North Central Division Crowns 2026 JDRL Champions at Wagler Motorsports Park
LYONS, Ind. – After a change of plans earlier in the summer, the North Central Division's Jr. racers finally had their opportunity to compete for championship glory at Wagler Motorsports Park during the 2026 Summit Racing Equipment JDRL ET Division Finals.
Originally scheduled for August, the event was postponed, creating the difficult task of finding a new weekend that worked for the many key stakeholders involved in producing the Division Finals. With an already crowded late-season racing calendar, September 10-12 emerged as the only available weekend that allowed the necessary groups to come together and complete the championship event.
The rescheduled date required flexibility and cooperation from racers, families, North Central Division member tracks, event partners, officials, Wagler Motorsports Park and the Midwest Jr. Super Series. That collective commitment ultimately provided the opportunity to move forward with one of the most important weekends of the Division 3 Jr. Drag Racing season.
When everyone arrived in Lyons, Indiana, it was time to put the scheduling challenges aside and turn the attention back to racing.
The weekend featured multiple days of competition and activities, culminating with the North Central Division JDRL Summit ET Finals Championships and the Race of Champions presented by Manhattan Collision Center. As part of NHRA's 75th Anniversary celebration, the stakes were even greater, with special 75th Anniversary Diamond Wally trophies awaiting each age-group Division Champion.
When the final rounds were complete, Kynlee Darr, Kenzi Antonioni and Aiden Lawson had earned the title of 2026 North Central Division Champion, while Harvey Stallbaumer, Grayson Alvey and Kainen Morgan captured Race of Champions victories.
Darr Takes 6-9 Division Championship
The 6-9 Division Championship came down to Kynlee Darr and Brock Paulson, with a Diamond Wally and the title of North Central Division Champion awaiting the winner.
Darr delivered in the championship round, leaving the starting line with a .020 reaction time and running 12.131 seconds on an 11.92 dial-in. Paulson posted a .174 reaction time and turned in a 12.102-second pass on a 12.01 dial. The final-round victory put Darr's name into the North Central Division record books as the 2026 6-9 JDRL Division Champion.
The championship capped a strong run through eliminations for Darr, while Paulson put together an impressive event of his own on the way to the Division Championship runner-up finish.
Most importantly, the victory meant Darr would leave Wagler Motorsports Park with one of the weekend's most coveted prizes, a special NHRA 75th Anniversary Diamond Wally.
Antonioni Captures 10-12 Championship
The 10-12 category produced another close championship battle as Kenzi Antonioni squared off against Jaxson Jenson in the final round.
Antonioni gained an advantage at the starting line with a .052 reaction time and recorded an 8.979-second pass on an 8.93 dial-in. Jenson was close alongside with a .063 reaction time and an 8.962 ET on an 8.91 dial, but Antonioni's starting-line advantage helped secure the championship victory.
Antonioni worked through a competitive field that included Jaxon Brown, Logan Bonney, Grayson Alvey, Reagan Smith, Greyson Hopley, Kendall Moreland, Kale Poe and others. Jenson also navigated the eliminations to earn the opportunity to race for the championship.
The final-round victory made Antonioni the 2026 10-12 North Central Division Champion and secured another of the special 75th Anniversary Diamond Wally trophies.
Antonioni's weekend, however, would include another important final round before everything was complete.
Lawson Claims 13-17 Division Title
In the 13-17 category, Aiden Lawson and Kainen Morgan earned their way to the biggest round of the weekend with the Division Championship on the line.
Lawson was ready when the pair staged for the championship, posting a .027 reaction time and running 7.932 seconds on a 7.90 dial-in. Morgan left just .002-second too early, turning on the red light and handing the championship to Lawson. Morgan completed the run with a 7.961 on a 7.96 dial.
Lawson had been strong throughout the late rounds, including a .020 reaction time paired with a 7.936 ET on a 7.90 dial during Round 6 and a .030 reaction time with a 7.925 ET later in eliminations. Morgan likewise put together a strong march through the field to reach the championship round.
With the final-round win, Lawson joined Darr and Antonioni as the newest North Central Division JDRL Champions and earned a 75th Anniversary Diamond Wally to commemorate the accomplishment.
Race of Champions Adds More to Championship Weekend
The Division Finals were not the only championships up for grabs at Wagler Motorsports Park.
The weekend also featured the 2026 North Central Division JDRL Race of Champions presented by Manhattan Collision Center, giving representatives from North Central Division member tracks another opportunity to race for a coveted title.
Stallbaumer Wins 6-9 Race of Champions
In the 6-9 Race of Champions final, Harvey Stallbaumer faced Wyatt Morgan.
