In what was undoubtedly the greatest example of perseverance at the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission, Cole Pesz went from the doctor’s office to the winner’s circle at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Just a few days after crashing the screw-blown ‘18 Corvette owned by Mark Gobert during pre-race testing, Pesz navigated five grueling rounds in the $40,000-to-win True 10.5 class at the Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service.
What began as a devastating setback early in the week quickly turned into a full-scale thrash, as Pesz and his crew – along with members of other race teams – worked tirelessly to rebuild the car in time for competition. Despite limited runs and lingering physical pain, Pesz ran through a gauntlet of some of the toughest names in small-tire racing to secure the win.
“This is truly a Cinderella story,” said Pesz. “It’s unbelievable, to be honest with you. I’ve been in a lot worse positions in my life than crashing a race car. It’s the story of my life. I’ve always gotten over the peak.”
The victory was especially meaningful for Pesz, who was still dealing with the loss of his grandmother last September – a moment he noted marked the last time he’d stood in the winner’s circle prior to Bradenton.
“We came out here at Snowbirds last month and I thought I was going to get it done, but we hung the throttle and…there’s always some little thing,” Pesz said. “Then we get here and it wasn’t so little – it was a big thing. But when we got back and evaluated the car, it wasn’t as bad as it looked. The car was built very well. Our whole team came together, looked at each other and said, ‘We got this.’”
In addition to fixing the car, Pesz also had to be medically cleared in order to compete. While he believed he was okay physically, Pesz was grateful for the concern shown by event officials in putting his health and safety first, and was willing to do whatever was necessary to get back in the driver’s seat.
“I don’t really have a switch that turns off,” Pesz admitted. “Sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes it’s a really bad thing. I respect Wes [Buck] saying, ‘Hey man, you need to go to the ER and make sure you don’t have a concussion. You need to get checked out.’ That’s why I love this family – they’re looking out for me when I’m not looking out for myself.”
Pesz’s path to victory during eliminations was anything but easy, drawing a stacked lineup of competitors including Scott Taylor, Ryan Hendrickson, Kye Kelley, Ryan Martin, and Brandon Sandlian in the Junkyard Studebaker. Pesz consistently ran in the high 3.90 to low 4.00 range all weekend, culminating with a 3.980-second pass at 204.76 mph in the finals against Sandlian, who went 4.132, but was -.087 red on the tree.
“Just to be in this position is crazy,” said Pesz. “We didn’t get any ducks. We didn’t see a purpose in trying to break the record in the final round – we just left it alone and did our job. He went red, but I still wanted to see what it was going to run because we only have maybe 11 passes at this point.”
The win was the result of a massive team effort, with Pesz quick to acknowledge all the companies who have supported him – PJS Racing Engines, FuelTech EFI, M&M Transmission, Menscer Motorsports, Strange Engineering, Stroud Safety, Nitrous Outlet, Quick Performance, and Wiles Driveshafts – as well as all the individuals who stepped up during the hectic rebuild.
“This would not have happened without Mark Woodruff loaning me his wheels, Cameron Johnson Race Cars getting us a wishbone in time, and Patrick Miller literally bending my headers back out with a jack and a torch for 10 hours rewelding it all,” Pesz said. “Everyone here just thrashing on this thing, and Brandon Pesz – the best motherf***er on the planet, I don’t care what anybody says. We’re gonna go home and fine-tune it, but I genuinely believe we have one of the fastest cars out here.”
The victory also marked a major milestone for Pesz, as it was his first win with car owner Mark Gobert. Standing in the winner’s circle, Pesz gave Gobert the special True 10.5 winner’s diamond chain to show his appreciation for the opportunity, even after the adversity they faced during the week.
“Mark is the real deal, and now he’s got some bling around his neck too” said Pesz. “The way he treats people is unbelievable. I have the greatest owner. He and his wife, René – they believe in me. They trust me. This is 100% their win. It’s their win just as much as it is mine. They’re the backbone behind this team.”
While Pesz was ecstatic about the $40k and event trophy that went along with it, he admitted the win carried a deeper message that he wants to use his platform to share – a message of perseverance, gratitude, and faith.
“This whole week was about not giving up,” Pesz said. “Whether we lost first round or won the race, it didn’t matter. It’s about proving a point to the younger kids out there that feel like giving up on themselves, or the men and women who feel the same way. I want to encourage you to continue to push through adversity. It’s not gonna go away – the adversity will always be there. It’s part of life. You’re gonna go through peaks and valleys, trials and tribulations. I just encourage everybody to try to find God and go for everything you want in life. I’m truly nothing without the people God has put my life. I’m extremely grateful for that. I wouldn’t be able to do this without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
With momentum on his side, Pesz is already looking ahead to defending his True 10.5 title Feb. 26-28 at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, the final race of the 2025/26 DI Winter Series.
“This is how we’re starting off 2026,” said Pesz. “I knew there were going to be trials and tribulations, but hey, it is what it is. I have the greatest team in the world behind me, and I can’t wait for what’s to come.”
This story was originally published on January 30, 2026. 
The post Cole Pesz Captures $40,000 “Cinderella” Win at U.S. Street Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
