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Russell Racing Crew, Adrian, MI (2026)

10/28/2026

🏆 Darana Dragway - Milan — Ethan — October 25th 🏆

After last weekend’s tree troubles, it was great to get back to normal at Darana Dragway – Milan on October 25. And after getting a test pass in with the backup motor following last weekend’s final, we had a much better idea of what to expect from it coming into today.

Ethan was up for his time trial at 10:14 a.m. He cut a great .026 light, and the car ran an 8.91!

At 11:45 a.m., it was time for Round 1—and Ethan got the bye. He may not have been too happy about it, but he still made the most of the run, cutting a .016 light and running an 8.94.

Round 2 was at 12:51 p.m. Ethan was dialed an 8.95 to his opponent’s 8.90. When the tree fell, Ethan cut a stellar .012 light to his opponent’s .136, giving him a huge advantage off the start. At the finish, he had to kill quite a bit, bringing his speed down to 66 mph, but he still got the win with a 9.06 to his opponent’s 8.99.

At 2:23 p.m., Ethan was back for Round 3, dialed an 8.95 to his opponent’s 10.10. He left with a .040 light to .168, giving him another good advantage off the start. At the finish, Ethan gave it a couple of rips and ran an 8.96 for the win while his opponent broke out with a 10.00.

Round 4—the finals—came up at 3:06 p.m. Ethan was dialed an 8.94 to his opponent’s 9.62. We’re not quite sure what happened at the start; Ethan’s .107 light was definitely out of the norm for him, although it was still ahead of his opponent’s .171. It turned into a double-breakout race, with Ethan taking the win by breaking out less: an 8.93 on his 8.94 dial to his opponent’s 9.57 on a 9.62 dial. Ethan parked it on the dance floor and brought home the win!

It was extra special because one of Ethan’s friends from school got to come out and watch him race for the first time. What a fun day to have a friend there to see him take the win!

Bob Slusher Floor & Tile
Affordable Towing & Auto Repair
Danmar Products, Inc.
Whitcher Plumbing & Heating
Soaring Software Solutions, Inc. - TCMax

10/28/2026

🩷 Darana Dragway - Milan — Elena — October 25th 🩷

After last weekend’s tree troubles, it was a relief to arrive at Darana Dragway – Milan on October 25 and find everything fixed and back to normal!

Elena hit the track at 10:18 a.m. for her time trial. She cut a .195 light, and the car ran an 11.97. At 11:49 a.m., she was back up for Round 1 in a heads-up race, with both cars dialed an 11.95. Her opponent had a slight advantage off the tree with a .060 light to Elena’s .096, but Elena turned on her first win light of the day! She ran an 11.97 while her opponent broke out with an 11.94.

Round 2 was at 12:56 p.m. Elena was dialed an 11.94 to her opponent’s 11.90. This time, Elena had the advantage off the tree with a .046 light to .094. Unfortunately, she broke out at the finish, running an 11.92 to her opponent’s dead-on 11.90. No worries—a win, a loss, a quick stop at the buyback window, and she was ready for Round 3!

At 2:27 p.m., Elena was dialed an 11.90 to her opponent’s 14.15. She cut a .071 light, while her opponent went red with a -.142, giving Elena the automatic win. Thankfully, because Elena broke out slightly with an 11.89! That run earned her the bye in the next round.

Her semi-final bye run came at 3:09 p.m. Elena cut a .080 light and ran an 11.89—11.8995, to be precise! That sent her on to the finals.

Round 5 brought another heads-up race, with both cars dialed an 11.90. Elena cut a .064 light to her opponent’s .016, putting her behind off the start. She ran an 11.91 at the finish, but her opponent’s advantage off the tree was enough to take the win with an 11.95. Elena finished the day as the runner-up!

We’re really happy with Elena’s lights throughout the day. Right now, we’re aiming for anything under .100, and aside from her time trial light, she did it every round. That’s a great day of tree work and something to be proud of!

Bob Slusher Floor & Tile
Affordable Towing & Auto Repair
Danmar Products, Inc.
Whitcher Plumbing & Heating
Soaring Software Solutions, Inc. - TCMax

10/28/2026

🚨 What We Found Inside Ethan’s Engine 🚨

The mystery behind Ethan’s engine trouble is solved. After hearing Ethan say the motor didn’t sound right on the return road, Rorric suspected a broken crank. Once he got it opened up, that’s exactly what he found.

