If you don't know who John "The Fireball" Urist is, you simply don't follow all-Ford drag racing. The manic racer from Albequerque New Mexico has grown from a crazy kid that drove cross country to attend Mustang races, into a successful business man, turbo kit builder, and sponsored racer. As such his sponsor Nitto Tire is pretty proud that he took home the big prize at WSC1. Check out the press release after the jump...

NITTO TIRE AND JOHN URIST WIN 2008 WORLD STREET CHALLENGE

Cypress, Calif., May 23, 2008 – Nitto Tire U.S.A., Inc., and sponsored driver, John Urist, campaigned their ’93 Fox-body Mustang at the 2008 World Street Challenge on May 16 to 18, 2008 at Gateway International Raceway in Illinois. The vehicle ran solidly the entire event, and the team won the Street Outlaw class. This was Urist’s first win at the World Street Challenge and his second of the 2008 season.

Although Urist would eventually win the event, the weekend didn’t start off well. On Friday morning, Urist was rushed to the hospital emergency room where he was diagnosed with kidney stones. “It was excruciatingly painful,” revealed Urist.  “I wanted to scream and jump out a window, but I couldn’t move to do either.” Despite the pain, Urist was at the track that afternoon for first round qualifying. By the third round of qualifying on Saturday night, Urist had moved to the top of the pack with a 7.41-sec. @ 189-mph run. It was his third time qualifying in first place at the track, an all-time record.

Urist’s good luck continued on Sunday, where he advanced past Travis Franklin in the first round with a 7.45-second run. Because he had qualified in first place, Urist had a bi-run in the second round. Nonetheless, he submitted a fast, 7.46-second run, followed by a 7.49-second run in the semi-final round against Don Burton. The final round pitted Urist against second-place qualifier Jarret Halfacre. The round was one of the fastest runs on record at the track, with Halfacre submitting a 7.42-second run. Urist barely edged him out with a 7.40 second @ 192 mph, his personal best. Urist has won two of the three events in the 2008 season.

“This is one of the most important races on the circuit,” stated Urist. “I had great team support and I feel fortunate to have won. This was my eighth time racing at the track, but it’s my first win.”

Nitto shared Urist’s sentiment. “We couldn’t believe John went straight from the emergency room to the track for qualifying,” said Stephen Leu from Nitto’s marketing department. “As crazy as that was, it really shows how dedicated John is. He’s been fighting for this win for so long and we’re happy we could help him get there.”

Look for Nitto Tire and John Urist at the remaining 2008 NMRA events.

Nitto Tire develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in both Japan and the United States, Nitto strives to provide innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto Tire or its products, visit the company’s web site or contact the company directly. Nitto and Fueled by Enthusiasts are registered trademarks or trademarks of Nitto Tire U.S.A., Inc., located at 6021 Katella Ave., Ste 250, Cypress, CA 90630.