Ausmus Goes Back-to-Back With Small Tire Pro Stock Championship

When the sun went down on the NMCA NA 10.5 class in 2024, the sun rose on the Small Tire Pro Stock class.

Racers charted a course that leads to six annual events at tracks across the country for high-revving and high-horsepower naturally aspirated heads-up racing, and their intentions are inspiring.

In 2025, Dwight Ausmus of LaFollette, Tennessee became the first-ever champion of the class, and in 2026, he set out to back that up. Ausmus was well aware that he was going to face quite capable competition, but he was up to the challenge with his Firebird featuring a 573 cubic-inch Pontiac by class sponsor BES Racing Engines, carburetor by class sponsor CFM Performance Carburetors, and five-speed transmission by Liberty’s Gears.

Ausmus got off to a good start with a runner-up finish against Jeff Ikard of Alabama at the NDRL Route 66 Rockabilly Reunion in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois. Then he won against David Murray of Ohio at the NDRL World Nostalgia Drags in September at Darana Raceway in Ohio.

With mighty momentum, Ausmus headed to the final race on the 2026 Small Tire Pro Stock tour, which was part of the NHRA Division 3 Fall Classic National Open, Oct. 23-25 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indiana. He qualified in the second spot with a  7.67 and 179 mph shot down track, and won the first round of eliminations with a 7.65 at 182 mph when Ikard experienced engine issues.

Ausmus proceeded to win the second round of eliminations with a 7.71 at 182 mph when Wayne Roberts of Michigan pushed a head gasket out of his engine.

Meanwhile, Ausmus’ friend and fellow racer, David Theisen of Highland, Michigan also had his eyes on the prize, and was putting down palpable amounts of power in his LaFontaine Performance Center Firebird flying with a 500 cubic-inch DRCE engine by Uratchko Racing Engines and a five-speed from Liberty’s Gears.

Theisen led qualifying with a remarkable 7.58 and 182 mph before running to a 7.64 at 182 mph and 8.17 at 129 mph in bye-runs in the first and second rounds of eliminations. It was at that point Theisen was paired with Ausmus for a sizzling final round of eliminations.

With their teams standing behind them, Ausmus and Theisen pulled into the waterbox and went wild before Curt Jamison put Ausmus in the beams and Ben Mastalier put Theisen in the beams. The tree dropped and Ausmus and Theisen took off toward the finish line, and Ausmus turned on the win light with a 7.68 at 179 mph to Theisen’s tremendously close 7.70 at 181 mph, and proudly picked up his NHRA Speed For All Wally.

Additionally at that event, Ausmus won the held-over final round against Theisen from the rain-delayed NDRL Hot Rod Nationals in July. Those two event wins in one weekend were enough to ceremoniously send Ausmus to his second consecutive Small Tire Pro Stock championship. Theisen secured a close second-place finish.

“We had a great season of racing among friends in Small Tire Pro Stock, and I could not be happier right now,” said Ausmus. “Tony Bischoff and his team at BES Racing Engines provide solid, reliable power each and every year. None of this would be possible without the support of my wife Becky, who is not always able to attend races because of her work schedule and our crazy dogs, but our goal is to get her to the track more in 2027. Also, none of this would be possible without the unwavering dedication of my crew, including Curt Jamison, Charlie Campbell and Keith McCormack, also known as Smooth. To win an NHRA Speed For All Wally, and to win back-to-back Small Tire Pro Stock championships, is a dream come true. We are blessed. Congratulations to David Theisen and his team on two great final rounds of racing at this event and on his second-place finish in points.”

Throughout 2026, Small Tire Pro Stock received support from stellar companies BES Racing Engines, G-Force Transmissions, CFM Performance Carburetors, MGP Connecting Rods, PEN AND PAPER STRENGTH APP,LLC, V&J Inc., Sporthorse Saddlery and 10K Technology. A 2027 schedule of races, and another chase to the championship, are in the works.