It’s big shows and bright lights all day and night in Las Vegas, where the action never stops. This weekend at “The Strip” at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Top Alcohol fields are going to supply all the action any fan of Alcohol Racing could want. Heading into the Las Vegas race, the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster National Championship is still up for grabs, with many teams looking to make a big statement and build momentum for 2027.
The Stampede of Speed at the Texas Motorplex went well for the DMP Awnings/Kentex Roofing team, losing a close first-round race to Megan Smith. Kirk Wolf was fast, running in the high 5.20s, and the team discovered a big breakthrough in the clutch that has plagued the team on many occasions this year.
Tuner and car owner Dean Dubbin is encouraged by the team’s recent gains.
“The problem that held us back and caused most of our issues this season was right in front of us all along,” said Dubbin. “Like so many things in racing, it was a small detail, but it had a huge effect on the way the car performed.
“Everyone on this team has worked so hard to find consistency in this car,” Dubbin continued. “The round-one loss in Dallas is on me. I made a bad call and made the car too weak on a very good track surface, and it bit us. That won’t happen again. Going into Las Vegas, we are done being conservative! We need to show that this car is a contender again! We all have worked very hard to get this program back on track, and we want to end the year strong in Las Vegas and Pomona.”
A large, talented, and hungry Top Alcohol Dragster field awaits the DMP Awnings/Kentex Roofing Team in Las Vegas. Twenty-one teams are entered in Top Alcohol Dragster, and that’s alright with driver Kirk Wolf.
“The field is going to be big, and fast, and it’s going to be a fight just to make the show,” said Wolf. “With what we discovered at Dallas, I can say with confidence that this car is ready to run some personal best numbers. We just have to make the right calls. Working through our clutch problems, we’ve been a little hesitant to really go for it, but with this field we’re going to have to turn it up and cut it loose. If we get it right, I think we have a car that can win.”
Wolf went on to acknowledge a longtime supporter of the program and team member, Kenny Woods – owner of KENTEX Roofing Systems.
“I want to get a Diamond Wally for Kenny,” said Wolf. “This is his last year racing with us. This team has reached this level because Kenny, Dean, and everyone have worked tirelessly to put a first-class racing operation on the track. This is Top Alcohol racing at its finest, and as a driver, these are the moments you live for. I’m going to do everything I can to bring home that Diamond Wally for Kenny.”
Dubbin was also eager to get a win for team sponsor and crew member Kenny Woods.
“Kenny has been a big part of this program for many years, and we want to thank him by getting him another national event win,” said Dubbin. “I think if we are on our game, we can be around late in the race. We found some things in Texas that really have us eager to get aggressive with the car and see what it can do. Even though Las Vegas is at two thousand feet of elevation, the cool dry air this time of year can produce some really big numbers and great racing. The forecast has some wet weather coming in late Saturday and into Sunday, but this is Las Vegas, so I wouldn’t bet on it, but we will be ready either way.”
Qualifying action for the Top Alcohol Dragsters starts on Friday with two qualifying sessions: the first at 11 a.m. and session number two at around 6 p.m. Qualifying session 3 gets early Saturday morning underway at 10 a.m., followed by the first round of eliminations slated for 6 p.m. Eliminations will continue Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. and progress throughout the day.
Stay tuned to the DMP Awnings and Kirk Wolf social media pages for photos and results from the weekend.
