IHRA NITRO JAM AT BATON ROUGE

Words by Larry Crum
Photos courtesy IHRA

Nitro Jam newcomer Hilsabeck grabs win on opening night

Through four races Ron Maroney was darn near unbeatable. That is, until he met Mike Hilsabeck.

In Hilsabeck’s Nitro Jam debut the Fuel Altered racer out of Phoenix, Ariz., upset undefeated Maroney in an exciting final that saw the driver of the “Arizona Thunder” win in a pedal fest to bring the opening night (May 4) of the Mardi Gras Nitro Jam presented by Domino’s Pizza at State Capitol Raceway to a close.

Hilsabeck was joined by winners Bill Evans in Pro Fuel and Jay Turner in Nitro Harley on the first night of action at the Louisiana track. Nitro Jam’s AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car class was cut short of its final due to moisture on the track.

Hilsabeck, a longtime legend in the Fuel Altered category, produced two strong rounds to drive around Kyle Hough in “Nanook” in round one before meeting Maroney in the final. With the exciting – and rather late – evening crossing over into a new day, Hilsabeck and Maroney engaged in a pedal fest that saw Hilsabeck clock a 9.072, 156.73 behind the wheel of his ’23 Roadster to Maroney’s 10.250, 146.17.

In the consolation round Hough drove around Tom Padilla in “Nasty Benjamin” to pick up the round win.