Steve Harker Baytown wrap up

Steve Harker Pumped After Return to Racing

*Baytown**, TX**. - *After a relaxing break and a quick trip across the
Pacific to homeland Australia, Steve Harker and his team were looking
forward to their return to Top Alcohol Funny Car racing action. The past
weekends Division 4 Lucas Oil Sportsman event at Houston Raceway Park in
Texas across February 16-18, kick started the 2007 season for Steve and
his team. This event was also a special occasion for the Harker family
as daughter; Kate joined her father on the NHRA tour as a full-time
driver in Top Alcohol Dragster competitions, making this unique
father-daughter combination a future headline to watch.

The Harker Motorsports team had a successful 2006 season making six
final round appearances, earning two Top Qualifying positions and a
‘Best Appearing Crew’ award. This was the teams first full scheduled
year on the tour competing at a total of 18 events on route to a 7^th
placing in the NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car National Points Series and
finished 3^rd in the South Central Division 4 series.

“We had a very relaxing break from racing and were glad to make the trip
back to Australia for Christmas and the New Year” said Steve “But now
it’s back to business and we are confident that we can pick up the pace
this year.”

Nine teams lined up to compete for the top eight spots during qualifying
action, Harker lead the pack early on making the only full track run in
the Alcohol Funny car session on Friday with a 5.769-second, 232.47 mph
run. The team failed to improve during Saturdays qualifying run’s and
dropped from the No. 1 spot to the No. 3 position, with veteran racer,
Von Smith taking top honors with a 5.673-second pass at 254.09 mph.

“Being our first time back on the track in four months, we were happy
with the cars performance during qualifying” said Steve “The weather
conditions here this weekend have been better than expected and really
drew a fine line for tuning the race cars so you can get them down the
track without hurting parts.”

When round one of competition rolled around on Sunday, Harker paired up
against No. 6 qualifier, Will Hanna. The Texas native, Hanna showed
strength early in the run but went into violent tire shake just after
the 330ft clocks and could not catch Harker as he blasted down the track
with a 5.721-second pass at 254.28 mph.

Harker was then to match up against the wild child, Kebin Kinsley in the
semi-finals. Both teams struggled to make it back to the starting line
in time, Harker’s team suffered clutch problems and could not get the
car turned around in time handing Kinsley a semi-final bye.

“It’s a tough way to loose, we felt we had a good chance of winning that
race” said Harker “A seized clutch stand slowed us down and we could not
get it fixed in time, the crew did their best, but it was not going to
be our weekend on the race track.”

Eventual race winner was the Tennessee veteran, Von Smith over Kebin
Kinsley with a tire shaking 6.296-second, 236.22 mph pass.

Steve’s daughter Kate wheeled Tom Conway’s Top Alcohol Dragster to a No.
8 spot qualifying effort in the team’s new car. The junior Harker fell
in round one of competition to current Division 4 Champion and event
finalist, Spencer Massey’s quicker 5.355-second run at 263.51 mph
defeating Harker’s 5.444-second, 263.26 mph pass.

/The next race event for this father-daughter Top Alcohol duo will be in
two weeks at the Division 4 Lucas Oil Sportsman event at No Problem
Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana across March 2-4, 2007. For more
information on this event please visit www.nhra.com <http://www.nhra.com/>/
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/For More Information on Steve visit: www.harkermotorsport.com
<http://www.harkermotorsport.com/>/
/ /
/For More Information on Kate & Diana visit: www.kdhracing.com
<http://www.kdhracing.com/>/