Fresh off his PDRA Northern Nationals victory, Randy Weatherford picked up right where he left off, posting the quickest run in Friday qualifying for the $125,000-to-win IHRA Outlaw Pro Mod Nationals at Darana Dragway – Milan.
Weatherford powered the WS Construction Camaro to a 3.607-second pass at 210.67 mph to take the No. 1 spot in the 32-car Outlaw Pro Mod field.
“It was an interesting pass. That’s the number we were looking for,” Weatherford said. “The pass I made before, I went 3.64, then we came back, worked on the car, and got it tuned up a little bit more, and the track was real good. This puts us in a good spot for race day. We know what we can run, and everybody else knows what we can run, so that makes it tough on them. They’ve got to jump out there and go with it.”
Jason Harris sits a razor-thin second at 3.608 seconds and 207.18 mph.
In Mountain Motor Pro Stock, Dwayne Rice leads the way with a 4.086-second run at 175.23 mph. “We just stepped it up a little bit,” Rice said. “Ron Miller’s been working really hard on the Chevy wedge. We’re the only wedge and the only real Chevrolet in the class. Everybody else runs a Hemi. The pass felt great – it went .966 down low.”
John Montecalvo is second with a 4.091 at 175.71 mph.
Top Sportsman qualifying saw Mike Savoia at the top of the sheets after a 4.030-second pass at 182.48 mph, followed by Bob Mandell III at 4.088 and 181.01 mph.
Friday also featured the 64-car IHRA Top Bulb Shootout for bracket racers. Kara Jo Brank claimed the win on a holeshot, leaving first with a .022 light to opponent Jamie Elrod’s .244. Brank’s 4.713-second pass at 136.94 mph on a 4.67 dial-in held off Elrod’s 4.656 at 149.95, which broke out.
Eliminations are set to begin Saturday, with opening ceremonies scheduled for 3 p.m. and first-round action immediately following. A racer appreciation dinner is set for 6 p.m.
This story was originally published on August 9, 2025. 
