The IHRA Hot Rod Classic lived up to the hype with a huge debut and plenty of big money distributed over the weekend at Xtreme Raceway Park.
Bringing back a blast from the past, the excitement was at a high level as class racing returned to the International Hot Rod Association, and the sounds of ground-pounding, earth-shaking Pro Mods rumbled down the drag strip. It led to plenty of old-style Texas shootouts in the final round.
John Sullivan from Macon, TN, earned the $6,000 prize for winning the Outlaw Pro Mod final. He won on a holeshot .026 to .168 over Kalispell, MT racer Clyde Scott and his Corvette roared down the eighth mile in 3.729 seconds at 163.70 mph. Sullivan needed the great start as Scott’s Camaro went 210.48 mph on a 3.598-second pass.
Daniel Raff from Royse City, TX, earned the $5,000 big check for the Real Steel N/T victory. Chris Allen, a Monticello AR racer, was the runner-up despite getting off to the .075 to .204 start.
IHRA racers have been waiting a long time for the return of some of their favorite classes, and Larry Harrison from Fort Worth captured the Top Dragster victory when “Big B” Bryan Sandlin from Baytown, TX, was -.007 too quick at the start. Harrison finished with a 4.695-second run at 147.20 mph to earn the $3,000 payout. Sandlin’s efforts offset a powerful 4.43-second pass at 156.63 mph.
Another Baytown racer, Chanse Bullock, also won on a foul to earn $3,000 for his Top Sportsman victory. Bullock rocketed down the strip in 4.31 seconds at 151.31 mph. Final-round opponent Mike Atkinson from Cibolo, TX, was a hair too quick -.004 to trigger the red light before making a 4.988-second run at 139.71 mph.
Quick Rod, Super Rod and Hot Rod all featured $2,000 winners’ purses. Frankie Radake from St. Louis was quick on the start to drive his familiar red and black Camaro to the Quick Rod victory. Radake had a 5.712-second pass at 119.02 mph after a .011 start. Taryn Rickman from Combine, TX, was runner-up in her dragster, going 5.706 seconds at 147.11 mph with a .044 reaction time.
Bryan McClain from Gun Barrell City, TX was the top gun in Super Rod with a winning package of 6.300-second elapsed time at 112.56 mph and a .027 reaction time. Jim Palmer from Crowley, TX provided some serious competition with a 6.301-second run at 114.04 mph and a .030 start.
Mallory Dunaway from Burleson, TX, bested a tough 32-car field in Hot Rod. She got off the line in .014 seconds to .087 for runner-up Sid Marrs to later celebrate in the winner’s circle with her husband and newborn baby. It proved to be the difference Dunaway needed as she finished in 6.912 seconds and 96.53 mph. Marrs, a Forney TX driver, was spot-on against the 6.90 index with a 6.909-second pass at 97.93 mph.
Big-money bracket racing was also on display with $5,000-to-win shootouts for the Box and No Box classes. Jake Howard from Princeton, TX, drove his black Pontiac to the Box victory when Justin Endicott broke out in the final. Howard went down the 1/8-mile in 6.314 seconds at 103.97 mph, paired with a .018 reaction time on his 6.31 dial-in. Endicott, a Burleson, TX driver who won the Gamblers race the night before, had a .004 start but went 6.005 seconds at 114.39 mph against a 6.02 dial.
What a remarkable turnaround for Roanoke, TX racer Kenny Teer, who underwent quadruple-bypass surgery six weeks ago. Saturday night, Teer was in the winner’s circle with family and friends after piloting his red Camaro to the No Box victory. He was on his 6.30 dial-in time with a 6.303-second run at 104.36 mph. Final-round opponent, Daryl “Scooter” Hamlin Jr. from Red Oak, TX, was a little quicker on the start, .019 to .025 but finished right behind a 5.583-second pass at 122.15 mph with a 5.57 dial-in.
The Junior Dragsters also had a shootout with Maddy Poplawski from Midlothian, TX putting together a winning effort of 7.929 seconds and 78.73 mph against a 7.92 dial-in with a .053 reaction time. Colt Saum from Norman, OK, went 7.691 seconds at 83.64 mph on a 7.66 dial-in but fouled by being -.006 too quick at the start.
Papa Freeman from Balch Springs, TX, defeated Richie Rich from Arlington, TX, in the HoT Bikes final. After leaving the tree in .020 seconds, Freeman took a victory lap of 4.57 seconds at 144.23 mph on the bike tuned by “Pee Wee” Freeman.
The IHRA thanks everyone at Xtreme Raceway Park, the IHRA staff working the event, the racers who participated, and partners like Don Baskin Trucking LLC, M&M Transmission, Stroud Safety, Hoosier Racing Tire, Extreme Racing Oil, LJ1 Oil Products and TMF Metal Solutions for a great debut weekend.
Join in the fun when the IHRA Hot Rod Classic returns to action May 2-4 at Darlington Dragway. Click here for a listing of the Darlington HRC schedule, payouts, entry fees and rules.
This story was originally published on April 16, 2024. 
