2018 PDRA FIRECRACKER NATIONALS - RICHMOND RESULTS
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SATURDAY - WINNERS CROWNED ON SATURDAY EVENING
Longtime Moroso Pro Boost driver Ric Fleck scored his first-ever event win in the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Saturday night at the PDRA Firecracker Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. Fleck defeated points leader Chuck Ulsch, who was appearing in his fourth consecutive final round.
Past world champions Jason Harris (Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by MoTeC) and John Pluchino (Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock) also won in their respective classes, as well as first-time winners Ehren Litten in Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle and Daryl Hameetman in East Side Auto Transport Pro Outlaw 632. Ken Quartuccio swept the debut of his new ’17 Corvette in Atomizer Racing Injectors Outlaw 10.5, qualifying No. 1 and winning the event.
In the PDRA’s sportsman classes, North Carolinians Derrick Brown (MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman) and Chaz Silance (Lucas Oil Elite Top Dragster) scored event wins, along with Wayne Rogers in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman 32 and Angela Gantkowski in Lucas Oil Top Dragster 32. Casey Wagner defeated Connor McGee in the Coolshirt Pro Jr. Dragster final round, running 7.97 on a 7.90 dial-in to McGee’s too-quick 7.885. Mallory Logan used a .005 reaction time and 7.946 on a 7.90 dial-in to beat Nyck Shirkey’s break-out 7.893 in the Gilbert Motorsports Top Jr. Dragster final round. Brian Mollison earned the Edelbrock Bracket Bash win over Rikki Molnar.
The next race on the 2018 PDRA Tour is the inaugural PDRA Super Strip Nationals, July 19-21, at National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio.
FRIDAY - WEATHERFORD, SALEMI TOP PDRA FIRECRACKER NATS QUALIFYING
Virginia native Randy Weatherford secured his first No. 1 qualifier award of the season in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by MoTeC at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Firecracker Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Joining Weatherford as the low qualifiers in the PDRA’s professional classes were Melanie Salemi in Moroso Pro Boost, John Montecalvo in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock, Terry Schweigert in Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle and Johnny Pluchino in East Side Auto Transport Pro Outlaw 632. Ken Quartuccio is the No. 1 qualifer in Atomizer Racing Injectors Outlaw 10.5.
The PDRA’s sportsman categories, which will receive a third and final qualifying session Saturday morning, are topped by Billy Albert in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman and Matt Sackman in Lucas Oil Top Dragster. Leading the Jr. Dragster classes going into Saturday are Brooke Miller in Coolshirt Pro Jr. Dragster with her 7.901 pass and Virginia’s own Connor Shields with a near-perfect .001 reaction time in Gilbert Motorsports Top Jr. Dragster.
The PDRA Firecracker Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park will continue Saturday morning with sportsman final qualifying at 9:30 a.m. Professional eliminations are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
SESSION TWO
SESSION ONE
