PHOTO : COURTNEY ENDERS |
T he moment was big enough in its own right , but when Lyle Barnett won his first career NHRA Pro Mod race in his rookie year , it was likely something not many saw coming . After all , Barnett and his team made the late switch to a turbocharger , which was certainly out of the norm in the Pro Mod world in 2021 . In fact , he was the only one racing a turbo car in a ProCharger-dominated scene at the NHRA Fall- Nationals in Dallas , making Barnett that much more the underdog .
Of course , it ’ s also what made the moment so memorable . He was lethal on the starting line during eliminations , beating Justin Bond on a holeshot in the final round to cap off a magical day . Barnett , whose story is one of the most inspiring in the sport , was understandably emotional on the top end and called it a special moment that he won ’ t ever forget .
“ The single word that comes to mind is just thankful , man ,” Barnett said in the cover story in
|
BRUNO MASSEL VS . MASON MCGAHA STAGING DUEL AT TOPEKA , JUSTIN KIRK , BUCK BROTHERS WIN IN XPS AT BOWLING GREEN , JOHN AND BRITTANY FORCE WIN TOGETHER AT TOPEKA , TROY COUGHLIN JR . DEFEATS GREG ANDERSON AT LAS VEGAS , AND JR TODD ’ S THROTTLE WHACK TO STAGE AT INDY |
DI # 173 . “ That was not just a win for me and my team . It was a win for every single person that donated , prayed , called , and texted . To be given an opportunity to do this and race at this level is once-in-a-lifetime .” |
Barnett ’ s impactful rookie season in NHRA Pro Mod cannot be overstated . The team bounced back from early-season adversity to have a thrilling finish , winning two of the final three events to give the team plenty of momentum heading into 2022 .
Barnett , who was nominated for three Drag IllustrateD awards , saw his profile grow even more during the hot finish , but it was all made possible by one unforgettable day at Texas Motorplex .
“ It was such an honor to be nominated for three of the inaugural DI awards ,” Barnett says . “ My team and I had a very strong end to our 2021 season , we were featured on the cover of Drag IllustrateD , and now we are the recipients of the DI Moment of the Year award ! This award was a total team effort ! A huge thank you goes to my team : Justin Elkes , Anthony Lum , Ben Stass , Mike Earle , Johnny Maguda , and my dad . I would also like to thank my all of our partners , my friends and family , all of you at Drag IllustrateD , and all of our fans . Bring on 2022 !” – JOSH HACHAT DI
|
|
January / February 2022 |
DragIllustrated . com | Drag Illustrated | 107 |