Derek Ward
ROCKINGHAM — Derek Ward, a second generation drag racer from Friendship, Md., drove his supercharged American Pride 1968 Camaro to a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in claiming the featured Xtreme Pro Mod title at the 14th NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals at Rockingham Dragway.
Ward, a regular on the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association circuit, set the qualifying pace at 3.673 seconds, advanced on an opening round bye and then beat Jim Widener of Batesville, Ind., and Tom Blincoe of Bardsville, Ky., for the title, posting quick time of eliminations (3.703 seconds) in the final.
Pre-event favorites Chip King of Roxboro and Robert Abbott of Bowling Green, Fla., both bowed out in the first round. King, who has been racing Pro Mod cars for more than 20 years, is the reigning NMRA/NMCA Xtreme Pro Mod series champion.
Drivers from 12 different states hoisted trophies at the two-day event including Danny Towe of Westminster, S.C., who won the Ford Muscle class in his 1970 Mustang. There were no North Carolina winners although 2020 Rockingham track champ Mark Soles of Delco came close in the Bracket Open class, breaking out by .004 of a second in the final against Darin Emerson of Hicksville, Ohio.
David Fallon Jr. of Belleville, Mich., drove his 2002 Chevy Camaro to victory in Nitrous Pro Street; Chuck Watson II of Grosse Ile, Mich., claimed the Factory Super Car title over Tripp Carter of Memphis, Tenn., in a battle of 2019 Cobra Jet Mustangs; and Justin Palmer of E. Taunton, Mass., won a Ford-Chevy battle for small tire supremacy in X275 at the wheel of his ’93 Mustang.
The joint event attracted cars and drivers from 24 states and Canada including Anthony Lupimacci of Willow Grove, Pa., who drove his 1985 Pontiac Grand Prix to victory in the NMCA Open Comp class, and Terry Haynal of Louisville, Ky., who won the all-Ford version of the same category in his 1995 Mustang.
Charlie Booze Jr. of Marion, Pa., claimed bragging rights among the stick shift mavens by driving his 1990 Mustang to a Coyote Stock final round win over fellow Keystone Stater Shane Stymiest of Waynesboro.
Mike Davis of Monroe, Ga., won the Nostalgia Super Stock title in his 1966 Pontiac GTO and the Nostalgia Muscle Car hardware was snared by Jerry Stamps of Greenwood, Ind., and his 1973 Plymouth Duster. Kurt Anderson of Eau Claire, Wis., was the Chevrolet Performance Street King champ in his 1969 Camaro, and Ed Springstead of Houma, La., won the Hemi Shootout Quick 8 title in his 2015 Dodge Challenger.
Regina Puckett of Panama City, Fla., and Samantha Moore of Brighton, Mich., got the best of the boys in the Proform Rumble and Limited Street classes, respectively, Puckett in a 2010 Camaro and Moore in a 2014 Mustang.
And, finally, the appropriately-monikered John Lightning of New Providence, Pa., won the Ford Truck and Lightning class, guiding his 1999 Lightning past the 2001 model of Bob Dill of Templeton, Pa.