Booher Claims First North Central Region TAD Championship

Booher Claims First North Central Region TAD Championship

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (November 26) – Racing in just his third full season in the NHRA's quickest and fastest sportsman class, 31-year old Brandon Booher drove his torque converter-equipped Top Alcohol Dragster to three regional event wins to claim his first NHRA North Central Regional championship. Booher's regional title is just one of many high points in a season that included several firsts and accomplishments for the father-son Booher Racing team.

Though Booher won three regional events – Joliet, Cordova, and Columbus – in the middle of summer, he didn't officially clinch the North Central region title until qualifying was complete at the final Lucas Oil series race of the year in Las Vegas earlier this month. Challenger Bill Reichert would’ve taken the points lead with a win at the race.

“If you look at any of the other regions, if you had three wins and two semis you would have such a points lead that it's laughable, and we didn't. That's how tough this region is. We had a few missteps at the two races early in the season, odd parts broke at the last two regionals, and those hurt our chances. Bill Reichert would've gone around us if he won the Noble or Las Vegas races. We were on pins and needles waiting to see how it would shake out,” said Brandon, a former Pro Top Outlaw dragster champion.

Booher's championship season was a result of hard work, a combination of quality parts and pieces, and a strong support system. Brandon knew that a regional championship was possible with this combination, but he didn't expect it to come so early in his TAD career.

“I have always believed in the capabilities of our car, our crew, and the manufacturers who work with us. We didn't perform as well in our previous two seasons mainly because the converter technology hadn't progressed enough. With a few new items added to the car over the offseason, we were able to make the car reach its potential. It's not as simple as changing the converter or camshaft; it did take a lot of time and hard work. It's nice to see it all come to fruition.”

The AB Construction team's success wasn't limited to regional competition. Brandon won his first national event at the NHRA Carlyle Tools Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway in September. Another final round appearance followed at the NHRA Auto-Plus Nationals a month later, running two 5.307s during the course of the event. Booher ultimately finished third in LODRS national points standings.

Considering the season that included so many firsts, career-bests, and accomplishments, Brandon's proudest accomplishment might be surprising – his 275 MPH speed in the second round at the Carolina Nationals. The run ranks in the top five fastest blown alcohol passes. The Booher Racing dragster is now the second-fastest blown alcohol dragster and fastest ever torque converter-equipped car.

“The most impressive thing to me was the 275 MPH with a torque converter. I would even go so far as to say that was the best run of the year in alcohol racing. Big mile per hour like that is an indication of horsepower and a reflection of what my dad and I have been working on. To anyone who thought I was silly for wanting to make this combination work, it was a wake-up call – this is for real,” Brandon said.

As for next year, Brandon is expecting even better performance out of his car.

“I'm just getting started. It's only going to get better from here because I have gobs of data and manufacturers who are excited to work with us. It was a dream year, but I have no intentions of settling. Next year needs to be better; more consistency and better performance. I think that's doable with what we learned this year.”

The driver/tuner is very grateful to the people and companies who made the 2013 season possible.

“You can't have performance without people there to work on it. All of the crew guys, whether they were full-time or just a race or two – Pete, Drew, John, Nate, Ed, and of course my dad, Aaron. 2014 will be our twentieth season racing together. My wife Shannon and my mom also came out and supported us at a lot of races this year.

“On the manufacturer side, I want to thank Ken Juszczyk at Motorsports Unlimited Performance Parts Distributors. Ken always has parts on-hand at the races, which is extremely helpful for a team like ours. Mike Spitzer and everyone at Spitzer Enterprises have been great to work with, ever since I started racing a Spitzer Junior Dragster almost twenty years ago. Goodson Tools and Bell Helmets also provided support.”

Brandon Booher and the AB Construction/Torque Management team expect to run a full schedule in 2014, with the goals of reaching the 5.2s, defending their North Central region championship, and contending for the Lucas Oil Series national championship.

Booher Racing is a Champaign, Illinois-based Top Alcohol Dragster team, competing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Former Junior Dragster driver Brandon Booher pilots the family-owned AB Construction blown alcohol dragster. The team owns the record for quickest and fastest torque converter-equipped TAD. Booher Racing receives support from Motorsports Unlimited, Spitzer Race Cars, Goodson Tools, Bell Helmets, and Torque Management.

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