Shawn Ellington Takes Pro Mod Victory At The MWDRS Season Opener

The Mid-West Drag Racing Series (MWDRS) brought massive horsepower and serious drama to Tulsa Raceway Park for the highly anticipated Throwdown in T-Town. Fans expecting a standard weekend of drag racing instead got an action-packed Saturday marathon after heavy rain washed out the Friday qualifying sessions. Before the rubber met the track, series officials honored past champions during a Thursday banquet and awarded the prestigious Legacy Award to Wade Pennington and the Compressed Air Supercharging team.

When the sun finally dried the racing surface, Stroud Safety Pro Mod delivered immediate chaos. Keith Haney blew the scoop clean off his car during the very first pass of the morning, forcing his crew into a frantic engine swap. Surviving the elimination rounds, Ryan Martin lined up for the final matchup in his MWDRS debut against top qualifier Shawn Ellington. Driving his famous Murder Nova Camaro, Ellington previously clocked a blistering 3.618-second pass. He ultimately took the victory without breaking a sweat when Martin triggered a fatal red light.

The competitive fire spread across every class as drivers battled deep into the night. Michael Chitty usurped reigning champion David Pierce in FuelTech Pro 4.20 after Pierce broke out by a heartbreaking .004 of a second. Meanwhile, Kati Laughter secured her first career victory in Top Dragster. Top Sportsman produced a fierce battle between teammates, ending with Tim Cunningham running a dead-on 4.52-second pass to defeat Kelvin Brown. Rounding out the winner’s circle, McCann captured the Race Star Wheels Pro Junior Dragster trophy while Rodgers dominated Zimmerman Properties Sportsman Junior Dragster.

Surviving the unpredictable weather and fierce competition in Tulsa sets the tone for an incredible summer of racing. Drivers will haul their rigs to the Shakedown in M-Town starting May 28 to battle the baddest radial-tire cars on the planet. The MWDRS continues to prove that the Mother Road offers the best drag racing entertainment anywhere in the country.