There was much to say about the Stampede of Speed at Texas Motorplex and the 39th annual NHRA Texas FallNationals, so this story was broken into two, starting with the alcohol classes earlier this week and moving into the remaining Sportsman categories today. Recently crowned Top Alcohol Funny Car champion, JEGS Allstars winner, and FallNationals victor Sean Bellemeur wasn’t the only star shining brightly in Texas – Michael Brand and Tom Stalba also doubled with Allstars and FallNationals victories, while a plethora of very happy and deserving drivers also claimed trophies at this massive, supremely entertaining event.
Comp Eliminator
FallNationals
Matt Harris def. Keith Mawhee
A spring perch on his trailer broke on the way to Texas Motorplex and had him broken down on the side of the road, but Bellevue, Neb., racer Matt Harris recovered in spectacular fashion by shifting his E/A 2005 Grand Am through five rounds of eliminations on a blistering racetrack to earn a hard-fought trophy.
Harris defeated former world champ Ryan Priddy in the first round and followed with a .002-second reaction time in the second stanza next to a red-lighting Royce Freeman. U.S. Nationals winner Kayla Mozeris put up an awesome fight, but Harris advanced by a slim .007 margin, and in the semifinals, it was veteran racer and engine builder Jeff Taylor to fall. In the money round, Harris was off the starting line with a .033-second reaction in his Don Thomas-powered entry and put a 7.705 (-.495 under) on the scoreboard in his defeat of Keith Mawhee’s .138 light and (-.501 under) 8.059.
Harris already had nine career division wins on his scorecard, but the victory at the NHRA Texas FallNationals marked his first national event win.
“It’s a relief to win this,” Harris told Joe Castello during the Parade of Champions interview. “My dad has always said that the guys that run and win national events get all the accolades, that people know who they are, and that we’re just kind of ‘those other guys.’ That’s over.”
Longtime drag racer Mawhee was competing in his eighth national event final and fifth in Dallas. His hunt for his first national event trophy shall continue!
JEGS Allstars
Steve Szupka (Division 1) def. Chase Williams (Divison 4)
The man of the hour was four-time national event winner and first-time JEGS Allstars victor Steve Szupka, who locked down the overall team win for Division 1 with his triumph over Chase Williams in the final. Ryan Priddy’s redlight in the first round sent him ahead to the second of three rounds, and there Szupka was .009 at the hit and ran a 6.949 (-.621 under) to knock the current Comp points leader out of Allstars competition. Ryan Warter was .028 and 8.397 (-.573 under). In the final, Szupka was .002 at the tree to get a nice head start on defending Allstars champ Chase Williams, and he held him off to the end for a 6.915 (-.535 under) over his opponent’s .052 reaction and 6.835 (-.515 under).
Although Szupka left the starting line a heartbreaking -.001 too soon in the first round of the main event, he was elated with his first Allstars win.
“I was just trying to block everything out and focus like it was just another qualifying run,” said Szupka, who was well aware that the team title was on the line after the points lead had been handed back and forth between the Northeast and Pacific Divisions. “It was, ‘Don’t get caught up in the moment.’ I had a tough competitor in the final, and I knew I had to be good. I let it go, and it came up on my side.”
Super Stock
FallNationals
Justin Picillo def. Craig Gualtiere
The Super Stock final guaranteed a first-time winner as Cranston, Rhode Island’s Justin Picillo (racing in his third career national event final) and Amarillo’s Craig Gualtiere (competing in his second final at the national level) went toe-to-toe. The closing round was set to be a thriller – Gualtiere had been a madman all weekend in his GT/GA ’02 Cavalier with a series of well-played reaction times to complement strong efforts downtrack, and Picillo had been leaving well and playing a strong finish line game in the Eddie Bloom-owned SS/BS ’85 Trans Am. He was also a finalist in the JEGS Allstars competition but came up one win light short of glory, which only served to fuel his intentions to close out the weekend with some hardware.
