Drag racing can produce some of the more challenging rollercoaster rides for a straight-line sport. Longtime sportsman racer Jeff Melnick will testify to the ups and downs as he navigated to a challenging PDRA title in the M&M Transmission Pro 632 division while driving for team owner Alan O’Brien.

To think, it was his rookie season.

“I remember the first pass I made in the car, and I thought, ‘Oh boy, what did I get myself into? This is a different animal," Melnick said. "A Liberty 5-speed, heads-up, a Pro tree, just a bunch of different stuff for me."

His most significant challenges were far away from the race track.

The O’Brien family has a longstanding connection with the now-defunct brand through years of fielding AMC-powered cars in various classes. Transitioning from a Procharged Dodge Avenger to a unique AMC small-block powered 2020 Camaro was the easiest part of the equation.

Melnick faced a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis, and the resulting and sometimes grueling chemo treatments made life, much less racing, sometimes unbearable. Yet, Melnick won three times in four final rounds amid the storm.

The season didn't start off stormy, though. Melnick opened at the PDRA East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech at GALOT Motorsports Park, where he defeated 2022 world champion Amber Franklin in the final round. He followed it up with a runner-up finish at the Mid-Atlantic Showdown at Virginia Motorsports Park, losing only to Franklin.

Three races into the season is when Melnick found himself in the battle to end all battles, testing his mettle. He was admitted to the hospital, battling chronic pain. The likely culprit was cancer, but Melnick didn’t let it get him down and instead delivered another triumphant performance, defeating championship runner-up Doug Nicholl in the final round of the Norwalk event.

Battling life's challenges, Melnick's battle against rule changes with threatened his combination nothing more than a hiccup along the way. He won again at the Northern Nationals presented by Talbert Manufacturing at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.

“We came out strong this spring and won some races,” Melnick said. “Then they hit us with the rule changes, and the team never quit. They adapted.”

Melnick’s most intense race of the season occurred at the Red Line Oil Carolina Nationals at Darlington Dragway, where a dead battery led to his only first-round exit. However, he reached the semifinals in the last two races, ultimately securing the championship by only two rounds and one point.

“We had a four- or five-round lead before we lost the first round [at Darlington]. That was gut-wrenching... We were able to extend the points lead at GALOT, then finish the deal off at Virginia.”

Melnick credited O’Brien and the team for their unwavering belief in his driving abilities, even during chemotherapy. He persevered through the treatment's side effects during hot summer races and chilly fall events. Following his diagnosis in late May, Melnick solemnly vowed to battle for the championship and emerged victorious, fulfilling his promise.

“To get that done and hopefully beat the chemo and the cancer and win a championship all in the same season, it’s like a dream come true. It was a nightmare at one time, but a dream come true now.”