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DragFest 2026 Thrills Gulfport Dragway with Record Hits and Pro Mods
Highlights
- DragFest 2026 set a new Mississippi track record at Gulfport Dragway.
- Jacob McNeal clocked 3.634 seconds at 210+ mph in Pro Mod.
- Event rescheduled to Saturday-Sunday due to weather concerns.
- Scott Coxwell won Pro Nitrous, defeating Edmund Hall in finals.
- Seventeen Pro Mod cars competed despite schedule-related withdrawals.
- Next Southern Outlaw Tour stop: Steele, Alabama, August 21-22.
DragFest 2026 delivers a landmark weekend at Gulfport Dragway, with packed grandstands and a new state record. The Southern Outlaw Tour round underscores Pro Mod’s grassroots strength on the Gulf Coast.
Organizers shift running to Saturday and Sunday to avoid weather. The call stabilizes conditions, minimizes delays, and maintains momentum despite some schedule-driven withdrawals.
The headline performance comes from Jacob McNeal. Driving a screw-blown 1971 Cuda, he runs 3.634 seconds at over 210 mph, then defeats Joey Martin after qualifying No. 1.
The 3.634 establishes the quickest pass ever recorded in Mississippi, eclipsing a mark standing since 1972. It validates Gulfport’s surface and preparation under improved weather windows.
Jacob McNeal resets the Mississippi mark with a 3.634 at 210+ mph in a screw-blown ’71 Cuda.
Pro Nitrous turns on late-Sunday clarity. Scott Coxwell wins over Edmund Hall, converting second on the ladder with a 3.81 into event control when it matters.
Kyle Megginson’s top-qualifying car cannot start eliminations after a pre-round incident. The bracket opens, and Coxwell’s lane discipline under pressure decides key moments.
The date shift to Saturday–Sunday proves decisive, delivering consistent track conditions and clean running.
Coxwell also faces his son, Mason, in Round 1. The rare family pairing tests execution; experience edges youth as Scott advances without overreaching.
Bracket racing sustains the program’s depth. Wade White tops Quick 8 Door Car qualifying and beats Adam Russell for the trophy, pairing pace with repeatable launches.
In Box, Billy Fuller Jr. and Kholten Fuller split the final. Layne Lewis repeats in No Box, while Junior Dragster features an all-girls final, with Rori Wells over Jillian Sandrock.
Seventeen Pro Mods and more than 170 total entries underscore strong buy-in across classes.
Robby Watson takes Sportsman. Ronnie Harris prevails in Motorcycle Quarter Mile, completing a card that keeps fans engaged from first pair to final pass.
McNeal’s victory compounds early-season form after winning the series opener at Montgomery. The momentum builds competitive pressure heading into late-summer rounds.
Next up: DragCoverage Night of Fire in Steele, Alabama, on August 21–22, before the tour returns to Montgomery in early September.
Collectively, record pace, full fields, and efficient operations present a national-level feel. The weekend affirms the tour’s role in elevating regional Pro Mod competition.
Visual Summary
⏱️
3.634s
Track Record
🔥
Track Record
🔥
Jacob McNeal’s ‘71 Cuda DESTROYS Mississippi Speed Record at DragFest 2026!
210+ mph
Trap Speed
17
Pro Mods Entered
Record since 1972
Now SHATTERED
👨👩👧👦👦👨👦👩👧👧👨👩👦👦👩👦👩👧👦🧒👨👩👧👧
👨🦱🧑🦱🧑🦰👨🦰🧒👧🧒🧒👩👨🦰
👨🦱🧑🦱🧑🦰👨🦰🧒👧🧒🧒👩👨🦰
Packed Stands,
Grassroots Energy!
Grassroots Energy!
Joey Martin
Runner-up
Jacob McNeal
Winner
Outlaw Pro Mod
Outlaw Pro Mod
More Hot Moments:
Scott Coxwell beats son Mason Coxwell en route to Pro Nitrous win
Fuller family splits Box class final—another family showdown!
Layne Lewis repeats No Box win; Rori Wells wins all-girls Junior Dragster final
170+ racers & electric atmosphere show grassroots racing is ALIVE.
Miles Carter covers grassroots and regional drag-strip action, from bracket racing to street-legal shootouts. His event previews and performance-upgrade guides keep local racers up to speed on timing-slip trends, tire tech, and weekend race highlights.
