Drag Illustrated Issue 152, January 2020 | Page 76

The Champions of 2019
[ NHRA COMP ELIMINATOR ]
[ NHRA TOP SPORTSMAN ]
Frank
A ragona Jr.
Sandy
Wilkins
V
eteran Competition Eliminator driver Frank Aragona Jr. had a
very specific goal heading into the 2019 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Surpris-
ingly, it wasn’t to win the championship, although that is just what he did after
accomplishing his main objective.
“Winning Indy was probably the biggest moment ever for me, because that was really what
I set out to do this year,” says Aragona, who is now a three-time world champ in the complex
and highly competitive category. “I’d always wanted to win the U.S. Nationals and hadn’t been
able to, so all the rest was pretty much icing on the cake.”
Until Indy, Aragona had won four division races in 2019 but had struggled in terms of the
national score. The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals proved to be the turning point. With
the 10 additional points that came with triumph at the six-round event, Aragona moved into
the points lead.
“We took it from there, won a couple more races, and that sealed the deal,” says Aragona,
who also claimed a national win in Charlotte and was almost perfect overall with seven wins
in eight scored events.
“The biggest challenge is always that you have to be a thousand percent focused,” Aragona
adds. “Drag racing isn’t like NASCAR, where you get to go around the track and make up for
your mistakes. We have a short amount of time, so you have to be completely focused at the start-
ing line and at the end of the track if
you’re going to make it happen.”
Aragona claims the secret to back-
to-back championships is probably a
simple equation.
“I would guess it comes down to
years of experience, having all the
right parts, pieces, and people to help
you, and just being better at the chess
game,” he says. – KELLY WADE
DI DI DI
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
S
andy Wilkins brought home
his first NHRA national title back
to his home in North Carolina in
2019. Wilkins finished No. 1 in
the world in NHRA’s Top Sportsman class, wheel-
ing his Bickel-built ‘69 Camaro to four wins and
two runner-up finishes. He also finished on top
in NHRA Division 2’s Top Sportsman rankings
for the fourth consecutive season.
Wilkins says taking home the Wally at the 50th
annual Gatornationals back in March was one of
his biggest highlights of the year, mostly because
of the prestige that the Gatornationals holds.
Another big highlight was coming out on top at
the Division 1 race at Maple Grove Raceway in
May. This one was important to him because his
crew wasn’t there, and it was just him and his
wife, Michele. It was also his first time racing
in Reading.
Wilkins graduated from college in 1992 with
plans to be a teacher. The first week after grad-
uating, he started working for an engine builder
and he decided that’s what he would do for the
next few years before getting a “real job.” But that
real job never came.
“A few years later, I opened up my own engine
shop, and it was successful,” Wilkins says. “Roush
Yates Engines bought me out, and I went to work
for them for a while. Now I’m in the process of
opening up my own engine shop again.”
Wilkins says he can build pretty much any type
of engine, but he really specializes in those that
most people say can’t be done. He thrives on a
challenge, and recently helped build the engine
that won the 2019 Le Mans race.
Wilkins plans to defend his Top Sportsman
title in 2020. – ALLYSON JOHNSON
DI DI DI
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
Michael Ciborowski
76 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
NMRA LIMITED STREET
//
Dan Ryntz
NMRA FACTORY STOCK
Issue 152