Drag Illustrated Issue 178, September / October 2022 | Page 137

NHRA they would boycott the 2008 NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Denver , Colorado , unless the NHRA simply changed to a thousand-feet racetrack , an option PRO felt was both safer and , as noted , offered no increase in expense of operation .
With thousand-feet racing came speeds faster than the previous quarter-mile records and , in return , the NHRA enacted changes in track preparation and mandated engine RPM limiters which immediately dropped speeds nearly eight miles per hour . While some racers approved of the RPM “ limiters ”, others decried the new equipment as damaging the engine nearly as much as adding more nitro . No matter any opinion , it was a bonafide fact the RPM limitation put almost every team on an equal performance standard . Top Fuel was changed into what many referred to as a “ 3.65-second Index ” category while Funny Car became the “ 3.85 Class ”. Both divisions became insanely competitive but the prospect of new records was bleak and , in fact , records in Top Fuel became exceedingly rare and new performance standards ceased altogether in Funny Car Eliminator over the past five years .
After Fuel Injection was introduced into NHRA Pro Stock Eliminator in 2016 as part of an aborted three-year plan to reconfigure the category , the addition of a 10,500 RPM limit , implemented to keep valvetrain costs under control , stopped speeds from coming within two mph of the 215.55 mph record from 2017 and , in actuality , may keep that mark from being broken in the foreseeable future . Extreme Pro Stock Eliminator , contested within the NHRA , PDRA and , on occasion , the ADRL , found the “ mountain motor ” teams instituting a literal freeze on all engine technology back
in 2012 (!) and the class has hovered at 6.20 seconds and 228 mph in the quarter-mile and 4.00 / 180 mph in the eighth for a decade .
Pro Extreme Eliminator , once the quickest and fastest of all Pro Modified permutations , collapsed under its own weight in 2016 and the remaining Pro Modified variations , ( versions contested in the NHRA , PDRA , NEOPMA , MWDRS , ADRL , etc .), are all heavily restricted to keep competition in the area of 5.60 / 260 quarter-mile and 3.60 / 215 eighthmile performances . Outlaw Drag Radial has suffered nearly the same fate as Pro Extreme and even its successor , Pro 275 Eliminator , might become a similar casualty . Because of equalizing restrictions over more than a decade , Top Alcohol Dragster only recently saw its dozen-year old 5.10 elapsed time record broken by a 5.09 and the very existence of Top Alcohol Funny Car Eliminator is waning due to performances which have barely budged over the same period .
However , all is not lost . Several classes , including Pro Stock Motorcycle , X275 , Super Street Motorcycle and the global wars among Six-Cylinder machines , Four-Cylinder racers and even Electric Motorcycles , Dragsters and Production cars still offer truly unrestricted battles for new elapsed time and speed records .
Drag Illustrated plans to continue its Top 8 program but with a more immediate emphasis and greater detail on the new members of each “ club ” in DI ’ s social media and its continued detailed accounts here in the magazine . Drag racing is a still a battle for performance . One needs only know where to look . We ’ re here to guide you to the action !
