The Cummings name is synonymous with success in the sportsman categories of NHRA and IHRA. The family team, which is backed by Moser Engineering and features drivers Britt, Slate, and Larry Cummings along with Jody “Cool” Simoneaux has accounted event victories in no less than seven sportsman categories. Brothers Britt and Slate Cummings have three IHRA World Championship trophies on their respective mantles. The team has claimed over a dozen division championships, and countless national and divisional event victories over the past two decades. With that being said, it will come as a complete surprise to many that family patriarch Larry Cummings earned his first national event title with a Super Stock victory in his Moser Engineering backed Cavalier at last weekend’s IHRA Northern Nationals in Martin, MI.
 
Cummings has built an impressive racing resume throughout his career that spans nearly four decades. He has accumulated countless divisional victories, and a number of division championships. He was a constant fixture in IHRA’s national top ten throughout the 1990’s. He was an original member of the Budweiser sportsman “Super Team” in the 1980’s, the first multi-car, sponsored sportsman racing team. Yet, in all those years of successful competition, a national event title had eluded him.

The Cummings name is synonymous with success in the sportsman categories of NHRA and IHRA. The family team, which is backed by Moser Engineering and features drivers Britt, Slate, and Larry Cummings along with Jody “Cool” Simoneaux has accounted event victories in no less than seven sportsman categories. Brothers Britt and Slate Cummings have three IHRA World Championship trophies on their respective mantles. The team has claimed over a dozen division championships, and countless national and divisional event victories over the past two decades. With that being said, it will come as a complete surprise to many that family patriarch Larry Cummings earned his first national event title with a Super Stock victory in his Moser Engineering backed Cavalier at last weekend’s IHRA Northern Nationals in Martin, MI.
 
Cummings has built an impressive racing resume throughout his career that spans nearly four decades. He has accumulated countless divisional victories, and a number of division championships. He was a constant fixture in IHRA’s national top ten throughout the 1990’s. He was an original member of the Budweiser sportsman “Super Team” in the 1980’s, the first multi-car, sponsored sportsman racing team. Yet, in all those years of successful competition, a national event title had eluded him.
 
Cummings entered the Northern Nationals comfortable in his surroundings. His gorgeous Moser Engineering backed SS/BM Cavalier was brand new to start the 2009 campaign. In addition to being one of the fastest class cars on the grounds (Cummings qualified in the number 2 position with a -1.157 8.543 elapsed time), Cummings entered the event with confidence, having claimed a victory at the IHRA Division 4 event just weeks prior.
 
Once eliminations began, Cummings easily dispensed of Kyle Jelteman and Fred Bartoli in the opening rounds on Saturday. He kicked off Sunday competition with a tight victory of Chuck Nagy. There, Nagy’s dead-on 10.206 was thwarted by Cummings’ better .030 reaction time and 8.571 (8.54 dial). Todd Mathias then lit the red light beside Cummings in the quarterfinal round, earning him not only the round win, but a single into the final round alongside Lyn Lapperriere. It was then that Cummings long wait for an elusive national event trophy came to an end, as Lapperriere lit the red-light with a heartbreaking -.002 reaction time. Cummings, who left with a solid .024 start cruised to the victory.
 
“This is an unbelievable feeling,” stated Cummings. “I’ve always felt like I could win one of these, but the cards never fell my way; and I was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen. The win is incredible; everyone who races seriously should get to feel this at some point! And, what makes this win even better is that it came here in Martin, the home of the Moser Axle Mania Shootout. So Rob and Susan Moser, Kip Hayden, Tim Irwin, and entire Moser Engineering family was here to be a part of it. Moser Engineering has been a huge part of our racing team for years. But, as much as they’re our marketing partner, they’re our friends. And it means a lot to me to be able to share this moment with them.”

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