SEASON FINALE GIVES RJR MOTIVATION FOR 2012

Pomona, Calif. - The 2011 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series came to a close for the Santa Clarita, Calif. based Rick Jackson Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team with a costly second round loss to John Lombardo Jr. at the final event of the NHRA season, the AAA of Southern California NHRA World Finals contested at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif. The final event of 2011 also provided some much needed rest and preparation for the Centre Pointe Collision Center sponsored team moving forward.

Team driver Tony Bartone, who captured six-NHRA National Event titles driving team owner Rick Jackson's Ford Mustang TAFC and will finish second in the season championship points chase, entered final eliminations in the number two position once qualified ended. Bartone lowered his event best elapsed time to a great 5.504 second, 262 mile per hour run to open up eliminations, but bowed out in the second round to Lombardo with some engine damage slowing the Centre Pointe Mustang to a 5.59 ET at only 239 miles per hour.

"This was not the way we wanted to end our season at Rick's home track, but all in all, we can say 2011 was our best season to date," noted Bartone. "We started the season with a brand new two-step combination which after the first three races we won caused quite a stir amongst the other teams. We were told we couldn't use this device and went back to the traditional set-up and still won events. That just shows you how good this team at adapting to changes and adversity. I am very proud of the efforts we all made this season. Yes, we came up short in the National Championship, but rest assured, we'll be ready for another run at the title next season."

The Centre Pointe team did a masterful job during the 2011 NHRA campaign. The Rick Jackson Racing team entered a total of 10 NHRA National Events, winning six, reaching the final round in 7 of the 10 events, recorded low elapsed time in 6 of those events and won two Divisional Events this season. The team also captured its second consecutive Division 4 Lucas Oil title. For team owner Rick Jackson, the efforts put forth by the team pale in comparison to the final win/loss record.

"Sure we won some great races this year, but the work our guys did this season was nothing short of masterful," Jackson stated. "Steve Boggs has an amazing tune-up and we are privileged to have him on our team. Chris Perl did a great job managing this team and making sure we got from point ?A' to point ?B' on schedule and on time. We can't thank Darren Mayer enough for his contributions and of course, the work from Scott, Javier, Lew, the support from our fans, our friends and our outstanding marketing partners allowed us to keep focused and put forth a great product on and off the track this season. We're not quite sure of next year's exact plans, but no matter what we do next season, we're proud of this year's effort and will strive to improve moving forward."

The Rick Jackson Racing team would like to extend their heart-felt condolences to the Staff at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the loss of Track Announcer and Video Specialist Dan Lea. Lea was a strong supporter and friend to the Centre Pointe team and wish to extend their thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

BOGGS & BARTONE BRACKET CAR TAKES VEGAS TAFC TITLE

Las Vegas, Nev. - With a string of consistently quick elapsed times, Rick Jackson Racing crew chief Steve Boggs and driver Tony Bartone captured this weekend's Big O Tires NHRA National Event title in the Top Alcohol Funny Car division contested at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The event win also completed the Vegas Sweep of winning events at both the Spring National Event as the Fall Event contested at LVMS.

Coming off an amazing weekend at the recently completed NHRA Heritage Series California Hot Rod Reunion where the Boggs and Bartone tandem recorded the quickest and fastest runs in Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragster history with the Bartone Brothers N/TF rail, the tuner / driver pair, who have captured a stunning 35 NHRA National Events during their partnership, brought team owner Rick Jackson's Centre Pointe Collision Center sponsored Ford Mustang TAFC to compete against some of the nation's best teams and drivers in Vegas. They picked up exactly where they left off in Bakersfield one week prior.

Off the trailer, the Centre Pointe TAFC recorded a stunning 5.560 elapsed time, which stood as a track record for TAFC at "The Strip" and was good enough to collect the teams third National Event Pole Position and set them up for a first round match-up with Keeter Ray and his talented tuner Randy Goodwin. At the flash of the green, Ray's TAFC never moved, but the Centre Pointe Ford hustled down track, recording a great 5.55 ET, (another track record) for the first round win. Bartone then defeated Steve Gasparellli (5.58 ET) in the second round, Division One competitor Fred Tigges (5.60 ET) in the semifinals, then beat Shane Westerfield in the money round with an event low elapsed time of 5.547 to collect the sixth NHRA National Event Wally in the 2011 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series for the Rick Jackson team.