- BRET KEPNER
OUTLAW DRAG RADIAL ELIMINATOR QUICKEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
RANK E . T . DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
1 3.497 Daniel Pharris Steele AL 3 / 29 / 2021
2 3.499 Jason Lee Cecil GA 2 / 28 / 2022
3 3.505 Steve Jackson Dinwiddie VA 9 / 20 / 2020
4 3.518 David Reese Cecil GA 10 / 17 / 2020
5 3.529 Bryan Markiewicz Cecil GA 4 / 2 / 2021
6 3.542 J . R . Gray Cecil GA 10 / 12 / 2020
7 3.544 Kevin Rivenbark Bradenton FL 12 / 6 / 2020
8 3.546 Melanie Salemi Cecil GA 2 / 15 / 2020
OUTLAW DRAG RADIAL ELIMINATOR FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
RANK M . P . H . DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
1 221.20 Mark Micke Cecil GA 3 / 22 / 2018
2 218.44 Tim Slavens Cecil GA 10 / 18 / 2019
3 217.60 Paul Gargus Cecil GA 3 / 1 / 2022
4 217.60 Paul Major Rising Sun MD 9 / 2 / 2022
5 216.20 Daniel Pharris Cecil GA 3 / 23 / 2018
6 216.10 Ken Quartuccio Cecil GA 10 / 16 / 2020
7 215.89 Mark Woodruff Bradenton FL 1 / 24 / 2020
8 215.31 Steve Jackson Cecil GA 2 / 14 / 2020
X275 ELIMINATOR QUICKEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
RANK E . T . DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
1 4.131 Rob Goss Cecil GA 3 / 1 / 2022
2 4.142 Mike Cerminaro Rising Sun MD 9 / 4 / 2021
3 4.156 Dom DiDonato Cecil GA 4 / 3 / 2021
4 4.156 Ron Rhodes Rising Sun MD 4 / 16 / 2021
5 4.162 John Urist Cecil GA 3 / 1 / 2022
6 4.167 Jamie Stanton Cecil GA 3 / 27 / 2022
7 4.171 Justin Palmer Cecil GA 3 / 26 / 2022
8 4.175 Manny Buginga Dinwiddie VA 9 / 19 / 2020
X275 ELIMINATOR FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
RANK M . P . H . DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
1 181.01 Gary White Cecil GA 4 / 3 / 2021
2 180.07 Mark Meiring Cecil GA 2 / 25 / 2022
3 179.30 Dom DiDonato Dinwiddie VA 4 / 23 / 2021
4 179.24 Jamie Stanton Steele AL 4 / 21 / 2022
5 178.14 Eric LaFerriere Bradenton FL 1 / 31 / 2021
6 176.28 John Urist Cecil GA 3 / 1 / 2022
7 175.62 Manny Buginga Dinwiddie VA 9 / 19 / 2020
8 175.55 Eric Moore Cecil GA 3 / 1 / 2022
UNLIMITED PRO MOD ELIMINATOR QUICKEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
EXTREME TURBO ELIMINATOR QUICKEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
UNLIMITED NITROUS ELIMINATOR QUICKEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
EXTREME PRO STOCK ELIMINATOR QUICKEST & FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
RANK E . T . DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
RANK E . T . DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
RANK E . T . DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
RANK PERF DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
1 3.485 Frankie Taylor Rockingham NC 4 / 5 / 2014
2 3.486 Brandon Snider Tulsa OK 3 / 18 / 2016
1 3.527 Jose Gonzalez Dinwiddie VA 10 / 23 / 2015
2 3.540 Kevin Fiscus Benson NC 4 / 5 / 2016
1 3.542 J . R . Gray Cecil GA 10 / 12 / 2020
2 3.549 Marcus Birt Cecil GA 10 / 17 / 2020
1 4.000 John DeFlorian Dinwiddie VA 10 / 17 / 2021
1 181.20 Jeff Dobbins Dinwiddie VA 10 / 19 / 2018
3 3.492 Jason Scruggs Tulsa OK 3 / 18 / 2016
4 3.496 Terry Leggett Benson NC 11 / 12 / 2016
5 3.497 Daniel Pharris Steele AL 3 / 29 / 2021
3 3.561 Eric Dillard Dinwiddie VA 10 / 14 / 2015
4 3.566 Carl Stevens , Jr . Dinwiddie VA 10 / 24 / 2015
5 3.578 Daniel Pharris Cecil GA 3 / 22 / 2019
