O'Bannon set to debut new Monte Carlo in Mission

MISSION, B.C. - Second-year NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Sean O'Bannon and the Tequila Patrón/Forest River RV's team will debut their new '08 Monte Carlo body during this weekend's Division 6 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Mission, B.C. The team hopes the lower-profile Monte Carlo body will enable the team to run better speeds.

O'Bannon, who helps run the family business, Fontana Wood Products, in Fontana, Calif., is excited about returning to the track after qualifying No. 2 at his last event, the SummitRacing.com Nationals in Las Vegas.

"Sam [Shockley] and the guys have this Tequila Patrón - Forest River RV's car running pretty well this year," said O'Bannon. "We're pleased with the progress we've been able to make. We looked at all of the bodies out there and felt like this Monte Carlo body was the sleekest out there, so we're trying one out. We've been running good speed with the car, so if we can pick up anything, it will be a solid step in the right direction. If we see that this body is better, there's a good chance you'll see one on Alexis' car soon."

With Mission Raceway's surface and near sea-level altitude known for producing strong performances, O'Bannon is excited to see what the team can do.

"I've always heard good things about this track," stated O'Bannon. "We used to come up here and run the dragster back when Rick [Santos] was driving for us. I'm really looking forward to it."

"This weekend will also be different for us as we don't have our teammate Alexis [De Joria] with us," added O'Bannon. "Going into the season, we didn't want to have to compete against each other in the same divisional points, so she's claiming Division 7 and we're claiming Division 6, so there will be a few races where we split up and go to different events."

Qualifying begins on Friday, with two more sessions on Saturday. Final eliminations will conclude the event on Sunday.