Donna Morris picked up the trophy in Super Stock to lead the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.

JOLIET, IL – Donna Morris shined in the winner’s circle for her very first time ever at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway

JOLIET, IL - Donna Morris shined brightly in the winner's circle at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals. Competing in Super Stock, Morris emerged victorious in her very first final round, claiming the coveted Wally trophy.

After a challenging weekend filled with new car jitters and shifting weather patterns, Morris's perseverance paid off. Despite a stellar start with a perfect .003 light, her new 2023 Corvette struggled to maintain traction, resulting in a red light start. However, Morris quickly recovered, launching with a .024 reaction time and posting a 10.696 at 118 mph to stay within her 10.67 dial.

Meanwhile, Troy Galbraith encountered difficulties as he took too much stripe, breaking out by .02 over his 9.63 dial with a 9.614 at 147 mph after cutting a .027 light. This slipup handed the win to Morris.

"I'm still shaking," said Morris. "It was a crazy weekend. I had new car blues all weekend, and we kept having to adjust to the changing weather. But I'm so happy to finally get the win, especially after having such a good start to the year in Division 3."

Joining Morris in the winner's circle were Marion Stephenson (STK), Jeff Cheney (SC), David Dahlem (SG), and Greg Rice (TD).

Super Stock

Donna Morris claimed her inaugural NHRA National event victory in Super Stock. Competing in her very first final round, Morris displayed remarkable consistency throughout the weekend, advancing through every round with a perfect light.

In the semi-finals, Morris faced off against Todd Frantz, who had an outstanding weekend with a .004 light in the third round. Frantz, driving his 2018 Corvette, encountered difficulties at the start and fouled out, advancing to the next round.

The final round saw a close encounter as both drivers reacted closely to the tree, with Morris at .024 and Troy Galbraith at .027. Launching in her 2023 Corvette, Morris encountered some tire smoke but managed to stay within her 10.67 dial with a 10.696 at 118 mph to secure the win.

Galbraith, driving his 2020 Corvette, encountered issues during the final round as he took too much stripe, breaking out by .02 over his 9.63 dial with a 9.614 at 147 mph.

Stock Eliminator

Marion Stephenson made a triumphant return to the NHRA winner's circle, adding a fourth national event trophy to his collection. Competing in Stock Eliminator, Stephenson brought home the eighth win of his career after a closely contested final round against Joey Shipp.

Shipp, driving his 2022 C8 Corvette, encountered difficulties at the start, reacting slowly to the tree with a -.042 light and rolling through the finish line. This slipup occurred as he tried to adjust his staging to avoid another red light start after having two close calls earlier in the meet.

Despite starting poorly, Shipp managed to post a 9.247 at 153 mph on his 9.23 dial, placing him closely within winning distance. However, it was Stephenson who took home the victory with a red light start of his own. Reacting slightly early with a .017 light, Stephenson clocked a 9.284 at 147 mph in his 2023 Corvette on the 9.27 dial.

“We had a great weekend,” said Shipp. “I had a rough start to the year, but I’m starting to get back in the groove. I’m really enjoying driving this new Corvette. It’s a blast to drive.”

Michael Lund and Larry DeForrest were the semi-finalists.

Super Comp

Jeff Cheney reached the final round of a national event for the first time since 2019, and it was no ordinary final round. Competing in Super Comp, Cheney faced Kimbra Fuesting, who had an incredible run to the final, advancing from the No. 32 seed.

Both drivers had clean starts, with Cheney reacting slightly faster at .006 to Fuesting's .024. Launching his 2023 Dragster, Cheney ran a 8.923 at 172 mph to stay within his 8.90 index and claim his fifth national event victory.

"It was quite a trip," said Cheney. "I had a good start to the year, making the final in the divisional race in Seattle, but then I had a few breakdowns. I'm glad we could finish this one."

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