Thu, 28 Oct 2010, 03:10 PM Mav-TV, Lucas Oil and Speedco Give Connolly a Shot at Back-to-Back Wins

Courtesy of Mark Scheierman

LAS VEGAS -- Pro Stock driver Dave Connolly's recent win at Maple Grove Raceway solidified his comeback to the NHRA professional categories. This weekend's NHRA Las Vegas Nationals provides an even bigger opportunity for the Pro Stock star. Specifically, to become only the third Pro Stock driver this season to win back-to-back races.

Mike Edwards and Greg Anderson are the only two Pro Stock drivers who have won back-to-back races in 2010, with Edwards winning four straight mid-year. What would make Connolly's accomplishment so amazing is he would do it in only his third race back after sitting out of Pro Stock for nearly a year and a half. An impressive feat considering Edwards and Anderson have both remained active on the NHRA Full Throttle tour during that time.

Connolly's season, albeit short, has shown tremendous performance so far. Connolly qualified no. 3 at the NHRA National Event in Charlotte, N.C. and no. 6 before scoring his victory in Reading, Pa.

Winning the Vegas event will be a tall order for any team, considering it is the penultimate race to determine the 2010 Full Throttle World Champions. It will be an even taller order for Connolly's IDG Makita Power Tools Racing team considering they didn't even know they would be competing there until last week.

"Heck we didn't even know we were going until we got the call last Wednesday that MAV-TV and Speedco were stepping up to send us there," Connolly said. "Our whole team is full of diehard racers so we immediately went into 'race mode' to get everything ready. We already planned to race the finals in Pomona, so we just stepped it up to make Vegas happen too.

"I really want to thank Mark Clark at Speedco and Forrest Lucas at MAV-TV for helping get us to Vegas," Connolly continued. "Speedco has been on my race cars most of my career. They are a top-notch operation. Forrest helped me in 2008 when I needed extra funding to get to Virginia. I won that race with Lucas Oil on the car. I'm looking for the same results this weekend in Vegas."

"Dave is a first-class competitor and we knew this was a great opportunity for him at the Las Vegas Nationals," Mark Clark, Speedco President & CEO commented. "We're proud to be associated with a winning team."

"We are extremely excited to be a part of Dave Connolly's run towards back to back wins," Steve Smith, MAV-TV President & COO said. "This is great exposure for MAV-TV and it will continue to help us get our name out to this very important audience."

MAV-TV, Lucas Oil and Speedco join major associate sponsors Industrial Distribution Group and Makita Industrial Power Tools along with associate sponsors Charter, Kymco and Jegs.