3 3.567 Jamie Hancock Brandenton FL 1 / 28 / 2021
4 3.572 Luis de Leon Dinwiddie VA 9 / 20 / 2020
5 3.572 Norman Bryson Cecil GA 2 / 26 / 2022
OUTLAW 275 ELIMINATOR QUICKEST & FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
6 3.499 Jason Lee Cecil GA 2 / 28 / 2022
6 3.592 Khalid Mohammed Sakhir BAH 1 / 18 / 2018
6 3.589 Daniel Ray Brandenton FL 1 / 31 / 2021
RANK PERF DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
7 3.505 Steve Jackson Dinwiddie VA 9 / 20 / 2020
7 3.604 Duaij Fahad Al-Sabah Sakhir BAH 1 / 10 / 2018
7 3.592 Jim Halsey Brandenton FL 12 / 5 / 2020
1 3.667 Shawn Ayers Cecil GA 4 / 2 / 2021
8 3.510 Khalid al Refaei Tulsa OK 3 / 19 / 2016
8 3.618 Kris Thorne Dinwiddie VA 10 / 17 / 2019
8 3.610 Jay Cox Dinwiddie VA 9 / 19 / 2020
1 217.60 Paul Gargus Cecil GA 3 / 1 / 2022
UNLIMITED PRO MOD ELIMINATOR FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
EXTREME TURBO ELIMINATOR FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
UNLIMITED NITROUS ELIMINATOR FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
OUTLAW SIX-CYLINDER ELIMINATOR QUICKEST & FASTEST DRIVERS ( quarter-mile )
RANK M . P . H . DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
RANK M . P . H . DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
RANK M . P . H . DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
RANK PERF DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
1 231.44 Kevin Fiscus Benson NC 4 / 5 / 2016
2 231.24 Jose Gonzalez Rockingham NC 4 / 10 / 2016
1 231.44 Kevin Fiscus Benson NC 4 / 5 / 2016
2 231.24 Jose Gonzalez Rockingham NC 4 / 10 / 2016
1 210.77 Jim Halsey Brandenton FL 12 / 5 / 2020
2 209.23 Lizzy Musi Dinwiddie VA 10 / 22 / 2018
1 5.557 Arnaldo Santiago Budds Creek MD 10 / 5 / 2019
1 262.74 Jomar Gomez Bithlo FL 3 / 6 / 2021
3 230.10 Carl Stevens , Jr . Dinwiddie VA 10 / 24 / 2015
4 225.33 Turki al Zafiri Gilliam LA 5 / 1 / 2015
5 224.92 Eric Dillard Dinwiddie VA 10 / 14 / 2015
3 230.10 Carl Stevens , Jr . Dinwiddie VA 10 / 24 / 2015
4 225.33 Turki al Zafiri Gilliam LA 5 / 1 / 2015
5 224.92 Eric Dillard Dinwiddie VA 10 / 14 / 2015
3 208.72 Jay Cox Darlington SC 10 / 5 / 2019
4 208.52 Tommy Franklin Dinwiddie VA 9 / 20 / 2019
5 207.98 Mike Achenbach Rising Sun MD 5 / 15 / 2021
OUTLAW SIX-CYLINDER ELIMINATOR QUICKEST & FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )
6 223.54 Jason Scruggs Tulsa OK 3 / 19 / 2016
6 222.99 Marc Meadors Bradenton FL 12 / 5 / 2021
6 207.82 Ron Muenks Dinwiddie VA 9 / 20 / 2020
RANK PERF DRIVER SITE STATE DATE
7 222.99 Marc Meadors Bradenton FL 12 / 5 / 2021
7 221.78 Ed Thornton Ferris TX 3 / 17 / 2022
7 207.37 Keith Haney Tulsa OK 10 / 2 / 2021
1 3.693 Arnaldo Santiago Budds Creek MD 10 / 5 / 2019
8 221.78 Ed Thornton Ferris TX 3 / 17 / 2022
8 221.74 Kris Thorne Bradenton FL 12 / 6 / 2020
8 207.18 Marcus Birt Bithlo FL 11 / 9 / 2019
1 210.21 Arnaldo Santiago Budds Creek MD 10 / 5 / 2019
“ SMALL TIRE ” CLASS LEGEND Outlaw 10.5 Eliminator : 10.5W rear tires ; 3000 pound weight minimum . Outlaw Drag Radial Eliminator : Any Drag Radial tires ; no other rules . Outlaw 275 Eliminator : 275 mm rear tires ; no other rules .
X275 Eliminator : 275 mm rear tires ; X275 association . RED HIGHLIGHT INDICATES NEW PERFORMANCE MARK
FOR THE COMPLETE TOP 8 AND MORE , CHECK OUT :
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