Take a look at the photos and video from the teardown.

10/26/2026

💚 Darana Dragway - Milan — Ethan — Sunday, October 18 💚

The day got off to a very late start when the first and second amber lights in the right lane wouldn’t light. After several bulb changes and even switching out the tree, the problem still wasn’t fixed. Rather than cancel racing, the track got creative: they removed the first and second amber bulbs from the left lane, and everyone raced on a Bottom Bulb Pro Tree. Ethan is familiar with pro trees, enjoys racing on them, and does well—but this was his first time on a Bottom Bulb Pro Tree.

Ethan made his time trial pass at 11:40 a.m. and cut a .089 light. The car was on rails and ran an 8.83!

At 1:36 p.m., it was time for Round 1. Both Ethan and his opponent were dialed an 8.90 for a heads-up race. Ethan had the advantage off the tree with a .020 light to his opponent’s .087. Both cars were moving at the top end, and Ethan gave up some—but not quite enough. In a double-breakout finish, Ethan ran an 8.87 to his opponent’s 8.88, breaking out by a little more. He made a quick stop at the buyback window and was ready to try again.

Ethan was back up for Round 2 at 2:51 p.m., dialed an 8.90 to his opponent’s 10.59. He left with a .058 light to his opponent’s .256, giving him a huge advantage. At the finish, Ethan got the win light with an 8.94 while his opponent broke out with a 10.48!

Round 3 came up at 4:13 p.m. Ethan was still dialed an 8.90, facing a 10.43 dial. He cut another good light, .068 to .145, and took the win with a 9.06 to his opponent’s 10.69. Ethan had secured a spot in the finals!

The excitement was short-lived, though. Right after the race, Ethan said the motor didn’t sound right on the way down the return road to the E.T. shack, so he shut it off. Back in the pits, Rorric checked a few things and suspected a broken crank.

Now came the big decision: forfeit the final, or thrash to get the backup motor in and see what happens? Rorric kicked it into high gear, with a little help, and got the swap done just in time for the final round.

The backup motor hadn’t been used in a long time, so choosing a dial was a bit of a guessing game. Its last pass was a 9.06 at a lighter weight than the car was running that day. We figured the added weight would slow it down, and the last thing we wanted was to give Ethan a dial he couldn’t reach.

The final was at 5:16 p.m. Ethan was dialed a 9.22 to his opponent’s 8.91. He had the advantage off the tree with a .041 light to .092. At the finish, though, Ethan broke out with a 9.14, while his opponent ran an 8.99 for the win. Ethan worked hard to get that 9.14, killing quite a bit of the run and bringing his speed down to 57.30 mph from his usual 71–72 mph.

We gave it a valiant effort, and with everything that happened, a runner-up finish was a great way to end the day. After switching to the backup engine and taking the loss in the final, we made a full test pass to see where it was—and wouldn’t ya know it, it was basically right where the main motor was! We’ll share a follow-up post about the broken crank and what Rorric found once he got the engine opened up.

10/26/2026

🩷 Darana Dragway-Milan — Elena — Sunday, October 18 🩷

What started as a day full of tree troubles turned into a new challenge for Elena!

The day got off to a very late start when the first and second amber lights in the right lane wouldn’t light. After several bulb changes and even switching out the tree, the problem still wasn’t fixed. Rather than cancel racing, the track got creative: they removed the first and second amber bulbs from the left lane, and everyone raced on a Bottom Bulb Pro Tree.

That was a first for Elena. The few index races we attended this season only offered an 11.90 index, so she hadn’t had the chance to race her 13.90 car on a pro tree. We made sure she knew what to expect, and Rorric had her deep stage to help her get ready.

After all the troubleshooting and a new plan for racing, Elena finally made her time trial pass at 11:48 a.m. She did amazing for her first pro tree experience, cutting a .181 light and running an 11.91!

