The Pro Stock Nationals at Willowbank Raceway delivered record-breaking performances, red lights, upsets and some of the closest racing of the season.
Rob Dekert set the tone in qualifying. In good air, he backed up his 200mph run from the Winternationals, resetting the national speed record and proving the 200mph barrier was no one-off.
The pace was strong throughout the field, with the top four all running in the 6.80s.
Omar Sedmak also made history, setting a new PB and recording his first 6.80. That made him the first Mopar to run in the 6.80s during the unleaded fuel era, leaving Ford as the only manufacturer yet to achieve the feat.
Qualifying form counted for little once eliminations began.
Tyronne Tremayne red-lit against Darryl Stephen in round one, handing Stephen the win before the race had started.
Rob Dekert then faced Thomas Leake. Dekert had the performance advantage but missed the tree, allowing Leake to take the upset and send one of the championship contenders to the other side of the ladder.
John Barbagallo and Sedmak produced another thriller, with JB winning by just 0.001 seconds.
Round two brought another major matchup: Rob Dekert against Aaron Tremayne. Two champions and two of the quickest cars in the field were fighting for a place in the finals, but Tremayne red-lit by 0.001 seconds, ending his A Final hopes and sending Dekert through to the final round with a victory.
Darryl Stephen and Thomas Leake then lined up in the race with the most at stake. Both had one win apiece, with the winner guaranteed a spot in the A Final. Leake held his nerve when it mattered, taking the crucial win with a 6.99 over Stephen’s 7.10.
Barbagallo and Sedmak delivered another close contest. After JB’s 0.001-second win in round one, he beat Sedmak by 0.007 seconds in round two. Across both rounds, Barbagallo’s total winning margin was just 0.008 seconds.
With round two complete, Sedmak received a solo run while Dekert faced Stephen in the C Final. Dekert took the win, securing his place in the finals and completing a strong recovery after his early upset loss to Leake. Both Tremaynes were unable to front for their B Final appearance.
In the A Final, Barbagallo faced Leake for the Pro Stock Nationals victory. Leake had already defeated Dekert and Stephen to reach the final, but JB completed a strong weekend with a 6.93 to Leake’s 6.96.
The win reshaped the championship battle. Although Dekert missed out on an A Final appearance after his early loss, Sedmak was unable to convert his career-best weekend into enough points to retain the championship lead.
Dekert leaves Willowbank back on top of the championship, two points ahead of Sedmak.
With red lights, reaction times and thousandths of a second deciding so much at Willowbank, the championship is set for an intense run to the finish.
