What started in 2005 as one of the baddest street car shootouts has turned into one of the best door car races in the country, featuring some of the top cars and drivers in drag racing. From the quickest Pro Mods to radial-tire and No Time classes, there is something for everybody. For the second consecutive year, the US Street Nationals served as the second stop of the Drag Illustrated Winter Series.
This year’s event carried added anticipation, as fans waited to see whether Snowbird Outlaw Nationals No. 1 qualifier and Pro Mod winner Jason Harris could make it two wins in a row and move one step closer to Elite Motorsports’ $1 million three-race sweep, along with a brand-new Pro Mod rolling chassis from Jerry Bickel Race Cars.
Pro Mod
The fan-favorite Outlaw Pro Mod class drew 70 of the baddest cars in the country, all battling for a spot in the 32-car field. For the first time in class history, the entire qualifying sheet fell into the 3.50s, with the 32nd spot at 3.569 seconds. Jimmy Taylor led the field with a 3.555.
The chip draw for eliminations added another layer of excitement, and with the field packed so tightly, every round felt like a final.
No. 8 qualifier Derek Menholt, out of the Scott Tidwell camp, was paired with Melanie Salemi in Round One. In a close matchup, Menholt advanced to the second round, where the challenge only intensified. He faced the previous event No. 1 qualifier and eventual winner Jason Harris. Harris left first with a better reaction time but ran into trouble down track and was forced to lift, allowing Menholt to drive away with the win.
In Round Three, Menholt lined up against No. 13 qualifier John Doc. The pair left the line side by side, but at the stripe, it was Menholt lighting the win bulb and advancing to the semifinals. There, Menholt faced No. 16 qualifier Peter Norton for a spot in the final round. Both cars were locked door-to-door from the hit, but Menholt once again prevailed, running 3.588 at 210.97 mph to Norton’s 3.604 at 209.97 mph.
On the other side of the ladder, a well-known name was making noise. Stevie “Fast” Jackson, one of the toughest competitors in drag racing, entered eliminations as the No. 6 qualifier. Jackson faced Shawn “Murder Nova” in Round One. With nearly identical reaction times, Jackson’s “Shadow 3.0” Camaro stayed under power to the stripe for the round win.
In Round Two, Jackson drew Brylon Holder. Holder turned the bulb red at the hit, running 3.581 to Jackson’s slightly slower but winning 3.583. Round Three saw Jackson matched up against past World Series of Pro Mod champion Spencer Hyde. Jackson left first but had to pedal the car, while Hyde encountered trouble and deployed the parachutes, allowing Jackson to recover and advance.
In the semifinals, Jackson faced No. 4 qualifier Eric Gustafson and his quick ’69 Camaro. In a tight side-by-side race, Jackson scored the holeshot victory with a 3.602 at 209.43 mph to Gustafson’s 3.591 at 209.07 mph.
The final round ended almost as quickly as it began. Derek Menholt let go of the button just a bit too soon, turning on the red light with a -.006 reaction time against Jackson. Menholt went on to run a 3.570 at 211.36 mph, while Jackson posted a winning 3.566 at 210.80 mph.
Top Qualifiers:
- Jimmy Taylor — 3.555 at 224.77 mph
- Jason Harris — 3.556 at 211.33 mph
- Randy Weatherford — 3.558 at 211.16 mph
Pro 10.5
Twelve of the best Pro 10.5 cars made the trip to Bradenton Motorsports Park, all chasing the $10,000 prize, though only 10 would qualify for race day. Carson Baker claimed the No. 1 spot in final qualifying with a 3.884 at 195.79 mph.
Longtime Pro 10.5 racer Nick Agostino opened eliminations against Ronald Fisher, leaving with a sizable reaction-time advantage and carrying it to the win. The Round Two chip draw paired Agostino with No. 3 qualifier Fletcher Cox. Cox was uncharacteristically late on the tree, allowing Agostino to score the holeshot victory, 3.931 at 200.65 mph to Cox’s 3.904 at 184.83 mph. Agostino received a bye run in the semifinals, securing his place in the final round.
