DRO Nostalgia Nitro Challenge at Martin, Michigan

Hartman breaks through with records and first series win

Words and photos by Jeff Burk

DRO AA/FC rookie Richard Hartman with his dad, Virgil Hartman, tuning had a race weekend no other team in the six-year history of the Hedman Husler Hedders DRO Nostalgia Nitro Challenge has enjoyed. A crowd estimated at over 5,000 at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park watched as the South Carolina-based nitro funny car team re-set both the Top Speed and ET record, had Low ET of the meet, won the race and earned 167 out of a possible 170 points that were available at the race.

Hartman not only won the race, beating two-time Champion AA/FC driver/owner Paul Romine in the final with a 5.6044/259.82 to beat Romine's 5.6947/244.96, but that was the quickest side-by-side race in series history. Hartman’s performance backed up both ends of a new DRO series national record that now are 5.686 seconds and 259.62 mph. The old records for quarter-mile were ET 5.707 and Speed 253.72.