Team driver, Megan McKernan, was introduced to the sport of drag racing in 1994, when she attended her first race.

In 2003, she began racing Super Comp dragster after attending Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School.

She then earned her Top Alcohol Dragster license in 2010 following the same step-by-step program that Team Truck-Lite car Owner/Crew Chief Jerry Darien developed with Ashley Force. McKernan earned her undergraduate degree in Physics from the University of San Diego and her Masters degree in Physics for Business Applications from USC.

Jerry Darien is the Car Owner and Crew Chief of Team Truck-Lite Top-Alcohol Drag Racing. Jerry was born in Glenwood Springs Colorado and went to his first drag race at Midway Drag strip, Grand Junction, Colorado in 1961.

Coming from a very mechanically inclined family Jerry was immediately attracted to the challenges of making horsepower. He obtained a Masters Degree in Industrial Arts from the University of Northern Colorado and went on to teach Machine Shop and Auto Shop for 28 years in Azusa, California at Gladstone High School.

Jerry also worked at Irwindale Raceway and Orange County International Raceway while continuing to race his own cars. He won the Inaugural Top Alcohol Dragster event, the 1981 Winternationals. He also won the next to last 32 car field at the Fables March Meet, set a national record, and won the Division Seven Championship that season.

As costs began to escalate Jerry elected to retire from driving and concentrate on providing an operation for aspiring young drivers to learn to drive a high powered car and get experience for their racing careers. This choice turned out to be a blessing for Jerry as he has had more than a dozen drivers obtain their Top Alcohol Dragster drivers licenses in his car and reach the next level of their racing career. That list includes Gary Scelzi, Frank Pedregon Jr., Melanie Troxel, Brandon Bernstein, Morgan Lucas, Ashley Force Hood, Brittany and Courtney Force and Megan McKernan. Driving Jerry's cars these drivers have won countless divisional events, six Division Championships and eighteen National events including back-to-back U.S. Nationals Indy wins.

Jerry also holds over 20 Bonneville and El Mirage Land Speed records along with three S.C.T.A. Championships. His career has spanned 50 years and he is quick to acknowledge and thank the many friends and sponsors that have contributed to this success.

Debbie Darien makes all of the travel arrangements, shops for the race track food and drink supplies, prepares the lunches, takes care of uniforms, cleans parts, video tapes the runs and drives the tow vehicle.

Debbie was born in Monterey Park, California and grew up listening to the stock cars run at Rivergrade Road Raceway on Saturday nights.

Her first Drag Racing experience was at the Famoso Dragway near Bakersfield, California in 1989. Since then she has become an integral part of the Darien Racing operation.

In her 22 years of racing with Jerry she has only missed 4 events out of the 400 attended.

Howard joined Megan's Truck-Lite sponsored, A-Fuel dragster team in 2011 and currently handles bottom-end duties.

Born in Glendale, CA to a family of racers & fans, Howard watched his uncle, Jon Mazei, race his Max Wedge Plymouth Belvedere in super stock at the "Last Drag Race" at Lions, in 1972 at the tender age of one year. That's when drag racing fever set in.

Howard won the L. A. County Raceway high-school drag race in 1988 in his '67 SS Camaro he refurbished/rebuilt himself. He graduated from UTI in 1989 & quickly found work as an Acura service technician. Shortly after coming to work at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in 1992 he began racing with VanGundy & Clark on their Alcohol Funny car. Currently they run a Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car, as Howard celebrates his18th year with the team.

Howard began his crew chief career with Jam Air racing in 2007, with their newly built Jam Air Special CIFCA funny car. The team went on to win the 2008 and 2009 CIFCA championships as well as the 2009 and 2010 NHRA Heritage Series 7.0 Pro championships. The team currently runs a Nostalgia Nitro Funny car.

Geoff joined Jerry Darien's dragster program in 2010 working on bottom end and clutch on Courtney Force's car. In 2011 he began working on Megan's Truck-Lite sponsored, A-Fuel dragster team and currently handles clutch duties.

Geoff was born in Glendale, CA to a family of racers & race fans. Geoff watched grandfather, Frank Monise, have much success in Lotus' and for BRE Datsun. His father, Frank Monise Jr., also had a successful Formula Atlantic career on the west coast and in 2006, began building his own 1965 MG Midget to race with VARA and after a year of building, began racing it in 2007.

To help quench his insatiable interest in racing, Geoff also began when he began working on the VanGundy & Clark Alcohol Funny Car in 2006 -a team which currently runs a Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car, in which he is in charge of working on the bottom end of the motor.

He attended University of VARA in 2007 and went on to win his first class championship for the G-Production class in 2008.

Geoff began his car chief career with Jam Air racing in 2007, with their newly built Jam Air Special CIFCA funny car. The team went on to win the 2008 and 2009 CIFCA championships as well as the 2009 and 2010 NHRA Heritage Series 7.0 Pro championships. The team currently runs a Nostalgia Nitro Funny car, in which Geoff works on the clutch.

Bio Coming Soon...