The inaugural IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series event at Darana Raceway (formerly National Trail Raceway) in Hebron, Ohio, was packed with plenty of firsts. It was the first time nitro racing returned to central Ohio in nearly two decades, there were first-time winners, and it was the first time the new IHRA gave us a look at what it was all about.

There were lots of family racing operations on the property at Darana Raceway. Mike McIntire’s “McAttack” Funny Car team is the definition of family racing. The Ohio-based team had run with the IHRA before in its Nostalgia Funny Car, and returned to run their big show car this time around. McIntire not only qualified number one, but he was also able to run the table and win the event.

In the first round, McIntire defeated Jody Austin with a 4.064 at 308.00 mph. In a round two pedal fest, McIntire got around Jack Wyatt to stamp his ticket to the final round. In the money round, McIntire left first on Del Worsham to win via a hole shot with a 4.166, to Worsham’s 4.160.

“We had high hopes for the weekend, but man, this tops the cake right here. Going number one, winning the event, and racing Del Worsham in the finals, it doesn’t get any better than that. Last year, we lost my dad, and we have always raced as a family. It was hard to come back out, but we did, and this feels great,” McIntire said after his big win.

Scott Palmer has come close to winning an event behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster, and he was finally able to pull it off at Darana Raceway. For Palmer, this win was a culmination of hard work, determination, and always making sure he was having fun at the track.

Palmer found himself at the top of the qualifying sheet thanks to a 3.955 run on Friday, and he used that momentum to make a run to the final round. In the first round, Palmer was able to dispose of Chuck Loftin thanks to a strong 3.934 run. The second round turned into a pedal fest that saw Palmer come out on top over Doug Foley. In the final, Palmer’s dragster kept all the candles lit and outran Krista Baldwin with a 3.958 at 314.24 mph.

“It’s pretty awesome to finally win one of these races. The track was well prepared all weekend, but the track temp was 145 degrees at times. So, we all had to back our stuff down to try and make a pass, but there was still plenty of track there to get it done. The IHRA did a phenomenal job and put on a great race. I guarantee you, it will only get better from here,” Palmer said.

Frankie “Mad Man” Taylor has been a staple at outlaw Pro Mod races for decades. He was able to use his years of experience to run the table against a stacked field of Pro Mod racers and bring home the win at the IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series event. Taylor’s Camaro lived in the low 3.70s and high 3.60s all weekend, despite the challenging conditions. In the final, Taylor got a free shot at the track after his opponent, Mike DiDomenico, wasn’t able to get his Corvette to move forward after putting it in gear.

Tony Wilson’s Camaro has gone through some changes recently, but that didn’t stop him from picking up the win in Pro Nitrous. The Pat Musi-powered car that’s tuned by PTP Racing’s Patrick Barnhill made consistent runs during eliminations and was able to defeat number one qualifier Dale Brinsfield in the final round.

Pro Stock veteran Larry Morgan defeated Dave River in round number one with his best pass of the weekend, a 4.296, to earn a spot in the final round. In the final, number one qualifier Derick Reese turned on the red light, handing the win to Morgan, who went on to make a full pass.

Mountain Motor Pro Stock (MMPS) featured a tough field filled with top drivers and world champions all making the trip to Hebron, Ohio. Jeremy Huffman locked down the number one qualifying spot with a 4.129 and laid down a 4.103 during a second-round bye run. The problem is, Huffman ran into the MMPS buzzsaw known as Jerry Tucker in round number two. Tucker cut his way to the final round, where he was able to defeat Chris Powers with a 4.120 run.

Jackie Fricke showed why she’s one of the best at wheeling a Top Alcohol Dragster in the final round. Fricke cut a .006 light and ran a 5.520 to defeat a spinning Mike Coughlin. Stan Sipos brought home the Top Alcohol Funny Car win thanks to a great light and 5.505 run to defeat Phil Esz and his 5.496 pass. Bob Malloy powered his way to a win in Top Fuel Harley by defeating Jay Turner with a 5.340 run. Steve Comella scored the win in the John Holt Hemi Shootout.

You can check out all the sportsman results from the event right here. The IHRA will be back in action July 23-26 at Milan Dragway in Milan, Michigan.