NHRA

Shelly Howard Ennis preview

Howard looking for early momentum in Dallas ENNIS, Texas - Defending two-time NHRA Division 4 Top Alcohol Dragster Champion Shelly Howard enters her first race, this weekend's Division 4 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series opener at the Texas Motorplex ...

Published: Feb 26, 2004, 7:09 AM

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Howard looking for early momentum in Dallas

ENNIS, Texas - Defending two-time NHRA Division 4 Top Alcohol Dragster Champion Shelly Howard enters her first race, this weekend's Division 4 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series opener at the Texas Motorplex just south of Dallas, not on defense, but on offense. The humble champ is quick to cite that her championship happened last year, and that starting this weekend, the score is zero for all teams.

Howard, a registered nurse in Tulsa, Okla., has always felt that gaining momentum early in the year is crucial to success.

"This race starts a whole new year," said Howard. "We always enter a race with the attitude that it's a clean slate, and starting a season is no exception. There will be some tough competition for sure this year; last year went down to the wire, and we won by a mere one point. We're just going to go out there and take it one round at a time just like we always do and go from there."

Howard will compete at the race in the same blown alcohol dragster that won her the Division 4 Championship last year. There has been much speculation about the team's plans to switch to the A/Fuel combination.

"We plan to run our blown car in Dallas and many races this year," commented Howard. "To answer many rumors, yes, we are building an A/Fueler right now. It is not completed, and we don't have an exact date when it will be. My tuner for years, Tom Conway will tune the car when and if we bring it out. Right now it is an option. We as a team hope the current situation in the class will change and allow the blown combination to be competitive on a national level. If that situation doesn't change, then you don't have much of a choice but to switch if you want to be competitive. Regardless of what happens, my blown car isn't going anywhere."

Qualifying starts on Friday for the alcohol cars with two more sessions on Saturday. Final eliminations will conclude the event on Sunday. Stay tuned to InsideTopAlcohol.com for the latest news in alcohol racing

To find out more about the team, visit their website at ShellyHoward.com

-shr-

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