Last Updated on March 21, 2026 8:43 pm
Saturday Recap
It’s safe to say Race 1 of the 2026 IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series was a major success with an incredible day of Eliminations from start to finish. Gary Pritchett brought the fireworks to Benson as he turned on the final round win light over Jasmine Salinas, and proceeded to light up the sky with a massive engine explosion in the lights. Still a great first step towards a championship for the Foley team. The Funny Car final was anti-climatic as Dale Creasy Jr. idled to the victory as Terry Haddock was unable to make the call. The Pro Mod Final was door-to-door with Winter Series champ Peter Norton taking a holeshot win over Jason Harris 3.56 to 3.54. The Mountain Motor Pro Stock class shined all weekend, and the final was no different with Johnny Pluchino taking a close victory over Jordan Ensslin 4.041 to 4.051. Cory Reed was the Inaugural Small Tire Bratz winner for Team Buginga taking the win over Bill Lutz. Cinderella story of the weekend was Bruce Mullins winning Top Alcohol Funny Car after grenading an engine in Q1, then using Luck from the Racing Gods to put his Roots-blown equipped entry into the Winners Circle. Dan Fletcher backed up his Gator Nationals Super Stock win with a Stock Eliminator win tonight over Joe Strickland to start off his IHRA season. Other winners on the day include Cameron Hensley (Outlaw Pro Mod), Cody Austin (Fuel Altered), Tony Scott (Pro Stock), Rich McPhillips Jr. (Top Alcohol Dragster), Ryan Peery (Nitro Harley), Anthony Mini (Snowmobile), Joe DiPasquale (Top Dragster), Jay Kirk (Top Sportsman), Jaymes Rawlings (Super Stock), Mitchell Harkey (Quick Rod), Keith Mayers (Super Rod) and Jeremy Bargo (Hot Rod).
IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series
March 19-21, 2026
Darana Motorsports Park – Benson, NC
Top Fuel
Winner – Gary Pritchett
RU – Jasmine Salinas
Semis – Scott Palmer
Semis – Lee Callaway
Final Round: Pritchett .063, 3.080/274 def. Salinas .067, 9.471/54
#1 Qualifier – Jasmine Salinas 3.004
Funny Car
Winner – Dale Creasy Jr.
RU – Terry Haddock
Semis – Del Worsham
Semis – John Smith
Final Round: Creasy 1.711, 13.567/52 def. Haddock NT-DNS
#1 Qualifier – Del Worsham 3.202
Pro Mod
Winner – Peter Norton
RU – Jason Harris
Semis – John Doc
Semis – Jay Cox
Final Round: Norton .026, 3.567/210 def. Harris .093, 3.545/211
#1 Qualifier – Jason Harris 3.543
Mountain Motor Pro Stock
Winner – Johnny Pluchino
RU – Jordan Ensslin
Semis – Jeremy Huffman
Semis – Jerry Tucker
Final Round: Pluchino .029, 4.041/178 def. Ensslin .035, 4.051/176
#1 Qualifier – Alan Drinkwater 4.026
Outlaw Pro Mod
Winner – Cameron Hensley
RU – Randy Weatherford
Semis – Jason Scruggs
Semis – Chevy Reeves
Final Round: Hensley .025, 3.600/204 def. Weatherford .091, 3.569/210
#1 Qualifier – Jason Scruggs 3.518
Fuel Altered
Winner – Cody Austin
RU – Ryan Hill
Semis – Mike Smith
Final Round: Austin .096, 3.721/219 def. Hill .190, 5.023/104
#1 Qualifier – Ryan Hill 3.624
Small Tire Bratz
Winner – Cory Reed
RU – Bill Lutz
Semis – Del Holbrook
Semis – Brad Eglian
Pro Stock
Winner – Tony Scott
RU – Jason Dietsch
Semis – Doug Hamp
Final Round: Scott .128, 5.069/140 def. Dietsch .167, 5.041/141
#1 Qualifier – Tony Scott 4.903
Top Alcohol Dragster
Winner – Rich McPhillips Jr.
