Justin Lamb Wins 25th Anniversary Sonoma Nationals NHRA Super Stock Wally
- 30 Aug 2012
Located In the heart of Northern California's high-tech region, the facility annually plays host to some of the series' most dramatic moments, and the K&N backed racer has seen more than his share. The 2012 NHRA Sonoma Nationals added yet another chapter in Lamb's tale of success at the facility, as the 25-year-old drove his Sunstate Companies backed Chevrolet Cobalt to the Super Stock title with a final round triumph over Dave Raybourn. Lamb bested Raybourn by a mere .0026 seconds, or about seven inches at the finish line. Lamb clocked in at 154.37 mph in 8.586 seconds, to Raybourn's 8.589 at 154.14 mph. The win marked Lamb's 9th NHRA national event victory, and his fourth in Sonoma. "There are just some venues that agree with particular racers," continued the Henderson, Nevada resident. "We've always had success here, so it's like a shot of confidence when I come through the gate. The only tangible explanation I can give is that this is a really tricky track in terms of predicting weather and track changes as they affect these cars. The weather and the wind are constantly changing, and it can create huge swings in ET. We've got a lot of data here, and that allows me to really trust my setup each round. That's one area where I feel like we've got an edge, particularly here in Sonoma." Throughout his young career Lamb is continued to illustrate the point that he can bring the best out of machinery regardless of what he's driving, versatility has been the name of the game for the talent driver since the very start. He earned his first NHRA National event in Sonoma back in 2007 when he hoisted the Super Comp Wally. Two years later he nearly doubled at the track, again winning Super Comp, plus taking the runner-up honors in Super Stock. In 2010, Lamb failed to make the final round of the event, but Top Fuel pilot, and former Super Comp World Champion, Shawn Langdon drove the Lamb family Camaro to victory in Super Gas. A day later, Lamb took the reins of the same machine and drove it to victory at the weather-delayed Arizona Nationals, which were originally to be held in Phoenix, but completed at Sonoma. In all, Lamb Motorsports machines have appeared in seven national event final rounds in Sonoma, and have earned six victories since 2007.
For his most recent triumph in Sonoma, Lamb worked his familiar Cobalt through a formidable field of Super Stock competitors on Saturday. After catching a break in Sunday's quarterfinal round when fellow West Coast standout Gregg Luneack suffered mechanical problems, waiting in the semi-final round was the winningest racer in NHRA Super Stock history, K&N's own Dan Fletcher. Fletcher and his familiar K&N Camaro came into the round riding a hot streak, having won the first leg of NHRA's annual Western Swing the week prior in Denver. But, Sonoma on this particular Sunday belonged to Lamb, as he outdueled Fletcher posting a near perfect .001 reaction time and running 8.584 on his 8.56 target. "The round against Dan was huge," said Lamb. "Dan is one of the best racers in the business and anytime you race him you have to be on your ‘A' game. On a normal day I would have felt much more confident than I did that day because I had been driving poorly in the previous rounds. I had to really do my homework and put in a little more effort to try to beat him. The final was a great race too, but the semi's was big for several reasons. First, it's the semifinals. No one remembers who loses in the semis. Plus, there's a huge swing in prize money from the semi-finalists to the finalists. On top of that, I was racing Dan Fletcher, who has won nearly 80 NHRA national events. I was happy with my lights all weekend, and made some minor adjustments to try to be high .00 or low .01 against Dan. I didn't really intend to be .001, but it certainly worked out." With this latest victory Lamb further highlights what has already been an impressive 2012 NHRA season. Lamb earned a double victory on the divisional trail with Competition Eliminator and Super Gas titles at the NHRA Division 7 event in Fallon, Nevada. Two weeks later, the team ventured east to Chicagoland Speedway, where he earned the right to represent the Pacific Division in the prestigious JEGS All-Stars Competition. At that event, Lamb drove the same Sunstate Companies backed Cobalt that he wheeled to the Super Stock victory in Sonoma, to a runner-up finish in Competition Eliminator. The points he accumulated in the event helped the Division 7 team earn the JEGS All-Stars team championship. "So far I am happy with the 2012 season, I have been fortunate enough to win a few races and I am also currently leading the 2012 division 7 points standings in Comp Eliminator," adds Lamb. "I think it would be awesome to win the championship for two years in a row." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
