The NHRA AllStars event hosted this past weekend in Chicago, IL at Route 66 is something that every single driver has on their bucket list, period.

Aaron Stanfield

To compete in your respected division all year, then go to this event as the only representative for your class to take on the other 6 divisions to see who is the best is one of the biggest honors in the sport. But not only are you competing for yourself, you are competing as a team with the other division reps in the other classes, somewhat like the bracket finals. And in 2018 D4 showed up to play, having 1 driver win and 4 runner-up finishes out of 8 categories, racking up the most points throughout the 3 rounds, crowning them the team champs.

Phil Smida

Aaron Stanfield was able to start his D4 team out hot with a win in Super Stock as James Antonette who was the “blocker” this year turned it -.016 red, giving Stanfield the automatic win with a .028 reaction time. The 10.90 category was next and had D3 rep/champ Phil Smida taking on Don Garbinski out of D1 and Smida was pretty much lights out posting a .020 total package to Garbinski’s .029 light. Garbinski ran close to 10.90 at 10.912 but was no match for Smida who surprisingly made his worst lap in competition after having a .012 package rd1 and a .019 package rd2.

Frank Aragona

Ryan Mangus

Frank Aragona was able to get his 2nd AllStar’s title after going 7.353 (-.649) on his 7.98 index taking out the D4 entry of Craig Bourgeois who ran 6.913 (-.487). The Stock Eliminator title went to Ryan Mangus (D7), but would have went to Joe Sorensen (D6) if NHRA adopted the tru start format as he went -.007 leaving first with a 11.44 dial, while Mangus was a thou quicker at -.008 but had a 9.96 dial in and was already your winner.

Mike Robilotto

Ken Mostowich

Add another D1 win as Mike Robilotto was able to get past 3 of the best 8.90 drivers in the country, taking out D4 rep and reigning WC Austin Williams in the final. With a “10 pack” by Robilotto, Williams day would end with a .023 light and a 8.921 lap. The only repeat winner on the weekend would be by D6 Ken Mostowich in Super Gas as he was able to overcome the reaction time deficit against another D4 racer Jackson Collier. Collier left great with a .002 reaction time but broke out at the stripe, while Mostowich ran dead on 3 to the 9.90 index with a .014 light giving him back-to-back AllStar wins.

Top Sportsman was about the identical race as the one prior with D3 Lester Johnson getting the win light as D4 Bob Gulitti broke out after having a 3 hun advantage out of the gate. Gulitti with a .001 light ran under his predicted dial as Lester Johson ran dead on 3 to his dial after a .031 let go. D2 & 3 would square off in the final final as current WC Lynn Ellison took .001 at the stripe to breakout by -.002, meaning he was mathematically eliminatedwith a .026 bulb. Jeff Strickland made a great pass with a .014 react and ran .011 over the dial at 6.501 giving him his 1st AllStars victory.

Lester Johnson

Jeff Strickland

Photos By – Auto Imagery