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Prolong Super Lubricants Northwest Nationals Previews

29 July 1998


VANDERGRIFF READY TO PUT HIS NAME IN NHRA TOP FUEL WIN COLUMN


KENT, Wash. -- One NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series track has proven to
be a hotbed for first time winners in Top Fuel this decade. And if Bob
Vandergriff, Jr. has anything to do with it, Seattle International
Raceway's legacy will continue at the 11th annual Prolong Super
Lubricants Northwest Nationals presented by Al's Auto Supply, July
31-Aug. 2.

The $1.4 million race is the 14th of 22 events in the $30-million NHRA
Winston Drag Racing Series.

Vandergriff would like to follow in the footsteps of former SIR Top
Fuel winners Michael Brotherton (1992), Tommy Johnson, Jr. (1993) and
Ron Capps (1995), to become NHRA's newest first time winner in the
6,000 horsepower category.

Vandergriff's Jerzees Racing team has been impressive in recent
events, posting a semi-final appearance at Chicago's Route 66
Nationals and following that effort with a runner-up finish to Kenny
Bernstein at Columbus, Ohio's Pontiac Excitement Nationals. Following
disappointing first and second round losses at St. Louis, Denver and
Sonoma, Calif., respectively, Vandergriff feels that the time is right
to break into the winner's circle.

The 33-year-old Cumming, Ga. resident, with four career final rounds
to his credit, says it's definitely time to put a big mark in the win
column.  "It's a big monkey on our back, no question," Vandergriff
said. "Our car has always shown that it has the performance that it
takes to win a race, and we've been in position to win but for some
reason we just haven't been able to do it. A point in winning races is
to give some legitimacy to your team as a winner. For us, we've been
in a position to win enough races that when we finally do win, it's
going to breed more success. The first one just seems to be the
toughest one right now."

With runner-up efforts at the 1995 U.S. Nationals, 1997 Slick-50
Nationals and Champion Auto Stores Nationals, combined with his recent
run at Columbus, Vandergriff's team headlines the list as best team
without a victory. Ask any veteran team in the Top Fuel pits who's
right on the edge of breaking through with a win and Vandergriff's
name always comes up first. Still, Vandergriff says they need to prove
it on the track.

"It's kind of a bummer right now because we do feel we're one of the
top teams out here," he continued. "But to not have won a race yet,
it's sort of like a black eye on us. It's awfully tough out here and
you've got to have everything just right to win. We feel like if we
keep putting ourselves in that position, eventually we're going to
knock that door down and hopefully it will stay open for a while."

At the beginning of this season, Vandergriff was farther away from the
winning door than he had been in his career, posting a second round
loss at the season-opening Winternationals and following that
performance with three consecutive first round exits.

"After the first eight races we decided to change everything with the
car because we weren't going anywhere," Vandergriff said. "It's been a
blessing in disguise really.  I wish we would have made the changes
earlier. The car has performed a lot more consistent and made really
good laps every time we bring it to the starting line. When you can
get the car to the finish line every time with limited parts damage
you know you have the opportunity to win rounds. We've been to the
semis and the finals this season since we made the change. It's just
been a dramatic improvement for the Jerzees team."

While Vandergriff is aware of Seattle's ability to produce first time
winners, he also realizes it can be one of the toughest tracks on the
circuit. However, in the past his team has been able to adapt to SIR's
tricky conditions with flying colors. He holds the elapsed time record
there at 4.642 seconds.

"Seattle has a reputation for being a little difficult for some
drivers, but we seem to have always been able to run good there,"
Vandergriff said. "We were the top qualifier there two years ago and
should have won that race. Seattle has been good to us. They have
repaved the track and made some changes and we should be able to run
really fast there. Hopefully our momentum will keep going for the rest
of the season and we can get a win soon. Maybe it will come at
Seattle."

