PR-JOLIET- John Weaver wrap up

Meer Capital Partners Racing
media relations

For Immediate Release
October 3, 2005
Contact: Will Hanna/ Pro Race Communications
Email: Will.Hanna@InsideTopAlcohol.com

Weaver reaches semifinals of Jegs All-Stars

JOLIET, Ill. - Veteran NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot John Weaver and the Meer Capital Partners backed team capitalized on a last minute invitation with a semifinal finish during the prestigious Jegs Sportsman All-Stars event held during this past weekend's Ameriquest Mortgage Nationals at Route 66 Raceway just outside of Chicago. Weaver's semifinal finish contributed to NHRA's Division 6 winning the overall championship.

Weaver, from Orting, Wash., qualified the Bob DeVour tuned Camaro sixth for the eight-car All-Star field with a 5.722 second elapsed time. In round one, he defeated Steve Gasparrelli with a 5.624 at 254.52 mph. In the semifinals, Weaver squared off with eight-time World Champion Frank Manzo in a rematch of the recent U.S. Nationals final round. The results were the same as Manzo took the win over Weaver's tire-smoking effort.

Weaver's 5.624 at 254.52 mph was good enough to qualify him seventh in Sunday's Ameriquest Mortgage Nationals. Weaver would suffer the same fate in that event, smoking the tires against Dennis Taylor in round one.

"It was a real honor to represent Division 6 and be a part of the team that won the overall points championship," said Weaver. "We came up short against one of the best, if not the best in the business, Frank Manzo. To be able to make it to the semifinal round of such an elite race is an honor for this team."

"We just have a problem in low gear we have to get straightened out," explained DeVour. "It started in the finals in Indy, and I just blamed it on me getting too aggressive with the tune-up. We had it plenty soft, and it still blew the tires off in the first round. We'll get it back to the shop here in California, tear it down and find the problem."

Team owner Ron Meer always thrives for victory, but is still honored to participate in the prestigious event.

"Being part of the winning Division 6 team was something special for the team," stated Meer. "We really have to thank Jegs for making an event like that possible for our class. Just to be a part of a race in the company of the winners that ran in that event, was truly an honor."

The Meer Capital Partners team will finish the year much closer to home on the West Coast starting at the Division 7 closer at 'The Strip' in Las Vegas, Oct. 27-30, and the season-ending AAA Auto Club Finals at Pomona Raceway, Nov. 3-6.

Meer Capital Partners is a real estate development firm which builds and develops master-planned communities and large mixed-use projects primarily in the Western U.S. To find out more, log on to MeerCapital.com

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