Fowing the unexpected passing of High Speed Motorsports owner/tuner Tom Shelar just days after the team's last win, the decision was made by Tom's son Patrick and brother Rick to finish out the season in Tom's memory. To make this outing even more meaningful, the entire Shelar family was on hand for the emotional two days in Oklahoma.

Thus, with heavy hearts, Team Highspeed headed to Tulsa in full force to finish what Tom started. Taking over the tuning duties were two very qualified vets who both, at one time or another, drove for HSMS. Current NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car champion, Sean Bellemeur and vet tuner/driver/engine builder, Troy Green.

Tulsa, OK. (Sept 21, 2019) – The 2019 Osage Nitro Nationals is in the books and although it featured abbreviated nitro fields, the top Heritage Series points players were on hand. In Top Fuel it was Adam Sorokin and Jim Murphy in a last ditch effort to stop the Juggernaut known as High Speed Motorsports and defending champion, Mendy Fry who has only lost 2 races in the last two years. Valiant and expensive efforts aside, Murphy went out in round one and Sorokin was once again the runner-up to who is now a two time champ.

As an exclamation mark, Mendy clocked low ET and Top Speed of the meet in the final. Her 5.604 at 258.07 drove past Sorokin's 5.980 at just 186.54.

The Team: Sean & Ashley Bellemeur, Erik & Leslie McMorrow, Frankie Hedge, Angela Reeves, Donnie Ho, Jake Dungan, Nick San Angelo, Mario Campos, Troy Green), Alanna Kuhn, Walt Stevens and Mendy all lined up, Tom's sister, Carol Dobson, Patrick Shelar, Rick Shelar and Larry Shelar. Maria Stevens and Kyle Wakefield not shown.

Using stored data, the duo along with car chief Rick Shelar followed a tried and true formula to once again qualify #1 by a bunch and do what had to be done to get to the winners circle where a large bottle of Crown Royal was waiting. With only two quaifying sessions, they came out swinging on Friday night laying down an "easy" 5.668 at 222.40. With that under their belt they chose to sit-out Q2 on Saturday afternoon and get ready for eliminations that evening.

With these thoughts in mind, find ou the rest of the story in the coverage below.

Special thanks to Arlene Eliason who did a great job of covering the event. Very huge task for one photographer to cover an entire show,

Under the watchful eyes of Sean Bellemeur, Troy Green and Rick Shelar the High Speed Motorsports team fired up the potent hemi for the first time without patriarch Tom Shelar.

Friday morning a test and tune session offered an opportunity to do a test run on the fresh track.

As planned, Mendy left hard and ran it to half track which supplied the needed data.

For the first session Mendy was matched with Adam Sorokin in the Champion Speed Shop car.

At the other end it it was Mendy carding a 5.66 at 222 which would hold through both sessions as #1. Sorokin ran a 5.91 at 210 which would hold for #2.

The High Speed team chose to sit the 2nd qualifying session out, standing on Mendy's earlier 5.66 at 222 which held for the #1 spot. They instead, prepared for eliminations.

After the burnout Robert Hilton noticed a broken rear axle mount on the Great Expectations III and told his son to stage in case Mendy faltered but not to leave. She didn't and the car was shut off.

Mendy legged it to the traps carding a 5.614 at 247.34 moving her to another final.

For the final Arlene went to the top of the tower to get the big picture of an epic race. It was Mendy and Adam. Where have we heard that before?

The best leaver in the class didn't disappoint. Sorokin put .060 in the bank leaving Mendy to play catch-up.

Mendy caught the wounded Sorokin at the 900' mark after the auto shutoff system went off on the Champion car at 700ft mark and shut the engine off. Post race all the data was normal. All they could figure was a short in the system.

Mendy carded low ET and top speed of the meet for the event win and the 2019 Heritage Top Fuel championship. Her 5.604 at 258.07 beat Sorokin's dead in the water 5.980 at 186.54.

Being the classs act they are, Bob McLennan and the Champion Speed Shop team are the first to join the celebration.