Cummins and Clint Satterfield on his way to meeting fourth-place starter
Jim Sackuvich in an all-nitrous Pro Mod final.
When the lights turned green, Muenks got away first with a .022 holeshot
and led stripe to stripe, finishing an eighth-mile later in 3.71 seconds
at a career-best 204.29 mph in a close match over Sackuvich and his ‘69
Camaro at 3.72 and 204.17 mph.
“All I had to do was do my job on the tree and drive it out the back door,”
Muenks said. “So Jeff Pierce, he put the tune up in it and I was staring
at the moon to the 400 mark, ‘cause the front end was in the air and off
and gone we went, straight as an arrow.”
Muenks’ victory marked the first MWPMS win for a nitrous entry since
Haney earned the series’ 2017 World Finals title at Tulsa Raceway Park.
Joining Muenks and his “Purple Gorilla” teammates in the MWPMS
winner’s circle was 2019 series champion Wells, who suffered an uncharacteristic
first-round loss to California’s Justin Wake. That relegated him
to the unique MWPMS Slammers class for non-qualifiers and those who
don’t make it out of round one, where he went on to beat newcomer Mike
Labbate in the Slammers final.
Shannon Smith, who posted a perfect triple-zero reaction time in the
Top Sportsman final against Lance Abbott, also visited victory lane, as did
16th-place qualifier William Swann over number-one starter Jim Thorp
in Race Star Wheels Top Dragster.
Also part of the Lone Star Nationals were two Jr. Dragster categories
for 8-17 year olds, featuring two separate points races held during the
event on Friday and Saturday night, with the cumulative winner from
both days being awarded an official NHRA “Wally” trophy.
Friday’s Pro Jr. Dragster race was highlighted by an all-girl final in which
Jordan Eperjesi prevailed over Emma Heidkamp, while Tyler Janousek
took the Sportsman Jr. Dragster final over Brody Teague.
On Saturday night, second-generation driver Scottie Taylor, son of
Pro Mod star Frankie “Mad Man” Taylor, beat Brad Bettis in the Pro Jr.
Dragster final to win in his final Jr. Dragster appearance and also capture
the first NHRA “Wally” trophy for the Taylor family. Meanwhile, in
Sportsman Jr. Dragster, Tyler Wells ran dead on his 8.92 dial in to beat
Teague, who broke out in his second-straight final, but also picked up the
Wally for his efforts. DI
June 2020
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