2009 Nmra Steve Thompson

Drag Radial racer Steve Thompson is definitely going against the grain these days. When Chris Little dominated this class, he used the straightforward combo of juice on a button. Now blowers and turbos dominate the class. Bringin' back the juice, Steve has steadily stepped it up for the '09 season. At Columbus, it all came together. His qualifying attempt wasn't the greatest, but as soon as eliminations started his e.t.'s took a plunge. Steve's 8.26 in Round 1 proved he was heading in the right direction. He then busted out an 8.13 against Dave Guy, but Dave redlit so that race was over at the start. In the semifinal, Steve ran another 8-teen with an 8.15 against Enzo Pecchini, but he wasted it with a redlight start. The front bumper cover sticker isn't for show; Steve relies on the boys from Panhandle Performance for power. He got started with Panhandle with the purchase of a pair of cylinder heads, and the relationship has grown from there. View Related Article