FRANKLIN HEADLINES DAY ONE PDRA QUALIFYING
Defending Pro Nitrous world champion Tommy Franklin started his second championship defense season with a No. 1 qualifying effort in his “Jungle Rat” ’69 Camaro at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) East Coast Spring Nationals at GALOT Motorsports Park.
Also qualifying No. 1 in the professional classes are Jason Scruggs in Bryant Industrial Pro Extreme presented by Pro Line Racing, Tommy D’Aprile in Moroso Pro Boost, Jeff Dobbins in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock and Terry Schweigert in Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle. Phil Sliskovic is the No. 1 qualifier in Atomizer Injectors Outlaw 10.5, while Dillon Voss leads East Side Auto Transport Pro Outlaw 632 heading into the class’s third and final qualifying session on Sunday morning.
After two qualifying sessions, the PDRA’s sportsman classes are led by Billy Albert in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman and Brian Bednar in Lucas Oil Top Dragster. Mocksville, North Carolina’s Noah Cornatzor tops the Coolshirt Pro Jr. Dragster field with his 7.901-second pass. Chris Powers II was nearly perfect with his .001 reaction time to earn the provisional No. 1 spot in Gilbert Motorsports Top Jr. Dragster.
Though the event schedule called for professional final qualifying and eliminations for all classes on Saturday, an overwhelmingly negative weather forecast forced race officials to postpone the balance of the event to Sunday, April 8.