Five Takeaways from No Prep Kings at Cordova Dragway
It was an incredibly emotional weekend in Cordova, Illinois, as No Prep Kings hosted its first event since the passing of beloved driver Lizzy Musi. With heavy hearts, the teams competed in their final race until mid-August.
For the second week in a row, rain pushed racing back a day, with eliminations not being completed until Sunday evening. Fans who stuck it out were treated to another new winner for the 2024 season, plenty of upsets, and messages to Lizzy on nearly every car.
Here’s a look at my five key takeaways from No Prep Kings at Cordova Dragway.
Robin Roberts Scores First Invitational Win of 2024
Robin Roberts scored his first Invitational win of 2024 in Cordova, taking home $30,000 and positioning himself second in the points standings heading into the summer break, just 21 points behind leader Giuseppe Gentile. According to “Stat Guy” Chris LeCloux, Roberts now has 119 round wins in NPK, tying him for fifth most all-time.
Roberts benefitted from a bit of good fortune, as he initially fell to Murder Nova in the qualification round. However, after drawing one of the lucky chips to put himself back into the winner’s bracket, Roberts never looked back. He defeated “Daddy Dave” Comstock, Paige Coughlin, and Clay Cole on his way to the finals, where he would get a rematch against Shawn Ellington.
In the final round, Murder Nova suffered severe tire shake about 60 feet out and was forced to lift. Roberts didn’t make a perfectly clean run either, getting close to the center line as he pedaled the car; but it was good enough to take home the trophy, capping off a bittersweet weekend. Roberts shared with me his experience – from the time he arrived in Cordova, to celebrating in the winner’s circle.
“We learned about Lizzy passing the morning we headed to Cordova,” Roberts said. “On the drive, Jenn [from NPK production] asked if I could say the normal opening prayer for the event. Of course, it would be anything but normal, it would be to honor Lizzy from her racing family. We all gathered at my pit that afternoon and shared our moments in private, fittingly in the rain. That night I put my thoughts together. I knew I had to read it or I would never make it through! It was an incredibly emotional prayer to say goodbye, and that is what our little family did together. Breaks our hearts to think of Lizzy and her family, and we just want to remember her well. I was lucky enough to go on and win that race – our first win this season which will forever feel bittersweet.”
Kayla Morton Grabs Second-Chance Victory
Danny Stogner photo
Kayla Morton continued to slowly work her way up the standings in Cordova, taking home the event win in the second-chance bracket. In addition to the $5,000 prize, Morton earned 12 points, moving her up to ninth in the race to the championship.
“We got us one today y’all!” Morton posted on social media. “It may not have been the one we wanted but lemme tell ya, I had so much fun racing today! We made some progress, raced without stress, earned us 12 points, and gained some momentum for the next one.”
Morton fell to Ryan Martin in the qualification round Saturday evening, but came back strong on Sunday. She outran Jeff Lutz in the opening round – certainly not a matchup one expects to see in the “loser’s bracket” – then went on to defeat Bobby Ducote and Jerry Bird to take home the win.
But, like everyone else, winning was not the primary focus for Kayla this weekend. She, like so many others, felt the loss of a good friend in the midst of the joy of winning.
“I appreciated the time I got to spend with my people just a little more than normal this weekend,” Morton said. “I don’t think there will ever be another round I race without talking to my girl a little while suiting up. It’s just part of the routine now.”
Honoring Lizzy’s Legacy
Lizzy Musi was not only loved by her competitors, but was also one of the most accomplished drivers in NPK history. She leaves behind a lasting legacy, including being the first driver to win back-to-back-to-back Invitationals. She is also third all-time in Invitational wins (7), Invitational finals (12), and round wins (136) (Statistics provided by “Stat Guy” Chris LeCloux).
But Lizzy was much more than just her on-track accomplishments. She was a friend, role model, and fierce competitor. As Robin Roberts stated, all the drivers gathered in his pit area prior to the event to reflect and honor Lizzy, with Roberts later leading everyone in the pre-race prayer. With his permission, I am copying it here as a way for the entire drag racing community to honor and remember her legacy – not only as a driver, but as a person.
“Father God, we come to you with heavy hearts. Our friend Lizzy turned the win light on and beat us home to you.
We pray for your peace upon Pat, Elizabeth, and Tricia; upon all the racing family that was close to her, and all of the fans who loved her.
We appreciate the time you gave all of us with one of your children. Lizzy was a fierce competitor…with a sweet nature! We will miss her contagious smile; hugs win or lose were her style.
Lord, we know with you all things are possible: SO, hook her up with an 1800 cubic inch nitrous motor…with like 23 kits! Make it just slightly better than the one her earthly father Pat could have built!
We know her pain has passed. But ours hasn’t. This will leave a hole in our hearts that cannot be replaced, or ever fully repaired.
Thank you for this time to enjoy our passion. We will miss Lizzy today and every day we gather to race. Let her watch over us, smile down on us, and help keep us all safe.
Thank you for good memories. Give us your peace! Amen.”
Swanstrom’s Tough Weekend
David Hilner photo
Justin Swanstrom, one of NPK’s top contenders all season, suffered a multitude of issues over the weekend – and not just with his car. In addition to losing to Daddy Dave in the qualification round Saturday evening, Swanstrom noted that his team had lost power in their pit area. With parts breakage to both the car and trailer, he made the tough decision to head home.
“This weekend is just not going in our favor!” Swanstrom posted on social media. “We shook both runs. Slung a rod out of the trailer generator, we are out of power. Ran 1st round and broke a set of wheelie bars. I have decided not to run [the] 2nd chance bracket and put the wear and tear on the car and equipment, nor do we have the power to run our operation…We will take this month we are off to get [the] trailer right, things fixed on the car…and a lot of testing to go after the championship on the back swing of this journey!”
Swanstrom fell to fifth in the points after the event, the lowest he’s been all season – which is a true testament to just how strong he’s been running this year. Despite the setback, he is still in a great position to compete for a championship.
No Prep Elite
Speaking of competing for a championship, there were some major shakeups in the points heading into the break, as drivers fight for the 16 slots available for No Prep Elite – the four-race “playoff” to determine the $150,000 season championship.
Giuseppe Gentile remains the points leader with 190, while both Robin Roberts (169) and Shawn Ellington (162) moved up into the top three. Ryan Martin (155) and Justin Swanstrom (140) round out the top five.
Elsewhere, Paige Coughlin positioned herself in the top 10 with her quarterfinal finish. Clay Cole was the biggest mover, as he jumped from outside the cutoff (17th) all the way up to 11th, where he is now tied with Scott Taylor. Jimmy Taylor also snuck in at number 16. Those two newcomers knocked Jim Howe and Nate Sayler out of the current “Elite” group. Drivers have just four more races to punch their ticket into the top 16.
Next Up: No Prep Kings will take a much-needed summer break before returning to action August 16-17 at Qlispé Raceway Park in Airway Heights, Washington.
This story was originally published on July 3, 2024.
The post Five Takeaways from No Prep Kings at Cordova Dragway first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
