Peak Performance Sportsman Racer of the Month: Phil Unruh
NHRA national event doubles are so rare that it almost guarantees a selection as the Peak Performance Sportsman Racer of the Month, so it should be no surprise that Norwalk Super Comp and Super Gas champ Phil Unruh is the choice for June.
Unruh is no stranger to success with nine previous national event wins. He’s also won at least one national event title in three of the previous four seasons and is extremely versatile with wins in Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, and Right Trailers Top Dragster.
The Norwalk race marked Unruh’s first appearance of the season at a national event, and he made it count with 12 straight round-wins across both classes to earn a pair of the special edition NHRA 75th Anniversary diamond Wallys.
In Super Comp, Unruh’s path to the final included wins over Lauren Freer, Top Dragster champ Vince Musolino, and Leo Zynda. The road in Super Gas wasn’t any easier as Unruh faced Nathan Vrooman, Kris Whitfield, world champ Bob Locke, and Scott Sattler.
In the end, Unruh became just the 31st driver to double up at an NHRA event, a feat that has been accomplished just 47 times in 75 years, making it more rare than a perfect game in Major League Baseball.
Honorable Mentions
Timothy Fletcher won the Division 3 event in Norwalk and then came back a week later to reach the final round of Stock at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. The points haul has helped Fletcher move into the top five in the Stock standings.
After winning the NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, Shane Oakes went to Norwalk, where he posted a pair of quarterfinal finishes in Super Stock. Oakes also had a runner-up and a semifinal in Stock eliminator, marking a very productive month.
In Division 6, Cody Lane scored a pair of NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series titles in Comp with wins in Mission, B.C., and Acton, Mont.
Philip Mollichella enjoyed his time at the recent Northeast Division NHRA Lucas Oil Series event at Maryland Int’l Raceway as he wheeled his Super Comp car to a win and a runner-up on consecutive days.
Aaron Steinkey overcame a slow start to the 2026 season with a win and semifinal in Top Dragster to go with a runner-up finish in Top Sportsman. Those results came at the Division 6 events in Mission and Acton.
Rick McDonough has taken the points lead at midseason in Right Trailers Top Dragster thanks in large part to a win at the Norwalk Division 3 event and a semifinal finish a week later at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.