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Nesloney
Grabs First Pro Mod Win, Bellemeur Continues TAFC
Dominance at MWDRS Xtreme Texas Nationals
FERRIS, Texas (March 21, 2022) — The Summit Racing
Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series (MWDRS) presented by
J&A Service began its 2022 season in record-setting
fashion at the Xtreme Texas Nationals, as Dustin Nesloney
(Stroud Safety Pro Mod) and Sean Bellemeur (J&A Service
Top Alcohol Funny Car) raced to victory Saturday night.
Both drivers set personal bests, track records, or series
records on the way to the winner’s circle at Xtreme
Raceway Park.
Stroud Safety’s Tommy Cunningham earned the event win in
Slammers, the second-chance race for Pro Mod competitors
who don’t qualify or lose in the first round.
In the sportsman classes, Rod Moore won in Voss Wheelie
Bars Top Sportsman, while Jessica Ogden was victorious in
Race Star Wheels Top Dragster.
The Xtreme Texas Nationals also included the Jr. Dragster
categories, where Mia Rhodes picked up the B&C Trailers
Jr. Dragster Pro win over Alexis Kesterson in a double
red-light final round. Defending champion Tyler Wells won
in Zimmerman Properties Jr. Dragster Sportsman, using an
8.989 to defeat Kale Moberly, both using an 8.90 dial-in.
PRO MOD
At the 2021 MWDRS season finale, Dustin Nesloney won the
second-chance Slammers race after losing first round in
Pro Mod. An offseason later, Nesloney’s position
completely reversed, as he raced through the toughest
field in MWDRS Pro Mod history to grab his first Pro Mod
win. Nesloney used a holeshot advantage and a 3.579 at
209.21 mph to defeat Daniel Pharris and his 3.577 at
211.07 in the final round.
“It hasn’t really set in yet,” Nesloney said. “There were
29 cars that showed up and we ended up qualifying sixth
and when it was all said and done we walked away with the
win. It was just a heck of a race. It came down to the
tree. It hasn't sunk in yet. We come from the boat racing
world and this is my first true victory in the car.”
Driving his Brandon Stroud-tuned, ProCharger-boosted ‘17
Camaro, Nesloney started eliminations with a 3.638 at
206.80 to beat Ed Thornton. He stepped up to a 3.61 at
207.85 to finish ahead of Todd Martin’s 3.688 at 202.61 in
the second round. A 3.66 at 206.90 gave Nesloney the
semifinal win over defending series champion Joey Oksas,
who crossed the centerline.
On the other side of the ladder, Pharris was continuing to
perform at the high bar he set as the No. 1 qualifier in
his Steve Petty-tuned, ProCharged GALOT Motorsports ’69
Camaro. He won first round with a 3.658 at 208.33, then
improved to a 3.60 at 208.43 to eliminate series founder
Keith Haney in the second round. Pharris then laid down
low E.T. of eliminations, a 3.576 at 210.97, to win over
Taylor Lastor, who was disqualified after shutting off
after the burnout.
In the final round, the pair of Proline-powered drivers
recorded the quickest side-by-side pass in MWDRS Pro Mod
history.
“The final was just unbelievable,” Nesloney said. “I
didn't know we won at first because I got to the other end
and I was calling Brandon on the radio and didn’t hear
back. I knew I didn't red light and I never saw Daniel. I
got out there on him and never saw him. I went through the
traps, got the car shut down, called them on the radio,
then turned the corner and saw the light blinking on the
scoreboard and was like, ‘OK, I guess we won.’ Our crew
and Proline’s whole group had tackled Brandon and they
were celebrating on the starting line. We came out with
this car in October and it already has its first win.”
Nesloney was only planning on running around half of the
eight MWDRS races this season, but his win at the season
opener has him reevaluating that plan.
“I told the crew if we won we're going to Memphis, so I
guess we're going to Memphis now,” said Nesloney, who
thanked tuner Brandon Stroud, crew chief Cody Childress,
Proline Racing’s Eric Dillard and Steve Petty; wife Dena
and children Kaylee and Kendall; and his company, Force
Pressure Control. “We were going to hit both Ferris races
and both Tulsa races. I guess we'll just take it as it
comes and if we keep having results like this, I guess
we're going to run the whole season.”
