FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kevin Macvaugh
Bullish Racing Communications
(201) 342-8374
pr@bullishmotorracing.com
BULLISH LOOKS TO NHRA DENVER; FIRES UP DRAGSTER FOR FIRST TIME
MORRISON, Denver (June 10, 2005) – After rain cancelled the NOPI South Florida race last weekend, the Bullish Motor Racing team loaded the StreetGlow-sponsored Solara onto the team transporter and headed for the heart of the Rocky Mountains for the 2nd Annual Mopar NHRA Mountain Madness Sport Compact Nationals, June 11-12. The sixth race in the 11-event 2005 NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series will again be hosted by the legendary Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado.
Team owner and driver Ara Arslanian is heading to Bandimere third in series points – only 33 behind competitor Steph Papadakis and 64 behind points leader Matt Hartford. Nestled into the side of the foothills of the Rockies, the track represents a formidable challenge for racers – and especially for their turbocharged racecars. While the track surface at Bandimere consistently ranks at the top of the country, it’s the mile-high altitude of 5,860 feet that competitors will have factor into their normal tuning strategies. For Bullish, the tuning challenge will be in addition to those involved with the ongoing development of the new for 2005 Turbonetics twin-turbo 3.4L HKS 2JZ Stroker engine program.
“The NOPI cancellation is just another example of the strain weather has put on our program this year,” said Arslanian. “We’re just looking for Mother Nature to cooperate a little so that we can get some track time in. Heading to Denver without any data from Moroso wasn’t what we had hoped for, but this team has always thrived under pressure. We know our chassis like the back of our hands and I’m sure the crew will more than step up to the tuning challenge.”
The cancellation of the Florida event and the logistics of transporting the racecar from Kansas to Florida and now to Colorado have limited the team from committing to any track time since their last appearance at the Nitto NHRA Summer Nationals in Heartland Park Topeka back at the end of May. Still, despite the challenges of a schedule that squeezes 24+-events between March and November, Arslanian sees the pursuit of both the NDRA and NHRA championships as critical to the success of any professional sport compact drag racing team.
“The primary reason for our team’s existence is to provide a great show for our fans. Winning championships are a byproduct of putting on a great show. Running both series allows our team, and our family of great sponsors, to reach the maximum amount of fans. Yes, 24+ events strains the crew and yes it puts you at a disadvantage sometimes because of the time and resource constraints. But, I’ve always thought that if you’re not tired at the end of a race weekend or the race season, maybe you haven’t worked hard enough.”
The fast-paced, busy work ethic the Bullish team has been associated with was also carried over to a new Bullish AEM Import Dragster program this year and the crew celebrated firing up the twin-turbo 3.0L 2JZ-powered rail dragster for the first time ever this past week. With all the plumbing and wiring work complete, the team just needs to hammer out the tuning of the AEM engine electronics to compete the Dragster. Arslanian anticipates a maiden trip down the 1,320 in the coming days.
“Let me tell everybody something right now, before the dragster has even turned a wheel on the strip. Other than strapping yourself to the Space Shuttle, I can tell you there’s probably no other feeling in the world than sitting in a rail dragster. When the 2JZ was fired up, I felt every whir, every stroke, and every vibration from the turbos and the engine. This is probably the closest thing to hooking yourself up to pure adrenaline. We can’t wait to get this out in front of the fans.”
Following initial testing at an undisclosed location, the team plans to debut the Dragster as the first entry for the NOPI Pro Extreme Compact class. While performance figures are largely speculated at this point, Arslanian and the team have not ruled out a possibility that the Bullish AEM Import Dragster will be the first import-powered car to run a 5-second quarter mile. The team plans to update fans about the dragster with more info, images and videos to appear on the team’s website, www.bullishracing.com.
For more event information about the Mopar NHRA Mountain Madness Sport Compact Nationals, including up-to-the-minute results from the race, please visit www.nhrasportcompact.com. The event will be tape-delay broadcast on ESPN2, Thursday, June 30, 2 p.m. (Sunday, July 10, 2 a.m., repeat).
Editor’s Note: Members of the media interested in attending the event are encouraged to contact Kevin Macvaugh, Bullish Motor Racing, (201) 342-8374 or Seth Rubin, Alan Taylor Communications, (212) 714-1280.
About Bullish Motor Racing
Bullish Motor Racing, based in Hackensack, New Jersey, is a premier professional sport compact drag racing team competing in both the NHRA and NDRA sport compact drag racing series. Owner/driver Ara Arslanian competes in a tube-framed Toyota Solara powered by a 1,600 horsepower production-based, turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 engine. In the past three years, the team has amassed an unprecedented 4 championships with their third consecutive NDRA Championship coming last year. In addition to the national titles, the team also currently holds and has held quarter mile ET and MPH world records in the NHRA and the NDRA, as well as numerous track records. www.bullishmotorracing.com
About Street Glow, Inc.
StreetGlow® defined a new category in the automotive aftermarket with the introduction of Auto-Neon® and has since inspired a new generation of enthusiasts with its extensive line of performance lighting products. Their cutting-edge line of StreetGlow and OPTXR by StreetGlow branded products continues to drive new automotive lighting trends and showcase the popularity of this emergent category. Named to the prestigious Inc. 500 list of America's fastest growing private companies for four consecutive years, StreetGlow, Inc. is the number one choice in Auto-Neon and performance lighting products worldwide. For more information, visit www.streetglow.com or www.optxbystreetglow.com
Bullish Motor Racing 2005 Season Statistics
ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
Through our sponsors, team Bullish Motor Racing has been able to compete at the highest level of performance with the best resources and equipment. Bullish Motor Racing thanks all of our sponsors for their great support in making us a championship team.
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