If there has been one competitor I simply cannot seem to beat in 2026, it’s Mother Nature.
Seriously. Rain has become the unofficial points leader this season.
Our yard has spent half the year underwater, turning the simple act of turning the trailer around into an adventure. We’ve mowed the grass twice a week more times than I can count, and every race weekend starts with three things: checking a weather app, checking the radar, and then checking a completely different weather app because maybe the first one is wrong.
Throw in fuel prices that seem determined to empty our wallet faster than race gas disappears from the cell, and racing this year has felt a little bit like gambling before we even get to the track.
But somehow, we’re making it work.
👋 Back with an Update
Hi everyone!
When I left off after Bristol and the World Footbrake Challenge, I had come to a realization: I am not a marathon racer.
Now, before anybody starts throwing wrenches at me, let me explain.
When I think of marathon racing, I’m talking about races like the World Footbrake Challenge, The Million, other big money events. The kind where first round happens in the morning and you’re still waiting eight hours later wondering exactly when you’ll make another pass.
That’s very different from something like NHRA or traditional sportsman series racing where you know the event schedule heading in, even if weather and track conditions can still change everything.
Some racers thrive in those marathon environments. I learned that I’m probably not one of them, and honestly, that’s okay. Knowing what fits you as a racer is every bit as important as knowing your reaction-time average.
Now let’s talk about everything that’s happened since July, because somehow the chaos has only increased.
🏁 Buckeye Stock/Super Stock: Round One with Mother Nature
First on the schedule was Buckeye Stock/Super Stock races #3 and #4 at Darana -National Trail Raceway.
I’ll give you one guess what happened. Yep. Rain.
Day one was washed out before first round could even finish. The race was ultimately scrapped, and Sunday became a complete restart.
When we finally got to race, I qualified somewhere in the middle of the field but exited in the second round after apparently forgetting how to drive the finish line.
The good news? Even bad rounds teach lessons.
One thing racing has taught me over the years is that every loss is lesson. Sometimes the lesson is cheap. Sometimes it’s expensive. This one fell somewhere in the middle.
🎀 A Different Kind of Preparation
In between races, I traded race schedules and weather forecasts for baby-shower planning.
My youngest daughter is expecting our first grandson in October, and we celebrated with a baby shower that reminded me there are exciting things happening outside the racetrack too.
It’s funny how life works.
One weekend you’re chasing thousandths of a second at 128 mph.
The next you’re sorting gifts, decorations, cake, and games while getting ready to become a grandma.
Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about that promotion.
🚗 Mopar Nationals: The Race That Almost Was
At the end of July, we headed to one of our favorite events every year: the 45th Annual Mopar Nationals at National Trail Raceway.
And for those keeping score at home… Rain showed up again.
We completed first round before the skies opened and sent everyone scrambling.
Eventually a vote was held about switching to eighth-mile racing so we could finish before another storm rolled through. Most racers voted yes, but many drivers left, and our NSS class ultimately decided to split rather than race the shortened distance.
I was especially disappointed because I was supposed to race Shaun in round two.
Anybody who says they don’t enjoy racing their spouse is lying. I was fully prepared to give him a hard time if I won.
As luck would have it, the track eventually dried, they finished the race at the quarter-mile anyway, and all I could do was laugh and shake my head.
Sometimes racing is just like that.
🎄 The Porta-Tree Goes Back to Work
Our next stop was NDRL at Kil-Kare.
With only one qualifier, I managed to qualify #8 out of 28 cars with a 10.51 on my 10.50 index.
Not bad. Then first round happened.
I missed the tree. Race over.
My 2026 season has been a fascinating study in contradictions. Some weekends I drive the finish line great and can’t hit the tree. Other weekends I hit the tree and miss the stripe.
Apparently putting both together on the same day continues to be the challenge.
That evening my handheld Porta-Tree found its way into my lunch bag.
The practice sessions increased immediately.
🎸 Rock and Race: A Weekend to relax and remember how to have fun
Next came one of our favorite weekends on our schedule: Rock and Race at Dragway 42.
If you love old cars, live music, and great people, put this race on your bucket list.
Shaun brought out the ’33 Plymouth Roadster, Betty White came along as usual, and we settled in for one of those weekends that’s less about pressure and more about having fun.
Of course, because 2026 refuses to be normal, we were fighting an absolutely wild tailwind.
