Another Smokies Garage “fast doorcar” summary featuring some latest happenings from within NHRA – IHRA – NDRC…..
Most Massive Win Yet! — Mike Stavrinos drove to the biggest win in his Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series career at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, taking down Derek Menholt in the championship round at the 71st annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.
The world’s biggest drag race started the category’s four-race “Road to the Championship” playoffs and the event, which is the seventh of 10 in 2025, was powered by Logan Industries.
Stavrinos advanced to the final round at “The Big Go” last year but fell to Ken Quartuccio in heartbreaking fashion. The standout got his redemption this year against Menholt, going 5.719-seconds at 251.63 mph in his Al-Anabi Performance Chevrolet Camaro to pull away for the impressive victory.
Mike Stavrinos — driving the Al-Anabi Performance Chevrolet Camaro – collected Pro Mod racing’s biggest prize at Indy.
It is Stavrinos’ third win this season, but this will certainly stand tall as he moves in to the points lead as well.
To reach the final round for fourth time this season, Stavrinos defeated Chip King, Sidnei Frigo and No. 1 qualifier Stevie Jackson.
“One year ago, we came up short and I told myself I was going to win this thing next year,” Stavrinos said. “I promised myself I was going to win this deal and we did just that, and I give all the credit to my crew. We came in, qualified well and put it in the winner’s circle.
“To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best and I’ve looked up to Stevie for many years. I was really looking forward to racing him today. The Indy win is huge and now we’re going to focus on the world championship.”
Menholt reached his first-ever NHRA Pro Mod final round on the strength of round wins against J.R. Gray, Rickie Smith and Quartuccio.
Stavrinos hold a 61-point lead over J.R. Gray, while Rickie Smith third, 68 points out of first.
Steve Jackson was the quickest Pro Mod car at the US Nationals – setting low ET at 5.668 secs.
The Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series returns to action on Sept. 19-21 with the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.
IHRA Summer Round-Up — IHRA’s “Fast Doorslammer” class program hits higher gear during rousing Ohio event.
Class competition at Darana Raceway’s (IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series) event (held Sept 5-6) included eliminations for Pro Mod, Pro Nitrous & newly introduced “Outlaw” Pro Mod categories.
Craig Sullivan won Pro Mod when final-round opponent “Disco Dean” Karns didn’t get going at the start because a bolt fell out of the rear transmission mount in his pink Cadillac. It left Sullivan to post a 3.750 mph run at 205.01 mph for the win, who last won an IHRA Ironman trophy in Top Dragster.
A solid car count of 15 machines were entered for Pro Mod.
The Pro Mod winner was Craig Sullivan’s unique Ford Mercury.
Wily veteran Rickie Smith — who is no stranger to winning within IHRA’s vast history — claimed the Pro Nitrous title with his Ford Mustang – prevailing over 5 other P/N entries. Smith qualified #1 (3.679 secs) and defeated Tim Molnar in the on-sided final when he racked up both low ET & Top Speed at 3.679 secs 206.42 mph.
Iconic “Trickie Rickie” Smith returned to a familiar slot — IHRA’s Winners Circle – winning in P/N.
Brandon Pesz came through with the Outlaw Pro Modified victory and will go down in the history books as the first-ever winner of the class within the IHRA.
Pesz was credited with a 3.616-second pass at 213.57 mph as final-round opponent Billy Banaka had trouble at the start.
“[The first win] is something that they can never take away, being the first No. 1 qualifier and winner in Outlaw Pro Mod, and on top of all that, I’ve got low ET and top mile per hour – I checked all of the boxes that you can. It doesn’t happen very often, but I’m going to take it,” Pesz said.
History annuls will record the name Brandon Pesz as the IHRA’s first ever “Outlaw Pro Modified” class winner. He prevailed over an 8-car qualified field.
