Mon, 19 Dec 2016, 13:43 PM Elrod Celebrates Super Rod Win

Courtesy of IHRA Communications

Jacob Elrod celebrates Championship.

It was a close one, and it came down to reaction time: Jacob Elrod, of Harrod, Ohio, made a pass of 9.897 seconds at 165.15mph with a reaction time of .008, winning over Charlie Stewart of Azlo, Texas, whose lap was 9.896 seconds at 164.07 mph, with a .016 reaction time.

It was a battle of Chevrolet Corvettes - Elrod in his 1992 and Stewart in his 1963.

"They say, 'To be the best, you have to beat the best,' and that's surely what they've got here," said Elrod, about the Summit World Finals at Memphis International Raceway.

"The goal is always to make our sponsors look good, to always put a winning image out there because we don't win every race," he said. So the idea is to always put forward a winning image, and IHRA gives us that opportunity."

Elrod has been close, and this year would not be denied.

"I have come in feeling like I have a great shot, but it always gets away from me. I miss the tree or I do something stupid, and I always feel like it's me. So, going into it this year, I just tried to hit the tree."

He did - and the results speak for themselves.