Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Motorcycle champ Savoie seeks new sponsor

Thursday, Oct. 25, 2001 | 11:03 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

Last year, Angelle Savoie was motivated by history in her quest to win the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship.

This year, she is motivated by dollars -- as in sponsorship dollars.

As a result of the Master Settlement Agreement the tobacco companies entered into with the states' attorneys general which limits cigarette manufacturers to one brand-name sponsorship each year, Winston will be forced to end its sponsorship of Savoie and Top Fuel driver Gary Scelzi at the end of this season.

Savoie, 31, said Wednesday that she is close to signing with a primary sponsor for the 2002 season, but winning a second consecutive NHRA title might help speed up the process.

"To say you could sponsor the champion team instead of the number-two team, that would make a big difference," Savoie said. "We have quite a few potential sponsors (but) we haven't actually sat down and written up a contract with anyone. But one, in particular, we're really close to doing just that."

In July, Savoie became the winningest female racer in NHRA history when she recorded her 19th career victory at the Mopar Parts Mile High Nationals in Denver. Last year, she joined Shirley Muldowney as the only female to win an NHRA championship in a professional category.

Savoie, who has six victories this season, leads Antron Brown by 89 points going into this weekend's inaugural ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Although she has been locked in a tight battle for the championship all season, she said she and Brown are not bitter rivals.

"Antron and I are great friends at the track, so that takes a little of the pressure off because it's not like it's somebody that I hate that I'm trying to beat," she said. "With Antron, if something were to mess me up and I were to lose, I'd be happy for him. It's not like I want to kill him out there but I do want to win because I want to be the champion and I want my team to be the champions because they deserve it."

Pedregon, who has served as an analyst on ESPN's telecasts of the NHRA this season, has 22 career national-event wins, including three U.S. Nationals.

"I am very proud to partner with a company like Advance Auto Parts, which will enable me to pursue my dream of being champion once again," Pedregon said. "I have enjoyed my brief career as an ESPN TV analyst with NHRA, but my passion for racing always has been to compete in Funny Car and win races.

"The most commonly asked question by my fans is 'When are you going to be back behind the wheel?' I am happy to finally say to them I am back."

Other drivers scheduled to attend from 8-9:30 p.m. include Tony Schumacher, Gary Scelzi, Angelle Savoie, Antron Brown, Darrell Russell, Bob Benza, Del Worsham, Frank Pedregon, Jerry Toliver, Johnny Gray, Warren and Kurt Johnson, Mike Thomas, 2001 IHRA Top Fuel champion Clay Millican and Las Vegan Duane Shields.