Diana Harker Englishtown wrap up

Diana Harker Makes History at Englishtown

Englishtown, NJ – 25year old rookie driver, Diana Harker made history at the Lucas Oil Super Nationals this past weekend by claiming her first NHRA National Event win in the Top Alcohol Dragster Class and by doing so became the first Australian Female to win an NHRA National Event.

In only her sixth National Event career start, Harker began her dream weekend by qualifying in the number 5 spot after smoking the tires in the first session then making passes of 5.39 and 5.50 to secure the Lend America A/Fuel team a solid start for eliminations.

After Saturday’s tragic loss of Scott Kalitta and all racing rescheduled till Sunday, the Top Alcohol classes never saw round one of eliminations till late Sunday Afternoon. Harker paired against 12th qualifier, Jackie Fricke and in one of the closest races of the weekend, Harker took the win by 0.0053 with a 5.55et to Fricke’s 5.57et.

Moving into round two, Harker lined up against Richard Bourke and wasted no time taking the lead off the start line and never looking back to claim the win with a 5.43et at 256mph pass to Bourke’s 5.56et 235mph pass.

Neither semi-final opponents, Harker or 71-year old Ken Winward had ever made a National Event Final but Harker would head to the money round after laying down an impressive 5.39et at 259mph pass to defeat Winward’s 5.57et at 254mph pass.

Harker looked set to take on Dave DeAngelis in the final round and as both drivers left the start line together, DeAngelis soon found his car facing tire shake and watching on as Harker wheeled her Lend America A/Fuel dragster to the finish line and her first ever career National Event win.

“I’m still in shock” Said Harker smiling “My team did an amazing job to turn the car around between rounds and what can I say about Randy, he’s proven time and time again his strength both as driver and crew chief so I am really honored to be working with him, his family and team. I know I’ve come along way as driver since I started working with Randy last year and I couldn’t be prouder or happier for our whole team knowing how hard we’ve all worked to get to this point. This win has given our team a good boost of confidence and I am really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve for the rest of the season. Also I can’t thank our sponsors Lend America, Aeromotive, Lucas Oil and Hedman Hedders enough for their support because without them we couldn’t have made this dream possible.”

Harker joined her twin sister Kate on the NHRA Circuit in the Top Alcohol ranks in 2007 and is only the fourth Australian female to compete in the NHRA as fellow drivers Sue Ransom and Rachelle Splatt have competed in the Top Fuel ranks but Harker will be forever written in the History books as the first female winner.


For further information regarding Diana Harker and/or KDH Racing please contact Kate Harker kate@harkermotorsport.com or www.harkertwins.com


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Kate and Diana Harker would like to thank the following companies for their continued support:

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www.lendamerica.com
Lend America services the entire residential home loan market. Whether you are purchasing a new home or refinancing an existing loan, our team of experts is experienced in Government Insured FHA, Conventional, Alt-A and Sub-prime loan programs with loan amounts up to $4,000,000. As a direct lender, we make every lending/underwriting decision in our corporate headquarters. Our underwriters are trained to employ a common sense approach to lending. Therefore, you're not just another "number" (credit score) at Lend America. It's not uncommon for our applicants to speak directly with an underwriter to explain any issues past or present that may affect their loan application.
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www.procarerx.com
ProCare Rx was founded by Roger and Barbara Burgess in 1988 to provide prescription drug claims processing, clinical services and support for any organization that provides a Prescription Drug Benefit to its employees or members. Clients include self-insured businesses, unions, hospices, worker compensation plans, local and county governments, health maintenance organizations, associations and other insurance plans. Today, after almost 20 years in business, ProCare Rx is one of the largest privately held Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) and administrators in the United States. The company works with pharmacies and prescription drug manufacturers to ensure that clients save money while managing the health of their members thru the application of innovative technologies and population health services directed to all members, with focus on those with chronic conditions.
For more information, contact Barbara Watson at 678-248-3101 or visit the web site at www.procarerx.com.

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www.hedman.com
Hedman Hedders has led the performance exhaust industry for 50 years. As a premier manufacturer of headers, h-pipes, exhaust tips, they can offer the world's greatest selection of street headers, racing headers and performance exhaust systems.

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www.lucasoil.com
Lucas is also one of the fastest growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry. A premium line of oils, greases and problem solving additives has helped to firmly establish Lucas as a prominent figure in this marketplace. Lucas also produces a heavy duty line of products for the industrial and agricultural markets.
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www.oakley.com

Oakley was created for world-class athletes, those who see the limits of possibility as just another challenge. Their dedication drives us to look beyond the conventional ideas of industry standards. It’s in our DNA to identify problems, create inventions, and wrap those inventions in art. And simply to make things better than anyone thought possible.

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Contact: Kate Harker
Email: kate@harkermotorsport.com