in the 2019 PDRA Pro Outlaw 632 world championship battle , Wes Distefano and his Michigan-based $ hameless Racing team were determined to improve a spot in 2020 .

Distefano immediately started winning rounds right out of the gate . Runner-up finishes at the first four races of the season ensured Distefano was in the championship hunt all season long .

“ We came into the 2020 season for PDRA and it was just business as usual ,” Distefano says . “ We were pushing ourselves , but everything was still really tight . The car counts were a little bit down , but we still had a handful of guys who were coming out and it was anybody ’ s race . We worked hard , we fought hard . We ended up continuing to runner-up .”

Distefano finally broke through for his first

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win of the season at the penultimate race on tour , DragWars at GALOT Motorsports Park . He wheeled his nitrous-assisted , Musi 632-powered ’ 68 Camaro to a holeshot win over two-time world champion Dillon Voss in the final round .

“ It ’ s really great to get the monkey off our back ,” Distefano said after winning the race . “ Honestly , my confidence wasn ’ t there . I was really dreading that fifth runner-up . For us to be able to pull it off on a holeshot , that makes it a little more special as a driver , but I ’ m just so happy for me and my team . We worked really hard . We worked our tails off . It feels really good .”

Rain and humidity cut the World Finals short before eliminations were completed . Distefano was one of the three drivers left in the semifinals , giving him enough points to hold off Voss for the championship .

Winning the championship was such an accomplishment that it still hadn ’ t quite set in for Distefano a full month after claiming the title in mid-October .

“ I ’ m a pretty humble person , but I ’ m also very motivated and I often don ’ t take time to absorb many of my accomplishments ,” admits Distefano , who also won the Milan Dragway Outlaw 632 season championship . “ It really hasn ’ t set in yet . I ’ m proud of what my team did . My team worked awfully hard . I ’ m proud of what I did . I ’ m proud that the sacrifices I made , the time spent away from my family , the time with all my crew working hard , the blood , sweat and tears , so to speak , that it paid dividends for us .”

Distefano credits the help of his parents , David and Brenda Swallow , as well as his crew led by Troy and Shawne Russell .

He also thanks the sponsors and manufacturers who contribute to his program , including Pat Musi Racing Engines , Jerry Bickel Race Cars , Hoosier Racing Tires , Brisk Spark Plugs , Jesel Valvetrain , Lucas Oil , MagnaFuel , Meziere Enterprises , ProFab Headers , Race Star Wheels and S & W Race Cars .

Distefano and the $ hameless Racing team will be ready to defend their championship when the PDRA season kicks off April 8-10 at GALOT Motorsports Park .

“ I ’ m always thinking about what ’ s next ,” Distefano says . “ Like I say to people , it ’ s really not about the kill , it ’ s about the hunt . It ’ s about the challenge . That ’ s what excites me .” DI

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