California Pest Management sponsors driver in Auto Club NHRA Finals

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December 31, 2019

La Verne, Calif.-based California Pest Management sponsored veteran Nitro Funny Car driver Jeff Arend to drive at the Auto Club National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Finals at the Pomona Fairplex, Nov. 14 – 17, 2019, in Pomona, Calif.

The racing team sponsored by California Pest Management in Texas, 2019. PHOTO: CALIFORNIA PEST MANAGEMENT

The racing team sponsored by California Pest Management in Texas, 2019. PHOTO: CALIFORNIA PEST MANAGEMENT

California Pest Management sponsored a press luncheon at the California Pest Management offices for photos and interviews of the car owners, Peter and Helen Russo, along with the La Verne, Calif.-native Jeff Arend. At the event, local Target Specialty Products representative Carolyn Sagara had the rare experience of sitting in the cockpit of the car, reports Jim Harmon, owner of California Pest Management.

The last time Arend drove the Russo Funny Car was at the NHRA Finals in November 2018.

“When I first wanted to get into sponsorship in motor sports, I contacted Jeff via Facebook, and we developed a friendship, and eventually we did a small sponsorship on the Funny Car in 2018 for the last race of the season in Pomona, Calif.,” says Harmon. “We received a lot of positive response from the community and had a blast doing it, so that this year, they offered me the whole car and we went for it with a full sponsorship for the last three races of the season and full team sponsorship. The car owners, Helen and Peter Russo, are here in the states from Australia each year just for the last three races of the season. Jeff Arend is the driver and tuner of the car, and the crew are from all over the world, helping out the Russo’s on the car. As a small business, we understand that level of dedication and effort, and that is why we decided to continue sponsoring the team.”

Since 2016, Arend has driven a limited schedule in the Russo Funny Car. He competed at three races in 2018 for the Russo’s, including the last two of the season at Las Vegas, Nev., and Pomona, Calif. He qualified at both with a 4.11-second elapsed time.

Arend has won four career NHRA national events.

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About the Author

Ellen Kriz

Ellen Kriz is the managing editor for PMP magazine. She can be reached at ekriz@northcoastmedia.net or 216-706-3764.

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