NHRA PHOTOS Drew Skillman celebrates his first Pro Stock title of the season.
By Al Stilley
Senior staff writer
Drew Skillman claimed his first NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Pro Stock title of the season Sunday in Joliet, Ill., against former teammate Erica Enders.
Skillman, 29, went 209.23 mph (6.627 seconds) against Enders’ 207.27 mph (6.655) at Route 66 Raceway for his fourth career Pro Stock triumph. He drove the Ray Skillman Chevy Camaro. Ray Skillman, who owns numerous Southside auto dealerships, is Drew’s grandfather.
“We’ve struggled all year, but we finally put everything together and took things round by round,” said Drew, the ninth different Pro Stock winner in 13 events this year.
“The Pro Stock division is so close now, but I definitely feel like we have finally gotten where we deserve to be with this win.”
Skillman, manager of Ray Skillman Ford in Greenwood, qualified third to reach the Sweet 16 and then defeated Shane Tucker, teammate Tanner Gray and points leader Bo Butner of Floyds Knobs. Skillman, eighth in points, was runner-up in February to Greg Anderson by nineteen-hundredths of a second in Arizona.
He is in contention for his third straight Countdown to the Championship, with all four pro class qualifiers to be determined at the U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg Aug. 31-Sept. 4.
Pro winners Sunday included Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) Ron Capps (Funny Car) and L.E. Tonglet (Pro Stock motorcycle).
(Note: NHRA media staff contributed to this article.)
Senior staff writer
Drew Skillman claimed his first NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Pro Stock title of the season Sunday in Joliet, Ill., against former teammate Erica Enders.
Skillman, 29, went 209.23 mph (6.627 seconds) against Enders’ 207.27 mph (6.655) at Route 66 Raceway for his fourth career Pro Stock triumph. He drove the Ray Skillman Chevy Camaro. Ray Skillman, who owns numerous Southside auto dealerships, is Drew’s grandfather.
“We’ve struggled all year, but we finally put everything together and took things round by round,” said Drew, the ninth different Pro Stock winner in 13 events this year.
“The Pro Stock division is so close now, but I definitely feel like we have finally gotten where we deserve to be with this win.”
Skillman, manager of Ray Skillman Ford in Greenwood, qualified third to reach the Sweet 16 and then defeated Shane Tucker, teammate Tanner Gray and points leader Bo Butner of Floyds Knobs. Skillman, eighth in points, was runner-up in February to Greg Anderson by nineteen-hundredths of a second in Arizona.
He is in contention for his third straight Countdown to the Championship, with all four pro class qualifiers to be determined at the U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg Aug. 31-Sept. 4.
Pro winners Sunday included Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) Ron Capps (Funny Car) and L.E. Tonglet (Pro Stock motorcycle).
(Note: NHRA media staff contributed to this article.)
Skillman lights ’em up at Joliet, Ill.
RSS Feed
