Alex Laughlin
car stuff, that’s just me. I don’t know how long
it really took me to get there, probably honestly
just this year or towards the end of last year, but
I decided this is where I am, this is where I’m
supposed to be and this is where I’m going to stay.”
LIFE-CHANGING MOMENT
HE KNEW IT WAS A
MAJOR CHALLENGE, BUT
LAUGHLIN JUMPED AT THE
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE
HIS DRAG RADIAL DEBUT A
YEAR AGO, PAVING THE WAY
FOR HIS LIGHTS OUT 10 WIN.
He’s won twice in NHRA Pro Stock, but his
triumphant moment came earlier this year in
Valdosta, Georgia, where Laughlin took his baby
blue, blown Corvette to the winner’s circle at
Lights Out 10, beating Daniel Pharris on an
incredible holeshot to claim the $50,000 prize
in Radial vs. the World at South Georgia Mo-
torsports Park.
It’s the crowning jewel – thus far – of a career
that’s humming along pretty impressively, and it
is the start of what may be Laughlin’s breakout
season. Critics have been crushed, trolls have re-
treated back to their parents’ basement, sponsors
continue to be obtained and Laughlin can’t help
but have a smile on his face.
It’s nowhere near the journey he imagined as
a big-dreaming kid, but the Lights Out victory
was vindication. Laughlin had found his path
and, like he predicted years ago, there’s a star
driver at the end of it.
“For so many years I didn’t know where I want-
ed to go or what I wanted to do,” Laughlin says.
“A lot of it is trying to find your own identity and
what your style is. What I’ve decided is the door
May 2019
It’s been 12 hours since Laughlin won Lights Out
10 when, after scrolling through hundreds – if
not thousands – of congratulatory messages, he
texts back a “thank you.” Talking about the biggest
moment in his career, though, is completely out
of the question. “I have ZERO voice,” Laughlin
responds via text.
In terms of the gamut of emotions he felt
throughout drag racing’s version of an Ironman
event, Laughlin experienced them all in a mat-
ter of days.
There was urgency and maybe a little panic
as Laughlin had just finished racing the NHRA
opener in Pomona days earlier. Then, a missed
flight en route to South Georgia Motorsports
Park, which could have put Laughlin and his
team behind the eight ball against an absolutely
loaded RvW field. He made it to the track just
in time for the opening qualifying session, and
with Frankie Taylor and Jeremy Parsley leading
the team, Laughlin went 3.698 at 195.42 mph
right off the trailer. Laughlin ended up qualifying
fourth with a strong 3.652 at 207.11, with the
excitement building throughout each pass.
Laughlin believed he had a shot at winning, but
come raceday there were plenty of nerves. But he
dusted off Mike Decker III with a 3.723 at 200.80,
going 3.669 at 199.64 to beat Mark Woodruff a
round later. Laughlin went .019 on the starting
line to dispatch Kevin Rivenbark, who went red,
setting up a marquee matchup against Pharris
in the final round.
By then, nerves had turned to adrenaline and a
keyed-up Laughlin was masterful on the starting
line, posting a .004 reaction time, good enough
for his 3.694 at 205.60 to hold up against Pharris’
equally impressive 3.690 at 211.13.
The victory was secured and that’s when all
the emotion came flooding out. There were tears,
smiles, exhales of relief, but ultimately satisfac-
tion in what he had just accomplished. “Honestly,
to me, I think this is bigger than winning the U.S.
Nationals like three years in a row,” Laughlin says.
“I mean, it was unbelievable. There’s no doubt,
especially if you’re looking at it from a publicity
standpoint, that this is the biggest accomplish-
ment that I’ve ever, ever had.
“And the fans are unreal. The crossover between
NHRA to radial racing, you would think because
it’s all drag racing they all follow both. But that’s
not the case at all. I’d be surprised if it was even
50/50. And so it was really cool because it really
bridged that gap a lot. So I was able to pick up a
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