Photos by Robert Richard, Steve Embling, Tara Bowker
FINAL NOTEBOOK – IT’S FATHER-SON DAY AT THE PDRA; BUTNER, HUFFMAN SCORE WINS
1 – FATHER SHOWS BEST – Kurt Steding, last year’s Pro Boost championship runner-up, rebounded from a first-round exit at the East Coast Nationals by claiming victory at the Mid-Atlantic Showdown. Steding raced his Todd Tutterow-tuned, screw-blown P2 Contracting ’69 Camaro to the win, lighting up the final win light when opponent Jason Harris went red by .123 seconds. Steding was ready with a .007 reaction time and a 3.615-second pass at 208.97 mph, recording the event’s low E.T.
“This means so much,” Steding said. “We race together, we’re hard on each other while we’re racing together, but there’s nothing better than doubling up with your boy. I’m proud of him. Todd tuned it right in there. My crew is awesome, my lights were good, and we pulled the win off.”
Steding qualified No. 10 and started strong, posting a 3.685 at 205.88 mph to defeat No. 7 qualifier James Beadling, who ran 3.728 in the first round. Steding’s perfect .000 reaction time and consistent 3.687 at 206.54 helped him beat Gabriel Andino, who ran a 3.717, sending Steding to the semifinals. With improving conditions, he stepped up with a 3.653 at 206.86 to outpace rookie John Doc, who had a .001 reaction time and a time of 3.724.
“I just did my thing,” Steding said. “I had triple zeros in the second round. That’s a little too close for comfort. I tried to lay off the tree and then you see an .059 pop up [in the semifinals]. You can’t race like that, so I just stayed calm, cool, and collected and just ran it out.”
2 – PARTY TIME PATHWAY TO THE FINAL ROUND – Harris, driving the Brandon Stroud-tuned, ProCharged Southern Diamond Company “Party Time” ’69 Camaro, set the low E.T. for the opening round with a 3.654 at 206.80, defeating a red-lighting Scott Lang. In the second round, Harris recorded the quickest winning E.T. with a 3.661 at 206.35 to beat Randy Weatherford, who ran 3.67. He advanced to the finals after newcomer Ed Marx went red by .009 seconds while attempting a 3.636. Harris registered a 3.640 at 206.92 to earn lane choice in the final.
3 – SON KNOWS BEST, TOO – A pair of rising stars faced off for the Pro Street event title as reigning world champion Ethan Steding took on Blake Denton, who earned his first career win in the class at the season opener. Despite Denton qualifying No. 1, Steding’s Ty Tutterow-tuned, roots-blown P2 Contracting “College Fund” ’24 Camaro proved to be the faster car on race day, especially in the final round.
Steding left the line first, finishing with a time of 3.948 seconds at 192.77 mph, edging out Denton’s 3.958 seconds at 195.96 mph to secure the win.
“To be doing this again with my dad, meeting him in the winner’s circle, it’s unbelievable,” Steding said, expressing gratitude to his team, parents Kurt and Wendi, and partners like Ty-Drive, Wyo Motorsports, P2 Contracting, and Red Line Oil. He also thanked Elite Top Sportsman racer Bryan LaFlam for lending the team a supercharger after theirs failed in testing.
“This just brought all my confidence back for a championship fight. At GALOT, we had a bad start. Lost in the first round. This weekend, qualifying at the top of the board [No. 3] and winning the race has made me feel back in a position to chase another championship this year. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
Steding’s path to victory began with a 4.045 second pass at 190.19 mph to defeat Joe Thomas, who had a .002 reaction time and ran 4.511 seconds. In the second round, Ron Green made a strong attempt with a 4.018, but Steding countered with low E.T. up to that point at 3.989 seconds at 192.33 mph.
His semifinal matchup against two-time world champion Tim Essick looked to be competitive, but Essick’s .019 red light nullified his 3.998 seconds, while Steding recorded a 3.980 at 192.41.
Denton, driving the nitrous-assisted Lizzy Musi tribute “Bonnie” ’69 Camaro, was fast off the starting line all day. He opened with a .001 light and a 4.06 at 194.63 to defeat Bill Devine, followed by a .007 reaction time and a 4.044 at 194.97 to claim a holeshot win over World Finals winner Richard Reagan, who ran 4.021.