Stallbaumer delivered a .031 reaction time and ran 12.053 seconds on an 11.97 dial to earn the victory. Morgan recorded a .111 reaction time and ran 11.960 on an 11.92 dial to close the weekend as the Race of Champions runner-up.
The final-round victory gave Stallbaumer the 2026 North Central Division 6-9 Race of Champions title.
Alvey Claims 10-12 Race of Champions Title
The 10-12 Race of Champions final featured Grayson Alvey against newly crowned Division Champion Kenzi Antonioni.
Antonioni's opportunity to double up ended with a -.009 red light in the final round. Alvey completed the winning pass with an 8.947-second run on an 8.96 dial to secure the 2026 10-12 Race of Champions championship.
Despite coming up one round short of sweeping the weekend, Antonioni's Division Championship and Race of Champions runner-up finish capped an outstanding showing at Wagler Motorsports Park.
Morgan Rebounds to Claim 13-17 Race of Champions
After finishing runner-up in the 13-17 Division Championship, Kainen Morgan had another opportunity to leave Wagler Motorsports Park with a championship when Morgan lined up against Chase Picchi in the Race of Champions final.
Morgan made the most of it.
Morgan recorded a .034 reaction time and ran 7.933 on a 7.92 dial-in to earn the Race of Champions victory. Picchi posted a .042 reaction time and ran 7.908 seconds on a 7.95 dial.
The Race of Champions victory provided a fitting conclusion to Morgan's weekend after also reaching the final round of the Division Championship.
2026 North Central Division JDRL Champions
6-9 Champion: Kynlee Darr Runner-Up: Brock Paulson
10-12 Champion: Kenzi Antonioni Runner-Up: Jaxson Jenson
13-17 Champion: Aiden Lawson Runner-Up: Kainen Morgan
2026 Race of Champions Presented by Manhattan Collision Center
6-9 Winner: Harvey Stallbaumer Runner-Up: Wyatt Morgan
10-12 Winner: Grayson Alvey Runner-Up: Kenzi Antonioni
13-17 Winner: Kainen Morgan Runner-Up: Chase Picchi
More Than a Championship Weekend
While Sunday's championship eliminations provided the biggest moments of the weekend, the Summit Racing Equipment JDRL ET Division Finals offered far more than championship racing.
Friday's program featured testing followed by the Summit Racing Equipment Friday Night Bash, which offered $500 to win guaranteed. Saturday's program included additional racing in the 7.90, 8.90, 11.90 and 13.90 Index categories, along with Outlaw 330 and Pro Sportsman competition.
That support became even more important following the postponement from the original August date. Finding another weekend in the heart of a busy racing season presented challenges for everyone involved, making the cooperation between the facility, series, sponsors, member tracks, racers and families instrumental in getting the event completed.
A special thank you goes to the Midwest Jr. Super Series for its tremendous help and commitment throughout the weekend. The hard work and assistance provided by the Midwest Jr. Super Series played an important role in bringing the rescheduled championship event together and providing North Central Division racers with the opportunity to compete for their 2026 championships.
The North Central Division also extends its appreciation to Wagler Motorsports Park, Summit Racing Equipment, Manhattan Collision Center, the Division's member tracks and all of the families, crews, officials and partners who adjusted their schedules and worked together to make the weekend possible.
For everyone who made the trip to Lyons, the event once again showcased the depth of Jr. Drag Racing talent throughout the North Central Division and demonstrated the commitment behind the racers who represent their member tracks on the Division stage.
One More Stop for the 2026 Champions
The race cars may be parked and the Diamond Wallys may have found their new homes, but the journey is not quite finished for the newest members of the North Central Division championship family.
The North Central Division is already looking forward to recognizing all of its 2026 JDRL Division Champions and Race of Champions winners at the 2026 North Central Division Awards Banquet on January 9, 2027.
Darr, Antonioni, Lawson, Stallbaumer, Alvey and Morgan will have another opportunity to take center stage, this time not behind the wheel, but alongside their fellow North Central Division champions as their accomplishments from the 2026 season are celebrated.
That means the newest champions have one final assignment before January.
Champions, it is time to start working on those speeches!
Another championship weekend is officially in the books. Another group of young racers has added their names to North Central Division history. And after a postponement, a rescheduled date and plenty of cooperation to make it all happen, the 2026 Summit Racing Equipment JDRL ET Division Finals provided another reminder of what can be accomplished when the North Central Division racing community comes together.
Once again, “The Land of the Winners” has lived up to its name.
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