Angelle Sampey defeated reigning Top Alcohol Dragster world champion Shawn Cowie on her way to a quarterfinal finish at the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
A two-time U.S. Nationals winner in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Sampey returned to Indianapolis pursuing her first victory at the prestigious event in Top Alcohol Dragster. She was also looking to finish what she started in 2024, when a fuel leak derailed her bid for the win in the final round.
Sampey opened qualifying with a 5.563-second pass at 257.97 mph, placing the Hangsterfer’s FVP Mission Foods A/Fuel dragster in the provisional No. 7 position. She followed with a 5.612 at 252.24 during the second session and entered the final qualifying round ranked No. 10.
In her final opportunity, Sampey improved to a 5.449 at 267.69, securing the No. 14 starting position.
That paired the AB Accelerate driver against Cowie in the opening round of eliminations. Sampey gained the starting-line advantage before Cowie moved ahead early in the run. When Cowie encountered tire shake and was forced to pedal his dragster, Sampey reclaimed the lead and powered to the finish line in 5.402 seconds at 269.89 mph to earn the round win.
Sampey faced former Top Fuel driver Richie Crampton for the first time in her career during the quarterfinals. The two were nearly even leaving the starting line, with Crampton recording a .036-second reaction time to Sampey’s .038. Sampey made another consistent run with a 5.414 at 268.65, but she was unable to overcome Crampton’s 5.269 at 264.65.
“I had a really good reaction time – a .038 light – and still got left on because Richie had a .036,” Sampey said. “That shows how tough this class is. The competitors are fierce, the cars are fast, and all of the teams are amazing. I know my team is one of them; we just haven’t had luck on our side yet.
“I’m not going to let myself get down about the fact that I still haven’t gotten that Diamond Wally. I’m going to remind myself how blessed I am to be here and how much fun I’m having. My racing career could have been over, but it’s not, thanks to Antron, AB Motorsports, Hangsterfer’s, FVP, Mission Foods, Impact and the good Lord above. Whether that diamond Wally comes or not, I’m going to keep chasing it and keep having fun.”
Brown and the Michalek Brothers Racing team will head north to compete at the inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan.