"I can say this weekend, Steve Boggs gave me probably the best car I've ever driven", stated Tony Bartone, who collected his 36^th NHRA National Event in Las Vegas. "Every pass we went straight down Broadway, I never had to lift, or peddle the car. We ran some great numbers, reset the track record three times and get to move on to the final race of our season with an opportunity to capture our 7^th NHRA National Event Wally. I can't thank Steve, Chris, Lew, Javier, Scott, Darren and Rick enough for the hard work they put in to make my job as a driver so much easier. We are having fun right now and we look forward to Pomona to see what this car is capable."

The Rick Jackson Racing team would not be competing without the sterling support of the Marketing Partners who have believed in the Centre Pointe Collision Center team and Tony Bartone for years. Companies like Red Line Oil, Hussey Copper, Simpson Race Products, Roger Dean Automotive, and Darren Mayer Performance Engineering proudly support the Jackson Racing team and Bartone.

SAFETY DEVICE FAILURE ENDS BARTONE'S INDY

Indianapolis, Ind. - Tony Bartone and Rick Jackson Racing's quest for the 2011 NHRA Lucas Oil World Championship took a turn for the worse, after a first round loss caused by the failure of an on-board device designed to provide safety to these 260 mile per hour race cars during the 57th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals contested in Indianapolis, Ind.  The first round loss, coupled with the success of defending World Champion Frank Manzo leaves the Centre Pointe Collision sponsored Top Alcohol Funny Car team in second place in the National Point battle with only four races left to claim.

The Santa Clarita, Calif. based team did their job in qualifying, recording low elapsed time in half the qualifying sessions and finally landing in number two position with a great 5.574 elapsed time. This set up a first round match up against Kris Hool, who captured his first National Event victory two weeks ago at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

At the flash of the green light, Hool captured a slight starting line advantage; however Bartone held the lead at the 60 foot mark. Bartone incrementally increased his lead at each timing block until the car reached the 1,000 foot cones and the second and third gear shift.

At that point, according to analysis by crew chiefs Steve Boggs and Darren Mayer, the NHRA mandated Safety Shut Off device triggered prematurely, which shut off the fuel system, caused the 3,000 horse power engine to lean out and then detonate the DMPE-tuned supercharger. Bartone coasted to a 5.70 second ET at only 209 miles per hour, while Hool recorded a 5.68 in his winning effort.

"This one hurts," noted team owner Rick Jackson. "This race is the biggest and most important one for this team each season. The crew performed flawless during qualifying, Tony was on his game and is driving better today than ever, but to lose because of a Safety Device failure is simply unacceptable. I understand the purpose for the device; however, we are not the first to be effected by the malfunction of this sort. It is a real shame, not only for us, but most importantly the fans of Drag Racing to have a race and possibly a World Championship decided by this type of failure."

In 2010, the National Hot Rod Association mandated the use of an electronic-automatic shut off device to be used in Top Fuel, Fuel Funny Car and both Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. The device is comprised of two separate parts; Electrimotion Safety Shut-off Box installed on the car and the Shut-Off Transmitter, which is mounted to the guard wall approximately 400 feet past the finish line. According to the Jackson Racing tuners, the device which failed was the Electrimotion Safety Shut-off Box. 

"We have four races left to claim and improve our point standings, two National Events and two Divisional Events," said Jackson. "We need to win one of the final two National Events and both of our Divisional Races to have a realistic shot at the title. We would like to congratulate Frank on winning his 10^th US Nationals Wally, but this championship race is not over yet. We're a little frustrated today, but we will finish strong for our friends, our fans and our Marketing Partners. There is no quit in this team."

BARTONE WINS 4^th NATIONAL EVENT OF 2011 IN JOLIET

Joliet, Ill. - On the same weekend where New York Yankee Derek Jeter made history collecting his 3,000^th career hit, Long Island City, NY native and life-long Yankee fan Tony Bartone, driver of the Rick Jackson Racing Mustang Top Alcohol Funny Car captured his 4^th National Event victory of the 2011 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Route 66 Nationals contested at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. The victory also extended his point lead in the team's quest for the Lucas Oil TAFC World Championship.

