From 60-feet to 660-feet, Mathis Takes Major Step With First Career Pro Nitrous Win

Belle Rose, LA – Robert Mathis’ weekend at No Problem Raceway started with a killer 60-foot time. It ended with his first career Pro Nitrous win.

Mathis went from knocking on the door of the elite in the class to a bonafide championship contender at the X-DRL’s recent Bash On The Bayou. He claimed his first-ever nitrous victory in the class, running 3.868 at 194.18 mph in the finals to beat Jeff Naiser in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous. It was a welcome moment for Mathis, who has made impressive strides over the past two years in the class.

“It’s about time,” Mathis said from the winner’s circle. “It hasn’t quite hit me, to be honest.”

Mathis took a huge step in his Pro Nitrous career in Belle Rose, La. after knocking on the door for most of the 2012 season.

He appeared to have a car capable of winning a race, but could never take that final step despite a series of runs in the low 3.80s.

But Mathis made another big jump at No Problem Raceway, thanks in part to the work he did with Jerry Bickel Race Cars on his ’69 Camaro.

“We made some adjustments to the 4-link. I called Jerry up and asked him what he thought and that’s what he suggested, too,” Mathis said. “We ran up on something and it’s been worth it big-time. It made a world of difference and we’re stoked.”

The difference the adjustments to the car made were immediate, as Mathis posted a 60-foot time of .939 during a qualifying run, by far the best of his career and an absolutely phenomenal number for a nitrous car.

The car continued on its best 330-foot pass before the motor blew up at 3.1 seconds during the run.

“We coasted to a 3.87 at just 163 mph. We knew we were on a run. I think it would have went in the 3.70s and been close to 200 mph. It was pulling 3.49 Gs,” Mathis said.

“We had a 1.00 60-foot time in Bristol, that’s how much of a difference those changes made, so we’re really excited. With these cars, a lot of it comes down to the 60-foot times. Everybody is basically running the same motors, so you have to make that 60-foot time. We were hunting for it all of last year, and now we have a chance to make some numbers.

“Now we can really get after it.”

Mathis and his Jerry Bickel Race Cars Camaro qualified No. 4 with that 3.87 and then knocked off Billy Glidden and No. 1 qualifier Jim Laurita.

Neither of those runs were standout passes, but Mathis put it together in the finals with his best pass of the weekend, claiming a major win and taking a huge step in his Pro Nitrous career.

The 3.868 came in extreme conditions, and also wasn’t far off his career best, another good sign for the talented Mathis, who also qualified for the X-DRL’s X-treme Shootout with the victory.

“Everybody’s working hard and everybody is working together,” Mathis said. “Jeff is a good racer and hard to beat. He got a little sideways, but my last (nitrous) system came on and it just started pulling. I had made it this far, I might as well end it like I’m supposed to.”

It’s also a sign of what may be coming for Mathis.

Having put together a number of strong 60-foot times in Belle Rose, Mathis is excited about what he can do the rest of the year, starting at the upcoming X-DRL X-treme Gateway Madness, which takes place June 14-15 at Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis.

“I think those 3.75s are coming, I really do,” Mathis said. “We’re glad to be here and be part of the X-DRL, and we’re just going to keep trying to do our best.”