The Mid-West Drag Racing Series returned to US 131 Motorsports Park for the Northern Nationals, but Mother Nature had other plans. With rain forecast for most of Saturday and Sunday, officials condensed the event into a full day of testing on Thursday, followed by qualifying and eliminations on Friday.
Unfortunately, rain arrived Friday evening before the event could be completed, leaving several classes sitting in the staging lanes awaiting their final rounds.
Stroud Safety Pro Mod
The weather forecast didn’t keep the country’s top Pro Mod teams from making the trip to US 131 Motorsports Park. A total of 26 Pro Mods packed the pits, all battling for one of 16 spots in the qualified field.
Leading the field was Peter Norton, who drove his Harts Charger-powered ’69 Camaro to a 3.592-second pass at 207.76 mph. He was followed closely by teammate Paige Coughlin, who qualified second with a 3.593 at 209.89 mph, while Jacob McNeal rounded out the top three with a 3.596 at 206.61 mph.
Norton continued his strong performance on race day, defeating Greg Blevins Jr. and Jason Lee before falling to Eric Dillard in the semifinals. Dillard posted low elapsed time in back-to-back elimination rounds on his way to the final.
Starting from the No. 7 qualifying position, “Pro Mod” Paul Gargus defeated current points leader Ryan Martin in the opening round before advancing past Wes Distefano and Johnny Camp to earn a spot in the final against Dillard.
Rain prevented the championship round from being contested, and the two drivers agreed to split the purse.
Pro Mod Slammers
In the Pro Mod Slammers second-chance race, Kallee (Mills) Tally and Greg Blevins Jr. advanced to the final round before weather ended competition.
No Time 28’s
The final pairing of Bill Riddle and Super Dave Adkins was sitting in the water box when rain forced officials to end the event.
Race Star Wheels Top Dragster
Terry Long led qualifying with a 3.871 at 188.76 mph. Bobby Churchill qualified second with a 3.891 at 183.67 mph, while Howard Michael was third with a 4.218 at 169.81 mph.
Long carried that momentum into eliminations, defeating Rick Morley in the opening round before receiving a second-round bye and advancing past Jeff Smith Jr. in Round Three. His run ended in the semifinals, where Churchill earned the victory.
On the opposite side of the ladder, Tim Kish advanced by defeating Michael Savoia in Round One, receiving a second-round bye, and then defeating Tim White in a double-breakout race.
Rain prevented Bobby Churchill and Tim Kish from running the final round.
Musi Racing Engines Top Sportsman
Winner: Rod Moore
Runner-up: Brian Stuitz
Jimmy Fallon claimed the No. 1 qualifying position with a 3.945 at 188.52 mph. Boyd Beyer qualified second with a 4.031 at 182.33 mph, while Mike Savoia was third after a 4.038 at 184.58 mph pass.
During eliminations, Rod Moore and Brian Stuitz advanced to the final round. Moore encountered mechanical issues during the burnout but managed to stage his car. Once the tree dropped, Stuitz turned on the red light, automatically giving Moore the victory despite Moore’s continuing issues on the starting line.
Race Star Wheels Pro Jr. Dragster
Winner: Ean Guenthardt
Runner-up: Ellie Vesper
Zimmerman Sportsman Jr. Dragster
Winner: Aspyn Kaupa
Runner-up: Harley Davidson
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