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STORY PHIL HUTCHISON/ROB KEISTER

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Bensalem PA 

March 21,2026

The Mid Atlantic .90 held their annual banquet in Bensalem PA and as usual, the event was a huge success with over 140 racers and families in attendance to celebrate the 2025 winners. Rob Keister (President) and Dana Nahill (Vice President/second in command) pulled out all the stops putting on a great show. 

An organization started back in the 1980’s by Dave Bishop & Tony Gamberdella at Atco for the .90 racers on the NHRA / IHRA side to gain extra seat time, the group has expanded to include all three NHRA .90 classes, Stock & Super Stock, Top Dragster, Top Sportsman along with the popular Jr Dragster class and this season will see the expansion into Junior Street.

In 2026, the Mid Atlantic group will race at four tracks in the Northeast spanning 10 races over 5 weekends. Maple Grove Dragway now under the IHRA umbrella returns to the schedule and Maryland International joins the fray and Cecil County along with Mason Dixon return for what is looking to be a great season. 

The association is made up of a variety of racers from kids in Jr Dragster up to granddads in Super Comp & Gas. In the 2025 NHRA NED Division, in the top 90 points earners, 36 were members of the association to show the strength of the organization. (Here is the breakdown – 9 Juniors, 4 SC, 5 SG, 6 SST, 3 TD, 3 TS, 1 Super Stk, 5 Stock)

Northeast Division Racers for Christ Chaplin Kevin Cooke was on hand to give the evening’s Benediction 

At the 2026 banquet, all the winners in the seven eliminators were crowned. In addition, Special Awards were given out that were voted on by the members of the association and it’s always a surprise to see who is selected.  

The first winner of the night was New York NED racer Jimmy Stack taking Junior Dragster Wrench of The Year. Stack son of S/G racer George Stack, has a stable of Jr racers with his three boys. All are winners and Jimmy is busy all weekend with the kids prepping and getting the team ready for competition. 

“With all three of the boys running in Juniors, it can be very challenging at times keeping them and the cars straight,” Stack said. “Remembering what needs to be done or if they were already done can be a very daunting test for me  but we somehow managed to pull it all together.”

“Its an honor to be voted wrench of the year. It’s actually pretty cool because it was voted on by fellow racers. I don’t know nearly as much as other Junior parents when it comes to mechanics of cars, so to be acknowledged for the hard work put in towards the boys is an honor, and I appreciate it.”

Junior Rookie of the Year went to Mason Dixon winner Bella Casteel. Bella missed the first three events of the season but had a hard charging 2nd half of the season that saw 2 finals and a win and a 4th place overall points finish in her first year with the series. 

 For 2025 Dana came up with two new awards for the Juniors

Most improved Jr Dragster driver – After finishing in a dismal 22ndplace in 2024, Olivia Gale jumped into the Top 10 with a 6th place finish and was chosen for the esteemed award. 

The second new award went to New Jersey driver Paul Stalba winning Role Model of the Year. Stalba son of NHRA stars Karen and Tom Stalba spent his last year in Jr Dragster like a man on a mission as he was aging out of the class and devoting his time to a ride in the “Big” cars going rounds in the team’s Stock Eliminator Corvette. 

Stalba did take enough time to win the Junior Division in the Mid Atlantic association, the Summit Race of Champions and finish a close 2nd in the D1 Junior Championship 

The youth looks bright in the TD/TS Wrench of the year as Junior racers Zack Gale was nominated for all the work he does with Ronnie Riegal’s Camaro during the 2025 season, he follows in his Uncle Bill Hackers footsteps who won the award in 2023. 

The .90 Wrench of the Year went to Scott “Shaggy” Sapp for all the work he has done with 2025 Super Street winner’s car Keith Mayers. A few years back Scott was involved in a near fatal collision with an 18-wheeler and vowed to live life to the fullest, after some time away from the track, Keith came calling with the addition of the Alfa and Scott made his return guiding him to championship number 9.  

Kevin Spencer won Rookie of the year: Not many rookies took to the series in 2025 but one rookie who made a splash in the 9.90 category was Kevin and his sharp looking Nova, Kevin is a regular at the Street Car Shootout event at Cecil Count each month and has won multiple championships in that index series.

Frank Lauria from Philadelphia PA. won Comeback of the year: Lauria won the Cecil race after having nothing but problems with his S/C dragster that most racers would have put a For Sale sign on the car and having to basically re-wire the whole operation 

Most Improved Driver went to Super Comp winner Dave Rowe. In 2024 Rowe didn’t see past the 2nd round in points, this year 3 finals & 1 win sealed his first championship with the series. 

