Ashley ready to go out in style
Englishtown, pre-race: On the heels of announcing his departure from the cockpit for the season, Mike Ashley is preparing for his final scheduled race of 2008 in the Lend America Dodge Charger R/T this weekend at the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Ashley, from Long Island, New York, considers the venerable quarter-mile his hometown track and plans to celebrate the weekend with family, sponsors, and employees and guests from his company, Lend America, where he is chief business strategist.
"The decision to...
Read the full story about Mike Ashley's departure at NHRA.com
Wilkerson Top Qualifier Again
Wilkerson's stellar year continues as he earned a start from the top of the Funny Car field for the fourth time in seven races, this time with the lowest e.t. of the season. The driver of the Levi, Ray, and Shoup Chevy Impala flew to a 4.744 at 326.16 mph in the first session of the day and held onto the lead despite the incredible efforts of three drivers: Mike Ashley, whose eleventh-hour ...
Read the full article at NHRA.com
Mike Ashley to return to Funny Car racing in St. Louis
Mike Ashley, co-owner with Roger Burgess of Gotham City Racing's two-car Funny Car team, has announced his return to NHRA Funny Car competition for the next five races, beginning in the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at St. Louis.
Ashley won three races – including the prestigious U.S. Nationals – and finished sixth in POWERade Series points in 2007. Melanie Troxel will continue driving the team's ProCare Rx Dodge Charger R/T that is tuned by Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald. Frank Hawley drove the second car here and at Gainesville, Fla...
Tags: Melanie Troxel, Mike AshleyMike Ashley to Race Developmental Car in Pomona
POMONA, Calif. -- Mike Ashley, the fastest Funny Car driver in history, will open the 2008 NHRA POWERade season in Pomona, Calif. this weekend at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals behind the wheel of the ProCare Rx Dodge Charger R/T nitro Funny Car.
After previously announcing he would not be racing Funny Car this season, Ashley changed his decision in order to track-prove a new prototype chassis fabricated by Chuck Hase. This car is a heavy frame-rail chassis assembled with normalized tubing, in conformance to NHRA's mandated specifications.
Read full story by Matthew Brammer, of Gotham City Racing at WhoWon.com
Tags: Dodge, Funny Car, Mike Ashley, NHRA, Nitro, Pomona, Powerade, race, racingAshley’s tribute car fetches $130,000 at Barrett-Jackson
January 22, 2008 by Robert
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The emotional journey that began in Indianapolis when Mike Ashley won the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in a charity tribute car ended Saturday in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction when Phoenix-area construction mogul and car collector Ron Pratte paid $130,000 for the car, with all proceeds going to the Eric Blake Faulkner Foundation charity to support the Perinatal Loss Program at the St. Vincent Health System Hospital in Little Rock, Ark.
Donnie and Hollie Faulkner created the Foundation in memory of their stillborn son, Eric Blake, with the single goal of helping other parents who suffer similar loss. The Faulkners were present at the sale of the car along with officials from the St. Vincent's Hospital as well as Gotham City Racing representatives. Mike Ashley was unable to attend the event because of crucial business and team meetings, but followed the event closely on the Internet, television and with constant calls and text messages.
Read more and see the car at NHRA
Tags: auction, car, Charity, Mac Tools, Mike Ashley, NHRA, racingSponsor Hiatus Teams and Drivers Scrambling
January 13, 2008 by Robert
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The surprising withdrawal of Torco Racing Fuels from race team sponsorship for the 2008 season has many high profile teams and drivers scrambling for new sponsors so they can compete this season.
As quoted in the Peoria Journal Star:
Don Prudhomme lost sponsorship for Funny Car driver Tommy Johnson Jr., who moved to Kenny Bernstein's team, so Prudhomme is only running a Top Fuel car for Larry Dixon this season.
Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith is looking for work and Pro Stock driver Dave Connolly may start this season on the sidelines, as may Funny Car driver Mike Ashley. (Editor's note, Ashley has since signed a deal with ProCare Rx for 2008.)
Read full story at the Peoria Journal Star
Dale Creasy Jr., Bobby Lagana Jr., Scotty Cannon, Ricky Smith, Matt Hagan and others from the IHRA series are also impacted by the Torco Racing Fuels pullout.
Ashley joins with ProCare Rx founder Burgess; will fund Troxel's car – NHRA.com
Less than 48 hours after learning of his longtime sponsor's sudden and unexpected hiatus from drag racing, Mike Ashley has acquired primary funding for his NHRA Funny Car team for 2008 and beyond.
Ashley announced a racing partnership with ProCare Rx Chairman and Co-Founder Roger Burgess with the goal of fielding the ultimate championship drag racing team. Ashley and Burgess will initially field one Funny Car with racing standout Melanie Troxel behind the wheel, and will aggressively seek additional long-term sponsorship to field a second Funny Car in the NHRA....
Tags: car, drag racing, Funny Car, Melanie Troxel, Mike Ashley, NHRA, racing, TroxelNHRA hit by ill-timed ‘interruption’
January 10, 2008 by Robert
Filed under IHRA, NHRA, Racing News
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A month before the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series season-opening Winternationals at Pomona Raceway, the sport was hit by a decision that will have far-reaching implications.
Torco Racing Fuels, a major player in drag racing under the ownership of Evan Knoll, announced Wednesday "an interruption" for the upcoming season. That means there will be no Torco sponsorships for Knoll Gas Motorsports' teams, including those owned by Knoll and sponsored by Torco.
[...]
That list of sponsored teams includes drivers Mike Ashley, Melanie Troxel, JR Todd, Clay Millikan, Dave Connelly and Gary Densham. According to industry sources, there could be as many as 50 teams that received some type of financial consideration from Knoll and Torco.
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