IHRA: Nelson takes it all in Memphis

"I knew coming here I was going to have to be good because everyone here's a champion," said Mickey Nelson of Leonardtown, Md., who fought an uphill battle in the IHRA Summit SuperSeries matchup at Memphis International Raceway.

He's right – there were 226 IHRA season champions present, and Nelson knew he would have to perform to have a chance at winning the IHRA Top championship, which gets you so much more than a trophy: A brand new American Race Cars dragster powered by a Trick Flow Specialties 572 Big Block Chevy engine and custom paint from Imagine That Customs, plus $10,000 from Summit Racing Equipment, a seven-night vacation for two on the island of Aruba, a World Championship diamond ring, and of course, a world championship Ironman Trophy.

And Nelson did perform, winning it all.

"It feels great, it feels awesome," Nelson said. He told his father after round one, "when I hit the tree at .004, I said, 'Today's my day.' My worst light was in the finals. Until then, I was .007 or better. I kept telling myself, 'It's just you and the tree,' and it worked every round."

He beat Tony LaFever of Cookeville, Tenn., in the final. Nelson had a .020 RT, to Lafever's .024.

His new dragster is similar to his current one, a 2005 Race Tech with a 605-cubic-inch V-8, so there won't be much of a learning curve. Indeed, what's he going to do with two dragsters? "I'm gonna put gas in both of them and wear them out!"