SNIDER, COX, STRICKLAND LEAD PDRA WINNERS IN MEMPHIS

Brandon Snider (Pro Extreme), Jay Cox (Pro Nitrous) and John Strickland (Pro Boost) led the list of champions at the PDRA’s Memphis Drags at the Memphis International Raceway.

PDRA Memphis Drags

The PDRA marched into Memphis over the weekend for the annual Memphis Drags and, despite an unenviable weather forecast — one that ultimately pushed the completion of eliminations into Sunday — a host of deserving champions were crowned after three busy days of racing. In Pro Extreme, Brandon Snider captured his second victory of the season with his quickest run of the weekend in the final round, doing so unopposed as Jason Scruggs’ was unable to make the bell. In Pro Nitrous, Jay Cox made a triumphant return from a high-speed crash at the previous race in Maryland, ousting Lizzy Musi on a huge holeshot in the finale, 3.78 to a 3.76, while John Strickland captured his third straight win in Pro Boost with a tight 3.82 to 3.83 defeat of Tylor Miller. And in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Brunson Grothus, competing in his first race since 2014,  dropped a .003 light on Chris Garner-Jones and never looked back, taking a 4.05 to 4.06 victory.

Pro Extreme: Brandon Snider 
Pro Nitrous: Jay Cox
Pro Boost: John Strickland
Pro Extreme Motorcycle: Brunson Grothus
Top Sportsman: Dan Ferguson
Top Dragster: Darien Boesch
Top Junior Dragster: Arellyn Garner-Jones
Pro Junior Dragster: Courtney Howard
Bracket Bash: Buddy Ferrell

IHRA Northern Nationals

The IHRA’s Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series closed out its 2016 campaign on Sunday at the US 131 Motorsports in Michigan, and in doing so, crowned four professional champions, including one first-time champ, along with a first-time IHRA event winner. In Nitro Funny Car, Jason Rupert ran the table, collecting his third straight championship in a suspense-filled final round, as he earned his second win of the season and clocked a national record lap of 5.52 in the process to outpace his final round opponent, Mike McIntire, Jr., by one single point. In Pro Stock, Cary Goforth edged out Trevor Eman in a championship-deciding race in the semifinals (his third straight IHRA title) and then went on to defeat JR Carr in the finale. In Pro Modified, Billy Harper earned his first-ever series championship during qualifying, but it was Billy Glidden who captured the weekend hardware, ousting Jason Hamstra in the money round for his first IHRA victory.

Nitro Funny Car: Jason Rupert
Pro Stock: Cary Goforth
Pro Modified: Billy Glidden
Nitro Motorcycle: Frank Capone

NHRA Division 5

Jim Greenheck drove from the No. 4 qualifying spot in Competition Eliminator to defeat an off-pace Bruno Massel in the final round at the NHRA West Central Division Thunder at the Lakes event in Brainerd, Minnesota on Sunday. He was joined in the winners circle by Super Stock champ Brett Speer, who claimed a tight final round matchup with Byron Worner decided by just .005-seconds, and Stock winner Glen De Menge, who benefited from a .004 foul start by Candace Jurgens in the finale.

Competition Eliminator: Jim Greenheck
Super Stock: Brett Speer
Stock Eliminator: Glen DeMenge
Super Comp: Trevor Larsen
Super Gas: Randy Nygaard
Super Street: Joel Sandstrom
Top Sportsman: Gary Loeffelholz
Top Dragster: Phil Unruh
Sportsman Motorcycle: Beau Drexler
Junior Dragster Advanced: Meagan Neil
Junior Dragster Intermediate: Joseph Lindberg
Junior Dragster Novice: Cam Griese
Junior Dragster Youth: Ryler Mohr
Super Comp Shootout: Tony Leonard
Super Gas Shootout: Tom Carlson
Super Street Shootout: Sandy Cawsey