Cornwell Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals

Taylor Dietsch earned the biggest win of his career on Monday, capturing his first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series victory at the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals. Driving his Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, the No. 5 qualifier battled through five rounds of competition to secure both his first final-round appearance and his first national event win.

Dietsch defeated Raymond Nash and his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak in the final, leaving the starting line with a sharp .015-second reaction time and charging to a 7.719-second pass at 178.35 mph for the victory.

“To win the U.S. Nationals is absolutely amazing,” said Dietsch. “We look forward to this race all year. This is the one everyone wants to win. I want to thank my dad for letting me have this opportunity. It’s so fun to go out here and race with all these super strong competitors. This class is so tight, and you have to be on it all the time to take home the win. I want to thank all the guys back at KSR, they all built a rocket of a race car. I have to thank my sister and my mom.”

The victory adds to an already strong season for the Dietsch family. Taylor had previously reached the semifinals in Chicago, where he lost to his father Jason Dietsch, who went on to win that event. Between father and son, the team has now collected three Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown wins in 2025.

Cornwell Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals

Jason Dietsch admitted he felt more nerves watching his son than racing himself.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Jason Dietsch, Taylor’s father and teammate. “I was more nervous for him than when I raced. The kid’s awesome. He’s gonna keep winning. It’s really cool because we’ve had eight races this year and our KSR team has won six races. Our team’s awesome.”

Dietsch’s road to the Indy win included victories over David Davies II and Rouven Dawson on Saturday, followed by Doug Hamp and a semifinal bye before facing Nash. The triumph vaulted him to fifth in the Flexjet point standings with just two races remaining.

Nash, the No. 6 qualifier, reached his second straight U.S. Nationals final round and earned the $2,000 Flexjet bounty by defeating back-to-back winner Mark Pawuk in the semifinals. That bounty will now carry over to St. Louis, where Dietsch will bring it into play at the Midwest Nationals.

Despite the Indy setback, Pawuk remains the points leader, followed by Jason Dietsch, Lee Hartman, and Jason Allergrucci. With two races left, the 2025 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown championship is shaping up to be decided in dramatic fashion.