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Peak Performance October Racer of the Month: Justin Picillo

Sometimes it takes just a single win to be named as the Peak Performance Racer of the Month, especially if that single win leads to a world championship. That's the position that Justin Picillo found himself in during the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.
04 Nov 2026
NHRA National Dragster staff
Peak Performance Sportsman Racer of the Month
Justin Picillo

Sometimes it takes just a single win to be named the Peak Performance Racer of the Month, especially if that single win leads to a world championship. That's the position that Justin Picillo found himself in during the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals presented by Dodge. Picillo has been in title contention since late summer, and once he found a way to get his Firebird from his home in Cranston, R.I., to the West Coast, he was able to take care of the rest.

In Monday's wind-delayed final round, Picillo put together a solid run with a .012 light and a 9.526 on his 9.52 dial to top Carl Youngstrom and lock up the title. Picillo's incredible 2026 season includes five victories in six final rounds to produce a robust 690-point score.

Honorable Mentions

 

Picillo wasn't the only driver to come through with a clutch performance in Las Vegas as Jeff Adkinson won the Stock title to move to winning 10 points of current leader Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. Adkinson had not raced in Super Stock since the Bowling Green event in August, but showed no signs of rust.

Monty Bogan has previously been named as our Racer of the Month, and he nearly scored another one with a successful October that helped wrap up a strong Top 10 finish in Comp. Bogan raced four times during the last month and went to four final rounds, including a pair of runner-up finishes in Dallas and a win and runner-up at the Division 2 double-header in Rockingham.

 

Brad Plourd won last month's Race of the Month award, and the winning did not stop in September. Plourd won three divisional races in October, including two in Rockingham and one in St. Louis, to move into solid contention in the race for the Right Trailers Top Dragster title.

Larry Hodge is also on track for a Top 10 finish in Super Stock after a rousing month. The past Indy champ was a runner-up at the Division 3 event at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis and then went to the final again a couple of weeks later in Dallas. Hodge currently sits No. 3 in the standings in Super Stock.

Jordan Pratt will likely be the Super Gas national champion, and his late-season rally included a win at the Division 3 finale in St. Louis and a runner-up at last weekend's Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge.

Gary Pritchett had a great weekend at the Rockingham Divisional with a win in Super Street and a runner-up in Super Comp. As a bonus, the Super Comp win went to his brother-in-law, Josh Eastburn.