Finally.

After three decades behind the wheel, countless passes, three career final rounds and six number one qualifier awards, Chris McGaha can finally call himself an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series winner.

The driver of the Harlow Sammons Chevrolet Camaro put together a masterful weekend at Sonoma Raceway, culminating with a win over Jonathan Gray in the Pro Stock final on Sunday to collect his first career Wally in the finale of the 28th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

“This win is 30 years in the making. All of those years running Comp, watching my dad and then doing this myself. All those years leaving my house thinking maybe this is my weekend. I just kept coming out here and kept trying,” McGaha said. “We have had a few heartbreakers along the way. To finally get it done is pretty special.”

All three of McGaha’s finals have come in 2015, with losses to Erica Enders in the Houston finals in April and again to Enders at Bristol in June. Now McGaha finally has his win, having to defeat Enders and a number of heavy hitters along the way.

In the deciding round, McGaha had to make up a slight starting line disadvantage, but was able to power past his opponent by the 200-foot mark and easily motor by for the win. McGaha crossed the stripe with a 6.531-second pass at 212.13 mph, easily besting Gray’s 6.560 at 211.03 mph in the runner-up effort.

“I knew I was going to win as soon as I stuck it in high gear. I knew I was going to beat the car in the second round when I put it in high gear. I knew I beat Jeg (Coughlin) when I put it in high gear (in the semifinals). And I knew I beat (Gray) when I put it in high gear,” McGaha said. “I could see just enough out the window and that is probably why I am so hoarse. I started yelling before I even got to the scoreboards.

“I will never forget that picture in my mind knowing I had it.”

McGaha had little trouble in his road to the final, despite facing a number of heavy hitters along the way. The Texan recorded wins over V. Gaines, Enders and Jeg Coughlin to reach the final, and put together another stellar lap in the championship round. McGaha had passes of 6.530, 6.514, 6.531 and 6.531 on Sunday, with his closest race of the afternoon being a shootout against Enders - a 6.514 to a 6.529.

But as the afternoon wore on, things became easier for McGaha and by the time he reached the final, he wasn’t quite as nervous as he has been in the past.

“It definitely gets easier the more you are there,” McGaha said. “The first time you ever go to a semifinal, you are like wow, there are only four cars. And then the first time you go to a final it is really something realizing you are the last two cars.

“Each time I went up there it got a little bit easier. Hopefully the next time it will be even easier than that.”

Sunday’s Pro Stock battle featured another interesting kink as an above-average number of holeshot victories wreaked havoc on the class in the latter rounds. There were three holeshot wins in round two and another in the semifinals, adding an additional layer of pressure for a quick driver like McGaha.

“I knew I could have been one of those victims if I didn’t get up there and get my part done,” McGaha said. “That always goes through your mind. When you are quick, that is the only way you are going to lose is lose on a holeshot. I was not going to let that happen.”

In addition to the win, McGaha also set the Sonoma track record Friday night with a 6.499-second pass to qualify first.

McGaha’s victory has been several years in the making with a small, tight-knit crew behind the scenes guiding the team.

“Me and crew chief Brian Self, that is pretty much our engine shop. Everybody that is on my team is a crew chief in their own right. Most of us have raced our own cars completely by ourselves, so that really helps us put our heads together and get things done,” McGaha said.

Now McGaha, who made up considerable ground on the top drivers in the championship standings, will shift his focus to the third leg of the western swing next week in Seattle knowing that, no matter what happens, nothing can take away the fact that he is finally a winner in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class.

“It is like a monkey has been taken off my back,” McGaha said. “I hope it is like the number one qualifiers have turned out. It just seems like it got easier to get those the more we had. Hopefully the same thing happens here.

“But I would take just one win. If I never get another one, I will be more than content in this lifetime.”

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