Southside pro drivers Drew Skillman and Billy Glidden were mired in disappointment until their late qualifying runs in Pro Stock and Pro Mod, respectively.
Skillman opened Sunday’s qualifying round outside of the top 12 but bounced into the top 10 and the 16 finalists with a run of 6.626 seconds (208.81 mph) in a 2015 Camaro.
Drew Skillman’s grandfather Ray Skillman and dad Bill Skillman each claimed class championships in Sportsman competition.
Drew qualified 10th in the Ray Skillman Auto Group Camaro but was edged by Allen Johnson in a 2016 Dodge Dart. Skillman went 6.666 seconds (208.65 mph) but Johnson had a better hole shot and won by less than one foot in the first round.
Glidden, son of NHRA legend Bob Glidden, was locked in third gear on his first run Friday and then ripped off a daring career-best Pro Mod run of 5.83 seconds (254.8 mph) in the Precision turbo-T Camaro. The red and black car veered to the left but Glidden corrected for a run that left wife Shannon Springer Glidden dancing in the warm-up lane.
In Monday’s finals, Glidden reached the semifinals against fast qualifier Troy Coughlin but was defeated by forty-five-thousandths of a second.
Skillman opened Sunday’s qualifying round outside of the top 12 but bounced into the top 10 and the 16 finalists with a run of 6.626 seconds (208.81 mph) in a 2015 Camaro.
Drew Skillman’s grandfather Ray Skillman and dad Bill Skillman each claimed class championships in Sportsman competition.
Drew qualified 10th in the Ray Skillman Auto Group Camaro but was edged by Allen Johnson in a 2016 Dodge Dart. Skillman went 6.666 seconds (208.65 mph) but Johnson had a better hole shot and won by less than one foot in the first round.
Glidden, son of NHRA legend Bob Glidden, was locked in third gear on his first run Friday and then ripped off a daring career-best Pro Mod run of 5.83 seconds (254.8 mph) in the Precision turbo-T Camaro. The red and black car veered to the left but Glidden corrected for a run that left wife Shannon Springer Glidden dancing in the warm-up lane.
In Monday’s finals, Glidden reached the semifinals against fast qualifier Troy Coughlin but was defeated by forty-five-thousandths of a second.
The Skillman family of drag racers brought home class championships in Sportsman competition. Bill Skillman, 2010 Ford 330 (back), qualified sixth overall in Super Stock; father Ray Skillman, 2012 Ford 330, qualified fourth overall in Super Stock and reached the first round in Competition Eliminator in a different Ford.