At 1:42 p.m., it was time for Round 1. Elena was dialed an 11.90 to her opponent’s 12.75. When the bottom bulb flashed, Elena cut a .191 light to her opponent’s .605, giving her a big advantage. Unfortunately, shortly after the 60-foot mark, her motor shut off. In that moment, your mind starts racing: Did she notice something wrong and shut it off to be safe? Was there a setup issue or something more serious?

Rorric jumped on the Zuma and got her pushed off the track so we could figure out what happened. Thankfully, it turned out to be a quick fix: the manual kill switch had come loose, hit the spark plug, and grounded it out. Elena handled the unexpected shutdown really well—something like that can be scary when you’re on the track and your engine suddenly quits. We got it fixed, bought her back in, and she was ready to give it another go.

In Round 2 at 2:56 p.m., Elena was dialed an 11.90 to her opponent’s 13.95. She cut a .134 light to her opponent’s 1.172, then crossed the finish line with the win, running an 11.94 to their 15.70!

At 4:15 p.m., Elena was back for Round 3, dialed an 11.90 to her opponent’s 13.28. Her opponent cut a .142 light, and we can only guess that when Elena saw their car move or heard them launch, she thought it was her turn to go too! 😂 She earned her first LB3A (Left Before 3rd Amber), bringing her day to an end.

All in all, it was still a great day. Elena adapted to a last-minute change, got her first experience on a pro tree, came back strong after an unexpected mechanical issue, and finished with a semi-final appearance. We’re proud of how she handled it all!

10/12/2026

💚 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘅 𝟮 — 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 — 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟰 💚

Fresh off finally earning his first IHRA Ironman the night before, Ethan returned to Darana Dragway–Milan for Day 2 of the Milan Bux 2 event!

Ethan hit the track for his time trial at 9:53 a.m. He cut a nice .016 light, and the car ran an 8.84 for another great start to the day.

At 11:44 a.m., it was time for Round 1. Ethan was paired with a slower car and dialed an 8.90 against his opponent’s 13.55. After his opponent’s tree dropped, Ethan had to remain at the starting line for another 4.65 seconds before his side of the tree came down.

Waiting that long can make it difficult to stay focused on the tree, but Ethan handled it well! He cut a .058 light against his opponent’s .071, giving him a slight advantage at the start.

At the finish, Ethan ran an 8.89, while his opponent crossed with a 13.46, making it a double-breakout race. Ethan broke out by less, turning on the win light and sending him into Round 2!

Ethan returned at 1:49 p.m., dialed an 8.90 against his opponent’s 9.03. When the tree fell, Ethan grabbed the starting-line advantage with his .059 light against his opponent’s .098.

At the finish line, however, Ethan gave back just a smidge too much. He crossed with an 8.99, while his opponent ran a 9.08, and took the win by only .002 seconds!

That razor-thin margin brought Ethan’s second day of racing to an early end. Sunday may not have produced another trip to the winner’s circle, but after collecting an Ironman the night before, cutting another strong .016 light and losing by only two-thousandths, Ethan still put together one incredible Milan Bux 2 weekend! 💚 🏁 🏆

10/12/2026

🩷 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘅 𝟮 — 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮 — 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟰 🩷

Sunday brought Day 2 of the Milan Bux 2 at Darana Dragway–Milan. Once again, it was an all-run event, with junior racers from every class competing together and another IHRA Ironman waiting for the winner!

Elena hit the track for her time trial at 9:52 a.m. She cut a .093 light, and the car ran an 11.95 for a solid start to the day.

At 11:42 a.m., Elena returned for Round 1, dialed an 11.90 against her opponent’s 8.90. When the tree dropped, Elena left with a .136 light against her opponent’s .066, putting her behind at the starting line. At the finish, Elena ran an 11.93, while her opponent posted an 8.94. It was otherwise a close race, but the reaction-time disadvantage was too much for Elena to overcome, and the win light went to the other lane.

Thankfully, the buyback window was open, so Elena bought back in and prepared for another opportunity in Round 2!

At 1:54 p.m., Elena returned to face another faster car. This time, when her side of the tree dropped, Little Miss absolutely nailed it with an amazing .0071 light! Her opponent left with a .030, giving Elena the advantage from the start.

At the finish line, Elena ran an 11.91, while her opponent crossed with an 8.82. Elena put together an outstanding .020 total package, and the win light came on in her lane!

