As the 2008 IHRA drag racing season draws to a close, Scarsdale , N.Y. Top Fuel driver is looking to close out his season on a positive note. When he heads to Rockingham Dragway for the IHRA World Finals he will have a unique sponsorship deal in place as the independent political group “Race Fans for Change” has secured a deal with Lagana to be the primary sponsor on his car for the season finale.

“An old friend of ours is using his knowledge and experience to promote a country-wide effort to spread information regarding the state of our economy and ideas for the working class to address these issues,” Lagana said. “This group, Race Fans for Change, is working to bring awareness to race fans everywhere and encouraging them to get out and vote. Racing fans are the backbone of our country and definitely the backbone of our sport. I love the fans at Rockingham and I can’t wait for them to see what our new sponsor is all about.”

“This is not about either party or presidential candidate,” he continued. “It is about getting race fans to pay attention to the issues they care about the most and getting them to the voting booth to take a stand about those issues. We have a representative democracy, so the race fans should be represented and take an active hand in the political process. This is what ‘Race Fans for Change’ is all about.”

“Race Fans for Change” has a distinct mission. Spokesman Jeff Jacobs explained what the organization is all about.

America’s middle class is the engine that drives our economy,” he said. “When the middle class gets the chance to succeed, everyone wins and America grows stronger as a whole. Too many of our current policies favor a top-down approach. Recent events show that’s the wrong road for America . We believe that with a fair and level playing field, the American middle class can roar back as strong as ever.

“Race Fans for Change will make this case to middle class Americans in places where other advocates rarely tread. You’ll find us at major racing events in Virginia , North Carolina , Ohio , and elsewhere as we help our fellow fans learn about the issues. We’ll use high-quality materials and everyday language to arm folks with the information they need to defend their way of life. The financial crisis has made daily life tough for America ’s working men and women. If we want that to change, we need to restart our economic growth. We need to refuel the middle class.”

Race Fans for Change is taking on the following issues:

Economic Fairness and Opportunity

-target tax cuts to America ’s middle class instead of Wall Street elites

-end giveaways to companies that ship our jobs overseas

-reward businesses that create jobs here at home

-invest in alternative energy to stop the flow of American paychecks to the Middle East

Middle Class

-protect middle class home ownership

-support a minimum wage high enough for citizens to pay their bills

Health Insurance

-cut all insurance costs and red tape to make health care affordable and easy to use for all

Second Amendment

-defend our individual right to keep and bear arms

Strong Military

-ensure our Armed Forces remain the best-equipped, most powerful force worldwide

-honor our commitments to our troops and their families