Take a look at this, True 10.5 – The Clocks Are Back On!!
The True 10.5 class officially entered a new era at the U.S. Street Nationals, and the message was loud and clear: small-tire racing is faster and more serious than ever. For the first time in years, the scoreboards were turned on, allowing fans and racers alike to see exactly how quick these brutal 28×10.5-tire machines can go.
What followed at Bradenton Motorsports Park was one of the most dramatic, emotional, and historic True 10.5 battles the sport has ever witnessed.
Clocks On, Pressure On: A Turning Point for True 10.5
For years, True 10.5 racing thrived without showing elapsed times, fueling endless debate about how fast these cars really were. That all changed at the U.S. Street Nationals.
With the clocks illuminated, the mystery vanished instantly. Low-four-second runs became common — and then the unimaginable happened: three-second passes on a 28×10.5 slick.
The class wasn’t just fast. It was violent, precise, and unforgiving, proving that True 10.5 belongs among the most elite forms of drag racing in the world.
A $40,000 War Between the Baddest Small-Tire Cars on the Planet
Twenty-three of the meanest small-tire cars on Earth lined up for a $40,000 winner-take-all showdown. The field included legends, rising stars, and proven killers from across the drag-racing spectrum.
Early rounds delivered chaos:
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Explosive burnouts and razor-thin reaction times
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Mechanical failures at 200+ mph
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Upsets that wiped out championship favorites
Every round raised the stakes — and the speeds.
Records Fall and the 3-Second Barrier Is Broken
Once the clocks were live, the numbers stunned everyone. Cars that were once assumed to be “low fours” suddenly revealed high-three-second potential.
Several drivers flirted with disaster as teams balanced boost, lock-up converters, and tire speed on a brutally short slick. One wrong move meant spinning, wall contact, or catastrophic failure.
The takeaway was undeniable: True 10.5 had evolved beyond expectations.
Cole Pez’s Unbelievable Comeback Story
No story defined the weekend more than Cole Pez.
Earlier in the week, Pez suffered a hard wall impact during testing, leaving the car heavily damaged and his weekend in doubt. Suspension parts were bent, body panels destroyed, and the odds of returning looked slim.
Then the drag-racing community stepped in.
Overnight thrashing, loaned parts, emergency fabrication, and non-stop teamwork brought the car back to life. Against all odds, Pez returned to eliminations — not just to race, but to win.
Beating the Best: Ryan Martin, Kai Kelley, and Scott Taylor
Pez’s path to victory was brutal. He took out:
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Scott Taylor with a killer light
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Kye Kelley in a high-pressure rematch
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Ryan Martin, one of the most consistent drivers in modern drag racing
His semifinal win over Ryan Martin included a personal-best 3-second pass at over 200 mph, cementing the moment as one of the biggest of his career.
Final Round Drama: Pez vs. Junkyard Stew
In the final, Pez faced Brandon Sandalin and the legendary Junkyard Stew — another team that endured breakdowns, blown parts, and nonstop adversity just to make the show.
With everything on the line, the pressure peaked. Sandalin went red, and Cole Pez officially claimed the True 10.5 victory, earning $40,000 and delivering one of the greatest comeback wins the class has ever seen.
Why This Race Changed True 10.5 Forever
Turning the clocks on didn’t just satisfy fan curiosity — it redefined the class:
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Proved True 10.5 cars can run deep into the 3s
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Validated the technology, tuning, and driver skill required
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Elevated small-tire racing to a new level of legitimacy
From this point forward, there’s no hiding. The numbers are real — and they’re terrifying.
Final Thoughts
The U.S. Street Nationals didn’t just host a race. It delivered a statement.
True 10.5 is no longer a question mark. It’s one of the most extreme, competitive, and thrilling classes in all of drag racing — and with the clocks on, the world finally knows just how fast these cars really are.
If this weekend was any indication, the future of small-tire racing is loud, violent, and historically fast.