Bartone entered the National Event at Route 66 Raceway qualified in the number 3 position, after recording a 5.648 during the final qualify session which also served as the first round of the Jeg's Sportsman All-Star competition. The Rick Jackson Racing team was the NHRA Division 4 representative for this unique specialty event. However, their quest for the Jeg's title ended in a 0.0142 second margin of victory semi-final loss to Division 1 hitter Todd Veney.

"That was a straight-up good old drag race with Veney in the Jeg's All-Star Race and we take our hats off to the Jay Blake ?Follow a Dream' team for a great race," noted Bartone. "Our primary concern is the National Event on Sunday. We have had a great start to the season, and we finished the first half of our season leading the points. But we need to finish stronger than we started. Hopefully we can put together four straight round wins tomorrow for final eliminations."

Bartone began his march to victory by defeating Kevin Newburgh, the 155th different driver he has faced in his career, who entered the event as an alternate after Mickey Ferro was unable to make the call to eliminations after an accident against Bartone in the first round of the Jeg's shootout. The Centre Pointe team then beat Division 6 champ Brian Hough in the second round prior to dispatching number two qualifier Ray Drew from Hales Corner, Wis. in the semi-finals.

The money round paired the Steve Boggs and Darren Mayer tuned Centre Pointe Collision Mustang against the Bob Devore tuned Napa Auto Parts Monte Carlo of Division 7 champion John Lombardo Jr. As the cars left the starting line, Lombardo captured a slight starting line advantage, however the power provided by DMPE and fine-tuned by Boggs propelled Bartone to a fine 5.63 elapsed time and a crucial 4^th win in 5 final rounds this season, extending their points lead and heading into the second half of the season in the right direction.

"I'm not gonna lie, this win is huge for our team," noted Bartone. "When you head to Chicago and compete against the best in your category, and walk away with a Wally, that's a great accomplishment. This weekend's racing conditions were brutal but Steve, Darren, Rick and the rest of the boys did an exceptional job fine-tuning this Centre Pointe Mustang. Plus, today is (tuning consultant) Darren Mayer's birthday, so to give him a Wally for his hard work is especially cool. We brought home the bacon this weekend."

ANOTHER FINAL ROUND APPEARANCE FOR BARTONE IN TOPEKA

Topeka, Kan. - A fourth-consecutive National Hot Rod Association final round appearance for the Rick Jackson Racing team at the NHRA Supernationals contested at Heartland Park Topeka, provides more important Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series points for the Centre Pointe Collision Center sponsored team's quest to capture the NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car World Championship.

Entering final eliminations, driver Tony Bartone and the Rick Jackson Racing / Centre Pointe Collision Center Ford Mustang Funny Car found themselves qualified in the number three position, after recording a solid 5.625 in a shortened due to severe weather qualifying session.

"The weather delays on Friday gave us only one chance at the track on Friday, so we wanted to be sure to lay down a good base-line to improve on," stated team owner Rick Jackson, the owner of Centre Pointe Collision Center in Santa Clarita, Calif. "Qualifying has been highly diverse for our team this year; from sitting on the pole, to being the last qualifier. Fortunately, we have stepped it up on race day and have won our first 3 National Events this season. There are a ton of great racers here this weekend, so the challenge will be tough, but we are confident we'll do well once again."

Bartone opened his quest to the final round with an opening round victory over Bruce Carlson from Prior Lake, Minn. He then defeated perennial NHRA Division 5 favorite Vern Moats in the second round. The semi-final was contested against Jay Payne driving his FireIce.com Ford Mustang. The Rick Jackson Racing team laid down a smooth 5.653 to beat Payne's game 5.690. This set up a titanic final round pairing against Frank Manzo, who recorded an impressive 5.575 ET in his semi-final victory over Chris Foster.

Entering the final round, both drivers each won 10 times against the other in prior events and Bartone held a 5 - 2 winning advantage against Manzo in prior final rounds.

The driver from Long Island City, NY recorded a stellar 0.012 reaction time; however, the Al Anabi Racing Monte Carlo of Manzo had the better elapsed time, recording low ET of the event 5.572, giving him his second National Event victory of the 2011 season.

