Otsego’s Wanamaker Wins NDRL Pro Comp Title; Renfroe Repeats in Mod Production

MARTIN, Mich. – Michigan’s fastest track lived up to its reputation at the 20th annual Honor Credit Union Funny Car Nationals where Mark Micke of Jefferson City, MO, drove his turbo Camaro to a Midwest Drag Racing Series Pro Mod speed record of 229.94 miles per hour en route to a victory that extended his points lead.

Micke’s record followed on the heels of Mark McElwee’s 300 mph run Friday night in the “Buzz’s Nitro Bomber” Pontiac. Unfortunately for McElwee, the parachutes failed to properly deploy at the end of thE run and when he ran it deep into the sand pit, it incurred damage that made it impossible for him to return to defend his nitro Funny Car title.
Joe Haas got the performance nod on Saturday, driving “Nimrod” to a time of 5.07 seconds at a career best speed of 293 mph. The Saturday nitro show also marked the final competitive appearance of veteran Funny Car driver John Lawson of Joliet, Illl., who is retiring after more than 40 years in racing.

Micke beat Aaron Wells of Oklahoma City, Okla., in a Chevy-Ford Pro Mod final after fan favorite Keith Haney of Broken Arrow, Okla., was ousted in the semifinals in his “Black Mamba” Camaro.
Two-time IHRA jet car World Champion Elaine Larsen got the best of defending event champion Josette Roach in the jet dragster feature, her 5.674 and 277.95 mph easily outpacing Roach’s 6.440 at 238.85 mph. Russ Lethbridge of Nanticoke, Ontario, pushed his jet-powered Freightliner truck to a best of 6.505 at 190.52 mph.

In addition to Micke, MDRS winners included Jim Whiteley of Grand Junction, Colo., in Funny Car, Jared Ledford of Greenville in Top Dragster, six-time US 131 track champion Evan Muchler of Grass Lake in Pro Jr. Dragster and Lexie Klinger of Paw Paw in Sportsman Jr. Dragster.

Jim Hayes of Troy, Ohio, a regular in the Nostalgia Drag Racing League, which also was featured, managed one of the most unique doubles in history, winning the NDRL’s Pro 750 title and then winning Top Sportsman in the MDRS event.

Litchfield’s John Renfroe repeated as the NDRL Modified Production champion in his 1967 Chevy Nova, sharing the winners’ circle with Sam Patrick of Sand Point, who drove his “Burning Money” 1937 Chevy to victory in Pro Gas, US 131 regular Justin Wanamaker of Otsego, who prevailed in Pro Comp, and Larry Harlan of Rockport, Ind., who won the Pro 700 title when multi-time series champion, current point leader and pre-race favorite “Rocketman” Robbie Freels of Island, Ky., was upset in the semifinals.

Wanamaker used a .039 package that included a .004 reaction time to get past Shane Rasler of Wolcottville, Ind., in the final round.

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MARTIN, Mich. – Results from the 20th Honor Credit Union Funny Car Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park. Hometowns are Michigan unless otherwise indicated. Results include reaction time, track time, target time when applicable and finish line speed:

MIDWEST DRAG RACING SERIES at the Honor Credit Union Funny Car Nationals:
PRO MODIFIED – Mark Micke, Jefferson City, Mo., 1969 Chevy Camaro, .046, 3.761, 206.90 mph, def. Aaron Wells, Oklahoma City, Okla., 1967 Shelby Ford Mustang, .032, 5.089, 97.74 mph. Semifinalists – Keith Haney, Broken Arrow, Okla., 2020 Chevy Camaro, and Brandon Snider, Atmore, Ala., 1969 Chevy Camaro.
PRO MOD SLAMMERS – Dennis Hagedorn, Kirksville, Mo., .114, 3.755, 199.12 mph, def. Tony Strachan, Boyd, Texas, .149, 3.844, 194.13 mph.
FUNNY CAR – Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 2020 Chevy Camaro, .021, 3.594, 209.50 mph, def. Steve Macklyn, Bountiful, Utah, 2013 Ford Mustang, .176, 3.865, 191.41 mph. Semifinalist – Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., 2022 Chevy Camaro.
TOP SPORTSMAN – Jim Hayes, Troy, Ohio, .021, 4.661 on a 4.630 target, 148.56 mph, def. Jon Vesper, Milan, .069, 4.880 on a 4.870 target, 141.60 mph. Semifinalist – Bruce Barth, Pinckney.
TOP DRAGSTER – Jared Ledford, Greenville, .031, 4.470 on a 4.430 target, 140.80 mph, def. Wade Pennington, Ada, Okla., .046, 5.333 on a 3.920 target, 112.26 mph. Semifinalists – Chuck Sturdivant, Dorr, and Kati Laughter, Noble, Okla.
PRO JR. DRAGSTER – Evan Muchler, Grass Lake, .019, 7.975 on a 7.960 target, 81.88 mph, def. Ethan Klinger, Paw Paw, .015, 9.278 on a 9.230 target, 70.67 mph. Semifinalists — Keaton Couturier, Jenison, and Austin Perrone, Ionia.
SPORTSMAN JR. DRAGSTER – Lexie Klinger, Paw Paw, .133, 10.973 on a 9.400 target, 38.79 mph, def. Ellie Vesper, Milan, .163, 9.023 breakout on a 9.100 target, 72.06 mph. Semifinalist – Cayden Duell, St. Louis, Mo.
JR. DRAGSTER SLAMMERS – Raylin Davis, Ypsilanti, .043, 7.951 on a 7.900 target, 79.91 mph, def. Kenzie Wells, Edmond, Okla., .038, 7.900 breakout on an 8.140 target, 82.51 mph.7.975 on a 7.960 Semifinalist – Jase Wanamaker, Otsego.

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NOSTALGIA DRAG RACING LEAGUE at the Honor Credit Union Funny Car Nationals:
PRO 700 (7.00 target) – Larry Harlan, Rockport, Ind., .032, 7.075, 178.64 mph, def. Scott Braskett, Galena, Ohio, .213, 6.902 breakout, 199.47 mph. Semifinalists – Robbie Freels, Island, Ky., and Michael Hope, Hampshire, Tenn.

PRO 750 (7.50 target) – Jim Hayes, Troy, Ohio, no data, def. Toney Curry, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, no data. Semifinalist – Derek McCuiston, Covington, Ohio.
PRO COMP – Justin Wanamaker, Otsego, .004, 9.035 on a 9.000 target, 137.15 mph, def. Shane Rasler, Wolcottville, Ind., .126, 8.586 on an 8.500, 154.27 mph. Semifinalists – Trevor Messamore, Hanson, Ky., and Dan Snyder, New Boston.

PRO GAS – Sam Patrick, Sand Point, 1937 Chevy roadster, .025, 10.029 on a 10.000 target, def. Eric Kuderik, Lincoln Park, .068, 8.966 breakout on a 9.00 target, 146.01 mph. Semifinalists – Artie Schneider, St. Charles, Mo., and Brian Snyder, New Boston.

MODIFIED PRODUCTION – John Renfroe, Litchfield, 1967 Chevy Nova, .074, 9.524 on a 9.500 target, 124.21 mph, def. Scott Dronkers, Middleville, .045, 10.088 on a 10.000 target, 129.65 mph. Semifinalist – Gary Rollo, Baytown, Texas, 1979 Chevy Monza.

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