NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Part of the wonder for any racetrack is its history, and Houston Raceway Park has been home to many significant moments since first opening its doors in 1988. To some racers, that history is personal. This is particularly true in Pro Stock, as the Baytown, Texas, dragstrip has hosted more first wins for the category than any other NHRA racetrack, past or present. 

The initial driver to claim his first Pro Stock trophy there was Mark Pawuk in 1992. "The Cowboy" had been to the final round five times before then, and his luck finally turned with a shocking .004-second holeshot victory over a driver known for starting-line domination: Rickie Smith. Smith was also in the hunt for his first win in the category that day. 

"Since 1985, we've been running Pro Stock and never won a national event," an exuberant Pawuk told reporter Steve Evans at the top end. "Lord help me, we finally got it." 

In all, eight drivers have secured their first Pro Stock win at Houston Raceway Park. Mike Edwards added his name to the list in 1996, Tom Martino did so in the spring of 1997, Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the fall of 1997, Vincent Nobile in 2011, Bo Butner in 2017, Matt Hartford in 2018, and Aaron Stanfield in 2020. 

Most times, after a Pro Stock driver won in Houston, it uncorked the bottle. Wins soon would flow, starting with Pawuk, who went on to claim five more Pro Stock trophies over the course of his career, including another just a couple of months later in Seattle.

Edwards was the 2009 champion and a 40-time Pro Stock winner by the time he stepped back from driving. Coughlin earned 65 wins and five championships during his tenure. Nobile brought in 13 Pro Stock victories. Martino claimed five wins in the class, which matches young Stanfield's count so far.

The 2017 Houston win broke an exhausting drought for Butner, an accomplished Sportsman racer who made his first Pro Stock start in 2015. Butner reached the final seven times before finally getting a glimpse of that long-awaited flash of light signaling triumph.  

"It took two and a half years to get it, but everything finally went our way," recalled Butner. "I had a great car, and I'd been to so many finals before that maybe the nerves weren't quite like they were the first few times. By that point, it was just going round by round. Yes, it was the big one, but you have to win them all to win the race, and my mindset didn't change that whole day. Everything finally clicked, and it opened the floodgates for us." 

Butner won five races that year and was in a heated battle with Greg Anderson for the championship nearly all season long. Ultimately, the Pro Stock title was awarded to Butner with his last victory of the season at the NHRA Finals in Pomona. That win moved Butner a mere seven points ahead of Anderson for a championship that could not have been his without the Houston success. 

As the final national event at Houston Raceway Park approaches, there are nine drivers out of the 20 currently on the entry list who are gunning for their first Pro Stock win. 

Four-time finalist Troy Coughlin Jr. is amongst the most eligible, and Mason McGaha has three final-round appearances and an exceptionally steady hand at the starting line. NHRA Rookie of the Year candidate Camrie Caruso, returning Aussie racer Shane Tucker, Mopar mainstay Alan Prusiensky and teammate Mike Callahan, and all three of the fighting Cuadras – dad Fernando Sr. and sons Fernando Jr. and Cristian – will be battling to become the next first-time Pro Stock winner. 

"A good friend of mine that's a retired driver told me that it takes a minute to learn how to win, and once you get it, everything just clicks," said Johnson's Horsepowered Garage Chevrolet Pro Stock driver Butner. "That's true, but you also need the right equipment and to be in the right place at the right time. I'm not 100% sure what it is about Houston Raceway Park, but I can tell you this: The fans there love this class, and it's a fast racetrack. I'm happy to go back this year."