McLaughlin, Shockley join Romine's team

CHERRYVILLE, N.C. - Mike McLaughlin and Sam Shockley have been selected to lead Paul Romine's quest for the 2001 International Hot Rod Association Top Fuel championship.

Romine, who won his third IHRA title in 2000, will be driving the CARQUEST Auto Parts dragster owned by Doug Herbert Racing.

"I'm excited to have McLaughlin calling the tuning shots and Sam serving as crew chief," said Romine. "I think our CARQUEST team will be as competitive as we've ever been. And we will have added input from Herbert's Snap-on Racing NHRA Top Fuel team."

McLaughlin is a veteran IHRA tuner who guided Don Lampus to the 1999 IHRA championship. Lampus not only won races but set IHRA speed and elapsed time records with McLaughlin doing the tuning. McLaughlin was Lampus' crew chief for most of last season when Lampus won NHRA Rookie of the Year honors.

Shockley, meanwhile, was crew chief for Herbert's Jim Bailey-driven IHRA Snap-on Top Fuel team in 2000. Bailey finished fifth in the final IHRA Summit Drag Racing standings. Prior to that, Shockley directed the Gary Turner-owned, Bobby Taylor driven NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team to the 1996 NHRA championship. The team was one of the most dominant in NHRA competition in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

Team owner Herbert has won 20 IHRA Top Fuel events and four championships (1992, 1996-98). His Doug Herbert Performance Parts and Doug Herbert Racing businesses are based in Cherryville, N.C.