A breakthrough victory last year at one of the biggest and most prestigious radial-tyre events in the world opened the door to a full US Radial Outlaws Championship campaign for Aussie racer Grantley Schloss. Last weekend, that campaign paid off in the best way possible. At the No Mercy 16 finale – the same event that first wrote his name into the history books in 2024 – the Queensland racer and his dedicated crew were crowned the 2025 Radial Outlaws Racing Series Pro 275 champions at South Georgia Motorsports Park.

They entered the finale as one of three teams still in contention, off the back of a monster season featuring three wins – US Street Nationals, Bama Outlaws, and Shakedown at M’Town – and a runner-up placing at Lights Out 16.

“We didn’t win the final round this time, but taking out the series was a pretty good consolation,” Schloss laughed. “For a team from Queensland to fly halfway around the world, go back and forth, race against the best in the world on radial tyres, and bring home the title – it’s a pretty big deal.

“I was stoked just to have won the races we had and to be leading the points going into the final round. With the last race of the series being double points, there were three of us in the hunt: Mo Hall, event winner Lyle Barnett, and us. Without the double points, we would’ve already had it wrapped up.

“The lead-up to the finale was nerve-wracking. I tried not to think about it, but sometimes you just can’t help it.”

A week after clinching the Pro 275 Championship, Schloss still struggled to put his emotions into words. “It’s hard to describe how it felt when we were celebrating that win,” he said. “I was just so appreciative to have the opportunity to run at that level. It was a proud moment – not just for me and our new American friends, but for the entire Australian drag-racing community.

“The support from back home really drove us. There were so many Aussies who wanted to see us succeed, and that was always in the back of our minds – we were doing this for them as much as for ourselves.”

The 2025 season didn’t start smoothly, either. “The first race we went to was rained out, which wasn’t great – you don’t want to fly halfway around the world to get washed out!” Schloss said. “But then we went to the US Street Nationals and won, then followed that up with a runner-up at Lights Out 16. Those early results gave us the momentum to keep pushing. Most people thought it was impossible for us to just win a race, let alone the whole series. It’s been a whirlwind experience – one we’ll never forget.”

Schloss may have only just landed back home, but the wheels are already turning for 2026. “We’re all keen to go back and do it again next year – see if we can go for the repeat!” he grinned. “We may even add a few more races – not that we need to be any busier.” 

Schloss’s title came behind the wheel of the same ’67 Chevy Nova that carried him to victory last year – though it sported a new look ahead of the finale. “When I was first hunting for a Nova, I always wanted a black one,” he said. “The red car came up for sale and the rest is history. But between winning Shakedown at M’Town in Michigan and No Mercy 16, we had a three-month break. So, I decided to repaint it in our colours and make the car ours. A lot of people told me that changing the colour before the final race was bad luck, but I figured if we lost, it wasn’t going to be because of the colour. Luckily, we won, because I never would have heard the end of it! And honestly, I love it in black.”

The Nova was built by Reese Brothers Race Cars, with suspension set-up by RK Racecraft, and packs a Pro Line Racing-built Noonan 4.9 Hemi boosted by a 140-1 ProCharger, a FuelTech FT600 EFI system, an M&M lock-up TH400 transmission, and Menscer shocks. It’s tuned by Brandon Stroud from Pro Line, where the car is also stored and maintained between events.

“Brandon is one of the best tuners in the world, and we’re so very lucky to have him on our team,” Schloss said. “Huge thanks also to Eric Dillard, Pro Line’s co-owner – he was the first guy I spoke to when I was thinking about shipping the car back to Australia. He made me realise it was actually possible to chase this dream and race in the USA.”

Schloss was quick to credit the people who helped make the championship dream a reality. “I have to thank Kon from Wollongong Automotive Services on co-tuning duties, Stuart Gatt, and my son Byron, who crewed with me at every event this year,” he said. “Also my other two kids, Jack and Isla, who’ve been cheering us on from home when they’ve not been able to make races. A big thanks as well to the Spot On Performance family, who’ve been there whenever they could juggle things around work commitments, and of course my partner Samarah – she’s been my rock behind the madness, backing this adventure 100 per cent from day one and pushing me to chase a dream I never thought possible.

“Finally, massive thanks to all our sponsors: Pro Line Racing, LAT Oils, ProCharger, RK Racecraft, M&M Transmission, FuelTech, Menscer shocks, Homier Fabrications and of course Meales Concrete Pumping – that’s been my life for the past 18 years and the foundation that’s made chasing this dream possible.”