In the final, Gualtiere got his mission started with a .006 but reached the finish line a bit too soon, breaking out by .015. Picillo was victorious on a well-served 9.401 on his 9.39 dial.
“That win light came on, and I don’t think I’ve ever yelled so loud in my life,” said the freshly crowned event champ. “I’ve been trying to get one of these for 20 years.”
Gualtiere’s performance included launching on a .004 in the second round, cutting a .001 light in round three, and throwing down a perfect .000 in the quarterfinals. He’s planning to head to Las Vegas and see if he can keep the momentum ignited in good ol’ Sin City.
JEGS Allstars
Trey Vetter (Division 7) def. Justin Picillo (Divison 1)
In his first JEGS Allstars appearance, Henderson, Nev., racer Trey Vetter kept his cool through three rounds of eliminations to take home the prestigious title.
The battle was immediately fierce as he lined up next to current points leader Jeff Dona and his Stanfield Racing Engines-powered SS/HA ’98 Firebird, but Vetter launched cooly with a .008 start in his SS/FA ’68 Camaro and ran dead-on the dial with a 9.667 (9.66) to his challenger’s .017 reaction and breakout 9.784 (9.80).
Don Barber’s -.001 red light was the decider in round two, and in the final, Vetter was again dead-on for the money, 9.677 (9.67) to Justin Picillo’s 9.385 on a 9.37. The margin of victory in Vetter’s favor was just .003-second. Not to overuse exclamation points, but !!!
Stock Eliminator
FallNationals
Michael Brand def. Jimmy Hidalgo Jr.
JEGS Allstars
Michael Brand (Division 2) def. Jared Jordan (Division 7)
It was one heck of a weekend for Michael Brand, who raced to victory in both the JEGS Allstars Stock Eliminator competition and the main event. Alpharetta, Ga., racer Brand scored the third national event Wally of his career with a final-round defeat of championship front-runner Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. at the FallNationals after claiming the Allstars win over Jared Jordan.
It was a weekend of good fortune for Brand, who advanced on three red-lighting opponents and survived a double-breakout en route to the FallNationals title round. There, Hidalgo was better at the tree in his E/SA ’04 GTO, .019 to .026, but it was Brand who played a better hand at the stripe, 8.833 (8.82) to 10.958 (10.93).
The win came the day after scoring his first JEGS Allstars title in his FS/AA ’14 Mustang. In the esteemed bonus event that pits the best of the best against one another, Brand started with a solo when Larry Dyck could not make the call. In the second act, Will Emmons clocked a .026 to Brand’s .034, but at the finish line, Emmons broke out by .004 and Brand ran directly on target, 8.782 (8.78) for the win light. In the final, he was dead-on again, this time 8.811 (8.81), as Jordan broke out by .024.
“You always come to an event hoping you’ll do well, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” said Brand. “It’s been 10 years since I won one of these, and you don’t know if you’ll ever win another. I’m very thankful I got this one.”
As for his success in the JEGS Allstars, Brand shared that he was second in line to Jeff Longhany to represent Division 2 at the event, but Longhany had other plans.
“I learned at the last minute I was going, and I couldn’t be happier,” shared Brand. “It’s been a good weekend.”
Super Comp
FallNationals
Kyle Secrest def. Michael Dalrymple
He was runner-up at the FallNationals in 2022, and Kyle Secrest closed the deal at this year’s event with a final-round defeat of Michael Dalrymple. Secrest, who came down to Dallas from Norman, Okla., set the tone for an excellent ending by running dead-on the 8.90 index in early rounds and then consistently depositing superior starting-line performances in the bank. In the semifinals, he dealt out a .008-second reaction time with an 8.395 to beat young Dylan Hough’s .038 and 8.911, with a margin of victory of just .006. Dalrymple entered the final by way of a .002 package in the semis; he was a perfect .000 at the start and then 8.902 at the big end to defeat the standout .012 and 8.901 played by Bill Dennis.
