, Ill.; and Geezers at the Grove, Sept. 5-6 at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa.

Though the events will be affiliated with the series, they will not count as points-earning events toward the 2008 championships.

“We’re extremely pleased to expand the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series brand to include these popular nostalgia events,” said Peter Clifford, NHRA executive vice president/general manager. “Nostalgia racing is growing in popularity, and NHRA is excited to be part of these events in Kentucky, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.”

The ACDelco NostalgiaFest presented by RM Distributing at Cordova Dragway Park will feature “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, who will bring multiple Swamp Rat dragsters to participate in a Cacklefest. Garlits, who earned 35 NHRA Top Fuel victories – including a record eight wins at the prestigious U.S. Nationals -- during his legendary career, also will serve as master of ceremonies. Also in attendance will be NHRA legend and three-time Top Fuel world champion Shirley Muldowney, serving as grand marshal of the event, along with famed Pro Stock driver Arnie “the Farmer” Beswick.

“We’re really excited to have this event and to be involved with the NHRA through this series,” said Scott Gardner, owner and operator of Cordova Dragway Park. “The Hot Rod Heritage series is a great series to be a part of, and we feel that it, along with the ACDelco NostalgiaFest presented by RM Distributing, are going to continue to grow year after year. We’re very happy for this opportunity.”
Geezers at the Grove, an event that began at Maple Grove Raceway in 2002, will feature two E.T. brackets, both for pre-1982 entries. Division 1 nostalgia circuits also will be a part of the program scheduled for early September.

“We’re just so happy to be a part of the new series,” said Lex Dudas, vice president and general manager for Maple Grove Raceway. “We go a long way back with the NHRA, and to have the Hot Rod Heritage Series here is just a big step up for us and for our Geezers at the Grove event. It’s a good move for us, and I think the Hot Rod Heritage combined with our Geezers at the Grove event will be a great attraction for drag racing fans.”

Returning to Beech Bend Raceway Park after a brief hiatus, the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion will descend on the rolling hills of Bowling Green. Located on 368 acres covered with beech trees, for which the track is named, Beech Bend Raceway Park has been providing family entertainment for years.

“We’re extremely happy and excited to be involved with NHRA and the Hot Rod Heritage Series,” said Dallas Jones, owner and president of Beech Bend Raceway Park. “Not only is the track excited to have this event, but the community is excited as well. To have not only the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion here but also the Hot Rod Heritage Series is just great, and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

A&A AUTO STORES TO BECOME NEW SPONSOR AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY

3/21/08

MOHNTON, PA – A&A Auto Stores has recently come on board at Maple Grove Raceway as the newest member of the sponsor family. They will sponsor the left lane scoreboard in addition to being the presenting sponsor of the new Night of Fire event scheduled for June 21st, which will feature Jet-powered vehicles, wheel standers and fireworks all in one crowd-pleasing night.

A&A Auto Stores currently has 25 locations in Pennsylvania. They house a wide range of products and brands for numerous makes and models of street vehicles as well as race cars. They will also have a parts trailer at many of the 2008 Maple Grove events. This will be a great convenience for competitors as it solves the problem of having to run into town chasing parts when unexpected breakages occur and time is of the essence.

“Adding A&A Auto Stores is a great addition to our family of sponsors” said Lex Dudas, General Manager of Maple Grove Raceway. “Their support of the Night of Fire will help bolster the event and will offer A&A Auto Stores a great event to entertain their customers and employees.”

With the help of A&A Auto Stores, Maple Grove is able to raise the bar another notch in terms of offering an increased level of services to competitors and fans at events throughout the season. With 90 days of racing planned for the 2008 season, Maple Grove strives to always remain in the top echelon of drag racing facilities in the country for racers and spectators alike.

###

Announcements:

3/14/08

Due to an unfavorable long range forecast, we have elected to cancel the March 22nd Test and Tune Event. The Compulink staff needs warmer temperatures to install the fiber optics system and even though we have some warmer weather predicted for next week, it comes with wet conditions in the forecast. The Spring Flea Market is still set for March 29 and 30 as well as the NHRA ETI inspections. The official kick-off is now April 5 and 6 with our first double header Money Trail ET series events.

VW Super Jam Cancelled: Due to a date conflict with another VW show, this year’s VW June Jam show originally scheduled for Sunday, June 8. We felt having two shows in conflict will not benefit the VW enthusiast and we will strive to find a good date in 2009. In place of the VW June Jam, we will schedule another Street Battles event on June 8.

In an effort to help our Money Trail racers, we will allow members to park their race trailers near the Maple Grove Raceway garage in between Money Trail events. Racers must be a member of the Money Trail ET series and will also be required to sign a waiver and release in advance. See Kathy Phillips in the first floor of the Boat N’ RV tower to obtain the paperwork.

