The 10th Anniversary Moser Engineering Spring Fling Million presented by OPTIMA Batteries concluded Saturday with the combined Laris Motorsports Insurance and FTI Performance $60,000 race, featuring a record 493 entries. This final event of the week highlighted intense competition at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In the Laris Motorsports Insurance Pro final, Tim O’Moore triumphed over Cole Dickhoff in a close race, both drivers running dead-on their dial-ins. O’Moore’s .020 package in his 1988 Camaro earned him a $2,000 bonus and a custom trophy before he advanced to the Super Pro field.
The semifinal ladder featured Justin Hof, Spencer Massey, Will Holloman, O’Moore, JP Schuster, and Cory Gulitti. Gulitti eliminated Schuster with a .012 total, while O’Moore advanced past Holloman with a .010 package. Massey fouled out, allowing Hof to move into the semifinals.
Hof earned a ticket to the final with a .015 reaction time against O’Moore. In contrast, Gulitti clicked off early on his bye run with a .013 reaction time.
This marked the first appearance in a main event final for both Hof and Gulitti. In the final round, Hof posted a .003 reaction time to Gulitti’s .009, narrowly winning by .001 in a double breakout.
The next stop on the Fling Race Series tour will be at GALOT Motorsports Park in Benson, NC, for the Strange Engineering Spring Fling presented by OPTIMA Batteries from April 22-26, featuring three $50K races.
FRIDAY – COOPER CHUN CROWNED CHAMPION OF MOSER SPRING FLING MILLION
Cooper Chun emerged victorious at the 10th Anniversary Moser Engineering Spring Fling Million presented by OPTIMA Batteries, which featured a record-high 384 entries in Friday’s main event. The impressive car count boosted the progressive payout to $450,000.
In the Laris Motorsports Insurance Pro final, Washington state racers Steve Kelly and Brian McGinnis faced off. A redlight by Kelly allowed McGinnis to collect a $3,000 bonus and a trophy before joining the Super Pro field with nine cars remaining.
The “split” occurred with 18 drivers still in contention, including Kelly, McGinnis, Nathan Jones, and Chad Sandlin. Other notable names included Josh Pickett, Nacho Rivera, and Cooper Chun.
As the field narrowed to nine cars, Moore’s .002 redlight and Jones’s .005 reaction time determined the matchup. Pickett also advanced over McGinnis, while Chun defeated Bloomfield by .008 at the finish.
In the quarterfinals, Pickett advanced after Jones broke out by .009. Chun remained competitive, clocking a .003 redlight but running three thousandths under during his single pass.
The semifinals saw Chun and Barnes nearly tied at the hit, with Chun running a dead-on seven to secure his spot in the final. Pickett, facing a solo shot, encountered a redlight and coasted down the track.
Chun and Pickett, first-time finalist, were separated by three-thousandths on the tree in the final round. Chun’s .005 finish clinched the highest payout in Fling Million history.
Chun, celebrating his recent 21st birthday, recorded an average reaction time of .006 leading into the final. He became the youngest winner in Fling Million history.
FTI Performance Saturday will open with the Spring Fling Reaction Time Challenge at 9:00 a.m., featuring 25 randomly selected drivers. Following the challenge, eliminations for the Laris/FTI $60,000 combined race will resume, starting with the second round.
THURSDAY – GAUGE BURCH WINS $30,000 PURSE AT MOSER SPRING FLING MILLION
The $30,000 race at Moser Engineering Spring Fling Million resumed Thursday at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after weather-related delays. Sunny skies greeted racers, creating ideal conditions for competition.
In the Laris Motorsports Insurance Pro category, Craig Merrilees faced Kayslee Price in the final. A .003 redlight from Price allowed Merrilees to run dead-on five, winning a $1,000 bonus and custom trophy before entering the Super Pro field.
Burch, Logan Shannon, Jiovanni Collecchi, Bradley Johnson, Paul Lorton, and Merrilees advanced to the quarterfinals. Burch triumphed over Shannon with a .008 total, while Merrilees’ starting line advantage helped him move past Collecchi.
