Luke Bogacki narrowly missed out on his fourth NHRA world championship after vying fiercely during the final races of the 2024 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Although he fell short of the title, he gained renewed respect for his rivals and insight into the pressures of a championship chase.
“I’m a big goal-setter,” Bogacki said. “But over the years, I’ve tried to specify goals and limit them to things within my circle of influence.”
Bogacki explained that he does not set goals for winning races or championships due to the many variables beyond his control. “One of my goals has been to ‘legitimately pursue an NHRA world championship,'” he noted.
Driving his Corvette roadster in the Super Gas category, Bogacki was ranked No. 5 when he arrived at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He aimed for a strong finish in three remaining races: the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals, the NHRA Pacific Division closer, and the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona.
After the quarterfinals at Las Vegas, Bogacki seized the points lead, but was closely followed by Keith Mayers. Evan Kowalski and Val Torres also remained in contention as the season progressed to its final race.
The competition intensified in Pomona, where Bogacki faced Torres in a critical third-round match. Torres secured victory with a .010-second reaction time and a 9.909-second pass, while Bogacki registered a .013 light and narrowly missed 9.889 seconds.
With the third-round result, Bogacki was tied with Mayers at 613 points. Mayers advanced to round four, eliminating Bogacki from championship contention. Torres went on to win the title, securing his first world championship.
“Even in that moment [in the third round], I found it impossible not to be genuinely happy for Val Torres,” Bogacki reflected. “He got his storybook weekend, and while I didn’t want to be among the victims, his performance was nothing short of incredible.”
Ultimately, Torres and Mayers finished with 624 points each, but Torres won the head-to-head matchups tiebreaker. Bogacki concluded the season ranked third nationally with 613 points.
“In our game, separating performance from results can be a challenge,” he said. “It’s natural to look back on the season and pick out rounds that could’ve, should’ve, would’ve been.”
Bogacki acknowledged the pressure he felt in Pomona, a sensation he had not previously experienced. “I was able to perform in that spotlight. My reaction time varied by just .007, and I executed calls at the finish line well.”
He contrasted this season’s challenges with previous championships won in 2013 and 2014. “Winning a championship is really, really difficult,” he stated. “That idea commands respect for my fellow competitors and makes me appreciate my prior accomplishments even more.”
Bogacki expressed gratitude to his family, supporters, and sponsors, emphasizing the collaborative nature of racing. “Every decal on our car is there for one reason: we depend on these products because we believe they’re the best. At this level, we can’t afford anything less.”
Editor’s Note – Kelly Wade contributed to this article.