RU – Jamie Noonan
Semis – Rachel Curl
Semis – Jackie Fricke
Final Round: McPhillips .021, 3.493/229 def. Noonan .025, 3.545/229
#1 Qualifier – Jamie Noonan 3.472
Top Alcohol Funny Car
Winner – Bruce Mullins
RU – Phil Esz
Semis – DJ Cox
Semis – Mick Steele
Final Round: Mullins .195, 3.743/201 def. Esz NT-DNS
#1 Qualifier – Phil Esz 3.546
Nitro Harley
Winner – Ryan Peery
RU – Chris Smith
Semis – Michael Beland
Semis – Ray Robinson
Final Round: Peery .049, 4.119/184 def. Smith .062, 4.156/185
#1 Qualifier – Chris Smith 4.150
Snowmobile
Winner – Anthony Mini
RU – Rob Lowe
Semis – Kurt Schultz
Final Round: Mini .090, 4.415/162 def. Lowe .162, 4.459/161
#1 Qualifier – Anthony Mini 4.505
Top Dragster
Winner – Joe DiPasquale
RU – Erich Rawlins
Semis – Bode Bennett
Final Round: DiPasquale .012, 4.338 (4.30) def. Rawlins .166, 4.455 (4.45)
#1 Qualifier – Darian Boesch 3.942
Top Sportsman
Winner – Jay Kirk
RU – Nick Cline
Semis – Donnie Gibbs
Semis – Dale Koncen
Final Round: Kirk .021, 4.311 (4.31) def. Cline .038, 4.352 (4.32)
#1 Qualifier – Scott Weis 3.956
Super Stock
Winner – Jaymes Rawlings
RU – Michael Truell
Semis – Russ Ghent
Final Round: Rawlings .052, 5.890 (5.87) def. Truell .042, 5.949 (5.95)
#1 Qualifier – Russ Ghent (SS/JA) -1.225 – 6.175
Stock
Winner – Dan Fletcher
RU – Joe Strickland
Semis – Joseph Huestis
Semis – Kevin Anderson
Final Round: Fletcher .007, 6.982 (6.97) def. Strickland .030, 7.354 (7.34)
#1 Qualifier – Jim Marshall (I/SA) -1.421 – 6.739
Quick Rod
Winner – Mitchell Harkey
RU – Jeff Kundratic
Semis – Ryan Mason
Final Round: Harkey .011, 7.392 (5.70) def. Kundratic -.013, 5.738 (5.70)
#1 Qualifier – Parker Rochelle 5.700
Super Rod
Winner – Keith Mayers
RU – Jamey Abercrombie
Semis – Derrick Willard
Final Round: Mayers .010, 6.421 (6.40) def. Abercrombie .063, 6.380 (6.40)
#1 Qualifier – Keith Mayers 6.406
Hot Rod
Winner – Jeremy Bargo
RU – Camden Cygan
Semis – Chris Webb
Semis – Matt Dadas
Final Round: Bargo .018, 6.995 (7.00) def. Cygan .021, 6.988 (7.00)
#1 Qualifier – Nick Reavis 7.001
Friday Recap
The IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series Pro Classes hit the track for the first time in 2026 on Friday at Darana Motorsports Park in Benson, NC. Jasmine Salinas and the Scrappers Team set a new IHRA Top Fuel Record with a 3.004 ET to earn the #1 Qualifying position heading into Race Day. Del Worsham threw down a stellar 3.202 ET in Q2 to take the top spot in Funny Car from provisional polesitter John Smith. Jason Harris kept up his momentum from The Winter Series by earning the Top Spot in Pro Mod with a 3.543 ET in the Party Time Camaro. Other top qualifiers from the IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series included Alan Drinkwater (Mountain Motor Pro Stock), Jamie Noonan (Top Alcohol Dragster), Phil Esz (Top Alcohol Funny Car), Chris Smith (Nitro Harley), Jason Scruggs (Outlaw Pro Mod), Ryan Hill (Fuel Altered), Tony Scott (Pro Stock) and Anthony Mini (Snowmobile). All Pro-Am classes raced a round of Eliminations Friday morning as each class is in the Quarter Final round heading into Saturday. This event’s Live Stream can be viewed via IHRA on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@IHRATV.
Nitro Q2 Final Top Qualifiers
Top Fuel
1. Jasmine Salinas 3.004
2. Gary Pritchett 3.061
3. Lee Callaway 3.164
Funny Car
1. Del Worsham 3.202
2. John Smith 3.241
3. Terry Haddock 3.253
Q2 Best Run – Worsham 3.202
Pro Mod Q2 Final Top Qualifiers
1. Jason Harris 3.543
2. John Doc 3.558
3. Jason Lee 3.562
4. Kallee Mills 3.566
5. Greg Blevins 3.566
Q2 Best Run – Harris 3.543
Mountain Motor Pro Stock Q2 Final Top Qualifiers
1. Alan Drinkwater 4.026
2. Johnny Pluchino 4.032
3. Chris Powers 4.032
4. Brad Waddle 4.035
5. Jeremy Huffman 4.045
Bump – Elijah Morton 4.100
Q2 Best Run – Drinkwater 4.026
Fuel Altered/Outlaw Pro Mod Q2 Final Top Qualifiers
FA
1. Ryan Hill 3.624
2. Cody Austin 3.675
3. Dan Pettinato 3.990
Q2 Best Run – Hill 3.624
OPM
1. Jason Scruggs 3.518
2. Bubba Stanton 3.522
3. Randy Weatherford 3.576
Q2 Best Run – Scruggs 3.518
Top Alcohol Q2 Final Top Qualifiers
TAD
1. Jamie Noonan 3.472
2. Jackie Fricke 3.484
3. Joey Severance 3.494
Q2 Best Run – Noonan 3.472
TAFC
1. Phil Esz 3.546
2. Chip Beverett 3.602
3. DJ Cox 3.633
Q2 Best Run – Esz 3.546
Thursday Recap
The 2026 IHRA Nitro Outlaw Series season is underway with a full day of Pro-Am action on Thursday at Darana Motorsports Park in Benson, NC. Scott Weis leads the Top Sportsman field into Eliminations with a 3.956 ET in his Corvette. Darian Boesch made the trip from Louisiana and earned the #1 spot in Top Dragster with a 3.942 ET. Other Top Qualifiers included Russ Ghent (Super Stock), Jim Marshall (Stock), Parker Rochelle (Quick Rod), Keith Mayers (Super Rod) and Nick Reavis (Hot Rod). SS, Stock, QR, SR and HR all completed E1 tonight, with E2 on tap in the morning. This event’s Live Stream can be viewed via IHRA on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@IHRATV.
IHRA Pro-Am Top Qualifiers
Top Sportsman – Scott Weis 3.956
Top Dragster – Darian Boesch 3.942
Super Stock – Russ Ghent (SS/JA) -1.225 – 6.175
Stock – Jim Marshall (I/SA) -1.421 – 6.739
Quick Rod – Parker Rochelle 5.700
Super Rod – Keith Mayers 6.406
Hot Rod – Nick Reavis 7.001
