Drag Racing Online - Agent 1320

WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT?

IMBROGNO, WAGNER IN AT NHRA
President Tom Compton continues the process of putting his own team in place with two new appointments. NHRA has named Len Imbrogno as the new director of sportsman racing and member tracks and Robert Wagner as vice president of sales and business development.

Imbrogno's appointment is a move to strengthen NHRA's relationship with its member tracks while fulfilling the need to reach out to the sportsman racing community. He has nearly 30 years of experience in various motorsports capacities, including being on the management team of Kenny Bernstein's racing teams, owner of his own supercharger and fuel injection systems business, and briefly vp of competition for IHRA.

In his new role, Imbrogno will oversee the seven NHRA divisions and the technical department for sportsman racing. He also will serve as the liaison between NHRA and the sportsman racers and member tracks.

Robert Wagner spent the last 16 years in a variety of sales, marketing and broadcasting positions with southern California sports teams including the Anaheim Angels and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. He was most recently vice president of advertising sales and broadcasting for Anaheim Sports.

In his new position, Wagner will oversee all NHRA sales and corporate sponsorship programs and be charged with building a sales force to meet the company's "strategic plan's primary initiative - to grow our sport," according to Compton. He will help build the current sponsor base for NHRA and will assist race teams in their quest for sponsorships.

BEARD, ANOTHER MARCHYSHYN IN AT IHRA
President Bill Bader has announced the addition of Mike Beard and Pam Marchyshyn to the staff at IHRA's Norwalk World Headquarters. Beard will serve as Director of Creative Services, overseeing Internet development, graphic design and assisting the communications department. Beard, 26, competed in E.T. racing and worked with NHRA Editorial Director Phil Burgess to help develop the nhra.com site. Beard recently completed a total redesign of IHRA's website, ihra.com.

Marchyshyn joins the Drag Review staff as Assistant Editor. She previously was a Paine-Webber Operations Manager and food services manager.

BERGSTROM, WALLISER OUT AT NHRA NHRA
Director of Field Operations Gene Bergstrom and Director of National Event Planning Ned Walliser no longer have parking slots at 2035 Financial Way in Glendora, Calif. It was reported to the Agent that Bergstrom was fired and Walliser handed in his resignation just before the Sears Craftsman Nationals.

It was reported to the Agent a few weeks ago that Bergstrom had a meeting with Tom Compton and laid out a list of problems he had with the company. It developed, so we're told, that Bergstrom's list of woes could be best handled by a dismissal, hence the elevator and the "down" button.

In the case of Walliser, the consensus was that NHRA let go one of the company's most popular employees. Walliser, who distinguished himself by good rapport with the racers, apparently received so many calls after a national event that he felt the need of a temporary assistant to help him with his work load and consequently tried to squeeze one out of the NHRA professionals. "Request Denied!" the gavel came down, and Walliser went out…and right over to NHRA's Sports Services, so we hear.