Championship Battles Intensify at Shakedown at M'Town

One of the most unique events on the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series schedule returned to US 131 Motorsports Park as Shakedown at M'Town once again brought together competitors from the Radial Outlaws Racing Series and the Midwest Drag Racing Series.

The co-sanctioned event featured all seven FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series championship classes competing for valuable points alongside Midwest Drag Racing Series Pro Modified, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster competition. The combination created a packed weekend of racing and showcased some of the quickest and most competitive doorslammer racing in the country.

With championship battles continuing to take shape across every class, racers faced strong fields, challenging track conditions, and crucial opportunities to gain ground in the standings.

Radial vs The World

The ProCharger Radial vs The World category featured four of the sport's quickest radial-tire machines. Lyle Barnett qualified No. 1 with a 3.4549-second pass at 217.50 mph and carried that momentum into eliminations.

Barnett opened race day with a win over Kyle Dvorak before defeating Chris Daniel in the final round. Daniel earned his place in the finals by defeating Johnny Camp in the semifinals.

Barnett secured the victory with a 3.4573 at 217.08 mph, while Daniel posted a strong 3.4727 at 216.97 mph in the runner-up effort, collecting valuable championship points in the process.

Pro 275

The LAT Racing Oils Pro 275 class attracted a competitive field led by Luke Smith's 3.6358-second qualifying effort.

Mo Hall put together one of the strongest performances of the weekend, advancing through Brad Edwards, Grantley Schloss, Eddie Harrison, and then facing Lyle Barnett in the final round. Barnett reached the final after defeating Nick Lacerenza and Luke Smith on the top side of the ladder.

In the championship round, Hall drove to a winning 3.6623 at 205.10 mph to defeat Barnett's 4.0912 at 188.52 mph. Hall also recorded the quickest run of eliminations in the class.

Eddie Harrison and Luke Smith finished as semifinalists as the Pro 275 points battle continued to tighten.

Limited Drag Radial

The VP Racing Fuels Limited Drag Radial field featured more than 20 entries and produced some of the closest racing of the weekend.

Jamie Hancock advanced through Keith Rhea, Jay Trisel, and Tommy Youmans to reach the final round. Opposite him was Chad Henderson, who worked through Wally Farbaky, Jamie Stanton, and Shane Stack.

The final round paired Jamie Hancock against Chad Henderson after both drivers put together impressive runs through the ladder. Henderson left too soon and turned on the red light with a -.003 reaction time, handing the advantage to Hancock. Hancock stayed focused and completed the run with a 3.8152 at 187.97 mph to secure the Limited Drag Radial victory at US 131 Motorsports Park.

Shane Stack and Tommy Youmans rounded out the semifinal positions in another strong Limited Drag Radial showing.

X275

The PTE / Jesel X275 category featured a strong 15-car field with Davey Hull leading qualifying after a 4.1072-second effort at 177.10 mph.

Hull backed up that performance on race day, defeating Derek Cooper, Lenny Grawburg, and then Stephen Barnett in the final round. Barnett reached the championship matchup after wins over Anthony Manna, Eric Laferriere, and Hailey Hawes.

Hull sealed the victory with a 4.0573 at 178.78 mph, defeating Barnett's 4.1153 at 175.10 mph.

Grawburg and Hawes finished as semifinalists as Hull added another important win to his championship campaign.

Ultra Street

Ultra Street delivered one of the largest and most competitive fields of the weekend, with 21 entries battling for the victory at US 131 Motorsports Park.

Justin Johnson qualified #1 with a 4.4150-second pass at 160.94 mph, while the rest of the field remained tightly packed as eliminations began.

Filling in for Joe Glockner, who was unable to attend the event, Martin Connelley put together an impressive race-day performance. Connelley defeated Georgina Buckley and Jackson Henderson to reach the final, while Jessie Coulter advanced through Jesse Kernel, Justin Johnson, and Joshua Schwartz on the opposite side of the ladder.

In the final, Connelley delivered a 4.4262 at 161.12 mph to defeat Coulter's 4.4290 at 160.89 mph, securing the Ultra Street victory. As a substitute driver, the championship points earned for the win were awarded to Joe Glockner.

Joshua Schwartz and Jackson Henderson finished as semifinalists in a highly competitive Ultra Street field.

Gangster X

Gangster X continued to showcase one of the most competitive championship battles in the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series.

Top qualifier Scotty Lovell used that momentum to advance through Troy Pirez Jr. and Maddie Malone to reach the final round. On the opposite side of the ladder, Tim Flanders defeated Tim Poston, Trevor Wagner, and Casey Flora to earn his place in the championship matchup.

Flanders captured the victory over Lovell to claim the Gangster X title at US 131 Motorsports Park. Maddie Malone and Trevor Wagner recorded semifinal finishes, adding valuable points to their season totals.

With multiple contenders consistently reaching the late rounds, the Gangster X championship fight remains one of the closest battles in the series heading into the next event.

X255

The SP Tools X255 category delivered another competitive chapter in what has become one of the most closely contested championship races in the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series.

Jonathan Insey advanced through Jeff Wightman and Geoffrey Garrison before meeting Cody Poston in the final round. Poston earned his way into the final by defeating Kevin Robinson, Brad Schehr, and Robert Strong.

Insey secured the victory with a 4.8778 at 144.23 mph to defeat Poston's runner-up effort. Garrison and Strong rounded out the semifinal positions.

As the season progresses, every round win continues to carry significant championship implications, and Insey's victory provided a major boost in the X255 points chase.

Looking Ahead

Shakedown at M'Town once again demonstrated the strength of the partnership between the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series and the Midwest Drag Racing Series, bringing together elite racers from both organizations for one of the most anticipated events of the season.

Victories by Lyle Barnett, Mo Hall, Jamie Hancock, Davey Hull, Martin Connelley, Tim Flanders, and Jonathan Insey added valuable points to their championship campaigns as the race for season championships continues to intensify.

With another major event in the books, teams now turn their attention to the next stop on the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series schedule, the YellowBullet Nationals where every qualifying position, every round win, and every championship point will become increasingly important as the season progresses.