Putting on full display the kind of sharpshooter-like driving precision that’s required to compete at the famed Million Dollar Drag Race, LaPorte, Texas native Bart Nelson drove to victory over Gage Burch Saturday evening at the 29th edition of the original “Million” at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis, Missouri.

Photo by Chris Simmons

Nelson, driving his big-block powered dragster, threw all of his chips on the table in the final round and was .002 seconds from perfect in reaction time and dead-on his dial-in with a 4.581, edging out Burch’s equally incredible .008 reaction and dead-on 6.020-second package, for a margin of victory of just .0051 seconds at the stripe. Nelson and Burch outlasted 434 other entries from around the country over two days and nine rounds of racing in the shadow of the gateway arch to set up the dragster-versus-door-car matchup for all the marbles. Prior to any negotiated — and common — split that took place between drivers in the late rounds, the winner was set to claim $550,000, and the runner-up a still sizable $50,000.

Nelson had been .006 and dead-on with a 4.588 in his semifinal matchup with Josh Pickett, in a race with .0004 seconds separating them at the finish line. Throughout eliminations, Nelson overcame razor-thin total packages by his competition of .009, .011, .014, .015, and .017 seconds, in what may have been one of the impressive performances in the history of the Million Dollar Drag Race.

The win was arguably the biggest of 62 year-old Nelson’s career, and his first at bracket racing’s most prestigious drag race. In turning on the win light, the 2008 NHRA E.T. bracket racing series Super Pro National champion became one of nine drivers who have both an NHRA national crown and a Million win on their driving resumes.

Troy Ross won the non-delay No Box portion of the field and the $2,000 bonus that went along with it, defeating a red-lighting Rob Fisher in the final round. That win moved him into the main eliminations field. Twenty four hours after the race started, however, it was only Nelson, Pickett, Burch, Chris Bear, Curt Harvey, and Justin Moser left standing.

Runner-up Gage Burch

Nelson defeated Harvey and Pickett on his way to the final, while Burch ousted Bear to earn a valuable bye run and the free trip into the big-money round.

Nelson was celebrated in the winner’s circle by his friends and his father, Joe, who travels to each race with him. The winner circle featured champagne bottles popping and the presentation of the prestigious trophy and Million Dollar Drag Race check.