Lamb Gets Comp Win, Joins Elite List of 6 Category Winners

Las Vegas, NV: At just 27 years of age, Justin Lamb has cemented his reputation as one of the most decorated NHRA sportsman drag racers of all time. Lamb, who earned the NHRA Lucas Oil Stock Eliminator world championship last season and has a dozen national event crowns on his mantle, has thrust himself into one of the most elite and elusive clubs in all of drag racing. With his Competition Eliminator victory at last weekend’s NHRA Toyota Nationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lamb has now claimed national event titles in six different categories of NHRA competition. That mark is matched only by the most versatile of drivers: Lamb joins Peter Biondo, Scotty Richardson, and Jeg Coughlin, Jr., as the only drivers to share that exclusive honor.

While Lamb’s weekend ended in familiar fashion, with the young gunner in the winner’s circle, his road to this particular title was a new one. Lamb had planned to compete in Super Stock and Stock Eliminator at his hometown event, driving his familiar Sun State Companies Cobalt in Super Stock and his Redback Boots Camaro in Stock. That changed when he got a phone call from friend and marketing partner Adam Bowdish.

“Adam called. His wife has been battling a serious and mysterious medical issue, and he needed to be home with her. Adam’s family owns A-1 Transmissions, so they really benefit from being at the track; and their partner, Ken Reich wanted to race. He asked me if I’d drive the car. I didn’t have any intention of racing in Comp, but how could I say no in that situation? Plus, I knew it was a good car, and I’d love to get a win in Comp; so I agreed to drive it.

And drive it he did. Lamb piloted the C/SMA entry to a -.572 lap, which qualified him 8th in the 32-car Competition Eliminator field. He held off Dale Giroux in the opening round, but had to use up .07 in CIC penalties to dispatch Barry Forrester in round 2 (Forrester ran a quicker -.599, but Lamb prevailed with a starting line advantage). In round three, Lamb used a .025 reaction time to defeat Scott Hedlund and avoid further penalty. That set the stage for another solid performance in the semi-final round, where he got past Ed Sigmon, once again, without altering his index.

Waiting in the final round was Todd Patterson. Both Lamb and Patterson showed equal performance potential on paper after CIC penalties incurred in the early rounds, and it was apparent that both drivers felt the starting line advantage would be critical: Lamb’s phenomenal .010 reaction time was trumped by Patterson’s .003, but Justin got an easy win when Patterson slowed with mechanical trouble.

Lamb’s twelve national event crowns have come in six different categories. In addition to his recent triumph in Competition Eliminator, he has scored in Super Stock (4 wins), Stock (2), Super Comp (2), Super Gas (2), and Top Comp (1).

Lamb thanked the Bowdish family, their partner Ken Riech, and the A-1 Transmission team for building and maintaining a great car and having the faith in him to drive it. He also wished to recognize his team of marketing partners and manufacturers for their role in his monumental achievement. Lamb Motorsports enjoys major marketing partnership from Redback Boots, Palmer Electric, Moser Engineering, and Sunstate Companies. The Lamb Motorsports team is backed by partner V. Gaines along with Madcap Racing Engines, JEGS, Safety Kleen, K&N Engineering, Lucas Oil, Goodyear Tires, Matco Tools, Book Racing Carbs, B&B Race Cars, Race Tech, Meziere Enterprises, JRI Shocks, Calvert Racing, Total Seal, A-1 Transmission and Aeromotive. In addition to their marketing partners, Justin Lamb also wished to recognize his family: his wife Jeanine and their son Jayce; his father Chris; his mother Carole, and his sister Ryen; along with Peter Biondo and Kyle Seipel.

Words and photo courtesy Luke Bogacki Bogacki Marketing Solutions