rocketman
Nitro Member
Pomona - Few knew it, but the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals was the final race for Duane Shields' Muscle Milk A/Fuel Dragster team. With Duane having some major changes made in 2026 to his race operation, which will be announced at a later date, the team really wanted to go out on top.
Because of the wet weather conditions predicted to begin on Friday, which eventually cancelled the race, NHRA was proactive and shortened qualifying to just one session on Thursday, followed by the first round contested at the end of the day. With 22 cars on the property and only 16 spots available, it was do or die as six highly competitive cars would not make the show. Driver Madison Payne did not disappoint and qualified second with a 5.24 at 277 MPH, which was the top speed in qualifying.
In round one, Madison faced Shaunda Blinzler. At the hit, it was Blinzler out first with a .035 to Madison's .059. Blinzler continued her lead, but Madison was quickly catching up but ran out of real estate at the finish line. Meanwhile, Blinzler hung on for the win with a 5.27 at 271 MPH to Madison's very close 5.30 at 273 MPH. "It's really a shame our season came to an end like this because we were building momentum. This was my last time racing in the Top Alcohol Dragster class for a while, and I'm going to miss everybody on our team. But I'm also looking forward to running in the Top Sportsman class with my grandparents, along with my Super Comp car next year" Madison said.
One final time, Madison and car owner Duane Shields would like to thank Muscle Milk, NGK Spark Plugs, GRP Connecting Rods, Clean Boost, and Brad Anderson Enterprise for their unwavering support over the years. It has been very much appreciated.
Because of the wet weather conditions predicted to begin on Friday, which eventually cancelled the race, NHRA was proactive and shortened qualifying to just one session on Thursday, followed by the first round contested at the end of the day. With 22 cars on the property and only 16 spots available, it was do or die as six highly competitive cars would not make the show. Driver Madison Payne did not disappoint and qualified second with a 5.24 at 277 MPH, which was the top speed in qualifying.
In round one, Madison faced Shaunda Blinzler. At the hit, it was Blinzler out first with a .035 to Madison's .059. Blinzler continued her lead, but Madison was quickly catching up but ran out of real estate at the finish line. Meanwhile, Blinzler hung on for the win with a 5.27 at 271 MPH to Madison's very close 5.30 at 273 MPH. "It's really a shame our season came to an end like this because we were building momentum. This was my last time racing in the Top Alcohol Dragster class for a while, and I'm going to miss everybody on our team. But I'm also looking forward to running in the Top Sportsman class with my grandparents, along with my Super Comp car next year" Madison said.
One final time, Madison and car owner Duane Shields would like to thank Muscle Milk, NGK Spark Plugs, GRP Connecting Rods, Clean Boost, and Brad Anderson Enterprise for their unwavering support over the years. It has been very much appreciated.
