Battle for the Thrones x Kentucky Clash Delivers Big Wins at US 60 Dragway
The FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series made its first appearance of the season at US 60 Dragway for the Battle for the Thrones x Kentucky Clash, bringing together racers from across the country for a packed weekend of heads-up competition.
While Pro 275, Limited Drag Radial, X275, and Ultra Street competed as featured classes, championship points were awarded exclusively in X255 and Gangster X. Those two classes provided important early-season battles as racers continued their pursuit of the 2026 FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series championships.
When the dust settled, these results emerged from a competitive weekend in Kentucky.
X255
X255 was one of the two classes awarding championship points during the Kentucky weekend and featured an eight-car field.
Top qualifier Bill Kubiac led qualifying with a 4.7465-second effort, but Robert Strong put together the strongest performance when eliminations began. Strong defeated Cody Poston in the opening round and Jonathan Insley in the semifinals to advance to the final against Geoffrey Garrison.
In the championship round, Strong used a .0209 reaction time and a 4.909-second pass at 144.28 mph to defeat Garrison and secure the X255 victory along with valuable championship points.
Gangster X
The largest field of the weekend belonged to Gangster X, where 46 racers filled the ladder and created one of the toughest races of the event.
Josh Arnold entered as the top qualifier, but by race day it was Maddie Malone who put together the winning combination. Malone qualified eleventh and fought through a loaded side of the ladder, defeating Crystal Lynch and Chase Rich before advancing to the final round.
Waiting in the final was Trevor Wagner, who had knocked off Cody Wiggins and Chris Turner to reach the championship matchup. Malone completed her impressive run through the field by defeating Wagner in the final, earning one of the biggest victories of the weekend and collecting important Gangster X championship points.
Pro 275
With only three entries making the trip to US 60 Dragway, LAT Racing Oils Pro 275 came down to a winner-take-all final between top qualifier Mo Hall and Jared Ring.
Hall qualified number one with a 3.636-second pass at 203.07 mph and backed it up on race day, cutting a .019 reaction time and running 3.674 seconds at 201.61 mph to secure the victory over Ring.
Limited Drag Radial
VP Racing Fuels Limited Drag Radial brought together a seven-car field led by top qualifier Shane Stack, who posted a 3.792-second pass at 196.76 mph during qualifying.
Stack carried that momentum into eliminations, advancing through the ladder before meeting Wally Farbaky in the final round. Stack was first off the starting line and drove his Monte Carlo to a winning 3.851 at 196.51 mph to claim the Limited Drag Radial title.
X275
One of the strongest fields of the weekend belonged to X275, where sixteen entries battled for the win.
Davey Hull entered eliminations as the top qualifier after recording a 4.029 at 178.36 mph, but it was second qualifier Eric Laferriere who ultimately found his way to the winner's circle.
Laferriere defeated Jeff Moses, and Ducky Johnson to reach the final, where he faced Hull in a matchup between the top two qualifiers. Hull held the starting-line advantage, but Laferriere's quicker 4.065 at 178.78 mph was enough to take the win and secure the X275 throne.
Ultra Street
Ultra Street brought together a competitive 16-car field at US 60 Dragway, with Jesse Kernel emerging victorious after a strong performance through eliminations.
Jessie Coulter entered as the top qualifier and advanced to the finals with wins over Shawn Pevlor and Joe Glockner. On the opposite side of the ladder, Jesse Kernel worked his way through a challenging path, defeating Meranda Burris in the opening round before advancing past Ryan Grigsby and Joel Greathouse to earn a spot in the final round.
The final matchup paired the top qualifier against a hard-charging Kernel. While Coulter struggled in the final round with an uncharacteristic red light, Kernel delivered a clean pass, running 4.3956 seconds at 159.29 mph to secure the Ultra Street victory and cap off an impressive weekend at US 60 Dragway.
Looking Ahead
With Battle for the Thrones x Kentucky Clash complete, the championship picture in X255 and Gangster X began to take shape as racers added another points race to the 2026 FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series season.
The series now turns its attention to the Shakedown at M'Town event in Martin, MI, where racers will continue their chase for championships and another trip to the winner's circle.