At 3:47 p.m., it was time for Round 3—but several things went wrong before Elena ever made the pass, none of which were within her control.

First, the wrong car was initially pulled from the staging lanes for the wait-and-see bye. Elena and that driver had recorded identical .0071 reaction times in the previous round. With the lights tied, the bye should have been decided by the better total package—and Elena’s .020 package earned it. Once that was recognized, Elena was correctly pulled aside for the wait-and-see bye.

However, instead of returning the other car to its original position in the lineup, track officials sent it to the back of the line. When the round ultimately had an even number of cars, that same car became Elena’s opponent.

Then, as the two cars prepared to pre-stage, the scoreboards at the finish line had not been updated with their dial-ins. Both cars sat at the starting line running for an extended period while they waited for the numbers to be corrected. Once the boards were finally updated, the drivers were able to stage and prepare for the race.

According to the time slip, Elena went -.185 red, while her opponent left with a .055 light, immediately ending Elena’s race. At the finish line, Elena ran a 12.25, while her opponent posted an 8.92.

However, after reviewing the video several times in slow motion, the recorded -.185 reaction time did not appear to match what we could see. Her incremental times raised additional questions: Elena’s 60-foot, 330-foot and finish-line times were all three-tenths slower than normal.

We cannot say with certainty what happened, but the combination of the video and the unusually consistent three-tenths difference throughout the entire run makes us wonder whether a reflection may have triggered the timing system rather than Elena’s tires actually breaking the beam. We had the same issue happen with Ethan before, so it is at least a possible explanation—but one we have no way to prove after the fact.

It was certainly not the way Elena deserved to have her weekend end, especially after earning the wait-and-see bye with a .0071 light and an outstanding .020 package. Still, she did her job, earned another round win and showed just how quickly she is becoming comfortable with the tree in her faster setup.

Sometimes things happen outside the driver’s control—and unfortunately, that’s bracket racing for ya. We are still incredibly proud of Little Miss and that fantastic .0071 light! 🩷 🏁

10/11/2026

🎃 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘅 𝟮 — 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 — 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯 🎃

The Milan Bux 2 at Darana Dragway–Milan was a two-day special event—and this was not a normal points race! It was an all-run event, meaning the junior racers were not separated by age or class. Instead, everyone from the 7.90, 8.90 and 11.90 classes competed together, with the winner of each day’s race earning an IHRA Ironman.

Ethan has accomplished quite a bit throughout his racing career, but the Ironman is the one trophy that has continued to elude him.

He came close for the first time in 2022, when he finished as the IHRA Division 5 Junior Runner-up. He came close again at an event at Dragway 42, where the winners of the 7.90, 8.90 and 11.90 classes competed in a runoff for the Ironman—but once again, he came up just short.

Needless to say, Ethan entered this race both anxious and excited to see whether this would finally be the day he closed the deal and earned an Ironman of his own!

He started the day with his time trial at 10:07 a.m., cutting an amazing .004 light while the car ran an 8.82. It was an outstanding start at the tree, although the car was running quite a bit faster than we wanted it to!

At 12:54 p.m., it was time for Round 1. Ethan was dialed an 8.90 against his opponent’s 7.97. When the tree fell, Ethan cut a great .015 light against his opponent’s .109, giving him a sizable advantage at the starting line.

What happened downtrack, we are not entirely sure! It appeared that Ethan may have forgotten he still needed to judge the finish line, because he crossed with an 8.84. His opponent ran a 7.96, making it a double-breakout race. Ethan broke out by considerably more, sending the win light to the other lane.

With his Ironman hopes taking an early hit, Ethan was understandably disappointed—but thankfully, the buyback window was open! He bought back in and prepared to give it another shot.

Round 2 took place at 2:58 p.m., and this time Ethan was paired with a slower 11.90 car. Ethan was dialed an 8.90, while his opponent was dialed an 11.90 and left the starting line first. His opponent went -.022 red, while Ethan cut a solid .012 light, giving Ethan the automatic win. At the finish, Ethan ran an 8.84, while his opponent ran an 11.82, with both cars running quicker than their dial-ins.

That .012 light earned Ethan the bye for Round 3 at 4:36 p.m. He kept the 8.90 dial, cut a .020 light and ran an 8.85 on his way into the next round.

