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By Nate Van Wagnen
When Jamie Fowler turned on the final-round win light on Saturday night at the PDRA Red Line Oil Carolina Nationals at Darlington Dragway , he fulfilled a lifelong dream to win a major drag racing event . He became the latest first-time winner in Elite Top Sportsman , defeating teammate and 2021 world champion Buddy Perkinson in the final round . Making the win that much sweeter was the fact it came at his home track on the tour , as well as the home track for his sponsor , Pee Dee Fleet , and his engine builder , Fulton Race Engines . “ When you ’ ve worked so hard and tried so hard to accomplish something , and the moment that it does happen , it ’ s surreal ,” Fowler says . “ I was in shock . It took a few minutes for it to sink in . When I crossed the finish line and Buddy and I hit the return road , I sat in my car for a few minutes and just had to reflect for a moment . It was surreal that it had just happened .”
After qualifying No . 8 in his nitrous-fed , Fulton 903-powered Pee Dee Fleet / LAT Racing Oils ’ 69 Camaro , Fowler had a first-round single when Tim Lawrence wasn ’ t able to make the call . Still ,
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he ran a 3.897 on a 3.89 dial-in . In the second round , 2017 world champion Dewayne Silance went red by . 0004 , allowing Fowler to move on with his . 002 light and 3.841 on a 3.87 dial-in . Fowler was . 002 again in the semifinals , laying |
down a 3.843 on a 3.83 dial-in to beat 2018 world champion and points leader Donny “ Hollywood ” Urban ’ s 3.809 on a 3.81 dial-in .
“ When we first started this thing and said we were going to run with the PDRA , I wanted to test myself and my ability to run with the best in the world ,” Fowler says . “ Everybody knows that the PDRA has the fastest door cars on the planet , even in the Top Sportsman ranks . We ’ ve had highs and we ’ ve had lows and there were definitely times that I doubted myself and wondered , ‘ Hey , am I racing outside my league ? Are these guys above my league ? Can I just not run with these boys ?’
“ I think Saturday night solidified that we can run with these guys , we ’ re gonna run with these guys , and we ’ re gonna make a statement ,” Fowler continues . “ We ’ re not just going to be a class filler . We ’ re going to be here and we ’ re going to compete just like everyone else . This just let us know that we are where we ’ re supposed to be .”
After knocking down a pair of world champions , Fowler had to prepare for a final-round meeting with Perkinson , who set up and tunes Fowler ’ s Camaro , which was formerly campaigned by Chris Rini in Pro Nitrous .
“ It worked out in qualifying that Buddy qualified No . 1 and I qualified No . 8 , so we knew that
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY DARREL JACKSON JR . AND GARY ROWE |