JOHN LOMBARDO RACING NEWS

John Lombardo Jr. and the NAPA Filters/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car team overcome trouble in
qualifying to reach the final round for the eighth time this season.

Lombardo made his best pass of the weekend to that point in the first round with a 5.53 to upset Steve Gasparrelli. With a strong pass to tune from, Lombardo went quicker in round 2 with a strong 5.473 at 270.05 mph that went unequaled for the rest of the event.

"Charlotte is a fantastic facility, and racing for NAPA Filters at their home track makes it one of our most enjoyable LODRS events,” said Lombardo. “This year the track surface eluded us in qualifying and the later elimination rounds. We didn't make a representative run until first round, but Rick (Jackson, crew chief/owner) and Les (Davenport, tuner) certainly nailed these two, setting low e.t. and top speed of the meet.

photo: Auto Imagery

The team was able to replace a broken wheelie bar following a mishap at the end of round 2 when a pilot chute wrapped around it past the finish line. Lombardo broke traction in the semifinal round against three-time Top Fuel world champion Larry Dixon, who had similar issues. Lombardo used his considerable experience to win a wild 6.63 to 7.62 decision to advance to his eighth final round of the 2017 season (he won six).

Though Lombardo garnered a holeshot advantage against Norwalk winner Andy Bohl in the final, having to slap the throttle to get out of early tire shake was all Bohl needed to secure the win.

"The afternoon temperatures in the semi- and final rounds again made tip-toeing our car difficult," Lombardo reflected. "There is much to learn from every lap."

Lombardo, the leader in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series points standings, knew the importance of posting a solid finish when the No. 2 driver in the standings, Shane Westerfield, won a regional event earleir that morning to close the gap.

"Considering our (lack of) qualifying momentum, a runner-up finish and 65 points is a respectable result," said Lombardo. "We hated to not capitalize on the opportunity and score the race win, especially while Westerfield was scoring his third regional win at Woodburn (Oregon). We'll pour over the data and take the fight to Dallas!"

The Jackson Lombardo Racing team will compete next at the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals October 12- 15.

Jackson Lombardo Racing is sponsored by NAPA Filters, NAPA Auto Parts, Lucas Oil, Centre Pointe Collision, Hoosier Tire, NAPA Batteries, NAPA Belts and Hoses, Carlyle Tools, NAPA Power Supreme, Mahle/Clevite, NGK Spark Plugs, CP-Carrillo, Arvada Excavating, and Jackson’s Auto Supply.

You can follow Lombardo on his web site and social media (Facebook and Twitter).

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About Jackson Lombardo Racing
Jackson Lombardo Racing was formed in 2014 when two successful Southern California-based Top Alcohol Funny Car teams led by driver John Lombardo Jr. and owner/crew chief Rick Jackson combined resources. Lombardo grew up the son of Funny Car driver “Lil’ John” Lombardo and competed in openwheel racing for 15 years before entering the NHRA ranks in 2009. Lombardo is the national speed
record holder at 274.61 mph. He is the 2011 Division 7 champion, the 2013 and 2015-2016 Central Region champion, a multiple-time national event winner, and a two-time winner of the prestigious JEGS Allstars event. The JLR team also includes Chris Perl, Scott Manning, Lew Larson, Les Davenport, and LuAnn Bishop.

(High-resolution photography from Auto Imagery is available upon request.)

Indianapolis, August 28, 2017 – Labor Day Weekend annually marks the most prestigious event of the season for racers in the National Hot Rod Association. The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis is often referred to as “the Big Go” or “the granddaddy of them all,” the race that every driver dreams of winning. For Jackson Lombardo Racing, the event goes even deeper.

For the third consecutive year, driver John Lombardo Jr., car owner Rick Jackson, and the entire NAPA Filters/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car team raise funds for Hoosier Burn Camp and the Racers for Christ Kids Program with an online auction (HERE) and by accepting donations. On Saturday, Sept. 2, they provide “A Day at the Races,” a program bringing children from Hoosier Burn Camp to the track for a fun-filled day at no expense to their families.