At 5:39 p.m., it was time for Round 4. Both Ethan and his opponent were dialed an 8.90, making it a heads-up race. Ethan left with a .062 light, just ahead of his opponent’s .072. Both drivers gave their cars a few rips near the finish, but Ethan came out on top with an 8.90 dead-8, while his opponent ran an 8.92!

After Round 4, racing was paused for the Trunk-or-Treat event. Ethan had some time to enjoy the festivities—but at 8:02 p.m., it was time to put the candy aside and get back to work!

Round 5 was the semifinals, and once again, it was an 8.90 heads-up race. When the tree dropped, Ethan cut a .036 light against his opponent’s .024, putting him slightly behind at the start. At the top end, Ethan gave the car a couple of rips and crossed with an 8.91, while his opponent ran an 8.94. Ethan made up the small reaction-time disadvantage by running closer to his dial, turning on the win light and earning another opportunity to race for the Ironman!

At 8:37 p.m., it was finally time for the final round. Ethan was dialed an 8.90, while his opponent was dialed an 8.06.

When the tree dropped, Ethan cut an incredible .009 light against his opponent’s .116, giving him a huge advantage from the start. At the finish line, Ethan ran an 8.89, while his opponent crossed with an 8.02. Both drivers broke out—but Ethan broke out by less.

The win light came on in Ethan’s lane.

He finally did it—𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗛𝗥𝗔 𝗜𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗻! 🏆

After losing in Round 1, buying back and battling through five more rounds, Ethan finally captured the trophy that had escaped him twice before. From his runner-up finish at the 2022 IHRA Division 5 race, to coming up just short in the Dragway 42 runoff, to standing in the winner’s circle at Milan Bux 2—he never stopped chasing it.

It looks like the saying really is true: 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺!

Congratulations, Big E! That Ironman was a long time coming, and you earned every bit of it! 💚 🏁 🏆

Bob Slusher Floor & Tile
Affordable Towing & Auto Repair
Danmar Products, Inc.
Soaring Software Solutions, Inc. - TCMax
Whitcher Plumbing & Heating

10/11/2026

🎃 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘅 𝟮 — 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮 — 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯 🎃

The Milan Bux 2 at Darana Dragway–Milan was a two-day special event—and this was not a normal points race! Instead of separating the junior racers by age/class, it was an all-run event, meaning every junior raced together. For Elena, that created an entirely new experience as she lined up against cars running several seconds—and more than 25 mph—faster than her!

Elena started Day 1 with her time trial at 10:04 a.m. She cut a .150 light, and the car ran an 11.92.

At 12:42 p.m., it was time for Round 1—and Elena was paired with her first 7.90 car! Elena was dialed an 11.90, while her opponent was dialed a 7.94.

For anyone unfamiliar with bracket racing, Elena’s side of the tree dropped first. Her opponent then had to sit at the starting line for 3.96 seconds before their tree came down. That may not sound like much, but when you are sitting in a race car waiting for the tree, it can feel like an eternity! Once the faster car finally launches, it rapidly closes the gap and catches the slower car near the finish line, making the stripe much more difficult for both drivers to judge.

When Elena’s tree dropped, she cut a .152 light, while her opponent later left with a .095, giving the other driver the reaction-time advantage. However, Elena ran an 11.90 dead-3, while her opponent crossed with an 8.02. Elena’s near-perfect run made up the difference and turned on her first win light of the day!

Whether the other car simply ran slower than expected or its driver gave back too much at the finish line, we may never know—but Elena had just taken out her first 7.90 car!

Round 2 took place at 2:54 p.m., and Elena found herself paired with another 7.90 car. She remained dialed an 11.90, while her opponent was dialed a 7.95.

Elena improved at the tree with a .107 light, moving in the right direction from Round 1. After waiting nearly four seconds for their side of the tree, her opponent went -.003 red, handing Elena the automatic win!

Having to sit and wait for the slower car to leave can make the tree more difficult for the faster driver. We cannot claim that is scientifically proven, but after years of watching junior racing, we have certainly seen it happen plenty of times!

