<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/Rock071.jpg" alt="Lagana" align="left"borders="0"/>
DINWIDDIE, VIRGINIA (MAY 20, 2007) – After advancing to the final round in the Top Fuel class at the IHRA Spring Nationals in late March, Bobby Lagana Jr. and his Skull Shine-sponsored Twilight Zone racing team is right where it needs to be. Sitting fourth in championship points standings after Rockingham, Lagana is poised to make a move towards the top of the Top Fuel standings with a strong showing at the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals in Tulsa , Ok. May 25-27.
“We’re fourth in the points right now, just about 100 out of first place,” Lagana said. “We’ve been working hard getting the car ready for Tulsa, knowing if we qualify well and go some rounds we are right in the hunt. In Rockingham we had a good weekend but still had some issues we had to iron out with the car. Jay, Dom and the team have been working hard to figure things out and we think we have a handle on it. I’ve never raced at Tulsa Raceway Park so I’m kind of heading into uncharted waters, but Jay has some information on the track so we should be in pretty good shape.”
After falling to T.J. Zizzo in the final round in Rockingham Lagana’s crew chief, Jay Lewis, pointed out the team is still getting adjusted to the new IHRA-mandated Goodyear tire. After a couple of test runs leading up to the Sooner Nationals the team now has a base of new tire information to build on.
“Jay is pretty meticulous about his information, he saves everything,” Lagana said. “He’s starting to build up data on these tires, and that can do nothing but help us going forward. We’re looking forward to going to Tulsa and seeing how this new data translates into on-track performance.”
Lagana will be performing away from the track in Tulsa as well. On Thursday, May 24th he will join defending Nitro Funny Car world champion Dale Creasy Jr. at a downtown Tulsa promotional display. Lagana and Creasy will be at Bartlett Square from 11:30-1:30 with their cars to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and promote the Sooner Nationals.
“I love any opportunity to get out and meet the fans,” Lagana said. “It’s going to be a blast hanging out downtown with Dale and letting the fans in Tulsa get an up-close look at our cars. I hope a lot of people come out to spend some time with us.”
About Bobby Lagana Racing
Bobby Lagana Jr. is in his ninth year of competition in the International Hot Rod Association’s Top Fuel class. Following in the footsteps of his father, noted Funny Car pilot Bob Lagana, he began driving professionally at the age of 19 and enjoyed his most successful season last year. In 2006 he won two of the 11 IHRA national events, in Grand Bend, Ontario and Epping , New Hampshire , eventually finishing third in world championship points standings. Following the season he was awarded IHRA’s most prestigious award, the IHRA Sportsman of the Year, at the season-ending champion’s banquet in Greensboro , N.C. His Crew Chief, Jay Lewis, also was honored at the champion’s banquet, being selected as IHRA Professional Crew Chief of the Year. Lagana’s primary sponsors are Torco Racing Fuels, Pelham Lumber and Skull Shine, an industrial-strength cleaning product that is part of Michigan-based fuel magnate Evan Knoll’s line of racing and automobile-related products. For more information about Skull Shine or Torco Racing Fuels, visit the company’s website at Torco Racing Fuels. Lagana also has associate sponsorship from Tom Stephens racing, Eric “Lippy,” Bryant Neville Racing, Lichenstein Motorsports, RMI Titanium, Innovative Machine and Powertech Generators. For more information about Bobby Lagana Jr. and his Twilight Zone Top Fuel team, visit Lagana Racing - Bobby Lagana Jr - IHRA Top Fuel Dragster.
About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk , Ohio , the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $19.5 million Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is a 12-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of nine events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada . The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 70 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Kumho Street Warriorz presented by Hooters. More information can be found at IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation.
LAGANA SET FOR BUSY WEEKEND IN TULSA
Looks to move up in Top Fuel standings at IHRA Sooner Nationals
DINWIDDIE, VIRGINIA (MAY 20, 2007) – After advancing to the final round in the Top Fuel class at the IHRA Spring Nationals in late March, Bobby Lagana Jr. and his Skull Shine-sponsored Twilight Zone racing team is right where it needs to be. Sitting fourth in championship points standings after Rockingham, Lagana is poised to make a move towards the top of the Top Fuel standings with a strong showing at the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals in Tulsa , Ok. May 25-27.
“We’re fourth in the points right now, just about 100 out of first place,” Lagana said. “We’ve been working hard getting the car ready for Tulsa, knowing if we qualify well and go some rounds we are right in the hunt. In Rockingham we had a good weekend but still had some issues we had to iron out with the car. Jay, Dom and the team have been working hard to figure things out and we think we have a handle on it. I’ve never raced at Tulsa Raceway Park so I’m kind of heading into uncharted waters, but Jay has some information on the track so we should be in pretty good shape.”
After falling to T.J. Zizzo in the final round in Rockingham Lagana’s crew chief, Jay Lewis, pointed out the team is still getting adjusted to the new IHRA-mandated Goodyear tire. After a couple of test runs leading up to the Sooner Nationals the team now has a base of new tire information to build on.
“Jay is pretty meticulous about his information, he saves everything,” Lagana said. “He’s starting to build up data on these tires, and that can do nothing but help us going forward. We’re looking forward to going to Tulsa and seeing how this new data translates into on-track performance.”
Lagana will be performing away from the track in Tulsa as well. On Thursday, May 24th he will join defending Nitro Funny Car world champion Dale Creasy Jr. at a downtown Tulsa promotional display. Lagana and Creasy will be at Bartlett Square from 11:30-1:30 with their cars to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and promote the Sooner Nationals.
“I love any opportunity to get out and meet the fans,” Lagana said. “It’s going to be a blast hanging out downtown with Dale and letting the fans in Tulsa get an up-close look at our cars. I hope a lot of people come out to spend some time with us.”
About Bobby Lagana Racing
Bobby Lagana Jr. is in his ninth year of competition in the International Hot Rod Association’s Top Fuel class. Following in the footsteps of his father, noted Funny Car pilot Bob Lagana, he began driving professionally at the age of 19 and enjoyed his most successful season last year. In 2006 he won two of the 11 IHRA national events, in Grand Bend, Ontario and Epping , New Hampshire , eventually finishing third in world championship points standings. Following the season he was awarded IHRA’s most prestigious award, the IHRA Sportsman of the Year, at the season-ending champion’s banquet in Greensboro , N.C. His Crew Chief, Jay Lewis, also was honored at the champion’s banquet, being selected as IHRA Professional Crew Chief of the Year. Lagana’s primary sponsors are Torco Racing Fuels, Pelham Lumber and Skull Shine, an industrial-strength cleaning product that is part of Michigan-based fuel magnate Evan Knoll’s line of racing and automobile-related products. For more information about Skull Shine or Torco Racing Fuels, visit the company’s website at Torco Racing Fuels. Lagana also has associate sponsorship from Tom Stephens racing, Eric “Lippy,” Bryant Neville Racing, Lichenstein Motorsports, RMI Titanium, Innovative Machine and Powertech Generators. For more information about Bobby Lagana Jr. and his Twilight Zone Top Fuel team, visit Lagana Racing - Bobby Lagana Jr - IHRA Top Fuel Dragster.
About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk , Ohio , the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $19.5 million Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is a 12-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of nine events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada . The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 70 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Kumho Street Warriorz presented by Hooters. More information can be found at IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation.
