DiabloSport-sponsored racer Joe Charles has been banging gears in the NMRA’s Coyote Stock class since its inception. The longtime racer came out of retirement when the NMRA announced the class, won its first championship, and has since been embroiled in battle with the rest of the competition in the class. 

This past weekend at the Super Bowl of Street legal Drag Racing, Charles qualified at the top of the heap over nine other competitors with a super-quick 10.451 at 128.54 MPH – nearly a tenth quicker and one full MPH over the closest racer, Darin Hendricks. 

During eliminations, Charles had a freebie in the first round when Jacob Lamb couldn’t make the lane call due to a damaged engine, and then in the second round – where he shot this video – he had a competition bye. On this run, Charles clipped off the quickest elapsed time of all the competitors throughout the elimination rounds, turning in a sweet 10.505 at 128.48 MPH in the heat of the day on Sunday. Charles subsequently went out on a redlight to Joe Marini in the semifinal round.

“Before I started racing in the class, I thought I was good with a clutch. I was wrong! The class forces you to become a better driver (expert) or you will fail. What’s it like? It’s bad ass fun!” he says.

“The whole process of learning how to make a single-disc diaphragm clutch act like a more sophisticated multi-disc set up is fun too.  It’s very fulfilling to see this all come together.”

Charles currently sits fourth in points this season behind 2013 Champion Shane Stymiest, Joe Marini, and Route 66 winner Darin Hendricks, entering the last event of the season at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling green, Kentucky. There is still a mathematical chance that Charles could pull out his second championship. He’s easily within range of Marini and Hendricks to shake up the points chase by the end of the season – especially since Bowling Green carries extra weight with a points-and-a-half structure.

Of course Joe couldn’t make it to races with the help of sponsors like DiabloSport on board providing support during the season. For more information on DiabloSport products, check out their website.