Will Attend Duke University, Race NASCAR Late Models in 2008 

Former Snap-on Stars of Karting winner Paulie Harraka accepted the Driver of the Year Award trophy for 2007 from NASCAR President Mike Helton and NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter at Daytona International Speedway.

Harraka was honored at the NASCAR awards luncheon, which was held in the Bill France room of the Daytona 500 Club. Harraka raced in the NASCAR Whelen All American Late Model series through the Drive for Diversity program in 2007.

After accepting the Driver of the Year award, Harraka announced that he has signed with Bill McAnally Racing to drive BMR's NASCAR Late Models for the 2008 season at All American Speedway in Roseville, California again in 2008. The Late Model season will consist of 20 races at All American Speedway where Harraka will try to improve on his amazing 2007 season where he finished in 2nd place in the points championship and won the Rookie of the Year honors. Paulie and the Bill McAnally-owned BMR team will try to win the NASCAR points championship in 2008, along with the special 4-Race TRD 100 Lapper Championship Series, which will consist of four 100 lap races.

"Myself and my crew at BMR feel like we have some unfinished business to attend to at All American Speedway after falling just short of the Championship in 2007," says Harraka. "Bill McAnally is a great team owner who runs a winning racing operation. Bill and all of my guys want this NASCAR Late Model championship in the worst way and we are going to go after it with everything we can. BMR is preparing a brand new car for me and I can't wait for the 2008 racing season to begin!"

"Paulie is a great driving talent and is a pleasure to work with," stated team owner Bill McAnally. "He is extremely focused and he works great with his crew chief and crew. I'm thrilled to have Paulie drive a NASCAR Late Model for BMR again in 2008. This year we are looking for nothing short of the NASCAR championship, and I know that Paulie can deliver it. He almost won it last year while winning Rookie of the Year."

Paulie also announced that he has been accepted to Duke University via the Early Admission process, which is an honor reserved for the brightest and most promising student applicants. "I'm going to have my work cut out for me in 2008, with going to college at Duke University in North Carolina and racing NASCAR Late Models in California for BMR, but I'm determined and dedicated to being successful at both. These are both tremendous opportunities for me, and I'm not going to pass up on either one. Duke is consistently ranked as one of the Top 7 Universities in the entire country, and BMR is one of the top NASCAR Late Model teams, so I'm getting the best of both worlds: academic and racing. I know it's going to be tough, but I enjoy challenges."

The 18 year old Harraka also hinted at the possibility of more NASCAR racing to come in 2008. "We are currently working out details to run a few Camping World East and West races in 2008, and we hope to announce which ones we are going to run very shortly. Hopefully we will be running 1 or 2 West races, and 3 or 4 East races. We are just trying to get the schedules worked out so as to not interfere with our run for the NASCAR Late Model Championship at All American Speedway with BMR. Hopefully it will all come together."