From start to finish, the 27th annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., lived up to its billing as Mopar’s centerpiece event. From the Mopar Big Block Party in downtown Golden, Colo., on Thursday to Team Mopar Funny Car driver Gary Scelzi’s win on Sunday, the race proved to be a memorable one.

It all started with Thursday’s Mopar Big Block Party, which served as the official start of the event. Mopar’s Gary Scelzi, newly ordained as a minister just for the occasion, officiated the wedding of two die-hard Mopar fans.

The retro Mopar paint scheme Pro Stock car, piloted by driver Gene Wilson to honor the memory of recently deceased Team Mopar driver Scott Geoffrion, was unveiled at a press conference held on streets of Golden.

The winner of the Mopar Engine Builder Challenge, held in Colorado Springs earlier in the week at the headquarters of Superflow, was announced at the Big Block Party. R&S Racing took home the $10,000 prize for first place with its 440 small block engine, which used Mopar’s new small block engine casting. Mopar fans filled the streets of Golden, swarming more than 20 Team Mopar and NHRA drivers who were signing autographs. The crowd also grooved to the jams of Chicago cover band Maggie Speaks.

At the track, Mopar paid tribute to its fallen heroes, as the Geoffrion memorial car and the Sox & Martin Barracuda, in honor of Mopar Pro Stock legend Ronnie Sox, who recently passed away due to prostate cancer, made silent passes to honor the drivers before the final round of eliminations. Buddy Martin, part of the Sox & Martin duo, served as grand marshal of the event. When it came time to race, Mopar matched the sizzle created by the 100-degree temperatures that baked Bandimere Speedway all weekend. Team Mopar Pro Stock car driver Allen Johnson qualified second, as did Funny Car driver Scelzi, who brought home Mopar’s first win at its showpiece event since Darrell Alderman won the Pro Stock event at the Mile-Highs in 1994.

"This event just keeps getting better," said Kevin Miller, Senior Manager, Brand Strategy & Mopar Performance. "The Mopar Nation was out in full force supporting the Mopar Mile-High Nationals. From the Mopar Big Block Party, to the Mopar Engine Builder Challenge, to Gary Scelzi’s win, the event was a resounding success. As the longest running sponsor of an NHRA event, Mopar looks forward to growing the event in 2007."

For more info on Mopar or the NHRA, log on to mopar.com, moparspeed.com, or nhra.com.

The weekend couldn’t have gone much better for Gary Scelzi. The Team Mopar and Don Schumacher Racing NHRA Funny Car driver notched his first win of the season and first career victory at Bandimere Speedway during the 27th annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals, the flagship event for Mopar, which is also one of Scelzi’s primary sponsors.

Scelzi’s 33rd career NHRA win (in Top Fuel and Funny Car) also moved the reigning NHRA Funny Car champ up to fifth in the Funny Car point standings, only 39 markers behind the third-place Robert Hight. It was the first win for a Mopar-sponsored car at the brand’s flagship race since Darrell Alderman won the Pro Stock event at the Mile-Highs in 1994.

"Coming here with Mopar being the sponsor and having the Big Block Party, there was a lot of activity this week," said Scelzi, who drove his Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to wins over Scott Kalitta, the always-dangerous John Force, and Tommy Johnson Jr., before defeating Cruz Pedregon in the final round. "This is a tough place to make cars run." Scelzi said. "The track temperatures were hotter than anywhere we’ve ever been, even in St. Louis."

Scelzi’s win also made Mopar and DSR teammate Ron Capps happy, as his second-round elimination of Force helped Capps, the current Funny Car points leader, maintain a 26-point edge over the second-place Force. Despite a better reaction time, Capps couldn’t drive his Brut Dodge Charger R/T past Bob Gilbertson, who sent Capps to the trailer in the first round. He was joined by Whit Bazemore, driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger R/T, who bowed out in the first round at the hands of Force. Bazemore is now eighth in the Funny Car points standings.

For more info on Scelzi, Capps, Bazemore or the NHRA, log on to shoeracing.com or nhra.com.

Joey Saldana and the No. 9 Kasey Kahne Racing team capped off a week of racing action by earning the $50,000 prize for winning the 23rd Annual King's Royal event at Eldora Speedway on July 15. Saldana drove a nearly flawless race en route to the win to cap off the team's weekend. The victory followed up a win at Limaland Raceway Park on July 13 and an eighth-place finish in the Night Before the King's Royal on July 14. The dual victories marked the team’s fifth and sixth World of Outlaws Sprint Series’ A-main feature event wins of the season.

