Ken Quartuccio claimed a $75,000 victory at the U.S. Street Nationals, driving his screw-blown 1969 Camaro to a winning pass of 3.586 seconds at 208.62 mph. His remarkable .001 reaction time helped him defeat 2022 NHRA U.S. Nationals Pro Mod winner Lyle Barnett, who finished with a time of 3.608 seconds at 207.62 mph.
Quartuccio’s track record at Bradenton Motorsports Park is impressive, having previously won the 2023 U.S. Street Nationals and finishing as the runner-up in both the 2024 U.S. Street Nationals and Snowbird Outlaw Nationals. Before the race, he had predicted that his runner-up finishes at the Snowbirds led to success at the U.S. Street Nationals, a prediction that materialized as he took home the title.
“It’s just crazy the level of confidence that I have when I come here,” Quartuccio said. “This is a totally different team than when I runnered-up to Mark Micke last year…but just something about this place is magic for me.”
Throughout the competition, Quartuccio maintained consistency, posting times in the 3.50-second range in every round except one. He noted his slowest elimination pass was 3.607 seconds, which would have also been in the .50s if he hadn’t eased off early.
The victory boosted Quartuccio to 1,210 points in the Drag Illustrated Winter Series standings, with a significant lead over Kye Kelley (896) and Mark Micke (714). “I feel good about it, but…they’re all badasses. I’m going to race this thing hard,” he said regarding his chances for the championship.
In the Pro 275 class, Grantley Schloss, representing Australia, won against Tim Dutton in the final. Schloss began by defeating popular YouTuber Garrett Mitchell, then continued through the rounds to claim victory with a strong 3.672 second pass against Dutton.
Greg Blevins Jr. dominated the Limited Drag Radial class, securing his second consecutive win at BMP with a final run of 3.878 seconds over Jamie Hancock.
In X275, Marty Pearcy won from the No. 13 qualifier, defeating several faster competitors, demonstrating the unpredictability of the class.
Jessie Coulter emerged victorious in Ultra Street, while Eddie Ramirez kept the Limited 235 title in Florida, winning against Australian racer Michael Konstandinou.
Mike Fiorelli achieved his first win in Outlaw 632 by defeating Walter Lannigan Jr. in the final, marking a significant accomplishment for the veteran driver.
The third and final event of the Drag Illustrated Winter series will be the $150,000-to-win World Series of Pro Mod, Feb. 27-March 1 at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
