At his home race, John DeFlorian and his Total Seal Piston Rings Chevy Camaro team secured the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock world championship, earned the No. 1 qualifying position and picked up their fourth national event victory of the season at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.
After securing the No. 1 qualifying position on a 6.269-second pass at 223.65 mph, DeFlorian’s JHG Mountain Motor Pro Stock World Championship was determined in the first round of eliminations on Saturday evening when former world champion Johnny Pluchino and his Feather Lite Batteries Ford came up short to Vincent Nobile’s Jersey Auto Supply Chevy.
“I was a basket case after that,” said DeFlorian who after watching Nobile win, picked up a first-round victory with a 6.320-second pass at 222.00 mph over Dennis Firkus’ Done Rite Auto Chevy Cobalt’s 6.421 at 218.94. “I knew we won the championship. I had to try to focus but I had tears in my eyes. It’s overwhelming, the immense amount of pressure is insane and people that don’t do it just don’t get it. I’m here at home and our pits were full of people all weekend, friends and guys I’ve raced with. That was awesome. But it was so much pressure. I’m so grateful but thank god the pressure is over.
“I’m not really even crazy enough to have dreamed this big,” DeFlorian continued. “To have this happen, here in St. Louis the pressure was immense, I didn’t sleep the night before. I couldn’t be any more grateful to all the people that have been on board all the while. Matt Hartford coming on board with Total Seal, they’ve been a huge plus, we wouldn’t have been out here without them, they saved us. Gerber Concrete, Amsoil. I’m beside myself. Thank you NHRA, thank you for giving us the opportunity. I love racing here. This is just the place to be. And right here in St. Louis, oh my god, this is unbelievable. Thank you Jason Johnson and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage for getting behind us and giving us a place to race. And thank you to Curtis Francois who saved this racetrack, we wouldn’t be here without him.”
In the NHRA Midwest Nationals final round, his fifth of the season, DeFlorian’s Total Seal team faced the most recent event winner Nobile. It was just the fifth time the pair have faced each other and the first time in a final round. The Jersey Auto Supply machine would have the starting line advantage but DeFlorian’s 6.342 second run at 221.85 mph was enough to defeat Nobile’s 6.396 at 221.27 mph.
“You can’t make this stuff up. This is what dreams are made of. I told people, you can’t expect something like what we did this weekend. It was magical, absolutely magical. It was meant to be, I guess,” DeFlorian said. “Thank you to the St, Louis race fans. I’ve been racing her since ‘77 and these fans have been through it with me, thick and thin. The St. Louis fans are amazing.”
Following his first round win over Firkus, DeFlorian had a bye in the semifinals. The world champion had a speedy 6.320 second pass at 223.36 mph that earned him lane choice over Nobile in the finals.
Nobile started his day from the No. 3 qualifying position thanks to a 6.346 second run at 221.52 mph. He got past Pluchino (6.381 at 219.26 def. 6.537 at 202.24) in the first round before having a single in the semifinals. Brad Waddle was unable to make the call after breaking during his first round win over Mike Coughlin. Nobile advanced to the second final round of his career after his Camaro shook the tires and coasted to a 16.511 pass at only 48.72.
The eight-race JHG NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock season has officially come to a close with John DeFlorian securing the 2025 world title with four victories this season. Pluchino, the 2024 champion, finished second, 109 points back from DeFlorian.
This story was originally published on September 29, 2025. 
