Of course, all of the drivers pulling into the gates next week will be chasing a trophy and a big check, but many of them are also eyeing world records for their respective class or combination. Because of the rule packages and class structures, some of the most unique combinations in drag racing have a place to race at the World Cup Finals. Want to see the world\u2019s quickest turbocharged, Subaru-powered Cadillac Escalade? It\u2019s probably going to be at the World Cup Finals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
OK, so that might be a stretch, but there will be some record-setting machines in attendance. There\u2019s at least one driver hoping to set a new record for quickest and fastest doorslammer in the quarter mile. The Pro Import record is also on the line, with some insiders predicting a pass in the 5.40-second range. It\u2019s safe to predict that we\u2019ll witness drag racing history this weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2. Cameo Appearances From Your Favorite Drivers<\/strong><\/p>\n As noted early, the World Cup Finals attracts drivers and teams from all over the sport, and often that includes drivers wheeling cars they\u2019re not used to driving.\u00a0<\/p>\n Just a couple years ago, Ken Quartuccio, known for success in Radial vs. the World, PDRA Pro Boost, and now NHRA Pro Mod, got the call to drive Jos\u00e9 Gonzalez\u2019s 2JZ-powered Q80 Racing Toyota Corolla in Renegade vs. Modified, driving it well into the low 6s. Quartuccio had plenty of history at the World Cup Finals, but it was his first foray into the import world.\u00a0<\/p>\n Just weeks after clinching the 2023 PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world championship, Alan Drinkwater rolled into MIR to drive the Titan Motorsports-fielded, 2JZ-powered \u201cVecna\u201d Scion Pro Import entry. He qualified No. 7 in the Outlaw vs. Extreme field with a 5.84 at just over 250 MPH.\u00a0<\/p>\n PDRA Pro Street standout Ty Kasper is on the entry list for Renegade vs. Modified, where he\u2019ll attempt to put his turbocharged Victus Sports \u201cSinatra\u201d Mustang into the 5-second zone. Tuned by his brother, TJ, and father Tom, both former Outlaw 10.5 standouts, Kasper has been testing extensively for this attempt and made multiple eighth-mile passes in the 3.90s to prepare.\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. \u2018Cleetus McFarland\u2019 is All In<\/strong><\/p>\n Everyone\u2019s favorite automotive YouTuber, Garrett \u201cCleetus McFarland\u201d Mitchell, is also a legit drag racer with the trophies to prove it. He enters this year\u2019s World Cup Finals as the defending event champion in Stick Shift, where he\u2019ll once again compete for the $20,000 prize in his \u201cLeroy\u201d Corvette, which now sports a one-of-a-kind, Funny Car-style body. He\u2019ll also chase a second Warriors vs. Tres Cuarto win in his turbocharged \u201cMullet\u201d El Camino, which he drove to victory in 2022. Can Cleetus keep the streak going with a third WCF victory?<\/p>\n 4. Record Fields in Several Classes<\/strong><\/p>\n The resurgence of Xtreme Front-Wheel-Drive continues to build, as race officials announced a record number of XFWD entries. With 45 cars entered for a 32-car field paying $20,000 to win, it\u2019s billed as the largest XFWD race in history. The entry list is a who\u2019s-who lineup including Bradenton Motorsports Park owner Victor Alvarez in the iconic \u201cGoldie,\u201d Wes Spry, Ricky Silva, Nichole Elff, David Ngo, Bradley Dillon, Nelson Aleman, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0The headlining classes like Outlaw vs. Extreme, Renegade vs. Modified, and Warriors vs. Tres Cuarto are all bursting at the seems as well. Wait lists were established after entries sold out, and some big names have been moved up from the wait list to get a shot at WCF glory.\u00a0<\/p>\n 5. Naturally Aspirated Cars in Ideal Conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n Sure, there are plenty of nitrous-fed and boosted hot rods competing at the World Cup Finals, but there are also plenty of naturally aspirated machines on the entry list. With atmospheric conditions expected to be the best many of these racers have seen all season, they\u2019ll be able to push their all-motor entries to the max. Speaking of all-motor, All Motor is one of the classes in the lineup. Teddy Weaver is one of the entrants, and with four previous wins at the event, he\u2019s certainly one to watch this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Plus, newly crowned 2024 PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world champion Chris Powers is back with his Sonny\u2019s Racing Engines \u201cCrowd Pleaser\u201d \u201921 Camaro in Renegade vs. Modified. Though he won\u2019t be the first to do it, Powers is hoping to dip into the 3-second zone in the eighth mile with his Mountain Motor Pro Stock entry.\u00a0<\/p>\n The post Five Reasons to Watch the World Cup Finals<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Every fall, after most of the touring series and sanctioning bodies have crowned champions, drag racing fans and racers from across the U.S. and even around the world turn their attention to Maryland International Raceway for the Haltech World Cup Finals \u2013 Import vs. Domestic presented by Wiseco. Celebrating 28 years this Oct. 30-Nov. 3, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96776\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dragillustrated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/World-Cup-Finals_Darrel-Jackson-photo_2.jpg\")
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