NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Second-year Pro Stock racer Alex Laughlin will return to the wheel of the Gas Monkey Garage Chevrolet Camaro in 2016 as Laughlin Motorsports and Gas Monkey Garage have announced a partnership for the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series with the young Texas driver.

Led by principal Richard Rawlings, Gas Monkey Garage has been a successful car-restoration business in Dallas with a unique style and is featured on the worldwide television show Fast N' Loud on the Discovery Channel. The Garage staff travels throughout Texas and surrounding states to find forgotten classic cars to buy and restore. The Gas Monkey Garage brand is one of the world’s most visible logos in the automobile industry and will launch its energy-drink products this year.

“We are extremely pleased to announce our new Gas Monkey Garage Energy products and the association of the Laughlin Motorsports team for the popular NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series,” said Rawlings. “Alex and the Gas Monkey Garage Pro Stock Camaro will be a crowd favorite this year. We can’t wait to see the Gas Monkey Garage Camaro on the track at the upcoming NHRA Winternationals next month.”

After racing shifter karts as a youngster, Laughlin moved into drag racing at age 16 at the controls of a Top Dragster. Laughlin’s father, Kenny, also competed in NHRA action in a Competition eliminator machine. In 2015, on the recommendation of Rawlings, Laughlin Motorsports made its debut in the Pro Stock division in Sonoma at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals. Laughlin qualified an impressive 13th at his first Professional event. Laughlin later qualified for the world’s biggest drag race, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. He qualified for six NHRA national events last year and is scheduled to compete in the full 24-race NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

“The move into the Pro Stock class felt a little crazy last year,” said Laughlin. “I had absolutely zero experience in the car before the Sonoma race. I had driven a lot of things, and you have to just start getting to where you can slow everything down. Then actually process what you are doing one step at a time. But now I have been able to gain the needed experience for 2016. We will have the Gas Monkey Garage Camaro ready to go in a few weeks at Pomona.”

The unique look of the Laughlin Motorsports Gas Monkey Garage Camaro was designed by Wraps 360.

In addition to the Gas Monkey Garage Camaro in NHRA, the Garage announced two more racing projects in 2016: the Viper Exchange/Riley Engineering Dodge Viper in the Weather Tech United Sports Car Championship and the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing IndyCar at the 100th Indianapolis 500 driven by Sage Karam.