At the finish, Elena ran quicker than anticipated with an 11.85, while her opponent also ran under the dial with a 7.92. The red light had already decided the race, though, and Elena had collected her second win of the day—against her second 7.90 car!

At 4:28 p.m., it was time for Round 3. Elena drew another faster car, although this opponent was from the 8.90 class rather than the 7.90 class. After Elena’s unexpectedly quick 11.85 in the previous round, Rorric added a few pounds to her car—a detail that became rather important later! Elena remained dialed an 11.90, while her opponent was dialed an 8.90.

Elena did an awesome job at the tree, cutting her best light of the day with a .053 against her opponent’s .061 and taking a slight advantage into the race. At the finish, however, Elena ran an 11.95, while her opponent posted an 8.93, giving the win to the other lane.

To say Elena was heartbroken would be an understatement. She had already defeated two 7.90 cars, cut her best light of the day and left ahead of her Round 3 opponent—yet still came up just short because her car slowed down.

As we explained that she had done her job, cut the better light, ran the car all the way out and had absolutely nothing to be upset with herself about, Rorric admitted that he had added weight after her unexpectedly fast pass.

Well…that gave Elena somewhere else to direct her disappointment! She proceeded to read her crew chief the riot act over his decision. 😂

Of course, there was no way to know whether the previous 11.85 was a one-off pass or whether changing conditions meant the car would continue running that quickly. It was a judgment call—and sometimes the crew chief guesses wrong!

Thankfully, Elena’s disappointment did not last long. The moment she was reminded that being finished racing meant she could head to the motorhome, put on her Halloween costume and enjoy the rest of the day before the Trunk-or-Treat event, her excitement quickly returned! 🎃

Elena may not have advanced beyond Round 3, but she collected two wins against cars running nearly four seconds quicker, recorded an 11.90 dead-3 pass, and cut her best light of the day when it mattered. Competing in her first all-run race gave her an entirely new challenge, and Little Miss showed that she was more than ready to take it on! 🩷 🏁

10/08/2026

🏆 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝘄𝗮𝘆–𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻 — 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 — 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟳 🏆

Ethan wasted no time showing that he was ready for race day!

He hit the track for his time trial at 9:58 a.m. and cut a stellar .006 light, while the car ran an 8.88—an incredible run from one end of the track to the other and a fantastic way to start the day!

At 11:58 a.m., Ethan returned for Round 1, dialed an 8.90 against his opponent’s 8.97. When the tree dropped, Ethan grabbed a nice starting-line advantage with his .030 light against his opponent’s .102. At the finish, Ethan ran an 8.91, while his opponent broke out with an 8.94, turning on Ethan’s first win light of the day!

Round 2 took place at 1:57 p.m. Ethan stayed with the 8.90 dial, while his opponent was dialed a 9.75. Once again, Ethan was out front from the start, cutting a .043 light against his opponent’s .124. At the top end, Ethan gave it a few quick rips before crossing the finish line with an 8.98 for the win, while his opponent ran a 9.77.

Ethan was back for Round 3 at 3:41 p.m., once again dialed an 8.90 against his opponent’s 9.08. When the tree fell, Ethan cut a .050 light to his opponent’s .185, giving him another sizable advantage at the starting line. Downtrack, Ethan had plenty of room to work with, so he gave the car a few rips before crossing the finish line with an 8.97. His opponent ran a 9.14, and another win light came on in Ethan’s lane!

At 5:05 p.m., Ethan had the bye run for the semifinals. He still made it count, laying down an outstanding .005 light and running an 8.89 on his way to the final round!

At 5:49 p.m., it was time for the final. Ethan was dialed an 8.95 against his opponent’s 9.00. When the tree dropped, Ethan cut a .052 light, while his opponent went -.022 red, handing Ethan the automatic final-round win!

Knowing the win was already his, Ethan ran the car out and crossed the finish line with an 8.92, while his opponent ran an 8.96. Both cars ran quicker than their dial-ins, but the red light had already decided the race—and Ethan was headed to the winner’s circle!

From a .006 in the time trial to a .005 on his semifinal bye, Ethan was locked in all day. He collected four round wins, earned another final-round victory and closed out an incredible day at Darana Dragway–Milan in the winner’s circle! Way to go, Big E! 💚 🏁 🏆