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Aerolite Racing PR

Aerolite Racing set to make return to NHRA Top Fuel competition FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 1, 1997 Contact: Aerolite Racing INDIANAPOLIS -- The Aerolite Racing Top Fuel Dragster with driver Paul Romine and legendary crew ...

Aerolite Racing set to make return to NHRA Top Fuel competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 1, 1997

Contact: Aerolite Racing

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Aerolite Racing Top Fuel Dragster with driver Paul Romine and legendary crew chief Clayton Harris will make its 1997 National Hot Rod Association debut, April 10-13, at the 17th annual Fram Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce Ga. Last month at the International Hot Rod Association All-Pro Auto Parts Winter Nationals at Darlington International Dragway in Darlington, S.C., Romine returned to national event drag racing after a 15-year absence. The return was a complete success as Romine won the event, while in the process setting an IHRA elapsed time record of 4.911 and becoming the first IHRA Top Fuel driver in history to break into the 4.8 zone with a 4.855 time. With IHRA going on a three month hiatus before its next event, Romine is set to compete with NHRA Winston Drag Racing's best at Atlanta. "To return to current day Top Fuel racing the way we did in Darlington was incredible," Romine said. "I am now looking forward to racing with the some of the best Top Fuel racers in world at the NHRA Fram Nationals while the IHRA Snap-on Tools Drag Racing Series takes a break." Romine last competed in open competition with NHRA during the 1981 season. In that year, he competed in Nitro Funny Car at selective national events and at divisional races. He returned to drag racing last season, teaming up with Harris to campaign a nostalgia Top Fuel dragster in Goodguys nostalgia events and match races. At a match race on April 21, 1996 at U.S. 41 International Dragway in Morocco, Ind., Romine drove his nostalgia dragster into the five-second zone with a 5.96 elapsed time. The run was the first ever sub-six second pass by a front-engine Top Fuel dragster. "Campaigning the little front-engine car was a lot of fun, but there were limited locations we could race," Romine said. "Stepping up to current day Top Fuel racing was the next step and Clayton has helped the entire team make the transition smoothly." Romine and Harris will race at selective NHRA events this season while competing in all six national events on the IHRA schedule.

The Race Ticket information: 1-800-884-6472; Friday $25, Saturday $36, Sunday $41. Friday night qualifying (April 11, 7:30 p.m - 9:30 p.m. eastern) and final round eliminations (April 13, 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. eastern) of the Fram Nationals will be televised on ESPN2. Qualifying and final elimination results from the Fram Nationals can be obtained with a computer through world wide web on NHRA Online, http://www.goracing.com/nhra. Atlanta Dragway elapsed time (4.739) and speed record (306.64), set by Scott Kalitta in 1996.

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