(Tara Bowker Photos)
By Nate Van Wagnen | October 19, 2024
Day two of competition at the PDRA Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger featured an action-packed final qualifying session followed by the first round of eliminations in all classes. Racing at Virginia Motorsports Park at the eighth and final race of the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series season, drivers set new E.T. national records and clinched world championships. Eliminations will continue Sunday, with more championships and potential records on the line.
Past Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition world champion Chris Powers secured his second title in the class when he won his first-round match. Amber Franklin Denton went into the weekend as the PDRA Pro 632 world champion after clinching her second championship in the class at the most recent event. Rookie Ethan Steding claimed the Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing world championship when he qualified. Dan Whetstine also clinched his first world championship in Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports when he won in the first round.
Championships are still up for grabs in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, and Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle.
In the sportsman classes, Mark Reese (MagnaFuel Top Sportsman presented by Corbin’s RV) was the only driver to secure a championship. The champions in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, and Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster presented by Younce RV will be decided on Sunday.
The world champions in the Jr. Dragster categories – Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products and Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products – will also be crowned on Sunday.
PRO NITROUS
Pro Nitrous points leader and recent first-time winner Fredy Scriba set low E.T. of the opening round of eliminations when he lit up the scoreboard with a 3.628-second pass at 209.23 MPH in his Musi-powered “Sorcerer” ’69 Camaro. He defeated John Vergotz and his 3.727 at 198.35 to meet Buddy Perkinson in the second round. Perkinson used a .003 reaction time and a 3.678 at 205.07 to defeat four-time world champion Jim Halsey, who was less than one round behind Scriba in the points standings. The only driver who can pass Scriba is three-time and reigning world champion Tommy Franklin, who won first round when Pro Mod legend Tommy Mauney went red. Franklin is less than one round behind Scriba, and the earliest the two can meet is the final round.
First-round results: Tommy Franklin 5.189 def. Tommy Mauney 4.115 (red light), Brian Shrader 3.672 def. Mike Achenbach 4.309, Matt Deitsch 3.694 def. Travis Harvey 3.641, Dane Wood 3.709 def. Tony Wilson 4.163, Fredy Scriba 3.628 def. John Vergotz 3.727, Buddy Perkinson 3.678 def. Jim Halsey 4.951, Cam Clark 3.691 def. Marcus Butner 4.049, Chris Rini 3.685 def. Rickie Smith 3.656 (red light).
PRO BOOST
Reigning Pro Boost world champion Jason Harris maintained his points lead through the first round of eliminations while making the quickest winning pass of the round. He laid down a 3.573 at 209.82 in his ProCharged Southern Diamond Company “Party Time” ’69 Camaro to beat No. 15 qualifier Randy Weatherford, who stepped up to a 3.598 at 208.20. Kurt Steding, the only driver who can pass Harris, kept his championship hopes alive when he scored an upset win over No. 1 qualifier Johnny Camp. Steding left first and posted a 3.596 at 209.49 to beat Camp and his 3.568 at 209.33 on a holeshot. If Harris wins his second-round match with Cam Hensley, he will be the champion. If he loses, Steding needs to win the event to pass Harris for the championship.
First-round results: Kurt Steding 3.596 def. Johnny Camp 3.568, Jason Lee 3.614 def. Mike DiDomenico 3.606, Preston Tanner 3.577 def. Scott Lang 3.619, Spencer Hyde 3.593 def. Travis Harvey 3.580, Jason Harris 3.573 def. Randy Weatherford 3.598, Cameron Hensley 3.605 def. Tommy Gray 3.617, Melanie Salemi 3.674 def. James Beadling 3.772, Jeff Rudolf 3.605 def. Chuck Ulsch 3.606 (red light).
PRO STREET
No. 1 qualifier Brian Weddle backed up his Pro Street E.T. national record in the first round of Pro Street eliminations. He used a 3.900 at 196.50 in his screw-blown JW Racing ’68 Camaro to back up the 3.864 he recorded in Friday’s second qualifying session. He also picked up the round win, as international Pro Mod driver turned Pro Street rookie Adam Flamholc went red in his first start in the class.
Ethan Steding, the 2021 Pro Jr. Dragster world champion, clinched the Pro Street world championship when he bumped into the quickest 16-car field in Pro Street history. The rookie driver then fell in the opening round when Richard Reagan laid down a career-best 3.909 to finish ahead of Steding and his 3.946 in his roots-blown P2 Contracting “College Fund” ’24 Camaro.
John Carinci, who’s making his first PDRA appearance of the season, set low E.T. of the round with his 3.88 at 208.17 in his turbocharged Corvette.
First-round results: Brian Weddle 3.900 def. Adam Flamholc 4.195 (red light), John Carinci 3.880 def. Jerry Morgano 3.942, Bill Riddle 3.919 def. Ron Green 5.113, Scott Kincaid 3.942 def. 5.016, Joel Wensley 3.897 def. Chris Tuten 4.247, Richard Reagan 3.909 def. Ethan Steding 3.946, Marty Merillat 4.087 def. Tim Essick (broke in qualifying), Nick Schroeder 3.983 def. Blake Denton 3.959.