Keeping the pace, Secrest was .004 at the tree to Dalrymple’s .018 in the final, and the two raced side-by-side down the track in a breathtaking match. Secrest survived their double breakout to score his first national event win, 8.875 to 8.870.
“It was a tight race down there, and I’m happy to win this one. After being runner-up two years ago, this is pretty good redemption” said Secrest. “Through five days of racing, it’s tough to string together six good elimination rounds; it takes a lot of hard work and consistency. Texas Motorplex is a cool place to race, and it’s a great place to win.”
JEGS Allstars
Tom Stalba (Division 1) def. Michael Holcombe (Division 4)
Northeast Division standout Tom Stalba produced a most excellent outcome over the weekend in Texas as he first secured the Super Comp victory in the JEGS Allstars competition, then went on to win the main event in Super Gas. The Allstars win was his second; in addition to this year’s triumph in the 8.90 class, Stalba claimed the Super Gas Allstars trophy in 2003.
This year, he started the Super Comp throwdown with a .005-second reaction time and an 8.925 to beat Rick Milinazzo’s .014 and breakout 8.895, then overcame Tom Clark’s perfect triple-zero start (Stalba was .033) by surviving a double-breakout. In the final, Stalba left ahead of Texas native Michael Holcombe and ran closer to the index to get the win in another double-breakout battle.
Stalba was particularly proud to be part of the winning division’s weekend.
“Division 1 came out here, and we showed them who we are: No. 1,” said a beaming Stalba. “It was just a great job by everybody, all the champions. What an awesome day.”
Super Gas
FallNationals
Tom Stalba def. Rusty Cook
Stalba’s exceptional weekend in Dallas was part of a strong weekend overall for the AA Salvage team. Tom’s wife, Karen Stalba, also qualified to race in the Allstars and reached the semifinals at the FallNationals in Top Alcohol Dragster as she banks points for a top 10 finish.
On the way to claiming his 10th national event win (eighth in Super Gas), Mr. Stalba was on task in the driver’s seat. Second-round opponent Joey Shipp was a perfect .000 at the start, but Hammonton, N.J., racer Stalba was right there with a .015 and a 9.910 on the 9.90 index to defeat a 9.333. An .016 light and 9.901 got it done in round three, and a stellar .008 and 9.905 stopped Super Gas Allstars winner Michael Boehner’s .023 and 9.910 in the quarterfinals. Texan Jason McClure was a bold .003 at the hit in the semifinals, but a .020 and 9.917 by Stalba knocked out a 9.934.
Gunning for a third national event win, Rusty Cook could simply not contend with Stalba’s crisp .008 and 9.901. He put up an .065 light and broke out by .006 at the finish line.
“This is just an awesome feeling,” said Stalba. “When that little light came on, I was freaking out in the car. [After winning the Allstars], my confidence-level was way up there. I just felt out-of-body, like, ‘You’re going to continue to kick butt,’ and that’s what I did. I stayed focused the whole time, the track was awesome, my cars were good, and my help was great.”
JEGS Allstars
Michael Boehner (Division 7) def. Jeremy Demers (Division 5)
First time JEGS Allstars winner Michael Boehner had to race one of the toughest competitors in the class at present, Jeremy Demers, in the trophy round. Demers had been going rounds at every race since the Earlville divisional, and he was hot off of a win at the Division 4 race that took place at Texas Motorplex earlier that week. Boehner took the lead early with a .015 reaction time to his challenger’s .031, and he carried it to a 9.902 win to top a breakout 9.884.
The round before, Boehner had been .003 as he was leaving the starting line and put up a 9.903 to beat Vernon Rowland’s 9.913 after opening the three-race battle on Friday afternoon with a .001 and 9.915 to turn Joey Shipp away on a .072 and 9.904.
“From day one of this event, it’s just been full of unique experiences,” related Boehner, who was quite dialed into the fact that his success would factor into the team battle as well. “Talk about pressure. As I’m rolling into the waterbox, I know Division 7 is in the tie for the championship, and man, I really wanted to be part of a winning championship team. The pressure is there, you just have to turn on your win light. At that point, it’s all that matters. You just have to block it out and do the best you can.”
