Ned Dunphy Wins HOT ROD Drag Week 2026 And Sets New Record

Ned Dunphy and his co-driver Jey Clegg added their names to a prestigious list by winning HOT ROD Drag Week 2026. The team and their 4,000-horsepower 2013 Dodge Viper are back-to-back Overall and Unlimited Drag Week champions. They also own the quickest Drag Week average with a 6.032 and the quickest pass in Drag Week history thanks to a 5.974 blast on the final day at Route 66 Raceway.

It has been said you don’t win Drag Week as much as you just survive it. When you step up into the Unlimited class ranks, that rings very true. There was a lot of buzz about the group of racers chasing a five-second average for the week, and that herd thinned quickly.

On Day 1, Jeff Lutz chucked a rod out of his Camaro on the first pass, taking him out of contention. Larry Larson ripped off a five-second pass but lost an engine on Day 3 at Cordova. That left Dunphy as the last driver standing with a chance to capture the crown.

Now, it wasn’t an easy Drag Week for Dunphy at all. The Drag Drive Repeat crew caught up with Dunphy during the treks between tracks, and Dunphy’s Viper needed frequent breaks to keep its oil and water temperatures at reasonable levels. That strategy paid off and played a big role in their ability to finish the event and win.

Dunphy started his week with a 5.994 at Route 66 Raceway and looked like he could be a real threat to score the elusive five-second average. Day 2 was lost to rain. After turning in identical 6.080 time slips on Day 3 and Day 4, it was going to be a tall task to nail down the five-second average.

On the final day, Dunphy’s 5.974 run was impressive and set the record, but more importantly, it sealed the win.

HOT ROD Drag Week is the original drag-and-drive event and continues to test the limits of what a street car can do. As we turn our eyes to 2027, the question now becomes: Will we see our first five-second average when Drag Week kicks off next year?