Sonoma: Honorary crew member - Kelli Miles

KELLI MILES OF LAKE TAHOE AND SACRAMENTO SELECTED AS 17TH NAPA AUTO PARTS HONORARY CREW MEMBER OF 2010

SONOMA, Calif. (July 18, 2010) - Kelli Miles of Lake Tahoe, Nev., was named the 17th NAPA AUTO PARTS Honorary Crew Member of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series today at the FRAM-Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, Calif. The 16th honorary crew member of the year was selected on Friday.

Originally from the Sacramento area, Kelli, 24, is now a registered dental assistant in Lake Tahoe. She says she has "worked on and off for five years" in her family business, Shell Auto Care, for her father Dale Miles.

Dale is the owner of three Shell Auto Care Centers in the Sacramento area, all of which are NAPA AutoCare Centers: Elk Grove Shell, Greenhaven Shell and Campus Shell. He has sold NAPA AUTO PARTS for 27 years in Sacramento after starting "years ago" in Amador County, Calif.

Dale was originally the one selected as the NAPA Honorary Crew Member by the local NAPA Distribution Center but gave it to his daughter Kelli because "she's been involved in the business and she really loves drag racing. We've gone together to many races." Dale has three daughters: Marci Lyn, 27, Staci Lyn, 25, and Kelli Lyn, 24.

"My dad thought it would be a great opportunity for me to come and be the honorary crew member since I love drag racing," said Kelli, who's been following Ron Capps and the NAPA team in NHRA competition for the last three years. "I've been to this race before and I've been to Pomona a couple of times. I always watch Top Fuel and Funny Car.

"I think it's awesome," added Kelli, of receiving the honor. "It's great to see my name on the NAPA car. I'm really excited and I hope we go all the rounds today, and Ron Capps is really nice." She got her wish, as Capps won the event, earning his first victory of the season.

While Kelli has never driven race cars, "I'm big into snowmobiling and dirt biking. I run around on them locally with friends," she said.

Brian Davis, District Manager, NAPA Sacramento Distribution Center, explained why Dale and Kelli were selected. "Dale is a three-shop owner, all NAPA AutoCare Centers in the Sacramento area,” he said. “He is a very loyal NAPA customer who believes in the quality of NAPA AUTO PARTS. He is a huge NHRA race fan and follower of Ron Capps, the NAPA Funny Car as well as all the DSR race teams. We couldn't think of a more deserving member of the NAPA family to receive this opportunity."

Kelli's non-wrenching crew-member duties included escorting the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Funny Car to the staging lanes for Sunday's elimination rounds. She then helped retrieve the car at the end of the track after each of Capps' passes.

The side window of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge sported her name as the NAPA AUTO PARTS Honorary Crew Member on Sunday.

She also met and chatted with the entire NAPA Dodge Funny Car crew, was a special guest in the NAPA hospitality area throughout the weekend, received a NAPA team jersey, experienced an up-close-and-personal view of the NAPA crew as the team worked on the car, and enjoyed a private tour of the team transporter and pit area.

NAPA AUTO PARTS distribution centers at each NHRA event during the season have different criteria for choosing the persons who are potential NAPA AUTO PARTS Honorary Crew Members.

-source: napa/dsr