Gary Gardella

Drag Racing

Charging like a runaway freight train, Team Chevy's Gary Gardella overcame a pair of early season losses, and advanced to seven consecutive final-round appearances to earn his first NHRA Pro FWD sport compact championship. It was a dream season to remember for the 29-year-old driver of the Red Bull Chevy Cobalt and his on-track successes included six national-event victories (twice at Indianapolis) and 11 final-round appearances. One of the most popular and widely recognized drivers on the circuit, Gardella also set both ends of the national record in October at Englishtown, N.J. establishing the e.t. mark at 7.159 seconds and the top speed record at 202.79 mph. Because of long established rules on how national records are set, Gardella's Red Bull Chevy Cobalt actually went quicker and faster than his record setting marks posting a 7.156 elapsed time at Indianapolis and a 209.59 mph top speed at Dallas.

In 2005, Gardella won just about everything he entered including the NDRA Pro 4 Cylinder championship. His 2005 racing campaign included nine wins on the NDRA circuit to go along with 10 final-round appearances and eight No. 1 qualifying awards. He was equally as punishing on the NHRA circuit where in his limited appearances, the Chevy Cobalt driver captured three national events, advanced to five final rounds and finished fifth in the standings.

Crew Chief: Mike Whitney
Class: NOPI Pro FWD

2007 best elapsed time: 7.156 seconds (Indianapolis/ NHRA, 2007)

2007 best top speed: 209.59 mph (Dallas/NHRA, 2007)

Link:

www.gardellaracing.com

Flickr gallery

Career Highlights

• 2007 NHRA Pro FWD champion.
• 2007 victories at Milan, Mich./NDRA; Epping, N.H./NDRA; Indianapolis/NHRA; Indianapolis/NHRA; Dallas/NHRA; Englishtown/NHRA.
• Set national elapsed time and top speed records at Englishtown (October ‘07) with a run of 7.159 seconds and a top speed of 202.79 mph.

• Made quickest pass ever for a front-wheel-drive uni-body car, with a run of 7.565s @ 185.82mph at NHRA Englishtown (October, 2006)
• 2006 Runner-up at Atco/NHRA, Leicester/NDRA, Atco/NDRA
• 2005 NDRA Pro 4 Cylinder champion
• 2005 Wins at Budds Creek/NDRA, Richmond/NDRA, Rockingham/NDRA, Bristol/NDRA, St. Louis/NDRA, Memphis/NDRA, Atco/NDRA, West Palm Beach/NDRA, Tampa/NDRA, Norwalk/NDRA, Atco/NHRA, Denver/NHRA, West Palm Beach/NHRA
• 2005 Runner-up at Phoenix/NDRA, West Palm Beach/NHRA, Englishtown/NHRA
• 2004 NHRA Hot Rod Runner-Up
• 2004 NDRA Pro 4 Cylinder Runner-Up

NOPI Pro FWD Chevy Cobalt Information

Personal Information and Notes