NHRA O’REILLY AUTO PARTS JR. DRAG RACING LEAGUE CONFERENCE FINALS SET FOR 2006 (NHRA)

GLENDORA, Calif. — NHRA officials have announced the dates and locations for the 2006 NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League Conference Finals events. Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn., will host the Eastern Conference Finals July 13-15 and the Western Conference Finals will be held July 27-29 at Bandimere Speedway in Denver. Bandimere Speedway has played host to the Western Conference Finals since 2000 when the Eastern and Western conference format was created. Bristol Dragway held the event for the first time in 2004.

“The O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing Eastern Conference Finals have been a great addition to the schedule at Bristol Dragway,” said Jeff Byrd, Bristol Dragway President and General Manager. “It is one of the most enjoyable weeks of the year for us. These young racers have so much energy and seem to have so much fun, it’s actually contagious and we all get caught up in the very competitive atmosphere. We hope they’ll want to come back for years to come.”

Race officials at Bandimere Speedway echo those comments.

“Our family and staff are proud to host the NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Western Conference Finals,” said John Bandimere III, Bandimere Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager. “With over 130 events on our schedule each season the Jr. Finals is on the top of the list. Building racers and the sport for the future is a primary focus of our business and watching these Jr. racers develop through the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League and beyond is extremely fulfilling.”

More 1,000 kids compete for individual and team honors at the NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern and Western Conference Finals, and nearly $100,000 in savings bonds are given away at each event.

The NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League allows kids between the ages of 8 and 17 to experience the thrill of motorsports competition in a controlled environment at tracks in all seven of NHRA’s geographic divisions. NHRA member tracks from across the country offer weekly programs to Jr. drag racers that culminate in a track championship for each age group. The points leaders in each class are then chosen to represent the track at either the NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern or Western Conference Finals, depending on the location of the local track.