Attention Racers:

Extended Technical Inspections for the 2008 season will be held at the Spring Flea Market on March 29 & 30. Chassis Certifications can be obtained on March 29 ONLY Reservations are required. Call 610-856-7200 to sign up.

Updates  received since the racer meeting, January 26th

Further clarification on Deep Staging:

The track operator steering committee for the NHRA NED Summit ET Finals polled the member tracks within the Northeast Division this week to further clarify the new deep staging policy for 2008.

DEEP STAGING.  If you are going to deep stage, it may not be visible on the vehicle.  All DEEP (lettering) on windows must be removed (not permitted to be covered).   The tree will be on autostart, no provision will be made by the starter if a racer is deep.  No disqualification for going deep. (per NHRA D1 website, Summit ET rules, number 13)

The above rule will be in effect for all Maple Grove Raceway ET bracket events for 2008

Advanced ET Fire Suit Rule:

NHRA has withdrawn the rule requiring the SFI 3.2A/15 fire suit with SFI 3.3/15 gloves and boots.  Please refer to www.nhra.com  and check under rules revisions for complete details.

Protest Procedures:

Contestant protests must be filed with the event director prior to the start of eliminations. 

Protests must be accompanied by a protest fee of $300.00.  Protest fees, minus $100.00, will be forfeited to the vehicle owner if the protested vehicle is found in compliance with the class of competition.  If an inspection proves a protested vehicle to be out of compliance for the class of competition entered, fees will be refunded, less $100.00, and the non-compliant entry will be subject to action as the Event Director may impose, including possible disqualification or suspension.

Contestant protests may only be filed by a driver or registered vehicle owner competing in the same event and in the same eliminator category, as the vehicle being protested.  Maple Grove Raceway reserves the right to reject any protest filed that it determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, is frivolous or intended to harass another competitor or to otherwise gain some unfair competitive advantage.

NEW TRACK RENTAL POLICY  - Effective January 1, 2008 the track rental structure will be changed as follows.  All track rentals will be for a period of (6) hours.  1 to 5 cars $2,500.00, additional cars up to a total of (10) cars add $100 per car for a maximum of $3,000.00.  All rentals include track preparation with VHT traction compound, ambulance on stand by and track personnel

Toyo Tires Nationals Trackside Terrace Spots  - The highly popular RV spots will return again for 2008.  Currently we have just two spots available.  The rate is $950.00 per spot which includes two general admission tickets for the event.  Contact the office for further details.

Verizon Wireless will join the sponsor family at Maple Grove for 2008 and 2009.  The popular wireless company will have a set of guardwall signs and will have representatives at many of our events.  Remember, their service works great at Maple Grove since the company installed a cellular tower in the rear of the staging lanes, no walking around looking for bars on your phone.  Remember them when you’re ready for your next phone.

GMC Trucks will become the “Official Truck” of Maple Grove starting in 2008.  Our emergency trucks will now be 2008 GMC Sierra pick ups.

Fatheadz Sunglasses and Apparel has been named the Official Sunglasses of Maple Grove Raceway. Check out their great product line at www.fatheadz.com. The Midwest based company has been loyal supporters of sprint cars, midgets, and the ARCA stock car series. This is their first venture into drag racing, so please welcome them. We all need sunglasses, so why don't you pick up a pair of Fatheadz!  

Ransome Caterpiller recently announced their continued support of the Emergency Truck sponsorship as well as the Cat Crew Starting Line Team.

Oil Retention Device Update - Currently an oil retention device is required for advanced ET cars running 7.49 and quicker.
     New to our list of sponsors is Dennis Ridgeway Enterprises, a company that produces engine diapers. Take a look at DRE enginediapers.com for your oil retention device needs.

Money Trail Sponsor updates - Sunoco Race Fuels will return as the title rights sponsor of the popular series.  Ray's Yamaha - Polaris - Victory has agreed to return as the presenting sponsor of the Money Trail and the sponsor of ET Cycle. Gold Rush Trailers recently signed a new two year agreement as the sponsor of Super Eliminator.  ATI Performance Products will return for the 5th year as the sponsor of Pro Eliminator.  PC Richard and Son returns as the sponsor of Street Eliminator and will again co-sponsor the popular Money Trail ET Shootout, set for the Toyo Tires Nationals.  Universal Technical Institute will return as the sponsor of Junior Dragster. Universal Technical Institute will sponsor two other events for 2008, the UTI High School Challange in April and the new UTI Funday Sunday in October.

  SPECIAL                                               12/14/07