NHRA
VIPsports Gainesville preview
VIPsports.com and ParkerTech Racing Services Head South-- Milford, Michigan. The VIPsports.com Top Alcohol Funny Car Team is loading up for their first race of the 2006 season. The March 17-19 37th Annual NHRA Gatornationals, in Gainesville, ...
Published: Mar 12, 2006, 4:43 PM
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VIPsports.com and ParkerTech Racing Services Head South--
Milford, Michigan. The VIPsports.com Top Alcohol Funny Car Team is loading up for their first race of the 2006 season. The March 17-19 37th Annual NHRA Gatornationals, in Gainesville, Florida, will be the first of the season and the first of four straight race weekends for the Michigan-based ParkerTech Racing Services crew.
VIPsports.com used the December, 2005 Performance Racing Industry Show to announce their return as team sponsor. Since then, Frank Parker, team owner, has been straining his burst panels to prepare the team. During a rare quiet moment in the shop, Parker commented on the renewed relationship with VIPsports.com: "They came to us, near the end of last season, with a proposal to expand the race program. That was quite a tribute to the results my folks delivered. It was also personally very satisfying"
Fredrik Wadstein, Marketing Manager for VIPsports.com, has been following the team's progress over the winter. Wadstein said, "Sponsoring a Top Alcohol Funny Car was a totally new experience and 2005 turned out to be a real "ride" for us. After attending a few races, and seeing what Frank could do with some help, we couldn't help wondering what a little more support would do. We handed a new ball to Frank at the PRI Show and, just like expected, he took off running." Wadstein chuckled at that and added, "He reminds me of the scene from Forrest Gump, where the cheerleaders have to hold up a 'Stop, Forrest, stop' sign."
Fans of the VIPsports.com Dodge Stratus Top Alcohol Funny Car can look forward to seeing it at six NHRA Divisional and eight National events in 2006, including Houston, Texas, the new race in Richmond, Virginia and the April race in Las Vegas, Nevada. Along with some intense off-season development work, Parker has been upgrading his support equipment. The overall effect will streamline the team's operation and put a strong and reliable bullet in the hands of their driver, Muncie, Indiana's Danny Townsend. Frank Parker's father, long-time Sportsman racer Dan Parker, will return to share crew chief duties. Other crewmembers, Rob Cunningham, Tom Cunningham, Tom Krebaum, Tom McVey, Nancy McVey, Tony Gulley and Brad Eldred will bring their skills back to the team.
Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying, at the Gatornationals, goes green at 1:30 pm on Friday, March 17th. Eliminations begin on Sunday, March 19th, at 11:00 am. ESPN2 will broadcast the Sportsman activities on April 1st, at 7:00 pm EST, and again on April 9th at 2:00 am EST. From Gainesville, the team hops over to Bradenton, Florida, for a Divisional race March 24 -- 26, then travels to Houston, Texas, for the O'Reilly Spring Nationals March 31 -- April 1 and wraps up this first road trip in Las Vegas, April 6-9.
VIPsports.com provides sports enthusiasts, around the world, up-to-the-minute sports news, statistical information and safe, reliable sports betting, casino games, horse racing and poker. Learn more about VIPsports.com, "Where the World Wagers," at www.vipsports.com. VIPsports.com is licensed in Great Britain and is part of a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:LNG). Click "The London Stock Exchange," on the VIPsports.com website, or visit the corporate website, www.Ingplc.com, for details.
ParkerTech Racing Services is also associated with these team member companies, whose valuable support makes racing possible: Allstar Performance, Auto Meter, Mr. Moly, Gates Belts, Weld Racing Wheels, Mr. Gasket, Trick Titanium, Mopar Parts, Total Flow Products, Ringers Gloves, Mancini Racing, NGK Spark Plugs, Hoosier Tires, Valco Cincinnati, Aeroquip Hoses, Crane Cams and the Valvoline Oil Company.
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