Bobby Lagana, Jr. cannot imagine the grief of 1,763 families whose loved ones are still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. The 30-year old Top Fuel dragster driver from Scarsdale, New York will attempt to bring a measure of comfort to their pain by driving an 8,000-horsepower land-based rocket aimed to honor their loved ones and increase awareness of our missing, unaccounted and prisoners of war from wars present and past.

 

Lagana hopes to put Evan Knoll’s POW-MIA Top Fuel dragster presented by Seelye-Wright into the spotlight in order to gain recognition for the National League of POW-MIA Families, an organization who fights for governmental accounting for these missing warriors abroad.

 

“I’ve always tried to help others out during my career,” Lagana said. “I’m talking outside of drag racing. But to work with the veterans – people who poured their lives out for us – and their families means everything to me. Just to see the smiles on their faces brings us the ultimate victory.

Bobby Lagana, Jr. cannot imagine the grief of 1,763 families whose loved ones are still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. The 30-year old Top Fuel dragster driver from Scarsdale, New York will attempt to bring a measure of comfort to their pain by driving an 8,000-horsepower land-based rocket aimed to honor their loved ones and increase awareness of our missing, unaccounted and prisoners of war from wars present and past.

 

Lagana hopes to put Evan Knoll’s POW-MIA Top Fuel dragster presented by Seelye-Wright into the spotlight in order to gain recognition for the National League of POW-MIA Families, an organization who fights for governmental accounting for these missing warriors abroad.

 

“I’ve always tried to help others out during my career,” Lagana said. “I’m talking outside of drag racing. But to work with the veterans – people who poured their lives out for us – and their families means everything to me. Just to see the smiles on their faces brings us the ultimate victory.

 

“I’ve seen firsthand the gratitude these veterans have bestowed upon Evan Knoll says a lot about them.”

 

Lagana has worked as part of a family racing operation since he was a child and the thought of having a loved one missing in action such as the group he represents – causes his eyes to well with tears.

 

“I can only imagine what these families feel today,” Lagana said. “I’ve raced with my family for all of my life and the thought of something happening to either my father or my brother and never knowing what happened to them would devastate me. I don’t know how these families have made it all of these years – some of them 40 years – and standing strong. I cannot imagine the hurt they’ve experienced over the years.

 

“If I can make just one of them smile – just one – it has been worth it.”

 

Lagana is quick to point out a person who deserves a lot of credit for making this all come to pass – team owner Evan Knoll.

 

“Evan Knoll loves this country and he loves those who fight for our freedom,” Lagana added. “He knows who the real heroes are and when they get the bad end of the deal – he takes it personal. Evan is a proud American and his way of showing that is to honor those who have unselfishly given of themselves. This dragster is Evan’s way of saying – we’ll never forget you.”

 

Lagana said a chill runs down his spine when looking at the car – but the team’s hauler, that’s another story.

 

“Just one look at the trailer is unbelievable,” admitted Lagana. “You get chills just looking at it. I wanted to salute the trailer just looking over it.”