NHRA: The NHRA announced its 2001 schedule yesterday,
which features 23 national events and a 24th event to be
announced later this year. Every event will be broadcast on
ESPN or ESPN2 on a same-day basis (NHRA). In Las Vegas,
Brian Hilderbrand notes that the city was awarded a second
NHRA event for the last weekend in October. It already
hosts the SummitRacing.com Nationals in April (L.V. SUN,
8/9). Also in Las Vegas, Jeff Wolf writes that the city
joins L.A. and Chicago as the "only" cities with two NHRA
national events next year. Las Vegas Motor Speedway GM
Chris Powell, on hosting a second event: "That in itself
says a lot about the high praise NHRA has for Las Vegas"
(REVIEW-JOURNAL, 8/10). NHRA President Tom Compton said
that Richmond has been "dropped" because "track conditions
... were some of the worst on the circuit" (Mult., 8/10).
DEVELOPING SITUATION FOR MLS: In Ft. Worth, Blane
Bachelor writes on Project-40, MLS' "system for developing
... young talent." Project-40 is a joint venture with the
USSF "designed to develop young players and provide a talent
base for the United States' national teams." Bachelor notes
that each MLS team "is awarded" two or three Project-40
players, who train with their MLS teams during the week and
with their Project-40 teams on weekends. Once coaches "feel
the players can contribute regularly" in MLS, players
graduate from the program. But Bachelor writes, "At least
that's the public-relations version of the system. In
reality, what sounds like a mutually beneficial relationship
offers MLS coaches little chance to witness P-40 players in
game action and forces young players to bounce back and
forth between squads. ... [but] The system needs some fine-
tuning" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/10).
