NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

In addition to the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series action at Maple Grove Raceway, eight Lucas Oil Series winners were also crowned in competition at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals.

Canadian Jeff Veale, who had raced since the Gatornationals in March and only sparsely since the pandemic hit in early 2020, made up for lost time with his first career national event win in Top Alcohol Dragster. Veale, runner-up in Norwalk in 2016 in his only other national event final, took an easy win when recent Brainerd champ Shawn Cowie lost traction. [video]

DJ Cox, who fell just one win light short of winning Top Alcohol Funny Car at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals two weeks earlier, gained a measure of revenge on the guy who beat him at Indy and in the final in Charlotte in the spring, world champ Sean Bellemeur, to collect his third career victory. Both drivers ran into issues, with Bellemeur having to pedal and Cox suffering breakage right before the finish line. [video]

Veteran Division 1 Comp campaigner Ken Voight collected his first national event Wally on a solo pass after Jay Schonberger was unable to make the final-round call due to breakage suffered in his semifinal victory. [video]

Roger Reese won his first NHRA national event Super Stock victory in his first final round and in order to do so, he had to take out a tough customer in former world champion Byron Worner. Reese was up to the task with a great package that included a .010 light and a 10.433 on his 10.42 dial after Worner broke out.  [video]

Katie Sepanek is now a perfect three-for-three in national event finals after beating Joe Santangelo to win the Stock title. Sepanek was nearly unbeatable with a .003 light and an 11.598 against her 11.58 prediction. Despite the loss, Santangelo remains solidly in the Top 10 in the battle for the Stock championship.  [video]

Donald Bangs, winner earlier this year at the Division 1 Lucas Oil Series event at Atco Dragway, added another trophy to his shelf with his first national event victory in Super Comp. Bangs got the final-round jump on Anthony Barrett, forcing Barrett into an 8.88 breakout. [video]

Just two weeks after winning the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, Bo Butner hammered home another Super Gas win in Reading, defeating first-time finalist Frank Volpe in the final round after Volpe broke with a 9.87. Butner has now won the Reading event in four classes, including Pro Stock (2017), Comp (2011), and Stock (2010). [video]

Vonnie Mills collected her third career Wally and her first since 1990 when she drove to the win in Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers. Mills got off the starting line first against Larry Willard and held the lead to the finish line with a 6.689 on her 6.65 dial. [video]