Other races from the Mello Yello and Lucas Oil ranks participate in “A Day at the Races” to give the children an experience they won’t soon forget. Drivers slated to join Lombardo in interacting with the special guests, signing autographs, and playing games are Jack Beckman, Angelle Sampey, Cory Reed, Allen Johnson, Megan Meyer, Ashley Sanford, John Force Racing drivers, and many more. The driver meet and great will begin at 11 a.m.

"How do you make the U.S. Nationals – the largest and most prestigious NHRA drag race of the year – even more special? You share it with a group of kids that have overcome challenges most of us can't fathom," said Lombardo. "Saturday at the ‘Big Go,’ we look forward to welcoming families from the Hoosier Burn Camp of Indiana and sharing our passion for drag racing with them. It means a lot to us that we will have the opportunity to spend the day with some great families, and we hope they enjoy it. We're thankful that they have chosen to join us."

For more information about Hoosier Burn Camp, please visit their site (HERE). For more information about the “A Day at the Races” event, email LuAnn Bishop.

Outside of his charitable endeavor, Lombardo will be focused on adding his first U.S. Nationals Wally to the mantle, an accomplishment that Jackson achieved in 2008 with driver Von Smith. Points earned will be critical toward the team’s goal of winning the national title as it will be one of the last four opportunities Lombardo has to accumulate points this season.

“It’s going to be a battle to the end,” said Lombardo. “The competition in this category is at an incredibly high level. We have a great team that embraces the opportunity to race in important situations, and they never stop looking for ways to get better.”

Jackson Lombardo Racing is sponsored by NAPA Filters, NAPA Auto Parts, Lucas Oil, Centre Pointe Collision, Hoosier Tire, NAPA Batteries, NAPA Belts and Hoses, Carlyle Tools, NAPA Power Supreme, Mahle/Clevite, NGK Spark Plugs, CP-Carrillo, Arvada Excavating, and Jackson’s Auto Supply.

You can follow Lombardo on his web site and social media (Facebook and Twitter).


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About Jackson Lombardo Racing

Jackson Lombardo Racing was formed in 2014 when two successful Southern California-based Top Alcohol Funny Car teams led by driver John Lombardo Jr. and owner/crew chief Rick Jackson combined resources. Lombardo grew up the son of Funny Car driver “Lil’ John” Lombardo and competed in openwheel racing for 15 years before entering the NHRA ranks in 2009. Lombardo is the national speed record holder at 274.61 mph. He is the 2011 Division 7 champion, the 2013 and 2015-2016 Central Region champion, a multiple-time national event winner, and a two-time winner of the prestigious JEGS Allstars event. The JLR team also includes Chris Perl, Scott Manning, Lew Larson, Les Davenport, and LuAnn Bishop.

NAPA Filters/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car team won its fifth straight regional event
at Heartland Park Topeka where they also won a national event in May

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About Jackson Lombardo Racing

Jackson Lombardo Racing was formed in 2014 when two successful Southern California-based Top Alcohol Funny Car teams led by driver John Lombardo Jr. and owner/crew chief Rick Jackson combined resources. Lombardo grew up the son of Funny Car driver “Lil’ John” Lombardo and competed in openwheel racing for 15 years before entering the NHRA ranks in 2009. Lombardo is the national speed record holder at 274.61 mph. He is the 2011 Division 7 champion, the 2013 and 2015-2016 Central Region champion, a multiple-time national event winner, and a two-time winner of the prestigious JEGS Allstars event. The JLR team also includes Chris Perl, Scott Manning, Lew Larson, Les Davenport, and LuAnn Bishop.

Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties Top Alcohol Funny Car winner John Lombardo Jr.

After going winless in his first three starts of the season, John Lombardo Jr. and his NAPA Auto Parts team have impressed lately with back-to-back victories. Following a win at the NHRA Division 7 event in Las Vegas, Lombardo returned to the winner’s circle after a final-round win against Annie Whiteley in Topeka. Starting from the No. 1 spot after a 5.437 run, Lombardo was even quicker in eliminations with a 5.403 in his first-round win against Steve Burk, and a 5.398, 274.16-mph blast in his second-round race against Doug Gordon. Both drivers encountered problems in the final, but Lombardo was able to recover quicker than Whiteley and turned on the win light with an off-pace 6.261.

