Benton’s Koy Collier won the Super Gas event at the NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series fifth annual AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals last month in St. Louis.
At 18 years and two days, Collier became the youngest driver to win a race at a Nationals event. Collier received a prestigious Wally trophy, which is more than a foot tall with a brass finish and stands on a solid wooden platform.
According to the NHRA website, the Wally is named after NHRA founder “Wally” Parks.
He defeated Jacob Elrod of Harrod, Ohio, in the finals. Collier drove a 1968 Camaro and Elrod a 1992 Corvette. Collier’s margin of victory was 0.0144 seconds (approximately 3 feet).
Jacob Elrod is the reigning 2015 Lucas Oil North Central Division 3 Super Gas champion.
Collier races for his family’s organization, Collier Racing, which has won 12 Wallys on the circuit plus two specialty Wallys in three years of NHRA competition.
The organization was started Koy’s grandfather Mike. Koy’s father, Steve, and uncle, Jack, are also successful drivers.
Through eight events this year, Jack Collier has clinched the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 4 Super Gas points title and is third nationally. Steve Collier is second in Division 4 Super Gas.
Steve won the Super Gas event in the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in May in June and the Super Comp event in the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston.
Steve Collier ranks third in the Division 4 Super Comp class, and Jack Collier is eighth.
Bossier City’s Greg Stanfield is fourth in the Division 4 Stock division standings.
Collier Racing has been on the circuit for 27 years, including about three-and-a-half in the NHRA. It is sponsored and owned by Manpower Temporary Services.
— Staff Reports
