Team Chevy's Marty Ladwig took a sledge hammer to the Pro FWD national record book in 2007. In doing so, the San Antonio, Tex., resident accomplished just about everything he set out to do during his second race season as a car owner/driver, but he fell a few points short of winning his third NHRA Sport Compact championship, and ended the year second in the Pro FWD standings. Although Ladwig didn't end the year with the national elapsed time record, the Lucas Oil Chevy Cobalt driver reset the mark four at four different event in 2007, first at Richmond (Va.) in April, then at Englishtown (N.J.) in May, Indianapolis in August, and finally, at Dallas in Sept. Ladwig also collected three national-event victories and advanced to six final rounds.

Ladwig made drag racing history in May, 2005 at the NHRA Sport Compact Nationals in Atco (N.J.), when his Ecotec-powered Chevy Cobalt became the first front-wheel-drive car to break the magical 200-mph barrier. Ladwig ran an unprecedented speed of 202.02 mph in a final-round victory over Jason Hunt. The first 200 mph run is just one of several career highlights for Ladwig that also includes two NHRA HOT ROD championships (2003-04). Ladwig ran a career-best e.t. of 7.124 seconds at Pomona in 2005, and a career-best speed of 202.02 mph at Atco, N.J. in 2005.


Team: Marty Ladwig Racing
Residence: San Antonio, Tex.
Class: Pro FWD
2008 car: Lucas Oil Chevy Cobalt Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged Ecotec
2007 wins/final rounds: 3/6
Career-best elapsed time: 7.12 seconds (Pomona/NHRA 2005)
Career-best speed: 202.02 mph (Atco, N.J./NHRA, 2005)


CAREER

· 16 NHRA event Wins
· First Pro FWD car to break 200-mph barrier at NHRA/Atco, N.J. on May 15, 2005
· Two-time NHRA HOT ROD Champion (2003-04).
· First HOT ROD car to run in the sevens with an e.t. of 7.97 seconds in 2004.
· Won four races in 2003 en route to his first NHRA HOT ROD championship.
· Debuted Ecotec-powered, front-wheel-drive Pontiac Sunfire in sport-compact drag racing series in 2002.
· Two-time AMA/Prostar 600 Supersport Motorcycle National Champion (1999-2000)


2007 HIGHLIGHTS

· Finished second in the NHRA Pro FWD standings.
· Won NHRA Pro FWD national events at Richmond, Va./NHRA; Englishtown, N.J./NHRA; Pomona, Calif./NHRA.
· Set Pro FWD national e.t. record at four different events – Richmond, Englishtown, Indianapolis, Dallas (NHRA).