Super Street
FallNationals
Jordan Pratt def. Alan Bush
Otsego, Minn., Super Street racer Jordan Pratt drove his ’68 Camaro to the second national event win of his career (he also won Topeka in 2022) with a final-round battle with Alan Bush, who was hoping to double after winning the JEGS Allstars earlier in the weekend. Pratt was .009 at the start to Bush’s .012, and they were door handle-to-door handle all the way down the track. Pratt was the survivor in their double breakout match, 10.897 on the 10.90 index to 10.859.
“I knew Alan would be thinking about that double-up bonus, and his car had been great all weekend,” said Pratt, who recorded consistently impressive reaction times in the earlier rounds, ranging from .008 to .022. “I’d been hitting the tree great, and I just stuck to my plan, set up aggressive on the tree, and trusted myself. I knew I’d have to make a good run, and it was a great final round. This is, by far, one of my favorite national event experiences. With all the extra stuff the track and Division 4 does for us, it’s been phenomenal.”
JEGS Allstars
Alan Bush (Division 3) def. David Kiesel (Division 7)
It was Allstars win No. 1 in his first try for Erie, Illinois-based Alan Bush and his Super Street ’77 Nova – the same car her drove in high school. The fight for the title included one of the closest races of the weekend; after locking down the first-round win over Darren Wood, Bush matched James Brown at the starting line with an identical .020 reaction, then raced precisely parallel to his opponent all the way to the final stripe. Bush got there first by just a couple of inches for a .001 margin of victory, 10.934 to 10.935.
“I’ve been trying to qualify for the JEGS Allstars for 34 years, and this is my first year,” said an elated Bush. “This is just a dream come true.”
Top Dragster
FallNationals
Jim Prevo def. Brad Plourd
Proving perfect in national event final rounds, Jim Prevo scored a second career Top Dragster win with a final-round defeat of Brad Plourd after reaching the semifinals in the JEGS Allstars competition.
Illinois-based Prevo, driving a David Reher-powered dragster, recovered from Ronald Gibson’s holeshot .006 to his .030 in the first round to win with a run just .017 off his 6.12 target. Another great race with Jim Thorp transpired in round two as Prevo left with a .010 light and went 6.137 on his 6.12 prediction. Thorp was .028 and 6.119 on a 6.10. In the quarterfinals, it was Danny Nelson he sent packing, .014 and 6.191 (6.18) to .039 and a breakout 6.136 (6.14). The semifinals saw Prevo put up a cool 6.171 on his 6.17 dial to Cody Webber’s 6.419 (6.39) for a ticket to the final.
In the final, Plourd broke soon after leaving the starting line, and Prevo sailed away for the win.
“This is [win] No. 2, and that just means that No. 1 wasn’t a screw up,” said Prevo. “I knew it was going to be tough, but when [Plourd] dropped back, it almost catches you off guard. You aren’t sure whether to let out because, is he going to come back around? I let out, and I was just happy to see the win light.”
If you love watching history in the making, you’ll appreciate this note: Plourd was one stinkin’ win light away from securing victory in a seventh NHRA category, which would elevate the talented driver to a spot in the record books currently occupied by just Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Bo Butner. Earlier this year, Plourd earned a sixth category win as he secured the trophy at the spring race in Charlotte in Super Street. In addition to that category, Plourd has wins in Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, and Super Gas. (Editor’s note: would someone please put that fella in a Pro Stocker?)
