CHARLOTTE, NC – The playoff atmosphere of the NHRA Countdown ramped up this weekend at zMax Dragway for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. For Pro Stock rookie Camrie Caruso and the GESi Chevrolet Camaro they took it all in stride and made the most of racing close to their home in Denver, North Carolina. The second race of the six-race playoffs was another chance for Caruso to hold onto her position in the top ten and try at closing the gap on the veteran teams leading the points. The young driver and team owner has been a standout star all season and is making the most of her first Countdown experience.

“The Countdown definitely feels different than the regular season,” said Caruso, a third-generation drag racer. “Everyone is daggers out and you have to really work to keep your focus. The whole experience has been eye-opening. This is a tough category and the competition level in the Countdown only ratchets up the intensity. I am a competitive person and I am not going to back down. We are going to keep at it and battle over these next four races.”

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DENVER, NC – After spending the past seven and a half months traveling across the country pursuing Pro Stock wins and a chance to compete for the Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world championship rookie Camrie Caruso will race just minutes from her home in Denver, North Carolina, this weekend. Competing in the Betway NHRA Nationals, the second Countdown playoff race, Caruso will be racing a new look GESi Chevrolet Camaro powered by Titan Racing Engines. Sitting in tenth place less than 100 points out of the lead Caruso has five races left in her rookie season. The front-runner for rookie of the year has secured a No. 1 qualifier, raced to a final round, and secured a spot in the playoffs in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category.

“I am looking forward to racing in front of my North Carolina fans,” said Caruso. “I came to the four-wide race earlier this year as a spectator, but this will be my first time racing Pro Stock at one of the nicest tracks on the tour. We are in the Countdown and we definitely want to move up in the points. This class is very tough. but we are giving it maximum effort.”

Caruso has made her mark already in the Pro Stock category establishing herself as a consistent driver off the starting line with strong power under the hood thanks to Titan Racing Engines. Caruso’s veteran crew chief Jim Yates, a former Pro Stock world champion, has been a strong guiding force in the development of Caruso this season. The duo spent considerable time before the season started working on the minute details of staging and racing in preparation for races like the final five national events in the Countdown.

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READING, PA – Racing in the first of six playoff races of the 2022 NHRA Countdown Pro Stock rookie Camrie Caruso qualified well and faced a tough first round opponent. During the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway Caruso, the front-runner for NHRA Rookie of the Year, drove her Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro race car to the No. 11 qualifier position after two days of qualifying. Her best run in qualifying, 6.565 seconds at 206.23 mph, set her up for a first round race against Pro Stock veteran Aaron Stanfield.

In the opening round Caruso, who beat Stanfield two weeks ago at the U.S. Nationals on a hole shot in the first round, was once again first off of the starting line. Her reaction time advantage was .026 to .039 seconds, but it was not enough to hold off a charging Stanfield at the stripe. As both Camaros crossed the finish line stripe it was Stanfield’s 6.580 second run out in front of Caruso’s 5.595 second pass.

“We are in the Countdown. We just have to work a little harder to win this championship,” said Caruso, a third generation racer. “That is still the goal. It was not ideal to have Aaron in the first round but that is how you get better. Racing tough opponents. We have beaten him before, but today wasn’t our day. He is a great racer. I am happy with how well my team has pulled together and hopefully we can do some damage over these next five playoff races.”

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DENVER, NC – Rookie standout Pro Stock driver Camrie Caruso will begin her first foray into the NHRA Countdown playoffs driving the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro with the addition of JBC Excavation from Canandaigua, New York, along for the ride as a new major associate sponsor. The excavation and demolition, reconstruction, grading and drainage company will be branded on Caruso’s Pro Stock car during the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, the first of six national events in the Countdown. Caruso is making her first run at the NHRA Pro Stock world championship starting from eighth place in the standings but just 80 points out of first place.

“We are excited to add JBC Excavation to our race car for this first race in the Countdown,” said Caruso. “This race was added mid-season so we are thankful to have JBC join our team as a marketing partner along with Tequila Comisario. The Maple Grove race has a huge fan following so we are looking forward to promoting JBC Excavation as well as JBC Pools and JBC Properties NY. There will be a lot going on for sure.”

