TEAM CHEVY'S GARY GARDELLA CLINCHES FIRST NHRA PRO FWD CHAMPIONSHIP

In an exciting finish to the 2007 season on Sunday, Team Chevy's Gary Gardella clinched his first NHRA Sport Compact Pro FWD title, and Marty Ladwig won the event in an all-Cobalt final round during the running of the NHRA Sport Compact World Finals at Auto Club Raceway.

Gardella came into Sunday's eliminator qualified in the No. 2 position after running 7.227 at 198.99 mph. He defeated Jerrold Rhodes in round one by running 8.971 at 107.91 mph, and in round two, Gardella took out Ed Bergenholtz and grabbed lane choice for the finals with a 7.265 at 196.44 mph. Barring a national-record run by Ladwig in the finals, Gardella's win over Bergenholtz all but locked up the 2007 crown for the 28-year-old New Jersey native.

"For seven years we have worked really hard and I didn't think it would happen this year because we had a new car and a new combination. The team just meshed and without the teamwork I could not have won the championship. I want to thank my family, especially my wife Megan. There are so many sponsors to thank; Red Bull, Dupont, County Line Auto Body, Chevrolet, Precision Turbo, Ecotec, K&N, NGK, Stef's, Manley, Elf, Mickey Thompson and VP."

Ladwig came into the race with his Lucas Oil Chevy Cobalt qualified in the No. 1 position with a 7.206 at a track-record top speed of 200.89 mph. In the final round, Ladwig's Chevy Cobalt crossed the finish line first with a 7.338 second e.t. at 199.43 mph. Gardella followed with a 7.485 second run at 194.44 mph. Ladwig's margin of victory was .188 of a second.

"It was nice to end the season with a win," Ladwig said. "We came out to set the record, but couldn't do that. It was a big thrash between rounds because we had to change the engine. I want to thank my crew who worked hard all year." [10/23/2007]

HARD-FOUGHT TOP-10 FINISH RETURNS ST. AMANT TO CHAMPIONSHIP PODIUM

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It wasn't one of his prettiest finishes, but considering the bad luck he's been experiencing lately, Gary St. Amant's 10th-place finish at the Aaron’s 250 Saturday night at South Georgia Motorsports Park might be his most impressive of the year. It also lifted him fromfourth to third place in the USAR championship standings with one race left on the 2007 Hooter's Pro Cup series.

St. Amant, who led the points after eight of 12 races this season, was struggling from the start of qualifying, ending up a distant 29th on the starting grid with a time of 18.905 seconds. He later fell a lap back after a pit mistake forced him to execute a stop-and-go penalty. But the veteran racer didn't give up, fighting back to finish ahead of two of the three men he was chasing in the USAR points at the start of the race.

"We moved up to third and now we're only 17 behind Trevor Bayne for second so that's something," St. Amant said. "(Three-time champion) Bobby Gill is almost 100 up on all of us now so unless he takes the next race off [in Lakeland, FL] it'll be hard to catch him. We'd literally need to win the race, lead the most laps, and have him finish 30th or worse to win it all and that probably isn't going to happen. [10/23/2007]

BB&T, RCR EXTEND RELATIONSHIP THROUGH 2009

BB&T Corporation (NYSE: BBT) and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) have extended their sponsorship agreement through 2009.

 BB&T will continue its role as the official bank of RCR and the primary sponsor of Clint Bowyer’s No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in 25 NASCAR Nationwide Series races as Bowyer competes for the 2008 Nationwide Series Championship. BB&T will be a major associate on the No. 2 car for the remaining 10 races on the Nationwide schedule and will be featured on the car’s lower rear-quarter panels.

 BB&T also will strengthen its position within the RCR family of sponsors and serve as the primary sponsor on Bowyer’s No. 07 Chevrolet Impala SS for NASCAR Cup Series races next spring at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.

“We’re very pleased not only to extend RCR’s partnership with BB&T, but to expand the program as well,” said Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of RCR. “This extension is a testament to BB&T’s commitment to our organization and to Clint Bowyer – one of the most exciting young drivers in the sport. It’s been exciting to watch BB&T build their program this season and to see how enthusiastic their employees and customers are about Clint’s success.”

Bowyer has two NASCAR Busch Series victories, 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes this season. The 28-year-old Emporia, Kan., native won his first NASCAR Cup Series race last month at New Hampshire International Speedway and sits third in Cup Series points, 115 markers behind leader Jeff Gordon. (Robert LeSieur photo) [10/23/2007]