Born out of the defunct NMCA NA 10.5 class, Small Tire Pro Stock has been bolstered by increasing interest since its formation last fall.
The enthusiasm was evident when the heads-up naturally aspirated class, where cars are rocketed by big-block and small-block engines and roll on 10.5-inch slicks, debuted during Sick at the Rock presented by Motion Raceworks, April 10-12, 2025, at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.
Despite a delayed start due to rain and a saturated track, the racing was compelling, and the racers clearly had stories to tell, one commendable pass at a time. Among them were Dwight Ausmus and John Langer.
Ausmus, of LaFollette, Tennessee, is always a contender in his Firebird powered by 573 cubic-inch Pontiac by BES Racing Engines. The focused racer recorded a jaw-dropping 7.59 in the first round of qualifying to set the pace. He picked up to a 7.56 in the second round of qualifying, after a .0001 reaction time, set a record with that elapsed time and was awarded a beautiful bull-themed trophy and a $250 top-qualifier bonus sponsored by Dolce and Clemente’s Market and V & J Inc.
In eliminations, Ausmus won the first round with a 7.59 over the tough Tony Petrovski, who turned in an 8.00 in his Mustang, and won the second round with a 7.54 over Rob Ingles, who was in competition with these racers for the first time and clocked a 7.84 in his Camaro. That paved the way to a final round featuring fellow heavy hitter John Langer and his Trans Am. While each racer had a solid shot at the win, Ausmus secured the victory with a lifting 8.78 as Langer ran into an issue.
“It was a long winter, and we came out and knocked the tires off in testing on Thursday, but the air on Saturday was good and the track had teeth and could not have been better for racing,” said Ausmus, who was celebrating his 26th wedding anniversary with his wife, Becky, on race day, and considered her his lucky charm. “I was happy to run the way we were running. It was a good start to the season to say the least. Curt Jamison and Charlie Campbell were helping me, and while Keith McCormick could not make it, we were keeping him updated. This is a great group of racers, and we help each other out. At one point over the weekend, the pilot rope got tangled up with the parachute rope on my car, and Carlos Sobrino, who was racing with us, and his crew came over to take care of that while I was working on my clutch. We are going to have a nice little points series here since our beloved NMCA NA 10.5 dissolved. That is for sure.”
Langer, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is well-versed behind the wheel of his Trans Am with a new 577 cubic-inch Pontiac by BES Racing Engines. He pushed to a 7.60 to qualify in the second spot, after a wiggle forced his high horsepower car to kick out a timing block. He then won the first round of eliminations with a 7.68 over Robbie Blankenship, who is dialing in a brand-new Mustang and had to ease out of the throttle, and he won the second round of eliminations with a 7.56 over Leonard Long, who lapped a 7.93 in his Mustang. It was from there that Langer landed the runner-up finish against Ausmus.
“In the final round, we were both loaded for bear and it was going to be a good one,” said Langer. “They signaled for us to hit the water. We both fired them up and rolled around the corner. We were signaled to shut them down as they had some track maintenance to perform. When the starter signaled for us to refire, my car wouldn’t start. My crew guys, Lupi and Cameron Bowles, checked all the obvious things. Dwight Ausmus and his team were pure gentlemen and waited on me for longer than they needed to. My car just wouldn’t fire. When we brought it back to the pits, we got into a deep dive to find the issue. The isolator on the coil to the coil wire broke and was arcing. I put a back-up coil in and it fired right up. Everyone better be working hard over the next six weeks. I will be coming to Bowling Green with a vengeance. Congrats to Dwight Ausmus and team on the inaugural Small Tire Pro Stock win.”
The reputable 10K Technology sponsored the payouts for the race, including $2,500 for the winner, $800 for the runner-up, $400 for semifinalists and $200 for quarterfinalists. Along with 10K Technology, class sponsors include Pen and Paper Strength App, Dolce and Clemente’s Market, V & J Inc., BES Racing Engines. CFM Carburetors and Exstreme Fab and Beadlocks.
Also worth celebrating is the fact that Weldon High Performance came on board during the race as the first Small Tire Pro Stock contingency sponsor, so racers who win while using one of the company’s pumps will receive $300 while runners-up will receive $150.
Adding to all of the excitement, class racer Carlos Sobrino clocked an 8.43 and 159 mph to capture a naturally aspirated Coyote engine record.
With the debut race now in the rearview mirror, Small Tire Pro Stock racers look forward to the next event, Sick on the Green, which is set for May 30-31, 2025, at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Kentucky. Determined to gain traction and grow, the class seeks sponsors and series interested supporting the high-revving world of naturally aspirated racing.
For media inquiries and class sponsor opportunities, please reach out to Mary Lendzion at xx98@sbcglobal.net.
This story was originally published on April 14, 2025. 
The post Ausmus and Langer Advance to Final Round at Debut Small Tire Pro Stock Race first appeared on Drag Illustrated.