Series Horsepower Challenge news 2010-05-26

K&N HORSEPOWER CHALLENGE FIELD TAKING SHAPE; FAN VOTE TO DETERMINE NO. 8 DRIVER IN PRO STOCK BONUS EVENT

GLENDORA, Calif. (May 26, 2010) -- Only three races remain until the eight-car field for the lucrative K&N Horsepower Challenge, a special race-within-a-race bonus event for Pro Stock competitors, will be finalized.

The K&N Horsepower Challenge will be contested June 26 during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. Until then, Pro Stock drivers have three races -- at Chicago, Englishtown, N.J. and Bristol, Tenn. -- to improve their positions in the point standings and earn a spot in the event. If they fail to make the cut via their qualifying performances, they can rely on their popularity among NHRA fans as a last resort to make the starting lineup.

Seven of the K&N Horsepower Challenge participants will be those drivers who accumulate the most points during qualifying at each NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event during the 25-race Challenge series. Official top 10 point standings for the K&N Horsepower Challenge event are listed below.

The eighth driver who will compete for the $50,000 winner's share of the K&N Horsepower Challenge will be selected via a special online fan vote.

The fan vote is part of a unique promotion being conducted by K&N during the running of the Challenge series. In the promotion, eight lucky fans will receive a once in a lifetime trip to Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park for the event. Each fan finalist will be paired with a K&N Horsepower Challenge driver during pre-race ceremonies and will be introduced on stage with the driver. At that time, one of the fans will be selected as the winner of a Harley-Davidson Street Bob motorcycle.

Registration for the promotion has closed, however NHRA fans can still vote for the eighth place starting spot for the K&N Horsepower Challenge. To vote for an NHRA Pro Stock driver who is not already qualified for the bonus race (see list below, vote for one of the drivers listed in positions 8-22), please go to www.KNFilters.com and cast your vote.

The 2010 K&N Horsepower Challenge features an overall purse of $151,000. In addition to the $50,000 winner's prize, the runner-up of the K&N Horsepower Challenge will earn $10,000. The two semifinalists will earn $3,000 each and the four first round finishers will receive $2,500 each. More than $75,000 in qualifying bonuses will be paid out to the No. 1 qualifiers at each NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event during the 25-race Challenge series.

Last season Jeg Coughlin claimed his third title in the historic bonus event. Other past winners include Greg Anderson, Allen Johnson, Dave Connolly, Kurt Johnson, Warren Johnson, Darrell Alderman, Larry Morgan, Jim Yates, Bruce Allen and Bob Glidden.

-source: nhra