Team Chevy's Marty Ladwig started off the 2008 NOPI Drag Racing campaign with a record-setting victory at today's NOPI Florida Nationals. Ladwig established a new Pro FWD national elapsed time mark and earned the season-opening win by defeating 2007 NHRA Pro FWD champion Gary Gardella in an all-Chevy Cobalt final-round at Moroso Motorsports Park.

"This was a fantastic weekend," Ladwig said. "We came off our win at Pomona last season, and haven't done any testing since then or made any changes to the Lucas Oil Chevrolet. To be able to come out here and run as well as we did, win the race and then set the record, is an awesome accomplishment for everyone who's a part of this team - Lucas Oil, K & N Filters, Chevrolet, Ecotec, GM Racing - just a great group of sponsors who make it all possible. We had top speed of the meet and low e.t.. This team really earned this one."

Ladwig entered today's eliminator with his Lucas Oil Chevrolet qualified in the No. 2 position and with a tough first-round opponent in No. 3 qualifier Jason Hunt. At last April's race here at Moroso Motorsports park, Ladwig struggled to even make it down the racetrack, and lost in the first round, while Hunt drove his Matco Tools Chevrolet to the event win. In today's key round-one matchup, Ladwig's Lucas Oil Chevrolet squeezed past the Matco Tools car and crossed the finish line with a 7.388 e.t. at 192.26 mph. Hunt's Ecotec-powered Cobalt followed with a 7.493 second run at 196.12 mph. Ladwig's margin of victory was .0876 of a second. Team Chevy's Marty Ladwig started off the 2008 NOPI Drag Racing campaign with a record-setting victory at today's NOPI Florida Nationals. Ladwig established a new Pro FWD national elapsed time mark and earned the season-opening win by defeating 2007 NHRA Pro FWD champion Gary Gardella in an all-Chevy Cobalt final-round at Moroso Motorsports Park.

"This was a fantastic weekend," Ladwig said. "We came off our win at Pomona last season, and haven't done any testing since then or made any changes to the Lucas Oil Chevrolet. To be able to come out here and run as well as we did, win the race and then set the record, is an awesome accomplishment for everyone who's a part of this team - Lucas Oil, K & N Filters, Chevrolet, Ecotec, GM Racing - just a great group of sponsors who make it all possible. We had top speed of the meet and low e.t.. This team really earned this one."

Ladwig entered today's eliminator with his Lucas Oil Chevrolet qualified in the No. 2 position and with a tough first-round opponent in No. 3 qualifier Jason Hunt. At last April's race here at Moroso Motorsports park, Ladwig struggled to even make it down the racetrack, and lost in the first round, while Hunt drove his Matco Tools Chevrolet to the event win. In today's key round-one matchup, Ladwig's Lucas Oil Chevrolet squeezed past the Matco Tools car and crossed the finish line with a 7.388 e.t. at 192.26 mph. Hunt's Ecotec-powered Cobalt followed with a 7.493 second run at 196.12 mph. Ladwig's margin of victory was .0876 of a second.

"As close as that was, I was just happy to see the win light come on in my lane," Ladwig said. "It was hard to tell who won. I was out in front, and then he got by me, and then there in the last few feet is where I made up the difference."

After a two-hour rain delay, Ladwig lined up against Gary Gardella, who advanced to the final round after qualifying No. 1 and defeating Chris Rado in the opening heat. In the title match, the two Chevrolets were even to half track before Ladwig's car edged ahead to take the win light with a national record 7.337 e.t. at 199.87 mph. Gardella's car got slightly loose, and he clicked it off early crossing the stripe in 9.531 seconds at 80.45 mph.

"After the rain it became a tuner's race," Ladwig said. "The track cooled, the air was heavy and everybody was trying to make their best guess on what the track would give. This time, we were fortunate to get it right, and with our setup the Lucas Oil Chevrolet went straight down the track."

"It's an incredible feeling. All of that pre-season stress has lifted right off our shoulders. Over the winter we prepared to get to this point and to have the first race turn out the way it has made it all worthwhile."

It was Ladwig's second straight victory going back to last October's NHRA Sport Compact finals in Pomona, Calif., where he also defeated Gardella in the final round. Gardella's performance at that contest earned him the 2007 NHRA Pro FWD championship and the runner-up finish today will provide the Red Bull driver with a solid stepping stone heading into the next race in his native New Jersey.

"This is much, much better than the way we started last season, and we ended up with the championship," said Gardella referring to his round-one loss at this event in 2007. "I can't complain. We got to the final, qualified No. 1, and when you consider that also counts toward qualifying for the rained-out Atlanta race, you might say we got two-for-one and the points that go with it.

"This was a great event, the kind you expect to see in South Florida - outstanding fans, I always love coming to Moroso. The left lane was a little tough in that last round. As a team, we decided our best opportunity to win the race would be in the left lane. As a team, we made the wrong call, but we'll learn from that and be ready for the next race in three weeks at Atco (N.J.). Atco Raceway here we come! I know everything about that track - I know all the grooves, all the bumps, and I'll definitely have lane choice there."

Grace Howell made a splendid debut in the All Motor category by driving the Lucas Oil/K & N Filters Chevrolet to a runner-up performance. Howell qualified in the No. 3 position and defeated Jesus Padilla before losing to Norris Prayonto in the championship heat. Howell's 9.97 second-run at 129.10 mph in round one was the quickest and fastest lap ever made in the Marty Ladwig-owned racecar.

"I'm happy to get this first race out of the way," Howell said. "There was some pressure wondering how I do - it's very different to drive compared to the Stock and Super Stock cars I've raced before so I wasn't fully sure what to expect. But now that's all behind us and we can just go and race. The car did everything we could have hoped, and to be runner-up in our first race with Marty (Ladwig) winning in Pro FWD, is an outstanding accomplishment for this race team."

In the HOT ROD category, Bryan Jimenez advanced to his first final round in nearly two seasons, but he'll have to wait until the first weekend of May to see if he's the eventual winner. Shortly before the Chevy Cobalt driver was to stage in the final round against Kenny Tran, a heavy thunderstorm forced postponement of the championship heat until round two of qualifying at the NOPI Spring Nationals on May 3 in Englishtown, N.J.

"We had to swap engines for the finals so the first rain delay worked to our advantage," Jimenez said. "The second rain delay and postponement was a let down but we'll get our shot. Everyone on the team has worked hard over the winter getting the car ready, and going to the finals here at Moroso is a tremendous achievement. We were working on the car late last night trying to tie up some loose ends, and to know we still have a shot at winning this race has everyone wound up, motivated and ready to go."

The next stop on the NOPI Drag Racing tour is the NOPI New Jersey Nationals on April 26 - 27 at Atco Raceway in Atco, N.J.