In the semifinal, Denton faced recently retired Philadelphia Eagles star Fletcher Cox, making his Pro Street debut. Denton secured another holeshot win with a time of 3.978 seconds at 196.36 mph against Cox’s 3.951 at 191.73 in the all-nitrous matchup.
4 – BUTNER TOPS PRO NITROUS – Pro Nitrous standout Marcus Butner thwarted rookie Amber Denton’s bid for her first career win by defeating the two-time Pro 632 world champion in the final round. Butner, along with tuner Jay Cox, qualified second and steadily improved throughout eliminations to face Denton in the championship round.
In the final, Butner launched first in his Musi-powered Butner Construction “Heartbreaker” ’69 Camaro, leading the race to the finish line with a winning time of 3.639 seconds at 208.55 mph. Denton encountered issues, slowing to a 3.772 at 189.95 to secure runner-up honors in just her second Pro Nitrous start.
“We’ve been searching for this,” said Butner, who earned his first Pro Nitrous victory at Maryland in 2023. “It’s not for a lack of effort. It’s very sweet to get back. My guys have worked their butts off. We’ve done a lot of testing to get here, and we’re going to keep testing. I couldn’t have a better crew. Jay Cox takes care of the car and keeps us going in the right direction. Pat Musi gave us all the horsepower. I just thank God for being here. This continues our drive. We’ll probably test next week before Norwalk. We’re gonna try to keep this going.”
Butner began his eliminations with a solid 3.706 seconds at 205.79 mph, defeating Cam Clark, who ran 3.75. He posted the second-quickest pass of the second round, a 3.689 at 207.78, to eliminate Brian Shrader, who clocked 3.707. In the semifinals, past Elite Top Sportsman world champion Buddy Perkinson made a strong start, but Butner responded with the low E.T. of the event—a 3.637 at 208.62—to outpace Perkinson’s 3.681.
Denton, driving her Musi-powered “OG Jungle Rat” ’69 Camaro, qualified fourth and battled through a challenging first-round match against Jim Widener, with both drivers losing traction. Denton recovered faster, posting a 4.379 at 136.97, while Widener finished at 5.081. She then set the low E.T. of the second round with a 3.675 at 198.70, stopping Corey Smith, who went red by .005 seconds. In the semifinals, she matched her qualifying effort with a 3.659 at 206.92 to defeat John Vergotz, who ran 4.173.
5 – FIRST TIME WINNER IN XPS – Former Pro 632 winner Jeremy Huffman claimed his first career victory in Extreme Pro Stock by defeating 2018 world champion Steven Boone in the final round. Huffman, who reached the semifinals at the season opener, made it into the eight-car field as the bump spot qualifier, then utilized quick reaction times to advance.
In the final, Huffman, driving his 3V Performance-powered ’10 Cobalt, launched first ahead of Boone. He recorded his best pass of the weekend, a 4.085 seconds at 175.41 mph, to secure the win over Boone’s time of 4.125 seconds at 169.44 mph.
“I can’t describe how big of a deal this is,” said Huffman, who aims for a PDRA world championship this season. “It’s so hard for me not to get emotional. I was talking to my guys down at the end of the track getting all teary. Just like everybody, we’ve worked so hard for this. We’ve been to five or six finals now. I started to kind of wonder if the good Lord ever had one planned for us, but I had faith. I can’t thank my guys enough. We’re so blessed. It’s just awesome.”
Huffman made a critical move in the first round of eliminations, posting a .017 reaction time and a 4.196 at 172.89 to win on a holeshot against two-time and reigning world champion Chris Powers, who was the second-quickest driver of the round with a time of 4.139 at 176.79. In the semifinals, Huffman exhibited consistency with a .018 light and a pass of 4.11 at 176.05 to defeat young competitor Jordan Ensslin, who clocked in at 4.123.
Boone, representing Boone Motorsports as the class presenting sponsor for the weekend, qualified No. 6 in his Allen-powered Boone Motorsports ’07 Cobalt. He had a solid start against Kurt Neighbor in the first round, running a 4.14 at 171.77 to defeat Neighbor’s 4.171. Boone’s semifinal matchup with 2023 world champion Alan Drinkwater ended when Drinkwater went .040 red, nullifying his 4.113, while Boone advanced with a time of 4.128 at 171.53.
