Newberry wheeled his reliable dragster into the winner’s circle during the 2025 WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance.
MONTGOMERY, AL: Unlike other drivers who are accustomed to the local points racing environment, Joseph Newberry is relatively rusty when it comes to the thrill of chasing a championship. The Georgia native grew up around drag racing courtesy of his father, Kenny, and had a couple of years of junior dragster experience before advancing into a full-sized racecar around the age of seventeen. Eventually, he purchased a new 2005 Mullis dragster, won the Quick 16 championship at Southeastern International Dragway, and followed the big-money bracket racing scene for a few years before deciding to prioritize his family and park the racecar while the kids were growing up.
Newberry explained, “2010 or 2012 is when we quit racing altogether. I always intended to get back in it, but with three kids and sporting events, that was a lot more important at the time. All I kept was the rolling chassis, and I got it put back together at the end of last year and only ran a couple of races with it.”
2025 was the first full season back out with that same dependable Mullis ride, and Newberry planned on catching a few races here and there to get back in the groove, so to speak. He was quickly reminded of how annoying the weather can be on race day, as it had rained for nearly three months after his first race of the year. “I got to go once in April, and then every weekend that we were going to race, it rained, literally, until the fourth of July weekend,” he continued. “I almost considered not going the rest of the year, since half the year was already gone, and it was summertime and hot.”
He didn’t give up, and after a decent showing at a three-day race at Alabama International Dragway, Newberry decided to go to the third points race at Brainerd Motorsports Park, knowing the racers were allowed to drop two points races if the track was able to contest enough races. It was the correct decision, as he ended up winning that race and eventually found himself leading the points at both Alabama and Brainerd, with the remaining points race dates overlapping at both facilities. In August, Newberry won the Sportsman Spectacular event contested in Steele, AL, which earned him a spot at the upcoming IHRA World Finals. He shifted his points racing focus to Brainerd in hopes of gaining an invitation to the WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance. By the end of the season, he did just that with his Box track championship.
Newberry’s winning ways continued while competing in the Race of Champions during the WDRA Summit Southern Bracket Finals at Montgomery International Dragway, which also earned him a free entry into the Triple $40ks at the upcoming Great American Bracket Races event, courtesy of Gaylon Rolison from Gulfport Dragway. If you’re checking the calendar, you’d realize all three events would take place in a matter of two weeks in October, and yes, Newberry made his appearance at each one.
He explained, “I actually went to Montgomery on Wednesday and Thursday to run the $40ks there, and then went up to Steele Friday and Saturday to run the IHRA World Finals…The folowing week, I showed up Friday morning to the WDRA World Championships and the car was very good. The car was about one hundredth slower Saturday with the headwind, but it only moved about four thousandths all day at the 330 until the final. The car is really easy to drive and very consistent, which gives you a lot of confidence on the starting line.”
Newberry gives a lot of the credit to the car. Still, the driver also did his job as he squared off with Mike Ledford (State Capitol Raceway), Jesse Walker (Atmore DragStrip), Billy Paul McGee (WDRA Southern Bracket Finals), Allen Owens (London Dragway), and Kelsey Dufresne (Northern Lights Raceway) on his way to the championship.
In the $20,000 final round, Newberry was .008 on the tree and ran 5.199 on his 5.18 dial-in to earn the WDRA Summit Box World Championship over Ernie Goodson (WDRA Northern Bracket Finals), who was .001 up front and .001 behind at the finish line. In addition to the cash, Newberry walked away with a WDRA Champion Card and a WDRA Rod Trophy.
Although he didn’t plan on a points-focused season, Newberry has a newfound admiration for the one-of-a-kind environment after his whirlwind year. “After seeing the WDRA deal, I was blown away. I’ve seen how people talk about this stuff and know people who run two or three different tracks throughout the year to try to give themselves the best opportunity to get to the world finals, and I always kind of thought it was a little bit overkill, honestly. But after being able to experience the WDRA and IHRA, I see why people do it. It’s like the million-dollar race for local points racers, and I will certainly attempt to get back.”
When it comes to giving advice on how to stay calm and collected with that much on the line, Newberry stifles a laugh and says, “I kind of winged it, so I’m not sure. No, first of all, if I can do it, anybody can do it. I’m nobody special, and I’ve got a twenty-year-old racecar with twenty-year-old parts on it. I think that shows you don’t have to have the latest and greatest to have a great car. Getting the car to where you can trust it and be dial-able goes a long way in being successful. As far as race days, I credit getting to grow up racing around guys like Luke Bogacki, Troy Williams Jr, Scotty Richardson, and paying attention to things like ThisIsBracketRacing.”
Newberry mentions quality parts from Advanced Product Design, PTC Transmissions, and Champ Performance make a difference in his racing program. He would like to extend his thanks to his full-time employer, JWH Transport, for being flexible with him while he traveled to the races, especially at this end-of-season stretch.
He continued, “Of course, my family. My dad, I wouldn’t even be in the sport if it weren’t for him. I said it in my winner’s circle interview, but my dad, my brother [Jeremy], and my nephew [Logan], those guys work on the cars much more than I do and without those guys I wouldn’t be able to keep the thing running, especially as much as I’ve raced the last few months. My wife [Sarah] and my kids [Jace, Brody, and Maddi Jo] for supporting me. Obviously, the local track owners. Brainerd’s my track, but it’s getting harder and harder every year to run a racing facility, and I know Steven and Amy [Farrow] pour a whole lot of time, effort, and money into keeping it going. Brad [Wheeler] is down at Montgomery. Those guys who really fight to keep local tracks going really deserve a lot of praise.”
Newberry plans to compete in at least one more event this season, having to decide between two big money bracket races at two nearby tracks before winterizing the race car. All year, he had plans to attempt to be faster coming into the 2026 racing season, either by upgrading his current engine or building a new one entirely. However, with his on-track success this season, he admits it’ll be challenging to do much more than change the oil and adjust the valves. They say, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ and winning a World Championship in his reliable racecar doesn’t sound very broken at all.