IHRA Photo
MCPHILLIPS RACING TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER – IHRA OUTLAW NITRO SERIES
DARANA RACEWAY PARK – BENSON, NORTH CAROLINA
EVENT RECAP
Rich McPhillips Jr., driver of the McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster:
* Earned No. 4 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.552
ET at 223.80 mph)
* Secured No. 6 qualifying position in Q2 on Friday (3.547 ET at
225.11 mph)
* Advanced to the Finals on Saturday:
* Round 1: 3.459 ET at 231.04 mph, defeated Joey Severance (3.482 ET
at 220.84 mph)
* Semifinals: 3.477 ET at 228.61 mph, defeated Jackie Fricke (3.676 ET
at 222.18 mph)
* Finals: 3.493 ET at 229.78 mph, defeated Jamie Noonan (3.545 ET
at 229.04 mph)
NOTES OF INTEREST
* The IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series at Darana Raceway Park, formerly known
as Galot Motorsports Park, marked McPhillips’ first Top Alcohol
Dragster victory in the IHRA.
* McPhillips’ Round 1 win ET of 3.459-seconds set a new track record
for elapsed time.
* Darana Raceway Park marked McPhillips’ third final-round
appearance in the IHRA, the most by any Top Alcohol competitor. His
previous final-round appearances came in 2025 at Darana Dragway 42 in
West Salem, Ohio and Darana Dragway in Milan, Michigan.
* McPhillips represented Alan Johnson Performance Engineering, NGK
Spark Plugs, Lucas Oil, ARP, Boninfante Friction, VP Racing Fuels, and
King Bearings on his Top Alcohol Dragster.
* While 2026 marked McPhillips’ first Ironman as a driver, he was
part of another IHRA victory in 1989 when Rich McPhillips Sr. won as a
car owner/crew chief for driver Peter Gallen at Bristol Dragway in
Alcohol Funny Car (see picture below).
* Rich McPhillips Sr. won his own Ironman from the driver’s seat
in 2010 in Grand Bend, Ontario driving Pro Fuel Dragster.
RICH MCPHILLIPS JR., DRIVER OF THE MCPHILLIPS RACING TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
“You can’t explain what it means to win. When the scoreboard lights
up, it’s a great feeling. The great thing about running eighth mile is
you’re able to see who wins. I have to thank all of my guys –
Kenneth, my Pop (Rich McPhillips Sr.), Larry, Earl, and Bill. We were
short crew guys and they all stepped up. This is a team effort and we
raced a great team tonight. It’s always awesome to be able to beat
them. It’s been a couple years since I’ve gotten a trophy, so it
feels good.”
NEXT UP
McPhillips Racing will be back in action at the Lucas Oil NHRA
Winternationals April 9-12 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in
Pomona, California with Melanie Johnson and Anthony Troyer behind the
wheel in Top Alcohol Dragster.