Vandergriff, like most drivers, knows that one thing always comes at
Seattle: fatigue. He says the driver and team that can keep their wits
for the final three days of NHRA's testy West Coast Swing, a three
week span of races that begins July 16 in Denver and concludes Aug. 2
in Seattle, will most likely walk away with a trophy at the Northwest
Nationals.

"It shows you what caliber your team is," he said. "You have to be
mentally tough and really focused when you get to Seattle because it
gets to be a struggle because you're worn out, you've beat up all your
parts and you're scrambling to make sure you have enough parts in the
trailer to compete. The team that can capitalize on the situation can
take advantage of some of the other teams who may have become
frustrated and lost some of their focus. It's really a crucial race."

ETCHELLS FEELS STRONG SHOWING AT SEATTLE MAY BE KEY TO SEASON

KENT, Wash. -- As Chuck Etchells looks over the schedule of remaining
races in the 1998 NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series season, you can be
sure that a big asterisk will be placed beside the 11th annual Prolong
Super Lubricants Northwest Nationals presented by Al's Auto Supply,
July 31-Aug.  2.

The $1.4 million race is the 14th of 22 events in the $30-million NHRA
Winston Drag Racing Series.

Not only is the event the final race in the three-event Western swing,
placing a premium on available parts and team focus, but it also
serves as the traditional first call for drivers who are engaged in
tight Winston championship battles. With only eight races remaining on
the schedule, it becomes crunch time.

Etchells, however, who leads seven-time NHRA Winston champion John
Force by only one point following the Autolite Nationals at Sonoma,
Calif., needs no such warning signals. The Kendall Chevrolet Camaro
driver, in no attempt to cling to a cliché, plans to take it one race
at a time.

"As I've said all along, we're not going to start getting caught up in
this championship battle," Etchells said. "Our focus is still on
performance and winning races. We want to work to stay in the hunt and
then once we get down to the final few races and there's only a few
points between us and the competition, then we'll start talking
strategy. Until then, our main priority is to win races. We want to
devote our full attention to each race as it comes."

They'll need to devote their full attention to the Prolong Northwest
Nationals. Etchells past history at the tricky quarter-mile suggests
the venue isn't one of his all-time favorites.

"Seattle has been a tough place for us over the years for a variety of
reasons," Etchells said. "I think we're in a good position this season
to be competitive there. We're looking forward to having some success
there."

Etchells best finish there came in 1995 when he made a semi-final
appearance. Other than that, the Putnam, Conn. driver has two second
round losses and three first round losses there. However, with two
victories this season and four semi-final round appearances, Etchells'
team appears to be in the best shape ever.

"I think for the first time in my career, as a team we are financially
able to have the parts to compete for the championship," Etchells
said. "We've added several new associate sponsors this season and it
has made a big difference in our performance. We've also got two of
the best crew chiefs in the business with Tim and Kim
(Richards). There's just a variety of things that's making a big
difference in our performance this season."

Etchells leads Force by one point with nine races remaining, and
drivers like Ron Capps and Cruz and Tony Pedregon are within striking
distance, setting the stage for a Winston championship battle that
will be one to remember, no matter the outcome. With all due respect
for Force and his decade of dominance, Etchells just hopes he's the
one holding the trophy at the end.

"John has proven over the years that he's the guy to beat," Etchells
said.  "We have a lot of respect for John, his team and what they've
accomplished in the sport. But we're hungry, too. Obviously winning
the championship would mean everything to this team. If we did win it,
I think someone would have to wake me up and tell me I wasn't
dreaming. Then, the next day, someone would have to tell me again so
it would sink in. But more than anything, I would be really happy for
this team. The majority of our team has stuck with us over the years
and worked very hard. Winning the Winston championship would be a nice
payback for all their hard work."