JBC Excavation can handle any size construction projects with their heavy equipment and expertise. They oversee site preparation, demolition, removal of rock and debris. Additionally, they are experienced in strengthening and restructuring foundations of home and retaining walls. JBC is skilled and knowledgeable about the best ways to restore the support of buildings, houses, or retaining walls.

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NHRA Rookie of the Year front-runner Camrie Caruso took her first U.S. Nationals experience in stride, extending her qualifying streak to thirteen races and advancing out of the first round for the seventh time. Caruso drove the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro that was also branded with NGK’s Shop Squad program to the quarterfinals at the 68th NHRA U.S. Nationals today at Indianapolis Raceway Park. For the first time Caruso got five qualifying sessions which her team parlayed into a No. 11 qualifying position on the strength of her final run, a solid 6.621 sec, 207.18 mph pass.

“This race felt a little different, but it wasn’t overwhelming,” said Caruso, a third generation drag racer whose father, Marc, made his Pro Mod debut at Indy in 2018. “I tried to get as much rest as possible every day because I knew it would be a long race. You could tell it was longer, but I liked getting all the runs and the atmosphere.”

For her qualifying effort Caruso lined up against Aaron Stanfield, the No. 6 qualifier, in a tough first round match-up. Stanfield had raced to six final rounds with two wins already this season. The 26-year-old who resides in Denver, North Carolina, knew her Titan Racing Engine powered Camaro would keep her competitive if she did her job on the starting line. Caruso jumped off the starting line with an excellent .011 reaction time and her Tequila Comisario Camaro held off a charging Stanfield for the win on a hole shot, 6.638 to 6.619 seconds. It was her second hole shot round win of the season.

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DENVER, NC – Throughout the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season rookie Pro Stock driver Camrie Caruso has kept her emotions in check and gone toe-to-toe with the best Pro Stock drivers in the world. This weekend at the 68th NHRA U.S. Nationals Caruso, the rookie of the year front-runner, will be attempting to become the first Pro Stock rookie since Bob Glidden in 1973 to win the biggest and most prestigious national event in the country. Driving the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro for the fourth race of the season Caruso will also be chasing her first career win at Lucas Oil Raceway.

“There is so much history at the U.S. Nationals you know this is the biggest race of the year,” said Caruso. “There are almost 20 Pro Stock teams trying to get one of the 16 spots. We have qualified for every race this season and we want to take advantage of all five qualifying runs this weekend.”

Sitting in eighth place in the Pro Stock point standings Caruso has a strong shot at moving up into the middle of the Top Ten thanks to points and a half being awarded in Indianapolis. The 24-year-old third generation drag racer has her eye on winning, securing her spot in the Countdown and being in the championship conversation after Labor Day.

“I have a lot of confidence in this Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro team,” said Caruso, who has recorded five quarterfinal finishes and a runner-up this season. “We are making good consistent and quick runs and I feel really good in the seat. I have to thank my crew chief Jim Yates for putting me in a great position at this point of the season.”

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SONOMA, CA – Racing at Sonoma Raceway for the first time Pro Stock rookie Camrie Caruso and the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro took away several positives from their first trip to northern California. Through two days of qualifying the team led by crew chief Jim Yates steadily improved every run and moved into race day as the No. 12 qualifier. Throughout the season the Titan Racing Engines powered Chevrolet Camaro has consistently started from the top half of the field, but the first two races of the swing proved to be challenging for the young team.

Caruso drew last year’s Rookie of the Year and No. 5 qualifier Dallas Glenn in the first round. The all-Camaro battle was a great test for Caruso as she continues to develop as a driver. Glenn is recognized as one of the best drivers off the starting line. As Caruso staged her Tequila Comisario Chevrolet, she knew she would need to be at the top of her game. The tree flashed and both race cars took off with Glenn only holding the narrowest of margins, .013 to .023 as both drivers were excellent at the start. Caruso was right beside Glenn as they raced down the quarter mile track and at the finish line Glenn was able to get a car length in front of the rookie to take the victory.

