Photos by Robert Richard
1 – FAMILY TRADITION – One year ago, Ty Tutterow left the North vs. South Shootout with a victory that ignited a championship season. The son of two-time Pro Boost world champion Todd “King Tut” Tutterow won three of the next five races, reached five consecutive final rounds and capped the run with the world title.
Tutterow appears ready to make another run. Driving a new ’68 Camaro, he secured the provisional No. 1 spot Thursday with a 3.593-second pass at 209.20 mph, and Friday’s lone qualifying session wasn’t enough to knock him off the top of the sheet.
“It feels great to come out here and be back in the No. 1 spot going into race day,” Tutterow said. “We have had a fast, consistent race car since we dropped the gate and we just hope to continue that throughout race day.”
2 – HARRIS ON HIS HEELS – If Tutterow is going to repeat, he’ll have to get through one of the toughest fields Pro Boost has assembled this season. Multi-time Pro Boost and Pro Nitrous world champion Jason Harris qualified second with a 3.622 at 210.67 in his ’69 Camaro.
Travis “The Carolina Kid” Harvey continued one of the strongest starts of his season by qualifying third at 3.624 and 209.30. Harvey has quietly become one of the class’s most consistent performers, putting himself in position for another deep run on race day.
3 – PAAP’S PERFECT STORM – A week ago, Tim Paap wasn’t sure his team would even make the trip to Maryland. After severe storms and a tornado struck his hometown of Charleston, Ill., the second-year Pro Nitrous racer considered staying home before deciding to load up and head east.
That decision paid off when Paap’s Thursday-night run of 3.653 seconds at 205.41 mph in his ’16 Corvette held through Friday to earn his first No. 1 qualifier award. The accomplishment comes after failing to qualify at the season opener and improving to the No. 2 spot at the previous race, another sign the team has found its footing.
“To go from not qualifying at the first race to qualifying No. 1 here is huge,” said Paap, who qualified No. 2 at the second race on tour. “It’s a testament to Jeffrey Barker and our whole team. We weren’t sure if we were going to make it to this race. We got hit by a tornado at home, so it was just all kind of spur of the moment. I actually called it off last Friday, then Tuesday, I’m like, ‘Hey, let’s go. Let’s just get rid of the chaos and we’ll go to a different kind of chaos.’ We’re just looking to be in the winner’s circle at the end of the day tomorrow.”
4 – DENTON COMES CLOSE – Amber Denton came within a thousandth of a second of climbing to the top of the Pro Nitrous qualifying sheet. The two-time Pro 632 world champion settled for a season-best No. 2 after posting a 3.662 at 206.67 in her ’69 Camaro.
If that wasn’t close enough, reigning world champion Marcus Butner was another thousandth back. Butner’s 3.663 at 207.62 put him third, giving the class three contenders separated by just .010 heading into eliminations.
5 – THURSDAY HOLDS FOR MORGANO – Thursday night’s qualifying session proved to be the one that mattered most for Jerry Morgano. His 3.958-second pass at 201.94 mph in his ’02 Mustang stood through Friday’s lone qualifying session, earning his second No. 1 qualifier in the season’s first three races.
Morgano also started from the top spot at the season opener before finishing runner-up, and he’d like to take the next step on Saturday.
“We just freshened the motor up at DiSomma’s between the last two races, so the 3.98 pass that we ran off the trailer was the first hit on the motor – I was really happy with that,” Morgano said. “We struggled the rest of testing and spun both times. The track was really tricky, and then obviously we got to run the last one at nighttime, so that helps everybody. We were lucky enough to put it together, went a 3.95. I didn’t think it would actually hold for No. 1, but I was glad that it did. We went a 4.01 in the last session, which was good, but I think we left a little on the table. Consistency will be the name of the game on race day.”
Scott Kincaid qualified second with a 3.966 at 195.19, while Mikey Sasina made his first start of the season count by taking the third spot with a 3.979 at 197.10.
6 – PITTMAN KEEPS THE MOMENTUM GOING – Jeff Pittman’s move from Top Sportsman to Pro 632 continues to pay dividends. The sophomore racer picked up his second consecutive No. 1 qualifier after Thursday’s 4.147-second pass at 171.95 mph in his ’68 Chevelle survived Friday’s final qualifying session.
Pittman believes the consistency comes from joining forces with a proven championship-caliber program, though he knows the margin at the top remains slim.
“I’m just fortunate to be in this position,” Pittman said. “A lot of years went into this program that Alan and his team have been refining over the years. I brought my car to the table and it’s been a great fit. There’s some tough competition here. It’s not like we ran away with it today. There’s a handful of cars that could’ve taken the top spot. I just wish we could get some more participation over here. I really appreciate the PDRA sticking around and giving us a great place to race.”
Carson Hoyle qualified second with a 4.171 at 169.53, while rookie David Cook Jr. continued his steady improvement by qualifying third at 4.191 and 168.98.
7 – McGEE’S CONSISTENCY CONTINUES – Connor McGee isn’t giving anyone much room to breathe in Super Street. The defending world champion earned his second straight No. 1 qualifier and has yet to qualify lower than second through the opening three races.
McGee reached the final round at both completed events this season, winning the opener, and credits a disciplined routine for keeping the team at the front of the field.
“It’s nice to show up and do well consistently,” McGee said. “It makes me feel better in the car. It’s tough when you don’t know what the car’s going to do and you’re worried about every other thing. I have a good team where I can just sit back and focus on driving and the other small things that I do, and they handle the rest of it. That’s the big help. That’s why we do so good is we just have a good routine, a good crew, and we just test a lot. We race here eight times a year, but we’re probably at the racetrack probably 20 or 30 times a year because we’re changing things, trying new things, seeing what works, seeing what doesn’t work. It’s just part of our success and it’s paying off.”
Austin Vincent stayed within striking distance by qualifying second with a 4.559 at 154.65, while Charles Potter rounded out the top three with a 4.632 at 152.38 in his ’84 Mustang.
8 – LAFLAM SETS THE TOP SPORTSMAN PACE – Bryan LaFlam stood alone in Elite Top Sportsman as the only driver to crack the 3.70-second zone. His 3.776 at 194.49 in a ’67 Mustang earned the No. 1 qualifying position heading into eliminations.
Jamie Fowler, who claimed the top qualifying spot at the season’s first two races, settled for second with a 3.809 at 198.64. Veteran Bruce Thrift completed the top three with a 3.833 at 193.77 in his ’06 GTO.
In Top Sportsman 32, Middletown, Virginia’s Corey Evans locked down the No. 1 spot after driving his ’69 Firebird to a 4.159 at 173.21.
9 – KIMBLE LEADS ELITE TOP DRAGSTER, TRAYLOR HEADS TD32 – Gray Kimble paced a tightly packed Elite Top Dragster field with a 3.745 at 197.33 in his ’18 Miller dragster. Less than three hundredths separated the top three qualifiers.
Josh Duggins qualified second with a 3.760 at 199.32, while Brian Anderson rounded out the top three after posting a 3.774 at 192.47.
Former Top Sportsman world champion Chad Traylor narrowly missed the 16-car Elite field, but his 4.221 at 165.97 was good enough to earn the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Dragster 32.
10 – ON TAP – Saturday’s schedule opens with the final Jr. Dragster qualifying session at 9 a.m., followed by one time trial for Bracket Bash competitors.
Professional eliminations are scheduled to begin at 10:45 a.m. as racers chase victories in the North vs. South Shootout.
