NHRA

In just under two weeks, the NHRA will visit The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the 15th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals (Oct. 29-Nov. 1), the 23rd of 24 races during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series 2015 season and the penultimate race that makes up the Countdown to the Championship playoff. The race will feature competition in four NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series categories: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, as well as the NHRA Lucas Oil Series and J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. The race will be televised on ESPN2. Winners from 2014 included Spencer Massey in Top Fuel; Del Worsham in Funny Car, Erica Enders in Pro Stock and Andrew Hines in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Tickets are available by calling (702) 644-4444 or via the Web at www.LVMS.com.      

 

Below are some story ideas and media opportunities for the event and some information that will aid in your preparation for the race weekend. I have attached the event fact sheet, event media release, media credential application and track map for your review. Please let me know if you cannot open the attachments and I will send in a different format.

 

NHRA TOYOTA NATIONALS MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES

 

* NHRA Toyota Nationals Press Conference– Thursday, Oct. 29 at Noon at The Stratosphere Observation Deck

Contenders in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle who are No. 1 or No. 2 in points will be in attendance. Media advisory will be sent shortly.

 

 

NHRA TOYOTA NATIONALS HOT STORY IDEAS

- Penultimate stop on the Countdown to the Championship: The NHRA Toyota Nationals is the second-to-last stop that drivers must complete in order to win a world championship. As the series heads to Las Vegas, now is the time for competitors to get one last major victory before the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona.

 

-  Funny Car field down to Worsham-Beckman title fight: The closest points battle of all could be decided in Funny Car where 2011 Top Fuel world champ Del Worsham and 2012 Funny Car champ Jack Beckman continue to go blow-for-blow. Worsham sent a warning shot when he won the first two races of the Countdown in Charlotte and St. Louis, but Beckman returned the favor with his win at Reading and the resetting of the national record. The pair were outstanding in Dallas, pairing up five different times (four qualifying sessions and the final round) and all five runs were incredible side-by-side contests. Worsham (No. 1 qualifier at Dallas) defeated Beckman (No. 2 qualifier at Dallas) in the final to expand his lead to 38 points and enters a race that he won last season. It doesn’t look like either Worsham or Beckman is going to make a mistake and it truly will be the best man who will win.

 

- Antron Brown closing in on second Top Fuel world title: No driver was hotter in the beginning of the Countdown than 2012 Top Fuel world champ Antron Brown. Brown swept the opening three races of the Countdown, becoming the first professional driver to go 12-0 to start the playoffs. Brown was competitive in Dallas again, reaching the semifinals. Despite his disappointing semifinal defeat, Brown’s points competitors fared worse: Tony Schumacher fell in the first round while Brittany Force lost in the second. Brown now owns a 132-point advantage over Schumacher and a 203-point advantage over third place Richie Crampton. It will take a major reversal of fortune for Brown to relinquish the lead to Schumacher or the field over the final two races.

 

- Enders is ready for back-to-back Pro Stock championships: It didn’t seem anything could top Erica Enders 2014 season: a first world championship, a career-best seven wins, a first win at the K&N Horsepower Challenge bonus event and the satisfaction that she was truly in the upper echelon of the category. The 2015 season has topped that. In 2015, Enders has picked up another K&N Horsepower Challenge win, picked up her first win at the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, became the second winningest female driver in NHRA professional history with her 19th career win at Charlotte (she now has 20 career victories after Dallas) and picking up a career-high eight wins on the season, which gives her the distinction of having the most wins in a single season by a female driver (Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Angelle Sampey held that record at seven wins in 2001). In 2014, Enders and Jason Line decided the championship on the final pass of the season when Enders defeated the two-time world champ to win the title. This time, Enders could have an easier road. The Texas native enters Las Vegas with an eight round point advantage at 154 points with only eight rounds left. It looks like Enders is destined to become back-to-back world champion.

- Pro Stock Motorcycle title hunt tightens with Dallas results: It seemed that the Pro Stock Motorcycle battle would come down to Harley-Davidson teammates Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec. But the competition has become a three-person battle with Louisiana alligator farmer Jerry Savoie joining the party. Savoie, who also won recently at Indianapolis, was able to dominate the weekend in Dallas, winning the race as the No. 1 qualifier. In addition, Hines fell in the first round, opening the door for Krawiec and Savoie. Krawiec was still able to have a big points day due to his runner-up finish. Hines holds a 21-point lead over Krawiec and a 31-point lead over Savoie, both less than two full rounds behind the defending and four-time world champ.

 

- NHRA: An American Sport: Ask fans what fuels the sport of NHRA Drag Racing, and you’re likely to get a dozen different answers. And though it’s well-acknowledged that it’s the exotic nitro methane, crammed into the cylinders by a massive supercharger, that provides the smoke and thunder of the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes, the sport is fueled by something much more basic but in many ways no less complex: People. NHRA Drag Racing is a diverse, friendship, family tradition, genuine people, rebellious spirit and “Made in the USA.” Expect nothing less than that in the playoff run of 2015.

 

 

MEDIA GUIDES, PRESS KITS, B-ROLL

2015 NHRA Mello Yello Series Media Guides will be available this season in an all-digital format. The NHRA Mello Yello Series media guide will be available via download from the NHRA Media Center Online as well as available on flash drives. Comprehensive event press kits also are available in digital format.  B-roll containing race action runs for many of the top stars of the NHRA Mello Yello Series is easily accessible via the NHRA Media Center Online Video FTP site.

 

 

NHRA MEDIA WEB SITE

For the latest NHRA news releases, downloadable high-res photos, updated statistics and results, high quality audio clips, video news release information, logos and much more information, please visit http://media.nhra.com

Login – NHRAMEDIA (all caps, no spaces)

Password – #BAPTISMbyNITRO (case-specific, no spaces)

*Note-To help us keep the site secure for media use only, please do not publish or share the login and password information.

 

 

DRIVER INTERVIEW REQUESTS; PHOTO REQUESTS

Please contact me if you need assistance with scheduling a one-on-one interview with a specific driver in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series OR to request specific photos you may need that are not available on the media Website.