NHRA Northeast Summit ET Finals
presented by Hoosier Racing Tire
 
09/02/2026


 
Team MIR traveled to Lebanon Valley Dragway in West Lebanon, NY, for the NHRA Northeast Summit ET Finals presented by Hoosier Racing Tire which was held August 27–30, 2026.

Originally, eight racers committed to making the trip for the premier team-oriented event on the drag racing calendar. In the end, three dedicated drivers were able to carry the banner for MIR: Mike Nelson Jr. (Super Pro), Robert Bates Jr. (Pro ET), and Andrew Mattingly (Sportsman). Thank you for making the long haul and giving it all on the track.

Thursday: Setup & Bogey Race

The team arrived Thursday morning to set up their pit space just as the weather moved into the area. Lingering morning showers delayed the schedule, but once the track dried, racers completed one time trial followed by a bogey race. Nelson Jr., Bates Jr., and Mattingly all laid down strong numbers out of the trailer and began dialing in their setups.

Friday: Gamblers & Race of Champions

Heavy rain overnight pushed Friday’s start time back to 11:00 AM. Once underway, drivers completed a second time trial for the main event before moving into qualifying for the Race of Champions. Officials then started some Gamblers action, alternating between the Gamblers Race and ROC eliminations.

Gamblers Round 1: Mattingly lit the first win light for MIR, running dead-on with a 7.58 against a New England Dragway competitor. Bates Jr. followed with a holeshot victory. Nelson Jr. went -.001 red but rebounded with a win in the buyback round.


Race of Champions (Round 1): Mattingly matched up with New England’s D. Cassie, Bates Jr. drew Island Dragway’s J. Redunski, and Nelson Jr. faced New England's N. Reginella. Tough breaks eliminated all three: Mattingly came up short, Bates Jr. turned on the red light, and Nelson Jr. suffered mechanical issues.

Gamblers Continuation: Round 2 ended the Gamblers run for both Bates Jr. and Nelson Jr. Mattingly advanced easily through Round 2 late into Friday night. Following an hour-long cleanup delay during round 2 of the ROC, officials chose to split the remaining purse for the Gamblers at 4th round so they could finish the ROC. Mattingly took the tree for Round 3 but fell off his number, concluding Friday's action.

Saturday: Main Event

Eliminations opened with Sportsman and Pro ET, where both Mattingly (-.006) and Bates Jr. (-.019) turned on red lights. In Super Pro, Nelson Jr. dialed a 5.23 and cut an .038 light, but took a tough double-breakout loss sending him to the buyback lanes alongside Mattingly and Bates Jr.

In buybacks:

Sportsman: Mattingly lost a razor-thin match against Shaffer, who took the stripe by just .002.

Super Pro: Nelson Jr. with an .021 light and a 5.221 on a 5.20 dial, lost against a South Mountain Dragway racer who took the round by a .018 margin of victory.

Pro ET: Bates Jr. picked up the win, running dead-on with a 5.

Bates Jr. then moved into Pro ET Round 2, cutting an .009 reaction time on a 5.82 dial, but broke out with a 5.800.


That closed out the weekend for Team MIR with no team points on the board. While the eliminations ladder did not swing MIR's way, the weekend offered quality seat time and camaraderie.


A sincere thank you to Mike Nelson Jr., Robert Bates Jr., and Andrew Mattingly for representing Maryland International Raceway. Congratulations Team Lebanon Valley Dragway on your win! Thank you, as well, to the staff of Lebanon Valley Dragway and the NHRA for their hospitality and long hours keeping the track running through tough weather challenges.