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
As the back-to-back and defending MWDRS Top Alcohol Funny
Car champion, Sean Bellemeur was the odds-on favorite to
win at the season opener. Bellemeur and the “Killer Bs”
team, led by car owner Tony Bartone and tuner Steve Boggs,
lived up to the hype, qualifying No. 1 and winning the
event with a new series record in the final round.
Bellemeur’s 3.56 at 216.66 defeated Annie Whiteley and her
5.292 at 93.48.
“We put a new car together over the winter and that thing
has been absolutely flawless,” Bellemeur said. “It was
really a picture-perfect weekend. The weather was great,
the fans were great, the performances were really great.
As far as my team and Steve and Tony, what else is there
to say about them? They just continue to rise to the
occasion. When the conditions throw you a fastball and
you're Steve Boggs, you hit it 450 feet. That's exactly
what he did.”
Bellemeur in his Hussey Performance Camaro started
eliminations from the No. 1 spot after recording a 3.578
at 216.03 in qualifying. He earned a first-round bye run,
using it to run a 3.626 at 213.78. He ended up unopposed
in the semifinals as well, dropping a 3.573 at 216.35 to
earn lane choice for the final round.
Waiting for Bellemeur in the final was Whiteley, who
qualified No. 2 in her J&A Service Camaro and had low E.T.
of first round with her 3.613 at 214.59 over Bryan Brown’s
3.701. Whiteley dipped into the 3.50s with a 3.594 at
215.62 in the semifinals, defeating Chris Marshall and his
3.649.
“You're starting to see some cars step up,” said Bellemeur,
who thanked sponsors Hussey Performance, Red Line Oil,
Mastercam, Talon Air, and NGK Spark Plugs. “Annie ran a
.59. Chris Marshall will tell you he's 'struggled' and ran
in the low .60s and really fast. The guys and gals were
cutting killer reaction times. You could definitely see
that they're coming for us, and we welcome it. I think
it's really good for the class and it's going to be really
good for the Mid-West Drag Racing Series. There's going to
be some great racing all year long.”
SLAMMERS
Tommy Cunningham missed the ultra-quick Pro Mod field in
his screw-blown ’67 Mustang, but the Stroud Safety owner
bounced back nicely with a win in the Slammers
competition. He stepped up to a 3.703 over Robert Costa in
the first round and picked up from there, ultimately
ripping off a 3.664 to beat Tony Williams in the final
round.
TOP SPORTSMAN
The Top Sportsman winner was decided on the starting line
in the final round, as Waxahachie’s Melvin Goss left the
line .012 too soon, allowing Rod Moore to race on to
victory despite breaking out with a 4.318 on a 4.34
dial-in. Moore, who was the No. 3 qualifier, previously
defeated J. Yates, Monte Weaver, and Kelly Land on the way
to the final.
TOP DRAGSTER
It was a big weekend for the Ogden family, as defending
event winner Jessica Ogden picked up the win again in Top
Dragster, while her father, James, qualified No. 1 in Top
Sportsman for the first time. In the final round, Ogden
used a .000 reaction time and a 4.379 on a 4.35 dial-in to
defeat Rusty Baxter, who slowed from his 3.87 dial-in to a
4.891. Ogden defeated Jonathan McClain, Steve McDermott,
and Chanse Bullock before getting a bye run in the semis.
The 2022 Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing
Series presented by J&A Service season will continue April
22-23 at the MWDRS Memphis Nationals at Memphis
International Raceway in Millington, Tennessee.
ABOUT MWDRS
The Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series is
an all-eighth-mile drag racing organization with
headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The series is headlined
by Pro Modified and Top Alcohol Funny Car, with additional
classes including Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, and two Jr.
Dragster categories. The 2022 MWDRS schedule consists of
eight national events. For more information on the MWDRS,
visit
www.MidWestDragRacingSeries.com.
Pro Mod winner Dustin Nesloney
Top Alcohol Funny Car winner Sean Bellemeur
Slammers winner Tommy Cunningham
Top Sportsman winner Rod Moore
Top Dragster winner Jessica Ogden
Jr. Dragster Pro winner Mia Rhodes
Jr. Dragster Sportsman winner Tyler Wells
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