Go on Yello! ’13 opens next week with NHRA Winternationals at Pomona with new DSR champions, series name Forget about January 1, the real new year begins on Feb. 14 with a new season of NHRA drag racing and a new name for the series. Following in the sips of fellow Coca-Cola Company products Powerade and Full Throttle, those brands have handed the baton to the smooth, citrus taste of Mello Yello and Mello Yello Zero, and the series is now the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. (MelloYello.com) “Hey, it’s the way I race: Go on Yello,” said Antron Brown, Don Schumacher Racing’s reigning NHRA Top Fuel world champion. This will be the 12th season in which a Coca-Cola brand has been a partner with NHRA to produce the fastest and quickest form of racing for fans from coast to coast. The only change to the schedule is the expansion to 24 national events by adding the June 20-23 New England Nationals at Epping, N.H., marking the first NHRA pro tour event in New England. In addition to Antron’s first race as a reigning world champ, Jack Beckman gets to begin defense of his Funny Car world championship at his home track in the Valvoline/Mail for Wounded Warriors/MTS Dodge Charger R/T. Wow! Antron, NHRA drag racing featured on NBC’s Today show Thanks to Antron Brown, the sport of drag racing likely reached a milestone Friday when a segment was devoted to him on NBC’s Today show. (Here’s the link: on.today.com/XWlpat ) The segment was part of NBC’s celebration of Black History Month, and Antron was selected for the network’s 2013 edition of “TheGrio’s 100” list that features African-American industry, sports and community leaders. The exclusive list, which was announced Monday on the Today show, honors Black History Month by highlighting the next generation of African-American history makers who are making a difference in the lives of all Americans. The TheGrio’s 100 honorees come from various fields of work, including business, education, sports, science and the environment, media, service and activism, politics, health, pop culture and the arts. Among other sports celebrities and athletes on the list of 100 are NFL superstar Robert Griffin III and Olympic gold-medal gymnast Gabrielle Douglas and TV host Robin Roberts. The wide-ranging list also includes United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, NBA star and author Amar'e Stoudemire, Svante Myrick, the 25 year-old mayor of Ithaca, N.Y., and Vince and Vance Moss, brothers who led a medical mission to Afghanistan. The TheGrio’s 100 honorees, including Brown, will be profiled on NBC News platforms, including NBC Nightly News, Today, NBCNews.com and MSNBC throughout February. It has been a whirlwind few months for Antron, 36, a native of New Jersey who lives with his family in Pittsboro, Ind., outside of Indianapolis. He became the first African-American to win a major U.S. auto racing championship when he steered Don Schumacher Racing’s Matco Tools Top Fuel Dragster to the NHRA world championship in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. “It isn’t often that I’m at a loss for words, but I can’t describe what it means to me and my whole family to have my name on TheGrio’s 100,” Brown said. “I mean, I’m on a list with so many great people who save lives and are world leaders. It’s incredible. Antron spent this week on an ocean cruise with wife Billie Jo to celebrate their anniversary. Veteran DSR crew chief Okuhara takes on new role Todd Okuhara’s drag racing resume is impressive, but it becomes even more so when it’s noted he is 44 years old, and he has a new position to celebrate his 20th year in professional drag racing. The native of Hawaii living in Brownsburg, Ind., outside of Indianapolis has been promoted to the new position of Don Schumacher Racing’s Director of Racing by team owner Don Schumacher. Okuhara will work with DSR’s crew chiefs and manage the world championship DSR fabrication and CNC/machine shops. He’ll arrive at Pomona, Calif., for the Feb. 14-17 NHRA Winternationals to open the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing season directing an operation that last season won world championships in Top Fuel with Antron Brown’s Matco Tools team and in Funny Car with Jack Beckman’s Todd Okuhara is first DSR Director of Racing. Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T. “This is the next evolution for DSR, and Todd is the right man for the job,” Schumacher said. “Todd is starting his eighth season with DSR, which is the longest tenure of our crew chiefs. “For being a young man, Todd has considerable experience with Funny Cars and Top Fuel Dragsters. This new position will provide much more consistency within our organization, it will enable us to share even more data among our teams and better communicate to our exceptionally talented craftsmen in our fab and machine shops what our teams need to continue improving safety and performance.” Okuhara became involved in drag racing while living in Honolulu while working at his father’s machine shop in Kakaako and going to Hawaii Raceway Park. In 1993, he left for Southern California work on the Funny Car owned by fellow Hawaiian and legendary drag racing crew chief Roland Leong. Okuhara moved to NHRA Hall of Famer Don Prudhomme’s dragster in 1994 and remained with the Prudhomme and won two world championships with driver Larry Dixon. Okuhara joined DSR in 2006 as crew chief on Beckman’s Funny Car team. That year, when NHRA was still racing nitro cars for 1,320 feet, the team set all-time speed mark of 333.66 mph. In 2008, Okuhara was switched to run the Funny Car for Gary Scelzi and a year later he was paired with Shuler to crew chief a DSR dragster for Cory McClenathan. NEXT WEEK AT POMONA EVENT: 53RD annual NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, Calif. WHEN: Thursday-Sunday (all times PST) SCHEDULE: Thursday – Qualifying 1: 2:30 p.m., Funny Car and Top Fuel Friday – Qualifying 2: 2:30 p.m., Funny Car and Top Fuel Saturday – Qualifying 3/4: 12:30, 2:30 p.m., Funny Car and Top Fuel Sunday – Championship eliminations: 11 a.m. TICKETS: NHRAtix.com, (800) 884-NHRA 2013 DSR LINEUP Director of Racing: Todd Okuhara TOP FUEL DRAGSTERS TEAM DRIVER CREW CHIEF(S) Matco Tools Antron Brown Brian Corradi, Mark Oswald U.S. Army Tony Schumacher Mike Green Battery Extender Spencer Massey Phil Shuler FUNNY CARS Valvoline/MTS Jack Beckman Todd Smith NAPA AUTO PARTS Ron Capps Rahn Tobler Pitch Entergy Johnny Gray Rob Wendland Mopar/Rocky Boots Matt Hagan Dickie Venables ShoeRacing.com DSR’s official website, ShoeRacing.com, has been updated with new biographies on our drivers and team owner Don Schumacher. There also is a new “statistics” section that will be expanded throughout the season. ShoeRacing.com is the best source for all DSR news from news releases, photos and driver appearances to the latest DSR social media posts. You’ll also find special deals and the newest items from DSR’s merchandise department. About Don Schumacher Racing Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., starts 2013 with seven professional NHRA teams. In Top Fuel, the 2012 NHRA Top Fuel world champion Matco Tools dragster driven by Antron Brown and the U.S. Army dragster driven by seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher and the Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher dragster driven by Spencer Massey; and in Funny Car, 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Valvoline/MTS Mail for Wounded Warriors Dodge Charger R/T, 2011 world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar/Rocky Dodge, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Pitch Energy Dodge of Johnny Gray. DSR has won 196 NHRA national event titles and 11 world championships. Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Don Schumacher Racing ShoeRacing.com (317) 358-0356 Jeff Wolf [email protected] - (702) 524-1368, cell Leah Vaughn [email protected] - (618) 516-1988, cell - 196 - .