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Ron August Jr preview

August to Double Down in Vegas Las Vegas, Nev. - Division 7 Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Ron August Jr. will take the wheel of a Mitch King Motorsports Top Fuel dragster in addition to driving his family-owned Top Alcohol Funny Car this ...

August to Double Down in Vegas

Las Vegas, Nev. - Division 7 Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Ron August Jr. will take the wheel of a Mitch King Motorsports Top Fuel dragster in addition to driving his family-owned Top Alcohol Funny Car this weekend during the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals to be held on 'The Strip' at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nev. Both entries will be sponsored by Lescure Company, a complete mechanical services company based in Lafayette, Calif. This marks the first time August has driven both cars in competition.

"I never thought I'd have the opportunity to drive in Top Fuel, never mind driving the fuel and alcohol car at the same race," said the driver from Pleasanton, Calif., who won the spring 2006 Las Vegas event in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class. "I'm very lucky to be doing this, and I appreciate the support of Mike and Susan Lescure, my parents, and everyone involved with both teams. I'm realistic enough not to say that we're going to take on [Tony] Schumacher or anything like that. My goal is to have both cars racing on Sunday."

August enters the 2009 Las Vegas Nationals after making his NHRA Professional class debut at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals earlier this season. He missed qualifying by only one position. Driving for car owner Mitch King, and teaming up with a second MKM rail driven by Del Cox Jr, August is cautiously optimistic he can crack the tough 16-car qualified field.

"We have made tremendous strides since our debut at the US Nationals," noted August. "Our car ran very well at our last race in the IHRA, where we advanced to the final round and I am getting the hang of driving this rocket-ship. It's completely different than a TAFC that is for sure. This car actually goes where you tell it to go but is a heck of a lot faster. I look forward to the challenge this presents, but it sure will be fun."

Although the 45-year old Top Fuel rookie would be happy just to qualify in both categories, August also knows he has a chance at repeating history at this event. If August were to capture the event championship in both Top Fuel and in Top Alcohol Funny Car, it would be the first time this has been done, since Pat Austin accomplished this task at the 1992 NHRA Phoenix national event. Austin first accomplished this task at the 1991 NHRA Topeka National Event.

-credit: ar

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