Lane Automotive

Norwalk (6-29-08) marked the second consecutive win for the Lane Automotive/CAP Dodge Charger R/T TAF/C in two weeks. It was also driver Bobby Martin’s first ever NHRA National Event win.

This visit to the Winner’s Circle is special to Martin, as it represents a milestone, not just a win. After racing Top Alcohol Funny Cars for eighteen years, Martin has his first NHRA national event number one qualifying position and race win. For Frank and Dan Parker, owners and crew chiefs of the Mopar Hemi-powered car, Martin’s achievement was expected. “We’ve known and watched Bobby for years,” said Dan Parker, the team patriarch. “He’s become skilled and track-wise from running his own car, but doing everything himself was a distraction. We just knew that, if we could hook up and take some load off his shoulders, he would really shine on the track.”

After tire shake aborted his first qualifying round pass (6.75/147) Martin came back in the second qualifying round and laid down an impressive 5.645/255.63 to permanently take over the number one spot. Interestingly, Bobby was never out of the five-sixties for the remainder of the event. That's consistency!

In Round One, Bobby dispatched #16 qualifier, Mark Poyser with a 5.679/256.11 pass. Martin's fellow competitor, #9 qualifier Von Smith, won his first round match, but his chute failed and he went for a ride off the end of the track, bending his chassis. Thus, in the second round, Bobby Martin and the Lane car soloed, recording the quickest pass of the event, a 5.622/258.02.

After a short rain delay, Round 3 found Martin and the Lane/ParkerTech Charger paired with Andy Bohl's Bohl Automotive Mustang. Bohl cut a fantastic 0.01 light, but soon went up in smoke, veering very close to the wall in the process, as Martin soared to a fine 5.63/257.73.

The final lined Martin up against veteran Steve Harker in the OMS Graphics Monte Carlo. This was the kind of race that makes the price of admission worthwhile. Martin was out of the gate first with a 0.169 reaction time, but just five ten thousandths of second later, Harker was on the pedal. The elapsed time was also separated by five ten thousandths at the finish line. Martin won by a scant four feet (0.0102 seconds), posting a 5.624/256.84 to Harker's 5.629/256.60 effort. What a race!