Two racers named to AARWBA All-American Team

SCHUMACHER, FORCE NAMED TO 2005 AARWBA AUTO RACING ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM

GLENDORA, Calif. (Nov. 10, 2005) -- NHRA POWERade Series world champion Tony Schumacher and 13-time champ John Force were named to the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) Auto Racing All-America First Team.

Funny Car world champion Gary Scelzi and Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson were named to the Second Team.

Two drivers from each of seven categories -- Drag Racing, Open Wheel, Stock Car, Road Racing, Short Track, Touring Series and At-Large -- were selected to the first team by the members of the motorsports press association, while two second team drivers from each category also were named. The remaining drivers in each category receiving five percent of the vote received honorable mention status.

Ron Capps, who was the runner-up to Scelzi in the tightest Funny Car championship points race in NHRA history, was named to the Honorable Mention Team. Top Alcohol Dragster national champion Steve Torrence, who won four national events, was an At-Large selection on the Honorable Mention Team.

The driver receiving the most votes overall will be presented the prestigious Jerry Titus Award, recognizing AARWBA's Driver of the Year. Force, a 14-time AARWBA All-America selection with 13 first team honors, is a four-time winner of the Jerry Titus Award (1996, 1999, 2000 and 2002).

Schumacher earned his second straight and third overall POWERade Series world championship with nine victories behind the wheel of his U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster. He set single-season NHRA Top Fuel records for consecutive victories (5), consecutive final rounds (7), No. 1 qualifiers (11) consecutive round wins (20) and overall margin of victory (415 points, over Larry Dixon). He set performance records for elapsed time (4.437 seconds) and speed (336.15 mph).

Force, who raced to a category-high five victories, led the Funny Car standings after eight of 23 events, including with just two events remaining in the 2005 season following his victory at Dallas. But he was eliminated in the first and second rounds, respectively, of the final two events by a total of .018 seconds and he finished two round-wins short of winning his 14th POWERade Series world championship.

The other drivers elected to the First Team were Sebastien Bourdais and Dan Wheldon (Open Wheel), Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart (NASCAR), Max Angelelli/Wayne Taylor and Scott Pruett/Luis Diaz (Road Racing), Steve Kinser and Dave Steele (Short Track), Frank Kimmel and Martin Truex Jr. (Touring Series) and Patrick Long/Jorg Bergmeister and Rob MacCachren (At-Large).

AARWBA members have annually selected an All-America Auto Racing Team since 1970. Drivers selected to the team will be honored at the AARWBA banquet, held Dec. 3 in Indianapolis. The banquet is open to the public. For tickets or other information about the AARWBA banquet, call (818) 842-7005 or email (aarwba@compuserve.com).

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