Top qualifier Randy Weatherford ran the table on the competition Saturday, winning the $125,000 IHRA Outlaw Pro Mod Nationals at Darana Dragway – Milan.
Joining Weatherford in the winner’s circle of the prestigious inaugural event was Dillon Voss (Mountain Motor Pro Stock) and Justin Sowders (Top Sportsman).
Weatherford earned a first-round bye and defeated Bubba Greene, Kurt Steding and Robin Roberts to reach the final.
In the championship round, Weatherford faced No. 7 qualifier Kallee Mills, who advanced with wins over Kyle Canion, Robert Davis, Jason Harris and Ken Quartuccio. Weatherford left first with a .024-second reaction time to Mills’ .038 and posted a 3.601-second pass at 210.38 mph. Mills ran 3.604 at 207.47 mph.
“I want this right here,” Weatherford said of the IHRA Ironman trophy. “When you win one, this is life. No one can take it away from you.” He added, “Go win another race. That’s the only way to celebrate, to win another one.”
Voss claimed his first IHRA Ironman in the IHRA’s Mountain Motor Pro Stock division when final-round opponent John Montecalvo timed out at the start. Voss advanced past Kurt Neighbor and No. 1 qualifier Dwayne Rice before running 4.843 at 172.88 mph in the final.
“I was confident,” Voss said. “We’ve been to six final rounds, and we finally got one done.”
Sowders took the Top Sportsman title with a 4.255-second pass at 163.82 mph on a 4.23 dial, edging Mike Badia, who went 4.431 at 159.86 mph on a 4.38 dial.
Howard Michael won the 64-car IHRA Top Bulb Shootout with a .008 reaction time and 4.744 at 143.91 mph. The victory capped a weekend in which he celebrated his birthday, anniversary and first Ironman.
“We’ve been racing 36 years and it’s great to see my wife jumping up and down,” Michael said.
The IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series runs Sept. 3-6 at Darana Raceway – Hebron in Hebron, Ohio.
