DragRacingActionOnline  Images: Phil Hutchison, Mark Tinari, and Phil Mollichella

Phil Mollichella took the Elite Top Dragster trophy back to West Chester, Pennsylvania after taking down some heavyweight championship contenders at the PDRA Northern Nationals sponsored by Penske Racing Shocks at Maple Grove Dragway. The Elite Top Dragster is presented by Lucas Oil and Laris Motorsports Insurance and features the quickest 16 Top Dragsters from a field of over 40 entries.

Mollichella’s ProCharger powered dragster qualified at Maple Grove in the 11th spot with a 4.021 and faced some of the PDRA’s toughest racers in eliminations.

Mollichella at the Baby Gators in March

In round #1 Mollichella was up against the dragster of Larry Roberts out of Laurens S.C.  Roberts, who was #3 in points in 2021, went .003 red putting Mollichella up against the former world champ Steve Furr from Harrisburg N.C in R2. Furr unexpectedly went 0.006 red advancing Phil into the semifinals. “I got very lucky. Steve’s always a tough customer, and I was surprised we won.” Mollichella said.

In a double breakout semifinal race Mollichella edged out his good friend Marty Jones Jr from Toms River N.J. Jones ran a 3.963 on a 4.03 dial as Mollichella ran a 4.142 on a 4.20 dial for the win and a trip to his first PDRA final round.

In the money round it was Mollichella against defending PDRA champ Pete Maduri. Maduri got the better light with a 0.015 RT to Mollichella’s 0.043 but Maduri couldn’t run the 3.73 dial losing with a 3.767 to Mollichella’s right on with a four 4.144.

“He couldn’t get there and that’s why I lifted.” Mollichella said after the win. “I looked over and didn’t see him. He should have been right next to me but he wasn’t, so I lifted and broke the belt when I whomped it once more. He might have spun at the hit.”

Mollichella continued, “The car was giving us problems all weekend. We were not consistent. We qualified with a 4.02 and the car should have run a 3.90. We thought it was the convertor as the trans was really hot so we had our transmission specialist Kenny Moses check things out and they seemed normal but the car again was not consistent. My lights were all over the place. After focusing on the trans, which was not the problem, we finally pulled the valve covers off after the race and found we had broken both rocker arms on #7 cylinder. We ran the entire race on seven cylinders! So we finally figured out why I could not catch a light or run the same number two runs in a row. I was very lucky and you will never see that again. I had all the killer drivers on my side of the ladder with a hurt car and ended up with a win.

“Running on seven cylinders affected the convertor which made the transmission not too happy. Right after my win I went over to Moses’ shop and had the trans rebuilt.

Mollichella, who has won his share of local bracket races, was asked why the move to Top Dragster and he replied. “We raced Top Dragster years ago at the Dutch Classic and I loved it. It was a faster class with no throttle stop. So in 2020 we decided to go fast.

“I traded a car I already had to my friend Bob Murphy for a 2011 Miller car.  We stripped it down, rewired and plumbed it. Joe Hessling at APD built the 540 cubic inch ProCharger motor. Kenny Moses supplied the transmission and Lee Ream from C2 Competition did the convertor.

Carmen has won on the NHRA Lucas Divisional level

“My son Carmen drives the car at the NHRA events but I love to drive the car at the other events. I really like the PDRA. If they were closer I would race PDRA straight up. They do an excellent job. The problem is many of their races conflict with the NHRA events and with the NHRA; I don’t have to travel as far to make the race.  The event at Maple was my second experience with the PDRA and they do a hell of a job.”

Phil, who turns 58 in a few weeks, would like to thank his major sponsor, his wife Dawn. “Dawn is my major sponsor,” Mollichella adds, “Financially, spiritually and everything else I can think of.”

“I have to give credit to my son Carmen, we do every thing together ever since he was a boy and I could not do it without him. And definitely thanks to Debbie and Ken Moses for their transmissions and friendship. Also thanks to Davis Racing engines. Gil, Jake, and Eric. I hurt the motor before Maple Gove and they fixed it before the race. Jeff Kundratic helps me with fluids and MSD parts and his wife Kathy does the powder coating on the car. Jeff Stricker from Road Runner Racing Fuel is instrumental as is Dave Petrofske and his wife Debbie who help us with the chassis.  And my “adopted” son Steve Logan who has been with me for the last 10 years. It’s a little circle of good friends that makes it possible to race.

I have been racing at Maple Grove since 1980 back when I was running a Chevelle. It’s my home track. My buddy Duke Roney who works with the McPhillips T/AD team, told me to pull the motor out of the Chevelle and put it into a dragster chassis and we have been racing dragsters every since.

Asked about if there were any more PDRA events in his future Mollichella replied, “Right after our final division race at Richmond, the PDRA has their world finals and I would love to race that one too. I love VMP, it’s an awesome track and I love how the PDRA people treat us.”