FIRST-TIMER JIMMY ALUND LEADS FOUR-WIDE WINNERS
Jimmy Alund earned his first NHRA victory to headline the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte on Sunday, joining Robert Hight, Antron Brown, Andrew Hines, and a host of sportsman champions at the only four-wide event on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
European drag racing star Jimmy Alund, filling in for the sidelined Greg Anderson, earned his first career NHRA Pro Stock victory Sunday at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at the zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, edging out Shane Gray, Vincent Nobile, and Erica Enders-Stevens in the money round with a 6.56. Antron Brown won for the second time this season in one of the most exciting drag races in recent memory, taking a holeshot victory over Shawn Langdon, J.R. Todd, and Doug Kalitta, as his 3.800 edged out Langdon’s identical 3.800 and Todd’s ever-so quicker 3.799. Robert Hight scored in Funny Car for the second time in 2014, and Andrew Hines led a Harley-Davidson 1-2 punch on the Pro Stock Motorcycle final, using a 6.87 to rout teammate Eddie Krawiec, Scotty Pollacheck, and John Hall.
Event Winners:
Top Fuel: Antron Brown
Funny Car: Robert Hight
Pro Stock: Jimmy Alund
Pro Stock Motorcycle: Andrew Hines
Top Alcohol Dragster: Corey Michalek
Top Alcohol Funny Car: Dan Pomponio
Competition Eliminator: Scotty Richardson
Stock: Greg Rowe
Super Comp: Brad Plourd
Super Gas: Ray Sawyer
Top Sportsman: Marco Abruzzi
NMRA/NMCA All Star Nationals
Pro Nitrous star Bob Rahaim burst onto the NMCA Pro Modified scene as the series rolled into the Atlanta Dragway over the weekend, running in the 5.90’s in all but one round during eliminations in his nitrous-fed Chevrolet Camaro, eventually using a 5.94 in the final to down Kevin Fiscus and his Mustang. Georgia’s own Keith Berry won the first-ever Radial Wars event in his twin-turbo Corvette, mowing his way through the field and defeating a past NMCA racer, Mark Woodruff, in the final, 4.40 to a 4.79. Florida’s Tony Alm used a stout 7.13 in the final round of Street Outlaw to defeat Phil Hines, and Michael DeMayo took his Mustang to the NA 10.5 win with a 7.98 over Charlie Booze Jr.
Event Winners:
Pro Modified: Bob Rahaim
Radial Wars: Keith Berry
Street Outlaw: Tony Alm
Nitrous Pro Street: Don Baskin
NA 10.5: Michael DeMayo
Xtreme Street: Bill Trovato
Nostalgia Muscle Car: Andy Warren
Nostalgia Super Stock: Billy Copeland
Open Comp: Jeff Rudolf
NMRA/NMCA All Star Nationals
On the NMRA side of the combined NMRA and NMCA event in Atlanta, Scott Grove drove his ’84 Mustang to victory in Renegade, running an 8.48 in the final to defeat Curtis Catalon. Frank Varela scored in the new Coyote Modified class, running low elapsed time of the opening round at 8.59 and followed it up with an 8.62 in the final to edge out Richard Lelsz and his 9.07. Teddy Weaver ran a quick 9.79 in the money round to claim Pure street honors, Matt Amrine laid down the only 10-second pass of eliminations to score the Factory Stock win over Alan Cann, and Shane Stymeist won out over a strong field of 14 Coyote Stock racers.
Event Winners:
Street Outlaw: Tony Alm
Renegade: Scott Grove
Coyote Modified: Frank Varela
Coyote Stock: Shane Stymeist
Pure Street: Teddy Weaver
Factory Stock: Matt Amrine
Truck & Lightning: James Steamer
Super Stang: Chad Wendel
Open Comp: Tito Rogriguez
Mod Muscle: Donny Bowles
IHRA Southern Nationals
Mike McIntire Jr. led a charge of first-time winners at the IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series’ Southern Nationals at the Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida over the weekend, driving the McAttack nostalgia flopper to victory over Jason Rupert, running 5.89 at 234 MPH. Mark Cox used a 6.29 in the Nitro Harley finale to score his first career IHRA victory, while Don Blackshear (Fuel Altered) and Marisha Falk (Jet Dragster) did likewise in their respective categories. Cary Goforth joined them in victory lane, earning his second win of the season in Pro Stock with a defeat of John DeFlorian.
Event Winners:
Funny Car: Mike McIntire Jr.
Pro Stock: Cary Goforth
Nitro Harley: Mark Cox
Fuel Altered: Don Blackshear
Jet Dragster: Marisha Falk
Top Sportsman: Tom VanBeek
Top Dragster: Jeremy West
Super stock: Allen Wade
Stock: Merrill Schrimscher
Quick Rod: Todd Osting
Super Rod: Michael Ruff
Junior Masters: Brittany Snowball
Junior Advanced: T.J. Butler
Junior Beginner: Katie Craft