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NHRA ANNOUNCES:
NHRA SCREAMIN' EAGLE NITRO HARLEY-DAVIDSON EXHIBITION TOUR AT THREE NATIONAL EVENTS IN 2003

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) announced today the creation of the NHRA Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley-Davidson exhibition tour to be held at three national events in conjunction with the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour.
The three NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events in 2003 that will showcase the NHRA Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley-Davidson exhibitions will be the Mac Tools Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals, Bristol, Tenn. Dragway (April 25-27), the NHRA Route 66 Nationals, Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Ill. (Sept. 25-28), and the O'Reilly Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex, Ennis, Texas (Oct. 9-12).
The three exhibitions will provide unprecedented exposure for the Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley class as they compete side-by-side with the biggest names in drag racing and in front of thousands of fans that attend each and every NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national event.
"We are excited to have Harley-Davidson become a larger part of the NHRA entertainment package and take advantage of the inherent value of being associated with the world's premier drag racing sanctioning body," said Bob Wagner, vice president of sales for NHRA. "The brand brings a great amount of credibility to NHRA and this form of racing brings a tremendous amount of entertainment value to our fans."
The invitation-only exhibition tour will feature a maximum of 14 Nitro Harley-Davidson teams who will compete to qualify for an eight-bike elimination field. Qualifying will take place on Friday and Saturday during each national event, with eliminations held on Sunday alongside the biggest stars of the sport of drag racing in the Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock ranks.
Each exhibition winner will be awarded a special trophy and participate in a NHRA Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley winner's circle ceremony at the conclusion of each event.
"As we continue our focus on the racer, adding NHRA to the mix of the Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley team's venues fulfills our quest to deliver a schedule that gets this exciting class in front of NHRA fans," said Mike Kennedy, director of marketing for Harley-Davidson's parts and accessories. "There is no better place to showcase the raw power and speed of these Harley racers than at an NHRA national event."

Larry "Spiderman" McBride Sets Both Ends of Record in Virginia

Larry "Spiderman" McBride gave his hometown fans something to cheer about at the AMA/Prostar Spring Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, Virginia, setting both ends of the Top Fuel Motorcycle record at 5.895 seconds and 243.59 mph.
"It was pretty incredible," said McBride.
"To set the elapsed time and speed records and do it here at home in front of all my friends and family was awesome. What else can you say?"
Due to inclement weather at Virginia the Top Fuel final between McBride and Chris Hand will be run at the AMA/Prostar Norris Motorsports Cyclefest at Norwalk Raceway Park in Norwalk, Ohio, June 28-30.
McBride and crew chief brother Steve got off to a slow start in Virginia as McBride was forced to shut the bike off at 300 feet on the first qualifying lap on Saturday. The run was not a total loss, however, as the incremental elapsed times and data from the on-board computer showed that big things were in store.
"We had a 1.02 second 60 foot time," said McBride. "That is one of our best. The G-meter showed we were accelerating at 3.75 G's. Normally we run in the 2.8 to 2.9 range. The bike was trying to go left so I had to shut it off. It was probably a good thing because we found out later that we had an oil seal leaking."
Rain postponed the second of the two qualifying sessions until Sunday. An overcast morning gave way to sunny skies which prompted the team to make a last-minute tuning change. The adjustment resulted in a number one qualifying pass of 6.00 at 237 mph.
"We had a cloud-covered 82 degree racetrack tune-up in it and by the time we got to run it was sunny and 121 degrees," stated Steve McBride. "I thought we needed to back it up a little bit to make sure we got down the track because we were qualified number four at the time. It probably would have taken it but I did not want to chance it."
"You can't complain about a six-flat," added Larry. "You can't call that a bad run. I'll take a 6-0 anything all day long."
In the first round of eliminations McBride put down a 5.895 at 238 mph - the second quickest run in history (McBride's 5.890 at Atlanta last season is still the quickest ever) and better than McBride's 5.96 elapsed time record.
"When it left I knew it would be a good time," said McBride. "I attribute it to my brother's good clutch management. He's a bad boy."
In the semifinals against the Harley Davidson of Ziggy Stewart, which was run at night, McBride ran a 5.92 at 243.59 mph - simultaneously backing up the elapsed time record and establishing a new speed record.
"It had just started to dew and the bike spun the tire at the top end," said McBride. "We were borderline the whole way down. It could have been even faster. The short numbers were there."
"My brother is really responsible for how this motorcycle is running," continued McBride. "He does all the hard work; I am just along for the ride. I'm the guy that gets to turn the throttle. We also have the best crew in the business. Roland Stewart and Dane Harris do all the work on the bike so Steve can concentrate on the tuning. My wife Kathie takes care of all the little things and makes sure we are all fed. It is just a great team."
Steve McBride added that it is just a matter of putting all the little pieces together. "We are just fine tuning every individual segment," he said. "Getting the motor tuned in better, getting the clutch tuned in better, getting a tire that's hooking. It's a combination. Everything has to work together. You make small and singular changes. It's an on-going process and we are seeing the results of all the hard work. The bike is hauling right now and it seems happy. Larry is also the baddest motorcycle rider on the planet."
Larry continued to give credit for his performance to a new Mickey Thompson rear slick, saying, "I feel our elapsed time performance increase in the last couple of races is because of the Mickey Thompson tire. They built us an extremely good tire. We are thinking it also has something to do with the speeds we are running. We have run these numbers before but not as consistently. I think it is standing up taller on the other end. The tune-up we have been running is basically the same. The tire at least plays a part of it."
McBride also praised the man reasonable for starting line preparation, AMA/Prostar Chief Starter Tony Williams. "If it wasn't' for Tony Williams you would not see a five second run at a Prostar event," said McBride. "That's how much he cares and how hard he is willing to work to make the track the best it can possibly be. I compare him to my brother. He cares about the starting line like Steve cares about his motorcycle. He takes it to the heart. That's how much he wants to see a five second pass." McBride is undeniably happy and proud of his team's accomplishments as he looks forward to his next event, the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals in Topeka Kansas on May 23-26 where he will compete in an exhibition with Chris Hand Tommy Smith and Ron Webb.
"I'm really proud of everybody in the class," said McBride. "Everybody is looking good out there and I am proud to be a part of it. The most satisfying thing right now is that we were able to run like we did here in Virginia. To be able to do it in front of our family. So they get to see what you do at your best - the world's best. How can you put it in words? It was awesome."

AHDRA SHATTERS ATTENDANCE RECORDS AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY!