History was made when Ryan Hill piloted the “Nitro Bandido” Fuel Altered to victory in the first International Hot Rod Association event Darana Dragway – West Salem.
Hill not only claimed the inaugural Ironman trophy but did so in dominant fashion, setting the tone for what promises to be a thrilling new era for Fuel Altereds under the IHRA banner.
Hill came into race day as the man to beat after qualifying No. 1 with a 3.461-second pass at 226.70 mph. Carrying that momentum, he marched through eliminations by defeating veterans Mitch King and Chuck Loftin before lining up in the final against Pete Dove.
In the final round, Hill cut a .103 reaction time, stayed locked in on the tree, and powered to a winning 3.512 at 211.47 mph. Dove, despite his best efforts, was forced to pedal his machine and slowed to a 3.986 at 147.35.
The scoreboard lit in Hill’s lane, officially crowning him the first Fuel Altered winner in IHRA history.
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An emotional Hill soaked in the moment, crediting both his team and the IHRA for opening the door for Fuel Altereds to compete.
“I knew we had to be loaded for bear. Pete was going to come after us, and that car’s got the capability to go pretty darn hard,” Hill said. “Luckily enough, I left with him, and when I saw that win light come on, I knew it. Honestly, this is such a gem to be here — IHRA letting us be a part of this. We started building this car two years ago without even having a class for it. As soon as IHRA talked about it, I said, ‘We’re in.’”
Hill went on to thank his crew, supporters, family, and fans.
“It’s a team sport. These guys are all my family, and we win and lose as a family. This is the greatest thing I’ve ever gotten to do. To see that win light, to see that paycheck – it’s incredible. It’ll probably take a couple of days to set in,” he added.
“We’ve never even raced for that much money ever in my life. So even just to see that paycheck is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever gotten.”