Johnson secured a bye to the final with a .002, defeating Lorton, who posted a .017. Burch held onto an .011 advantage in the semifinals to eliminate Merrilees, while Johnson backed up his strong runs with a .006 on his solo pass.
Finalists Burch and Johnson hail from opposite ends of the country, with Burch representing Palmetto, FL, and Johnson from Morrison, CO. Johnson fouled out by just two thousandths, and Burch’s .008 reaction secured the $30,000 prize.
The MrCool DIY King of the Fling Million featured 12 former winners and runners-up, including Jeff Verdi and Spencer Massey. Only the runners-up advanced as the field narrowed.
Massey eliminated Michael Pennington with a perfect launch, while Cultrera bested Serra in a close double breakout. Lobner fouled out against Carr, and at three vehicles, Massey earned a free trip to the finals.
Cultrera drove the Shane Thompson-owned Race Tech dragster, while Massey raced his 1971 Nova. The final came down to a tense finish, with Cultrera winning by .0008 and claiming the $10,000 prize and the MrCool DIY Direct King of the Fling Million trophy.
Silver State Million Dollar Friday kicks off at 8 a.m. with the Brodix Time Run Session, where a perfect run earns $50,000 instantly. Spring Fling Million eliminations will follow, leading to the crowning of the 10th champion.
SILVER STATE 30K ELIMINATIONS CONTINUE AT MOSER SPRING FLING MILLION
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The Silver State $30,000 Wednesday featured 484 entries at the Moser Engineering Spring Fling Million presented by OPTIMA Batteries at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Racing concluded after the second round due to lowered track temperatures and rising humidity.
In response to weather delays and multiple oil downs, the Fling Team has adjusted the schedule. Thursday and Saturday’s $30,000 races will be combined into one $60,000 race.
Laris Motorsports Insurance Thursday will start with a new entry time trial at 8 a.m. Following this, the third round of the Silver State $30,000 race will take place.
Once the $30K is completed, Round 1 and the Buyback Round of the combined $60K race will proceed. Friday’s Million main event will run as scheduled, with the $60K race finishing on FTI Performance Saturday.
The Fling Team thanked Total Venue Concepts and Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dragstrip crews for their efforts in preparing a safe track surface.
TUESDAY – CORY GULITTI WINS 2025 AMERICAN DRAGSTER AT MOSER SPRING FLING MILLION
Advanced Product Design Tuesday kicked off the 10th Anniversary Moser Engineering Spring Fling Million presented by OPTIMA Batteries at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Tuesday. Nearly 500 entries are set to compete for $30,000 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, culminating in the Million Dollar Friday main event.
Time trials coincided with eliminations in a 32-Car Shootout featuring talent from both coasts. Competitors vied for a complete rolling dragster from American Race Cars valued at $68,000, which includes a Riggeal’s Performance carbon body and upgraded AutoMeter digital dash.
In the quarterfinals, Cory Gulitti faced Shane Molinari, Kevin Brannon, Eric Goulden, Will Holloman, Jeff Serra, Chad Broom, and Richard Taylor. Gulitti achieved a .006 reaction time while Goulden’s seven-thousandths redlight eliminated him, and Brannon advanced past Broom, who fouled out.
Taylor defeated Molinari, but Serra clicked it .005 too early, allowing Holloman to advance with a .011 reaction time. In the semifinals, Taylor fouled out, while Gulitti maintained his top performance with a .001 reaction time against Brannon’s .002 redlight.
Gulitti rolled into the burnout box in his 2021 American Shootout prize dragster, seeking to add another to his collection. Brannon, a previous Spring Fling Million Champion, fell short when he redlit, allowing Gulitti to secure the win with a .009 reaction time.
Eliminations for the first of three $30,000 races will begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Prizes will be awarded for best losing packages and reaction times.
Fans can watch the action live on @RaceTheFlings YouTube channel throughout the week, thanks to Hoosier Racing Tires and JEGS Performance. The Fling in-house production crew will use three roaming cameras for enhanced coverage.
BOBBY BENNETT: AND THAT’S THE WAY IT IS … APRIL 29, 2025