Nitro Time Machine: Watch Jeff Arend Score His First National Event Win At Reading 1996 – Massive Upset!


Nitro Time Machine: Watch Jeff Arend Score His First National Event Win At Reading 1996 – Massive Upset!

It wasn’t David vs Goliath, it was Jeff vs Tony and boy was it a hum-dinger of a finish to the 1996 NHRA Keystone Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania. Arend who was scraping by with Paul Smith and his tough but tightly budgeted funny car team had whittled his way to the final round, along they way having thumped John Force. Waiting for him in the final was the eventual two-time NHRA nitro funny car world champ Tony Pedregon. Driving the Castrol R&D car at the time, Pedregon had already won an event on the season in 1996 and was looking to make it twice.

As you will see, the Castrol’s team plans were thrown in the garbage by the scrappy Arend and Smith combo. Not only did Arend get off the blocks first but Smith’s tune was more aggressive than what the Castrol boys had in the tank.

It’s moments like this that keep us hooked on drag racing in all of its forms. Unlike other forms of racing, drag racing shows us underdog wins with a frequency that’s kind of amazing on all levels. From radial racing and big dollar bracket competition all the way up the ladder, people occasionally find their spot on race day and the budgets, the odds, and common knowledge no longer matter.

This is a neat moment in time.

Hit the image of Jeff Arend below to see his massive upset win at Maple Grove!


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