“Dallas is definitely not an easy first round pick,” said Caruso, who raced to the final round at the SpringNationals in Houston. “If we would have been a little higher in qualifying, we would have had a more favorable first round match-up possibly. We have learned a lot so far on the Western Swing. We are going to go into Seattle looking to finish the swing strong.” Continue reading →

DENVER, CO – Camrie Caruso and the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro battled a learning curve at famed Bandimere Speedway, the NHRA track carved into the side of the mountains outside of Denver. The rookie team spent three days last week in advance of the NHRA Mile High Nationals to compile data to make a run at their first victory of the season. This weekend after two full days of qualifying, including four more passes, the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock race car was still playing catch-up coming into race day.

“We had a lot of hurdles this weekend,” said Caruso, who entered the race seventh in points. “We came up and tested for three days last week and then we got four runs in qualifying. You really need a lot of data and we are building our program. This was a tough weekend for sure but there are positives we can take away. We qualified and got a bonus point. We will keep working to improve.”

The bright spot of the weekend was the team’s first pass on Friday when they unveiled the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro on the starting line in front of a packed house of fans. Caruso then posted a strong run of 6.985 seconds at 191.46 mph which was third quickest and earned the front-runner for NHRA rookie of the year a qualifying bonus point. Racing on the mountain continued and Caruso focused on her performance and the overall team effort. Continue reading →

Shop Squad also Highlighted on Pro Stock Camaro

DENVER, NC – As the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series takes on the historic and sometimes grueling Western Swing NHRA Pro Stock rookie Camrie Caruso is fortifying her marketing relationships with the addition of award-winning, ultra-premium Tequila Comisario as primary sponsor for the three race stretch as well as the Topeka Nationals and U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Caruso and Tequila Comisario have much in common. Since its release Tequila Comisario has become the most awarded brand in the entire Tequila category and as Caruso’s rookie season has unfolded, she is off to one of the best starts in the category’s history.

“We are thrilled to add Tequila Comisario as a marketing partner for five races including the Western Swing and our biggest race of the year the U.S. Nationals,” said Caruso, who will be tackling the Western Swing for the first time this weekend. “This season has gotten off to a great start for our team and our marketing partners. Adding Tequila Comisario is huge for our team and we are excited to continue to introduce them to the great NHRA fans.”

Estate grown, in the unique appellation of the Highlands of Jalisco, with a unique terroir gives Tequila Comisario a slightly more fruit forward profile, yet keeping in balance the peppery, earthy spiciness of the 100% Blue Weber Agave, along with subtle, complex note from its barrel aging programs. The award-winning Tequila also has an ambassador relationship with Country Western star Colt Ford who will be performing at the U.S. Nationals and then later in the year at the Texas Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex.

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NORWALK, OH – Camrie Caruso and the Kings of Vapor Chevrolet Camaro team were looking to add a Pro Stock national event win to their record to go along with the Top Alcohol Dragster win the 2022 rookie tallied in 2019 at Summit Motorsports Park. This weekend during the NHRA Summit Equipment Nationals Caruso and the Kings of Vapor Camaro once again had Titan Racing Engine power on display running to the No. 7 qualifier position. Her two best qualifying runs 6.582 and 6.667 seconds had the 24-year-old driver from Denver, North Carolina positioned to go rounds on race day.

Caruso’s first round match-up with Fernando Cuadra was a rematch of the Houston SoringNationals opening round where Caruso took the win as the No. 1 qualifier and raced to a runner-up finish. Today she recorded her second win light over Cuadra immediately as he jumped the tree and redlit. Caruso still cut a solid .041 light and powered down the track with a great 6.641 second run. It was her second quickest pass of the weekend and gave her lane choice over Kyle Koretsky in the quarterfinals.

Both young drivers are in the thick of the Pro Stock Top Ten points and Caruso was looking for her second semifinal appearance of the season. She once again was consistent off the starting line with a .041 reaction time combined with another good run from the Kings of Vapor Camaro tripping the finish line lights 6.676 seconds after she hit the throttle. Koretsky was nearly psychic off the line with a .007 reaction time and that was enough to get the win light. While Caruso continues to develop as a driver, races like the today only serve to motivate her.

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