In the motorsports world of drag racing, time is measured in thousandths of a second. But it took
15 years since the last time Beaver Springs resident John DiBartolomeo visited the winner's circle
at a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) national event. This past weekend, the owner of DRC Race
Products and editor of Drag Racing Action magazine, scored his fourth NHRA national title with his
win in the Super Comp class at the NHRA Supernationals in Englishtown, NJ.
"In 2007, my son Franklin won this same event," DiBartolomeo said, "and it marked only a small
number of times when a father and son had national event victories to their credit."
DiBartolomeo had previously won events in Gainesville, FL, Indianapolis and at nearby Reading, PA.
But the Reading win was his last and it occurred in 1994.
He said, "The sportsman categories within the NHRA rules structure house some of the best
competition and the Super Comp class, the category I scored in this weekend, is probably the
toughest with racers from all over the country and wins measured in thousandths of a second."
DiBartolomeo's dragster runs on the 8.90-second elapsed time class index at speeds regularly in the
172-mph range. He is a native of New Jersey and literally cut his racing teeth competing on the
quarter-mile facility in Englishtown, which is one of the most famous race tracks in the country.
DiBartolomeo, who presently lives within earshot of Beaver Springs Dragway in Beaver Springs, PA,
said, "I've been very fortunate to win a lot of races over the 30+ years I've been racing but I
never won a national event at the Englishtown track. In 2007 when my son won there, it was like old
home week in the winner's circle and this win felt the same.
"Fifteen years is a long time between major wins," he added, "but I'll take it none the less. I was
thrilled my wife Dot and daughter Christina were there to celebrate, but my son had to return back
early in the weekend to the University of Kentucky where he works and attends classes towards his
PHD in engineering. But we talked on the cell phone between every round of eliminations and
discussed our tune-up. He was a big help in this win and I'm sorry he wasn't there. But we'll just
have to do it again next week when he drives at the NHRA national event in Norwalk, OH.
"Having been in the drag racing business a 'long time,' there's quite a bunch of people and
companies who have stood behind us for years," DiBartolomeo added. "I've been blessed that the list
is so long and I can never thank them enough for all their help."
