NHRA DRIVERS VISIT WITH MEDIA AND FANS AND TOUR LANDMARKS IN PLAYOFF MARKETS TO KICKOFF MELLO YELLO COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

GLENDORA, Calif. (Sept. 17, 2015) — Several drivers who are gearing up to pursue NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships this weekend at zMAX Dragway’s NHRA Carolina Nationals, took time out of their busy schedules Wednesday to participate in a media blitz across the country designed to generate buzz for the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

Social media channels lit up as Jack Beckman, Richie Crampton, John Force, Brittany and Courtney Force and J.R. Todd made appearances, visited notable landmarks and conducted interviews with a variety of news outlets throughout the day in the Countdown Kickoff Media Tour.

Among the highlights of the day, 16-time world champ Force visited with a full schedule of media in Charlotte, host of the playoff opener, including a live interview on TWC’s Sports Night with Mike Solarte and in-studio radio interviews on the legendary John Boy & Billy Big Show and ESPN Radio. He also visited with sportswriters from the Charlotte Observer and Concord Independent Tribune, and did additional TV interviews at WCCB TV and WBTV 3, among other outlets.

Four-time Top Fuel winner Crampton also had a very busy schedule in St. Louis, including stops for in-studio radio interviews with Frank Cusumano on WGNU and Doug Jenkins of WBGZ. He was live on set with Doug Vaughn of KMOV TV4, did an interview with the Allman Report on the local ABC affiliate and also did television interviews with Martin Kilcoyne of KTVI, the local FOX affiliate, and with Cusumano of KSDK TV, the NBC affiliate.

In Los Angeles, home of the Countdown finale Auto Club NHRA Finals in November, Funny Car top seed Beckman had a lengthy sit-down interview with KABC TV 7’s Curt Sandoval as well as a lunch visit with the Los Angeles News Group’s veteran motorsports writer Louis Brewster. He also did a radio interview with KNX 1070’s Randy Kerdoon.

Todd, who is focused on improving on his second place Countdown finish from last season, met with plenty of media members in the Reading region, including TV interviews in Harrisburg with Jason Bristol of CBS 21 and Gregg Mace of ABC 27, and Todd Sadowski of Fox 43 in York. He also visited with Dan Moscaritolo of WFMZ TV 69 in Reading/Allentown, as well as Brian Rippey of the Reading Eagle.

Top Fuel fifth seed Brittany Force and her Countdown spoiler sister Courtney stormed Las Vegas and were interviewed by Ron Kantowski of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Seat Williams of Fox Sports 1340, as well as Chris Maathuis of KLAS TV 8 (CBS) and KNTV TV 13 (ABC). The pair also met with fans at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during a special Fan Q&A and lunch event.

Two-time Funny Car world champ Cruz Pedregon conducted phone interviews with newspaper and radio media in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

The drivers also were the subjects in many photos with custom Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship Arrow signs as part of the social media portion of the day, using the hashtag #CountdownFever, and visited area landmarks for additional photo opportunities.

Crampton posed by the Stan Musial statue at Busch Stadium and the iconic Gateway Arch and also posed for several photos at Gateway Motorsports Park, including one with track owner Curtis Francois. The Force sisters took many photos at The Strip at LVMS and also at the popular Welcome to Las Vegas sign at the edge of town. Beckman took shots at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with a special “All Roads Lead to Pomona” Countdown themed sign and visited Hollywood Blvd. as part of his day, where he took memorable shots with a Stormtrooper, Chewbacca, The Hulk and even posed in front of his own personal Hollywood Star. Todd and John Force also were photographed with their Countdown arrow signs in front of their respective tracks.

NHRA’s six-race Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs opens this weekend with the NHRA Carolina Nationals at spectacular zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C., then moves on to St. Louis for the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, Sept. 25-27, and then finishes a quick three in a row at the NHRA Keystone Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., Oct. 4-7. After a week break the playoffs resume at the famed Texas Motorplex Oct. 15-18 for the AAA Texas NHRA Fallnationals, then the tour heads west for the penultimate race, the NHRA Toyota Nationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Oct. 29-Nov. 1. NHRA Mello Yello world champions will be crowned at the season finale, Nov. 12-15 at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif. Playoff action is sure to be intense during this stretch of races. For ticket information and to keep up with all the action, please visit www.NHRA.com. Follow all six Countdown playoff races on NHRA’s social media channels using the hashtag #CountdownFever.