Exner, McMasters hoist prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals victories

Landon Exner and Mike McMasters claimed their first NHRA victories at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

BROWNSBURG, IN – The 71st annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals has come to a close after an exciting afternoon of crowning champions, both first-time and veteran. Regardless of what number win it is in their career book, a win at The Big Go is always special and tops the list of accomplishments.

Landon Exner and Mike McMasters sat at the top of the leaderboard, both picking up their first NHRA National event trophies. Exner lit up the scoreboard with an .012 package after an absolutely brutal final round in Super Comp, while McMasters entered the weekend as his first National Event of his career and claimed the trophy at the end of it.

Joining them in the winner’s circle was Bob Bailey (Comp), Tyler Caheely (SS), Jimmy DeFrank (Stock), Jim Prevo (TD), and Darian Boesch (TS).

Read the race recap below to learn more about the winners!

Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals

Competition Eliminator

Bob Bailey took home his 10th NHRA National event Wally and his first at the U.S. Nationals after defeating Doug Engels in the final round. Bailey had the starting line advantage, .036 to .089, and trailed down Engels for the win, running a 6.661 at 183 mph on his personal index of 7.12.

Todd Frantz picked up the semi-finalist spot.

Super Stock

Tyler Caheely drove his Super Stock truck to the winner’s circle, picking up his fifth NHRA National event Wally after defeating Joe Santangelo in the final round. Santangelo was -.005 at the hit, handing the win over to Caheely, who was .012 up front and ran a 9.277 at 127 mph for the trophy.

Tyler Wudarczyk and Mark Sanders were the semi-finalists.

Stock Eliminator

Jimmy DeFrank took his 23rd NHRA National event trophy home to California after defeating Todd Hoven in the final round. DeFrank had the starting line advantage, .003 to .026, and never trailed back for the win. He ran a 10.024 at 130 mph on his 10.01 dial-in for the win.

Joe Santangelo and Paul Stalba were the semi-finalists.

Super Comp

Landon Exner took home his first NHRA National event Wally after defeating Vance Houston in an absolutely brutal final round. Both drivers ran a 8.908 on the 8.90 index, with Exner having the slight starting line advantage by .005 and picking up the trophy.

Devin Isenhower and Jerry Mellis were the semi-finalists.

Super Gas

Mike McMasters visited the winners circle for the first time in his career after defeating Bob Locke in the final round. Locke had the starting line advantage, .009 to .021, but McMasters was able to take the double-breakout win by a little .001. He ran a 9.897 at 164 mph on the 9.90-index to head to the winner’s circle.

Dalton Deffenbaugh and Tim Gillespie were the semi-finalists.

Top Dragster

Jim Prevo won his third NHRA National event Wally after he defeated Holden Laris in the final round. Prevo had the starting line advantage up front, .008 to .051, and turned it into a win-light with a 6.187 at 216 mph on his 6.16 dial-in.

Dylan Hough and JR Baxter were the semi-finalists.

Top Sportsman

Darian Boesch won his sixth NHRA career Wally after he defeated Jimmy Lewis in the final round. Just a coin flip apart on the tree, .027 to .028, Boesch was able to take the stripe to light up the scoreboard. He ran a 6.261 at 228 mph on his 6.24 dial-in to head to the winner’s circle.

Robert Mandell and Bill Yates were the semi-finalists.

An avid racer herself, Megan Strassweg, 28, sees her two worlds collide with DragChamp – journalism and drag racing. Megan resides in Evansville, IN, and she pilots a 2015 American Dragster in the NHRA North Central Division 3 Super Comp series, along with some local bracket racing on the side. Her passion for racing began early, having grown up at the racetrack, and she remains committed to the sport.

You can reach Megan on Facebook or email at megan@dragchamp.com