Thursday, August 20, 2009

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WINTERNATIONALS TO BE THEME OF POPULAR NHRA BREAKFAST AT 2009 SEMA SHOW IN LAS VEGAS

GLENDORA, Calif. (Aug. 20, 2009) – Six of NHRA’s greatest legends will be featured at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, as NHRA highlights the “50th anniversary of the Winternationals” during its annual NHRA Breakfast. The SEMA Show, the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, draws the industry's brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nov. 3-6.

The NHRA Breakfast will be held Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 a.m. in Las Vegas Hilton ballrooms A&B. The NHRA Breakfast is open to all registered SEMA Show attendees. A continental breakfast will be served.

The legendary drivers who will be featured during the NHRA Breakfast include “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, voted the No. 1 drag racer of all time in 2001; three-time Top Fuel world champ Shirley Muldowney; four-time Funny Car world champ Don “The Snake” Prudhomme; Pro Stock dominator Bob Glidden; Pro Stock pioneer Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins; and 14-time Funny Car world champ John Force. Bob Frey, the voice of NHRA, will emcee the NHRA Breakfast.

The group will discuss their memories of the historic Winternationals, the much-heralded traditional season-opening event for NHRA that takes place at famed Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California every February. The 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals will be held Feb. 11-14, 2010. For ticket information, please call NHRA at (800) 884-NHRA.

Following the breakfast, NHRA will conduct a special one-hour autograph session with the legendary drivers in the Grand Lobby of the SEMA Convention that will include a vehicle display of cars that have special ties to the Winternationals. NHRA and SEMA will provide a limited supply of special 50th Anniversary Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals posters for those who attend the autograph session.

The special Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals cars scheduled to be on display during the SEMA Show include:

* Don Garltis’ Swamp Rat V (winner of the 1963 Winterntionals in Top Fuel)

* Don Prudhomme’s Hot Wheels Ramp Truck and vintage ‘Cuda Funny Car

* John Force vintage Funny Car

* Bob Glidden’s 1987 Ford Thunderbird Pro Stock car

* The renowned Stone, Woods & Cook 1941 Willys

* The world famous Freight Train, the twin-engine dragster driven by Bob Muravez (aka Floyd Lippencott Jr.) to a Winterntionals victory in Top Gas in 1963

* Kenny Bernstein’s 1980 Budweiser King Funny Car

Tickets for the NHRA Breakfast are free for all SEMA Show attendees and can be requested through SEMA at semashow.com in the Seminars & Special Events section of the Web site.

The annual SEMA Show serves as the industry's showcase for new product, technology and business announcements. Businesses from throughout the United States and the world are attracted to this one-of-a-kind event. Registration information is available at www.semashow.com.

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