BARKLAGE RACING COMPETES WITH NEW LOOK AT THE ADRL SPEEDTECH US DRAGS III at VIRGINIA

BARKLAGE RACING COMPETES WITH NEW LOOK AT THE ADRL SPEEDTECH US DRAGS III at VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK

PETERSBURG, VA (May 20, 2010) – Brothers Cody and Zach Barklage will race Pro Extreme this weekend at the ADRL Speedtech US Drags III at Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, VA.

After a devastating wreck in Valdosta, the team is back in action with a new look and a new mission. With Cody’s popular 1967 Lucas Oil Firebird awaiting serious repairs, the team has resurrected a familiar car from the past.

“Well, the Lucas Oil Firebird is in need of some work after the incident during the last ADRL race,” said Cody Barklage. “One of the hardest parts about drag racing is dealing with a wrecked car. Not only are we suffering the extravagant financial blow, but we had a lot of work to do in a very short period of time. Because of everything involved in getting that car repaired, we made the decision to bring back out the 1957 Chevy we ran a few years ago.”

“The ’57 is a good car,” Cody went on to say. “My brother Zach took a runner-up finish for the Nito-Coupe Championship in SuperChevy a few years back. This car was involved in our rig fire, but it survived. We’ve checked the chassis and double checked it. Chad Wilson, my brother Zach and I have spent a lot of time doing additional safety modifications, so the car is ready for a new chapter of racing. The three of us have lived at the shop the past few weeks so we could ensure I would have a good, safe, and hopefully fast race car this weekend.”

The brother duo will be complete with Zach remaining behind the wheel of John and Sara Heath’s 1967 Camaro.

“We’ve had our hands full again this year” said Zach Barklage. “Anytime you run one car it’s a full time job, but add a second car into the mix and you suddenly have that much more on your plate. We really had to hit the ground running this season. John and Sara Heath have a good car, but we have still been trying to work some bugs out. I know we are on our way to a solid operation, but it’s taken a lot of time. Chad Wilson, my Dad, Cody and I have got a few things lined out, so now it’s about applying it all during competition.”

“Cody’s incident in Valdosta was a bit of a setback for us,” further commented Zach. “Anytime you have any kind of accident with these cars it takes a lot to fix them. We are a family team with a very limited budget, so when you add all of that up, we cannot just send a car off to be fixed. We have to do the work ourselves and we have to wait until we have the money to replace body parts. Regardless what set-backs we have though, we’ve proven we always come out on the other side as a stronger team. We’ve dealt with a lot over the years and last year we proved we are a winning team, so this season we are just sticking to our game plan and keeping our endurance up. We are sticking together and showing everyone what can be done with dedication and endurance.”

The ADRL Speedtech US Drags III at Virginia Motorsports Park, will take place this weekend, May 21 – 22, 2010. Spectator gates open at 9 AM on Friday and 8 AM on Saturday. Friday qualifying will be at 11 AM, 2:30 PM and 6:15 PM. Sunday, the final qualifying round is at 9 AM, Pre-Race ceremony at 12:30 PM with Rd.1 just after.

Lucas Oil, Sunoco Race Fuel, and Pit Mat USA can be purchased through Lake Race Products, in Eldon, MO by calling 573-392-9984 or visiting us at www.MySpace.com/LakeRaceProducts or www.BarklageRacingOnline.com.

Barklage Racing would like to acknowledge Lucas Oil, Taylor Cable, Sunoco, NGK Sparkplugs, Goodson, Goodyear, Pit Mat USA, Lake Race Products, Mark Barklage Drywall, Chris Duncan Race Cars, ZoomMo Web Solutions, Moreland Well Drilling, Akerly & Childs, JE Pistons, and Weld Wheels.