MARTINO HOPES TO EARN FIRST VICTORY OF SEASON AT SEATTLE

KENT, Wash. -- After such a promising 1997 NHRA Pro Stock season, Tom
Martino was prepared to enter 1998 with a bang and build on his
impressive sixth place Winston finish of a year ago.  So far, his
lofty expectations have not been realized. So goes the life of a
driver in Pro Stock, one of the most demanding categories in the NHRA
Winston Drag Racing Series.

Martino, 40, of Farmingdale, N.J., claimed victories at Houston and
Columbus, Ohio last season and made another final round appearance at
the season-ending Winston Finals.  His efforts quickly gained him much
recognition as a driver to watch for the future. His future to date
has included seven first round losses, three second round losses, two
DNQ's and a runner-up finish at Virginia's Pennzoil Nationals. He's
currently a ninth in the Winston standings, some 605 points out of
first place.

While parity has reigned supreme in NHRA Pro Stock competition,
Martino, like the majority of his fellow competitors, have hung on for
one wild ride. And even though Martino's Pontiac Firebird is sponsored
by Six Flags Theme Parks, this is one roller coaster ride he'd just as
soon get off.

He'll try to make his exit from a disappointing first half of the
season and begin a climb back up the Winston standings with a strong
showing at the 11th annual Prolong Super Lubricants Northwest
Nationals presented by Al's Auto Supply, July 31-Aug. 2 at Seattle
International Raceway. The $1.4 million race is the 14th of 22 events
in the $30-million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.

Martino says the first step in getting back on track will be to
redirect the team's focus.

"We've been focusing so hard on trying to make enough horsepower to
run with everyone we sort of lost track of what we do best, and that's
race the car," Martino said.  "During the last two years our best
quality has been to adapt to the track and do well on race day. This
year the competition has gotten tougher and everyone seems to be
getting better at adapting to track conditions. We're going to start
going back to our old routine. We're going to start thinking about the
track regularly and not spend our time worrying about finding three or
four more horsepower."

If that's the plan, give Martino the upper hand at SIR, a track that
is well known for throwing a few curve balls at drivers over the
years. With weather conditions that can cover the entire spectrum on
any given day, drivers must be able to adjust to unpredictable
conditions quicker than a chameleon in a plaid color scheme. Factor in
the hectic schedule leading into the Prolong Northwest Nationals, and
things can get interesting really quick.

"It's really tough to make the changes to the car from Denver to
Sonoma in one week because the car uses such a radically different
setup on the mountain," Martino said.  "Then you go from the heat in
California to Seattle where the weather conditions are typically a lot
better. Those three races in a row are just so demanding, both
physically and mentally. You really have to be prepared for it. You're
always glad when it's over, and you just hope that you made the right
decisions along the way."

PATTERSON FEELS CONFIDENT THAT FIRST PRO STOCK TRUCK WIN IS NEAR

KENT, Wash. -- When the news came that the Patterson family, one of
the most successful NHRA Comp Eliminator teams of all time, would
enter the world of NHRA Pro Stock Truck racing, many of the category's
top prognosticators gave the team an instant stamp of approval.

Those big expectations were met with success at the first race for the
new category. At Houston's Pennzoil Nationals earlier this season,
Todd Patterson drove the Team Mopar Dodge Dakota to a semi- final
round appearance, where he lost to fellow Dodge competitor David
Nickens, who went on to record the victory.

Things were going just as planned for the Augusta, Kan.-based
Patterson team. But then, over the course of the next three events,
the team began to scramble, posting two second round losses and one
first round exit. The search for consistency ended at the Sears
Craftsman Nationals in Gateway International Raceway, where Patterson
produced another semi-final round appearance. At Sonoma, Calif.'s
Autolite Nationals, the team went one step further, posting a
runner-up finish in their first final round appearance.

Patterson hopes to take the next step and post his first victory in
Pro Stock Truck competition at the 11th annual Prolong Super
Lubricants Northwest Nationals presented by Al's Auto Supply, July 31-
Aug. 2 at Seattle International Raceway. The $1.4 million race is the
14th of 22 events in the $30-million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.

