starting line against Enders , delivering a . 001 reaction time as his 6.524 at 211.30 edged out Enders ’ 6.516 at 210.54 .
On the top end , there was a celebration for the ages as the brothers embraced while their father , Fernando Cuadra Sr ., basked in the moment on the starting line . It ’ s a sequence that will live in lore for the Cuadra family as a stunned Orlando crowd tried to take in the magic that had just occurred .
“ It ’ s like a dream . When I was in the semifinals , they were both tough . Then we won and we were like , ‘ We made it .’ It was really special for us ,” Cristian Cuadra said . “ They were counting on me to beat Erica and we did it . We made huge progress . Our engines are working better and everything is going smooth , so hopefully we can keep that going .”
Fernando Sr . couldn ’ t stop smiling in the winner ’ s circle as a mob of people offered congratulations before the final round . It had been a moment the veteran had long dreamed of when he first started racing and he made sure to revel in it .
“ Let me tell you , we were dreaming of this moment but we never expected it to come ,” Fernando Cuadra Sr . said . “ Today was a moment to say we ’ re not far from the other guys . They gained , they pushed it , and take a look at what happened . It
FERNANDO CUADRA JR . MADE HIS FATHER , FERNANDO SR ., PROUD , SHOWING IMPRESSIVE DRIVING ABILITY AND MAKING MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND TO WIN THE $ 75,000 PRIZE IN PRO STOCK . was outstanding . Their reaction times , they are machines . I ’ m speechless and it ’ s hard to describe the feeling .
“ They ’ re consistent and working , and challenging the big guys . It ’ s not easy and it ’ s one of the most competitive classes , and today was a dream come true .”
The team , running an engine program from Frank Iaconio Racing Engines , made noticeable strides all weekend in Orlando , going from runs in the 6.60s in testing to nearly reaching the 6.40s late in eliminations . The family credited fellow Pro Stock competitor Kenny Delco for linking them up with Iaconio and the difference was evident during eliminations .
Before the 6.504 in the semifinals , Fernando Jr . went 6.530 the round before , while posting the top speed of the race shows the immense
72 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 166