NHRA

Massey going for third win at The Strip at Las Vegas this weekend with Battery Extender dragster team BROWNSBURG, Ind. (March 25, 2014) - Spencer Massey and the Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher Top Fuel team are ready to spring into action at this weekend's 15th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With three races complete in the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, Spencer and the Battery Extender team led by crew chiefs Phil Shuler and Todd Okuhara have a semifinal finish at the season opener at Pomona and two quarterfinal finishes near Phoenix and at Gainesville, Fla. "I love going to Las Vegas, racing at Las Vegas," Spencer said. "It's always a great weekend and I'm looking forward to getting back out there and hopefully going rounds while we're there." Two of Spencer's 14 NHRA Top Fuel career wins have come at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; 2009 in the fall and 2012 in the spring race. "When you go back to a track that you've been successful at it gives you more confidence," he said. "It seems like we always have a strong car on race day there and I'm ready. We haven't made it past a semifinal yet this year so I'm hoping that this might be our weekend." Although the season hasn't exactly started off as well as Spencer had hoped, he knows it's still early in the 24-race Mello Yello NHRA season. "The way I see it is this is only going to be the fourth chapter in a 24-chapter book, and books always get better toward the end. "We just need to keep getting those round wins, getting stronger as a team so when the summer stretch of races hits we're on top of our game heading into the Countdown (playoff). We've got a long season left ahead of us but it sure would be nice to get a win early this season." THURSDAY'S FANFEST ON 'BROOKLYN BRIDGE' The annual spring NHRA Fanfest returns to the "Brooklyn Bridge" in front of the New York-New York Hotel & Casino on Thursday on the Las Vegas Strip when the event kicks off the NHRA Nationals. Spencer will join Don Schumacher Racing drivers Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan and Tommy Johnson Jr. and other stars of the Mello Yello Series from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a free autograph session. Music, games, ticket giveaways and fun begins at 5 p.m. Another feature of Fanfest will be DSR's New York New York Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car on display. New York-New York is the official Las Vegas hotel and casino for DSR. SPENCER MASSEY, Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher          Pts Events Titles Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ Win/Loss 2014 5th      3           0       0       1       2      0        0        0        4-3 CAREER     98         14     14     25     20     23      7         2     166-82 Best Time, Speed: 3.728 sec. (5-31-12, Englishtown, N.J.); 332.18 mph BY THE NUMBERS Last event (March 14-16, Gainesville, Fla.): Qualified No. 11; lost in quarterfinals to Morgan Lucas A year ago at Las Vegas 1: Qualified No. 10; lost in semifinals to Tony Schumacher Last fall at Las Vegas 2: Qualified No. 10; lost in first round to Brittany Force Career at Las Vegas 1: Wins 1 (2012); Runner-ups 0; Poles 0 Career at Las Vegas: Wins 2 (2012, 2009); Runner-ups 1 (2011); Poles 0 NHRA MELLO YELLO TOP FUEL STANDINGS (Through Gainesville, third of 24 events; DSR drivers in CAPS) driver (wins), points 1. Doug Kalitta (1), 309 2. ANTRON BROWN (1), 256 3. Steve Torrence (0), 230 4. Khalid alBalooshi (1), 197 5. SPENCER MASSEY (0), 180 6. Shawn Langdon (0), 168 7. Brittany Force (0), 158 8. TONY SCHUMACHER (0), 146 9. David Grubnic (0), 138 10. Richie Crampton (0), 123  About Schumacher Electric Corporation Schumacher Electric Corporation employs about 2,000 worldwide and is the world's foremost manufacturer of battery chargers. It also engages in designing and producing custom transformers for the electronics industry and its product lines include electronic assemblies, custom-built transformers, welders, specialty assemblies, toroidal products, linear power transformers, high frequency magnetics, and welding accessories.   The company, which is headquartered in Mt. Prospect, Ill., has facilities in Matamoros, Mexico, and Wujiang, China.   In 1974, Don Schumacher, who owns Don Schumacher Racing, began running the company that was founded in 1947 by his father, Al Schumacher, and Otto Woodward in Chicago.   About Don Schumacher Racing  Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., fields seven professional NHRA teams. In Top Fuel, the 2012 NHRA Top Fuel world champion Matco Tools dragster driven by Antron Brown, the U.S. Army dragster driven by seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher and the Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher dragster driven by Spencer Massey; and in Funny Car, 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Valvoline/MTS Mail for Wounded Warriors Dodge Charger R/T, 2011 world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr. DSR has won 220 NHRA national event titles and 11 world championships. Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing. - 220 -  FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jeff Wolf (wolfj@shoeracing.com), 702.524.1368 Leah Vaughn (vaughnl@shoeracing.com), 618.516.1988