Words and photos by Jeff Burk

An estimated Sunday crowd of 12,000 hard core door-slammer drag racing fans at historic Rockingham Dragway saw Sweden’s Adam Flamholc win the first all-international final round in American Drag Racing League history. Flamholc beat Puerto Rico’s Raymond Matos to win a classic nitrous versus blower final round in the Pro Modified division at Dragpalooza IX, the first race on the 2013 American Drag Racing League tour. 

Driving a fiberglass bodied, streamlined 1967 supercharged Chevrolet Camaro, Flamholc was the recipient of a gift from first-time finalist Matos who had a .207 red light, wasting a superb 3.923/188.81 to Flamholc’s 3.962 seconds at 189.10 mph. 

In the semifinals, Matos drove his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda replica to an upset victory over pre-race favorite Rickie Smith, the six-time former IHRA Pro Stock Champion from King, NC, putting a huge holeshot on Smith who is usually the one who wins races using a starting line advantage to win.  

The veteran Flamholc easily was the top performer of the NHRA rules Pro Modified field, qualifying No. 1 and running the quick time of all four competitive rounds including a race day best of 3.871 seconds. It was Flamholc’s sixth ADRL final since he shipped his car from Malmo, Sweden in 2011, but his first win. It likely won’t be his last but it will be his most emotional.

“My biggest fan was my grandmother,” Flamholc said.  “She passed away two weeks ago and I wand to dedicate this win to her.”