Photos by Dwayne Culpepper, Robert Richard
FRIDAY QUALIFYING – JOON, CREASY, MARX, DEFLORIAN LEAD QUALIFYING AT IHRA OUTLAW NITRO SERIES IN DUNN
Lex Joon and Dale Creasy Jr. topped the qualifying sheets Friday night as the IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series kicked off its weekend at Darana Motorsports Park in Dunn, North Carolina. Joon led the Top Fuel field while Creasy paced Funny Car qualifying, both delivering strong performances under challenging conditions.
Joon, a former FIA European Top Fuel Champion, clocked a 3.160-second pass at 245.32 mph to secure the provisional No. 1 spot. Cameron Ferre followed with a 3.239-second run that produced the top speed of 258.42 mph, with Bernie Plourd, Lee Callaway, and Scott Palmer rounding out the top five.
The moment wasn’t without tension. Joon was staged to run just after Top Fuel veteran Doug Foley lost traction and suffered a hard crash that drew a lengthy cleanup and a collective sigh of relief across the pits.
“That was not easy to see,” Joon said. “You see him going up in smoke, which can happen, and then a big ball of fire, and then, ‘Holy moly.’”
Joon said the crash unfolded while he was strapped into his car awaiting his own run. “They told me, ‘Oh, you can come out, because it’s going to take a while,’” Joon said. “I said, ‘Well, I will stay in the car,’ because I’m really comfortable in my car.”
He sat through the extended delay, trying to stay focused. “I cramped up and thought, ‘Oh, god.’ Finally, it was our turn, and amid everything going on, other cars were having issues too,” he said. “It’s not that you’re scared, but you want everything to be okay.”
When the time came, Joon made his burnout and lined up against Scott Palmer. “I saw Scott sitting there and thought, ‘Okay, here we go,’” he said. “Then one of the guys from the IHRA told me to stop, and I thought, ‘Yeah, it’s a Top Fuel car—you cannot turn it off.’”
Despite the tension, Joon maintained focus. “Gerda told me, ‘You’re on your own,’ and I said, ‘Okay,’” he recalled. “Left the starting line, and the car ran really, really good, finally.”
In Funny Car, veteran Dale Creasy Jr. powered to the top with a 3.212-second run at 277.54 mph. John Smith followed closely with a 3.254-second pass at 267.53 mph. Jacob McNeal and Robert Bode each recorded 3.277-second times, with McNeal’s higher speed of 261.07 mph breaking the tie. Terry Haddock was fifth.
“It means we did our job,” Creasy said. “We’ve been fighting with this thing all year and it’s starting to come around. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day, so you just celebrate what you got and start on the next day.”
Creasy wasn’t certain if this was his first career No. 1 qualifier. “We may have had some back in the IHRA days, but it’s the first one in a long time,” he said. “It gives you a little peace of mind knowing that if everything goes the way we plan, we should do pretty well—but you never know. It’s a nitro car, so sometimes it just doesn’t listen.”
🔥 48-HOUR SALE! 🔥 Odd-lots, short-lots, closeouts & display shirts — all priced to move! 🏁 Get authentic https://t.co/jcAfIG1TiW gear for as low as $10 👕💥
— Competition Plus (@competitionplus) November 6, 2025
When they’re gone, they’re gone!
👉 https://t.co/ZWQRwUgEQb #DragRacing #NHRA #CompetitionPlus #PEAKSquad #Sale… pic.twitter.com/UOWDUKCRSP
John DeFlorian Jr. continued his strong season in Mountain Motor Pro Stock, taking the top spot with a 4.034-second run at 178.50 mph. Jeremy Huffman was close behind at 4.046 seconds and 177.49 mph, while Lenny Lottig posted the fastest speed of the session at 178.73 mph.
“The run was really good,” DeFlorian said. “We were kind of nervous in the staging lanes because we were seeing the dew come in. We watched the tops of the cars to see how heavy the dew was.”
DeFlorian said track activity helped keep the surface dry enough to make a clean pass.
“We really felt like there was an .02 out there for us and missed it just a little on the bottom,” he said. “It was beautiful, straight down Broadway, shift lights popping perfectly. I actually thought someone behind me might get me, but it held on. I’m happy.”
Ed Marx claimed No. 1 in Pro Modified with a 3.568-second run at 210.41 mph. Randy Weatherford followed at 3.570 seconds and a faster 210.93 mph. Marx credited his crew and family for the effort.
“It’s very humbling, an amazing experience,” Marx said. “I’m fortunate to have Mark Savage as my crew chief and my sister Dee Marks here from Florida. It’s been a storybook situation, and we love the IHRA. We love participating here.”
He said success in the Pro Mod class goes beyond numbers. “It’s about chemistry and teamwork,” Marx added. “It’s communication, planning, and all the things that happen off the racetrack. As a part-time racer, I make the most of every run. My business supports this effort, and I feel very blessed.”
In Outlaw Pro Mod, Frankie Taylor blasted to a 3.541-second, 212.13-mph pass to lead the field. Weatherford was again second with a 3.578 at 209.62 mph.
Pro Nitrous qualifying saw Fredy Scriba earn the No. 1 position with a 3.647-second effort at 205.44 mph. IHRA Hall of Famer Rickie Smith followed with a 3.661 at 207.18 mph, the fastest speed of the session.
In Top Alcohol Dragster, Tom Fox Jr. set the pace with a 3.525-second run at 216.31 mph. Megan Smith trailed but posted the top speed of the class at 228.96 mph with her 3.567-second pass.
Phil Esz, who won the most recent Top Alcohol Funny Car event, continued his momentum with a 3.626-second run that edged DJ Cox for the top spot. Mick Steele had the highest speed at 214.62 mph.
Other No. 1 qualifiers included Pete Dove in Fuel Altered, Christopher Smith in Top Fuel Harley, Tony Scott in Factory Stock, and Rob Lowe in Outlaw Snowmobile.
Final eliminations are scheduled for Saturday at Darana Motorsports Park.
LADDERS
FINAL QUALIFYING
WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR WITH FUNNY CAR BUDDY HULL