Nicole Liberty has once again proven her dominance on the dragstrip, winning the 2024 Outlaw 632 Championship at Milan Dragway. Following up on her first championship ever in 2023, Liberty secured her second consecutive title in her Khoury Racing Engines-powered ’99 Firebird at the dragstrip located in Milan, Michigan.
“Coming into this season, we started with a new combination, running a single 36 jet, as we wanted to slowly convert ourselves to more of a PDRA format,” explained Liberty. “The season required a bit more fine-tuning since last year, we were allowed to spray more nitrous, which was advantageous in unfavorable weather conditions.”
The season, however, didn’t start with an immediate win. Liberty and her team made the strategic decision to skip the first race in May to compete at an NMCA event. Despite missing the first race, she dominated the remaining rounds, winning the June, July, August, and September races, which ultimately secured her the championship before the October event.
“We’re skipping the final Milan race to focus on PDRA – it’s a strategic choice for us,” Nicole explained. “But winning four straight races this season was key to clinching the championship.”
Liberty’s 30th birthday weekend proved to be particularly special, as she qualified second during the September race, narrowly missing the top spot. But her team took a calculated risk, trying something new with the motor in the favorable air conditions.
“The car loved it,” Nicole said, where she uses her mechanical engineering degree to design new drivetrain components at the family business, Liberty’s Gears.
“We were having .980 60-foot times, which for us is awesome, and the car kept repeating itself every single run. That consistency is what got us the win.”
She credits her success to a solid support system, highlighting the critical role of her parents and longtime collaborators, Steve Summers, who tunes the car, and his son, Colin, who helps Liberty work on it.
Nicole is also grateful for her sponsors, including NGK Spark Plugs, MBE Cylinder Heads & Manifolds, Energy Manufacturing and Merillat Racing, whose support has been instrumental in her racing journey.
Looking forward, Lieberty has her sights set on the PDRA circuit, aiming to bring one or possibly two cars to the track next year.
“We have two cars set up for me right now, but we’re thinking about getting my dad involved in one of them,” she shared. “We’re ending our season with going to the Haltech World Cup I’m super excited about.”
This story was originally published on September 12, 2024. 