Even after making adjustments intended to slow the car down, Betty ripped off one of her quickest passes of the year at 10.39 and 128 mph. Apparently, she had opinions about my tuning choices.
Friday didn’t go my way, but Shaun drove the Roadster to a runner-up finish.
By Sunday, the weather was threatening again and officials were hustling to get rounds completed.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature collected another victory and the race ended in a split before second round could finish.
At this point, we were all beginning to wonder if we’d accidentally offended the weather gods.
🏆 The Weekend Everything Finally Came Together
By early September we returned to National Trail for an NDRL and Buckeye double-header weekend.
And yes, the weather forecast was terrible. I’m sure you’re shocked.
The schedule was shuffled around, races were condensed, and we ended up racing Friday night because Saturday looked awful.
But something felt different. After a great ThisIsBracketRacing ELITE call earlier in the week, I had a plan.
The NSS race was my opportunity to dial in my routine, gain confidence, and get ready for Buckeye.
Unfortunately, Betty and I had to have a little heart-to-heart discussion after qualifying because she wasn’t cooperating with anything I was trying to do. Apparently, she had her own plan.
Then I made a rookie mistake.
After several qualifying runs, the car was warm, I left the fan running after my burnout, and Betty didn’t run her number first round. My NSS day ended right there.
Time to focus entirely on Buckeye. And that’s when everything clicked.
The first round was probably the luckiest round I’ve ever won. My opponent and I both took our time at the tree, and it came down to who could drive the finish line better.
Thankfully, it fell my way. After that, something changed. I settled down. I trusted the process. I trusted myself.
The reaction times improved. The finish-line decisions improved. The execution improved.
Including a .000 package in the quarterfinals.
By the end of the night, I found myself in the final and managed to win my very first Buckeye “Jeffy.”
After four years with the series, that moment felt incredibly rewarding.
And to make the story even better, the win lights don’t work in the right lane.
So, as I crossed the finish line, I found myself looking across the track waiting to see if my opponent’s light came on.
When it didn’t… Let’s just say there may have been some yelling inside the car.
That win moved me to fifth in points and locked me into the championship runoff in October.
Not bad for a season that’s felt like a never-ending weather delay.
🌧️ Mopar Mania: One More Weather Adventure
Next up was Mopar Mania at Summit Motorsports Park.
The forecast changed so often during the week leading up to the event that I stopped believing any of it. Every time I checked, it looked different.
One forecast showed the entire weekend as a washout. The next showed one beautiful day out of 3.
Eventually we decided to hook up the trailers and go. If nothing else, we’d rather be at the racetrack waiting on weather than sitting at home wondering.
As it turned out, it was the right decision. Friday was beautiful. I finally got Betty dialed perfectly for the 10.50 index.
Then I managed to go .003 red in the gamblers race. Because apparently, we can’t have everything.
With weather approaching, the track announced that both weekend races would be run on Saturday. Honestly, looking at the radar, we weren’t convinced we’d finish one race, let alone two.
Yet somehow, after a lengthy rain delay and a few scattered sprinkles, they got everything completed.
In race one I made it to the semifinals while repeatedly driving the car dead-on.
The tree wasn’t perfect, but the finish line was working.
Eventually I ran Shaun in the semis and missed the light, ending my day.
The bright side? He won race 1. So at least he didn’t have to sleep on the couch.
Race two ended in the quarterfinals. I drove well. The car was excellent. At the tree, however, I apparently decided to take a nap again.
I really need to figure out how to turn off the delay box in my head.
💛 Wrapping Up
As I write this, the season still isn’t over.
We still have Buckeye’s final race, Mopar Muscle Dragfest at London, KY, the Halloween race at National Trail, and the Buckeye championship runoff waiting for us.
Yet somehow it feels like we’ve already packed an entire season into a few short months.
2026 has challenged me in every possible way.
- Weather.
- Mechanical issues.
- Mental game struggles.
- Missed opportunities.
- Big wins.
- Unexpected breakthroughs.
Through all of it, I’ve continued learning. Every round teaches something about my car. Every race teaches something about myself.
And Elite continues to help me recognize those lessons, process them, and use them moving forward.
Maybe that’s the biggest victory of all. Not the trophies. Not the win lights. Not even the Jeffy.
It’s becoming a smarter racer, a stronger competitor, and a better version of myself each time I pull into the staging lanes.
Now if Mother Nature could just stop racing against me, I’d really appreciate it.
-Megan