Lombardo Takes TAFC Points Lead with Third Win in a Row

JOLIET, Ill., June 5, 2017 – Putting together a winning streak in the ultracompetitive Top Alcohol Funny Car category requires a fast hot rod, the ability to adapt to different conditions, mistake-free performance from the entire team, a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of Know How. John Lombardo Jr. and the NAPA Filters/Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro team have had all of those during three consecutive victories that have Lombardo atop the NHRA Lucas Oil championship standings for the first time this season.

Coming off wins at the Lucas Oil Series West Region event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (April 7-9) and the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties (May 19-21), Lombardo was eager to return to Route 66 Raceway near Chicago for Lucas Oil Series North Central Region competition on June 2-4. The facility with stadium seating had been host to career highlights such as winning the prestigious JEGS Allstars special even during consecutive seasons in 2014 and 2015.

“This was a ‘hang in there and try to put some points on the board’ kind of weekend,” said Lombardo. “We rolled into Chi-Town planning to stay in the racing rhythm while working on our approach to the upcoming JEGS Allstars race, clearly one of our high profile dates.

“The weather looked to be ugly. Thankfully, it changed courses and missed us, but the track eluded us well into the outing. We were essentially 0-for-3 in qualifying and staged for first round with Andy Bohl, who made all three. At that point, it’s safe to say things were going nowhere near according to plan.”

The event started slowly as the team struggled to apply the horsepower of the national speed record holding entry to the concrete racing surface without breaking traction, but crew chief Rick Jackson and tuner Les Davenport put their heads together to battle from the No. 7 starting position. Their resolve paid off when they finally churned a 5.569, 269.03 to defeat Bohl in the first round.

“Rick and Les called it well, getting us down through a tricky track in E1 with a 5.56 that kept us alive,” said Lombardo. “Scott McVey did the same, making the next round just as interesting.”

Lombardo coaxed the car through tire shake by slapping the pedal in the semifinals on a 5.765, 267.37 to defeat McVey. In the final, he ran 5.590 seconds at 268.06 mph to earn the coveted Wally trophy against opponent Chris Foster, who coasted to a 9.882, 89.16.
The victory gives Lombardo a perfect 2-0 record in Lucas Oil Regional Series competition this season, which is particularly encouraging with regional events in Denver (June 16-17) and Tulsa, Okla. (June 23-25) coming up on his schedule before returning to Route 66 Raceway for the Route 66 NHRA Nationals featuring the JEGS Allstars special event on July 6-9.

“We lined up for the final with multi-time regional champ Chris Foster, and we both had one thing in common – trying to find what the track wanted,” said Lombardo. “Thankfully, our 5.59 was smooth, in the groove, and enough to put 85 points on the board. Through reflecting on decisions and driving near the end of each season, I have learned that these points-yielding weekends are critical.”

Jackson Lombardo Racing is sponsored by NAPA Filters, NAPA Auto Parts, Lucas Oil, Centre Pointe Collision, Hoosier Tire, NAPA Batteries, NAPA Belts and Hoses, Carlyle Tools, NAPA Power Supreme, Mahle/Clevite, NGK Spark Plugs, CP-Carrillo, JHE Inc. and Jackson’s Auto Supply.

You can follow Lombardo on his web site and social media (Facebook and Twitter).

### About Jackson Lombardo Racing
Jackson Lombardo Racing was formed in 2014 when two successful Southern California-based Top Alcohol Funny Car teams led by driver John Lombardo Jr. and owner/crew chief Rick Jackson combined resources. Lombardo grew up the son of Funny Car driver “Lil’ John” Lombardo and competed in open-wheel racing for 15 years before entering the NHRA ranks in 2009. Lombardo is the national speed record holder at 274.61 mph. He is the 2011 Division 7 champion, the 2013 and 2015-2016 Central Region champion, a multiple-time national event winner, and a two-time winner of the prestigious JEGS Allstars event. The JLR team also includes Chris Perl, Scott Manning, Lew Larson, Les Davenport, and LuAnn Bishop.

