MILE-HIGH NATIONALS
Ron Capps , a bye to the finals , then a final-round win over Alexis DeJoria . This time , though , he also earned his 50th career No . 1 qualifier and picked up the Mission Foods # 2Fast2Tasty Challenge win for a sweep of the event .
“ I guess I need to go buy a lottery ticket ,” says Hagan , driver of the Dodge Direct Connection Charger SRT Hellcat . “ Honestly , it ’ s one of those weekends that ’ s just magical . I ’ ve been up here close to 15 years racing a fuel Funny Car , and to think that you ’ re not going to come back here – and then walk away with the Wally and the extra special trophy from the Bandimere family , to have the # 2Fast2Tasty check , my 50th No . 1 qualifier . Just so many milestones and things to remember .
“ It ’ s amazing and such an emotional weekend ,” Hagan adds . “ Just being here and seeing all these fans every time we make a run , it ’ s something I ’ ll never forget . It ’ s just a super special weekend and just incredible . I ’ m very , very blessed to be here .”
The # 2Fast2Tasty Challenge winner in Pro Stock , Troy Coughlin Jr ., also goes on to win the event on Sunday . He races past four of the toughest drivers in the class – Aaron Stanfield , Greg Anderson , Erica Enders , and Dallas Glenn – to earn his second win of the season in the JEGS . com Camaro .
“ What an exciting day to come out here and get a win ,” Coughlin says . “ You just take it one run at a time . We ’ ve got the best people in the industry at Elite Motorsports . They all work together and we have excellent power . I just had to stay focused . This is one of my favorite facilities and it ’ s an absolute honor just to be here .”
Chris Vang , driving the Kramer family ’ s Colorado-based Camaro in Mountain Motor Pro Stock , breaks through to get his first Mile-High Nationals win . To do so , he lined up against
TROY COUGHLIN , JR .
five-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion and Mountain Motor Pro Stock rookie Erica Enders in the final round .
“ I can ’ t even describe it ,” Vang says in an interview with NHRA announcer Jason Galvin . “ I ’ ve been racing here since I was 18 at my first national event here . It ’ s never been my great race , but it was like , ‘ Maybe this is it , maybe the last one .’ To do it against one of the best that ’ s ever driven a car , it ’ s unbelievable .”
One of the most remarkable stories of the weekend comes in Top Dragster , where Josh Herman , son-in-law of track general manager John “ Sporty ” Bandimere III , is victorious . It ’ s the first time a Bandimere family member has won the Mile-High Nationals . Making the feat more impressive is the fact Herman wounded his engine in the first qualifying session and ran the rest of the event in a car he borrowed from another part of the Bandimere extended family , the Pennington family . That second qualifying session was his first time driving the car .
“ It means everything ,” Herman says of his win when interviewed by Galvin . “ This morning ,
I was talking to Lorraine Bandimere and she wished me good luck and I told her I would do my best . She told me , ‘ You know , we ’ ve never won one of these as a family .’ This is our first one right here . It ’ s amazing .”
Also victorious at the Mile-High Nationals are Scott Burton in Super Stock , John Brimer in Stock Eliminator , Dale Maher in Super Comp , Norman Brungardt in Super Gas , Dan Smith in Super Street , and Bri Bergh in Top Sportsman .
With the final NHRA Mile-High Nationals wrapped up , Bandimere Speedway fans near and far are left wondering what comes next for the storied facility and the family that operates it . The Halloween Spook-Trackular on Saturday , October 21 , and the “ Last Blast ” test-and-tune the following day are the final events on the 2023 schedule . The property ’ s buyer hasn ’ t been revealed , though Bandimere Jr . noted during his media day interviews that the facility ’ s new use will be automotive-related rather than becoming a housing development .
While there are few details regarding the Bandimere family ’ s plans to relocate to a larger piece of land , insiders like Lohnes are confident that this isn ’ t the end of drag racing in the Denver area .
“ I ’ m optimistic and not in a Pollyanna sense or in a blind hopeful sense ,” Lohnes says . “ I ’ m optimistic because the integrity of the Bandimere family remains intact to this day , and I do not believe with any part of myself that they would stand up in front of media outlets like the Denver Post and look at the cameras and say something that they didn ’ t actually mean .
“ My hopefulness or my positivity on a potential new facility comes from the fact that they have more integrity than a lot of people in the sense that they would never say something publicly that would tarnish their own legacy ,” he continues . “ That ’ s why I think they ’ re going to try to move forward earnestly .” DI
THIRD-GENERATION RACER TROY COUGHLIN JR . DOUBLED UP IN HIS JEGS . COM PRO STOCK CAMARO ,
WINNING THE MISSION FOODS # 2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE ON SATURDAY BEFORE PICKING UP HIS
FOURTH WALLY IN THE CATEGORY ON SUNDAY .
122 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 184