Among the Rarest Feats in Drag Racing Is Reaching the Winner's Circle in The
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mong the rarest feats in drag racing is reaching the winner’s circle in the very early stages of your driving career. Jeg Coughlin Jr., who won in just the second national event that he Aentered in Pro Stock, is one that comes to mind, and another member of this rare club is John Lombardo Jr., who won in Dallas after making his national event debut in Seattle in 2009. He qualified for the nine events (four nationals and five divisionals) that he entered that year and capped the campaign by qualifying No. 1 (5.619) and setting low e.t. of the meet (5.596) at the fall Las Vegas event and finishing the year No. 5 in Division 7 and No. 19 nationally. He was essentially Good to Go right from the start. In 2010, he finished No. 2 in Division 7 and No. 12 in the national points, and he is off to an even better start this year, building a 53-point lead over second-place Jay Payne after kicking off his Good to Go tour with back-to-back NHRA Lucas John Lombardo Jr. scored his first national event victory at the second race he entered with a 5.69 to 5.86 Oil Drag Racing Series victories in Bakersfield and final-round victory against Alexis DeJoria in Dallas in 2009. Fallon, Nev. The win in Bakersfield clinched his position as the Division 7 Top Alcohol Funny Car because of economic considerations. “The business operations by purchasing Jackson’s Auto representative at the JEGS Allstars event in expenses had shot up dramatically from the time Supply in Brea, Calif., in 1996. Chicago. when my father raced, and I felt that for what I By 2007, Lombardo had racked up more than could afford to do, I could get a lot more seat time 15 years of road racing competition, and not only ombardo knew from an early age that he and experience in road racing.” had he scored numerous regional and national Lwanted to make a career in drag racing, and he So Lombardo began competing in karting and victories, but his entrepreneurial ventures got his first taste of driving by attending Frank then progressed to SCCA Formula Ford 2000 expanded when he added multicar team ownership Hawley’s school in 1990 at age 23. competition, which taught him a lot about using with a trio of Van Dieman Parts Supplier cars and “I made several licensing passes but not enough wings and dealing with downforce, handling, and served as a West Coast parts supplier at and away to formally earn the license,” said Lombardo, who balance. He then ran the ACRL Cosworth Series from the track. was kept from going into drag racing at that time and Cooper Tires F2000 Series and expanded his “We utilized a T2000 tractor and a 53-foot 28 National DRAGSTER Alcohol Funny Cars run the same e.t.s that my dad’s Lombardo’s initiation in racing nitro cars did. The cars are quick and fast and are started early when he began known to be difficult to drive well, making the attending races with his competition tough and providing the best training legendary father, Funny Car racer possible for nitro Funny Cars.” “Lil’ John,” in the 1970s. One of their proudest moments took or the next year and a half, Lombardo began place at the 1985 U.S. Nationals, F spending time with Bob DeVour and Ron where his father drove Raymond Meer, whose car was driven by Sean Bellemeur. Beadle’s Blue Max to a Funny Car “I hung out at the first couple of races and then victory. Lombardo is pictured began doing a little clutch and support work,” said kneeling, fourth from right. Lombardo. “During the first half of 2009, I worked with Bob on Keeter Ray’s car, where I got to work a transporter to run three cars at bit with the motors. During this period, I talked a lot 16 events per year, from the with my dad on almost a daily basis about what kind West Coast races such as of equipment we would need, whether I should rent a Laguna Seca and Infineon to Road America in and marketing efforts to occur,” said Lombardo. to page 30 Wisconsin,” said Lombardo. “I’m really proud of “This was a new day for us, and we were starting our accomplishments there.” with a clean slate. Some have arrived on the scene When the Cooper Tires F2000 Series lost its claiming to be the next world champ, talking a big support from Star Mazda, Lombardo was unable to game, but that’s not who we are. We wanted to compete with his cars. “That was the type of thing approach drag racing with a well-thought-out, that unfortunately often happens all too frequently properly organized program.” in road racing,” said Lombardo. “That volatility One thing that Lombardo was sure of from the only reinforced my appreciation for the stability start was that he wanted to race in Top Alcohol and continuity we enjoy with NHRA in terms of Funny Car. “That was absolutely my class of choice,” maintaining its existing classes.” said Lombardo. That unexpected development prompted “Nitro racing is my Lombardo, with wife Lombardo to consider drag racing again, and in ultimate dream, but Michele, started his road typical form, he approached it in a careful and there is such a racing career with a Swift methodical manner. “Auto racing is much more disparity with the DB3 SCCA Formula 2000 than a hobby; it’s a passion that requires business budget. And today’s entry in 1992. July 15, 2011 29 adjust for our racing and promotional schedule. My wife, Michele, has been very supportive from the beginning, and my two children, son Ryan, 15, and daughter Jordan, 13, are growing up and doing very well with getting straight As and playing club soccer nearly year-around. As demanding as racing can be, family time is extremely important to me.” In the meantime, Lombardo earned his license in Randy from page 29 Goodwin’s car, and when Meer decided to sell his team, Lombardo The Lombardo road racing effort peaked in 2007 when he fielded a team purchased the operation with all of of Van Dieman cars that he leased to other drivers. the equipment in December 2008. “This team was third nationally and ride or buy an operation, and a lot of other related the Division 7 champs, so we kept the program things. My dad is an extremely logical guy. While he intact,” said Lombardo, “and the only real changes appreciates the love for the sport, he knows first- were the addition of me as driver and longtime hand the time and money these programs require. family friend Jim Adolph to do the double duties of When it didn’t make financial sense to race anymore, working on the clutch and handling the public he made the tough decision to quit. Even though I relations work.” had two years of business classes at [California State After purchasing the team, Lombardo and his University, Northridge], most of my background crew spent several months familiarizing themselves Though Lombardo competes in a Sportsman category, came from on-the-job training at my dad’s Lil’ John with the equipment and relocating to a new shop. his promotional efforts match those of Pro teams with Auto Parts stores. His experience in all phases of the He made his first runs in June 2009 in Las Vegas, a wide array of posters and handouts to promote NAPA sport and the business world was invaluable in qualified No. 2 at his first national event in Seattle and his other sponsors. helping me map out my program. with a 5.619 (to No. 1 qualifier Jay Payne’s 5.610), “And I also had to take into account how my and, after running a couple of divisional events, road racing really teaches you how to acquire that racing program would affect my family,” said earned his first national event victory in Dallas. feel and car control that would help in any form of Lombardo. “The time, attention, and financial When asked how much his previous road racing motorsports. And running multiple cars also taught commitment to racing are significant. I’m very experience carried over to his drag racing efforts, me how to deal with long travel, expenses, the fortunate that I have my own business so that I can Lombardo said, “I think that it helped a lot because dynamics of a crew, and so on. I was ready for that. “But driving a five-second Funny Car is “It had been 15 years since we had seen each absolutely extreme. There’s the vibration, poor other, and I was blown away that he now visibility during tire shake, being technically operated his own auto parts store,” said Hight. “I correct in staging, leaving on time, and keeping the had followed his father’s career all along, and car in the groove, all of which make it harder to do when he won Indy in 1985, I was amazed about your job. Making decisions when a car is going little known story in the how he put together four 200 mph takes some laps. There’s a lot more time AJohn Lombardo Jr. saga runs so close together to process information in road racing. In drag is that he and Robert Hight without any of the racing, you need to be capable of responding.