Kevin Rivenbark

Stevenson, who termed this season the “2013 No Excuses Tour” in the winner’s circle, qualified in the No. 1 spot with a 3.938 and continued to pick up throughout eliminations on Sunday. His topped it off with a weekend-best run in the finals, a thrilling conclusion to a rewarding weekend.

“This is a dream come true. We were the low qualifier, had the top speed and won. It can’t get any better than that,” Stevenson said. “The guys just busted their butts and with Charles (Carpenter) as the crew chief, things are just clicking.

“The car was just running really well. The guys at Reher-Morrison did a great job with the new engines. There’s way more left in it.”

SPORTSMAN ACTION

Bob Gulitti (far lane) became the first-ever winner in Mickey Thompson Top Sportsman, as his 4.40 at 148.76 mph was enough to get past Josh Vettel, who got loose almost immediately.

Gulitti had strong reaction times of .016 and .019 to reach the final, and was consistently in the mid-4.30s to take home the historic win in the class sponsored by Mickey Thompson.

“To win at the inaugural event, it’s just phenomenal. We’ve been looking forward to this since December. We’re on a little roll right now and it feels good,” Gulitti said.