Jerry Morgano, another longtime class supporter, faced No. 1 qualifier Carson Baker in Round One. A tardy reaction time by Baker opened the door for Morgano to advance. The chip draw then awarded Morgano a bye in Round Two, before he defeated No. 5 qualifier Tim Partin using another reaction-time advantage to reach the final.
The final round between Agostino and Morgano delivered as expected. Morgano left first with a commanding holeshot and sealed the win, running 3.905 at 195.65 mph to Agostino’s 3.934 at 200.00 mph.
Top Qualifiers:
- Carson Baker — 3.884 at 195.79 mph
- Jerry Morgano — 3.894 at 207.05 mph
- Fletcher Cox — 3.895 at 189.36 mph
Lil Gangstas
For the second race of the Drag Illustrated Winter Series, the Lil Gangstas class packed the pits with 64 entries. Joseph Mallais traveled from Ontario, Canada, and met Chris Scarlata of New Jersey in the final round. Mallais lit the win light to capture the $20,000 payday and a trip to the Winners Circle.
True 10.5
True 10.5 is typically contested as a “no-time” class, but for this event, the decision was made to turn the scoreboards on during eliminations. Racers made several boards-off passes prior to eliminations, with some impressive elapsed times recorded.
In Round One, “Big Boost” Bill Lutz fired off the first three-second pass with a 3.934, officially setting the 28×10.5 elapsed-time record. As eliminations continued, Brandon Sandlian and his “Junkyard Stude” steadily advanced despite numerous travel and on-track issues. Persistence and hard work landed Sandlian in the final round.
Cole Pesz suffered a significant incident during shakedown runs, impacting the wall. With help from fellow teams, manufacturers, and local shops, Pesz’s crew made repairs and returned the car to competition. Pesz drove as if nothing had happened, advancing all the way to the final.
In the championship round, Sandlian attempted to make up ground at the tree but pushed too hard and turned the red light on, handing the win to Pesz.
Limited Drag Radial (LDR)
28 Limited Drag Radial cars competed at the US Street Nationals. Jamie Stanton led the field as the No. 1 qualifier with a 3.876 at 191.27 mph.
No. 11 qualifier Justin Martin reached the final round with wins over Jason Unch, Jamie Hancock, and Shane Stack. On the opposite side, No. 8 qualifier Tommy Youmans piloted his beautiful 1970 GTO through victories over Scott Husted, Brandon Carter, Jamie Stanton, and Snowbird Outlaw Nationals winner Brian Weddle.
In the final, Youmans left with a massive reaction-time advantage and laid down his quickest and fastest run of the weekend, posting a 3.860 at 196.30 mph to Martin’s troubled 11.817 at 41.03 mph.
Top Qualifiers:
- Jamie Stanton — 3.876 at 191.27 mph
- Brett LaSala — 3.878 at 199.37 mph
- Jamie Hancock — 3.887 at 186.64 mph
Ultra Street
Ultra Street featured 23 cars competing for 16 qualifying spots. Veterans Joel Greathouse and Ronnie Rhodes met in the final round. Greathouse’s advantage at the starting line proved decisive, as he earned the win with a 4.484 at 154.37 mph to Rhodes’ quicker but losing 4.458 at 157.59 mph.
Pro 275
14 Pro 275 cars were on the grounds at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Grantley Schloss emerged victorious in his ’67 Nova, defeating Rick Bailey in the final, 3.748 at 200.68 mph to 3.780 at 198.64 mph.
X275
DJ McCain led the 16-car X275 field as the No. 1 qualifier with a 4.116 at 173.43 mph. Billy Lackey and Ron Rhodes advanced to the final round. Rhodes left first but was forced to pedal, while Lackey stayed A-to-B for the win, running 4.125 at 176.93 mph to Rhodes’ 5.578 at 101.64 mph.
Index Winners
4.60 Bike: Ronald Procopio
6.50 Index: Brian Shook
7.50 Index: Jason Renninger
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