"Simply put, we got beat by a better car this weekend," said Jackson. "Tony did his job on the starting line in the final round, but we just didn't have our best effort in the performance department today. Our goal is to win the World Championship which is a marathon; not a sprint. We have started the season with 4-straight National Event final round appearances. And I'm very proud of the effort the team has shown so far this season. This loss will just motivate our guys to work that much harder and we'll be ready the next time we meet."

BARTONE VICTORIOUS IN BAYTOWN

Rick Jackson Racing Rides Lucky Number 13 to Third NHRA National Event Wally in 2011

Baytown, Texas - Tony Bartone, and the Rick Jackson Racing Centre Pointe Collision Center Top Alcohol Funny Car team captured their third consecutive National Hot Rod Association National Event victory and extended their National Points lead with an event victory at the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals contested this weekend at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas. The victory was also the second straight win in Texas for the Centre Pointe team after capturing the Lucas Oil Divisional Series Event a few weeks earlier at the Texas Motor-Plex in Ennis.

Heading into final eliminations at RHP, Bartone entered the field in the final qualifying position (number 13) after problems plagued the Santa Clarita, Calif. team in qualifying. Bartone lined up against second generation driver John Lombardo Jr., who qualified solidly in the number two position. In his 20 plus years of racing, Bartone had captured victories in 79 percent of his round one races, but based on the qualifying problems and an even 1-1 record against Lombardo Jr. in previous match-ups, this was anybody's race.

The two-time world champion tag team of Bartone and crew chief Steve Boggs showed their muscle, as the driver took a 0.044 second starting line advantage and the tuner fixed the problems in qualifying and recorded a solid 5.611 elapsed time, to give Bartone his 13^th career hole-shot victory. Lombardo laid down an event low 5.584 elapsed time in a losing effort.  Bartone then advanced to the semi-finals courtesy of a round two bye run.

In the semi's, Bartone lined up against the number two car in the world last season; the hard charging Monte Carlo of Mickey Ferro. Ferro was on his game with the starting line advantage, had violent tire shake and drove out of the groove over by the wall. When he reeled it back into his lane, the car was up on the two left wheels. Bartone returned to form, running hot, straight and normal to a 5.607 ET, placing him to his third consecutive NHRA National Event final round of the 2011 season.

The final pitted Bartone against first time finalist Corpus Christi, Texas resident Steve Burck, who in the semi-finals had a parachute failure place his Chevrolet Camaro TAFC in the sand trap. The Burck team thrashed hard to prepare their car for the money round race. At the flash of the green, both cars left the starting line virtually side-by-side, however the Centre Pointe Collision Center Mustang charged hard down track and saved their best effort for last, a 5.587 ET at 262 miles per hour.

"We earned this victory this weekend," noted Bartone who last year at this event lost in the final round against Mickey Ferro and collected his 34^th NHRA National Event Wally in the winning effort today. "We had so many problems getting the car down track in qualifying and yet, when push came to shove, Steve Boggs, and the boys on the crew did their job and got this car running good again in eliminations. We take our hats off to Burck and his team for working hard to give us a good race in the finals."

BARTONE GOES WIRE TO WIRE FOR 33^rd WALLY

Las Vegas, Nev. - Rick Jackson Racing's Ford Mustang bodied Top Alcohol Funny Car relied on consistent and quick performance in eliminations to capture the Santa Clarita, Calif. Team's second NHRA National Event Wally of the 2011 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, after winning the Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals this weekend contested on "The Strip" at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in North Las Vegas, Nev.  The win was the 33^rd National Event victory for driver Tony Bartone, 29 of those coming by way of the Alcohol Funny Car, arguably one of the most difficult cars in motorsports to drive.

Bartone captured the event's number one qualifying position on the team's final qualifying attempt of the weekend on Saturday.  The 5.628 second blast gave the Long Island City, NY native the choice of lanes against Surprise, Ariz.'s John Patton in the opening stanza.  Patton was the 149^th driver Bartone had competed against in competition.  Crew Chief Steve Boggs and tuning consultant Darren Mayer of Darren Mayer Performance Engineering used the .62 as a base-line to lower their event best ET to a smooth 5.616 ET at 259.11 miles per hour in their first round defeat of the number 16 qualifier.