Paul McMahan and the No. 20 Tony Stewart Motorsports team also posted several strong runs in last week’s National Sprint Tour Series and World of Outlaws Sprint Series action. The team kicked off the week with a third-place finish at Cedar Lake Speedway on July 10, following it up with a ninth-place finish at Hartford Speedway Park on July 12. The team utilized the Night Before the King’s Royal event to test new engine combinations and garnered a 10th-place finish in the King’s Royal event finale on July 15. Moving on to Tri-City Speedway on July 16, the team wrapped up the weekend with a solid fourth-place finish in National Sprint Tour Series Action.

Tyler Walker and the No. 5 Forbrook Motorsports team took the checkered flag in third place in the Night Before the King’s Royal event, ending the weekend with a 19th-place finish in the event finale on Saturday night. Kevin Swindell and the No. 1 Swindell Motorsports team led the first four laps of the Night Before the King’s Royal event, being credited with a 21st-place finish. Swindell came back to earn a solid third-place finish on Saturday night to end the team’s weekend.

The National Sprint Tour Series will resume action on July 18 at Fonda Speedway in New York. The World of Outlaws Sprint Series moves to Lernerville Speedway in Pennsylvania on July 18. For more information regarding the National Sprint Tour Series or the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, log on to nationalsprinttour.com or theworldofoutlaws.com.

A sizeable contingent of Mopar Pro Stockers made the field at the 27th annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Colo., over the weekend. The Hemi-powered entries of Allen Johnson, Erica Enders, Larry Morgan, V. Gaines, Mike Thomas and Max Naylor were led by the Team Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T of Richie Stevens Jr. Stevens Jr., advanced to the quarterfinals round for the fourth time in the last four races, defeating Mike Edward before losing to No.1 qualifier Jason Line.

"I feel good about the weekend," said Stevens. "We tried to give Mopar a good show here in Denver, but this class is tough. It’s a race just to get qualified, but it’s nice to be getting out of the first round consistently. When you work this hard all weekend, you hate to go out first round."

The event was the first with Enders as part of the Mopar and Don Schumacher Racing camp. Enders qualified 13th, but she was unable to advance past the first round. Other Mopar and DSR entries Shaun Carlson and Gene Wilson were unable to make the field in the always tough Pro Stock qualifying sessions. Former Pro Stock champion and veteran Warren Johnson also failed to qualify.

"Considering what has gone on in the past week and a half, just to get everything together to get to this point, to qualify the car and to race on Sunday, is really a feat in itself," said Enders. "I'm really proud of the DSR Pro Stock guys and I’m happy that we could put the car in the show."

For more info on Mopar or the NHRA, log on to mopar.com, moparspeed.com, or nhra.com.

Team Mopar kicked off the 2006 USAC National Sprint Car Series’ Indiana Sprint Week run with a strong showing, posting seven Top-five finishes, twelve Top-10 finishes and two quick time awards in the first four events of the week. Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises’ Levi Jones and Josh Wise started the week with a fourth-place and eighth-place finish, respectively, at Twin Cities Raceway Park on July 13. Hoffman Auto Racing’s Jerry Coons Jr., finished the night in sixth place, followed by Ganassi Development driver Bryan Clauson in seventh place.

The series moved on to Bloomington Speedway on July 14, where Coons Jr., drove to a third-place finish. Jones ended the night in 16th, followed by Wise in 17th place. Clauson was credited with a 24th-place finish on the night.

At Tri-State Speedway on July 15, Jones led the No. 21 team to a third-place finish, followed by Coons Jr, in the No. 69 entry in fourth. Clauson drove the No. 67 to a second-place finish, with Wise and the No. 20 team wrapping up the night in 13th place.

Completing the first leg of Indiana Sprint Week, Clauson drove to a third-place finish at Kokomo Speedway on July 16. Jones ran near the front for most of the race and finished in eighth place, followed by Wise in ninth. Coons, Jr., ended the first leg of the series in 15th place.

Jones’ performances saw him take the USAC National Sprint Car Series points lead from Wise, with the duo separated by only three points. Clauson is currently ranked third, followed by Coons, Jr, who is in seventh place.

The USAC National Sprint Car Series and Indiana Sprint Week resumes action on July 19 at the Gas City I-69 Speedway in Indiana. For more information regarding USAC Racing, log on to usacracing.com.