JEGS Allstars
Vince Musolino (Division 1) def. Cody Webber (Division 7)
Reigning world champion Vince Musolino started his week in Texas with the division win and capped it with his first JEGS Allstars title. He had a tough competitor in the final as 2020 Allstars champion Cody Webber came with guns blazing – but Musolino was well-prepared for their duel. The eventual winner started eliminations with a .009 light to Clint Riley’s .005 and was victorious in their double-breakout, and in round two, a .001 reaction set Musolino ahead as Jim Prevo fouled by -.017. Webber was .003 in round one and ran dead-on his 6.44 target with a 6.447, while Dylan Hough was .015 and broke out by .012. Webber was closer to his dial than David Bills in their semifinals double breakout and fouled out by -.018 in the final. Musolino clocked an .011 start in his victory lap.
“We’ve had an absolutely amazing year,” said the gentleman who ran with No. 1 on his car all season long. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to top that.”
Top Sportsman
FallNationals
Michael Chitty def. Macy Higgins
Ames, Iowa, sent Michael Chitty down to Dallas, where the longtime racer reached the third final round of his career. The previous two finals were in Brained, and both times, Chitty came up short. There at Texas Motorplex though, Chitty made all the right moves to clinch the FallNationals Top Sportsman title. In the final, it was Chitty against Macy Higgins, also aiming at a first win, and they started on near-level footing. Chitty was .017 on the tree to Higgins’ slightly better .014. Down track, they both went quicker than planned, but Chitty was .009-second too quick compared to Higgins’ .011 breakout.
“We left together and got down to the end, and I didn’t know I’d won. It was that close, and nobody lifted,” said Chitty, who reached his first final 11 years ago. “He’s a great racer, and they’re just an awesome family.”
JEGS Allstars
Curt Fredrich (Division 3) def. Brandon Miller (Division 1)
His story of even making the JEGS Allstars was compelling, but once Curt Fredrich got to Texas, it was just a matter of staying in motion. Fredrich’s ProFab ’68 Camaro has been on the scene since 2009, and with over 1,000 runs on it, car and driver are close companions. That meant that Fredrich forgave the gremlins that popped up during much of the Allstars qualifying season and kept pushing. He was tied for third and three rounds back going into the final qualifying event, and essentially, Fredrich needed to win the race to make the Allstars. That’s exactly what he did.
With wins at the Indy and Bowling Green divisionals on his 2024 scorecard, as well as a runner-up at the U.S. Nationals, Fredrich had his first Allstars win in sight. That being said, after wins over Bill King and Dave Cook, he knew he was in for a challenge as he came up against back-to-back Top Dragster Allstars winner Brandon Miller in the final.
In a fantastically entertaining final, the two were just .003 apart in their reaction times, and Fredrich hit his 6.56 target directly with his .019 light for a .019 package. Miller’s 6.913 on a 6.91 number gave him a .025 package.
“This is just crazy,” said Fredrich. “Going into the last race to qualify to come here, we were three rounds behind. Both them guys ahead of us went out first round, and we ran who we were tied with for third in the semis and went on to win the race. JEGS and the Meyer family have treated us like kings here. It’s been an amazing experience to take in.”
Stampede of…. South Central Division Lucas Oil Winners
Just prior to the NHRA Texas FallNationals, Texas Motorplex hosted both the Pine Valley makeup and the rain-delayed Tulsa Raceway Park division race. Congratulations to delayed Pine Valley winners Don Thomas (Comp), Joe Lisa (Super Stock), Houston Raikes (Stock), Austin Williams (Super Comp), Jeremy Demers (Super Gas), John Leibham (Super Street), Chris Arnold (Top Sportsman), Vince Musolino (Top Dragster), and Eddie Glaze (Sportsman Motorcycle). A hearty congrats as well go out to Tulsa Raceway Park rain-delayed winners Rodger Brogdon (Comp), Charlotte Hefler (Super Stock), Landon Emmons (Stock), Michael Green (Super Comp), David Bills (Top Sportsman), Brandon Harris (Super Street), Trevor Larson (Top Dragster), and Micheal Nash (Sportsman Motorcycle).
Find full results for each of these events at DragRaceCentral.com.
If you find an error in this story or have anything to add, please contact WinLight News editor Kelly Wade: kelly@winlightnews.com.
