Laughlin Motorsports Teams Up with Gas Monkey Garage For 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Series in Pro Stock
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| Gas Monkey Garage Chevrolet Camaro |
Laughlin Motorsports and Gas Monkey Garage announced a partnership today for a Pro Stock entry in the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello drag racing series with young Texas driver Alex Laughlin at the wheel of the 2016 Gas Monkey Garage Chevrolet Camaro.
The highly-popular Gas Monkey Garage, featuring collection cars and auto rebuilding in the worldwide television show, “Fast n Loud" on the Discovery Channel, makes its return appearance in the 24-race NHRA Mello Yello national drag racing circuit beginning Feb. 11-14 at the NHRA Circle K Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.
Led by principal Richard Rawlings, Gas Monkey Garage has been a successful car restoring business in Dallas with a unique style. The Garage staff travels the state of Texas and surrounding states to find forgotten classic cars to buy and restore. The Gas Monkey Garage brand is one of the world’s most visible logos in the automobile industry and will also launch its Energy drink products this year.
In addition to the Gas Monkey Garage Camaro in NHRA, the Garage announced two more racing projects in 2016 with the Viper Exchange/Riley Engineering Dodge Viper in the Weather Tech United Sports Car Championship and the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing IndyCar at the 100th Indianapolis 500 driven by Sage Karam.
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| Richard Rawlings |
“We are extremely pleased to announce our new Gas Monkey Garage Energy products and the association of the Laughlin Motorsports team for the popular NHRA Mello Yello drag racing series," said Rawlings. “Alex and the Gas Monkey Garage Pro Stock Camaro will be a crowd favorite this year. We can’t wait to see the Gas Monkey Garage Camaro on the track at the upcoming NHRA Winternationals next month."
The popular and unique look of the Laughlin Motorsports Gas Monkey Garage Camaro, creatively designed by Wraps 360, brings the 27-year-old Laughlin to the premier sedan class in drag racing. After racing shifter karts as a youngster, Alex moved into drag racing at age 16 at the controls of a Top Dragster. Laughlin’s father, Kenny, also competed in the NHRA action in a Competition Eliminator machine.
In 2015, on the recommendation of Rawlings, Laughlin Motorsports made its debut in the Pro Stock division at Sonoma, Calif., in the NHRA Somona Nationals. Alex qualified an impressive 13th in his maiden professional event. Laughlin later qualified in the world’s biggest drag race, the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
“The move into the Pro Stock class felt a little crazy last year," said Alex Laughlin. “I had absolutely zero experience in the car before the Sonoma race. I had driven a lot of things and you have to just start getting to where you can slow everything down. Then actually process what you are doing one step at a time. But now I have been able to gain the needed experience for 2016. We will have the Gas Monkey Garage Camaro ready to go in a few weeks at Pomona."
Laughlin qualified for six NHRA national events last year and is scheduled to compete in the full 24-race NHRA Mello Yello drag racing series.