Kevin Rivenbark has his place in drag racing history. 

Rivenbark, of Wallace, NC, made his trip to Phoenix, AZ., a monumental one as he claimed the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod title at Firebird Motorsports Park by not only scoring his first career victory but also winning the first event featuring the volatile doorslammers at the NHRA Arizona Nationals. 

Rivenbark topped iconic small-tire racer Ken Quartuccio in a matchup of first-time finalists, going 5.746 seconds at 249.76 mph in his Culp Lumber Ford Mustang.

“This is unreal,” Rivenbark said. “It hasn’t set in yet. We’ve run in this class off and on, and we’ve tried to be consistent the last few years, but this year, we’re going to make a run for a championship. To get a win at the second race, it’s just remarkable.”

Rivenbark’s journey to the winner’s circle was anything but a cakewalk. He raced present and past series champions Mike Castellana, Justin Bond, and Mason Wright, going a weekend-best 5.738 at 251.02 to reach the finals.

Quartuccio, who qualified second with a 5.678 at 249.72, reached the final for the first time thanks to round wins against Chip King, Lyle Barnett, and Billy Banaka.

The next event for the Pro Modified division will be May 17-19 as part of the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago.