Nitro Funny Car points leader will look to win for second time in three years at Castrol Raceway    

BEECHER, IL (June 30, 2008) – In 2006 Dale Creasy Jr. continued on his road to the IHRA Nitro Funny Car world championship by knocking off Jack Wyatt in the final round at the Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton. Last season he advanced to the final again, falling to Terry Haddock with the Ironman on the line. Needless to say, Creasy is very comfortable at Castrol Raceway, where he will look to build on his 2008 points lead at this season’s Rocky Mountain Nationals July 4-6.

“I love that place, love everything about it,” he said of Castrol Raceway. “We have a lot of great memories there and have made so many friends over the last couple of years in Edmonton. It’s a long drive up there which can be difficult on the crew guys, but once we get there we always have a blast. I can’t wait to get things going again this year.”

The Creasy Family Motorsports team is riding a wave of momentum heading into Edmonton. The last time out they visited the winner’s circle, stopping Todd Simpson in the final if the President’s Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway. That win put the team on top of the 2008 points chase for the first time this season as he looks to claim his third consecutive IHRA Nitro Funny Car title. He currently leads Paul Lee atop the points standings by 45 points.

“There is a lot of racing left on the schedule so we have to keep working hard,” Creasy said. “My guys know what’s on the line every time we pull out of the shop and they’re very focused. The Nitro Funny Car field in IHRA is as strong as it has ever been so we can’t afford to slip up at all.”

Castrol Raceway recently underwent a $100,000 facelift to its racing surface so the team’s old information on the track will have to be adjusted. With 2007 Professional Crew Chief of the Year Steve Creasy in his corner, Dale Creasy is confident his team will be able to adapt to the new racing surface.

“I’m not saying this because he’s my brother, but Steve is the best Crew Chief in the business,” Creasy said. “No matter what gets thrown at him he always figures things out. And my team knows how to get things done so I have every confidence we’ll be putting the right amount of power to the track. Edmonton had a really nice racing surface before… I’m looking forward to seeing how nice it is now.”

When talking about the Rocky Mountain Nationals, Castrol Raceway and Edmonton in general the one thing Creasy looks most forward to is the fan support he receives.

“The fans in Edmonton are like nowhere else in the world,” he said. “We get up at 8 in the morning to service the car and they’re already there in the stands, drinking beer and having a good time. We make our last pass of the night at 10 or so and they’re still there in the stands, drinking and having a good time. The love and support they give all the IHRA race teams is unbelievable. When we’re in Edmonton it reminds me of the good old days 20 years ago when you couldn’t move because there were so many people at the race. They pack the stands and let us know how much they appreciate us being there.”

The CARS RV & Sport & Marine Rocky Mountain Nationals featuring the Cervus Contracting and JCB Night of Fire with the PartSource Championship Sunday will take place at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton July 4-6. There will be one Nitro Funny Car qualifying session Friday evening. Final qualifying takes place Saturday with one afternoon session and one in the evening in concert with IHRA’s “Night of Fire.” Final eliminations will begin Sunday at noon. For more information on the Rocky Mountain Nationals please visit www.nitrojam.com. For More information on Dale Creasy Jr. please visit www.dalecreasyjr.com.