In the second round the Rick Jackson Racing team paired-up against Bret Williamson from Campbell, Calif., who was the 150^th racer to line-up next to Bartone in eliminations.  As the cars left the starting-line, Bartone was on his game, recording a 0.069 second reaction time, however the Centre Pointe Ford skated around the race track and fell off pace en route to a 5.775 ET.  The slide-ways run was good enough for the round win, as the Team Eagle entry had difficulty in the second round race.

The Semi-Final round was a rematch of this season's opening National Event, the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals where Bartone and the Center Pointe Collision team reset the 5-year standing National Elapsed Time record while winning the event.  In that race, Gordon recorded his best run of eliminations at that event versus Bartone in the final.   This race was no different.  Gordon reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out a solid 5.668, however the Gordon's best effort was nearly 0.036 slower than Rick Jackson's Mustang in this race, and Bartone took the round win, getting back into the low 5.60-zone with a consistent 5.632, combined with a 0.025 second hole shot by Bartone.

In the money round, Bartone defeated NHRA Division 6 hitter, Brian Hough, once again running a stellar for the conditions, 5.625 ET to Hough's 5.824, giving the Rick Jackson Racing team a perfect 8-0 record in National Events to kick off their 2011 campaign.

"This car was a pleasure once again to drive this weekend thanks to another great team effort by the entire Rick Jackson Racing team," noted Bartone.  "The weather was very hard on several team's parts.  The Centre Pointe Ford Mustang escaped relatively un-scathed thanks to a great tune-up by Boggs and Darren Mayer.  Our goal for this season is simple; championship or bust.  We are off to a great start for the 2011 season and it's great to win our second straight National Event.  We will keep plugging and head to our next race, taking it one round at a time."

FINAL ROUND FINISH FOR JACKSON RACING AT BAYTOWN DIVISIONAL

Baytown, Texas - In today's competitive NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car division, it's important to take advantage of every racing opportunity; especially when expectations are not achieved. An event runner-up finish at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Baytown, Texas for Rick Jackson's team this past weekend provided the Centre Pointe Collision Center Ford Mustang and driver Tony Bartone with valuable tuning information as well as 64 valuable NHRA National Points.

One week after an event winning and world record setting race weekend at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., the Jackson Racing TAFC headed to Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown to kick off their 2011 NHRA Div. 4 LODRS season and defend their 2010 Divisional Championship. As qualifying began for the Santa Clarita, Calif. headquartered team, after an on-and-off the throttle and early shut-off 6.563second elapsed time instantly put the team behind the tuning curve. Their efforts improved slightly in Q-2 as the team recorded a super-charger popping 5.900 ET. Due to rain on Saturday, two qualifying sessions is all the Alcohol cars would receive. And in the short field of five-cars, Bartone drew the number four spot, and a round one race against Lee Calloway.

Calloway, the Channelview, Texas driver entered eliminations in the number three position and held the choice of lanes. As the light turned green, Calloway's Mustang held a slight starting line advantage, but Bartone and the Steve Boggs and Darren Mayer tuned Centre Pointe Pony captured the lead by the time both cars reached the 60 foot clocks. Bartone never looked back and sped to a 46 foot margin of victory, an improved 5.699 elapsed time at 257.33 miles per hour and a semi-final dance with the event pole sitter Bryan Brown.

As both cars approached the starting line, anticipation was high for a good old fashioned drag race, however, the drama was over quickly, as Brown anticipated the green light by -0.035 seconds triggered the red-light. Meanwhile, the Centre Pointe Collision Center Mustang rattled the tires violently and coasted to a stop before crossing the finish line. The red-light disqualification of Brown sent Jackson's team to their second straight final round. On the other side of the ladder, Chris Foster, from Davenport, Iowa, recorded an impressive 5.619 ET in a semi-final bye-run to provide the 2010 Division 4 TAFC runner-up with lane choice over Bartone in the money round.