6 – FIRST TIME WINNER IN PRO632, TOO! – Kyle Salminen captured his first career win in Pro 632, recording the low E.T. on race day in the final round against reigning world champion Jeff Melnick.
Salminen, driving his Musi-powered ’03 Cavalier from Marine City, Michigan, left the starting line just ahead of Melnick and posted a time of 4.185 seconds at 171.40 mph for the victory. Melnick, who qualified No. 1 and set the low E.T. in the first two rounds, encountered tire shake and coasted to a 7.343 at 61.51 in the runner-up position.
“It’s kind of hard to believe, but I’m just grateful to be here,” Salminen said. “This win is for my mom. She’s in the hospital right now, and because of her strength, we’re here. This is all hers.”
“Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking about who I was racing,” Salminen continued. “I was just going up there and doing my thing, and it was working. I wasn’t getting in my head, and I was treating it as a qualifier or test run. I just wanted to win this race, and that’s what I did.”
Salminen qualified third and faced George Coleman in the first round, where Coleman left too soon with a .170 red light. Salminen advanced with a 4.22 at 169.93. In the second round, he improved slightly, running a 4.21 at 176.33 to defeat newcomer Jeff Pittman, who posted a time of 4.285 at 168.70. Salminen made another improvement in the semifinals, clocking in at 4.193 at 170.71 against a red-lighting Walter Lannigan.
Melnick demonstrated consistency throughout the day in Alan O’Brien’s Barry Allen-powered Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’20 Camaro. He navigated past Jason Ventura in the first round with a time of 4.194 at 174.84, while Ventura ran 4.546. In the second round, Melnick secured a victory over rookie Carson Hoyle with a 4.192 at 178.66 against Hoyle’s 4.209 at 166.95, placing Melnick in the semifinals where he advanced on a bye run.
7 – VINCENT CLEAN SWEEPS SUPER STREET – Second-generation small-tire racer Austin Vincent captured his first career win in Super Street on Saturday evening. After qualifying No. 1 for the second time in as many races, Vincent made his way through eliminations to face rookie Carson Perry in the final round, where he posted a winning time of 4.625 seconds at 158.63 mph in his nitrous-fed Vincent Performance ’88 Mustang. Perry slowed to 5.035 at 110.94 in the runner-up effort.
“This is very meaningful,” Vincent said, expressing gratitude to his parents and partners, including Vincent Performance, VDRD, Davis Technology, Nitrous Express, Diamond Pistons, Jesel, and Ron G Afterworks. “I get to drive my dad’s old car that got me into racing. I’ve got my best friend, Cody, out here, and my mom watching at home. It’s all really nice. I hope to win a whole lot more. I want to win a couple more and hopefully put a No. 1 on the thing at the end of the year and take a small-block nitrous car to the winner’s circle every race if I can.”
As the No. 1 qualifier, Vincent benefited from a first-round bye, clocking a 4.643 at 159.32. He improved in the second round, running a 4.626 at 159.42 to defeat World Finals winner Brad McBride, who finished with a time of 5.872. Vincent showcased his skills in the semifinals, gaining a holeshot advantage and running a 4.612 at 159.68 to edge out season opener winner Connor McGee, who recorded a 4.593 at 155.36. The margin of victory was a mere .0001 seconds.
In just his second Super Street start, Perry qualified third in his nitrous-fed Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’00 Camaro. He won his first-round matchup against Michael Webb, posting a 4.723 at 152.71 to Webb’s 5.599, and led wire-to-wire in the second round against J.C. Beattie Jr. with a time of 4.854 at 127.27, defeating Beattie’s 4.902.
Perry advanced to the semifinals after receiving a single run, as opponent Matt Schalow damaged his car in a crash during the second-round bye run. Perry finished the semifinal with a 4.808 at 126.47, paving the way for his final round against Vincent.
8 – BUTCHER CARVES UP TOP SPORTSMAN – Reigning Elite Top Sportsman world champion Glenn Butcher captured his second consecutive victory at the Mid-Atlantic Showdown. In the final round, Butcher faced Ron Whitlock, launching first in his nitrous-fed, Albert-powered Butcher & Son Demolition ’69 Camaro. Butcher crossed the finish line with a time of 3.781 seconds on a 3.77 dial-in, while Whitlock broke out with a 4.003 at the stripe on a 4.02 dial-in in his GXP.
