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18-year-old Mia Tedesco will compete in her first NHRA Lucas Oil Division Series event this weekend at the NHRA Southeast Division Opener in Orlando, FL. Mia will drive her C.A.R.S. Protection Plus backed American Race Cars dragster in Super Comp. Mia will be accompanied by teammates Jason Lynch and Rich Coury, who will also be participating in the event.

At just 18 years of age, Tedesco is quickly becoming a veteran in the sportsman drag racing ranks. A 3-time Pittsburgh Raceway Park Jr. Dragster track champion, Mia took the wheel of a sportsman dragster shortly after turning 16. In 2011 she endured a season that ran the gamut of emotion. She was introduced to competitive big buck bracket racing late in the summer, and enjoyed success almost immediately with a semi-final finish at a big bucks event at Numidia Dragway before advancing to the final 9 cars at the richest and most prestigious event of the season: the annual Million Dollar Race in Montgomery, AL. Shortly after, however, she experienced the unthinkable; crashing her dragster in a horrific finish line accident at South Georgia Motorsports Park in early November.

“Talk about going from one extreme to another,” explained Tedesco, a high school senior. “Last year was really my first experience in bracket racing. I mean, I had raced locally, but the level of competition at the bigger events was something that I never could have imagined. And almost immediately we were competitive. I did well in Numidia, and thanks to that success I talked my Dad into going to the Million Dollar Race. There, I got lucky and got into the late rounds. At that point, I was kind of on top of the world. It was almost like the sport was coming pretty easily. Then I crashed. It was a real awakening, a learning experience. Thank God I was fine. The crash brought me back down to reality and made me realize that I need to enjoy this. It could all be taken away in a split second. It really put things into perspective.”

Unshaken, Tedesco returned to the driver’s seat the very next day, in a car loaned to the family by good friend Jason Lynch. Mia drove that machine throughout the remaining events of the Florida Winter Series and capped her season in grand fashion. On the final day of her final event of the year, the prestigious Palm Beach International 5-Day Bracket Championships, Tedesco earned the first bracket event win of her career: A $10,000 triumph in the 5-Day main event. Better yet, she beat one of the top competitors in all of sportsman racing, John Labbous, Jr., in the final round.

By finishing the season on a high note, Tedesco set the stage for an exciting 2012 campaign. The C.A.R.S. Protection Plus backed team expanded dramatically over the winter, as Mia and her father Mike have taken delivery of three brand new American Race Cars Dragsters, as well as a ’63 Corvette bodied Roadster from Charlie Stewart Race Cars. Those machines join the Racecraft Chassis Dragster that Mia drove to victory in Palm Beach. Mia will compete mainly in NHRA Super Comp and Top Dragster, in addition to attending several big dollar bracket events throughout the season. Teammate Rich Coury will compete in select events and has already made a splash in 2012, winning Top Dragster at last weekend’s IHRA Pro-Am opener in Immokalee, FL. The team also added veteran sportsman competitor Jason Lynch over the winter. Lynch, a 2-time IHRA World Champion, will compete in Super Comp and Super Gas beneath the C.A.R.S. banner and serve as a mentor and tuner for Tedesco.

“Meeting Jason and making him part of our team is the best thing that’s happened to my racing career,” expressed Tedesco. “He’s so knowledgeable and patient. He’s already taught me so much.”

Tedesco and Lynch will pursue the NHRA Southeast Division chase this season. While she is extremely excited about the upcoming season, Tedesco is quick to point out that she doesn’t have huge expectations. “I’m so thankful to be in this situation,” she said. “There aren’t many people who have the opportunity to compete at this level at my age, and I understand that. Obviously we’d love to come out and have success, but at this point my top priority is simply to continue to improve. I’ve got a lot to learn. I just want to get a little better each week and have fun. As a team, our main goal is to show everyone what we stand for, and to be a light for God.”

Mia and her C.A.R.S. Protection Plus team will compete at Orlando Speedworld Dragway this weekend before continuing along the NHRA Southeast Division tour for another Lucas Oil Division Event on February 17-19 at Gainesville Raceway. C.A.R.S. Protection Plus is a Pittsburgh based company that offers a complete line of service contracts to meet the specific needs of pre-owned vehicle owners nationwide. For more information, visit carsprotectionplus.com.

Pittsburgh Raceway Park is proud to announce our Live Video Feed. Although the feed is still in testing, feel free to take a look. You can find the feed on our facebook page or right here on our website at http://pittsburghracewaypark.com/live-video.

Here is a link to pictures of the PID/Keystone banquet and the PID Hall of Fame inductees: http://rides.webshots.com/album/582276391vpBlbY

The popular Scotty Richardson Drag Racing School will be making a stop at Pittsburgh Raceway Park in 2012. The school, which began in 2010, will be here on Thursday, September 6, prior to the 3 Ten Grand races September 7-9.

Those in the drag racing community don't need a lot of introduction to Scotty Richardson. The multi-time NHRA and IHRA World Champion is the only racer in the history of NHRA to win two National Championships in the same season (Super Comp and Super Gas in 1994). He also has doubled up at a National Event, winning Super Comp and Super Street in 1995 in Arizona. Scotty was also ranked in 2001 on NHRA's 50 Greatest Racers list, joining such names as Garlits, Muldowney, Prudhomme, and Force.

In the Scotty Richardson Drag Racing School, racers are given the chance to learn from Scotty the very best in tips to make them the best possible driver on the strip. Some of the main points that are focused on throughout the school are:

• Increasing your focus on the Starting Line
• Teaching finish line techniques in Race Conditions
• Help with Throttle Stop and Delay Box settings
• Make you and your car more consistent on Race Day
• Teach you to WIN

For more information about the Scotty Richardson Drag Racing School, including contacting him with questions and to sign up for the limited amount of spaces, please visit his website www.scottyrichardsonsdragracingschool.com/.

Thursday
Classroom from 9 AM - 12 PM
Track around 1 PM

Classroom Fee ONLY $150
Classrom & Track Fee $300

Starring the fastest, loudest and meanest race machines on the planet, Nitro Jam truly is the home for speed and adrenaline. Featuring everything from 320 mile per hour Top Fuel dragsters, outrageous Prostalgia Nitro Funny Cars and fire-breathing motorcycles to 30,000 horsepower, flame-throwing jet semis, monster trucks and more, Nitro Jam provides an unforgettable night of fun family entertainment and edge-of-your seat action all designed to meet your family’s budget. Easily the fastest show on earth, Nitro Jam is an event that will truly challenge the senses and leave fans with only one word when the night is over – WOW!

Where: Pittsburgh Raceway Park
When: Friday, June 1 & Saturday, June 2
Link: www.nitrojam.com/Events/Pittsburgh,_PA/

Ticket Information
Click here to purchase tickets.
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Ticket Prices
Purchase adult tickets in advance and save $5!
Adult tickets - $20 ($25 Day of Show)
Junior tickets (Ages 8-13) - $10 Children Ages 7 & Under - FREE with a Paid Adult

Pit Passes
Every ticket is a pit pass and gets you access into the pits where you can get up close and personal with the pros, meet your favorite drivers and grab autographs!

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