Springfield, Ill.--Tim Wilkerson, owner and driver of the Levi, Ray, & Shoup Chevrolet Impala SS, is undeniably the best Funny Car on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing circuit right now.
Wilkerson and his team's formidable outing in St. Louis, considered his home track and just 90 miles from his automotive repair shop, Wilkerson's Monroe Shell, made the Springfield, native the local favorite.
Wilkerson started the weekend at the O'Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis by powering his nitro-burning Impala SS to a No. 1 qualifying position, his fourth of the young season.
The pole had extra significance for Wilkerson as Gateway International Raceway is the closest to the corporate headquarters of his sponsors, LRS. Gateway was filled with Wilkerson friends, family, sponsor Dick Levi, and Shoup's employees and friends.
Using that home-track advantage, Wilkerson dominated the Funny Car class in St. Louis, running nearly bracket times of 4.82s on the way to his second win of the season and seventh of his career.
In the finals, Wilkerson denied one of John Force Racing's drivers, Mike Neff, his first career win. He drove his Chevy Impala SS to a 4.874-second finish at 317.27 MPH to Neff's 4.886 at 321.58 in his Ford Mustang.
As Wilkerson and his team rolled into Bristol Dragway for the eighth annual O'Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals, they were on a high they had never experienced before, he said, leading the points race for the first time in his 11-year career. He qualified fourth and went out in the second round against team Force's Robert Hight. Although exiting early, Wilkerson still leads the POWERade Championship points and is looking to hold on to his lead with the consistent runs he's had in the first third of the season.
After eight races of the 24 race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing tour, Wilkerson and his team have captured two wins, four No. 1 qualifying positions, are No. 1 in U.S. Smokeless Showdown points, No. 1 in the Full Throttle Pit Crew Challenge--their third of the season--and No. 1 in POWERade Championship points.