“I’m thrilled to have secured another victory here,” Butcher said following the race. His win adds to an impressive season for the defending champion.
Meanwhile, the Top Sportsman 48 competition concluded with Ohioans Keith Castle and Jeff Melnick as the final two drivers. Castle gained a slight advantage off the starting line in his ’07 Stratus and maintained it, posting a 4.237 on a 4.23 dial-in to defeat Melnick. Melnick, who drove a ProCharged Exotic Fabrication ’02 Avenger, unfortunately broke out with a 4.153 on a 4.16 dial-in.
“This was a tough battle, but I’m glad to come out on top today,” Castle said, emphasizing the competitive nature of the event.
9 – COLEMAN WINS ELITE TOP DRAGSTER – In a thrilling final round of the Elite Top Dragster event, Linzie Coleman from Gloucester, Virginia, claimed victory over Alan O’Brien from Ronceverte, West Virginia. Coleman showcased her starting line skills in her ProCharged ’17 American dragster, finishing with a time of 3.919 seconds on a 3.86 dial-in. O’Brien, who drove one of four Greenbrier Excavating & Paving entries in the finals, ran a strong 3.749 seconds on a 3.73 dial-in in his turbocharged Race Tech dragster, but it was not enough to secure the win.
“This win means a lot, especially racing against great competition,” Coleman said after her victory, highlighting the competitive spirit of the event.
The Top Dragster 48 category also featured a doubled winner’s purse through PDRA’s new Power Purse program, with Jeff Pierce Race Car Tuning contributing to a $6,000 payout for the winner. In this final round, multi-time NHRA Top Dragster world champion Anthony Bertozzi faced reigning PDRA Top Dragster world champion Nick Meloni.
However, the race ended abruptly at the starting line as Bertozzi went red by .006, disqualifying him. Meloni capitalized on the opportunity, cutting a .006 light and recording a winning time of 4.29 seconds on a 4.26 dial-in.
“I just focused on my light and executed the run,” Meloni said, reflecting on his strategy.
10 – UP NEXT – The Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series will now head North to Norwalk, Ohio, for the fifth annual American Doorslammer Challenge presented by Callies, May 22-24, at Summit Motorsports Park.
FRIDAY NOTEBOOK – THE ACTION IS HOT UNDER THE VIRIGNIA NIGHTTIME SKIES
1 – FRANKLIN DOUBLES UP ON A FRIDAY NIGHT – In only the second Pro Nitrous race for his new Musi-powered “Jungle Rat 3.0” ’69 Camaro, three-time world champion Tommy Franklin secured his first No. 1 qualifier award of the season. Franklin also clinched victory in the Fab4 Shootout, a new race-within-a-race format for the top four qualifiers that unfolds during the second and third qualifying sessions.
Franklin defeated Marcus Butner in the first round of the Fab4 Shootout before posting a 3.648-second pass at 206.99 mph in the final session to win the $2,000 prize. “Especially with it being associated with the Travis Mills Foundation, it was cool to be able to go out there and win the Fab4 Shootout,” Franklin said, expressing gratitude to supporters including Pat Musi Racing Engines, Red Line Oil, and Jerry Bickel Race Cars.
He added, “It just adds a little bit of an extra spice to qualifying. A lot of times we go into qualifying and you’re more worried about qualifying than racing, but I had to get the race face on a little bit earlier. The field was crazy tight – I was seeing 3.65s pop up everywhere. Race day is going to be tough with this bunch of cars.”
Butner, in his Musi-powered Butner Construction “Heartbreaker” ’69 Camaro, claimed the No. 2 spot with a 3.650-second run at 207.56 mph in the final session. Despite losing in the Fab4 Shootout final round, Billy Albert qualified third with a 3.658 at 206.67 in Stan Nance’s Rickie Smith-tuned Structural Mechanical ’20 Camaro.
2 – NEARLY A DOUBLE FOR HARRIS – Two-time and reigning Pro Boost world champion Jason Harris finished as the runner-up in the first Pro Boost Fab4 Shootout presented by the Travis Mills Foundation. Harris faced Ed “The Iron Man” Burnley in the final round but was uncharacteristically late off the line, running a 3.626-second pass at 207.02 mph in his ProCharged Southern Diamond Company “Party Time” ’69 Camaro.
