Duane Shields (Ron Lewis photo)

Alexis DeJoria (Joe McHugh photo)

Words by Jeff Burk
Photos by Ron Lewis and Joe McHugh

There were seven classes for sportsman racers at the just completed NHRA Spring Nationals held at Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, Texas. The only category not competing at the event was Super Stock, so if you're an NHRA Sportsman race fan, you got a nearly full dose of racing at Houston.

There were some historic moments in the sportsman classes.  In the T/AD class history was made when three second-generation distaff racers, Courtney Force, Brittany Force and Kimmelyn Buff Pesz, all qualified for the 16-car field. Even more impressive was that Courtney Force and Kimmelyn Buff Pesz qualified in the number one and two positions.

There was also a woman in the 16-car Alky Funny Car class as part time AA/Funny Jeep pilot Alexis De Joria made the field in her A/FC. Unfortunately the women were gone by the end of the second round.

A woman driver did claim a “Wally” at the event, however. Illinois racing business owner Jacklyn Gebhardt-Still won the always-tough Comp Eliminator title, driving her seven-second, 200-plus mph AED dragster to a win. 

(Joe McHugh photo)