Kenny Tran and Brad Personett Drive To The Winner's Circle In The First Race Of The Season - Jason Lopes Debuts

From ScionZoneWiki

TORRANCE, Calif., March 12, 2007 - - Kenny Tran and Brad Personett drove their tC sports coupes to the winner’s circle this past weekend at the Number One Parts, Incorporated (NOPI) Drag Racing Association (NDRA) series at Texas Motorplex in Dallas, Texas.

Tran had a best-ever pass and set a new NDRA national e.t. record in qualifying rounds with 8.192 seconds at 174.08 mph. Tran, in his Jotech tC, backed the record pass up in first rounds with an 8.220 e.t. He went on to win the Pro four-cylinder class with a run of 8.325 seconds at 172.72 mph.

Personett, in the Titan Pro Compact tC, was the number one qualifier in his segment with an e.t. of 6.721 seconds at 211.49 mph. He won the event with 6.578 seconds at 215.51 mph.

Leslie Armendariz, in her Horizon Motorsports Pro Stock tC, qualified for second with an e.t. of 9.575 seconds at 140.23 mph. Armendariz raced Saul Salceda in the semi-finals, but was unable to finish after her burnout due to a broken transmission.

Jason Lopes, the newest member of Scion Racing, ran his Horizon Motorsports/AEM Power Street tC for the first time in the Sportsman Turbo Street class and qualified 14 out of 16 with a 11.219 e.t. at 126.87 mph. Lopes then raced against Tony Palo, the number three qualifier, and won with an 11.03 e.t. Lopes ran his best time of the weekend, a 10.502 e.t. at 140.58 mph, in the semi-finals. He faced Brian Ballard, the 2006 NOPI Turbo Street Champion, in the finals. Lopes ran an 11.119 e.t. to Ballard’s 9.462 seconds.

Look for the Scion Racing team, including Christian Rado and his World Racing Pro FWD tC, at the first NHRA Sport Compact drag event March 31 and April 1 at Moroso Raceway in Jupiter, Fla.