Gulitti Captures 31st Annual Mickey Thompson Million Dollar Drag Race Win

Cory Gulitti claimed the final round win over Lee Zane in the 31st Annual Mickey Thompson Million Dollar Drag Race.

Photos & Recap provided by the Million Dollar Drag Race

MADISON, IL- Eight years of unfinished business, and tonight, Cory Gulitti finished the job. Your 31st Annual Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels Million Dollar Race Winner is CORY GULITTI!

475 entries. $600,000 on the line. A Texas young gun looking for redemption and a two-time NHRA World Champion from New Jersey making his first-ever appearance at the Million.

The young guns have dominated all week long in St. Louis, and the Texas native kept that momentum rolling when the biggest check of the week was on the line. But this one goes way deeper than $600,000!

In 2018, a 17-year-old Gulitti was making a charge through the Million. He made it all the way to the final round before Kenny Underwood stopped him one round short of the Million Dollar Race title.

Eight years later, Cory got another shot, and this time, he finished it.

“Somehow, someway, I did it,” Gulitti said in his winner’s circle interview.

Waiting for him in the final was Lee Zane, and his road to the last pair was a story of its own. The New Jersey racer is certainly no stranger to pressure. Zane is a two-time NHRA Stock Eliminator World Champion and has spent years racing in high-pressure situations with championships on the line. But this week marked something completely new — his first-ever Million Dollar Race, and he made sure nobody would forget it!

Leaving off the bottom bulb, something Zane said he’s done almost his entire career and absolutely lives for, he kept finding ways to turn on win lights as 475 entries dwindled down to two.

“If a cat had nine lives, I used all of them tonight,” Zane said.

By the time Zane reached the bullring to talk the split, he said a calmness came over him. There were no nerves and no feeling of pressure. After years of chasing world championships and racing with everything on the line, things simply clicked.

On the other side was Cory, whose race car had been absolutely killer all day long. And eight years after coming within one round of the title, Cory finally closed the deal.

“For once in my life I think I am speechless,” Cory said in his winner’s circle interview.

It’s rare for Cory’s entire family to be at the same race at the same time, but somehow, for this one, they were all there. Cory thanked his mom and dad for giving him what he called an “opportunity of a lifetime,” along with the long list of sponsors who have supported his racing. He also gave a special thank you to his fiancée Cassie for keeping his head on straight through the entire day.

With Cory and Cassie expecting a baby, the timing of a life-changing $600,000 victory couldn’t be much sweeter – and what a year it’s been! Earlier this season, Cory collected $60,000 with a victory at the Moser Engineering Mini Million in Indianapolis. Now, he’s added the one he’s been chasing since he was a teenager – The Million.

Cory also made a point in the winner’s circle to congratulate the man he had just beaten. He said he grew up watching Zane race and understood how special Lee’s performance was, especially since he doesn’t get the opportunity to travel and race as much anymore.

That respect went both ways.

Zane said having someone of Cory’s caliber acknowledge him and what he’s accomplished throughout his career meant a lot. He wished he could’ve given Cory a better run in the final, but the loss didn’t sting the way some might expect.

“Even though I didn’t win it, I feel like I came out of here a winner and I am completely okay with how the day turned out,” Zane said.

Zane also gave a huge thank you to his wife Marie, who he credited with taking all of the nerves away from him. He joked that one of the most entertaining parts of the night was watching her get more and more nervous as he went deeper into eliminations.

For his first trip to the Million, Lee Zane certainly made it count. But eight years after one of the wildest runs to a Million Dollar final, this night belonged to Cory Gulitti.

A huge congratulations goes out to Cory on his win and Lee on his runner-up. The 31st annual Mickey Thompson Million has been nothing but spectacular and tonight just kept the story going.

We have one more winner to crown tomorrow for the final Summit Racing Equipment Triple 50s. We will kick off with new entry time runs around 8:30 AM CST followed by first round. See everyone in the morning!

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