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MELANIE JOHNSON Wins First NHRA National Event in Las Vegas

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November 3, 2026

GRRL! SUMMARY:

  • MELANIE JOHNSON claimed her first NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series national event victory in Top Alcohol Dragster at Las Vegas, running 5.201 seconds at 274.50 mph in the final.
  • JOHNSON defeated JACKIE FRICKE in the final round, with Fricke running 5.268 at 272.72 mph — a strong performance that still fell short of Johnson’s top-qualifier pace.
  • JOHNSON qualified No. 1 and swept four rounds, dispatching Angelle Sampey, Randy Eakins and Nick Januik before closing out FRICKE in the final.
  • The win is a full-circle moment: JOHNSON made her Top Alcohol Dragster debut at the same Las Vegas strip in November 2024, and now returns as a national event champion.
  • JOHNSON’s 2026 season also includes a runner-up at Brainerd and a JEGS Allstars win in Dallas, cementing her as one of the class’s breakout performers.

UPCOMING:

  • Lucas Oil Regional Event, Las Vegas — Nov. 6-7, 2026
  • NHRA Finals, Pomona, Calif. — Nov. 12-15, 2026

LINKS TO RACER'S PROFILE PAGES:

MELANIE JOHNSON

las vegas nationals, nhra finals, nhra lucas oil drag racing series, top alcohol dragster

GRRL! summary based upon reporting by BVM Sportsdesk originally appearing on bvmsports.com