Chris Holbrook collected his first win of the season in the SAM Tech.edu Factory Stock Showdown following a final round win over reigning series champion Leah Pritchett at the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals.

Holbrook drove his Varsity Ford Cobra Jet Mustang to a 7.977/172.74 lap to defeat Pritchett’s 8.017/171.16 in her Dodge Drag Pak Challenger.

Drew Skillman had earlier clinched the Factory Stock Showdown Championship. Of note is the fact that Holbrook built engines for Skillman, his father Bill Skillman, and Kevin Skinner, also drivers in the series.

Technically, Drew Skillman didn’t qualify for the 16-car field after experiencing problems with his Cobra Jet, but the 10 points that he earned for making a qualifying attempt was enough to put him over the top and put the title out of reach for Arthur Kohn. Skillman’s father, Bill, was the second-ranked driver in Factory Stock, but was unable to enter the event due to a prior commitment; he finished third in points.

Pritchett had a disappointing year and finished number nine in the point standings. Forty-one drivers took part in the series this season.  (Ron Lewis photo) [10/23/19]

No, that’s not a Longhorn. Funny Car winner Matt Hagan and crew pose with an exotic-looking steer in the Winner’s Circle at the Texas Motorplex. Hagan raises cattle on his Virginia farm, but we’d bet he doesn’t have anything like this.  (Ron Lewis photo)  [10/23/19]

Larry “Spiderman” McBride isn’t accustomed to coming from behind to win championships, but if he hopes to secure an unprecedented 20th title by season’s end, that’s exactly what he has to do. A rare first round loss at the opening event in the 2019 ManCup Series presented by Vance and Hines put the veteran from Newport News, VA, in a hole from which many believed he would be unable to extricate himself.

Dave Vantine

Although he still trails nemesis David Vantine in the Top Fuel standings, McBride’s win last month at Darlington put him back in control of his own destiny. All he has to do is keep winning when he returns to Rockingham Dragway (Oct. 26-27) with another title clearly in sight.

A leaner, meaner “Spiderman,” down from 215 to 182 pounds thanks to a new diet and a regular gym regimen, can’t afford to focus solely on Vantine, who has finished second, third or fourth in ManCup points in each of the last six seasons. Also expected to contest the Top Fuel title are Chris Hand of Navou, AL, the winner of Rockingham’s spring race in 2016, veteran Sam Wills of Edmond, OK, Mitch Brown of Clearwater, KS, and international standout Sverre Dahl of Lorenskog, Norway, but the man who could pose the biggest problem for McBride is far more familiar to Rockingham race fans.

Tommy Grimes, who was almost unbeatable at The Rock astride the Top Fuel Harley of the late Ray Price, has been the man up on “The Beast” cycle since the bike’s creator and owner, Per Bengtsson of Klippan, Sweden, was forced to the sidelines by a mild stroke.

Four times “The Beast” has reigned as European Top Fuel Champion (1999, 2003, 2009 and 2011) and while this will be the bike’s fourth Atlantic crossing (seen here in 2017), it will be its first trip to The Rock.  (Tom McCarthy photos)

While the Top Fuel bikes will attract the bulk of the attention, champions will be crowned in 12 other classes, notably Pro Fuel, Pro Street, Real Street, Pro Mod and Pro Open, the latter featuring 2017 Rock winner Niki “Niki Zak” Zakrzewski of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, fastest woman on two wheels after reaching 207.50 mph on a Pro Mod bike last November.

DRO’s own Tom McCarthy will be covering the action.   [10/23/19]