NOPI Pro FWD Chevy Cobalt

Team Chevy's Marty Ladwig took a sledge hammer to the Pro FWD national record book in 2007. In doing so, the San Antonio, Texas 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 times at four different events 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.

Crew Chief: Mike Heiser
Class: NOPI Pro FWD

2007 best elapsed time:  7.173 seconds (Englishtown/NHRA)

2007 best speed: 201.55 mph (Englishtown/NHRA)

Link: www.ladwigracing.com, Flickr gallery

Career Highlights

• 2007 NHRA Pro FWD Runner-up

• 2007 Win at Richmond/NHRA, Englishtown/NHRA, Pomona/NHRA

• Set 2007 Pro FWD national e.t. record at four different events – Richmond, Englishtown, Indianapolis, Dallas (NHRA).
• 2006 NHRA Pro FWD Runner-up
• 2006 Win at Denver/NHRA
• 2006 Runner-up at Richmond/NHRA
• 2005 NHRA Pro FWD and NDRA Pro Outlaw FWD Runner-up
• 2005 Wins at Las Vegas/NHRA, Atco/NHRA, Bristol/NDRA, Norwalk/NDRA, Pomona/NHRA
• 2005 Runner-up at Phoenix/NDRA, Virginia/NDRA, Las Vegas/NHRA, Englishtown/NHRA
• First front-wheel-drive to reach 200mph in the quarter-mile (202.02mph at Atco/NHRA, May 2005)
• 2004 NHRA Hot Rod Champion
• 2003 NHRA Hot Rod Champion
  

• Full tube-frame chassis with integral roll cage

• Full carbon-fiber Cobalt body
• Front-wheel-drive
• Longitudinally-mounted ECOtec race engine
• 1450hp @ 9200rpm
• 2.16L Inline 4 cylinder
• Turbo-charged (Garrett Turbo) and intercooled
• 3 injectors per cylinder with FAST XFI Engine Management System
• Methanol fuel
• Xtrac race transmission with ACE slipper clutch
• Mickey Thompson 29.5 x 10.5W x 15 front racing slicks

• Residence in San Antonio, TX
• Born in Okinawa, Japan
• Enjoys riding motorcycles