NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Ken Ratzloff wasn’t kidding when he noted that his driving has been sharp, particularly in the late rounds. After a .040 reaction time in his quarterfinal win over Keith White, Ratzloff got serious with a .014 light in the semifinals against No. 3 qualifier Joe Roubicek, and he won the Top Sportsman presented by Racing RVs final with a .004 light against Ted Kellner, who was seeking his third Sonoma win after back-to-back Top Sportsman titles in 2014-2015. Ratzloff sealed the deal with a 7.230 on his 7.20 dial while Kellner was just four-thousandths behind with a 7.314 on his 7.29 dial. Ratzloff has previously spent time in the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series, where he has run in the 7.60 index A/Gas class. He built his ’53 Studebaker by himself in his shop in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The car is equipped with a 632-cid engine but does not use nitrous oxide, a supercharger, or a turbocharger.