With as much confidence as Patterson has in his driving ability and
the team's engine building and setup skills, he thought he would be
going into the Prolong Northwest Nationals with a trophy in hand.

"It's been slower coming that we would have liked it," Patterson said.
"We've always been recognized as a leader in small block engine
development and made a good debut at Houston. But since then we
struggled a little. My dad (Allan) has really worked hard at the shop,
along with Nick Ferri, and tried a lot of parts and pieces. At
St. Louis that work paid off. By eliminations we really picked up
quite a bit. We showed it wasn't a fluke at Sears Point. We feel
pretty confident about our program now."

Patterson qualified 14th at Gateway, but then surprised No. 3
qualifier Nickens and No. 6 spot holder Grant Lewis in the first two
rounds. However, he says his qualifying runs were a little misleading
because he had two uncharacteristic bad laps behind the wheel.

"I had made a couple of crooked runs during qualifying and felt like
we still had the power, and as long as the driver did his job we could
win," Patterson said. "During that first round I made a really
straight run and the truck responded by running a 7.82 second elapsed
time.  It just all clicked. Now we know the potential is there. For a
while we were getting a little frustrated. Now we know the truck is
capable of winning rounds."

Patterson is looking forward to getting to the state of Washington,
where the air is clear and cool and the temperatures are generally
mild. He says times and speeds for the trucks should be better than
they've been since Houston.

"Seattle's going to have the best air conditions we've seen in quite a
while," Patterson said. "The air is going to be cooler and with the
sea level altitude, there's going to be a tremendous opportunity to
run some great numbers."

Patterson expects an exciting race.

"That track has always had great traction and one of the best starting
lines on the circuit as far as I'm concerned," Patterson
said. "Everybody is going to run quicker at Seattle. Especially after
coming from the extreme altitude in Denver and the heat in Sonoma,
Seattle will be a welcome relief. It's going to be a lot of fun."

And just what does it take to earn an NHRA Pro Stock Truck victory?
According to Patterson, a flawless package on race day.

"It takes the total combination," Patterson said. "You've got to have
the engine, driver and tuneup. Take away one of those ingredients and
you're not going to be successful. Larry (Kopp) has been really good
this season and he's made Grump (Bill Jenkins) look really good.
There's no secret that Jenkins makes great horsepower. But without
Larry's tuneup and his driving skills that engine doesn't mean a
thing."

While Chevrolet S-10 driver Kopp leads the Winston championship chase
based on three victories, Patterson feels like Team Mopar is closing
in fast.

"We feel like we're within a few hundredths now," Patterson
said. "We're going to keep pecking away at it. This year has really
been a lot of trying different things. I think once everybody gets a
firm handle on their programs it's going to be as competitive as Pro
Stock. I think by Indy we're going to have over 30 trucks out
here. Then it's going to be very difficult just to get in the show."
 	
PROLONG SUPER LUBRICANTS NORTHWEST NATIONALS GENERAL INFORMATION

* Schedule: Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 3 p.m.  and 7
p.m. (PDT) July 31.  Qualifying continues at noon and 4
p.m. Aug. 1. Pro Stock Truck qualifying will be held on July 31 only
with three sessions (3, 7 and 9 p.m.). Pro Stock Truck final
eliminations will begin at noon on Aug. 1.  Final professional
eliminations start at 11 a.m. Aug. 2. Federal-Mogul competition starts
at 8 a.m. July 31.

* Tickets: Tickets are available for the Prolong Super Lubricants
Northwest Nationals presented by Al's Auto Supply. Call (253)
631-1550, or Ticketmaster for ticket information.

* On TV: ESPN2 will televise two hours of live final round coverage
and race highlights Aug. 2 at 4:30 p.m. (PDT). ESPN2 will also show
two hours of qualifying highlights on Aug. 1 at 6:30 p.m.  (PDT).