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 enteredA 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. I were elementary school computers that we have remember Robert Hight relaying advice from one classmates in the small town today and the fact that he of our mutual heroes, Ed McCulloch, who said that of Alturas in Northern did his own gear shifting at 100 laps, if you can do this, you really start to California and that and provided all the feel the difference of being in control as a driver. Lombardo’s summer feedback for his We’re at about 165 laps now.” excursions with his father’s crewmembers.” racing efforts in Southern The reunited friendship n addition to his stellar results on the track, what California provided Hight was a great thing, but Ireally makes Lombardo’s operation stand out are with the inspiration for his nothing compared to what his marketing and publicity efforts, which he own drag racing career. happened in 2009, when handles with industry veteran Adolph, whose past “We knew each other in both got to stand in the credentials include being publisher of Car Craft the fifth and sixth grade, winner’s circle together at magazine, which produced the prestigious All-Star and me and my brother, the Dallas national event Drag Racing program for many years. Richie, played little league baseball with John after Hight and Lombardo scored respective “We’ve been working very closely with the and his brother, Jason,” said Hight. “There wins in Funny Car and Top Alcohol Funny Car. NAPA people in a number of projects that have wasn’t any kind of racing in Alturas, but John “That was just awesome,” said Hight. “We been done on a scale unheard of for Sportsman would always bring back ‘Lil’ John’ Lombardo never dreamed while we were in the sixth grade racers,” said Lombardo. “For instance, we’ve T-shirts for us, and that’s when I really started to that some day we would both score Funny Car printed 20,000 full-size posters and 9,000 T-shirts follow drag racing. To be honest, I was very, wins at the same race together. and are in the middle of a mailing effort that will very envious of him.” “John Force has often told me about how involve more than 5,000 NAPA stores. We feel that Lombardo and Hight lost contact after Lombardo John Lombardo Sr. used to sell him nitro fuel in having this type of audience creates more moved permanently to Southern California, but after the early days of his career. Sometimes Force marketing opportunities for our sponsors, which is Hight joined John Force’s team in 1995 and needed couldn’t pay John right away, but he always did the reason they are involved. Between races, to run an errand to pick up some parts, Force told eventually. Force has told everyone at JFR to do displays, and NAPA store events, we’ll work 28 him that the only good auto store around was John whatever we can to help out the Lombardo weekends in 2011. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Jr.’s shop in nearby Brea, Calif. racing family whenever we can.” Racing Series provides attraction and excitement, 30 National DRAGSTER ne of the key elements behind John OLombardo Jr.’s productive start in his drag racing venture has been the steady guidance provided by crew chief Bob DeVour, whose experience has been embellished by the fact that he has worked in a variety of roles during his many years within the motorsports aftermarket industry, ranging from being one of the Hurst Shifty Doctors and helping George Hurst design the Jaws of Life rescue tool to working in various capacities for companies One of the many promotional events that Lombardo participates in is the annual Kool April Cruise & Car Show in such as Mr. Gasket, Hays Clutches, and Center Redding, Calif. Lombardo and his team set up a display for the local NAPA store and sign autographs. Line Wheels. and our job is to engage customers and deliver for factor at divisional and national events. We’re just in our marketing partners. This, combined with the our second full season, and we’re now fighting for a on-track Division 7 performance, is our championship and a best shot.” top 10 national And while finish. From there, Lombardo promotes we’d like to move some of the same into the top five and brands that support then shoot for the Ron Capps’ nitro national title. We Funny Car team, know that running Now 65, DeVour considers himself to be Lombardo stressed with [14-time from drag racing’s old school, having learned that those are two national champion] his trade in an era in which there were no data- separate operations. Frank Manzo and the recording systems and virtually all of the “We have no rest of the best is a feedback on the car’s run had to be verbally involvement with the In addition to his racing, Lombardo owns and operates daunting task, but related by the driver. But he doesn’t consider Don Schumacher Jackson’s Auto Supply in Brea, Calif., which features the that’s why we race.” that to be a handicap in his chosen field of Top Racing team,” said largest inventory of NAPA parts in the state. Lombardo said Alcohol Funny Car racing. Lombardo, “but we that between his “The nitro teams rely primarily on power have a very cordial working relationship, and NAPA Auto Parts store, which has the largest while the alky cars require more finesse,” said NAPA is fortunate to be represented so well. We’ve NAPA inventory in California, racing, and his DeVour. “We’re working with gear ratios, sent customers and sponsors to DSR’s hospitality family, he’s pretty much flat out. “I’m extremely starting-line rpm, and a lot of other things. The area, and I have been welcomed and included in thankful for all that life has provided me and my guys who are still on top in the alky ranks are their driver introductions. We have an extremely family,” said Lombardo. “A busy schedule is hardly still old-school guys. Frank Manzo is a cooperative arrangement with DSR’s Mike Lewis, a sacrifice for all that we are allowed to enjoy.” testimonial to that.” Luanne Bishop, and Capps.” When asked what his father’s reaction has been This isn’t to say that DeVour hasn’t made his Added Lewis, “There is no formal relationship to his initial success, Lombardo said, “My father share of gains in working with new technology. between John Lombardo and DSR, but he can has never been one to show an awful lot of “I never had the money to race a car,” said count us among his biggest fans. John is a classic emotion, but he also knows how tough it is to win, DeVour, “but God gave me a gift with the example of NAPA entrepreneurship and NAPA so I know deep down inside that he is really proud, ability to help racers make their car run a little know-how. He runs a first-class operation and and that means a lot to me.” ND bit better, and I always keep my mind open for surrounds himself with great people. His NAPA new ways of doing this.” Top Alcohol Funny Car is always Good to Go.” To subscribe to National DRAGSTER and read When Lombardo was doing the preparation work more articles like this, join NHRA at before formally creating his drag racing organization, NHRAStore.com or call 800-308-6472. he stated that he wanted to establish long-term plans in which he had specific goals for benchmarks of one, three, and 10 years. Of these, Lombardo said, “Our initial aims were to become comfortable in the car, show and run well, and become a

The crew, pictured after a victory at this year’s divisional event in Bakersfield: from left, Jim Adolph, Ken Smith, Mike Lombardo was joined in the Bakersfield winner’s circle Rios, Lombardo, Dustin Yoho, by, from left, Michele, daughter Jordan, father John Sr., Bob DeVour, and Tom Moore. and son Ryan. July 15, 2011 31