With the event title on the line, Foster and tuner Will Hanna saved their best effort for last, recording a career-best 5.608, while Bartone slowed to a mid-11 second effort. The win for the Forbes Construction Mustang was his first of the 2011 NHRA Season. Meanwhile, team owner Rick Jackson remained optimistic about the weekend's effort.

"We certainly did not lay down our best effort this weekend," noted Jackson, the owner of Centre Pointe Collision Center. "We got behind the curve in qualifying and had several issues through the weekend which didn't show the true potential of this Centre Pointe Mustang. Our hats go off to Chris Foster and Will Hanna for definitely being the class of the field this weekend. They raced on the same track we did, and they were there at their best when it counted. We'll head back home and prep for the Las Vegas National Event. It should be a barn burner."

WORLD RECORD E.T. PROPELS BARTONE TO 32^nd NHRA WALLY

Pomona, Calif. - Tony Bartone has captured yet another NHRA National Event title for Rick Jackson Racing. The Long Island City, NY driver did so in dramatic fashion after setting a National Record elapsed time while winning the Top Alcohol Funny Car division at the 51st Annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline contested at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif. The victory was Bartone's 32^nd of his career and his third national event victory driving for Rick Jackson Racing.

Bartone's march to the event title began with a round two match-up against Alexis Dejoria, the daughter of Paul Mitchell Hair Products and Tequila Patron founder John Paul Dejoria. The race, which was the first time Dejoria and Bartone had met in NHRA competition, was over before it officially began; as Dejoria had difficulty staging her Tequila Patron sponsored Monte Carlo bodied TAFC within the 7-second time limit. This triggered the red-light in her lane and sent the Centre Pointe Collision Center sponsored Mustang on a solo run. Bartone covered the quarter mile track in 5.521 seconds at a speed of 263.92 miles per hour and propelled him to a semi-final rubber match with West Covina, Calif.'s Steve Gasparrelli.

Prior to the semi-final round, the Jackson Racing team made some significant tuning changes to their Blown Alcohol Funny Car after they noticed how well the car had improved during the weekend. The changes to the Steve Boggs and Darren Mayer tune up paid off in spades as Bartone proved his amazing 5.449 of last season was no fluke, with a stellar 5.460 second elapsed time at a booming speed of 264.08 MPH to capture the round win and send the Santa Clarita, Calif. team to the money round. Gasparrelli recorded his best elapsed time of the weekend, a 5.553 ET in a losing effort.

The final round opponent for Bartone would be Doug Gordon, who consistently had improved his cars performance during the entire event. Both drivers left the starting line with identical reaction times; however Boggs and Bartone saved their best effort of the weekend for the finale'. The Centre Pointe Mustang won the race and recorded a 5.452 second elapsed time at 264.70 mph, while Gordon trailed with a 5.579 ET to earn the runner-up position. Bartone's 5.452 eclipsed the existing record 5.455 set by TAFC kingpin Frank Manzo.

"This was a total team effort and it's been a long time coming," stated Bartone, who's last NHRA National Event victory came in 2009 in Las Vegas. "Steve, Darren, Chris, Lew, Javier, Scott and of course the big guy Rick Jackson work their tail off, week in and week out. To be able to kick off the 2011 season with a National Event victory and having both ends of the National Record is an incredible feeling. We'd like to thank our families who let us come out here and have fun at the race track and of course all our fans and marketing partners for their continued support. This is an awesome feeling and I look forward to building on this victory during the entire year."

JACKSON RACING RIDES LOW ET TO SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS

Pomona, Calif. - It is believed by many the phrase, "neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," is the official creed of the United States Postal Service. The Rick Jackson Racing team will happily take possession of this motto today after recording the low elapsed time in eliminations during their first round victory at the 51st annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline contested in Pomona, California at Auto Club Raceway.

The Centre Pointe Collision Center sponsored Ford Mustang Top Alcohol Funny Car team of car owner Rick Jackson entered the pit area of one of NHRA's most hallowed grounds today under rain, near freezing temperatures and even some hail. The prospects of racing today seemed bleak; however, the sun came out, the track dried and the Santa Clarita, Calif. team prepared for the final qualifying session of the event. Although a tire-shaking mid-8 second elapsed time was the result, driver Tony Bartone was quietly optimistic his Steve Boggs lead crew could fine tune their Blown Alcohol Funny Car for a round one rematch from last week's disappointing loss against Ken Webster in Phoenix.