Super Gas winner Mike Lang, patriarch of the Lang racing family, took Driver of the Year home. The joke was that his sons, Scott and Sean, had “Vote for Mike” signs on at Cecil as he took home the Driver of the year award after a breakout season winning 2 events. 

Stock / SS Wrench of the Year went to racer and friend Pat Glade from Howell NJ. Pat is one to always lend a hand in any way possible and 2025 Champ Bubba Linke acknowledged the hard work Pat puts in at the track to keep his friends racing.

Dave Muller Automotive & Trailer won Sponsor of the Year for all the hard work and dedication that have put into making the Mid Atlantic Series Trailer to Dana’s liking over the past few seasons.

Super Comp champ who had just won Best Improved Driver, won the class at the last race of the year at Mason Dixon. Rowe won one race and was in the finals three times for the 2025 win. Dave dedicated his championship to his late dad Marc who passed away in 2025, Dave gave a great in depth look into his life and all the fun toys he’s driven over the years including a Top Alky Funny Car.   

Growing up at Englishtown, anyone who went there to race or watch at the New Jersey track, the name Linke was given. Second generation driver Russell “Bubba” Linke from Old Bridge New Jersey had THE YEAR. Winning the NHRA D1 Division in Stock, he watched patently from his home while the West Coast finished their season to eventually clinch the D1 Lucas Oil World Championship. And now Linke adds the Mid Atlantic Stock/Super Stock Championship to his list of 2025 wins and a clean sweep. 

Butch Butcher who won Top Dragster had a bittersweet 2025 win as his brother and mentor Lenny passed in 2024 at Numidia, the Howell New Jersey driver built on the tragedy to win the 2025 Mid Atlantic Top Dragster title. On the anniversary of his brother’s passing, Butcher parked the car he and his brother built together in the winner’s circle at Cecil County on the way to the 2025 championship.

After taking the 2025 Mid Atlantic Role Model award, New Jersey racer Paul Stalba won his last ever Jr Dragster title. Stalba who is moving to full size car after his epic Jr Dragster run, took home the Mid Atlantic Jr series. As president Rob Keister said, “As he closes the curtain on one career, the name Stalba will be a force to be reckoned with in the next class he takes on.” 

With the IHRA and NHRA series in full swing in the Southeast, 2025 Mid Atlantic champ Keith Mayers has had his hands full racing two cars. With a big race at GALOT NC, Mayers was not on hand to accept his ninth time champ award. But in true Mayer style, he filmed a thank you video for the party and had the gang in stitches as the Delaware racer is quite the nut. Mayers went on to win the IHRA event later on that night in Super Rod 

The first year of the Top Sportsman series produced lots of excitement and proved you don’t have to be the fastest car in the class, you just need to hit the tree and run on your dial and the win lights will come, 2025 champ John Richmond III from Baltimore MD. had run in Super Gas but Top Sportsman is where he liked to race, he was able to capture 3 event victories on the way to the 2025 championship.

For the first time in his long career Mike Lang took home the Super Gas title. In 2024 Lang watched his son Scott take the Mid Atlantic Super Street championship but 2025 was the elder Lang’s time in the spotlight. Another late season winner, the finals at Mason Dixon made Lang the winner. 

After the party, Series President Rob Keister said, “The Mid Atlantic Banquet is always a fun time to crown our 2025 champions and see old friends that we last saw the previous year when the racing season concluded at the end of October. As a team we try to make the banquet one to remember because it’s about the racers who support the series at every race, without the racers coming and supporting the events race after race the series simply doesn’t exist. We have expanded a lot over the past few seasons and to some they feel it’s a little too much but for tracks to host this series you need to bring a “show” to the track so they can keep the lights on and the bills paid at the end of the weekend.

“This series runs on a lot of volunteers who do this for the love of the sport, it’s hard to believe that Dana & I do this series as voluntary and don’t make a dime, we both have full-time & part time jobs on top of the series, I just hope when we get to the pearly gates one day the juice is worth the squeeze as they say. We also cannot do it without the help a lot of behind the scenes folks like Brad Coryell at Trail Blazin Designs, Jason Kittenplan of JK Vinyl, John Cryme of John Cryme Jewelers, Maura of Maura’s Embroidery, they all help make this banquet a success with the little keepsakes we make for the champs & Top 5.”

“The 2026 season is right around the corner, so time to wake the hot rods up out of their winter naps and get ready. We hope to see some new faces this season at the track as we kick things off on April 4th for the Juniors at Ceci and May 16-17 at Maple Grove for all classes.”