This Ohio race date had been preceded a few weeks prior by a very $$$ lucrative (non-points) event held at Darana Raceway in Michigan — which hosted a $125,000 Payday — IHRA Outlaw Pro Mod Nationals race (August 8-9th).
It was Randy Weatherford, who stood tall at that race as he was No. 1 in qualifying and stayed on top throughout eliminations to capture the $125,000 IHRA Outlaw Pro Mod Nationals victory.
Weatherford received a bye in the first round of eliminations and advanced to the final with wins over Bubba Greene, Kurt Steding, and Robin Roberts.
Kallee Mills, the No. 7 qualifier, was Weatherford’s opponent in the final round — an all-Chevy battle for the big prize.
Randy Weatherford scored some major coin while winning the Outlaw Pro Mod Nationals held at former Milan Dragway.
Weatherford got the better start, .024 to .038 over Mills, and then posted a winning run of 3.601 seconds and 210.38 mph. Mills was within .003 on the elapsed time at 3.604 seconds and 207.47 mph.
Although excited about the big payday, Weatherford was even more thrilled to capture a prestigious IHRA Ironman trophy.
“When you win one, this is life. No one can take it away from you,” Weatherford said while clutching his Ironman trophy.
The IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series returns to action again — Sept. 24-27 at Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio.
From Way Up North – Down Under! — At Australia’s Hidden Valley Drag Strip (Darwin NT), the NDRC Top Doorslammers provided an absolutely epic display of drag racing thrills (at the “LMCT+ Nitro Up North” race – the final event of their wrap around 2024/2025 championship season (held Aug 29-30).
While Russell Taylor had been earlier confirmed as the champion at the penultimate round thanks to a dominating season, the fight for second place was wide open between 11X champion John Zappia and up and coming force Lisa Gregorini, and with a prestigious event win also on the line, intense action was always guaranteed from each and every one of the eight racers who were on-site in Darwin for August 29 and 30.
And this is exactly what was delivered all the way through to the final pass of the night, where John Zappia took the event win over a hard-charging Salim Matta, and with it, second in the title chase.
Earlier in the day, the drag racing veteran had taken two wins over Nasser Matta – first in round one with a 5.820/396.45kph effort over Matta’s 8.157 effort, and then a 5.760/398.57kph pass in round two over a seven second out of shape pass for Nasser – booking his place in the A-Final where he once again set the quickest ET of the event with a 5.740 at 401kph from Salim’s 6.128 effort.
The result – which came in Zappia’s first A-Final of the season – saw the grinning legend declare that he and his team “are back” after what had been a challenging season up to that point.
Australia’s icon Top Doorslammer racer John Zappia — won the season finale NDRC event.
“The Fuchs Summit Monaro was on a roll that run,” he said after the final. “The front wheels were in the air, it was dead straight, and it just felt fantastic. It turned out to be the best run of the day, which was 5.74 at 249mph. We’re back, we’re still here, and we have got a couple more years to go – we’re just going to keep pushing!”
Salim Matta had a strong effort with his supercharged Mustang – advancing to the A-Final.
Russell Taylor had clinched his second straight Austalian Top Doorslammer title prior to the Darwin-area event finale.
A thrilling B-Final victory went to Daniel Gregorini over fourth in the title Brodie Zappia, with Daniel enjoying a return to form this weekend after a tumultuous season which culminated in him driving around the junior Zappia with a 5.842/390.26kph run to the newcomer’s 5.899/387.19kph pass, with an incredible 0.002 winning margin at the line.
Peter Lovering delivered a win with his “Shoebox” ’55 Chevy in the event’s C-Final defeating local racer Matt Abel. That saw Lovering clock in a 5.93/390.18kph to Abel’s 6.173 secs. Lisa Gregorini, and her popular all-girl team, took the D-Final against Nasser Matta.
Posted with files by NHRA – IHRA – NDRC Communications – Bruce Biegler
Photos by Dave DeAngelis – Steve Embling – Richard Rogers – Bruce Biegler – Cackling Pipes