"In qualifying we try very hard to inch up with the tune-up," noted Bartone, the Long Island City, NY business owner who claimed his 30^th National Event victory at this event two years ago in his driving debut with Rick Jackson Racing. "We put down a good baseline run on Thursday but knew there was plenty left in the car. With weather and track conditions looking very good for Q-2, we were a little too aggressive and the car went right towards the wall. But, we learned a lot during that pass, so we'll be ready to go for round one tonight."

And the Centre Pointe team lived up to Bartone's optimism. Qualified in the 6^th position, they lined up against Ken Webster, from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada who placed his Chevrolet Monte Carlo bodied TAFC in the 9^th spot with a solid 5.685 ET. At the flash of the green the two drivers were virtually wired together, with Bartone grabbing a slight 0.003 second advantage. The Centre Pointe Collision Ford incrementally increased their lead down the entire 1,320 foot race course and captured the round win recording a 5.538 second elapsed time at an off pace speed of 257.24 miles per hour. Bartone will match up against Alexis Dejoria in round two tomorrow and holds the choice of lanes.

"The car got real loose at about half track on and Tony really had to drive it down there," noted team owner Rick Jackson. "We had some very good incremental numbers and with the weather forecast looking better tomorrow, we are very confident our car and driver will come to play tomorrow. I can't begin to thank the crew enough for the quality effort they put in day in and day out. We have a lot of friends and marketing partners here for this event so we'd like nothing more than to reward them with three round wins tomorrow."

Fans can listen to the NHRA.COM Audio Broadcast of final eliminations tomorrow or follow online with up to the minute results posted on http://www.dragracecentral.com

CONSISTENCY ON TAP FOR JACKSON RACING IN POMONA

Pomona, Calif. - After the first day of qualifying at the Kragen O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline, contested in Pomona, Calif., the Rick Jackson Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team is currently qualified in the fifth position, after recording a conservative 5.623 second elapsed time at 262.23 miles per hour.

Coming off a highly disappointing first round exit at last week's season opening and rain-delayed Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., the Jackson Racing team from Santa Clarita, Calif. is happy to return to the friendly confines of Auto Club Raceway at the historic Pomona Fairplex. The same racetrack which yielded their 5.449 ET at last season's World Finals and the same facility which provided Tony Bartone with his first 30^th NHRA National Event Wally two years ago in his return to the TAFC division.

"This place holds a special place in our heart," noted Tony Bartone, the team driver from Long Island City, NY. "When I teamed up with Rick Jackson's team here two years ago, we expected to do well, but not in my wildest dreams did we expect to win right out of the box. It was my first race back in the Alcohol Car and I had some cobwebs to dust off. Steve Boggs gave me a great car to drive that weekend, and he has every weekend since. We're expecting a lot this season, so we'll move past last weekend's event and press forward to hopefully a good showing in Pomona."

The first qualifying session yielded some surprisingly soft runs for the 14 TAFC's who made runs today in very cool and lightning quick conditions. The biggest surprise came from the current number one qualifier Bret Williamson, who guided his 2001 Corvette-bodied Funny Car to a career best 5.524 ET to provisionally sit on the pole position.

"It's great to see a quality guy like Bret Williamson make an impressive run like that today," noted team owner Rick Jackson. "We were looking to lay down a good baseline run to tune from, and I think the .62 accomplished this task. Sure we'd like to be a little quicker, but it's always best to have a good, solid, smooth run to tune from. We'll hopefully have two more shots at improving our qualifying position before first round. Either way, we have some good history here at this track, and look forward to a great Winternationals."

JACKSON RACING TAFC ZOOMS TO PROVISIONAL POLE IN PHOENIX

Chandler, Ariz. - A new season has begun for the Rick Jackson Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team with the Santa Clarita, Calif. group producing mid-season performance. A solid 5.595 second elapsed time was good enough to capture the provisional pole position after the first day of qualifying during the opening NHRA Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event of the 2011 season contested at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Ariz.

