9/22/2025
Midwest Drag Racing Series
The Smackdown delivers new winners, and a new champion
An exciting weekend at Flying H Drag Strip in Odessa, Mo gave the MWDRS first time winners, new champions, and more! The Mid-West Drag Racing Series came into the penultimate race of the season with close fights in Pro Mod, Pro 4.20, Funny Car, Top Dragster, and a possible clinching scenario in Top Sportsman.
The first major development came to us not long after noon on Saturday as Tyler Wells in Compressed Air Supercharging Top Sportsman became the youngest-ever big car champion in Mid-West Drag Racing Series history. With his first round victory over Doug Woody the Top Sportsman rookie sealed his 4th Mid-West Drag Racing Series championship en route to another win on Saturday night. He eliminated the always stout Kyle Baker in his Willy's in the final round of eliminations to take home the $4,000 prize.
With 2 Zimmerman Sportsman Junior championships and 1 Race Star Wheels Pro Junior championship already to his name, Wells moves past Keith Haney and Rod Moore into the role of the most decorated driver in Mid-West Drag Racing Series history. "When I first started in this car, I didn't think I'd do this good. Actually, I didn't even think I'd win a race, a few rounds was the goal. Winning a championship is pretty crazy," said Wells.
In Race Star Wheels Top Dragster presented by UEM Pistons, it was local Joe Carollo who took his first MWDRS win over Kati Laughter. Carollo piloted his dragster in the high 4.40s with excellent consistency all weekend and nabbed a semifinals victory over championship hopeful Keith Youngblood of Pennington Motorsports.
Laughter was not without accomplishment either this weekend. The runner-up reset the stock block LS Record down to 4.006 seconds with a blistering pass in round 1 of time trials Friday night. Fans at the Ronnie Hobbs World Finals in Tulsa may be in for an additional treat as the Travis Canon and Kati Laughter duo may try and push Pennington Motorsports into the first-ever stock block LS pass in the 3's on Friday night.
Fueltech Pro 4.20 saw a masterful qualifying session for Rich Smith, who grabbed a dead-on 4.200 to make him the Skyview Race Cars #1 Qualifier. The luck would run out for him however as the finals saw Dave Pierce leapfrog Derrol Hubbard in the standings with a finals victory between the two championship hopefuls. The Pierce/Hubbard duel will have to settle the championship in Tulsa.
In J&A Service Funny Car, it was an amazing night for Kyle Smith, as he took home his first MWDRS Victory with a stout 3.644s run over Robbie Massey. Massey made Smith work for it, as he ran a 3.67s run in the beautiful evening air on Saturday night in Kansas City. Smith becomes the 12th first-time winner in MWDRS competition this season with the run. Kyle will throw himself into the mathematical hunt for the Funny Car Championship thanks to some help from Massey, who eliminated the always quick Jim Whiteley in the second round.
In Zimmerman Sportsman Junior, Ryan Clark took the win over Mason Manley for the $500 payout and the always great brundidge family took the $500 for Race Star Wheels Pro Junior thanks to a red light by Brian Stallbaumer.
Stroud Safety Pro Modified gave Robin Roberts his first ever Pro Mod win in front of his home town crowd at Flying H. Roberts looked great from Q1 to E4 as he found himself ahead of the field and the only driver in the 3.50's when opening ceremonies came around. Roberts alongside his wife Melody and crew Allan, Tara, and Brian, were ecstatic to have their first win in front of a stout field.
Keith Haney would earn runner up honors after beating Kallee Mills in the semis, and Jacob McNeal would go out in the semis as well. A round 2 matchup between McNeal and Wells had major championship implications when Aaron Wells couldn't fire to run alongside McNeal. Ryan Griffin took the upset of the evening in his MWDRS Debut in his beautiful Twin Turbo Mustang, beating Shawn Ellington in the first round via red light.
The MWDRS will name champions and set the track ablaze next at the Ronnie Hobbs World Finals in Tulsa October 17-18.
Article Credit: Luke Carpenter
Submitted By: Luke Clevenger
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