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Brogdon, Candies, and Dittmer lead the way at Laris Cajun SPORTSnationals

Rodger Brogdon, Dan Dittmer, and Brett Candies were among the winners crowned during the Laris Motorsports Insurance NHRA SPORTSnationals, held at No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, La.
30 Mar 2026
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
News
Rodger Brogdon

Rodger Brogdon, Dan Dittmer, and Brett Candies were among the winners crowned during the Laris Motorsports Insurance NHRA SPORTSnationals, held at No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, La.

Brogdon (Comp), Candies (Super Stock), and Dittmer (Stock) were joined in the winner’s circle by Michael Holcombe (Super Comp), Jock Lisenby (Super Gas), Mark McCall (Super Street), Danny Nelson (Right Trailers Top Dragster), and Allen Firestone (Right Trailers Top Sportsman) as the popular all-Sportsman event returned to Cajun Country for a second consecutive year. In addition, Steve Comella claimed a win in the popular Hemi Chootout event for SS/AH entries.

Brodgon claimed his eighth career NHRA national event win and his fifth in Comp when he defeated the A/Nostalgia Dragster of Kevin Duet in the final round. Brogdon was first off the starting line and drove his B/Street Roadster to a (-.507) 7.643 for the win against the -.479 of Duet, who was appearing in his first final. [video]

Candies, winner of three prior national events, including the 2022 NHRA U.S. Nationals, scored again in Super Stock when he took his Cobra Jet Mustang past Bryce Granier in the final round. Candies also gained an edge at the start and won with a nearly perfect 9.278 on his 9.27 dial, while Granier broke out by .009-second. [video]

Both Dittmer and opponent Austin Williams left ahead of the green light in the Stock final, but Williams fouled first, allowing Dittmer to claim his first win in his third career final. [video]

Holcombe, winner of the final NHRA event at Houston Raceway Park, added a third win to his collection when he drove past Richard Pierson in the Super Comp final, 8.908 to 8.909. Holcombe helped his cause with a .017 reaction time. [video]

Lisenby won last year’s JEGS SPORTSnationals event in Georgia and has now tacked on a second title in Belle Rose after stopping Todd Pullen in the Super Gas final. Lisenby was able to ease to a 10.08 in the final after Pullen fouled. [video]

McCall and opponent Landon Neely put on a great show in the Super Street final, with McCall scoring a 10.933 to 10.957 decision that was decided by just .008-second at the finish line. For McCall, the win was his first following a runner-up showing in Dallas in 2023. [video]

Past world champ Danny Nelson scored his eighth career win in Right Trailers Top Dragster after final-round opponent Bryan Sandlin fouled. Nelson was on time with a .016 light, which likely would have made him tough to beat. [video]

Firestone, another world champion, turned on the win light in the final of Right Trailers Top Sportsman when he stopped Jim Thorp in a competitive final. After a pair of solid lights, Firestone won with a 6.342 against his 6.29 dial after Thorp broke out by .004-second. [video]