The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series officially kicked off one of the most anticipated seasons in many years today with a Parade of Vehicles that passed through downtown Los Angeles.

The parade departed from Gate 17 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona at 11:30 a.m. with Los Angeles County sheriffs providing the escort and 2005 rookie of the year and two-time series runner-up Robert Hight, driver of the Auto Club Ford Mustang, serving as the grand marshal.

"Drag racing is a huge part of the Southern California culture, so what could be better than a parade through downtown L.A. to celebrate the start of our 2009 season," Hight said. "This will be my fifth season driving in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, and it just keeps getting bigger and better, and this parade is just another example of that."

The 2009 season begins later in the week, Feb. 5-8, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with the 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals featuring 2008 Driver of the Year Tony Schumacher, 2007 rookie of the year Ashley Force Hood, and the rest of the stars of the quickest, fastest, and most intense motorsport on the planet. The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series officially kicked off one of the most anticipated seasons in many years today with a Parade of Vehicles that passed through downtown Los Angeles.

The parade departed from Gate 17 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona at 11:30 a.m. with Los Angeles County sheriffs providing the escort and 2005 rookie of the year and two-time series runner-up Robert Hight, driver of the Auto Club Ford Mustang, serving as the grand marshal.

"Drag racing is a huge part of the Southern California culture, so what could be better than a parade through downtown L.A. to celebrate the start of our 2009 season," Hight said. "This will be my fifth season driving in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, and it just keeps getting bigger and better, and this parade is just another example of that."

The 2009 season begins later in the week, Feb. 5-8, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with the 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals featuring 2008 Driver of the Year Tony Schumacher, 2007 rookie of the year Ashley Force Hood, and the rest of the stars of the quickest, fastest, and most intense motorsport on the planet.

The parade celebrated not only the beginning of the 2009 season, but also the arrival of new series sponsor Full Throttle Energy Drink, which has assumed the series entitlement after a seven-year run by fellow Coca-Cola brand POWERade.

The convoy followed the 60 west to the 10 west before connecting with the 110 north as it headed by Staples Center and downtown Los Angeles. Once past Los Angeles, the parade passed over the 5 north to the 2 north to the 134 east before connecting with the 210 east to begin the trip back to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Among the vehicles participating in the parade were the rigs and trailers from Full Throttle, Matco Tools, Auto Club of Southern California, Harley-Davidson, the U.S. Army, Castrol, WyoTech, and the NHRA Safety Safari presented by Automobile Club of Southern California. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department vehicles escorted the parade, and a pair of Pontiacs, the official car of NHRA, served as the lead and trailing cars in the parade.