EXTREME PRO STOCK
Chris Powers, the 2021 Extreme Pro Stock world champion, won his opening round match to secure his second world championship in his Sonny’s Racing Engines/ATI Performance Products ’21 Camaro. He ran a 4.038 at 178.92 to get the win over Scott Benham, who coasted to a 21.501. Powers will take on rival and fellow two-time world champion Johnny Pluchino in the second round.
Rookie Randi Lyn Butner, who made drag racing history Friday night when she broke the 3-second Mountain Motor Pro Stock barrier with a 3.997-second pass to qualify No. 1, moved past the first round with a 4.027 at 179.59 in her JHG/Elite Motorsports Camaro over John Konigshofer’s 5.638.
Defending event winner and 2019 world champion John Montecalvo nearly dipped into the 3-second zone for the second consecutive night, posting a 4.009 at 180.60 to get the win over Larry Pearce and his 4.94.
First-round results: Randi Lyn Butner 4.027 def. John Konigshofer 5.638, Matt Giangrande 4.103 def. Steven Boone 7.881, Elijah Morton 4.067 def. Bill Neri 4.228, Bo Butner 4.055 def. Doug Kittrell 4.162, John Montecalvo 4.009 def. Larry Pearce 4.940, Jordan Ensslin 4.084 def. Rick Cowger 5.922 (red light), Johnny Pluchino 4.014 def. Kurt Neighbor 5.819, Chris Powers 4.038 def. Scott Benham 21.501.
PRO 632
After Amber Franklin Denton clinched her second Pro 632 world championship in three years at the last race on tour, the past Pro Jr. Dragster world champion and her team knew they could focus on other achievements like the E.T. national record at the World Finals. She checked that off the list on her first-round bye, firing off a 4.086 at 176.07 in her Musi-powered “OG Jungle Rat” ’69 Camaro. It was the first sub-4.10-second pass in the class, and it was backed up by Franklin Denton’s 4.123 in the final qualifying session.
The first round of Pro 632 also saw several other drivers record career-best numbers, including No. 2 qualifier Lexi Tanner, whose career-best E.T. going into the World Finals was a 4.19 and is now a 4.112.
First-round results: Amber Franklin Denton 4.086 (bye), Bobby Bladen 4.254 def. Doug Nicholl 4.292, Chevy Floyd 4.128 def. Tim Barton 11.081, Brian Clauss 4.165 def. Patrick Patterson 4.234, Lexi Tanner 4.112 def. Jason Ventura 4.199, Chris Holdorf 4.124 def. Gary Hood 4.474, George Coleman 4.243 def. Andy House 4.227 (red light).
PRO EXTREME MOTORCYCLE
Pro Extreme Motorcycle No. 1 qualifier Brunson Grothus came up just three thousandths of a second short of backing up his 3.913-second pass as the new E.T. national record when he won his first-round race with a 3.955 at 183.77 over Jeremy Teasley’s 4.03. Points leader and defending world champion Chris Garner-Jones also won in the first round with his 4.001 at 174.80 over Grothus’ teammate, Jean Gosselin, who ran a 4.015. Grothus on Robert Varela’s turbocharged Dallas Flat Glass Distributors Hayabusa and Garner-Jones on his nitrous-assisted T.T. Jones Racing Hayabusa will square off in the semifinals. The winner will be crowned the 2024 world champion.
First-round results: Brunson Grothus 3.955 def. Jeremy Teasley 4.030, Chris Garner-Jones 4.001 def. Jean Gosselin 4.015, Jeff House 4.136 def. Brayden Davis 4.571, Meshal Al-Saber 4.833 def. Paul Gast 6.364.
SUPER STREET
Dan Whetstine, who set the second-quickest E.T. of the first round, secured the Super Street world championship when he ran a 4.522 at 163.59 in his ProCharged “Red Velvet” ’90 Mustang to advance to the second round. The Maryland-based driver is seeking his third win of the season on Sunday.
Super Street E.T. national record holder Derek Mota maintained his status as the quickest driver in the class, but the 50 points he earned by setting a new record weren’t enough to pass Whetstine. Mota in his turbocharged East Point Recovery Centers ’93 Mustang laid down a 4.500 in qualifying, then stepped up to a 4.497 at 167.22 on a first-round bye to better his own national record, which was a 4.561 going into the weekend.
First-round results: Derek Mota 4.497 (bye), Blake Molnar 4.672 def. Anthony D’Aversa 4.626, Tommy Thrasher 4.586 def. Charles Potter 5.246, David Knight 4.568 def. Connor McGee 4.900, Dan Whetstine 4.522 def. Scott Saunders (broke), Brad McBride 4.651 def. Austin Vincent (broke).
The PDRA Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger will conclude Sunday starting with the first round of Top Jr. Dragster eliminations and second round of Pro Jr. Dragster competition. Top Dragster 48, Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams, and Top Sportsman 48 second round will follow. Pro eliminations will continue with the second round starting at noon.
By Nate Van Wagnen | October 19, 2024
