Drag Illustrated Issue 114, October 2016 | Page 93
PHOTOS: DRAG ILLUSTRATED ARCHIVES,
NHRA / NATIONAL DRAGSTER
OPERATION
on his terms.
“I didn’t get my fill of it, that’s for sure,”
Rahaim said.
It took 15-years for Rahaim to come back to
drag racing, but this second act has been even
better than the first. He has gone from competing
in Super Gas in 2006 to winning an ADRL Pro
Nitrous world championship in 2012 to the latest
chapter in his thrilling journey, cementing himself as a championship contender in the loaded
NHRA Pro Mod ranks.
Rahaim posted his first victory in the class
a year ago and advanced to back-to-back final
rounds this season, leaping into the champi-
October 2016
onship mix.
“It’s unimaginable really,” Rahaim said. “I think
it’s really a testament to the type of people I’ve
been so fortunate enough to cross paths with
over the years. That all comes with time, people
trusting one another and having the chemistry
to be able to spend as much time together as you
do, all those things. It’s a monumental thing just
to qualify at one of these events, particularly in
the last couple years.”
Through it all, his family has been a mainstay
in this journey. Jennifer is at each event and an
integral member of the crew, while Sarah and
Kristen, along with Rahaim’s longtime sweetheart,
Debbie, fly to as many events as they can.
“We have a lot of fun together,” Rahaim said.
“They’re always supportive and just an integral
part of every little thing. I just love having them
there and want them to be there.”
The family aspect is the backbone of Rahaim’s
operation and something that carries over to every segment of the team. And the success hasn’t
happened overnight, but Rahaim has been able
to take advantage of every opportunity that has
come his way during this impressive second stint.
Rahaim’s Super Gas return in 2006 was a start
and after there was what he called a “greater need
for speed,” he heard about an ADRL race at US
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