The Centre Pointe Collision Center Ford Mustang team kicked off their 2011 campaign with a test session yesterday at FIR, giving crew chief Steve Boggs and driver Tony Bartone the opportunity to shake down any off season rust which may have developed since their record shattering 266.00 mile per hour blast recorded in mid-November, 2010. It also provided crew members Chris, Lew, Javier, Scott and new tuning consultant Darren Mayer, the owner and operator or Darren Mayer Performance Engineering, (http://www.dmpeinc.com), a chance to warm up for the season opener today.

"Darren has come on board as a tuning consultant this season and we are very happy and honored to have him join us," noted team owner Rick Jackson, the owner of Centre Pointe Collision Center in Santa Clarita. "He has established himself as an industry leader and his years of experience and countless laps made tuning cars on track will only help to expedite our racing program to success. We are trying some new parts and pieces in order to build off our record setting elapsed time and mile per hour last season and wanted to head into the first day of qualifying prepared to contend for the championship once again this year."

The testing day paid off, as Bartone used his years of experience to skillfully guided the Centre Pointe Ford Mustang to a 5.595 ET at 258.57 mph effort, nearly half-a-tenth of a second ahead of second place Doug Gordon, of Paso Robles, Calif. Weather became an issue as rain moved into the Chandler area prior to the second qualifying session, ending the day and giving Bartone and the Jackson Racing team some confidence heading into tomorrow.

"The pass was a good baseline for us," noted Jackson. "The car launched hard, carrying the front wheels well past the 60 foot clocks. The car veered towards the wall and Tony manhandled the car back into the groove. It's on passes like that, I am glad we have an experienced shoe in the seat. The crew is very excited to begin the season and hopefully the weather will turn in our favor so we can begin our season on a winning note before Pomona next weekend."

BARTONE AND JACKSON RACING ANXIOUS FOR 2011 NHRA SEASON

Santa Clarita, Calif. - The 2010 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series could best be described as a tale of two seasons for the Rick Jackson Racing Centre Pointe Collision Center sponsored Ford Mustang Top Alcohol Funny Car team.

At the conclusion of the 2010 season in the highly competitive NHRA TAFC division, there was only one team who could claim to be the quickest and fastest TAFC in the world. The Santa Clarita, Calif. based Centre Pointe Collision Center Ford Mustang of Rick Jackson Racing, driven by Tony Bartone holds this distinction after recording a stellar 5.449 second, 266.00 mile per hour blast at the season ending Auto Club NHRA World Finals. However, after a plethora of number one qualifying positions, an NHRA Division 4 Championship and a fourth-place finish in the National point standings, the Jackson Racing team is anxious to improve and battle for the NHRA TAFC World Championship in 2011.

To kick off the 2010 campaign, the Centre Pointe / Fireice.com Ford Mustang raced to a number one qualified spot, recording a 5.570 second elapsed time in their first qualifying pass at the season opening NHRA Winternationals. In what would be a recurring theme during the 2010 season, the team exited the hollowed Pomona Raceway without the coveted ?Wally'. The team would repeat this effort with pole positions at both Pomona events and the historic US Nationals, where the team recorded their first sub-5.50 elapsed time. For the first time in several years, Jackson Racing would not capture a single National Event title.

On the Divisional level, Bartone and the Centre Pointe team captured wire-to-wire event titles in Dallas and Houston, Texas and Belle Rose, LA in route to winning the NHRA Division 4 TAFC Championship. Looking back at the 2010 season, team owner Rick Jackson is cautiously optimistic his Centre Pointe Mustang will continue to improve this year.

"It was definitely a tale of two seasons for us in 2010," noted Jackson. "On one hand we did not fair too well on the National Event level in eliminations, but we show consistency and solid performance on the Divisional level. In 2009, the roles were reversed for us. The key for this season is to build on the late-season performance we showed and try to establish a bit more consistency on the National Event level while steadily improving our Divisional record as well. Our guys are the best in the business and we always expect the best results for our team. We also know the competition will be very tough this upcoming year. We are very fortunate to have the support of several outstanding fans and marketing partners, and we'll do our best for them this season."

The Rick Jackson Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team will return to action with 31-time NHRA National Event champion Tony Bartone behind the wheel, during the season opening Kragen/O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals in mid-February.