Mia Tedesco races at famed Pomona track as Super Gas national champion

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 9) – The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series is coming to a close, but Sportsman star Mia Tedesco will race in the Auto Club NHRA Finals this weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona confident in the knowledge that she's already a champion.

Tedesco secured the Super Gas national championship last weekend in Las Vegas, becoming the first woman in the ultra-competitive class to do so. She'll return to the seat of her CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier this weekend, driving it and her Super Comp dragster at Pomona.

"No, it hasn't sunk in yet," Tedesco said of her championship. "I didn't go to Vegas and win the race – and then win the championship because I won the race. We won the title because we did well all year, and then last weekend, everybody who was in the title race got taken out.

"It's kinda weird to leave a race after not winning it – and you're the world champ. But I'm not complaining by any means. It just hasn't quite sunk in yet."

Tedesco won't change the way she races simply because she won a championship. She never raced for titles anyway, but rather for race wins.

"I don't think it'll be any different than any other weekend," Tedesco said. "It didn't affect me last week when I had to continue going rounds after I clinched it."

Tedesco, in fact, won her Super Gas round moments after she learned she had clinched the title in Las Vegas. Once the helmet visor goes down, Tedesco simply focuses on the task at hand: Winning that round.

"I think it'll be pretty relaxing and fun," Tedesco said of Pomona. "I'll be able to enjoy myself and not have to worry about anything and just do what I have to do. I'll just try to go out and win the race. I don't think it'll be different in a competitive standpoint at all.

"I stopped claiming points in national events a few months ago, so every national event I went to, it was kind of weird just going to race, but I'm pretty used to it now. I'll just have fun and try to win the race. It doesn't matter to us if we're racing for $2,000 or a Wally or $20,000 – we always try to win, no matter what."

In addition to the Super Gas national title, Tedesco also won the Division 3 Super Gas championship, as well as the North Central Region title with her CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster.

Pomona will not be Tedesco's final race of 2017. She'll compete in the Dashing Through the Dough bracket race at GALOT Motorsports Park in Dunn, N.C., on Dec. 1-4.

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Mia Tedesco becomes first female to win NHRA Super Gas national championship

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 6) – Mia Tedesco became the first woman to win the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Gas national championship when she claimed the title during the running of the Division 7 event Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Tedesco led the Super Gas national points standings heading into this race, and the 22-year-old had already finished accumulating points to her national-title count with her CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier. She had to wait on challengers Tommy Phillips and Brad Pierce, who were racing in Vegas, before she could celebrate.

But when Phillips and Pierce went out in the second round, Tedesco was assured the championship.

"It's still sinking in," Tedesco said. "I don't think it's really hit me yet. I've been leading for a while, but I haven't really let that mean anything. I haven't told myself I won anything until it was truly official. It hasn't sunk it yet, but it sure is awesome.

"From the beginning, we let it over to God and realized how blessed we are and that we really don't have any control. The goal at the beginning of the year was to get 650 points, and we accomplished that – and the championship followed with it. We were happy with our performance, whether we ended up winning or coming in second or wherever. Thankfully, we ended up winning."

Tedesco won two Super Gas races this season, a national event and a Division 3 race at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. She's held the lead since the summer, and no one could catch her.

But it was by no means a coast to the finish. Phillips was her closest threat, and he needed to win in Vegas to pass Tedesco.

"He's one of the best Sportsman racers in this sport, so for him to have to win this race to catch you is a pretty scary feeling," Tedesco said.

While waiting in the lanes Sunday to make her Round 2 pass, Tedesco got word that Phillips went red against Lloyd Parfait.

"He was the immediate threat, and it was a huge weight lifted off your shoulders," Tedesco said. "I never wish for him to lose, but we all hugged and said, 'Good job. Now we only have one more to worry about.'"

Pierce, who had to win in Vegas and Pomona to catch Tedesco, was next.

"As I was pulling around the corner to make my run, our crew chief opens my door and said, 'Congrats, champ! Brad just went red,'" Tedesco said. "It was pretty incredible to try and go race after that."

Tedesco composed herself and beat Diana Anderson that round, though she fell in the third round. By then, of course, the celebration had begun.

"It's been a pretty crazy year," Tedesco said. "I've been leading since the end of summer, and at first I was like, 'That's funny.' I hadn't set a goal to lead the points. My goal was to win a national event this year, go rounds and have fun, so when I started leading, I thought, 'That's pretty funny. I've never done that before.'

"Once I started leading, I led until now, and it was incredible."

In addition to the Super Gas national title, Tedesco also won the Division 3 Super Gas championship as well as the North Central Region championship with her CARS Protection Plus/Schepel Motors/NGK/Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster.

Tedesco thanked her parents, Michael and Cindy; her sister Natalie; boyfriend Andy Price, team manager Jason Lynch and crew chief Jason "Krusty" Oteri. Plus, Tedesco gave a shout out to sponsors CARS Protection Plus, Lucas Oil, Aamco, VP Racing Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tire, Quick Fuel Technology, Wilkerson Racing Engines and Abruzzi Transmissions.

Tedesco's dad and boyfriend, as well as Lynch and Oteri, were at the race to celebrate.

"We're probably going to go to dinner, enjoy each other's company," Tedesco said, "and let it sink in a little bit more."

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