NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

It took several months, but the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil is finally complete with brothers Harvey Emmons III and Jerry Emmons claiming wins in Super Stock and Stock, while Christopher Dodd and Jerry DeBusk earned victories in Super Comp and Super Gas.

Emmons III ended a winless drought that goes back to the 2014 season when he won in Super Stock. Emmons scored his 12th career national event title following a thrilling side-by-side final against four-time world champion Greg Stanfield. Emmons drove his Lucas Oil Products Cavalier to a 9.561 against his 9.55 dial to stop Stanfield, who had a perfect .000 reaction time but broke out by .018-second with a 9.772. Despite the loss, Stanfield remains a leading contender for what could be a fifth world championship.

The Emmons family scored again in Stock when Jerry wheeled the team’s A/SA ’69 Camaro to a final round win over Jeff Lopez. Emmons grabbed a sizable lead at the start and drove to a 10.298 against his 10.25 dial to cover Lopez’s 9.379 on his 9.35 dial. Emmons, a Top 10 finisher a year ago, has now won 17 NHRA national events in his career including seven at the Texas Motorplex. With the win, Emmons is now one of the leading contenders for the national championship in Stock.

Reigning NHRA Super Comp champ Dodd is also a contender for a second-straight title after winning his second race of the season in Dallas. Dodd won his fifth national event following an impossibly close final round against Lyndon Rutland. Dodd’s 8.916 held off Rutland’s 8.917 in a race decided by just .0006-second at the finish line.

DeBusk picked up his third career win in Super Gas when he stopped two-time world champ Austin Williams in the final. DeBusk, a winner at the 2000 U.S. Nationals and the 2006 JEGS SportsNationals in Belle Rose, was able to coast to the win after Williams fouled by .002-second.