Napa Filters/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car wins in Las Vegas, Topeka

Lombardo entered his last two events knowing it was time to stake a claim in the NHRA Lucas Oil championship chase while competing at the same events as others who were on top of the standings. A series of close defeats punctuated by a narrow .001-second decision in the Gainesville semifinals had the entire team headed by owner/crew chief Rick Jackson and tuner Les Davenport laser-focused to get back to the winner’s circle.

“When you look back at the last couple years, we had a half-tenth on most everybody with the exception of [2015-2016 champion Jonnie] Lindberg’s car,” said Lombardo. “At about the middle of last year, it really tightened up. At the same time, we were having some reliability issues. [Shane] Westerfield, [Doug] Gordon, and [Annie] Whiteley all really tightened the gap, and it showed at the beginning of this year. Les and Rick went back and dug in and found some more.”

They started turning in the right direction with a victory in the Lucas Oil Regional Series at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on April 7-9. Lombardo recovered from a bottom-half qualifying position to set low e.t. of the event at 5.488 seconds and defeat Gordon in the final round.

On May 19-21, Lombardo returned to Heartland Park Topeka where his powerful Camaro was able to sink its teeth into the fast racing surface in unseasonably cool conditions. In a monster second-round matchup against Gordon that would give the winner a bye run into the final, Lombardo recorded a career-best 5.398-second run, the third-quickest elapsed time in the history of the category. He parlayed that round-win into a final-round victory over Annie Whiteley, putting himself in striking distance of the top three drivers in the Lucas Oil standings with less races claimed than each thus far in the best-10-of-15 championship format.

“The way the car ran in Topeka was really encouraging,” said the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties champion. “It was really different to have 1700-1800 feet [corrected altitude] and an 87-to-88-degree race track. When we went 5.40 on Saturday, we thought, ‘Man, that’s a heck of a run at 1,700 feet. We have something here to work with.’”

The win gave Lombardo a photo opportunity he had coveted – a winner’s circle photo with two NAPA-sponsored Funny Cars as his NAPA Filters Chevy Camaro was joined by Nitro Funny Car victor Ron Capps’ NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger.

“It was a big day for NAPA,” said Lombardo. “We’ve been looking forward to winning a national event at the same time as Ron, getting that photo op, and sending it to NAPA in Atlanta. There is definitely a lot of hype with Ron and his team winning four in a row, and deservedly so. It was a pleasure to be there with him and his team in the winner’s circle.”

There is no rest for the weary with the Jackson-Lombardo Racing team. The California-based team will be on a slew of NHRA Lucas Oil Regional Series activity beginning at Route 66 Raceway on June 2-4 followed by stops in Denver and Tulsa, Okla., before returning to Chicago in an attempt to win their third JEGS Allstars special event victory in four years.

“It was good to put some points on the board in Topeka,” said Lombardo. “It’s going to be a long season full of great competition for everybody watching along. I couldn’t be happier with the efforts of our team and supporters.”

Jackson-Lombardo Racing is sponsored by NAPA Filters, NAPA Auto Parts, Lucas Oil, Centre Pointe Collision, Hoosier Tire, NAPA Batteries, NAPA Belts and Hoses, Carlyle Tools, NAPA Power Supreme, Mahle/Clevite, NGK Spark Plugs, CP-Carrillo, and Jackson’s Auto Supply.

You can follow Lombardo at LombardoRacing.com and on Facebook (Lombardo Racing) and Twitter (@LombardoRacing).

LUCAS OIL STANDINGS (as of 5/29):
Pos.       Driver                                   Points   Nat/Reg
1. Shane Westerfield                           393         4/2
2. Doug Gordon                                  372         4/2
3. Ann Marie Whiteley                         339         4/2
4. JOHN LOMBARDO JR.                  318         4/1
5. Ray Martin                                      242         4/1
6. Sean Bellemeur                              232         3/2
7. Steve Gasparrelli                            221         4/2
8. Kris Hool                                         196         3/2
9. Phil Burkart Jr.                                180         2/2
10. Dan Pomponio Jr.                         170         2/2