Snider ’ s always had a love of fast cars and his passion quickly led him to the local track where , in the mid ‘ 90s , he began honing his skills . He raced local quick 8 events until he decided to step it up . He went straight to the top , competing in professional eighth-mile drag racing ’ s quickest and fastest category , Pro Extreme . Throughout the PDRA ’ s tenure , Snider has made a serious run at the championship , finishing second in 2014 and fourth in 2015 . After those two narrow misses , Snider told his crew that this would be their year . Those prophetic words started taking hold at the very first race , where Snider not only won the season opener at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park , but reset the Pro Extreme national ET record with a 3.486 - a number that still stands . He continued pounding all season , going to the semi-finals or finals at nearly every event , also scoring six number one qualifier awards along the way . Although defending champion Jason Scruggs put in a strong bid , Snider was not to be outdone . A first round win at the PDRA World Finals solidified his first-ever championship .

“ The last race in Virginia we had to win the first round to seal the championship ,” said the Atmore , Alabama native . “ That was probably my happiest moment all year . If we had gone out that round Jason could have potentially overtaken the championship . But once we won first round I knew we had it won . Jason ended up going to the finals and we did , too . He had engine trouble and we made a clean run with a 3.52 to take the win .

“ We had a really good year that could have been better ; we could have won six of the nine , but stupid stuff happened , whether it was me late on the tree , or this or that . Overall it was a very good year . The car was more consistent this year than it ever has been . We worked the past two years really hard on our engine program to be able to go out and run with Jason and the other top runners . Over the winter we just worked and worked and worked to try to make our engine program better , to build more horsepower . That played a major role in it - me and Jimmy digging , working harder , being on the computer more , figuring out what

the car wants and likes . These hot weather setups on 135 degree tracks where everybody struggles , it would go right down . We worked hard to make the car consistent through June , July and August . And we did , we went rounds . We went to the finals in Michigan , in Maryland , and then won Memphis . That was three hot weather setups in a row we went to the finals ”.

Those events played a key role in Snider ’ s

championship . Getting down the track when others struggled was something Snider prided himself on this season . As the tuner and driver of the car , the former Army National Guardsman combines his on-track and off-track knowledge to finesse his program .

“ When you get into a car to drive that you put the tune-up in , I think you ’ ve got an advantage there because you get to feel what the car does ,

PHOTO : COLE ROKOSKY