When Gary Gardella launched his first full season on the Import Drag Racing Circuit in 2001, nobody paid much attention. As the only grassroots entry in a lineup of teams sponsored by huge corporations, he seemed to be the littlest of fishes swimming with the biggest of sharks. Rather than getting snapped up by the competition, however, Gardella snapped up a few things of his own: namely, four IDRC wins and Rookie of the Year honors. No one would ever take him for granted again. Today, Gardella is becoming a big fish himself. He has his own team, Gardella Racing, which is sponsored by General Motors. With a brand-new vehicle that’s custom made to his specifications, he’s ready to claim his first National Hot Rod Association series championship.
Under(Dog) and Over(Acheiver)
Gardella was born in Staten Island, New York, in 1979, and got into go-kart racing at the age of 12, taking many podiums through his teen years.
“As I got older, though, I wanted to do something cool with people my age,” he explains. “Every week I’d make upgrades to the car I drove around town.” Conveniently, Gardella’s home was only minutes from one of drag racing’s premier facilities, Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. “I never raced on the street. Instead, I’d go to the track and test the car. Finally, it was just too fast to drive anywhere else, and I got into drag racing!” he laughs.
During that first full season in the IDRC, 2001, Gardella was backed by supportive but mostly local sponsors like County Line Auto Body, a business owned by his father. As a result, while other teams were fielding crews of eight to ten, Gardella had only one full-time person on his crew. Yet with talent, determination, and nonstop adjustments under the hood, the Rookie of the Year title was his.
Gardella’s progress was steady. In 2002, he snatched victory from more experienced competitors at the International Drag Racing Association’s Battle of the Imports. The following year, on his way to taking two national wins (Gainesville and Englishtown), he set a national record for elapsed time and miles per hour. The 2004 season was also satisfying, as he finished runner-up in both of the sport’s sanctioned series and set a new ET record for the NDRA series. He did it all without an automotive sponsor.
When General Motors got behind him in 2005, Gardella made the most of the new resources available to him, winning fourteen national events and setting an NDRA national record for elapsed time with 7.92 seconds. As a result of NHRA rule changes, he moved up to the Pro Front-Wheel Drive level for 2006, where his production-model Cobalt – despite reaching a new ET of 7.56 seconds – was simply outclassed. It was clearly time for a more competitive vehicle, and Gardella Racing got to work with the support of GM Racing.
New Car and Bigger Ambitions
“My new car has an all-composite body and a full-tube chassis,” Gardella says with excitement. “It’s about 400 pounds lighter than the production Cobalt.” Unable to contain a grin, he adds, “And it looks like a work of art!”
He’s also excited about adding a drift car and driver to his team. “I’m trying to get involved with as many forms of motorsports as I can at a young age,” he notes. “Our main focus will always be drag racing, but every kind of racing we get involved with will help us develop better parts for the overall effort.”
During the off-season, Gardella – a fan of the NBA and college hoops – kicks back by playing basketball and snowboarding. (He’s got a wicked sneaker collection, too.) Still, with a competitive schedule that runs from March through November, racing really is his life. Fortunately, the driver’s new bride, Megan, understands that. In fact, she manages Gardella Racing. “When we first started going out, she was in college and I was working on the car until two or three in the morning every night,” Gardella remembers. “She understands how much it takes to excel in this sport, and if it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t be as successful.”
Gardella hopes to elevate that success even further. He predicts that with his amazing new car, it’s only a matter of time before he breaks the 200mph barrier. (Yes, that’s 200 miles per hour in a QUARTER of a mile.) And he’d love to add an NHRA series championship to his trophy case. But even after his personal driving goals are attained, Gardella is certain that he’ll stay in the game as a team owner, explaining, “I just love motorsports!”
Still, with a competitive schedule that runs from March through November, racing really is his life. Fortunately, the driver’s new bride, Megan, understands that. In fact, she manages Gardella Racing. “When we first started going out, she was in college and I was working on the car until two or three in the morning every night,” Gardella remembers. “She understands how much it takes to excel in this sport, and if it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t be as successful.”