With 42 consecutive round wins in a bank and an undefeated season on
the line, Frank Manzo will have a lot at stake as he heads to route 66
Raceway in Joliet, Ill., for this weekend’s highly anticipated JEGS
Sportsman Allstars competition. Manzo, of Morganville, N.J., has not
lost a round of Top Alcohol Funny Car competition since July 1, 2007,
and he’s well on his way to a 12th national championship with five wins
in five events thus far in 2008. However, Manzo’s toughest test will
likely come in the JEGS Allstars, a special event that features the
best drivers from each of NHRA’s seven geographic divisions.
In addition to his current win streak, Manzo has also won nine-straight
rounds of competition in the JEGS Allstars, claiming wins in each of
the last three events. All told, Manzo has appeared in seven Allstars
final rounds since 1995, winning six times and earning one runner-up
finish. Last season, Manzo defeated arch rival Jay Payne in the final
round to claim the $7,000 first place prize. He also went on to capture
the title at the Torco Race Fuels Route 66 Nationals the following day,
claiming an additional $7,000 as part of the JEGS double-up bonus,
which is available to any Allstars champion who also wins on Sunday.
Manzo’s 2007 victory helped the Northeast Division squad claim the
overall team title, and the $20,000 bonus that accompanies it.