Tommy Youmans earned his first career Limited Drag Radial victory and first major event win of any kind at the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission, delivering a strong and consistent performance in one of radial racing’s most competitive categories at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
Driving his steel-bodied 1970 Pontiac GTO, Youmans put together a steady weekend and battled through a demanding elimination ladder that included wins over No. 1 qualifier Jamie Stanton and Snowbird Outlaw Nationals winner Brian Weddle. He saved his best pass for the final round, running a 3.860 at 196.30 mph to defeat veteran Justin Martin. The performance capped a weekend that had been building for several seasons, as Youmans and his team continue to refine their unique Pontiac-powered combination.
“It was awesome. It was really special,” Youmans said of his win. “You go out there with a Hemi and race, you’re expected to perform. But you go out there with a one-off combination, a Pontiac motor, and run as good as we do, it’s very fulfilling.”
Youmans is quick to note that his car is the real deal. Coming in at just under 3,000 lbs., it features a steel roof, quarters, rockers, and A-pillars. The power comes from a 500-cubic-inch billet Pontiac engine built by Kauffman Racing Equipment, maintaining stock bore spacing and true Pontiac dimensions. The combination includes billet Kauffman cylinder heads, twin 88mm Hart’s turbos, an M&M three-speed transmission and converter, and a Merillat Racing rear end.
Youmans, who has been racing for two decades, transitioned from Pro275 – which he says his car was grossly overweight for – to Limited Drag Radial a few years ago. While he has collected some wins at local events, the U.S. Street Nationals marked both his first major event victory and first win in LDR, an achievement he’s especially proud of.
“I truly believe that Limited Drag Radial is probably the most competitive class in radial racing right now,” said Youmans. “It’s competitive with all different forms of power adders – from the nitrous and roots cars to the screw and ProCharger cars. We’re really fortunate that our car works so well. Ever since we’ve gotten a handle on it the last year or so, it’s been pretty consistent making passes. It was running 3.90’s (in Bradenton) like it was printing tickets – until we needed it to go faster.”
Much of that progress Youmans credits to his tuner and friend Lee White, whose ability to read track conditions and manage the car’s power played a major role in the team’s consistency, particularly during the daytime elimination rounds.
“Lee White is probably my single biggest advantage over my competitors,” Youmans said. “When he first started working with me and I told him what I wanted him to help me with, he was like, ‘I don’t know nothing about turbos.’ He’s learned and taken it under his wing – and he likes the Pontiac motor because it’s different. He’s learned how to run the motor and the car, and we’ve all gotten better. We have a really good family-oriented team.”
The U.S. Street Nationals also served as the 2026 season opener for the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series, giving Youmans an early points advantage. After finishing sixth in the standings last year, he believes the team is now capable of competing for both wins and a championship.
“It means everything,” Youmans said. “We finished sixth last year, which was a big improvement from where we were before. We’re going up and getting more competitive now. This has been a passion of mine ever since I built this car. Everybody said, ‘You’re gonna do what with a Pontiac motor?’ For Kauffman to build a motor of that caliber – and I own three of them now – they’ve really come on board with it.
“We’re looking forward to going to Lights Out, trying to improve and compete for the win,” added Youmans. “The Pontiac enthusiasts out there are just overwhelmed – they are good people, and they are hardcore Pontiac people. I’ve had numerous people message me to tell me congrats and keep up the good work. And we intend to. We want to run for a championship and win some more races. We think we can.”
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