It was all a little sudden for Pharris , who was making his return to racing after a brief hiatus . His last car , a twin-turbocharged Mustang , previously held the RVW record with a 3.57 , but Pharris ’ s new ride , the ProCharger-boosted GALOT Motorsports ’ 69 Camaro , was a different beast . Pharris quickly got up to speed , though , as the 3.49 in testing was just his fifth pass in the car . at you . But I think in the last two years , that ’ s kind of been the epicenter of what everybody ’ s wanting to run . These guys pour their lives and their last dime into these cars trying to just go as fast as they can because they want that magical number . And for us to be the first ones to do it , I feel like I ’ ve passed a milestone . I was looking for Guinness World Records standing at the end of the track .”

And while Pharris appreciates the significance of the pass , he also realizes it represented the unrealistically high level of performance required to compete in Radial vs . the World . It took some of the brightest minds in doorslammer racing working with the best parts available and a serious budget to set the record . Many of the stars of RVW have grown disillusioned with the class and have moved over to Pro 275 or Pro Mod classes .

“ I hate to say this , but I really think it ’ s put a nail in the coffin ,” Pharris says . “ I really do . The amount of power , the amount of technology and manpower it takes to run these cars and go that fast at the rule set , I think it ’ s to its top . Do I think could we go faster ? I think we could . How much faster ? I don ’ t know . All the stars have to align to be able to make the power to go that fast . I think it ’ s to the point where these things are 100 percent maxed out and their max effort is already going into it . I truly think this is it . I think the RVW class has reached its full potential .

“ It ’ s just like what Stevie Jackson told me at the end of the track ,” Pharris starts . “ He said , ‘ Well , there go . You had the hammer out and I held the nail .’ So I mean , that ’ s just all you can say .”

– NATE VAN WAGNEN DI

BRITTANY FORCE ’ S 3.637 AT 335

MPH IN TOP FUEL AT TEXAS NHRA

FALLNATIONALS , TODD TUTTEROW ’ S 3.58 AT

211 MPH IN OUTLAW PRO MOD AT

U . S . STREET NATIONALS , MANNY BUGINGA ’ S 5.75 IN

OUTLAW VS . EXTREME AT

WORLD CUP FINALS , AND JOHN DEFLORIAN ’ S 4.000

IN EXTREME PRO STOCK AT PDRA WORLD FINALS

PHOTOS : CHRIS SIMMONS

“ I felt right back at home within the first two to three passes ,” Pharris says . “[ The GALOT team , led by tuner Steve Petty ] really know how to make me feel like that . I don ’ t have to worry about the car . It helps me as a driver be able to perform and do the things I need to do when I don ’ t have to worry about what ’ s actually going on with the car . They ’ re the best team you can have .”

Breaking the barrier was a significant accomplishment for Pharris , who teamed up with longtime racing partner Andrew Alepa to race with the GALOT team in PDRA Pro Boost last season .

“ I think that was the magical number that everybody was chasing ,” says Pharris , who finished second in Pro Boost points behind teammate Kevin Rivenbark . “ If you would ’ ve asked several people five or six years ago , they would ’ ve laughed

January / February 2022 DragIllustrated . com | Drag Illustrated | 93