Burnley narrowly edged out Harris with a run of 3.631 seconds at 205.79 mph in his ProCharged “Iron Man” ’69 Camaro. Despite the setback, Harris secured the No. 1 qualifying spot for the event.
“It is bittersweet,” Harris said after the race. He extended gratitude to partners including Hoosier Racing Tire, Pro Line Racing, ProCharger, SP Tools, Southern Diamond Company, and LAT Racing Oil, as well as the Travis Mills Foundation for organizing the shootout.
“Truthfully, in my mind, after the burnout, it was Q3; it wasn’t the shootout. Not being up there in the qualifying order, I knew I needed to make a strong run. I didn’t really think we could go No. 1, but I knew we were juiced up and I was a little worried about shaking the tires and maybe being on the lower part of the ladder.”
Harris added, “I knew we were in, so it was just one of those things. Eddie [Burnley] did a good job and I just missed the tree. It’s just part of it. I was in qualifying mode, not race mode. But now it’s time to go racing.”
Preston Tanner, a rising star, qualified third with a strong run of 3.637 seconds at 205.72 mph in his screw-blown Tanner Motorsports ’15 Corvette. The competitive field featured 23 cars, setting the stage for an exciting race day ahead.
3 – POWERS TO THE TOP OF PRO STOCK – Two-time Extreme Pro Stock world champion Chris Powers continued his championship defense by securing his second consecutive No. 1 qualifier award at the Mid-Atlantic Showdown, where Boone Motorsports served as the Extreme Pro Stock presenting sponsor. Powers was the only driver to record a time in the 4.00s for the second race in a row, clocking a 4.094-second pass at 177.11 mph in his Sonny’s Racing Engines ’21 Camaro.
“We were pretty determined to take the top spot,” Powers said. “We want to hang on to that belt. The track’s pretty good. They did a good job tonight, so we figured we could go probably a .07 out there, but the track was a little tighter than we thought, so the .09 was surprisingly enough to hold on and get it done.”
Powers expressed appreciation for the support from Sonny’s Racing Engines, emphasizing the hard work put in during the winter months. “Chuck Samuel has done a phenomenal job tuning. My son is handling the clutch. We’re really happy to get two back-to-back,” he said.
Alan Drinkwater, the 2023 world champion, qualified second with a time of 4.101 seconds at 176.81 mph in his Kaase-powered Flatout Gaskets ’08 Mustang. This setup creates the potential for a rematch between Powers and Drinkwater in a second consecutive final round.
Kurt Neighbor also turned in a strong performance, securing the No. 3 spot with his Kaase-powered ’12 Mustang.
4 – DENTON GETS ANOTHER NO. 1 – Blake Denton’s sophomore season in Pro Street is off to a strong start, as he secured his second consecutive No. 1 qualifier award following a victory in the season opener. Racing in memory of former Pro Nitrous star Lizzy Musi, Denton laid down a 3.962-second pass at 196.70 mph in his nitrous-fed “Bonnie” ’69 Camaro during the final qualifying session.
The 2023 Super Street world champion is now set to attempt back-to-back wins on Saturday, with tuner Jeff Pierce guiding the Tommy Franklin Motorsports-fielded entry.
“We struggled at GALOT and ended up winning, so to come here off the trailer and do good, it feels good,” Denton said. “I watched everybody run and I knew Jeff was going to work. I had faith in him and I knew we’d be right there in the battle. I trust the car and I just need to do my job on the tree on race day.”
Two-time world champion Tim Essick qualified second with a run of 3.977 seconds at 189.71 mph in his ProCharged “Brown Sugar” ’18 Mustang. Reigning world champion Ethan Steding followed closely in third place, posting a time of 3.985 seconds at 191.81 mph in his roots-blown P2 Contracting “College Fund” ’24 Camaro.
5 – FLETCHER COX MAKES HIS DEBUT – Recently retired Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox made a notable entrance in his Pro Street debut, qualifying fourth with a time of 3.989 seconds at 191.08 mph in his nitrous-fed “Training Day” ’69 Camaro.
