As the clouds parted, the stage was set for the 29th Annual Mickey Thompson Million at World Wide Technology Raceway. On Million Dollar Friday, racers from across the country converged on the track, eager for their shot at etching their names into the history books of the Million Dollar Drag Race. This prestigious event, a cornerstone of big money bracket racing, has become a bucket list item for many, offering a chance at a life-changing payout and ultimate bragging rights.
Veteran announcer Ryan Gleghorn kicked off the race with a moment of silence, honoring the late George Howard, creator of the Million Dollar Drag Race, and paying tribute to two great members of the racing community recently lost—Scotty Richardson and Jeffrey Maggart. Gleghorn, joined by fellow announcer Steve Riggins, called laps throughout the Million, giving viewers both at home and at the track the play-by-play, and racers were on their game.
A total of 436 entries took to the track during round one. Another large turnout set the stage for one racer to claim the $550,000 purse, while the runner-up would take home $50,000. After a late start caused by the remnants of Hurricane Francine passing through the area, the decision was made to resume on Saturday morning. Round two eliminated over half the field, leaving those racers to try again in 2025. This break allowed competitors to enjoy a good night’s sleep and take part in the Laris Motorsports Insurance Racer’s Appreciation Dinner, which featured the famous Million Steak Dinner.
No Box Final
After defeating Donnie Hagar, the 2023 Million Dollar winner, and collecting the BRODIX Bounty Hunter Award, Rob Fisher lined up in the final against Troy Ross. Fisher was .001 too soon, turning it red and advancing Troy Ross to the main event, claiming the $2,000 No Box Bonus.
Quarterfinals
Just over twenty-four hours after kicking off the 29th Annual Mickey Thompson Million Dollar Drag Race, only six drivers remained in the main event: Bart Nelson, Chris Bear, Curt Harvey, Gage Burch, Josh Pickett, and Justin Moser. The atmosphere became electric as racers advanced to the final rounds, with negotiations starting as they worked out how to divide the massive purse. Some racers chose to allow their friends to negotiate for them as they focused on what they must do on the track, as the split was finalized.
As the drivers prepared to battle it out, one final rainstorm passed over the track, leaving a rainbow in the distance and delaying the epic showdown, setting the stage to crown the winner under the Saturday night lights.
After the rain delay, the first pair out were Josh Pickett and Justin Moser. Pickett had just over a second head start on Moser and took full control off the line, with a .005 reaction time, finishing two above and locking out Moser.
Next up were two friends and fellow Texans. After a brief staging battle with some flickers, and neither driver wanting to go in first, Nelson nosed in his dragster first. The two were separated by just two thousandths of a second at the line. Nelson, with a .008 reaction time and one above, edged out Harvey by .007 at the finish line, sending Bart Nelson to the semifinal.
The third and final pair of the round featured Gage Burch and Chris Bear. Bear, fresh off a semifinal run in the Summit $100,000, was seeking redemption and the final spot in the semifinals. Burch, sitting on a potential bye, needed to lock out Bear to secure his spot in the final. With Nelson already having a bye, a door car had the chance to win during the weekend after a dragster-dominated event. Just seven thousandths of a second separated them at the line, and the win light came on for Gage Burch, who was no stranger to final rounds in big-money bracket races. Despite a tough start to the weekend, Burch was heading to the final of the 29th Annual Mickey Thompson Million Dollar Race. Burch was .009 and dead on with a nine, while Bear was .016 but eight thousandths under, giving the win over to Burch.
Semifinals
Bart Nelson and Josh Pickett made their way to the water box to see who would face Burch in the final round. One of their dreams was about to end, and the main question was whether there would be an all-door car final or if the final dragster would manage to secure a sweep for the weekend. Pickett was on the left and Nelson on the right. The winner would return to face Burch in the final. Six thousandths separated them, with Pickett laying down a solid run with a .012 reaction time and going dead on with a two, while Nelson matched him with a .006 reaction time and ran dead-on with an eight, reaching the stripe by .0004 to nose out Pickett at the finish line.
Burch dialed in 1.39 in honor of Sean Serra as he prepared to face Nelson in the final round, which would be a door car versus dragster matchup.
Finals
Bart Nelson and Gage Burch lined up in the final—a door car versus dragster matchup, young gun versus veteran, Florida versus Texas—featuring two well-known and respected bracket racers. One thing was certain: a new Mickey Thompson Million Dollar Winner would be crowned. The question was whether the big check and bragging rights would go to Florida with Gage Burch or to the Lone Star State with Bart Nelson. Thousands of viewers tuned into watch on MotormaniaTV, thanks to Autoland Outlets and Vintage Trailers, while the crowd at the starting line eagerly anticipated the showdown.
The final would go down in Million Dollar Drag Race history as an epic lap between Nelson and Burch. Nelson continued his dominance, helping the dragsters sweep the weekend with a .002 reaction time and putting his dragster dead on with a one, falling just three thousandths of a second short of a perfect run. Burch put down an impressive run that would have won many final rounds, with a .008 reaction time and going dead on with a zero, leaving him five thousandths of a second behind Nelson at the finish line. Nelson was celebrated in the winner’s circle by his friends and his father, who travels to each race with him. The winner circle featured champagne bottles popping and the presentation of the prestigious trophy and Million Dollar Drag Race Big Check.
Folk Promotions would like to thank all of the racers that came out to support the 29th Annual Mickey Thompson Million Dollar Drag Race!
This story was originally published on September 16, 2024.
The post Bart Nelson Nabs 29th Annual Mickey Thompson Million Dollar Race Win first appeared on Drag Illustrated.