Fletcher becomes thr third defensive lineman to become a drag racer, following in the footsteps of Hall of Famer Alan Page and former Carolina Panthers Defensive End Tyler Brayton.
6 – MELNICK IS THE TOP RUNNER IN PRO 632 – Jeff Melnick, the reigning 2023 Pro 632 world champion, secured the No. 1 qualifier position in the final qualifying session at the latest event. Piloting Alan O’Brien’s Barry Allen-powered Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’20 Camaro, Melnick recorded a time of 4.178 seconds at 168.37 mph, surpassing three other competitors who also dipped into the 4.10s.
“It feels great because these guys put in a lot of work all year round to make this car the top of the field, and I just try to not screw it up most of the time,” Melnick said. “Motivation is always high for me because of the stuff I’ve been through. I’m grateful to be out here racing and doing what I love to do and being a part of a great team. Motivation is always high to turn on win lights for us.”
Walter Lannigan, who captured victory in the season opener, qualified second in Chris Holdorf’s Nelson-powered C&C Concrete Pumping ’10 GTO, posting a time of 4.184 seconds at 168.68 mph. Kyle Salminen closely followed in third position with a run of 4.189 seconds at 175.25 mph in his Michigan-based ’03 Cavalier.
7 – VINCENT LEADS NITROUS BARRAGE IN SUPER STREET – Nitrous cars maintained their dominance in Super Street at the Mid-Atlantic Showdown, following a strong showing at the season-opening East Coast Nationals. Austin Vincent from Central City, Kentucky, secured his second consecutive No. 1 qualifier award in his Vincent Performance ’88 Mustang, recording an impressive time of 4.582 seconds at 159.89 mph.
Fellow competitor Matt Schalow qualified second, marking his second consecutive top-three performance, with a run of 4.631 seconds at 156.41 mph in his Knieriem-powered ’00 Camaro. Rookie Carson Perry rounded out the top three, finishing with a time of 4.642 seconds at 153.84 mph in his Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’00 Camaro.
8 – BUTCHER, MILLS LEAD TOP SPORTSMAN AGAIN – For the second consecutive race, Glenn Butcher and Vonnie Mills qualified No. 1 in their respective divisions: Elite Top Sportsman and Top Sportsman 48. Butcher, the defending world champion, posted a time of 3.774 seconds at 199.02 mph in his Albert-powered Butcher & Son Demolition ’69 Camaro, edging out multi-time world champion Dan Ferguson, who tunes for Butcher.
Ferguson qualified second with a run of 3.777 seconds at 200.14 mph in his Wilkins-powered 2000 Viper. Bryan LaFlam secured the No. 3 spot, clocking a time of 3.795 seconds at 201.46 mph in his supercharged BigStuff Total Power Management ’67 Mustang.
In the Top Sportsman 48 category, Mills, despite narrowly missing the 16-car Elite field, led the way with a solid run of 4.066 seconds at 181.15 mph in her nitrous-fed “Show-N-Tell” ’13 Camaro.
9 – STROUD, GONZALEZ LEAD TOP DRAGSTER QUALIFYING AGAIN – Jody Stroud and Danielle Gonzalez continued their strong performances by qualifying No. 1 for the second straight race in their respective divisions of Top Dragster. Stroud topped the Elite Top Dragster field with a time of 3.686 seconds at 201.16 mph in his supercharged “Zombie” ’07 Spitzer dragster, narrowly edging out Josh Duggins, who qualified second with a 3.714-second pass at 201.04 mph in his ProCharged-boosted Maddox dragster.
West Virginia’s Alan O’Brien secured the third spot with a time of 3.748 seconds at 197.42 mph in his turbocharged Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’23 Race Tech dragster.
In the Top Dragster 48 category, Gonzalez put her Connecticut-based ProCharged ’23 American dragster in the No. 1 position with a run of 3.893 seconds at 164.37 mph. She fell just short of qualifying for the 16-car Elite field, finishing around one hundredth of a second away.
10 – ON TAP – The Travis Mills Foundation Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Red Line Shirt Club will continue Saturday starting with Jr. Dragster final qualifying at 8:30 a.m., followed by Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams time trials and sportsman eliminations. Pre-race ceremonies and professional eliminations are set to kick off at noon, while the FuelTech Winner’s Circle will wrap up the race weekend around 9:45 p.m.
